darkSpyro

A downside of the hexwood Banewood was composed of was that it blocked *all* sources of telepathy, including Raclaw's - though they would be able to hear the escort, there would be no vision of them until the attack commenced, save for Latnok and Sere's prescience a few seconds prior to the attack.

Icestorm's pleas fell on deaf ears as the ishiuds continued in their march. Through a seemingly endless pathway, the escort continued. With a watchful ear, one could hear the clacking of soldier limbs hitting the ground in their rhythmic marching draw nearer and nearer...
"Quiet..." Banewood emphasized ad the escort drew nearer. The group could ill-afford to make a wrong move - They needed to strike swiftly and precisely if they were to get the prisoner out in one piece, before reinforcements arrived. Soon enough, the escort could be heard slowing down, as the mastermind was trying to process the meaning of the viscous substance the soldiers were walking through...
"NOW." Suddenly, the wooden wall shattered at Banewood's will, and the escort very quickly became fully aware of the ambush. Leoquin immediately followed up with a small water spell - just enough to soak the floor beneath. The mixture rapidly reacted with the water, curing in seconds - the soldiers would be cemented in their tracks, helpless to move, at least until they could work to force themselves free. The whistlers at the back of the formation were quickly moving into position, though they couldn't angle themselves within shooting range immediately.
Latnok and Sere would not use their chimes just yet - the soldiers were immobile, helpless to do anything but clack their mandibles, and they wouldn't have Leoquin transforming into an ill-suited form just yet. Instead, Latnok opened up with a volley of arrows aimed at the nearby walls - he would attempt to set up an arrow web to break up the formation as the others acted. Someone still had to grab Icestorm and cut him free...

The more Maverick and Ilasi spent time together, the more right it felt. Maverick had spent so much time seeing his father treating everyone so badly, even women, that he never knew the correct way to treat people. He barely had any friends, so a relationship seemed so far away back then. Yet he did it. He finally did it. And what was better, Ilasi was filling him with much confidence. She didn't look offended or embarrased, so Maverick wasn't feeling awkward about anything anymore. Dahlia knew what would happen then. She pulled Chester closer to her and instructed him to be in the corner, forbidding him from getting close to the couple. Those two were finally closer, and needed no interruptions. There was a tense, dangerous event going on outside, but this was her master's moment. They didn't need to worry about outside problems that weren't of their concern. This was their time. Nobody else mattered right now...

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief finally stood and drew her staff, staring into the blue gemstone with a strange focus. I wonder when that group will return. She remembered Darkheart, such a unique one. Such powerful control of darkness. Then there was that fluffy dragon fellow, Raclaw. And then there were the Guardians on the mission. Remembering them started her rage up again. She struggled not to hate them, even Latnok. But all the years of being hated and feared for no real reason strained at her, and she wanted to hate right back. But she always, always tried to forgive. It's just that she was so sick of just forgiving again and again, when she'd done nothing to hurt them and they viewed her as a psychotic monster. She shook herself and reached into her bag to consult her notebook, pulling out Ilasi's special spellbook as well... "I should return this sometime... Maybe I can do so right now? But Angora's sleeping... So vulnerable... She seems so small... So easy to harm... I MUST protect her... I can't let her be hurt..." Her grip on her staff tightened, claws digging into the wooden handle. Protective instinct trumped the desire for retribution, and she settled into a calm but alert state again.

Angora continued sleeping soundly, once again without any indications of waking up. She wanted to have an uninterrupted sleep to have much energy tomorrow and be ready to do her chores normally, and also be ready to fight in case those accursed monsters attacked again. Throughout the night, she had many dreams, but many of them lasted only a few minutes, and the events weren't the same. On one occasion, she remembered the awful words the being from the orb said, making her friends look like a burden that had to be rid of to make her obey his order. Others were more bizzare ones, such as Gregor treating her like a marble and flicking his finger at her to make her roll and hit many pins, as if it was some sort of miniature bowling. Others were about Shade and Veris fighting for who got to keep her, sometimes mauling her accidentally so that one of them could escape with her. Many bizzare and rather disturbing dreams plagued her, though fortunately not terrifying enough to wake her up. Her flinching and movement in the real world were the only indications of what kind of dreams she may be having.

Despite all of the concerns running through Ilasi's head, Maverick's presence was making them less and less significant. No - it was more than his presence. It was how he was here for her. Never had it felt so... real.
Real. That was what it was. Despite all of her misgivings, Ilasi always had at least some doubt as to whether Maverick loved her as much as she loved him - not through any fault of his own, but because of her concern that she wasn't good enough. But in this moment, those doubts ceased to exist. As Maverick remained, Ilasi could see his uneasiness evaporating - and between that and her own doubts, the barriers that remained between them were ceasing to exist.
There were people to be worried about, and there was much to do tomorrow - but that could all wait. This would be their moment. And the two could only get closer from here...

From then on, everything happened naturally. This was a sacred moment. Regardless of the disaster happening outside, this was an Ilasi and Maverick moment. Dahlia believed she was going to miss those two finally get together the way they should, but she was sort of glad to be there, even though she had to practically ignore them. She just had to make sure they weren't interrupted. She cornered Chester.
"Sleep to time. It is time. Chester plus Dahlia sleep. Humans busy. Is it night yet? We sleep." Dahlia instructed, once again in her peculiar speech. She was rather sleepy, especially after playing with Chester. The beagle looked just a little eager for more, so she felt like it was her obligation to make sure the little carnivore didn't go too crazy.

"You're right-- it's time. Good night Dahlia.," Chester said becoming more relaxed and prepared to sleep on the couch that Maverick had prepared for him.. or closer to Dahlia if that was what the dirt buffalo would prefer. Either way, it was time to catch some Zs. He missed Raclaw and Latnok, but at least Dahlia and her lovable hybrid made good company. And Maverick and Illasi finally did at last.

Meanwhile...Quote:

Latnok and Sere would not use their chimes just yet - the soldiers were immobile, helpless to do anything but clack their mandibles, and they wouldn't have Leoquin transforming into an ill-suited form just yet. Instead, Latnok opened up with a volley of arrows aimed at the nearby walls - he would attempt to set up an arrow web to break up the formation as the others acted. Someone still had to grab Icestorm and cut him free...

Raclaw knew that they had to move fast and looked at the others-- they had to get Icestorm out and NOW. He quickly looked the small group and transmitted a basic image of them cutting the micro dragolet free and placing him upon his back. From there, he could set Icestorm down and free him himself or with the others' help if his natural claws and very much not natural spikes proved to be inefficient. And so he set forth, approaching the captured Icestorm alongside Risar and setting the plan in motion...

Darkheart grinned wickedly and immediately rushed in slashing. Her claws remained very solid, despite her seemingly being incorporeal. Berserk fury threatened to overwhelm her, but first she had to help the others. Her intense rage and hate overwhelmed all other emotions. She aimed to tear the restraints apart that bound Icestorm. Although, it almost seemed like she wanted to tear him, but she carefully aimed as much as she could to only cut the webbing.
Mischief noticed the wincing and shifting and helplessly watched the little troll. The vixen's blood pressure went through the roof at around this time. Her own body twitched a bit.

The webbing around Icestorm fell bit by bit - soon becoming loose enough to allow him to be pried from the back of the soldier he was on, though the webbing keeping his limbs bound (and the adhesive that came with it) would still need to be taken care of.
Under the mastermind's guidance, the whistlers set their sights on all who would approach Icestorm - the gas right beneath their skin building up pressure to launch the spiny projectiles embedded in them at high speeds.
During the turmoil, Banewood began the root-calling spell. The root would hopefully arrive in tmie to allow them to make a clean getaway before reinforcements could arrive - as they were undoubtedly on the way right now.

With the webbing free-- Icestorm was 'free' to be taken away, with Raclaw positioning himself for the Dwarf kaiju to be loaded onto his back. Risar would soon start to ply him loose, with the others presumably helping. "Don't worry Icestorm.. we've got you now.," Raclaw tried to reassure via telepathy although he knew that Banewood's efforts would soon block his telepathy once again. It mattered not; Icestorm was safe for now or so it seemed...

With Icestorm having been freed from the grasp of the Ishulgites, it was time to escape - sticking around for a fight and getting overwhelmed in the base of the enemy was out of the question. The ground rumbled as one of the walls in the alcove developed a hole, exposing a root which soon opened.
"We're done here. Move!" Banewood ordered. Sere formed a shadow wall in an effort to separate the group from the Ishulgites to cover their escape.

Raclaw quickly made heist-- taking the lead behind Banewood with the precious passenger aboard. Icestorm (at only three feet tall) was 'micro' enough not to be much of a hindrance to his active movement. "To freedom. Don't worry-- he's a friend!," Raclaw responded via telepathy although he would let the others answer if his comment didn't get through. He would keep his own 'stealth' mode enabled until he was certain that they were safe, despite it effectively muting his physical voice. In a small twist of irony, it was almost like that of Shade's own 'Muzzle' command only more tame and not meant as a form of punishment.

Darkheart covered the escape, forcing herself to back quickly into the root once the others were inside. She then playfully waved at the Ishulgites with a vicious smirk. "Sorry, but while I go through shadows easily as their master... You guys don't. See ya!" She fortified the shield with her own energy.
Mischief was leaning on a wall now, nervously watching Angora.

Maverick spent an awesome time with Ilasi. He never knew relationship could be this intimate. It felt wrong at times, but then he came to accept that being close to someone that was more than a friend was normal and natural. It was such a sacred moment that he had almost forgot they weren't alone. Dahlia had done such a great work being discrete and making sure Chester was quiet that it was almost as if they weren't there. He wondered how Ilasi felt, but she was so accepting of this step that he was certain the feeling was mutual. At last, they were in a real relationship, no hesitation of nervousness in their actions, and Maverick finally felt that he could be himself around Ilasi without the fear of offending or embarrassing her.

Angora could feel Mischief's presence, but was too exhausted to even open her eyes. She was completely oblivious of the world outside; Icestorm's rescue, Maverick's special moment, or the fact that poor Mischief was bored yet adamantly and insistently protective of her. In all of her life, she either had to take care of herself or take care of others, but having someone taking care of her was still strange territory for her. Shade and Maverick were the only ones who ever truly cared for her. Trolls weren't the best parents, but hers crossed the line when eating her became the only option for them to eliminate her and prevent the tribe from looking weak. Even though she never wanted to go on this trip, she managed to make new friends, earn the respects of almost everyone on the ship and bond with Veris like never before. The good overshadowed the bad, and even though there was this crazy society attacking them, she would rest well now, and eat much tomorrow so she could have full energy to defend both old and new friends, with her life if necessary. Banewood's words ring truth in them with everything that happened in the past hours. The being from the orb tricked her. Fooled her to believe they wanted her to be happy, and she wanted him and his bizzare society to pay for the cruel deception.

With the temporary barrier impeding progress, everyone was able to safely load ito the root with minimal interference. As soon as the last person was in, Banewood shut it closed, and it began turning the ground as it shifted and pulled the party through.
It was a cleanly executed plan. Icestorm was quickly pulled away from his captors, and everyone did their part and managed to pull away before the Ishulgites could muster an effective response.
Victories like that had to be cherished. Few would count on actions to continue to be that easy going forward...

The root surfaced once again at the same place everyone originally left at. The incoming winter season seemed to have little effect on the weather here, which remained pleasantly warm even while the sun was down. The ship hadn't moved; the gangplank was still up. Laszur could be seen watching over the side of the ship in his typically dutiful fashion.
"Get Icestorm completely freed from the webbing," Sere ordered. "We'll handle the matter of what to do with him later. I think we all could use a good rest right now." Latnok had no objections - there was no need to try to force anything right this moment. He would begin by pulling Icestorm off of Raclaw's back - somewhat dissatisfied with the idea of Raclaw being used as a pack mule, though he understood the practicality of it.

After a great time with Maverick, Ilasi was more than content with all that had happened. She had the brief thought of how her parents would feel - but put those thoughts to the side. They'd probably find one reason or another to disapprove. Besides, they didn't matter right now. The only one who mattered was the man by her side.
This was the new reality. gone were they days where she would hop from place to place, trying to do what she needed to in order to scrape by, hoping to maybe some day be worth something. She was worth something to someone right now - and not just for the job she did, but for the person she was. There would be much to get used to - but that didn't mean it wouldn't be fun.

Maverick felt happy. Ilasi was by his side, Angora was resting after a wonderful service, and he trusted that with his family's support, Shade would be well eventually. He wanted to trust that after his progress, Aelinon would go easy on him. He didn't know if Sere has returned yet, but he knew that shouldn't be his concern. What could he do anyway? Plus he couldn't leave Ilasi alone, not to mention that he was very sleepy.
"Buenas noches Ilasi." he said tenderly, giving her a kiss. He was looking forward to more of these moments. No more sleeping separately. Now that he knew Ilasi was ok letting him be that close and that he wasn't being rude or disrespectful, there was no more reason to feel ashamed or embarrased. Tomorrow morning they will wake up, close to each other, doing their chores so that the next night, they could be together again...

As Raclaw's back fur was free to breath again and the party was safely onboard again-- Raclaw silently released his 'stealth mode' thus freeing his physical voice. "Don't worry Icestorm -- you're aboard the Enduring Legacy. You're safe for now.," Raclaw said out loud as he and the others quickly-but-carefully made work of the remaining webbing. Raclaw would use a combination of his natural claws and his artificial tail spike, albeit in moderation. "You can sleep in the stables for now or out here. Get some rest.," he then said with a smile knowing that ether should offer adicient room for someone with such a small structure. Meanwhile, Chester was already sound asleep in Illasi's quarters...

Banewood gave a quick bow to introduce himself. "You may call me Banewood. I am a warrior seeking to put an end to this cult and their actions," he said.
"We didn't know about you in particular," Latnok said. "But while we were hanging about in the base, we heard about a sacrifice - and moved to intercept it. That sacrifice just happened to be you. Consider yourself lucky. You can give us your story in the morning, when we're all rested." Latnok didn't want to sort out the headache that was Icestorm's place aboard the ship after after everything that had happened; a problem for a bit later, perhaps...

Ilasi happily returned Maverick's kiss. "Good night, dear," she replies, being ready to get some sleep after all that had happened - they still had jobs to do in the morning. That didn't mean, however, that moments like these wouldn't come again - it would always be something to look forward to later... and perhaps that would make the journey much more bearable.

Angora slept pleasantly for the rest of the night, and fortunately, the weird and sometimes disturbing dreams lasted for only the first few hours. The remaining night was peaceful and dreamless.

When the little troll finally opened her eyes, the sky was pretty dark orange, the horizon ready to welcome the sun's warm presence. Good. It was early. Angora felt well rested, but a little wobbly. Sleep was good, but too much of it wasn't too pleasant. She did a few push ups and took a brief cold water bath to wake up well. Mischief slept very close to her, in a position that made her look like she had tried to watch over her the whole night. She shook her head, finding it rather amusing how Mischief, with her new size, seemed to have aquired a protective nature.

She would thank her later. For now, it was time to start the day. The quiet hallways made Angora believe she was the first one up. As was usual with every morning, she headed to the kitchen, having a small fish for breakfast since she was certain a more balanced breakfast would be served later today. She hoped Maverick would do it. Nothing like his food, not even Latnok using magic. But whoever did it, she would still take it. With something in her belly, it was Veris' turn. Once she prepared his meal, heating it up a bit, she headed to the enclosure to give it to him. He had his back against the door, so she didn't know if he was awake. But wait, he wasn't alone. Darkheart? Is that where she was staying? Why didn't she knew until now? She imagined Latnok's cabin didn't have any more room, but wasn't there a cabin big enough for her? It didn't matter now. It was to be expected?. She left the tray nearby, and was ready to leave to head to the main deck, although she was sort of prepared for the wyvern to pull her in if it turned out he was awake and in the mood for some company. She imagined Darkheart would know it was for him. Angora didn't notice the much smaller Icestorm nearby, and wasn't expecting to see him again...

As the sun rose-- the other members of the Enduring Legacy would gently awake, some sooner than others. Risar would be one of the first; the minotaur would briefly stare out onto the sea before donning his usual armor and making his way onto the upper deck. The leather armor, on account of having been made specially for him, fit like a glove and without issue. His two mighty greataxes fit into their respective slots without issue.. as if they and the armor had been made in tangent with each other. And in fact-- they had been. Both the armor and weapons had effectively served as a parting gift from his old master and they had only continued to serve him well. Even though he may have 'escaped', he still proudly wore and used that which had been provided to him.

Next would be Chester, who was still in Illasi's quarters and wasn't yet aware of the others' return. The little Beagle gently opened his eyes and began to stretch out on top of the couch that had been provided to him-- it was quite cozy, even if it wasn't the same as the living blanket that was Raclaw on top of a soft (dog, pet?) bed. He wouldn't immediately disturb the others, not wanting to be rude to those who had so kindly housed him time and time again.

And some time after Chester and Risar, but still before many of the other crew members -- would be Raclaw. The Fur Dragon, briefly turned pack maul, would end up sleeping in rather than immediately waking up at Latnok's usual time. He briefly dreamed of a past adventure back when he was 'on his own' after the farm, but before Latnok. A than larger predator had chosen to use his hunting grounds as a place of rest and he had to sneak past on his own; his own fire had been near useless and practically untrained. And his experience was lacking. This dream could be felt by the nearby Latnok with enough effort. It wasn't quite a nightmare though and in the end-- that young Raclaw had survived to live another day and eventually go on new adventures.

Latnok was up at his usual time, despite the late arrival - the day wouldn't slow for him to get rest right now. Chester wasn't in the room - it was likely that Maverick was taking care of his furry companion. Latnok wasn't too concerned about Chester, imagining that he had a reasonable time in their absence.
Raclaw, however, seemed to be in a bit of a struggle - in his dreams, at least. It reminded Latnok of his own dreams of battles past. The dream seemed to be resolving as Latnok put his armor on, and was just another memory by the time he was ready. He wasn't going to wake Raclaw, trying to leave as quietly as possible so the fur dragon could enjoy the rest.

Ilasi hadn't awoken quite yet, being somewhat tired. Her dreams had been pleasant for the most part - one particularly whimsical dream had Maverick turning into a merman and accompanying her to live back home. Such a thing was a bit infeasible, but was a fun dream nonetheless. Ilasi would need all the rest she could get - plenty of people had to be taken care of soon.

Soon after, Maverick woke up, very glad to see he was the first one up from the two of them. Now he could make a hearty breakfast for Ilasi. He felt like it has been a very long time since he last cooked for her. The cake yesterday wasn't exactly a meal... which reminded him, he never got the chance to give Angora hers. He would get it for her after lunch. For now, it was time to get up and cook something for his girlfriend. In fact, he was in such a good mood, he wanted to cook for everyone again, only this time, Ilasi would be first. As he got up, he noticed Chester awake.
"Hola perrito. Up I see. Want to see if Raclaw and the others are back?" he asked in a low voice as he kneeled to pet him. He and Dahlia behaved so well last night, he felt like they had to be rewarded somehow.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Icestorm had only slept a couple hours as he was still afraid of getting captured again. He then heard Angora come in. “A-Angora? Is that you?”

Angora was about to close the enclosure's door when he heard a voice she knew she has heard before, but couldn't associate it with the body. Was her mind playing tricks again? It wasn't Neo, and she knew for certain it wasn't the orb, so she turned to the source, and almost had a stroke when she saw who it was.
"I... I know you! I... Icestorm?" she asked, starting to wonder if she was still asleep. She hasn't seemed him in such a long time. He was banished from the ship, so how come he was here if it wasn't an illusion?

Angora was still processing things to feel any emotion at the moment. For now, she just wanted answers.
"Why are you here. How are you here? How?" she asked again, still too shocked. The Huardians were quite definite about their decision to banish someone, so how could they accept him again? Were they really more forgiving and merciful than she gave them credit for? Perhaps Sere was, but she didn't believe Latnok could be that way. It had to be Sere. The bigger question was how did he found his way back to the ship if he was abandoned in one of the remote islands of that treacherous archipelago.

Mischief had awoken with a start just as Angora left, but her instincts demanded she groom before getting up. Grooming was extremely important, especially when you have fur. She felt her stomach rumble and slowly stood upright, stretching and yawning, before hurrying to the kitchen. After a good breakfast of mostly fruit, she hurried to try and rediscover Angora's location.
Darkheart's response to Angora was to open one eye and grouchily hide her head under a wing. She was never a morning person, and being settled on the ship (sorta) allowed her to take the time to indulge some mild laziness. She figured she had a right to sleep in just a little.
Then Mischief poked her head in. "M... Miss Angora? Good, found you. It's hard to protect you when I just can't keep track of you..." She wasn't sure if she was annoyed or amused by how bad she was at keeping track of anything except the nearest meal.
Darkheart found the not-so-little vixen intriguing. Powerful, yet so thoroughly attached as to be clingy. She tried to remember what Digi had said on the subject of Zoroark. Something about strong bonds? Yes, along with Illusions... Hm. The Kaiju was less unfamiliar to her, if she remembered he was an early group member. Icestorm, that was his name. Darkheart stretched and sat up. "Ah, Icestorm. I'm certain the Guardians are going to have questions, little one. My advice is to be as polite as you can and pray they don't misunderstand your intentions. Sere seems patient enough, but Latnok is the slay first, questions later sort and can get overzealous about respect... As Angora can testify." She put a positive spin on Latnok's issues. "I wonder... Maybe he's so touchy about respect because he's actually lacking in self confidence and needs to stretch authority to feel like he matters?" She immediately covered her mouth. "Uh, thinking out loud don't mind me. Be polite etcetera."
Mischief growled. "That doesn't work, not for me or Angora. For us he assumed malice is behind our actions. It's what he does. MY advice is not to expect him to be entirely fair or rational in his judgement. I can't say anything about Sere yet..."
Darkheart gave Mischief a nervous look. "C... Calm down... I'm going to try to mediate. I'll need you to be cooperative as much as Latnok. If I can break through to him, he might treat you better."
Mischief turned away silently, not even offering an argument. "Fine, try to mediate. But I need to have a PERSONAL talk with him." She left the room to wait for Angora.
Darkheart noted "Someone's bitter. And I know how that sounds coming from me, but... Just be good Icestorm." The dragoness sighs.

"Sacrificed?" Angora repeated, further proving Banewood's words. These individuals weren't as benevolent as they seem. That test, all those kind words, it has been all but a ploy to capture her too. Why didn't Shepherd do that when she was in his world she didn't know, but whatever their plan was, they have grown more violent to fulfill it. Now she felt more like a fool for believing them. All those promises about a better world and being interested in her happiness, she should've known it was all too good to be true. She was about to say something else when Mischief once again appeared out of nowhere, in Veris' enclosure. It was a good thing he was asleep, and while hers and Darkheart's conversation could wake him, she doubted he would attack just like that. He knew Mischief wasn't an enemy, and Darkheart and Icestorm either if he allowed them to sleep there.

Angora let the two of them have their conversation, which she found very interesting, especially about Latnok. Was Darkheart right? Was Latnok's cruel behavior and exaggerated idea of respect and authority a result of lack of self confidence? It would certainly explain why he was always so mean to her in particular. She was the one chosen to defeat Darkmatter, not him. She triumphed in the Redwater arena after being sentenced for a crime she didn't commit. She defeated that great water deity with nothing but a dagger, and she was lately winning Sere's respect. She has had many achievements, and yesterday's multiple heals were another one. And yet his behavior has gotten worse. Was all the targeted cruelty a result of jealousy and low self esteem? Heaven knows she tried to appeal to him many times, yet he never seemed to give her a chance. What's the worse that she ever did to him? Being rude, sassy and sarcastic? That may be cause for scolding for sure, but not the sadistic punishments he sometimes placed upon her. She could barely wait for him to find out what she did yesterday. What brand new excuse he would have to be mean to her. She would know once she sees him again.

Once Mischief practically stormed off, she addressed to Icestorm, but her thought still on what Darkheart said about Latnok.
"For now, just focus on winning over Ser... the captain. He's... quite reasonable lately. More calm and patient. Avoid Latnok if and when you can. It's the captain you have to appeal to." Angora recommended, understanding Mischief's frustration. Latnok was quite the horrible man, and if he continued behaving that way towards those who were very different and didn't show any of his ideas for respect, he was going to win a lot of enemies.

The conversation around him soon caused Veris to slowly awaken from his sleep, gently picking his head up - and the first thing he noticed was the food near him, which he lunged at, lest it escape or be stolen by some predator.
Once the food was safely put away, he took a look around to identify the others. Icestorm's presence was somewhat unusual, but Veris had no reason to take issue with it; he was, however, wary of Mischief and her new form, watching her with the utmost caution.
The scene would soon be interrupted by Latnok's brusque arrival. Without hesitation, he marched himself over to Icestorm, mostly ignoring the presence of the others.
"Icestorm. Let's get started," Latnok began, wasting no time. "As you were separated from us based on my judgment, the captain has seen fit to have me make the call on whether to take you back. He has his doubts. And that, of course, will depend on how valuable I feel you can be to us. The most pressing matter; are you aware of any plans the Ishulgites may have had before your capture? Because Banewood certainly has his concerns about some of the island population. He's busy talking with the captain now."

Mischief finds herself twitching at Latnok's arrival. She grips her own arms so tightly her claws draw blood. She notices and loosens her grip. "Settle... Settle... Oh that just won't do the trick..." Her eyes search the area for any reason to excuse herself. Finally she lowers her head again, a specific portion of her mane flopping over her left eye as she tries to think of what to say to Latnok. Finally she speaks. "Latnok, sir. If I may speak to you later, I'd appreciate it. I understand things are busy..." Which is a large part of why you're getting this chance to redeem yourself in my eyes... she continued in her thoughts. Did Latnok deserve her loyalty? It was what she told herself to be the reason. But the truth was, a big part of her wanted to punish this man, and wanted any excuse available.
Darkheart watched coldly before wondering something. What exactly did Icestorm do, to result in Latnok kicking him off the Enduring Legacy? I can see Star committing outright murder if he becomes enraged, but I can't grasp what Icestorm could've done, and I don't remember being here for it, so... Was it him carelessly endangering some by accident? Did he break some rule? ... Just fail to appeal to Latnok's somewhat twisted idea of respect?

Angora was disappointed. She was suggesting to avoid Latnok if he could, but he was the one doing the evaluation, so like Icestorm would have to tolerate him. She didn't care about his infernal presence, and while being ignored could be offensive, if it was him, it was fine. He wondered however, if he knew about what she had done yesterday. Perhaps he knew, but was too proud to say a simple thank you? Or maybe he didn't know, or simply didn't care. Angora wasn't going to mention it though. She did her actions to help, not to show off afterwards,mand could care less whether Latnok knew or treated her better. He was a hopeless cause. She still couldn't comprehend why Raclaw choose his friendship over every other possibility. But it didn't matter now. The fur dragon was paying for such decision, he just probably didn't know it yet. For now, right now, all she could do was give a small smile to Icestorm to let him know she wishes him good luck. When she heard Mischief's question, and glared at her, not wanting to do anything stupid.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Maverick was done with Ilasi's breakfast, having left Chester with Dahlia while he cooked. He separated the meats and vegetables he was going to use and put them in a certain part of the refrigerator, so that he could have them ready and accessible for when he cooked for the entire crew. For now, it was time to deliver Ilasi's meal. He opened the door very quietly, leaving the beautifully decorated platter besides her bed. Dahlia and Chester were quiet, and the dirt buffalo could see that the food he brought wasn't for her or Chester. She was hungry, and was certain Chester was too, but they would wait their turn.

Latnok gave Mischief a quick nod and a wave to show he had heard her. "Sure thing," he said, before returning to the matter of Icestorm.
"So it seems the Ishulgites are getting into full swing. Banewood believes that they've gotten as much as they feel they will from their more coaxing, peaceful persuasive methods - at least here on this archipelago. With that, he feels that the population of the archipelago may be at risk - Mercenary Island being the most likely, though Castaway Island may be in danger as well.
"And do you know what this means for us?" Latnok offered a brief moment of pause as if to allow for an answer to the question, but continued before any could be provided. "THat means we have to be ready to act. We need to be ready to meet this enemy, execute a plan, survive, and triumph. And for that, we need every gear in our machine to operate smoothly in conjunction with all of the others. We've already seen the price we pay if one person decides to do their own thing instead of follow orders. Now, leaving you here would mostly defeat the point of us having freed you - but I need to know that you will know your place, and be ready to do what we tell you to when we tell you to do it. One gear seizing up can ruin the whole machine - and my goal is to get as many of us through this alive as I can."

Ilasi was still dreaming rather pleasantly - the light of the sun from the window eventually began to work its magic, however, and slowly the dreams made way for the real world. As she opened her eyes, the first thing she could identify was the dish right besides her, and saw the maker of the dish soon after. "Good morning, Maverick dear," Ilasi said warmly, as she began to sit up in her bed. "Thank you so much for the meal. I always appreciate it." Ilasi decided that she would start with the fruits, the sugars and their sweet taste helping to make her more alert. There would be more people to take care of today, and she had to be ready.

"Que te aproveches Ilasi. I suppose el capitán is back by now. Going to return Chester to his friends and then cook for the crew. They haven't gotten a meal from me for a while, so I want to do it today. Oh right, and give the cake to Angorita. And of course, feed this little lady." Maverick commented sarcastically, petting Dahlia, showing in what a great mood he was, and he knew it was going to get better if he saw Sere and company safely back. He knew these happy feelings would be in between since they had the Ishulgites threat to deal with, but he wanted to do his chores right so that he could finish early and spend more time with Ilasi. He couldn't neglect Angora of course, so he would try to spend some time with the poor dear as well, especially after what she did yesterday. But at least he had the protective Mischief with her, and Veris of course, so he knew that he wouldn't have to worry about Angora being completely alone.

At Veris' pen, Angora said nothing, but was paying close attention to what Latnok and Icestorm were saying to each other. Latnok didn't seem overly rude or angry yet, but she knew one had to cautious around him. He kept ignoring her, yet she didn't care, and to avoid interrupting the two of them, she went to pet Veris, seeing the tray was already empty. When did that happened? She didn't even noticed when he ate. He was quite the magician when it came to food.

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Raclaw, however, seemed to be in a bit of a struggle - in his dreams, at least. It reminded Latnok of his own dreams of battles past. The dream seemed to be resolving as Latnok put his armor on, and was just another memory by the time he was ready. He wasn't going to wake Raclaw, trying to leave as quietly as possible so the fur dragon could enjoy the rest.

The Guardian's attempt would be a successful one-- and Raclaw's slumber would peacefully resume at least for the time being. As the memory passed and his dreams became more peaceful, the setting would shift to a more fantiful one where a even younger Raclaw was running in a field along that of his old caretakers. The scene would shift once again and his caretakers would be replaced by Latnok and Chester. "Forgetting someone?," a voice would say as Darkheart would soon reveal herself from behind his own shadow. "No-- of course not my love. We're together, all of us, forever and always.," a now older and more equipped Raclaw said looking up at the larger dragoness with that same gentle smile he always had. "No matter what.," Latnok then said as the peaceful dream continued. If one would to observe, they would see nothing but a content fur dragon experiencing nothing but happy thoughts.

Meanwhile-- Chester barked a happy bark upon Maverick's mention of his friends. And elsewhere, Risar was already on deck issuing orders related to the usual ship maintenance and the like. They found Darkheart again, they found Icestorm.. a small part of him wondered if this crew and this ship might eventually help him accidently find someone he was looking for. Perhaps somewhere out there was one of his brothers or at least someone who knew of one of his brothers. 'Perhaps.,' the minotaur thought in a brief moment of pause as placed a hand on his shoulder -- the same shoulder. It was almost as if he was remembering someone or something. A battle from some time past or perhaps something more?

Mischief nodded in return, before running her claws through her mane, pulling the stray tuft from her eyes only for it to fall back in her face when she stopped. She finally just decided to let it stay there.
Darkheart stretched some more, carefully so as not to hit the walls or ceiling. Yawning wide, she displayed her razor sharp fangs.

With Chester ready to return, Maverick gave a kiss to his girlfriend and prepared to head off.
"Well, buen provecho Ilasi. I'm going to take Chester back to his friends. You just eat your meal in peace, alright? After Angorita's remarkable healing yesterday, you won't have to do much. Plus there are those three men helping. Random, Opium and Sand Dune... I wonder how they got their names..." Maverick said, though the last sentence was more like a question to himself. He was certain those were nicknames, but why such weird ones? Perhaps he could ask later. For now, he wanted to make sure the others returned safely, also to bring some peace of mind to the beagle,mand himself.
"Ven Chester. You too Dahlia. You're getting oats for breakfast." Maverick commented, ready to reward her for behaving so splendidly yesterday. And once he cooked breakfast for the crew, maybe Chester could get something special too.

Maverick first headed to Dahlia's enclosure, not wanting to risk encountering Raclaw and have her scared, even though he was the least scary for her. He left her an entire platter of oats and promised to come play with her later after he has done much of his work. He let Chester say his goodbyes before heading to Latnok's cabin. He gave some soft knocks first in case they were still sleeping.
"Hola...?" he called in a low voice from the other side, not wanting to disturb anyone's sleep, though he found it unlikely that Latnok was still sleeping. He was an early morning person, although he could still be there if yesterday's mission was exhausting...

The lovable hybrid and the excitable canine would receive no response-- with the gentle fur dragon known as Raclaw seemingly either asleep or absent. And indeed, Raclaw's gentle dreams only continued as the field now turned into a frisbee match with such an object materializing out of thin air.

Maverick didn't want to insist, but he was curious to know if someone has returned from their dangerous expedition yesterday. He pressed his head against the door and could hear some faint snoring, which made him relieved. Sounded like Raclaw perhaps? If he was there, that must've meant that the party returned safely. That eased his mind, but since nobody was answering, he had to continue taking care of Chester.
"Well boy, looks like we'll have to hang around together for a while. Time for some cooking. Try not to take anything, alright?" he asked, heading to the kitchen and beckoning the beagle to follow. He didn't want to leave him alone roaming around the ship, some might as well have him follow him so that she wouldn't lose sight of him.

At the wyvern's pen, Angora was examining Veris' wounds. They have healed incredibly fast. She didn't know if Sere gave him any treatment, but if he didn't, that meant his skin had remarkable regeneration properties. She was feeling very well, and probably could use her healing powers again, but Veris seemed to be doing fine on his own, not to mention that if she tried to use her powers, Latnok could misinterpret her attempts as her trying to show off and get him to pay attention to her, so she was going to let Veris heal naturally.

Chester happily followed-- briefly licking his own chops at the possibility of taste testing, as Latnok had once done with him. Meanwhile in dream land, Raclaw's frisbee match had suddenly taken to the sky and suddenly Icestorm was there. "There it is!.," Latnok's voice could be heard although the Guardian's presence wasn't otherwise evident, aside from.. extra weight on his back? And then there was this extra feeling of.. comfort? As Raclaw dreamt, his physical body became more active perhaps suggesting he would soon wake up...

Maverick went to the kitchen and prepared enough food for the crew, unable to help slipping some to Chester.
"Don't stuff yourself boy. You'll get your own breakfast." Maverick instructed, knowing Chester would be full before the real breakfast if he kept begging for more. As he waited for the meals to cook, he remembered Mischief had Ilasi's magic book. They couldn't forget asking for it since he knew Ilasi could still learn a lot from that book. He also remembered about Angora's cake, but wasn't going to put it in the cart in case one of the sailors stole it. He would give it to her personally later.

Angora smiled, glad to see Icestorm so willing to offer allegiance. However, his behavior was still something that remained to be seen. Latnok was being calm so far, but she still wondered how long would that last. She continued letting them mind their own business, actually very glad to have Icestorm on board again. That trip to the island wasn't a waste. They rescued Icestorm from the clutches of those freaks, but there were still many answers she seeked, and since Icestorm had full contact with the Ishulgites, he could tell her more...

Mischief rummaged in her bag and once again was reminded of the magic book she borrowed. Murmuring a minor incantation, she levitated it above her paw before letting it fall into her grip, her staff's gemstone gleaming as she focused her magic and fading when the spell was released. "I seem to have better control, that's good... I needed to improve in that aspect, even the most basic spells would burn through my Mana stores... I need to go return this." She gripped the book very gently with both paws and hurried off to find Maverick. Mischief had needed an excuse to leave for a bit, and between Angora having Veris for protection and needing to return the book, she'd gotten one. Remembering Maverick to be a cook, a delightfully skilled one, Mischief decided to visit the kitchen, reasoning that if he wasn't there she could grab a snack before finding him. "Hello? Mister Maverick? I, uh, I finished with the book. Would you return it? When you're ready, I mean..." Her tone was as shy as ever, even though her voice had changed a bit with evolution. "And... Um... What's for breakfast, and when will it be done?" She licked her chops, already anticipating the meal, and trying not to drool.
Darkheart couldn't help but smirk slightly at Icestorm's enthusiasm. Hopefully that wouldn't land him in hot water again.

Maverick smiled upon her arrival.
"Oh, finished already? That was fast." he commented, instructing her to hold the book until they returned to Ilasi's cabin where his trusted hyperspace bag was.
"Breakfast? It's a sorpresa. You just pick what you like." he said, always having different platters. Now that Mischief was there, he could finally said something he has been wanting to say for a while;
"Gracias for taking such great care of Angorita. Mi pobre little troll has suffered so much. She could barely make any friends until recently." Maverick explained, feeling very happy. Who needed Latnok's approval when you had so many protective friends, and likely a lot of admiration since yesterday?

"Take care, dear!" Ilasi said as Maverick left her to enjoy her meal. There was nothing quite like her boyfriend's food to prepare her for the day ahead. Most of the work she would do today would probably involve sorting out who was ready to return to duty. Maverick was right - with much of the work Angora had done, there wouldn't be too much in the way of further caretaking.

Latnok gave a slight nod and a grunt. "We'll have you back for now," he decided. "Don't give me a reason to regret this. I need to be confident in everyone at my side to be able to do what they're told when it counts. I will do what I can to make sure as many of you come home as possible. Do your part, and that'll make that goal much easier "

Mischief nodded and placed the book in her bag at the top, readjusting the strap of her bag after. She sniffed the air. Maverick's gratitude actually caught her off guard. "Hm? Oh, uh... Well, she's part of my pack. I need to protect her... You're a member of my pack, and so's Shade. Ilasi, I suppose... I don't know her beyond the book though." If Mischief still had a tail she'd be wagging it happily. "The few friends I have mean everything to me. I'd never let them come to harm..." She brushed the "bangs" of wayward fur from her mane out of her face briefly to no real effect, and rested a paw on her bag. A moment later she adjusted the strap again. "I need to replace my clothes sometime, and get a longer strap for my bag if not a new bag altogether... I'm like twice as tall now..." She licked her chops again, already feeling hungry again. Then again, when was she NOT hungry?