darkSpyro

As Angora spoke, Ilasi listened, trying to get a better understanding of how the troll felt. Ilasi had some questions to ask; however, she didn't feel like getting into a debate with Angora at this time. She decided that perhaps it would be best for her to leave for now, and come back once Maverick was there in order to ensure that any discussion didn't take a turn for the worse, like the one they had at Redwater.
"Pardon me. I'm going to get some water," Ilasi said. "I'll be back later." Ilasi opened the door, closing it behind her as she walked out.

Angora wanted to say more things, and she was prepared to be calm about it. She wanted to resolve the tension between her and Ilasi, let the mermaid know how wrong she was about her and Maverick, but she wouldn't let them. She simply left, letting her with the desire to say more. Dahlia noticed this and wanted to stop Ilasi, but sensing her distress,me let her go so she could have the chance to cool off. There wasn't tension between Ilasi and Maverick only, there was tension between her and the troll also, something that the dirt buffalo couldn't comprehend. Everything seemed so well with them, yet the atmosphere always changed when they talked. Why was that? Why couldn't anybody get along?

Only a few minutes before the food was done. Unaware that Angora was already awake, Maverick made sure that her meal was extra tasty so she could be awaken with the divine smell. He usually hated to cook, yet he was doing this meal with much love...

Ilasi did indeed get some water, pulling it out of a barrel of purified water she had prepared earlier that day. After a small drink, she waited around awhile, to give Maverick time to return to his room and talk with Angora before proceeding.
After what felt like a reasonable enough amount of time, she headed back into the ship. Once she got to the door of Maverick's room, she would stand and wait - she could not hear anyone in the room, and could not smell any food, so had no reason to believe that Maverick had returned.

As Dahlia comforted the distressed mermaid, Ilasi didn't have to wait too long for Maverick to arrive. The heavenly smell surrounded the hallways. This had been his best cooking yet. As Maverick entered the cabin, he failed to spot Ilasi just right behind Dahlia, the giant buffalo hiding her. He shed a single tear when he saw Angora awake.
"Angorita! She... she really did it! Ilasi did it. She wake you..." he said, practically losing his voice. The troll smiled at him, very pleased to see him as well.
"Hello Malo." she said, using the nickname he hated, though he didn't mind this time. The two spoke for a little while about what transpired earlier, but not liking the subject, he decided to change it, with all the while Dahlia concealing Ilasi and giving her the chance to listen to their conversation.

"Where is Ilasi? I have to thank her for this. I brought her this." Maverick said as he showed an elegantly decorated piece of venison, with different kinds of fruits like oranges and grapes making a flower with a mermaid's tail instead of roots.
"She left to get a drink of water... or maybe just to avoid me." Angora said sadly, believing Ilasi still disliked her too much.
"Oh don't say that Angorita. She really is nice. I didn't ask for her help in curing you. She offered herself." Maverick said with a big smile, and Angora couldn't find it in her heart to tell him about what she said about doing it just for the payment.
"So what? She still doesn't like me. Look! She left me alone. I really thought highly of her once Maverick. I really did. She was very nice to us in that lake at Orcford. And when I was in prison, she was kind enough to give me that apple to prevent me from starving, even if that could've mean trouble for her if caught. It was all nice. But then, all of the sudden, when I found her in Redwater along with the minotaur and that merman, she spoke badly about you and I got angry. And because I got angry, she took great offense and told Sere, leading to this mess. Because I got angry at her for speaking so badly about you, look at what it got us into. Even you had to pay the price just for being friends with me. Everyone on this ship hates us because of that one single event. I don't know what has gotten into her! She was so nice to us. I really thought... for a moment, she saw something more than just a troll, but in the end, she turned out to be just like nearly everyone else I have ever met." Angora said gloomily, thinking that only Maverick and Shade could ever love her for herself.

Maverick did a little pause before answering, knowing that the recent events have really broken Angora's fragile self esteem.
"She's just stressed Angorita. Very stressed. Everyone have always expected the best of her, and it hasn't been easy on her. She has a great heart Angorita. I know so. She's taking care of you even though she doesn't have to. I just wish... you two could solve everything between you and leave all this misunderstanding behind." Maverick stated, with Angora still not mentioning about the money to avoid tarnishing Maverick's pure view of her.
"I'm trying Maverick. I even tried earlier, but... she won't give me a chance. Nobody ever does. You are the first who ever believed in me, and has never given up on me." Angora said gloomily, stopping there when her stomach started to rumble. Maverick gave her the platter, which was amazingly decorated with apple slices, lettuce and a large piece of ham. Although it wasn't as pretty as Ilasi's platter, Angora ate without minding, just wanting to satisfy her now intense hunger.

Meanwhile, Raclaw and Chester slowly tried to go sleep-- the former unable to get Latnok out of his mind. 'Oh Latnok-- please don't be doing something reckless right now. It was only a memory-- one of many. Damon-- I don't know why he did it, but that one memory is not how I see you. And Angora-- you saw what lied within her mind. It was only connected to her and how you handled her and.. and the side of you that I feared would return if I intervened. You were corrupted and I know it wasn't you, but the fear was still there. Oh Damon-- why, why did you do it?!,' he desperately thought as his mind ran through the events again and again. "You really care about him, don't you?," the voice of Damon could soon be heard in his mind. "Yes-- yes I do. More than I ever have cared for someone before and you have possibly ruined that for good.," Raclaw spoke internally to Damon. "If you care about him and he cares about you-- than you will get past this. Your mind kept going back to that one single memory whenever Angora was around and that-- that just wouldn't do.," Damon replied seemingly serving his own cause in his reasoning. "Damon-- that was my memory and mine to reveal in my own. You had no right--," Raclaw started to say before getting cut off. "Your safety and your welfare is my responsibility-- and I don't keep you sane, who will?," Damon immediately responded before letting Raclaw speak again.

"You're not the one Damon. Latnok-- he is my friend, my Guardian, my protector. Up to now-- he has and he would've watched over me. But now--," Raclaw responded getting frustrated with the collar entity. "He will never know you as well I do, will never be able to help you as much I can, will--," Damon started to say before surprisely getting cut off himself with Raclaw excausting much of his remaining energy in the process. "DAMON-- LISTEN AND LISTEN WELL. LATNOK IS MY FRIEND AND I WILL GO BACK TO HIM. YOU.. you and he can co-exist. I will fix this, we will fix this. I...," Raclaw said running out of words. His eyes briefly turned black, suggesting he had temporally called upon another power source. For a very brief moment, he could feel what felt like Shade's corruption-like energy flowing through him. Chester, sensing he was troubled-- walked over to him and laid down beside him. No more words were spoken and Raclaw silently appreciated his friend's genuine attempt at comforting him.

As Ilasi sat and waited, she began to doze off somewhat, as the night went on. She was, however, roused from sleep by Dahlia apparently choosing to stay next to her. Appreciative of the company, Ilasi stayed still, having no reason to move, and began to doze off once again.
Soon, the smell of well-cooked food announced Maverick's presence. Ilasi woke up again, and was about to get up - before hearing Maverick begin his conversation with Angora. Apparently, Maverick did not notice her behind Dahlia.
Though Ilasi had no intention of eavesdropping - at least initially - curiosity got the best of her once Angora told Maverick about Ilasi's efforts to avoid her. Ilasi wasn't surprised she deduced that, even if she did for the wrong reasons.
Ilasi listened to the conversation to the very end, though it did not come without any guilt. However, this would be the best chance she had of hearing Angora's real thoughts about her, without any sort of facade she might put up. When they were done talking, Ilasi began to stand up, petting Dahlia as she did.
Sliding past Dahlia, she entered the doorway, making her presence known.
"I'm sorry..." Ilasi said, looking down. "I dozed off by Dahlia, and couldn't help but overhear." Ilasi continued, immediately jumping into the subject matter before the conversation took another tangent. "I just want to clear up a few misunderstandings. When we met in Redwater... I was a little upset about Maverick leaving without saying a word, despite his promise. I was under the impression... that he didn't care to see me again, just talking out of kindness and politeness until he could leave. I see that I was wrong in that regard... but I don't think the situation with the others is quite clear.
"Angora, you had quite the negative reaction after I mentioned that I didn't think that someone who had such a big issue with the captain and his right-hand man would be the best person to have on the ship. All of a sudden, I was 'just like all the others'... I don't know what I was supposed to think then. You told me about your distrust of the leaders of the voyage, then exploded when I didn't agree... what was I supposed to think? I didn't think it would have been right at that point to hide from the captain someone who wanted to join the crew with less than pure intentions. I had many lousy work environments before - things like that, the distrust, are often the cause. I don't know what you expected me to do..." Ilasi had no more to say at the moment, waiting to hear the others speak as she gathered her mind.

Maverick remained silent as Ilasi explained, knowing now the chain of misunderstanding that lead to the mess, which was unfortunately very common in Angora's life. With him quiet, Angora decided to take the reigns and keep explaining. She didn't take kindly of Ilasi eavesdropping, but let the matter slip and after swallowing a mouthful of her meal, she spoke.
"How was I suppose to know you were going to work with the Guardians when I encounter you in that fountain? I did a little joke about them cause I trusted you enough to vent a little about them, which I wouldn't have if I had known you would be working for them. Long before I met you, they have been quite mean to me... well, Latnok to be precise, but that's besides the point. You have no idea how much he mistreated me, and he still does..." Angora began to say, before glaring at Maverick.

"As for what happened in Orcford, I didn't even know Maverick had made that promise to you. He had been in prison for a week and I wanted to get him out of there as fast as I could. We only had just one chance to be teletransported away from there, and we took it. If HE had told me about that promise, I never would've made him leave if I had known, cause if there's one thing I hate is a broken promise." Angora specified as she glared at Maverick once more, making him blush in shame. He knew he did wrong not telling Angora about that promise, and because he never did, he had broken it and caused Angora to be blamed for it.

"Oh..." Ilasi said simply, processing the new information. If what she was hearing was indeed true, then absolutely everything involving her, Maverick, and Angora was as a result of a chain of misunderstandings. "I think that, maybe, we're all just misunderstanding each other here, then..." she said. "Maybe we should try starting over. It would seem that any issues between you and me, Angora, could be put behind us if we understand that the other means no harm. I'm willing to move on, if you are." Ilasi wasn't sure if she actually believed Angora - but she had every intention of following her end, as long as Angora showed herself to be every but the person she was claiming to be. Considering Maverick's word, she would hold him to it.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade felt something drawing his power and he winced a little at it. He knew who it was and was trying himself to block the connection. “Raclaw....my power is unstable....no one can control it except me. But even I have a hard time controlling it at points especially extreme stress.”

"I know-- I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-- it's just...," Raclaw started to respond via the link as Shade's warning echoed in his head. "You don't know what it's like to live with an entity-- another being constantly sharing the same mental presence of yours. Damon-- he has potionally ruined a vital friendship and I can do little to override him. My own collar prevents me from doing so without drawing upon a greater power.," he then said quickly cutting off the power draw. Delving into something that almost resembled the corruption was dangerous territory for him, as he knew just how comfortable he had been drawing upon it in the darklands. He began to calm down as Chester comforted him.

Quote: A Guy

"Oh..." Ilasi said simply, processing the new information. If what she was hearing was indeed true, then absolutely everything involving her, Maverick, and Angora was as a result of a chain of misunderstandings. "I think that, maybe, we're all just misunderstanding each other here, then..." she said. "Maybe we should try starting over. It would seem that any issues between you and me, Angora, could be put behind us if we understand that the other means no harm. I'm willing to move on, if you are." Ilasi wasn't sure if she actually believed Angora - but she had every intention of following her end, as long as Angora showed herself to be every but the person she was claiming to be. Considering Maverick's word, she would hold him to it.

Angora too a bite out of her meat, devouring it before speaking again.
"Well, what can we do? It's all in the past now. At least we're off to a great start. That root you gave me or whatever it was seemed to be doing the trick." Angora assured, noticing how she was slowly returning to her old self. She still had a few aches on her body and her head, but she was recovering. The meal was also very welcoming.

After a few moments of silence from the embarrased Maverick, he looked at the small window they had and realized it was getting late. Remembering Ilasi's own meal, he shyly gave it to her, avoiding eye contact. Thankfully, the meal was still hot enough.
"Here Ilasi. I... I made you this. Just like you wanted. Gracias for all your help." Maverick said gratefully but still too embarrased, hoping Ilasi would like the decoration.

"It's late. You can eat it in your own room if you like. Dahlia... if you want to, can keep you company. Her fur is very comfortable. Softer than any pillow. She won't be any trouble. She's very clean and smart." he then assured while still avoiding eye contact, wanting Dahlia to make Ilasi feel well as she had done many times for him. Angora felt a little guilty for making Maverick feel that way, but she wanted to remind him how his silence began some of the trouble. Hopefully, they would finally be able to let bygones be bygones.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“I know but know this hardships are unavoidable but in the end things will be better. Your friendship is strong and nothing can break that.”

"Hopefully.. hopefully you're right. Thank-you.," Raclaw said telepathically thanking the dark Dragolet before asking a serious question. "Tell me-- have you ever formed a powerful bond with a human? Before Mav I mean and not just a forced longterm requirement to be work together, but a genuine one-of-a-kind relationship that builds and grows into something you can't see yourself living without?," he then asked becoming somewhat curious about Shade's past. His bond with Latnok-- he meant every word and saw some kind of future with the Guardian.

Ilasi nodded her head, giving Maverick a warm smile. "Thank you so much," she said. "Dahlia has been very kind to me today - I would more than appreciate her company! If you ever need my help again, please, just ask me." With that said, Ilasi began to head out, looking at the bowl Maverick went through great effort to prepare. He didn't have to arrange the food - it would taste the same regardless - but he still went the extra mile. Even if Latnok had magic to aid his cooking, Maverick's dishes, in a way, reflected the love and kindness he was known for, and had their own appeal in that way.

"Now," Cernentium said. "It is getting late. As eager as I sure you are to begin training, you have been through much today, and diurnal creatures are at their highest potential in the daytime. Rest for now. Tomorrow morning, we begin." Latnok nodded, searching for a proper sleeping bag in his pack - right before a root burst from the ground, splitting into many branches, which then sprouted many leaves. Latnok took the cue - this place would provide what he needed. Putting his pack down, he began to take off his armor, to get some rest for the coming morning.

Knowing how late it was, Maverick knew he wouldn't be able to give the food for Shade now since he was probably asleep right now after the ordeal he also went through. He put the meal in his hyperspace bag to give to him for breakfast tomorrow, knowing it will stay fresh there. Raclaw and Chester's food would have to wait as well. Before sitting to eat, he gave a full serving of oaths to Dahlia as he promised, with her eating it fast and then following Ilasi to her room. Maverick could tell the buffalo took quite a liking to the mermaid. Many animals could sense good people, which just made Maverick more convinced on how kind Ilasi really was, and that the whole tension between the trio had just been a huge chain of misunderstandings as she put it.

When he started to eat from his platter, which was the only one not decorated, Angora was already licking hers clean, as always, enjoying anything Maverick prepared. His cooking was still better than Latnok's, who used magic to make his meal. In other words, take the easy road. Still angry at him, Angora stopped thinking about the young Guardian, with her and her companion still in the dark about his missing status.

When Maverick was done with his own meal, they both left the platters in the room to prevent the fawn man from going to the kitchen again, both wanting to sleep right away. After such a long time, Angora finally managed to sleep well. The meal, along with the likely reconciliation with Ilasi mellowed out the trauma that was caused to her earlier that day when she was forced to open up that deep, dark memory. She was at first afraid that she would have nightmares about the event, but thankfully, she had a dreamless night, just like Maverick. It was all well for the two of them that night, and the silence of the ship made things better...

After enjoying the wonderfully prepared food from Maverick and leaving the dish in the scullery, Ilasi was tired and in a wonderful mood. With Dahlia keeping her company, Ilasi soon fell asleep, having dreams of fishing with several sailors with the aid of her magic. Leoquin, in contrast, was peacefully and dreamlessly resting in his rum-induced stupor. Sere, on the other hand, had little sleep - between making plans, drawing various diagrams and charts, and thinking about the day's events, he did not have much time to rest, though the rest he did have was effective on account of his sleep training.
That morning, he woke up at the first light. Entering Veris' enclosure, he found the wyvern still sleeping - giving him a gentle shake, Sere woke him up, handing him a slice of meat, almost as if in apology. "We will be looking for Latnok," Sere informed Veris. "Let's go." Before long, the watch on the deck would see the familiar sight of Veris taking off, the sound of his powerful wings beating and the gusts created from them.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“To be honest I never formed a bond with anyone except my adopted parents. I never knew my real parents. My adopted parents were skilled in stealth and speed which is where I get my fast reflexes and sneak abilitys from.” Shade said. “But.....But then they were killed in a fire set by bandits to kill them. I barely escaped. I hunted down those who killed them and dealt them with fury.” Shade took a breath. “Sense That day I vowed to never let another fall in the same fate as my adopted family.”

"I'm-- I'm sorry to hear that. I'm sure your adopted parents would be proud seeing just far you have come.," Raclaw had responded before going to sleep.

---

As Raclaw and Shade finished their brief telepathic conversation and the fur dragon eventually closed his tired eyes-- the morning light soon shown through the window and onto the sleepy pair that was Raclaw and Chester. The little beagle had huddled up against the larger Raclaw and his comforting presence had soothed his furry friend asleep before not too long. As the light reached the little dog, he was the first to wake up. Opening his eyes-- he found himself still laying underneath one of Raclaw's wings; his comfortable friend still sound asleep and not moving. 'Poor thing-- had a long day that one.,' he thought as he gently squeezed his way out of the bed and briefly sat there watching his furry friend sleep.

He looked back at the door and wondered if Latnok had returned-- thinking about letting Raclaw sleep in a little longer. He also knew that Raclaw would want to make up to latnok as soon as possible and so... he decided to gently wake him up. "Ugg... is it morning already?," Raclaw said still not fully awake. "It's first light, but I figured you'll want to be awake just in case Latnok came back.," Chester responded in a somewhat quiet bark. Raclaw briefly yawned, but got up with a nod. He thought about asking Chester if there was any news, but of course his gentle companion wouldn't on the count of likely having just woke up-- and being behind a closed door. "Alright, alright-- let's go.," Raclaw then said getting up and proceeding towards the main deck; his loud bellowing voice echoing through one of the hallways.

Elsewhere-- Risar had already gotten up and had started to assign various tasks to the prisoners, more of the ship maintenance sort verses the usual mopping and the like. The prisoners he trusted more and knew had the necessary skills would aid in the ship repairs, while those less capable or completely untrustworthy would be designated to most of the cleaning. "You-- don't drop that! And keep moving!," the large minotaur ordered; his loud bellowing voice echoing through one of the hallways.

Angora was still pleasantly asleep, not even thinking about Latnok or Sere that night. A particular ray of sunshine hit Maverick in the eyes, forcing him to wake up. He should've put a curtain there. He yawned, still sleepy, but since he was already up, he decided to do a few things. He got out ready to visit Dahlia in her enclosure, but then remembered she was with Ilasi. No doubt the mermaid slept pleasantly with fur as soft as that buffalo's.

That task practically fulfilling itself, he grabbed his hyperspace bag and the two platters from yesterday, Maverick headed to the kitchen to get some breakfast for Angora, wanting her to wake up with a meal ready. He toasted bread and put grapes and a rather raw ham on her platter, knowing she liked it that way. He left the dish besides her head and headed out to the main deck, leaving Shade's meal from yesterday in front of him. He was still asleep, so he was very careful with his steps. He remained there for a while to bathe in the rays of the sun, but also to be the first to wish the dragolet a good morning as soon as he woke up.

Dahlia was still asleep besides Ilasi, barely moving through the night. It was easy to forget she was with you, cause just like her rider, she had a very heavy sleep.

As the sun slowly started to make its way over the horizon, Sere and Veris conducted their search - first a wide sweep, attempting to spot Latnok with Veris' sharp vision. Veris could not locate him, however, so they moved lower, for a more detailed scanning. This, too, was fruitless, with absolutely no trace of neither Latnok nor any of his possessions anywhere.
Sere landed Veris some distance away from the local village, to enter and inquire about Latnok. Despite asking many people, none of them had seen anyone remotely resembling him. It was at this point that Sere began to worry. Latnok wouldn't just run off without a word. That wasn't like him. Something had to have happened. Raclaw couldn't sense him; Sere did not sense him dying, like he would his other Guardians. It was almost as if Latnok just vanished. Was Latnok using some form of magic to hide himself? Sere found it highly unlikely - he had shown no such capabilities before, and doubted that Latnok would be hiding any such abilities just to desert.
With nothing found, Sere returned to Veris, and the two flew back to the ship. He hadn't run out of options just yet - there was one animal who would be able to help him...

Ilasi woke up, feeling particularly rested after sleeping with Dahlia by her side. Not wanting to wake her, Ilasi got out of her bed, dressing as quietly as she could before heading out. There were already some men out and about, including Leoquin, who was sparring with another sailor. Ilasi observed him for a few moments, before the short bout was over and the other sailor left to perform some task or other.
"Good morning, Leoquin," Ilasi greeted cheerfully. Leoquin, however, was not nearly as joyous as Ilasi.
"Latnok still hasn't returned," he told Ilasi. "Captain hasn't been able to find him despite his best efforts."
"Wait... Latnok still not back? He went missing?" Ilasi asked, not having heard of Latnok's disappearance. "What happened?"
"Captain isn't giving out too many details, so you didn't hear this from me, but I was there. Apparently, Raclaw used some magic to go into the mind of our little princess with, and he and Latnok saw... things. I dunno. But anyway, something else happened, and somehow that made Latnok declare himself mentally unfit to fulfill his duties. The captain thought he was just clearing his head, but Latnok just completely vanished - no tracks, Raclaw couldn't sense him, and apparently our captain didn't feel him die... or something like that. Anyway, he's gone, so it's probably going to be a big deal today."
Ilasi listened wide-eyed, shocked at what she was hearing. That at least answered one of her questions - the deal with Latnok. From what she understood, there was some sort of bond between him and Raclaw, and that would probably explain how Latnok saw into Angora's mind. "Surely, we just need to look harder?" she asked.
"I think that's what the captain's going to do later today," Leoquin said. "No doubt some of us will get roped in for that. I just wonder what will happen if he's not found by the time the ship's seaworthy again."

Meanwhile, back on the deck, Sere had one person to speak to before he tried to find Chester. Risar, as usual, took the initiative to drive the prisoners to do their tasks. His large, imposing presence and his knowledge of his job made him quite suitable as a leader. Sere approached him without hesitation.
"Risar. Latnok is missing. Until his return, you are my second-in-command," Sere said. "I trust you will be more than suitable for the task."

Angora was still sound asleep, not near the window like Maverick"p's bed, but the light igniting the room still bothered her. So instead of waking up like Maverick did, she simply placed her blanket above her head to keep sleeping. She rarely overslept, but after a day like yesterday, she definetly needed it.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade had his wing over his head as he slept deeply. His snoring was evident as he was still tired from yesterday’s events. He soon started to stir from his sleep smelling the food Maverick had left him. He yawned and had his fill. He spread his wings to get some sun as he warmed himself up.

Maverick watched as Shade gobbled up the meal, making it disappear in a matter of seconds. He briefly reminded him of Veris. Poor dragolet must've really been hungry.
"Oof, for a moment, I thought you were going to eat the platter. Good thing I wasn't in the way." he joked as he sat near him to keep him company for a while, noticing from his position the awaken Ilasi speaking with Leoquin. He wanted to give her a good morning, but he wanted to avoid the merman at all costs, so he left the greeting for later. It still made him sad how she would still associate with someone like Leoquin, but he knew he had no right to interfere with her life or whom she spoke to, so he stayed out of the way. The two of them looked like they walking about something serious, but he made no attempt to eavesdrop and continued minding his own business, keeping Shade company and keeping himself warm with the rising sun.

After their conversation on the subject, Ilasi and Leoquin parted, Ilasi to perform her typical water purification, and Leoquin to perform maintenance operations on the ship. Ilasi didn't immediately see Maverick, but wanted to get her duties complete before she bothered looking for him. She doubted that Sere would be much in the mood to see anyone slacking off. She couldn't help but notice how Sere's demeanor changed over time - the stress was undoubtedly starting to get to him. He had important decisions to make, and people would die no matter what he did - she wouldn't want to be the one making those decision, that was certain. Still, she was beginning to worry. Regardless of how Sere felt, it would probably do the crew well to see him in high spirits. If only there were anything they could do...

"She is much better now thanks to Ilasi. She really helped us yesterday." Maverick explained, too noticeable in his happiness that what he said was the truth. Although he wished to stay with Shade for a little while longer, he didn't want to linger for too long, wanting to see how Angora was doing, so after being alone with with for a while, Maverick decided he had enough company.
"Well, I'm off Oscurito. Behave yourself." he said to the resting dragolet as left his side and downstairs to find the troll. As he sat on that deck, he noticed the atmosphere was eerily different... but then he remembered that Sere was considering going after whatever creature attacked their ship yesterday. Was he really that mad? He associated the silent tension from the deck with those news, not having heard any gossips from the sailors since they tend to keep themselves very far away from Shade.

He arrived to his cabin only to find Angora still sleeping, with the breakfast untouched. Not even the smell had been enough to wake her. What a peaceful sleep she must've been having. But feeling rather bored, Maverick went to the kitchen to do the few dishes that remained from yesterday and started making different breakfast for everyone on board, although he wasn't in the mood for decorating. Having done the extra effort yesterday and feeling uninspired, he decided to serve just ordinary breakfast this time, hoping the rest hadn't grown too accostumed to his little touches. He wasn't always in the mood for decorating, but it was still food, free food at that, so Maverick expected everyone to have their even share without complaining too much about the platter's appearance.

Latnok was awoken by the odd feeling of a presence probing his mind. Standing up, he noted the creature that Cernentium referred to as a mastermind, floating by the ceiling. "READY YOURSELF. WE BEGIN," the creature telepathed to Latnok - he didn't need any prompting, however, and was already getting his armor on. As he did so, the bed of leaves atrophied and retreated into the ground.
Cernentium soon appeared after Latnok had donned his gear. "You are well, I take it?" he asked. Still, he made no mention of Raclaw's attempts to locate Latnok.
"I feel amazing. I'm ready for whatever this is," Latnok said. Raclaw's deception still stuck out in his mind - if he could not trust his close allies, then he would do what he could to avoid having to rely on them.
"The task, for now, is simple. We have created or modified some creatures. We need you to engage these creatures, and best them in combat. From there, you will learn, and I am more than certain you will find something useful. We will be studying the results."
"So... you want me to kill stuff?" Latnok asked.
"If you must be so gauche, then yes. We see... weaknesses that you seek to correct. You seek to become more resilient, mentally. The trials ahead will give you the means to do that. They will not be straightforward fights. In addition, I am sure you will manage to find a useful tool after all of this."
"Sounds fine. When do I start?" Latnok asked eagerly.

Angora continued sleeping without any signs of waking up, while at the kitchen, Maverick was already done doing breakfast for everybody. Dragging the cart that was usually used, he distributed the meals around the ship, using his own voice and a bell to announce his presence. As he walked around, he found it strange that Latnok wasn't around, and since he was too distracted with the sound of the bell and his own voice, he didn't hear the sailors talking about him and the current predicament...

MEANWHILE...
Quote: A Guy

Back on the deck, Sere had one person to speak to before he tried to find Chester. Risar, as usual, took the initiative to drive the prisoners to do their tasks. His large, imposing presence and his knowledge of his job made him quite suitable as a leader. Sere approached him without hesitation.
"Risar. Latnok is missing. Until his return, you are my second-in-command," Sere said. "I trust you will be more than suitable for the task."

"Understood Captain.," Risar simply said with a slight huff and a nod; nothing unusual for a minotaur such as himself. Before the Guardian ship-- he had never been in a position to give orders, often being used more for his bronze more than his wits or ability to command. However, he had no doubt that he was more than capable of handling the position just as he had shown himself with the prisoners. As they talked, the large minotaur kept an close eye on one of the more troublesome prisoners just down the hallway. They appeared to be briefly slacking off, but quickly got back to work without a single word spoken from Risar. He no doubt demanded respect from those under him, not unlike the Guardians themselves.

Elsewhere-- Raclaw and Chester watching the island, hoping for a quick return on Latnok's part. The two furry four-legged companions paid little attention to Maverick or the food, seemingly too distraught or lost in thought to notice. "I hope he's alright.," the little Chester barked with concerned tone looking up at the larger Raclaw. "I'm sure he's fine-- he is more than capable of handling himself. He just needs to find himself and hopefully-- find room in his heart to forgive me. To forgive Damon.," Raclaw responded in kind with somewhat of a saddened tone. It had only been one day-- hopefully the Guardian wouldn't need much longer. As the two spoke in their own 'secret' language, they paid little attention to the others currently or about to be on deck.

"BEGIN NOW," the mastermind telepathed to Latnok. Latnok readied himself - and soon, one of the walls of the cave, illuminated with the bioluminescence of some flora, opened up. Out came a large, eight-legged creature with the carapace of a beetle and the fangs of a spider, as well as a long horn on its forehead.
"These creatures are known as ishiuds," Cernentium said. "A creation of ours - there are different types of them, serving different functions. This one is a soldier - suited for combat, as you can see. The creature above you is an ishiud as well - a mastermind. Engage the soldier, and we will proceed from there."
"Easy enough." Latnok quickly drew his bow - as he tried to nock an arrow, however, a heaviness began to fill his mind. Suddenly, memories from the past - of many terrible experiences - seemed to interfere with his motions, as if his body was confused whether it was acting in the memory or in the present. The soldier, however, was not kind enough to wait; it immediately charged at Latnok, who was just barely able to avoid the horn and absorb the blow well enough to come to a rolling recovery after hitting the ground.
He was being attacked telepathically - Latnok could sense that it came from the mastermind. Latnok recalled that he was to engage the soldier - not the mastermind. Based on what Cernentium told him earlier, he figured that he was supposed to find a way to overcome this obstacle.
He had to focus on one thing - killing the creature in front of him. Though he could not completely remove the interference, Latnok decided to take advantage of them as best he could; a roll to avoid something in a memory was a roll he conducted to avoid a blow; a desperate strike in another memory was a strike at the soldier. As Latnok struck the soldier with his axe, its carapace changed consistency - another blow with the axe just bounced off. The soldier took a bite at Latnok, scratching his armor.
"We will be able to repair that when we are done, due to its organic nature," Cernentium assured Latnok. That wasn't Latnok's concern at the moment, though - he had to figure out how to overcome this foe.

Maverick continued distributing the cart everywhere, not listening at all to the gossips of the sailors. He wasn't worried about Angora, knowing she was comfortable on that little bed, and that when she woke up, she would have a sturdy breakfast waiting for her. He did started to miss Dahlia however, and wondered if Ilasi returned her to her enclosure or if she was still sleeping.

Turned out it was the latter. The dirt buffalo, much like the troll, was still sleeping in Ilasi's room, the air feeling pure and clean. It was a very pleasant environment for the animal, and even though that kind of buffalo didn't need much sleep, Dahlia had missed a few hours of sleep ever since arriving on that ship, being constantly nervous around the dragons and worried about her rider. Her experience on the last island didn't helped matters much either, so this was the oportunity to recover the sleep she missed.

As Maverick rolled the cart around and eventually passed by Chester-- the smell of the food soon found itself up into the little dog's scent receptors. With his stomach growling, he gently nudged Raclaw and motioned towards the cart... only to get no response. "Come on Raclaw-- you should eat. It might make you feel better until Latnok comes back.," Chester barked in a concerned tone not wanting his beloved fur dragon to starve himself. Chester looked upon his best friend in sadness, before opting to take intuitive for himself and running towards the cart. "Two bowls please. The usual.," he barked knowing that the hybrid wouldn't be able to understand him and backing up his request with appropriate gestures. Looking at the food-- he licked his lips before gesturing towards himself and towards the distraught Raclaw looking off into the distance. It would've have been a funny thing watching Chester act out something that would normally be Raclaw's responsibility if it wasn't for how the mood in the air seemed to drop like a heavy stone around the two.

Maverick didn't understand Chester's language, but he could still read his intentions. Maverick would've forgotten their bowls with the earlier rush, but thankfully, he always had them in a visible part of the kitchen so he could always remember about their singular needs.
"One bowl for you Chester. Bacon with tiny pieces of beef. Can't get any more gourmet than that." he joked, before looking at the gloomy Raclaw.
"Hey fluffy. Why the long face? Come to think of it, things are... different on this ship. Go ahead Raclaw. Eat. I'm not sure what's going on around here, but I'm certain a good breakfast can change that." he said, blissfully oblivious anot the grave situation currently going on. Maverick didn't asked, wonder or bothered looking for Latnok, still being quite upset with him for what he did to Angora yesterday. If he wanted to eat, he would have to search for his own food later.

Once Sere gave Risar his new appointment, he continued across the deck, analyzing the current state of the ship. Everyone was eating breakfast right now - Sere would eat breakfast a bit later, if he remembered. He had something to do right now, while everyone was on deck.
Finding a bell stashed off to the side in a box, Sere rang to call for everyone's attention. Sailors put their breakfast down for the moment, gathering around to hear what he had to say.
Once Sere was sure he had everyone - or at least as many as could reasonably be had right now - he started his announcement. "Sailors! Latnok, my second-in-command, has gone missing. Preliminary searches have produced nothing. We have not been able to locate him through any magical means. I will be conducting a more thorough search when we have a chance; for now, Risar is my second-in-command. Besides that, we have much to do today, in terms of ship repair. We need to be seaworthy again as soon as possible. Pray, keep up the good work. I have been amazed by your capabilities thus far. That is all. You are dismissed."
With Sere finishing his announcement, the group burst into chatter. Leoquin would partake in it with other sailors for some time; Ilasi, however, was not in the mood for such discourse with most of the sailors, so left as soon as she could to return to her job.

Raclaw didn't need to answer Maverick now. He got his answer at that precise moment. That truly explained why he didn't see Latnok anywhere in that ship. He lost some of his color when he heard the announcement. He turned to the saddened fur dragon, understanding now why he was up in such a deteriorating mood.
"Raclaw... Latnok... missing... it doesn't have anything to do with Angorita... does it?" he asked with much stamerring and a trembling lip, afraid of the reply, but he just had to know. If there was someone well informed about the situation, it was more likely Raclaw.

"Yes and no.," Raclaw said as he briefly explained and summarized what had happened. "And when I awoke-- he was gone.," he explained as looked at his uneaten bowl. He wasn't really in the mode, but was still hungry despite the gloom circumstances.

Maverick scratched his head when Raclaw finished, having too much to process. This new development was way too deep.
"He ran away? For that? I... really don't know what to say. I mean, you are Latnok's best friend. Instead of running away, he should've tried to understand why you feel that way. Not only Angora was afraid of him, but in some part, you were too. Doesn't he see the pattern? He should try to be more comprehensive instead of just escaping from the problem." Maverick summarized, feeling like it was a coward move from Latnok's part to just run away instead of confronting his own flaws. Still, he didn't let anyone know about that opinion.
"I wonder where he is. He must be too extremely hidden to avoid detection from someone as powerful as the Godfather." Maverick then expressed, looking at the distance. Was Latnok still on the island? Did he rented a boat to leave? Was he underground? The marshlands of this island were huge and complicated, so he could really be anywhere. It was so sad for him to see how such a great friendship had to deteriorate just because some awful truth had to be let out.

As the fight continued, Latnok was able to fight better and better, doing a better job of shaking off the mastermind's attempts to probe into him. As his head cleared, he recalled a device - the resonating chime. The creature kept adapting its form - perhaps it would assist him.
Latnok's bag was off to the side. The soldier charged - as it did, Latnok was filled with a sense of dread and worry - no doubt induced by the mastermind. He could not afford to let those things get in his way. Rolling once again, he grabbed his bag while the soldier was still recovering from its charge - pulling out the resonating chime. As the creature spat a stream of acid, Latnok blocked it with his arm, then raising up and sounding the chime in tune with his magic as the acid burned somewhat through his armor.
The soldier shifted to its original carapace. It was vulnerable now. Latnok had a difficult time focusing, so his spells had to be quick - he let out a quick force bolt, hitting the creature in the eye. As the creature reeled, Latnok once again charged with his axe, swinging with much power, striking into the body of the creature. Still, it fought on, beating the wing Latnok just damaged to push him off.

The fight would last awhile. However, in the end, despite an immense headache, Latnok overcame the creature. As he did, the pressure on his mind stopped.
"Quite good work," Cernentium said. "How do you feel?"
"Tired," Latnok admitted. "The hell was the deal with that thing attacking my mind?"
"Just as you have learned, so have we," Cernentium said. "Analyzing the battle, we seek to make future improvements. And now, once this is over, you will have a better sense of how to defend against telekinetic attacks."
"That's... that's not the sort of mental issues I'm having," Latnok said.
"We will get there. A strong mind is one facet of that, however. Tell me, why do you fight?"
"I fight to protect people, to kill those who try to use their power against my fellow man; I fight so others won't have to," Latnok said.
"Is that really what you want? Or is that just the first purpose you found when you had none, something you latched on to because you had nothing else? Now, think hard about that... what do you really want? Your friends - they betray you. You have accepted that you are nothing but a weapon - but you could be so much more, don't you think? Others, they spurn you and live their lives while you put yourself in danger. Is that what works for you? Or would you like something more? Something which secures a meaningful future for you - more than just fighting. Something which gives you back your individuality?
"You might have thought you found it with that fur dragon - but see what he ended up doing. He holds secrets from you. He supports those who despise you. Now, after knowing that... do you think everything you saw was real? Or was it, perhaps, a made-up memory? Something to make you falter, to doubt yourself? Do you really want to fight for people who manipulate you and work against you behind your back?
"I don't need your answer now. In fact, I don't even need it by the time you leave. You can go back to your allies, and perform your duties once we are satisfied here, and mention this to no one. It might not be soon... but think about that question. Think - what do you really want?"
Latnok had nothing to say. Normally, a question he would just ignore had much more significance this time. What would he do? This was something he would indeed have to dwell on...

"I suspect it was an combination of unexpected feelings-- from both me and Angora. Damon.. if he had only waited before revealing that one lingering memory. He had just learned how of Angora's fears not a moment before and perhaps with time-- perhaps with time I could've ether fully resolved that or revealed it on my own. I.. I just hope he returns and is open to hearing his best friend out.," Raclaw said sounding slightly defeated. Chester said something in his own language-- trying to comfort his friend and pushing the fur dragon's bowl towards him.

Maverick sighed, hoping the same. As upset as he was with Latnok and as much he disagree with his views and methods, he was still a fellow human and was worried about him.
"I'm sure he only needs a little time for himself. To clear his mind. He has much to process that's for sure... but perhaps with the new knowledge, he can be lead to the right direction." Maverick assured, wanting to give Raclaw some hope as well. Latnok was a very flawed individual with much misled emotions, so Maverick wanted to hope that this experience could teach him many things and help him become a better person.

Seeing Raclaw refusing to eat, he decided to help Chester in his encouragement.
"You really should eat Raclaw. I did that meal with much care and I wouldn't want you to miss it. I will leave now to help with the repairs. Angorita should wake up at any moment, and I don't want her to see a poor, starved fluffy dragon when she comes." Maverick joked, looking at Chester and motivating him to keep helping Raclaw. Even though he knew now how the fur dragon was partially at fault for Angora's condition, he had forgiven him easily, knowing that he never meant any harm and that in the long run, it had been a necessary move to make Latnok know once and for all just how much damage he was doing to the poor troll, and even his best friend as well.

"Go-- Go. I'll be fine.," Raclaw said in a neutral tone looking down at his food. It was nice to know that even without Latnok-- so many people cared about him. Maverick, Chester, Leoquin, Godfather Sere, much of the crew, and even Angora to a degree were all looking out for him. Of course, Latnok was his best friend and almost nothing could change that in his eyes. He only hoped that Latnok would feel the same after all was said and done-- and after he had been given a chance to say his piece. He touched his collar thinking of something... something that may prove necessary to earn back his Guardian's trust over the blasted incident with Damon. It was a move that would show that he was willing to look past any fears or insecurities about Latnok's turning into what he has seen in the caves. It was also a move in which there was no turning back and would recomfirm his position alongside the Guardian; something that was perhaps needed now more than ever. Looking at his food and looking at Chester-- he finally started to take a bite.

Meanwhile-- Risar was making it up on deck checking on some of the prisoners handling some of the more delicate topside work and seeing a small crowd gathered talking among themselves. It seems the news was out... about Latnok, about his new position, and about everything.

Maverick looked behind him one last time and was pleased to see Raclaw eat at last. He was going to be fine, and Angora would soon wake up and have her own meal as well, so he was rather happy. He still worried about Latnok though, and the fact that not even his own superior could locate him even with all his magic and resources looked something to worry about indeed. He tried not to think about it though, knowing that Latnok was stubborn and strong, and that he will return to them eventually. In the meantime, Maverick helped with the repairs, not minding the cold shoulders, whispers and gossips about him. He wanted the ship to be fixed as quickly as possible so they could leave the island... IF Sere finally decides it's not worth it engaging whatever beast was out there...

As the crew continued with their duties, Sere thought about the beast - the White Shadow. A large underwater monster... what did they have on the ship? They could attack it when it surfaced, but what about the water? Something that could strike the water, perhaps force it to surface...
...that was it. Force it out of the water. And Sere had just the idea to do that. He would need a lens.
Seeing Risar across from him on the deck, Sere decided it would be best to telepath him a request while Sere tried to find Chester. "Risar, this is Sere," he called out. "Whether you do it or have someone else do it, I need you to gather me some lenses and faceted components from our storage. They will be used to forge the weapon we will be using."
Meanwhile, after stalking the deck, he found Raclaw and Chester, keeping company with Maverick. "Raclaw - I am in need of Chester in order to conduct a more thorough search for Latnok. May you please inform him of this request?" Sere asked. He doubted that Chester would be able to find Latnok if Raclaw couldn't, but he had to try...

Risar, unable to communicate via telepathy but understanding the order, dragged one of the prisoners aside and reissued the order-- watching as they soon made their way into the lower deck presumably to return with the requested supplies. As the prisoner left the deck, the large minotaur remained on deck and oversaw some of the repair work. Meanwhile-- Raclaw nodded and spoke to the little Beagle relaying the Godfather's request. The two briefly conversed before the larger fur dragon turned towards Sere and gave a confirmative nod. "He'll do it and I'll accommibly you as well if you wish. I know my telepathy couldn't reach him before, but... but I wish to try and with more rest now. If-- if that's alright with you.," he then said in somewhat of a meek voice. The guilt of it all was no doubt getting to him and he would what he could to help find his beloved Guardian.

Sere didn't expect Shade to volunteer any form of assistance, and gave him a nod. "Thank you, Shade," Sere said. "So then, he's hidden somewhere. We have to find him..."
Sere looked around the ship. At the rate the sailors were giong, the ship would be ready by tomorrow. Hopefully, they would find Latnok before then...
"Okay, you two, come with me," Sere said. "First, if Chester does not recognize Latnok's scent already, you can head to his room. Other than that, I'm ready to leave when you are. I'll let Chester lead the way, for obvious reasons."

As soon as Godfather Sere spoke-- Chester briefly sniffed the air before before giving the Guardian head what seemed like a nod. He was far more intelligent than most on board thought him to be, even if he did require an translator for proper communication with most. "He's ready. Chester-- lead the way. With luck, we'll find him in no time.," Raclaw said trying to sound encouraging. If telepathy alone didn't do the trick, than perhaps good 'ol simple scene would-- a tracking ability that he never fully developed due to having his other abilities to rely on. It was almost redundant to have someone's scent when you could remember their unique mental signature so-to-speak, except when it wasn't. The little Beagle quickly led the way starting with where Raclaw had passed out and moving on from there. It was a good start at least and another good tracking experience for the little hunting dog.

Maverick continued helping with the repairs, making a few side glances to the activity with Raclaw. Seemed Sere had plans with the fur dragon, but he wished he would at least let him eat in peace. Unlike the rest of the crew, Maverick wasn't much of a gossiper, so he made no attempts to eavesdrop.

Below deck, somebody was waking up... but it wasn't Angora. After some pleasant dreams, Dahlia was waking up. She was startled when she didn't see Ilasi around, but then quietly removed herself from the room when she saw the door wasn't closed. A little push and she was out in the hallway. Dahlia memorized some of the corridors, so she knew how to get out. Since her enclosure was far lower than Ilasi's room, she didn't want to go there and risk encountering Veris in his own spot. The main deck was closer, so she headed there, acting like she was one of the crew members when she arrived. Maverick was busy with the repairs, so he wasn't noticing her yet...

With Chester leading the way, the group would take a very direct route through beaten paths in vegetation. The scent trail would stop at one of these patches - where a clearing would be, somewhere that someone who was camping out may choose as a resting spot.
"So... anything past here?" Sere asked anxiously. The area showed no signs of anything, except of some footprints from someone's boots toward that area - they weren't Latnok's, however.

Meanwhile, on the deck, Ilasi finished preparing the water every day as she always did. Perhaps there was some way she could help one of the sailors out. She began to meander the deck aimlessly, not really knowing what to do... she soon managed to catch a glimpse of Dahlia, however. Ilasi gave the creature a wave, letting it decide whether it wanted to approach or not.

Chester sniffed the air and had smelled no scent beyond that of the clearing-- or at least a familiar scent. Sniffing the ground more thoroughly-- his powerful hunting dog scent receptors led him to where the alternate boot prints began and from there... he picked up on not one but two scents rather. The first was of Latnok, while the second was of another unknown individual. It would appear that their beloved Guardian had a visitor while he was 'finding himself.' Following the track, both Latnok's and those of the unknown visitor, he was able to quickly follow them-- and into a nearby tree. Stopping upon hitting his head upon the large truck, he looked at Raclaw and reported his finding via the pair's 'secret language' that was dogspeak. "Latnok stopped here, probably camped here, and-- and was approached by an unknown individual. Over here.," Raclaw said remembering what he had said about an 'greater magic' being at work. He quickly explained the rest of Chester's findings and how Latnok had seemingly disappeared into a tree alongside this unknown individual.

The buffalo almost glomped the working mermaid, but then remembered from Maverick's experience that humans, or at least creatures resembling humans, weren't as sturdy as her kind, so she restrained herself. As she went besides her, she took a glimpse of Maverick, and realized how much she had missed him. She wanted someone to let her, but he looked particularly busy at the moment, so Dahlia didn't want to be a bother. She stayed near Ilasi, seeing what she was doing, but then sat around to see if somebody would pet her. She didn't care if it Ilasi, or Maverick, or a complete stranger. She had grown extremely fond of the human touch. It was like receiving free massages.