darkSpyro

Laszur did not let up his assault. After a very brief period of focus, he fired a small but destructive beam of light, aimed directly at the creature's eyes. Without taking time to assess the outcome of the attack, Laszur once again lunged at the creature with his spear, aming for the eyes or forehead. Laszur couldn't help but wonder what it could possibly be doing here.

The creature sunk it's eyes the same way it did when Maverick threw sand at it's face. While the spear wasn't enough to stab it in the brain, the weapon nevertheless managed to slice it's face. This was something too foreign for the creature. It was on top of the food chain in it's home, but this ship was full of hostile creature that could do some genuine harm to it's hard skin, and even sabotage it's camouflage. It was too much to bear. Bleeding from the face, the beast looked at wherever Laszur was, looking almost in a begging way. It just wanted to leave. It continued on with it's injuries, almost breathing a sigh of relief when it found the stairs that lead to the outside world. Finally some sunshine... but them it found to it's displeasure and horror that Shade was waiting there for it. It made the beast hiss in fear. It wanted to leave, but Shade threatened it once, and now it's mere body language indicated he also meant harm. Laszur from one end and now Shade from this end. It could try to run to the other hallway, but the beast knew it would only trap itself even further. It needed to get out of the ship...

Cornered and afraid, the beast did what it has never done before. It gasped and breathed hardly, when finally, Laszur's question was answered. After much effort, the injured creature regurgitated the sailor right in front of Laszur, intact and remarkably, still alive. While the beast had enjoyed it's meal, it was rendering it even slower than usual and it had to give up on the new meat. Without the burden, it could still try to make an escape, but Shade was still there. In complete panic and desperate to get away, the beast aimed it's tongue at Shade's right eye, hoping it could distract him enough to make a getaway.
"Leave... me... alone..." it managed to say to Shade as it tried to escape, though unfortunately, even with the lighter belly, it's kind wasn't the speedy type. It could only run a maximum of ten miles an hour...

Laszur was not aware of the creature having eaten anyone, but was now glad that he took no chances with the trespasser and was immediately aggressive. As far as Laszur was concerned, this was just another mindless, dangerous animal to be put down like any other along the journey. Maintaining his invisibility, he rushed at the creature with his superior speed, using the running to conduct a lunge with the spear, to hit wherever he could on the creature.

The beast continued running as best as it could, ignoring whatever other sailors were around. It wasn't interested in eating anyone anymore. It just wanted to get out of there. While it managed to reach the gangplank, it knew safety was beyond reach as long as it was away from the trees. The beast knew immediately how right it was when another spear came to stab it, this time between the shoulders. The skin was hard, though not invulnerable. The very first wound was already starting to heal, but the one in the face would be harder, and now with this new wound, it would make the healing even slower. Now the creature was really scared. Whoever was stabbing it was doing it with the intention to kill. Dragging itself, the creature moaned, it's eyes showing expression for the first time. It was fear. It was pleading. It didn't know what was attacking, but whoever it was, it wanted the invisible attacker to see he was retreating without a fight. It wanted to save it's life...

The spat sailor was breaking, but was unconscious. Just below it's feet was the seagull that the beast had captured earlier, though unfortunately, it hasn't been as lucky as the man.

The beast tried to escape once more, yet it's lack of speed remained it's doom. Who did these monsters thought they were? Willing to kill him in it's own home? Now he knew he should've stayed secluded in it's own home. Invaders were nothing but thieves that denied the real owners their rights. That's how the beast saw things, and nothing was changing it's mind. First Laszur and now Shade. They couldn't even have the decency to let it retreat. They attacked a creature that was leaving them without a fight. What a bunch of cowards! But the beast knew retreating wasn't an option now. Even with Shade's clawing and biting,it tried to defend itself with it's tongue, wrapping it around the dragolet's neck, but the lack of squeeze gave away how wounded it was. It was hopeless. The creature could only wait and see if it's body would be able to tolerate this brutal assault and survive long enough to drag itself to the woods...

From Ilasi's cabin, Maverick was finally waking up, completely unaware of the commotion taking place on the main deck. The sleep felt more like a nap, but it was enough to get him in high spirits. He saw the time and knew he overslept. Ilasi probably had her breakfast already, but he would ask anyway. He headed to the kitchen and saw through the hallways the mess of flour around. Did somebody tried to cook and wasn't very good at it? He couldn't explain the disaster, but nonetheless dismissed it and headed to the kitchen. As he started to cook, he was wondering what he could do today if Sere gave him today off too. He could hang with his girlfriend, but he could also spend some time with Angora. He was afraid to think he has been dismissing the troll too much, and he didn't want to be a lousy friend. Perhaps he could hang with both of them at the same time. He didn't know for how long he has been missing, but really hoped his girls had bonded in the time he was away...

The creature found the fight too unfair. Shade couldn't even had the decency to wait for it to recover. These invaders just thought they could deny it everything, even the right to life. Even in such a dire situation, the beast tried to set itself free, even knowing it was futile.
"He fine... I... returned him. I... want... home..." the weak beast said, feeling like not even it's regenerative features would be enough to save it. All that was left for it was to 'talk' it's way out of this. He couldn't believe the cruel irony of everything. Invaders taking away everything from him, and in a place where the predator was always the iguanameleon, it was the prey this time...

Maverick cooked a few meals, a small one for Ilasi in case she already had breakfast. He was doing some meals for Shade and Angkra as well just like old times, wanting to let them know that despite his new relationship, he hasn't forgotten about them. As he cooked, he had an awful feeling in his gut. He wanted to think it was hunger, but the feeling was different. The ship felt too quiet. He didn't know why he was feeling this way. Was he really gone that long?

Laszur was not going to have any of Shade's apparent mercy. "Kill the thing. Now," he ordered. "It forfeited its life when it decided to sneak aboard our ship and attempt to eat our sailors." Whatever it was, Laszur was sure that nothing good would come from sparing the creature.

The beast resisted at best as it could, still trying to drag itself away from the hellish vessel. The first bite it was able to resist, but a few chomps did the trick. The creature died with it's eyes open and an extended paw, showing how much it struggled to escape. It was the strongest creature on the island, and being privy of the outside world, it hadn't known the meaning of danger or limits. It's greed and desire to try new preys was it's doom. It was hard to kill, but not impossible, as Shade just demonstrated even without his fire.

Angora remained with Risar and Chester, the main deck. now being just above them. She could hear there was something going on. The sailors seemed to be talking among themselves very thoroughly. They were known to gossip, but today they seemed louder. Much more talkative than before. Did something happen that just had to be talked about? Perhaps Sere made the decision about her? Maybe not, but it was worth investigating to see if the gossips, or one of the gossips were about her. She didn't want to leave Risar though, so she simply waited until he decided to head to the main deck.

Laszur watched as the creature struggled desperately to free itself, all for naught. With the creature's eyes still being good, he stabbed it once again in the face for good measure, as he dropped his invisibility. Overall, he seemed satisfied.
"We'll hang this somewhere near the entrance to discourage similar creatures from attempting to board the ship," he suggested of the corpse. "As for you... you did a good job locating the intruder. However, in the future, if I'm attempting to kill something, I want it dead. I don't stab things unless I want them dead. None of this mercy from you, unless you have been ordered otherwise."

After some more travel through thick woods and steep hills, the scouting party was finally reaching close enough to the settlement to be able to discern people. There were people of all sorts of different species - Sere didn't know how the settlement came to be that way, but it couldn't have been any grand initiative for unity, considering that any society here was not on any sort of map. The buildings were constructed mostly of bricks, and there were some pastures for livestock to feed on - the settlers had obviously been here for a while. There were guard towers at various points of the settlement - it would seem that the people had something to keep an eye on. As they approached, so too did a group of people, of many apparent species and origins, begin to approach them, weapons in possession but not wielded.
"Let me do the talking for now," Sere said. "Speak only when I tell you to. If you are asked a question, answer only when I give you permission." The last thing he needed was for someone to say something dumb and ruin relations.

With the creature dead, it's regenerative properties stopped working. It's blood was more black than red, though it did have some tones.

From the spot near the stairs, the sailor woke up with a very loud gasp, all drooled and dizzy. He got up in less than a second when he saw the dead bird on his lap. He then remembered the creature that devoured him, but beyond that was a blanc. Was he dead now? He did see a light and some stairs, but despite his dizziness, he recognized the stairs as the one on the ship. Using the handrail, he got up the stairs, with the main deck in front of him, but with his dizziness along with the sunlight in his face made it very difficult to see what was going on...

Back at the Silvianesti capital, many elves gathered - they were near the castle grounds. Though they would not try to get close to the walls, they were well within viewing distance of it. The elven priest from before had gathered them here for a special procession.
"Brothers and sisters! Here is where we will have the ultimate reward of our faith!" he called out enthusiastically to the eagerly attentive crowd. "Together, we will circle the perimeter! Each motion around will steel us for what is to come - and when the time comes to take our country back, there will be absolutely no doubt! We will earn our freedom today! For now, we march - a demonstration of the faith which will allow us to overcome!"

Soldiers stood by the walls, at the ready. Despite the king's best efforts, no spy had managed to decipher what this new faith was up to without becoming a convert or disappearing completely. Though he doubted it was anything in their best interest, going so far from the castle to murder civilians who were, as far as anyone could see, just peacefully protesting would ruin whatever credibility he had left. He had condemned his people to this fate - the last thing he needed to do was accelerate their divide.

At the behemoth stables, Huntress was helping in preparing the giant's food. Many were distributed in giant wheelbarrows and carriages filled with only their food, though the latter had to be taken by the behemoth's personally since horses got spooked easily by the beasts. When it was time to feed the behemoth called Gregor, she sneaked something into his food and helped deliver it, staying with the giant for a little while once the others left.
"Here you go big guy. And I added a little sauce from the Meaty & Spicy restaurant for your delight." she said, whispering the last words. It was a cheap restaurant that rich people avoided, but was very popular with the middle class and tourists looking to spend as little money as possible, and the poor when they could afford it. Words around kept talking about how this particular behemoth had a rather long conversation with the troll he faced before, and while Huntress was curious, she wouldn't ask the question and would rather wait for Gregor to bring it up.

Back at the ship, someone else was done with some food. Maverick was finished with the breakfast he prepared, and since they were just four platters, he could use the smallest tray. Ilasi's platter however, was very delicate, so he had to walk slowly. He expected to find her on the main deck, but if she wasn't, he would wait there, the same with Angora. It was better than looking everywhere inside that huge ship. So with a very slow pace, he started walking among the hallways, still wondering who could be so disorganized in throwing flour everywhere like this. This was too messy to be an accident, so he was beginning to think one of the sailors got carried away with a prank...

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Angora remained with Risar and Chester, the main deck. now being just above them. She could hear there was something going on. The sailors seemed to be talking among themselves very thoroughly. They were known to gossip, but today they seemed louder. Much more talkative than before. Did something happen that just had to be talked about? Perhaps Sere made the decision about her? Maybe not, but it was worth investigating to see if the gossips, or one of the gossips were about her. She didn't want to leave Risar though, so she simply waited until he decided to head to the main deck.

It wouldn't be too long until Risar returned to the deck proper to keep an eye on things, although all of the action would be concluded by then. One thing that would be immediately obvious to the large minotaur was the sight of a bloodied Shade and the neck-snapped corpse of some creature. Had whatever happened been Shade's doing? It certainly looked the part, but then what was this new creature-- perhaps the same creature that Mav described? There was one individual at least who could answer that question. "Laszur... what happened?," Risar asked upon coming closer to the scene at hand. Chester followed although didn't say anything, not that it would have mattered anyway. The little canine effectively had no voice out of Raclaw's presence.

Meanwhile...
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"Let me do the talking for now," Sere said. "Speak only when I tell you to. If you are asked a question, answer only when I give you permission." The last thing he needed was for someone to say something dumb and ruin relations.

Raclaw gave a nod, indicating that he understood Sere's orders. As the diverse group of people approached-- he would remain by Latnok's side and would retain a neutral stance. The people were armed, but who could blame them given the creatures that they no doubt had to deal with on a daily basis?

Angora also came upon the scene, and was quite horrified when she saw Shade with a bloodied mouth. Couldn't be from one of the sailors, could it? She got her answer when she saw the huge, deceased beast.
"What in...?" she started to say, but couldn't finish the sentence with the shock. While she waited for Laszur to answer, she looked at the iguanameleon, and also wondered if it was the same one that Maverick talked about. But unable to look at the corpse any longer, she then looked at Shade, afraid he would be in some kind of trouble. It was rare to see him in such a state. He really looked like a killer with jaws bloodied like that.

After adjusting his vision, the sailor could see the scene before him. He went as white as a sheet of paper. The first thing he saw was the long tongued monster, and dead or not, he had just been inside this thing's stomach. Not exactly an experience he wanted to revive. He wanted to head to his cabin, but given that was the scene where the attack happened, now he didn't dare to go...

Laszur gave Shade a quick open-palm hand gesture to indicate for him to be silent for the moment. "The dragon detected a camouflaged intruder," Laszur said plainly. "Using flour, I managed to locate it and attack it. It had attempted to devour one of our sailors, but spit him back up. In its attempts to escape, we finally killed it. Until I have a better solution, I'm thinking that sticking this on a pole near the landing zone will deter similar incidents." Laszur was hoping that the animals were at least smart enough to realize that a dead member of their species meant nothing good for them.

The scouting party finally met with the approaching settlers - all strong-looking adults from various species, both male and female, though any mage among them wasn't immediately obvious. Sere extended a hand for a handshake - which was reciprocated by an older, grizzled merman. "Welcome, visitors," he greeted. "You're not from around here. How did you get here? The name is Veldrin, by the way." As he spoke, the others with him took a look at their guests - especially at Raclaw.
Leoquin looked up and down at Veldrin, as if appraising the older merman. He seemed to have been around a while, and was clearly past his prime, even if he didn't look like a pushover. So merfolk live around here... hmm...
"Sere is my name," Sere answered. "We made our way through the storm - and though the journey was perilous, with losses, we made it through."
"You... made it through the storm? So the rumor is true after all..." Veldrin muttered. "Oh, I'm sorry. We spotted one of your men within the woods. Hairy fellow? Oddly enough, he seemed to get here before you did, and wanted to get to the shore to wait for you...
"Yes, that is one of our men. Maverick is his name," Sere said. "We're... still trying to figure out how that happened."
"There will be plenty to talk about," Veldrin said. "For now, please, come join us." Veldrin beckoned for the others to follow him, as he and his escort headed back to the town.

"Agreed.," Risar said with a nod upon hearing Laszar's response, agreeing with the Galud's assessment. He looked over the scene and at the now immediately obvious sailor, pleased to see that at least the 'victim' had survived. Shade had no doubt been ordered to kill the creature, an act which would've proved to be necessary to any sane person. It had possibly attacked two maybe three times (including Maverick and rumors about Chester) and would've done so again if not stopped. "Men-- keep an eye out for any more of these creatures and alert us if you find any.," the large minotaur then said looking at several sailors who had gather around out of morbid curiosity. It wasn't yet certain if this creature's suicidal braveness was an exception or if others of its kind might try to do the same, which was where the pole would come in.

Meanwhile-- Raclaw followed noticing the others looking at him, but not saying anything. And then suddenly, the thunderbird made a appearance again with the village seemingly knowing the flying protector. He looked up slight awe once again at the creature, although he knew that Sere might not be too pleased to see the guardian once again. Lives had been lost in part to the guardian, regardless of rather or not it had meant it.

Maverick reached the nearest set of stairs, none that were the ones Risar used or where the sailor was located. He was to his back of the scene, but he could see a few sailors on the main deck watching over... something. He turned his back and he could see Shade, Risar and Laszur, though he couldn't see Angora from that distance and with many barrels on the way. Shade seemed... startled, or somewhat similar. Since the creature's blood was almost the same color as his skin, he couldn't see what was going on. He had Shade's meal ready, and while he wanted to leave Ilasi's platter behind to avoid going slower, he didn't like the idea of somebody else eating it, so he headed with his slow steps towards where Shade was, realizing with every step something was definetly wrong...

Quote: A Guy

Laszur gave Shade a quick open-palm hand gesture to indicate for him to be silent for the moment. "The dragon detected a camouflaged intruder," Laszur said plainly. "Using flour, I managed to locate it and attack it. It had attempted to devour one of our sailors, but spit him back up. In its attempts to escape, we finally killed it. Until I have a better solution, I'm thinking that sticking this on a pole near the landing zone will deter similar incidents." Laszur was hoping that the animals were at least smart enough to realize that a dead member of their species meant nothing good for them.

Angora didn't like the idea of killing off a local animal like that, especially if it was from an island, where the ecosystem was more delicate, but she could understand why the procedure was so necessary. If the beast chose to climb the ship and even go as far as to hunt down a crew member instead of staying on the island and hunt there as it should be, it was no wonder why Laszur made such a decision.
"Well, I hope it's only that one the only curious enough to get here." Angora stated, remaining behind Risar in case Laszur didn't like her iniciative to speak without an order. If there was one thing she has learned from the Guardians and their allies is that almost everything was an insubordination to them.

Sere wasn't too thrilled with the prospect of the thunderbird, but people would have their myths. He decoded to leave out his true feelings about the creature for now. Their group would enter the town, where many people of all kinds would look at them with a sense of wonderment. After a bit of travel, they would end up in a brick building slightly wider than the others, if not taller.
Upon entering the building, there were various sets of wooden furniture, as well as several small, furry beds, seemingly for pets of some sort - definitely smaller than Raclaw.
Veldrin motioned for the others to take a seat, which they did. Upon doing so, he took a match, lighting the incense candle on the middle table - the scent of frankincense. "This is a lounge," he said. "Nothing too fancy, but it gets the job done."
"We appreciate the hospitality," Sere replied. "What is this place - this town? I've never heard of it, and I've been around a while."
"Well," Veldrin said, "this place was first created by a group of sailors who were led astray and crashed here. They attempted to create a camp to survive until they got another new boat out - but more castaways came. Eventually, some left, and some stayed. The currents end up bringing many castaeays here. Now, merfolk like myself - it used to be that we'd see a ship go down, and we would seek outside survivors. Very, very few make it here nowadays, with the storm."
"The storm. Yes. Do you know what causes it?" Sere asked - his suspicions seemed to be well-founded now. This definitely wasn't just some act of nature.
"Well, I don't know... but I have a suspicion," Veldrin answered. "It's a bit of a story, though. Before I answer, does anyone else have any quick questions?" Sere gave the signal for the others to speak, if they so desired.

Angora looked at Shade, still unable to fathom how he looked after that kill. Shade had always hunted for food. It was a necessity. But based on Laszur's explanation, it was quite evident Shade was forced to kill it, and couldn't even eat it. I'm retrospective, it was better that the creature was dead. If it managed to attack Maverick and even sneaked into the ship to devour a sailor, it was better this way. It could've attacked others, maybe smaller beings like her and poor Chester. Still, she couldn't help feeling a little sorry for the animal.

Finally, Maverick arrived on the scene, and almost dropped the tray when he saw the very same creature that attacked him yesterday, lifeless on the floor.
"Pero qué!?" he exclaimed startled. It took a single look to the dragolet to know who was the culprit. He was as white as the sailor, though he didn't know if he was scared of the creature's appearance or the fact that it was dead. He looked at Angora for explanation, which she gave him.
"It ate someone!? Well let's go! We have to get him out!" Maverick started to say, wanting to give the sailor a proper burial if he didn't survive. Angora had to grab the tray before he could drop it.
"Take it easy Maverick! The sailor's fine! It spat him back alive!" Angora finished, Maverick almost not letting her finish that part of the explanation. Maverick didn't want to imagine the ordeal the poor sailor went through. While he felt a little sad that one of nature's creations had to be sacrificed this way, it didn't feel as sorry as Angora for the creature. It did attacked him once, and if the beast had the audacity of entering the ship instead of staying on the island, then it was indeed too dangerous to be kept alive.

Gregor ate the food with little question, as it practically vanished into the black hole that was his mouth. "THANK YOU," he said simply. He wasn't always one for manners, but sometimes he made exceptions for those who seemed to treat him particularly well.

Laszur began to collect the corpse from Shade. "It is a good thing we managed to save the sailor - if too much damage hasn't been done already. We should check him for burns." As Laszur spoke, he grabbed a spear from a rack on the deck and impaled the dead creature's tough skin with it.

The sailor was still near the stairs, watching everything from a distance. While he couldn't hear what Laszur was saying, he still instinctively watched his body as if he knew what the galud had said. A few patches of his clothes were missing, though luckily, none of the deadly juices had melted his skin. Even his hair was still intact. He has been extremely lucky. An iguanameleon's digestion was very slow, but it still helped that that Laszur intervened when he did and practically forced the creature to spit him back out, otherwise it would've certainly been the end of him.

Maverick looked away when Laszur stabbed the creature, sensitive to such scenes even though he had seen his father done way worse in the past. It was a life he left behind, and he didn't want to look at things like that ever again. Angora pushed him gently out of the way with her body while still holding the tray.
"This one's for me, isn't it Maverick? Thank you." she commented gratefully, wanting to distract him with some conversation. Maverick was still too shock to speak, but he nodded. While Angora knew he was also against murdering creatures like that, she knew he had to be at least partially grateful for the kill, since that meant the beast wasn't going to hunt him down anymore. He could've been next if the beast had gotten away with the sailor, or any of them. While there may be more things like that out there, only one seemed to dare to go to the ship, so that was good news. What's better, Shade could detect them even with their camouflage, so they could be safe.

Quote: A Guy

Gregor ate the food with little question, as it practically vanished into the black hole that was his mouth. "THANK YOU," he said simply. He wasn't always one for manners, but sometimes he made exceptions for those who seemed to treat him particularly well.

"It's the least I can do." Huntress replied with a gentle smile, a bit surprised that the behemoth responded to her. They could talk of course, but it was a rare occasion when they actually spoke. They rather just eat, fight and lay down instead of talking to anybody, but even so, Huntress liked them. The work in the stable was exhausting, but it was still the only thing she would be willing to do for free. A behemoth saved her life by killing the dragon that left her with nothing, and she never forgot about it.

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"The storm. Yes. Do you know what causes it?" Sere asked - his suspicions seemed to be well-founded now. This definitely wasn't just some act of nature.
"Well, I don't know... but I have a suspicion," Veldrin answered. "It's a bit of a story, though. Before I answer, does anyone else have any quick questions?" Sere gave the signal for the others to speak, if they so desired.

Raclaw briefly thought about it, but shook his head indicating that he had no questions. He gave a gentle smile to the villagers looking at him, figuring that they no doubt had many questions about him. He was a rare specimen after all, someone who almost everyone recognized as something unique and rare. Even if they didn't know exactly what he was-- he almost instantly became a curiosity wherever he went and such attention wasn't to be unexpected.

Veldrin took a deep breath. "Some suggest that the thunderbird is responsible. Others suggest that some nation is using powerful magic to enforce an embargo... but who would be trading with us, to make such a thing necessary? I don't know the exact nature of the magic... but I know a group who may. The Ishulgites - they have been on this archipelago some time before we have. The storm wasn't always there while they were, however, so it's as good a guess as any.
"They are... followers of an old, forgotten god who purportedly banished himself from this world in order to avoid influencing it any further. But they say he intends to come back and help mortals... Now, how does this all tie into the storm? Like I said, I'm not sure. There are some rather odd things about them, however... they seem fascinated by all sorts of life, and their devotion to their god is unnaturally strong. They're probably the most powerful group on this archipelago. They constantly try to preach about their god, and why we should convert. Occasionally, someone does, and they leave the village to join the Ishulgites. Enough of that, however... you obviously didn't come here for a good time. What are you here for?"
"I'm looking for three individuals in particular," Sere said, getting straight to the point. "One of the warriors of the group I lead, the Ardent Guardians - he would have skin and burn marks similar to mine and his - Latnok, by the way. We have reason to believe that his efforts at research may have led him here. I can normally sense when my men die, but I got no such feeling - I think something or another might be keeping him somewhere in this region. The other two individuals are the parents of our friend Raclaw here." Sere gave a nod to Raclaw as he mentioned the fur dragon. "Pretty hard to miss."
"Well, can't say we've seen any of those characters around here," Veldrin said. "Anyone like that would stand out - well, don't know if the dragon cat creature would stand out ay more of the odd hybrid creatures that infest the place. Some of them like to go where they don't belong, and we have to fight them when they do. Used to lose people to them - at this point, however, it's a bit of a rite of passage. Crack some dangerous hybrid's skull open and enter into manhood! That sort of thing. Anyway, what I meant to say was, we would be little help in that regard. Of course, there are more people on other islands, and there are the Ishulgites, all of whom might have a better idea."
"Thank you." Sere nodded, satisfied with the answers he had been given so far - as satisfied as he could be, anyway. Latnok was disappointed, though he doubted finding anyone they were looking for would be as simple as entering the place, and Leoquin was somewhat disinterested.

Laszur wasn't particularly concerned about any scent stuck on Shade. This presented him with an opportunity for some discipline training. "You will take a bath when I tell you to. Not a moment sooner," Laszur ordered. Part of Shade learning to control his powers would be enduring hardship, which seemed to trigger his powers and outbursts.

Angora didn't like the way Shade was being treated, but she knew she didn't have any say in the matter, so she remained silent. Maverick wanted to take his mind off the scene behind him, so he proceeded to take the food from the tray. He first put Ilasi's delicate platter on a barrel nearby, and gave Angora's platter to her.
"Here you go Angorita. Enjoy." he said, with the troll nodding in thanks. He then took Shade's platter, but addressed to Laszur first.
"If I may señor Laszur, can Osc... Shade have a small meal before his training can continue?" he asked cautiously, knowing this galud a little too well for his liking. He didn't know if Shade had breakfast, but since he couldn't eat his latest kill, he imagined was, or would be hungry soon enough.

Back with Huntress and the friendly behemoth, the young woman offered herself for anything else he would need. Not all behemoths were going to war, but at the rate the battle was going, it was possible that the ones that still remained on the stables for transport would be called soon. She wanted to make their lives as pleasant and comfortable as possible before that happens, if it ever happens.

Laszur disliked Shade's seemingly flippant response. "'Fine?' Have you forgotten how to address a superior? I don't care what problem you have - you will show the proper respect." He then looked at Maverick, to answer his question. "Leave the food for him, and take your troll friend and leave us. I have some things I need to explain to the Scourge."

Veldrin wasn't surprised with the hybrid's question - he could've been more specific about that particular aspect. "Well, I don't know," he said. "Are you looking to attack and kill random people? If not, yoi have nothing to worry about."

Angora looked disapprovingly at Shade, not because of the word, but because of the small grumble. She didn't know if Laszur heard it, but he was still clearly upset. When will he ever learn? Maverick left the food in front of him, looking at Shade with some sadness. He didn't think the treatment was fair, but accident or not, he did kill many people on Redwater, and if Shade didn't learn to control that temper of his, he was just going to make things worse for himself, and in part his friends as well.

Once Maverick was done, Angora went ahead of him, getting to one corner of the ship while the hybrid followed. She was so disappointed, so depressed, so down. Maverick stood by her side, both looking at the us land as they remained by the handrails.
"Um... Angorita? Is there's something you wanna do? Maverick asked, wanting to help her distract her mind.
"Thanks. But I'm not in the mood for anything." she said rather bitterly, appreciating Maverick's attempts but feeling like not even he was enough to cheer her up.
"Lo siento if I worried you before. I'm not sure for how long I was missing, but I guess it was... quite a while. Prometo I'll try to defend myself better next time." Maverick assured, with Angora simply giving a nod and a very small smile in return. Noticing her sadness, Maverick sat besides her and put his arm around her neck , knowing too well that a hug was many times better than words. Angora was still sad and upset, but affection from Maverick was always welcomed. She wanted to enjoy it as much as she could before Ilasi came to claim her boyfriend. Angora still didn't know exactly how the mermaid saw her, but she was almost certain Ilasi still hated her just like nearly everybody else.

Veldrin wasn't quite done with the new visitors just yet. "So... while you're here... well, we've told you about how we're rather cut off from the outside world now," he said. "Would you happen to have anything... interesting from the outside? Nothing in particular, but we'd be able to pay for anything we would want to buy from you, in gold."
"I'm afraid that we are here on the business I mentioned earlier, not trade," Sere said. "We have some different alcoholic drinks, but besides that, nothing immediately comes to mind. A sailor or two might have something they're willing to sell, but I wouldn't count on it." Sere, having said his piece, stood up.
"Well, I believe we're done here," Sere said. "We will be heading back to the ship, and making a plan from there. I'll give sailors a chance to visit."
"We look forward to seeing you again," Veldrin said. "One of us will bring you a map of the archipelago when you leave."

Maverick and Angora talked for a little while, with the troll mentioning how she befriended three former pirates in the brig, which reminded her of him. Maverick didn't have much to contribute to given he didn't remember anything, but he did mentioned how scared he was when nearly devoured by the odd eyes beast. While it was a relief to know it won't persecute him or endanger anybody any longer, he still felt rather bad for a creature that, in the end, was just doing things out of instinct, and maybe just dangerous curiosity. Of course, there was also the possibility of more of them out there, but so far, only one approached the beach and even the ship.
"Well it would be great if we could explore a little of the island. It was a scary experience, but I could defend myself." Maverick said with some enthusiasm, wishing the island didn't have those reptiles. The dead one was the only one he encountered, but there was no telling how much there were out there. While Angora talked to her friend longer, she still didn't have the heart to tell him the possibility of her getting marooned on this island quite possibly full of those monsters.

As Raclaw was prepared to leave alongside the others-- he was disappointed that this island had no such luck regarding his parents, but knew that it wouldn't be that easy. His parents, as well as possibly Julian, could be on any one of the islands-- and the chances of them finding them on the very first island were slim at best. Meanwhile, Chester stuck close to Risar who was currently keeping an eye on things on deck. One thing was certain... Raclaw and Shade were at two very different levels of training and domestication. One was an able companion, while the other struggled to find the right words to avoid punishment. The large minotaur briefly watched, but didn't interfere-- letting Laszur do his job of training the still wild dragolet.

Sere and the others soon left the town - Sere receiving a map of the specifics of the island as they did. As they left, Sere noted a river moving through the town - which would explain where water came from, if not from the shore. It wasn't immediately clear if it was natural or a result of irrigation.
They came back to the ship using the same route they used to leave, running into nothing unusual along the way - nothing more unusual than what they had already encountered, at least. They came back to the sight of the iguanameleon impaled on a spear stuck in the sand.
"Looks like it picked the wrong place to hang around," Latnok said dryly. "We just got here and we already have our first kill? Wow."
They would all board the ship shortly after. Sere wasted no time grabbing his bell and ringing it to call a meeting of all hands.

As Raclaw walked by the impaled iguanamelon-- its scent smelled vaguely familiar. And although it no longer presented a readable lifesign (on account of no longer having a life), the Fur Dragon could theorize what exactly had happened. Regardless... it didn't matter and he would soon take his place next to Latnok as Sere rang the bell. Risar soon took his place as well, as did many of the nearby crew members. Chester happily ran to Raclaw and Latnok's side happy to see his two beloved companions as always. "Hey Chester-- don't worry. We're back and unharmed.," Raclaw said with a gentle smile.

Angora and Maverick took their places, ready to listen to Sere. It seems like the iguanameleon didn't impress them, so they tried to ignore it as well. As they waited for the announcement, Angora wondered if a Sere was going to say anything about her, or her future fate...

At the island, there was a group of iguanameleon on a small waterhole a couple of miles away from town. All of them have eaten, and since they were forbidden from entering the town, they have learn throughout the time to avoid the village. A curious one was rare. This waterhole was the only source of water they had, since the bipedal islanders have claimed practically everything. The creature's were normally peaceful, and didn't interfere with the daily lives of the townsfolk, but when hunger was too severe and there was no food source, there have been temptations, but such incidents were still one in a million. All of them were smaller that the one killed on the ship, except for one, who was almost a third larger. It was the oldest of the beasts on the island, though it was as peaceful as the others, mostly thanks to it's age and much slower metabolism.

Laszur doubted that would be the case, but would forgive the slip by Shade for now. "It better not," he said. He left Shade, in order to gather around for Sere's meeting.
Sere stood up on a box in the typical manner. "Good afternoon, sailors," he greeted. "First, I would like to take the time to honor the men we lost due to the incompetence and disobedience of others; it is something I have no intention of letting happen ever again. The foul creature who committed the act flew out into the storm, which, as you know, is undoubtedly fatal. And as you know, in the instance prior to that, the creature who disobeyed me was punished. I will not tolerate anyone putting us in danger by feeling that they can do whatever they feel like aboard this vessel, threatening the unity and cohesion that allows us to effectively work together and accomplish our mission.
"With that said, we have arrived at the archipelago. The life on this island is likely not anything you've seen before - at least not regularly. So far, however, we haven't met any hostility - well, I don't know if that creature you've left impaled outside was hostile, but I'd assume that such a thing would be done to deter similar creatures from approaching. We have met locals - they are friendly, and are looking to buy any interesting outside objects you may have - they will pay in gold. We'll leave behind a skeleton crew to run repairs and keep watch of the ship. You are all dismissed; we've trailblazed the path for you."

The crew began to disperse, with many things to say to each other - about their plans, about the journey so far, and whispers of the rumor of a mutinous sailor completely vanishing in thin air, never to be seen again.

Angora almost fainted when Sere began his speech. When he said disobedience, she knew too well he wasn't talking about Star only. She truly believed Sere was going to punish her this time, but once again, he postponed his decision. Why was he taking so long? The only thing that brought relief to Angora was the fact that the island had civilization, so that if she did get marooned, she won't be alone. It wasn't an option she was considering though, but then again, she didn't know where was she suppose to meet the stranger of the orb.
"Civilization? Impresionante. I didn't see anything like that when I explored the island. There was a man that pointed me to the beach, but I just assumed he was a hermit. Fantastico! It's been so long since I've sold a thing." Maverick said enthusiastically, missing his job as a traveling merchant. This was his chance to return to it again, and recover the money he spent on his date with Ilasi.

He wanted to sell stuff, but there was no way he wanted to be alone. He wanted someone big or with experience to accompany him just in case there was more of those creatures wanting to make a meal out of him. He was about to invite Angora when he noticed her nervous behavior.
"What's wrong Angorita? You're sweating boulders. Is something wrong?" he asked, breaking her thoughts.
"What? Oh no no, I'm fine Maverick. You go ahead. Make sure you're not alone though. I'll be fine. I can't leave the ship, but don't worry about me. I'll go to the cabin and eat your delicious food on peace." Angora responded, using that as an excuse to leave him. Maverick was disappointed, but perhaps there was a way to convince Sere to let her leave the ship. While he did that, Angora headed to the kitchen, walking slowly to see if the orb man spoke to her. He only did that when she was alone, so perhaps that was the reason why he hadn't contacted her yet.

Ilasi was excited to see this new place - it would certainly be different from her usual experiences. Considering that Sere was able to communicate with them, and he didn't mention anything about a different language, they would presumably speak common. Plus, weren't they buying things? It would certainly be something Maverick would be interested in. She would have to find him - she was done with today's water purification, so she had time to burn.

"So... Raclaw," Latnok asked. "I know you were a little disappointed, but the search has just started. There's still a lot to look for. I get this strange feeling, though... I've been asking myself what I really want. And I was thinking maybe, somehow, I'd find it here. I don't know how I got that idea, but it's a strong hunch. So I have that to consider as well." There was also the matter of the many creatures on the island - considering Sere had a device to "study" them, perhaps he would take a few samples.

As Angora walked to her and Maverick's cabin to enjoy her meal in peace, she was still waiting for a message, though she wasn't going to push the matter. She didn't want to be seen as desperate, so she decided to be patient and wait for things to run their course. As she walked, she couldn't wait to reach the cabin, so she tasted Maverick's meal while walking. Whatever happened during his missing time, it clearly didn't deteriorated his cooking skills. As she ate, she wondered if he could convince him to make a meal for Sand Dune, Random and Opium. They were some dear companions after all.

While waiting for Angora, Maverick was checking his bag, making sure he had the right things to sell. He wasn't going to sell everything he had, so he made sure to make a list of the Hong he remembered the bag had that he could part with. He also made sure to take away the weapons he intended to keep, particularly to have them more accessible in case he needed to defend himself. He already had a sour experience with the beast, and it was a pointy weapon that saved his life. But while there may be more like it on the island, he wasn't going to recluse himself to the ship just because of one bad experience. Maverick waited for Angora as he organized his bag, also looking around the ship to see if Ilasi was around. He didn't know if she and Angora had a better relationship through the time he was missing, but he really wanted to hang out with the both of them.

Ilasi would find Maverick as he was sorting through his possessions. She came over to him, in a much more cheerful mood now that he had returned. "Good afternoon, Maverick!" she greeted enthusiastically. "Are you preparing to head to the town? I hear there's a river that leads there; we might be able to get there more quickly by taking it. Would that be something you're interested in? Or would you prefer that we travel by land?" Of course, the river would mean shapeshifting for her.

Finally, the orb began to glow, to speak to Angora. "You can meet us today," the voice spoke in her head, in the usual manner. "Get the captain's permission to leave the ship, and we can guide you the rest of the way. We look forward to seeing you."

Angora's ears perked up when she heard the orb speaking. She wasn't expecting the man to talk to her today.
"Today? But... that means you... you're on the island...?" Angora said, almost stammering. She believed the stranger and his society lived in the place where Shade spent the blood moon. This couldn't possibly be the same island, unless they docked somewhere else? There was no sign of Shade's destruction on this particular island, unless they fixed it or the island was bigger than shown? Angora started to get a headache pondering too much, so she stopped.

"Alright sir. I'll try to be there soon." she finally answered, reaching the cabin at that very moment. She began to eat fast, wanting to get things done already. She hated the idea of speaking to Sere and ask permission to get to the island when he already ordered no, but since Maverick was there and the old man had far more respect for him than her, perhaps her dear friend could help her with that matter.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi would find Maverick as he was sorting through his possessions. She came over to him, in a much more cheerful mood now that he had returned. "Good afternoon, Maverick!" she greeted enthusiastically. "Are you preparing to head to the town? I hear there's a river that leads there; we might be able to get there more quickly by taking it. Would that be something you're interested in? Or would you prefer that we travel by land?" Of course, the river would mean shapeshifting for her.

"Don't worry Ilasi. We can just walk to the edge. It's easier." he suggested, already too familiar with the annoyance it could be for Ilasi to shapeshift and then have to wait such a long while for her legs to return. He could carry her around as always, but Maverick also knew she could be rather embarrased with the service.

"You have a weapon, don't you? I can give you this curved knife. We don't want to get gobbled up by those iguana things. A little slice of the tongue should do the trick if we get captured. I hope we don't have to encounter them though, but... you know, just a precaution." Maverick then suggested rather jumpily, not liking the idea of facing another one of those beasts again even though he could escape with some little ease the first time. Despite the quite traumatizing experience, he didn't wish any harm to the creatures. One was already dead, and he didn't like the idea of killing animals who are simply following a basic instinct.