darkSpyro

Angora wiped her nose and got up so that Sere wouldn’t see her in such unfavorable condition, though she was still slumping. She looked like a kicked child who needed a hug badly. Knowing why Sere was talking to her telepathically, she proceeded to talk the same way.
“I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for Veris to love me this much. Please don’t scold him. It’s all my fault! I... should’ve known that befriending him would cause him pain... just like the rest. I can’t leave yet! I don’t want to hurt him. If only he hated me like the rest! I should’ve been like the other caretakers and just bring him food and water from the distance.” Angora communicated while hiding most of her face with one hand, most of the telepathy’s audio being distorted with her emotional distress getting in the way of the power. She really regretted bonding with Veris so much. She looked at the wyvern with her mostly hidden eyes, paining her to see him like this. He went from almost slaughtering one of his own with raw strength to a nervous wreck in a matter of seconds, no doubts afraid of his master’s potential reaction.

At the Raging Serpent, Huntress was dismissed from her turn at the crow’s nest for the time being, the temperatures lowering down in this area and a minotaur being better suited to stand the cold from up there. In one of her shifts, she thought she saw a wyvern, but that was impossible, wasn’t it? Unless there were islands nearby and it was a different species? The possibility was fascinating, given that she still dreamt of slaying a dragon. King Seraos wanted that stupid Scourge of Redwater alive for the time being, so she was denied the chance to kill him, which was one of the reasons she chose this trip, asides spying on Maverick. Perhaps there were dragons out there still yet to be discovered, and waiting to be slayed.

Below the mighty ship, there were sirens swimming in the deep, trying to create a current that would take the ship off course so that Myth Island couldn’t be discovered. They were becoming dangerously close. The island wasn’t visible from that spot, but the volcano possibly was, and one wrong position of the mist around could give it away. They had to change the course of the ship slowly so that the crew wouldn’t notice they were being detoured...

In the passing days, Leoquin spent most of his time navigating, training, and in his room, updating his personal maps as the voyage continued. Risar's vessel, the Raging Serpent, had a handful of navigators - a few more than the Enduring Legacy, likely on account of a combination of factors - between the crew being long-term, and Risar generally proving fair to work for, such talent was both appreciated and easier to keep.
Huntress was not someone Leoquin worried about too much. He knew Raclaw, Latnok, and Icestorm felt uneasy about them, but he did not have the same basis they did, and besides some difficulty adapting, Huntress didn't seem to be a significant problem, and was eager to prove herself. He would, in fact, be open to teaching her if she was willing to learn, but she came off as quite standoffish, and Leoquin didn't feel it was worth the effort to try to approach her unless she was proving a liability not worth her pay and rations.

While Huntress tried to keep herself busy, the truth was that the minotaurs had much of the ship’s tasks covered, so there wasn’t much she could do except the crow’s nest and perhaps some cleaning, even though she despised it. She watched Maverick and his insufferable kindness, and she could only scowl and scoff at the display. She did admit he was probably nowhere near as evil as his father, especially if he managed to have the patience to have and care for a family but was convinced he had an evil bone in his body that hasn’t been triggered yet. Surely someone with a father like that had to inherit something from him. Still, there was not much she could do from her position, especially with that stupid Guardian watching her so often. Despite her bitterness, the only ones she treated with some kindness were Leoquin and the young minotaur who gave her the medicine for the seasickness. She admired merfolks, so she greeted Leoquin with a small hand wave every time she saw him, but he often had a frown upon him or looked deep in thought, so she failed to see his willingness to spend some time with her, thus never talked or approached him openly. She didn’t realize that her own attitude was likely very off-putting as well.

When she wasn’t working in the crow’s nest or locked in her cabin, she would spar with the minotaur on occasion, which she somewhat befriended. Another one she didn’t entirely disrespected was Raclaw, whom she found an interesting creature but too much of a wimp to be considered a real dragon. Chester looked like a nice pup too, but the beagle seemed confused by her. While she wouldn’t have minded petting it, the fact that he and Raclaw were owned by Latnok prevented her from trying anything. It was still a mystery to her how such a jerk could own such special animals.

At that moment, Huntress was in one of the sparring lessons with the minotaur, which was often done in his cabin, but today they were doing it at the main deck, away from most of the movements so they wouldn’t get in anybody’s way. While this part wasn’t crowded, it wasn’t entirely invisible, so she could show off her skills to those interested enough to watch them spar.

Veris' anxiety was very apparent and expected, and Sere understood Angora's concerns regarding the matter. "Do not worry," he assured her. "this is not a common matter... Veris' actions, as vicious as they were, are not inexplicable. I'll have to designate more time to personally see to Veris. We'll do what we can for the other wyvern - Cymbal, he is called."
As Veris waited nervously - almost as if he was trying to hide himself, except he knew such a thing was futile - Sere considered the immediate steps to take in the aftermath. "Even if you are willing to keep working, I would say that you should at least take the rest of the day off. This has certainly been a great ordeal for you. As for the future... at the very least, I do not think wyvern attacks will be as common as they were before..."
Sere struggled to think of how Angora and Veris would cope following the events of the day. It pained him to be so out-of-touch when it mattered the most.

As Seraos prepared to meet the envoy, he thought of the satyr, and Lyon's betrayal. Such things served as frequent reminders that, no matter how hard he tried to be a good ruler, his position meant that his life would always be hanging by a thread. All it would take was one sudden slip, and the sword would drop, and that would be the end of him - and it could be hard to tell what exactly that slip could be.
At the very least, he hoped that the message his soldiers had discovered was legitimate. It was, after all, not something discovered by the Royal Guard. The envoy would be brought through heavy security, naturally, in a secluded area - all these seemingly paranoid measures, but he didn't have the luxury of being careless.

From the Raging Serpent, far on the horizon, an island would become apparent from the crow's nest. It did not match any of the map illustrations, of either common maps or the more up-to-date cartography of Leoquin and others. As such, it would appear to be undocumented; yet, if one were to use a telescope, one would be able to detect the faintest signs of smoke in the distance. Smoke meant fire - and fire, in such a humid environment, almost certainly meant people.

Angora smiled at Sere, one of the few, genuine smiles she has ever given him. She was even close to hugging him, but resisted, doubting he was the affectionate type. Approaching Veris to calm him down, she talked through no telepathy this time.
“I’ve made my decision sir. I’m not taking that job. I don’t want Veris to feel lonely and abandoned. I wanted a change of pace... but... that wasn’t the most important reason. This scientist said he could help my kind be seen with better eyes. I can’t say I trust him, but I really want to believe he means it. That he can help. Nevertheless, even if his intentions are genuine, it’s... well, it’s stupid to think there could ever be a change. Most of my kind is too evil. Too few of us are good... and mostly killed off. My own parents would’ve killed me if it wasn’t for my brother. Still, I wanted to believe things could be better, but at the end of the day, it’s just a hopeless illusion. Thinking like this is what made those stupid Ishulgites be able to manipulate me so easily... but no more. Taking care of Veris is the only thing I ever seem to get right, so I’m not going to mess it up.” Angora explained, genuinely believing she was destined to be nothing more than a wyvern caretaker for the rest of her life. Regardless of Draikon’s intentions, her departure was going to affect Veris too much. She hasn’t even left yet and he was already depressed. But he just saved her life, which meant he didn’t hate her despite everything. The least she could do was make him happy by rejecting the new job and stay with him, promising she would defend herself better from future attacks like in the past.

Somewhere in Aelinon, the centaur was taking a small rest. Despite his sturdiness, the journey was long. Running on an island was far easier than on a continent. The merfolks escorting him allowed him the break, offering him to be taken by the wyvern’s talons, but he refused. Not only was he a little too proud to allow such humiliating way of transport, but one or two wyverns carrying him might delay the journey a little bit more than if he was running. When he asked about the satyr girl and was informed about her arrest and reasons to be imprisoned, he wasn’t pleased. Just what the heck is wrong with these people? Even if Danya did hurt somebody with those strong legs, there was NO WAY it was on purpose. It was preposterous! Still, Sergeant Farlo didn’t threaten anybody, nor he raised his hand. The only thing he did was raise his voice a bit, but took little time for him to calm down. By knowing the information instead of being surprised with it by the king himself, he could take matters in a serene demeanor and make a deal to have their beloved satyr home safe.

The island didn't go unnoticed by Maverick, or at least not the smoke coming from it. Huntress was still in her sparring lesson, so she didn’t notice. Chester was the nearest, so Maverick talked to him.
“Look boy. Do you think it’s from an island? I really miss dirt around my feet.” he commented, quite tired of being on that ship. Island food would also be welcomed. He was hoping they could find Alya’s island as well. The girl must be a beautiful young lady by now, and her father’s goat milk was truly out of this world. If only he could see the people again. They treated everyone so well back then, even Angora.

Chester immediately followed Maverick's gaze, identifying the smoke.. and its potential source. The Beagle barked in both excitement and curiosity, eager to set (and run) his paws on solid ground again. Such a stop also potentially meant flight time; he wasn't the only 'canine' with needs. And Raclaw more often flew together with someone rather than alone. That had proved to be true even before the saddle and he certainly wasn't complaining about it.

Raclaw, whom was nearby with Latnok, could sense a sudden feeling of *something new* as eyes began to glaze onto their new potential immediate destination. "Captain! I see an island-- it's.. it's not on our sea charts!," one the Minotaurs with a better grasp on the tong shouted in excitement. "Eye! Change course immiately!," Risar ordered in response stepping foot onto the main deck along the others. "I suspect some of our more quadrupedal guests may appreciate the change in scenery. The Minotaur captain glanced at Raclaw, whose wings were twitching slightly not unlike a certain dog's tail.

The young Minotaur fighting Huntress offered a smile as the news spread fast. "Well-- that didn't take long, missy.," he said with a small chuckle. He had rather enjoyed the newcomer's presence, and the fact that he had someone new to spar with.

---

Meanwhile--Quote:

Sozen was taking a nap when the egg started to move and hum. He looked around for a moment as he awoke. “Huh? Is someone there?” He then looked down on the egg he was protecting and saw it move ever so slightly. “Oh you are alive. And a wriggler.” He chuckled as he brought some warm bedding around it to keep it secure. “Don’t worry you don’t one I’ll protect you.”

Sozen would soon feel another 'vibe' or feeling that something was responding to him. The egg didn't seem capable of much more at the moment...

As much as Sere appreciated the decision, he had significant compunctions about accepting the offer. It seemed highly unethical - and though ethics haven't necessarily stopped the Guardians before, one thing Sere would not have is unreasonable treatment of his men or those who worked for him. Angora verbalizing her intent, however, put things in a precarious spot. He would maintain the use of telepathy until he could figure things out.
"Though I, and undoubtedly Veris, would appreciate such a thing, I'm afraid I cannot allow it. You are your own person; you should not be compelled to stay here as a result of my failure to plan appropriately," Sere insisted. "There is no room for me to negotiate on that. This is not your burden to bear - and I cannot foster an environment where it is acceptable to use one's own failures to exploit their subordinates."
Though Veris wanted desperately to believe Angora's words, he hesitated to accept them - not because of the concerns Sere noted, however, but because he feared that Angora was just saying such a thing in an effort to make him feel better at that particular moment. After the horrible thing he'd done, he didn't expect to even see Angora at all past today. He only withdrew himself further, covering himself with his wings.

Latnok was curious what the new development was, given that there was no indication of anything along the lines of what they were looking for. The place was too far from Falcon's Beak to be a rallying point for escapees. The smoke coming from the island suggested at least one sapient race of bipeds, but beyond that, Latnok wasn't sure. The lack of documentation on maps probably meant that it was a rather backwater place.
"Well, let's make sure that we're not immediately pointing all of our weapons at them when we make first contact, shall we?" he suggested as the island gradually grew with their approach. It would become apparent that there was some step, rocky terrain in the center of the island, leading up to a small peak, with most of the lower island being covered in beaches. Some groups of what appeared to be shelters could be seen in the distance - judging from what he could immediately tell, Latnok's best guess was some kind of clay material.
It didn't take Leoquin long at all to get the news before he had one of his personal maps out. He immediately noted the location of the island, based on the navigation data. He would perhaps get more of a chance to ascertain details, such as its shape and the terrain, once they landed.

Angora was at a loss on what to do. Was Sere dismissing her just for today? Or was he considering letting her go as soon as this day despite her contract indicating she still had a little over a month left? She didn’t want to ask. Whatever the case, she knew the Guardian leader had much work to do right now. It was nice, and even awesome of Sere to consider her decisions and well being. It was a far cry from the person that wanted to execute her some years ago due to her misled affiliation with the Ishulgites, and Guardians in general, who weren’t the most moral bunch.
“Ok... I’ll... be in my room if you need me.” Angora stated telepathically, working better now that she was calmer. She knew Sere was not going to allow her to work right now after what happened, and while rest was rather welcomed, she was worried about Veris.

Before she headed to her room, she approached the withdrawn wyvern. She wanted to touch his snout, but could only touch his wings since he was using them to hide his face.
“Veris... I’m sorry I couldn’t defend myself. And... sorry you felt the need to protect me. You deserve better than this. Better... than me. I didn’t want you to do it, but... thank you.” Angora said to him, knowing that he did save her life, so a simple thank you was not out of place. Even though Veris kept the silent treatment with her, the fact that he saved her meant he still loved her despite the emotional distress she caused him. She got ready to head to her room, hoping Sere would go easy on the poor dragon.

While the intention wasn’t for the Raging Serpent to spot an island, it wasn’t theirs, or at least it wasn’t on their line of sight. There were other islands near Myth Island, and while some of their people have been on them looking for their children Danya and Enton, the boy’s return meant the search was over. The intention was to detour the ship to the open sea, but spotting an island meant they would want to head there, so if the sirens continued to detour the ship, the crew would know something was amiss, which could put them and the island itself in danger, so they had to stop and let the ship run it’s course. From his spot, Maverick spotted one of the sirens, or at least the silhouette. A merfolk? Here? Well, maybe it wasn’t that strange. Some islands were inhabited after all. Maybe the island they were heading to had merpeople.
“Did you see that Chester? Perhaps that island has merpeople too.” he said happily to the beagle, looking forward to see what the island had in store. He focused on the approaching land, trying to get a better look with his own telescope...

As Angora was leaving, Sere could only think of how badly he had failed her and Veris. "Get some rest. I'll see you for your next shift, then... if you choose to report for it," he telepathed to her as she left. With Angora leaving, he had to speak with Veris. He approached his wyvern, Veris being afraid to even look at his master.
"Veris. I'm sorry that I... I've failed to prevent this," Sere said earnestly to the fearful, guilty Veris. "What happened here was terrible... but this is not your fault. Please, Veris... we will treat Cymbal as best we can,' he continued, referring to the other wyvern. "Let's head back to your pen... I'll patch up your wounds, and then you should get some rest. I'll come back to see you throughout the day."
Veris, though highly tense, was at least slightly more releaxed after Sere's words. He pulled back his wings to turn back to his pen, complying with Sere's instructions as ordered.

Angora returned to her room quietly. She wanted to suggest helping Cymbal heal with her powers if he was properly restrained, but knew Sere wouldn’t allow it, so she didn’t bother with the question. Once she reached her destination, she began thrashing everything in fury and despair. One of the caretakers nearby heard the commotion and could tell it was coming from Angora’s room. He was already aware of what has happened. Perhaps she was venting? Or was simply the troll being... well, a troll? The commotion didn’t go pass her bedroom, so he didn’t find it necessary to report it. Once she had cooled off, Angora started cleaning up.
“What now Neo? Tell me, what THE HECK am I suppose to do now? What’s the correct option? If I leave, Veris will be devastated, but if I stay, I’ll eventually get eaten by one of those stupid beasts! A plague for many humans, and food for... almost everything else! Why did that idiot had to bond with me so much?” Angora asked, though she knew they were both at a fault there, though mostly hers for pursuing a friendship with the peace offering that one time.

“What can I do to make him hate me a little bit? Just a little so that he won’t be as devastated when I leave? This is all just so... so stupid! I should’ve known a troll making friends was a stupid idea. Maverick got in trouble with his father so many times because of me, not to mention kidnapped a few times too! That idiot Shade got in prison because even though he still couldn’t control his powers, he took the risk of asking Aelinon of all places for help when I was injured. He did it FOR ME! They all got in trouble because of ME! And now Veris! All feel this urge to help and protect me, and it always get them in trouble. It’s all my fault! Plus I almost sold the world and my own dignity to those imbecile Ishulgites cause I... a troll, wanted to be happy again! I ate up all their lies easily. If just... none of them liked me so much. It was such a bad idea. Bad idea to be friends with me!” Angora vented, usually not expecting Neo to reply, but this time, she needed to hear him, and something useful for once. She was so mad that not even a single tear came this time. In other circumstances it would’ve happened, but this time, her eyes felt dry.

Things were tense for Dahlia. Wyverns flew quite far in the sky but near enough for her to detect them. She has been a nervous buffalo for the past weeks. The military presence was a bit stronger than usual in those days. Not only were they looking for a shapeshifter, but they had to make sure Sergeant Farlo, whose presence was already alerted by most, truly came alone. The last thing they needed was an army of creatures that they barely knew about and cause trouble to their nation. A little girl alone was enough to subdue them with an unknown (lost) magic, an army of them was sure to cause trouble if they had ill intentions.

Angora didn’t even know how to answer. Neo was often ambiguous in his advices, though he was being more direct this time.
“Still, what’s the point? It doesn’t change the fact that they’ve all gotten in trouble because of me. Time itself is against me. I mean, so much time has passed since I let Veris use my shield, and that one day it’s used, that wyvern attacks me...” Angora stated, though she wondered if Veris would’ve still attacked even if she had been able to defend herself like the other two. While she wanted to believe the wyverns would think twice about attacking her now that they’ve seen how violently defensive Veris could be with her.

It was soon afterwards that she had an idea, and knew it wasn’t the best.
“Cymbal... what a funny name for such a violent creature. What if I tried healing him? With Sere’s permission of course. I don’t want to get into trouble. Maybe if he sees I don’t hold grudges and that I’m healing him despite attacking me... although never mind. Sere will never agree to that.” she then said, resisting of the idea. It would be nice if Veris wasn’t the only wyvern she was friends with, but she was wishing for too much. She has been working there for years and none of them even tried to talk to her... if they could. All she wished for right now was for the situation to calm down and for Veris to talk to her again.

As she continued cleaning the room, Angora muttered a bit before replying after a sigh.
“Well, I just wish they weren’t so overprotective. Veris might’ve gotten away easily, but Shady didn’t. And, you know, Veris won’t even talk to me anymore. I know he just saved me, but I think this will stay with him for a while. Plus I probably gave him too much hope when I said I won’t be taking that job. Should’ve kept the messages through telepathy.” Angora stated, realizing that was likely a mistake.

Once she finished with her room, it was time to look for Sere.
“Anyway, it just had to be dragons. First Shade, then Veris. A wyvern. One of my kind’s natural predators. And now I’m about to offer myself to heal the one who nearly cut my life short. I must be out of my mind. I know Sere won’t accept it, but half the battle is trying. I’m certain this Cymbal beast won’t be grateful for my help if Sere does say yes, but still, it will probably give him something to think... if he has half a brain in that head.” the little troll said as she went to find Sere, believing he would still be with Veris after such ordeal. She knew Cymbal was already being treated, and the Guardians were more than prepared for events like this. Still, her healing could probably help speed up the process, the priority being the unfortunate creature’s wings. A wyvern that couldn’t fly was probably mostly useless for the Guardians.

Quote:

Sozen nuzzled the little egg gently. “I wonder what you are?”

The egg remained quiet-- at least for the time being. Eggs, unfortunately, were a tad too varied to get a specific match on egg alone. The Guardians had come up with possibilities of course, but many unique and lessor species had little recorded details in regards to their eggs. The same possibilities remains; it could be a dragon or it could be something else entirely. For all the work that had been put into Raclaw, for instance, no-one knew yet what the possible egg of a Fur Dragon would look like. Or a gryphon or a phoenix for that matter. If they still existed...

---

Quote:

While the intention wasn’t for the Raging Serpent to spot an island, it wasn’t theirs, or at least it wasn’t on their line of sight. There were other islands near Myth Island, and while some of their people have been on them looking for their children Danya and Enton, the boy’s return meant the search was over. The intention was to detour the ship to the open sea, but spotting an island meant they would want to head there, so if the sirens continued to detour the ship, the crew would know something was amiss, which could put them and the island itself in danger, so they had to stop and let the ship run it’s course. From his spot, Maverick spotted one of the sirens, or at least the silhouette. A merfolk? Here? Well, maybe it wasn’t that strange. Some islands were inhabited after all. Maybe the island they were heading to had merpeople.
“Did you see that Chester? Perhaps that island has merpeople too.” he said happily to the beagle, looking forward to see what the island had in store. He focused on the approaching land, trying to get a better look with his own telescope...

Chester gave a curious bark as he looked at what Maverick was looking at. Raclaw for his part could sense *something* although that something wasn't immediately clear. The sea, by its very nature, contained many forms of life and telling one from another was easier said than done without some effort. He had a good 'record' on a land creatures, but less so on the 100th type of fish and whatever else may lie beneath the surface. As the ship approached, the crew would prepare for a 'landing' finding an ideal place from which to stabilize and depart. Such a ship (being a trading vassal sans modifications) would have the proper equipment to park just about anywhere within reason.

Risar and Raclaw nodded at Latnok's suggestion not to immediately go to arms-- no reason to assume they were pirates lest' they give reason to cause harm. And if such a fight were to occur, well it would be good practice and the ship of Minotaurs would at least have a head start. Minotaurs and dragons; a fearsome combination even if some people on board didn't consider him even to be dragon. And here was hoping that no-one innocent immediately considered them to be pirates themselves; a ship of Minotaurs would certainly make a good pirate crew.

As the ship approached, the inhabitants of the island became more apparent, as soon people thronged the nearby beach. they appeared to be humans - and though their ages varied, their actual appearances seemed more homogeneous, suggesting isolation. Their clothes were all made of plant fibers - as best as Latnok could identify, at least.
As the ship set anchor and prepared to lower the gangplank, and the smell of the fish the people were cooking became apparent on deck, several of the men, bigger than the others and with large, metallic rods, organized the crowd, forcing them to keep enough space to allow the ship to land and its crew to disembark. Even from the ship, the commotion caused by the entire crowd could be heard - the ship, more than just something unusual, was mysterious. A faint cry to "get back to work" could be made out over the cacophony - it seemed the people spoke the common language, though they didn't seem to strictly heed the order. Once the gangplank was set, some of the bigger men, and one more middle-aged man in particular, would be waiting by the foot of it for introductions.

In the meantime, Sere remained with Veris, having been busy attending to the wyvern's own wounds and trying to help his mood. Veris seemed more calm - though that was definitely only relative to how he was before, and he still had significant compunctions about his own actions.

While Neo was making sense, it still annoyed Angora how some dragons of all creatures were so friends with her. Latnok, who was a mighty warrior, had a mostly harmless, fluffy dragon and a cute little doggie as companions, while she had overprotective, violent predators. How stupidly ironic was that?
“Well if Sere says no, that view will have to wait.” Angora replied as she headed to Veris’ enclosure, correctly guessing Sere would still be there with his mount. After what happened, it was only natural to assume Veris would need consolation for a while, and who better than his master?

Knowing the wyvern would snap if he heard what she was about to suggest, she communicate with her boss through telepathy.
“Sir? I know you want me to take the day off, but... what if I can help heal this Cymbal wyvern? Given that he’s properly restrained of course. I know Guardians have both magic and medicine for that, but perhaps some Orion magic can help the healing go faster. Since it’s kinda my fault what happened, I don’t want him suffering for it.” Angora asked, not expecting Sere to agree, but it would make her feel better that she at least attempted to help. Although even if he did say yes, she didn’t have too much high hopes of the beast being grateful for her help. Maybe surprised, but not grateful.

Arriving at their new destination, Maverick waved to the islanders, with his goofy smile that made him look stupid yet adorable. His hairy arms were the only indication that he perhaps wasn’t entirely human. The smell of fish attracted him. Even if he didn’t eat red meat, fish was a welcoming diet, though not too often. Minotaurs ate mostly red meat to keep their muscular bodies working, so it was hard to get a decent meal on that ship. There was fish, but not too much of it. He mostly ate whatever fruits and vegetables he could find, and catch his own fish. This island however, looked promising, and the inhabitants didn’t seem hostile so far, so that was a good sign.

Sere, diligently focused on Veris, was amazed that Angora would even suggest such a thing. "that would not be wise," he responded, flat-out rejecting the offer. "The other wyverns are very wary of you right now, if not terrified. The last thing we need is to have Cymbal panic in his injured state instead of staying still so he can heal properly. Please... we will take care of him. Do not worry."
Indeed, as Angora came in, many of the wyverns seemed to try to ignore her, or give her a wide berth. Such a graphic show of force would be something easy for even them to comprehend.

Past the immediately apparent humans on the island, was something else that perhaps one like Raclaw could possibly identify - a dragon? Whatever it was, it was large, and despite not being present in the area at the very moment, its presence in the thoughts of the islanders was unmistakable. Latnok, trough his connection with Raclaw, was immediately wary of this presence - yet he would wait until he had a good chance to speak with the islanders to come to any conclusion.

Sere responded just the way Angora predicted. While she genuinely wanted to help, she was relieved he rejected the offer. She had not been looking forward to see the wyvern that almost murdered her just moments ago. She nodded after her boss’ response.
“See you later Veris. Get well soon.” she said with her voice, giving the big guy a small touch to his wing and proceeding to leave since she doubted he was in the mood to see or talk to her. She didn’t notice the other wyverns until later. None were even attempting to lunge at her. Was it because of Sere’s presence or Veris’ violent display earlier? They look far too different now, almost... afraid? While she glad none were trying to attack her, she didn’t want them to be fearful either. She has never seen Veris being especially close to either of them, but she didn’t want him to hate his companions after today’s events. It was rather ridiculous how overprotective he was to someone he should be considering prey. Angora was grateful for his friendship, but loathed the idea on how much damage she could be doing to him, especially his relationship with his own kind and maybe even his master.

At the ship, Maverick picked up Chester so he could have a better look. Shortly afterwards, he felt a chill down his spin "Uy. What's that all about?” he exclaimed, feeling a bit nervous for a moment and wondering why. After his experience with the tonguean, Maverick didn’t want a place filled with large, dangerous predators, so he assumed the sudden chill was due to him being fearful of a potential meat eater somewhere around. Although the fact that this island was inhabited meant that the predators were few, or at least manageable.

Raclaw idn't fail to notice what his counterparts did-- although he didn't immediately gave a response. Some slight shock, some slight awe, and some patience were currently on the menu for the moment.

Risar, in response to the crew's obvious anticipation, issued his orders. "Latnok, Raclaw, Chester, and Maverick-- this is your voyage as much as it is mine, so you may step forward with me. Everyone else, hang back for now.," the Minotaur captain said with a loud "Aye Captain!," being heard in response. He chose who he chose for a couple reasons besides being his guests; Raclaw was great at sensing motive/judge of character and the furred group was much less threatening than his usual choice for first encounters. No reason to immediately seem over threatening if there was no call for it.

Maverick heard the order, but didn't immediately heard his name only after Chester responded to his.
"Oh. Si capitán." he responded, wondering why he would ask them to help when he had his trusty minotaurs, but assumed it was Risar's way to have his non-minotaur crew participate and feel special.

As Angora departed, she was hoping Veris would've acknowledged her somehow. She wouldn't have minded a lick or even an affecionate headbutt, but knew the event was still fresh, so she couldn't ask for much. While the rest will be welcomed, it was still very early, so it was likely going to be a very boring rest of the day without her job occupying her time and mind.

Latnok came down with the rest of the vanguard, crossing the gangplank to the men eagerly waiting in anticipation. Some of the other men with big rods were more forcefully demanding the people of the island get back to their work, and most of the crowd began dispersing.
Upon setting foot on the beach, the reception gave the group a quick look-over. Latnok made sure to have his weapons put away - in the event of an emergency, he always had his magic. "Greetings," one of the men said to the newcomers. "Do you understand me?"
"Yes, we can understand you," Latnok answered. "Seems language won't be an issue." The accent the man spoke in was different than anything common on Galadar, but still understandable. Latnok's closest approximation was something derived from East Aelinon, the region including Redwater and Tal Rogas. "What is this place?"
"What is this place? Why, this is New Shiavara!" a different man said proudly. "It is a sanctuary where, even as the rest of the world collapses, we will always be safe, guided and protected by the Queen! I take it you are refugees from the horrors of what the world outside has degenerated to?"
Latnok immediately recalled where he had heard the name "Shiavara" before. A large black dragon that Sere, with his fellow Guardians, had slain around a century ago in a bloody engagement. "This 'Queen' of yours. Who is she?" he asked.
"She is a mighty dragon by the name of Kesivara," the man answered. "She has named this island after her sister, Shiavara, whom, to our knowledge, remains on the continent of Galadar."
"Pardon me..." the older man - smaller in stature, without a rod - interrupted. "I think there is much I need to discuss and ascertain with our new arrivals. Please... they undoubtedly need to be informed of our history, and we must make sure to correct any potential misinformation from the outside world before they propagate it. Besides, if they have anything they want us to see in writing, I will be able to read it."
The other men looked at each other reluctantly - not out of doubt, but rather, uncertainty at the peculiarity of their situation. "Very well - we will let the Queen know of our new arrivals," one of the bigger men said. "Let us know how everything turns out." With that, the other men left, leaving only the older, (relatively) smaller man.

Maverick was excited... and a bit afraid of the idea of a dragon there. Shade was such a kind soul to him and Angora, but he knew that didn’t mean all of them were. Maybe it was friendly and small like Raclaw? Well whatever the reason, it couldn’t be such a bad dragon if the people here considered her a queen, could she? Shiavara... he didn’t know if he has heard that name before, but it was a pretty name. Kesivara too.
“You think we’ll meet her? Think she’ll accept us?” Maverick asked Icestorm now that he made conversation. The fact that not even Orion himself have heard about this place wondered if they should be worried.

At Myth island, reports about the ship came by, and it managed to calm the creatures... for the time being.
“Better that island than this one. Still, please keep an eye on them. They can’t know we’re here. Count the humans so we’ll know what we’re dealing with.” the nymph said to the siren leader, but she hesitated.
“Yes, well, about that, we watched the ship, and we only managed to count two humans. There was also this... griffin thing and a dog. And some sort of red bat. The rest... were minotaurs.” the siren leader said, bringing everyone to a halt. Minotaurs? They were considered mythical creatures just like them, but unlike them, they were still living among humans, or at least that was their last knowledge about them. Seems like it was still true. A minotaur crew with a couple of humans? Just who were they? It was enough for even the sirens to want to keep a close eye on them, but they didn’t want to approach the other island. They didn’t know what was out there, but they could sense that the humans weren’t the only ones there. When someone went looking for Enton and Danya there, the siren were forced to bring them back as soon as they returned to the water after sensing something that terrified them.

Maverick agreed, knowing it wouldn’t be smart... or polite to disturb someone, especially a dragon, in their own home. He only hoped Latnok would be on his best behavior as well. He might be friends with a smaller dragon, but bigger ones were another story, and knew Guardians have slain some. As he looked around, he wondered why did the people here worked so much to the point they weren’t even allowed a moment to greet them properly.

Already with a cleaned room and knowing she couldn’t be in the wyvern enclosures for a while, Angora was getting very bored. And too much boredom made a troll hungry. Tired of being locked in there, she went to the cafeteria to get a bite to eat, wishing someone could just talk to her. It was then that she finally had an idea.
“I know. Julian! I haven’t talked to him for a while!” she said in her mind, though not specifically addressing to Neo. Between her job and Julian’s, she barely ever had the chance to talk to him. He was the only Guardian she genuinely liked. Sere was becoming very pleasant as well, though she still didn’t know if he truly has grown fond of her or if he was simply being a good boss.

Once the others left, the older man resumed addressing the travelers. "Now, you must all be quite curious what it is you've stumbled upon here," he said, before taking a very quick look around. "Would you mind taking me on board your ship? We'll probably need to sit down for this conversation."
Latnok didn't have any objections. If anything, the environment outside seemed quite busy, and being on board the ship probably meant less opportunity for interruption.

At this point, Julian was speaking with Vellune at the main office of the Phoenix Forge, after reviewing details of the data recorded pertaining to the egg's growth. The area of the forge, being what it was, required strong heat protection to get through.

Maverick wondered if the man asked the question after seeing him looking at the workers. Risar was the best candidate to talk to the old guy and was willing to go too if the captain ordered it, but while Latnok didn’t seem to be against the idea, he was hesitant. He continued smiling warmly and being polite, but Maverick was still rather nervous.

After failing to get a response from knocking on Julian’s office, a Guardian spotted her and asked what she was doing there. Once she explained, he answered in an uninterested tone of voice.
“He’s at the Phoenix Forge. I suggest you don’t interrupt him.” he advised, but Angora assured she won’t interrupt and that she’ll wait for him outside the forge. She has never been there before, Guardians being the only ones allowed, with very few exceptions. She has heard the heat there is almost like the insides of a volcano, but while she was certain she could handle it without protection, she decided to just wait outside. The Guardian didn’t trust her word, and since he wasn’t particularly busy at the moment, decided to escort her and keep an eye on her, making sure she didn’t enter. It was common knowledge now that the troll really liked Julian, but few knew why exactly.

"Of course.," Risar said with a slight nod as he motioned for the older man to follow. It couldn't hurt to at least hear their history and then they could decide what to do, if anything. He motioned for anyone interested to follow and led them to one of the larger tables in the communal dining area. It wasn't the only option for an discussion and wine, but it allowed for more to hear the message at once-- via any number of other tables around.

He motioned for those previously invited and for a few others to sit down, including the other guests onboard and some of the Minotaurs 'higher up' in the chain of command. The second-in-command was slightly delayed, bringing a jag of wine and and several drinking containers to the middle of the table. There was notably a bowl included, in case Raclaw decided to take part in the wine. And an empty space to accommodate the Fur Dragon's presence in the discussion. "Wine anyone?," the second-in-command offered with a couple minotaur's immediately taking him up on the offer. Risar allowed for Icestorm to sit next to him or elsewhere, where the dwarf kaiju decided.

Maverick took a seat and declined the offer, never having been much of a drinker. The smell of dish was making him hungry, and was looking forward to having a meal that was different from the ship. The old man didn’t seem dangerous, and he wanted to believe the dragon was friendly, so he tried being calm...

Latnok and the visitor both accepted the offer of wine, something they would pace themselves in drinking. Once everyone was all settled down, the visitor began.
"You probably have many questions, so allow me to answer them," he started. "My name is Alithe. I and my family are one of the few on the island who can read and write - the Queen has entrusted our family in particular with that task over several centuries, and strictly limits who is allowed to learn reading and writing."
Alithe didn't seem enthused about the fact, something Latnok immediately picked up on. "Something tells me that this isn't exactly for altruistic reasons," he commented after a sip of wine. Besides that, the man mentioned centuries - and the Queen entrusting a family over centuries. That meant the Queen controlled the island before any currently living human would have been able to remember.
"Let's not be too hasty..." Alithe responded. "We continue to live on this island, free from the horrors of the outside world, by her benevolence and guidance. It is my family's job to ensure that history does not forget that, even if we allow it to forget other things." Latnok would allow the others a chance to say anything before he continued.

"This dragon, this 'Queen Kesivara'-- is she alone or are there others of her kind or other kinds of dragons on New Shiavara?," Raclaw asked already knowing about the sister's fate and the battle so long ago. Seeing as he had long become the legal property of an Guardian (at least according to Aelinon law), it didn't hurt to ask more about the organization/its people from time to time. He was an Guardian in all but name at this point, being granted the same privileges and 'respect' as his counterpart. If the Island of Myth supposedly held the possibility for dragons, than perhaps this one did as well? It was worth asking at least. And they dared not mention what happened to the sister, lest' they want to cut their visit very very short. And with fire no doubt.

Maverick wanted to say something but felt like it was out of place at the moment. The journey was for both Raclaw and Leoquin after all, so he let the fur dragon ask all the questions he wished without interruptions. But as he remained quiet, he couldn’t help but ponder how horrible it was to not be able to do something as basic and important as read and write. Why deny people such amazing knowledge? No letters. No bedtime stories (unless invented). Maybe not even a school? The people out there were working so hard, and there was nothing like a good book to pass the time once you get to rest. While being away from the horrors of the outside world seemed like an utopian paradise, it wasn’t worth it if you had to limit yourself so much. Just what was the deal with this dragoness?

Leoquin himself wanted to just get to the point - the "point" being anything that would help them find what they were looking for - but he knew it would be rude to interfere. With no pressing questions himself, he let the others continue speaking.
Alithe seemed slightly startled by Raclaw's speech, before answering. "Pardon me, it is just that you are a most unusual creature..." he said. "Here, on this island, the Queen is the only dragon. She is immense; being well-fed for centuries off the labor of those duped into beli- pardon me, that was not the most fitting thing for me to say." Latnok was getting the impression that Alithe didn't think very highly of the Queen.
"Anyway. Besides the Queen, we are mostly humans here; some mermen as well. As the Queen would have us say, she ordered an expedition with many of us in order to protect a small portion of the civilized world, as the End War had the world collapse to ideologies rife with decadence, corruption, and cruelty. Many foolish mermen, in a delusion of denial, sought to travel back to Galadar; some wound up back here, while others were lost, presumably never to be seen again. The currents around these parts can be strong; though such a thing does mean that we never have to be concerned about running out of fish, it also means that a merman swimming around without a map, only to be swept to some faraway place by an undertow while resting, does not stand much of a chance here. Humans, by nature of not being able to breathe underwater, had no basis to even attempt such foolishness."
Alithe paused for a moment before adding his own questions. "Tell me, travelers, where are you from? What is it like now? As far as I know, there is no reason for most to travel this way; nothing of interest around here, and it is not in the path from any major place to anywhere of interest that we know of. My initial guesses are that you are either exploring, or lost."
Leoquin was eager to speak, the topic finally coming to an area of his expertise. "Well, we're not lost - we're following a map, and we are exactly where the navigation says we should be," he answered. "However, we're not heading to a specific, known destination - we're looking for a place that could be holding refugees from... well, it's a long story, but they'd be coming from Falcon's Beak."
"Falcon's Beak? I take it you don't mean the literal beak of a falcon," Alithe surmised. "Hmm... my best guess would be an archipelago far east of here?"
"Yeah, that place," Leoquin confirmed. "So guessing it wasn't named by the time you guys had all of the initial records you're keeping."
"It seems that way. I would be unaware of anything outside of the continent of Galadar," Alithe said. "What is it like nowadays?"
Latnok looked at the others, to see if they wished to answer before he did.

So what Maverick saw in the water earlier was likely a merman from this island. That explains it. Maybe someone who sneak out of work to see them up close? Either way, he was convinced it was a merman what he saw. Now that that was out of the way, his major concern was just how huge this Queen was. He read in the tome Sere gave him years ago that a few dragons lived long enough to reach a size close to that of behemoths, but it was a very rare sight, almost non-existent. Shade was the biggest dragon he knew so far, so he couldn’t imagine one bigger. He wanted to say something, but waited for others to talk. He looked at Icestorm disappointedly with a raised eyebrow after his comment, not believing it was such a good idea talking about Shade’s unfortunate accident. This island had a dragon as a queen, and it didn’t look too good talking about one that was imprisoned.

"Redwater?" Alithe asked, intrigued. "The last records of it we have are of the city being named after a bloody battle that took place there, a decisive victory for the rebels. If the city still stands to this day, then I take it they were victorious in the end."
"That would be the case," Latnok confirmed. "Aelinon hasn't been under dragon control for centuries. Not much place on the continent for most dragons now. Aelinon controls the most territory of any major nation, by nature of absorbing many others in its postwar expansion."g
"And what do you think of that?" Alithe immediately followed up with.
"Honestly? Well, I can't speak too much of my time growing up, as I grew up outside its borders - from my professional experience living there, however, Aelinon is by no means a perfect place, and has many of its own cruelties, but it is a far cry from some hellhole built on slave driving and treating people like expendable commodities straight out of the womb," Latnok answered frankly. "Instead, you get to earn that right by being a criminal. Highly legalistic society, but you can have dreams and ambitions."
Alithe took in what Latnok said before looking around at the rest of the group, his reaction to Latnok's words being minimal. "And what of the rest of you? What are your feelings on the matter?"

Julian, having finished his discussions with Vellune, was preparing to head back to his laboratory. The forge, being the large area that it was, would take awhile to walk through; the path to the office was very long, with the operations of the forge happening around it.

Maverick wanted to talk, but took a while tot hunk how he could express his own feelings without feeling out of place.
“The laws are strict, but they keep the peace... I prefer the more rural part of Redwater though.” Maverick said, leaving his personal life out of it. Saying that he was friends with a dragon and a troll, not to mention he had a mermaid wife with children was probably going to be too much. And of course, he didn’t feel entirely comfortable to share such things with a stranger, so he focused on just talking about Redwater.

The Guardian watching over Angora was starting to get very bored, so to pass the time, he made some conversation with the troll.
“So, what’s the deal? Why do you like Julian so much?” he asked, Angora flinching at the comment but answering calmly.
“Well, for once, he never treats me badly. He was patient with me and treated me nicely from the very beginning.” she replied bluntly, wanting to make things obvious and not going into details.
“A troll that wants to be treated nicely. Heh, well pardon me, but your kind is not exactly one to respect anyone or treat others nicely, so why should everyone else do the same?” he commented dryly, trolls being usually Guardian targets.
“Well maybe most are not nice, but there are others like me, who want nothing to do with violence or conquering and just want to make a living.” Angora answered with the same calmness, but boiling inside. How she hated being stereotyped. While it was true that most trolls were heartless monsters, there was likewise a number of them who were docile and decent, but because of the actions of most, everyone paid the price.

The Guardian remained silent for a while, not giving any indication of being affected by Angora’s words. He still looked at her indifferently, but with a hint of amusement. Angora was unique alright, but she was still a troll, and the disasters they caused was much. Everyone knew Latnok didn’t like her at all, so he must have a very good reason. Just as he was about to make more conversation to enjoy himself, the doors of the forge started to open. It could be Julian, or someone else.
“Better step back...” he said, almost using a word like creature or thing, but decided to leave it at that. Angora defiantly didn’t move, certain she could handle whatever heat came from there. The Guardian was angry, but let her be. If she needed to learn the hard way, then so be it.

"Latnok-- Latnok is right. Aelinon is by no means perfect, but its laws protect people and to a degree.. the creatures living under its rule. I can't say I agree with everything (Who can?), but I've seen more good come out of it than bad. And I've never been told I couldn't read or attempt to write beyond my own physical limitations. And an operation like this would never be allowed under their rule; they've long outlawed slavery and theirs rules/regulations regarding my own kind have slowly improved. Their laws legally bind me as a companion, but they also protect me and allow me to retain more rights than I would've ever found elsewhere on Galadar.," Raclaw spoke agreeing with Latnok but also offering an additional point of view being classified as an sentient pet under their laws. That part wasn't always 'ideal', but it had never prohibited him from reading or even entering a bar and enjoying a drink.

"Latnok, Raclaw-- they weren't born of Aelinon and nether was I.," Risar began to speak taking his turn. "Where I come from, where my people come from.. Aelinon offered us freedom. Where we were once slaves and taste testers, we now became something more. My people are seen as *free* and despite some still seeing us as less, the laws protect us. I was fortunate; I had a master who taught me to read and to write and even about my own history. Others were less fortunate and such kin would be even less fortunate here. In Aelinon, we get a chance for a normal life. We all get a chance, no matter where we come from or where we were born.," the former slave shared a bit of his own history now that others had already shared more than they perhaps should have. "We are free. And we all knew what it was like to have basic rights withheld from us for the sake of keeping us in our place.," the Minotaur captain then concluded inferring to enslaved Minotaur kin not having the right to refer to themselves in first person and then having to learn how to break that habit. He himself even slipped up from time to time, despite everything and despite how much time had passed.

After sparring with the young minotaur, Huntress watched the island below. She wanted so badly to walk on dry land again, but since she wasn’t among the people called by the captain, she went to her cabin in quite a bad mood, watching the island from over the window. She was unaware of the meeting taking place, so she continued with the observation. Did any of these stupid islands even had dragons? She wanted so badly to slay one, having no idea one was much nearer than she imagined...

As the door of the forge opened, Angora felt the intense heat. It really was like the inside of a volcano. While she flinched, she didn’t move. The Guardian that opened soon closed the door. Sadly, it wasn’t Julian. He removed the heating armor, giving a small greeting to his companion and a side glance to Angora before leaving to a new destination.
“You really should’ve listened. Typical of trolls to be so stubborn. Or what? You’re trying to cook yourself to be a more tempting snack to the wyverns?” the Guardian taunted, still upset about being defied but having a little fun on her expense ato teach her a little lesson. Angora wanted to say something, but was afraid that she would end up yelling or insulting him and be reported or punished, so she remained quiet. Why couldn’t he just leave her alone? It’s not like there was a heating armor for her, and after experiencing that heat, she was convinced her skin could’t entirely protect her. The shield maybe could, but she was still too tired from the last use. As she continued waiting, she was tempted to leave and just wait for Julian near her lab if it meant getting this Guardian off her back...

Leoquin, having taken in a little wine himself but was exercising some temperance, had his own words to offer. "I grew up in Aelinon. I've lived there my whole life. I've always been free to pursue my own goals. It's this freedom that's allowed me to be here at this very moment," he said. "Sure, you might get taxed, and you might be called upon to fulfill your obligations to the nation depending on your profession - but I'd much rather pay my share and be drafted for some emergency work as needed than live life on my knees. The fact of the matter is, in any society which maintains order and protects its people, there'll always be the spear of the law at your back that threatens to impale you if you work against your fellow citizens - a society which does not have that threat is a society in which its people are free to act against it for their own ends. You can argue that Aelinon is rather quick and merciless to those who slip up and step out of line - but just having that spear there? That alone is nothing compared to being dominated by the will and whims of a master every day, knowing that any work you do isn't to help you, or your friends or family, but to sate their own greed." Leoquin never really had to consider the matter enough to vocalize his thoughts on it, and never expected to have to give anything resembling a more formal speech, but the journey was to uncharted territory - it was bound to have oddities.
"Is that so..." Alithe said softly, almost as if he was speaking to himself, as he gave a very soft smile. "Interesting."
He took another sip of wine before setting it down. "Perhaps the hairy one doesn't feel strongly about the matter, or he is more careful to avoid offending the stranger because he hasn't had any wine. But I am glad you offered it - such things in moderation can help subdue misgivings about allowing each other to know where we stand. As for the rest of you... I am much relieved to hear you say those words. I was almost tempted to believe what I've had to 'educate' our people on. I did not know if anyone from the outside world would ever find this place... if anyone would care to stop by if they did find this place... or if they would see a problem with the idea of what is happening here. Yet, I knew that I had to be the scribe to meet you."
Alithe took another sip of wine - none of those currently drinking were lightweights. "For you see, it is only my part of the family that knows the whole truth of history - only one or two of us at any given time. You see... two of my ancestors, brothers, were picked for the role because of their intelligence and loyalty - which, from what I can tell, meant that they had no problem acting against their fellow men. One of them, however, from who I am directly descended, was the more ambitious kind. His enthusiasm waned when it turned out that he would not be some powerful advisor to a count or whatever the dragon equivalent would be, but more like the barracuda amongst a school of jacks leading the way to the shark's mouth. Long story short, perhaps out of some sense of spitefulness, he worked to preserve the real history as everything else was rewritten over generations in this new world. Only two people in the family at a time, at most, ever know of such a thing - currently, that would only be me, as my father died a few years ago, and I have yet to teach my son. We keep this, for the day where we can finally educate everyone and break this illusion. For if we were to try prematurely, the enforcers - the lackeys hand-picked by the Queen - would kill us and turn us to mulch, and that would forever be the end of our story."
Alithe stopped himself as his contempt became more obvious. "Perhaps I am getting ahead of myself. Maybe I should thank some god - other than, purportedly, the Queen - but any god who hasn't already intervened isn't one worth a damn. But you, travelers... you've given me hope. Perhaps not within my lifetime... but hope that someday, this anachronism of an island will be corrected."
Alithe's mien suddenly changed from longing to serious. "But first - some important considerations. As long as you're here, you must be careful to avoid running afoul of the Queen or her enforcers. Inform your men to not do anything to inform the people of how poor their situation is, relative to the outside world. As long as you keep the Queen happy while you're here, there should be no issues until you leave. The last thing I wish to see is a bloodbath - the Queen has made it clear to her enforcers that, if she ever has to get out of her den, the consequences will be dire, so please do not do anything so drastic that she feels she needs to personally confront you."
"Get out to confront us?" Latnok repeated, almost in disbelief. One thing was clear - the Queen was big enough that just leaving her den was a significant effort. That would be in line with what he knew - she was the sister of Shiavara, another large dragon; she had around a century more time to grow; and she was currently being very well-fed, and probably had been for centuries. "There's not a snowball's chance in hell she'd do that."
Latnok's comment got a puzzled look from Alithe. "Do you not fear her? Do you doubt me when I say she is not to be trifled with?"
"Don't worry, we're still going to take your advice, and not set her off if we can avoid it. But about her, it's not that I doubt she's a massive, powerful, dangerous creature," Latnok answered - almost using the term "monster" but catching himself, trying to be more careful about how he referred to dragons given his bond with one. "In fact, everything I can figure about her, knowing about her sister, leads me to the same conclusion. However, knowing how dragons act in general, and knowing what this one in particular has done, I can assure you that, unless she's becoming senile, which is not usual amongst dragons, then coming out to confront us would be something of a last resort."
"Knowing how dragons act... what exactly do you mean?" Alithe asked, his curiosity piqued.
Latnok thought for a brief moment before turning to Risar. "Should I explain more about my background?" he asked telepathically. A nod or shake of the head would suffice for an answer, and indicate whether Latnok would explain the source of his expertise, or leave it ambiguous, at least for the moment. Latnok had no issues with either decision.

Not too much longer after the other Guardian passed, Julian arrived, with a rush of heat accompanying the opening doors. Maintaining the cooling spell around him, he began waiting a few seconds for the room to cool before continuing.
He looked expectantly at the other Guardian for a second before noticing Angora. "Greetings. Are you two waiting for me?" he asked politely.

Quote:

Latnok thought for a brief moment before turning to Risar. "Should I explain more about my background?" he asked telepathically. A nod or shake of the head would suffice for an answer, and indicate whether Latnok would explain the source of his expertise, or leave it ambiguous, at least for the moment. Latnok had no issues with either decision.

Risar offered a nod with little hesitation-- already confirmed in his thoughts that they were well past the point of holding things back. And so far, it seemed as if they had a new Ally. So far..

Maverick shrank his shoulders in complete embarrassment once Alithe addressed to the hairy one. He knew he was the one who has talked the less. It was so unlike him to be this distrusting and vague, but ever since whatever experience he had that made him end up in that island all alone with a Tonguean in his toes, he has been much more cautious. While he wanted to say something, he remained quiet to let the old man keep talking, and just as he feared, this dragon wasn’t the friendly type. She was keeping the poor people prisoners, and threatening their life if they defied her. He hung his head in disappointed, really wishing that the next dragon they could meet could’ve been as friendly as Raclaw or Shade, but perhaps it had been too much to hope for. Latnok said he knew the sister, so maybe that was an advantage? How did he know? A history book? Wouldn’t be surprised given Guardian’s history with dragons. He did try to remember why the name was kinda familiar, but he just couldn’t recall at the moment. It was a pretty name, even if it belonged to an evil dragon.

Once she was calmer, Huntress left her cabin, remembering how the young minotaur urged her to stay since those were the captain’s orders. But she in her stubbornness and anger about not being called and not wanting to take her anger on anyone, especially her sparring partner, she left. But now it was time to go back. She found out about the meeting from a minotaur that was on guard, but knowing it would be rude to barge in, she needed an excuse to enter. It didn’t take her long to have an idea. She headed to the kitchen, finding to her surprise there was already another minotaur there, cooking, making small holes in the bread and putting all kinds of meat and vegetables inside.
“Hello. Little snack?” he offered, not wondering in particular why she wasn’t in the meeting. Those were little snacks? It looked more like a normal sized to her, but then again, these were minotaurs.
“Uh, no thanks. I just... came to help?” she said, and while the minotaur looked confused, he welcomed the help.
“Good! Little lady can deliver these to the meeting. More will come later.” he said as he gave her two big trays full of the snacks. They were heavier than she expected, but at least it was something she could handle. Having used weapons all her life, she wasn’t as frail as she seemed.

Finally, Huntress had an excuse to enter the meeting without being seen rude. She had a look that almost look like anguish. How humiliating was this? Distributing food like some... some... waitress! Yuck! But she had no choice but to admit she quite asked for this.

Alithe gave Icestorm a blank look. "Can't say it rings a bell."
Latnok was visibly annoyed by Huntress' late arrival. "Didn't think doing your own thing would be the way you chose to earn your keep, but better than being useless, I guess," he said, taking one of the snacks. "Anyway. Back to the matter at hand. Are you familiar with the Ardent Guardians?"
"I cannot recall any group by that name," Alithe answered.
"Well, then, it's likely that the voyage of this queen predates the Ardent Guardians becoming anything of significance," Latnok noted. "But history aside, the organization - which I am a part of - is very different currently from what it was then. Expertise in fighting dragons, however? That's something that's remained pretty consistent. Now, I feel pretty safe in guessing that your notes don't contain details regarding the physiology and psychology of various creatures and the like. There's one very essential thing one must note about dragons, however."
Latnok took a quick bite of food, chasing it down with some wine. "Dragons aren't invulnerable - and they know this. So they often try not to risk their lives. Doesn't matter if they can kill ten, twenty people in the process, or more - it's not worth it to them any more than it's worth it for a human to antagonize a wasp colony just because they can kill many of the wasps. Now, this dragon, Kesivara - she fled the war. Self-preservation is her top concern. Attacking a foreign vessel, with an unknown level of armament? She'll never choose to do that.
"What you say makes sense," Alithe admitted. "Her top concern, over everything else, has always been herself. Everything, from the limits on reading and writing, to control of the types of weapons people can have - for example, allowing rods but banning spears or arrows - has been an effort by her to protect herself, even if the people do not realize that. Your words put me more at ease, though I still have my doubts..."

Maverick was worried about what Icestorm asked, when just moments ago, Alithe made it very clear that he doesn’t hold any existing deity in high regard. It was rather shocking how he didn’t even know who Orion was. Maybe he wanted to deliberately ignore the question, or living on the island truly limited their knowledge. Even the Guardians were unknown to them. It made him sad that Latnok was likely considering slaying this dragon, but if she was a threat, he understood why this should be an option. He wished he had other idea though, so he pondered for a while.

Huntress distributed the tray, giving a small smile to Latnok at his comment, keeping very buried how annoyed she felt. Not like she needed an income, but he didn’t have to know that. She knew how to keep her emotions in check. Her attention was suddenly piqued when the word dragon came into the conversation. All this time, they were talking about a dragon? On the island!? Oh why did she have to had such bad luck? If only she hasn’t been so upset about not being called, she could’ve come to the meeting in time and hear all the details. But lesson learned. She needed better control. She passed the tray to where Maverick was, who declined the snacks due to having meat. In her distraction, the snacks almost slipped when she tipped the tray, but thankfully, the faun man managed to grab it before everything could fall.
“Cuidado señorita Huntress.” he said kindly, with her giving her almost the same smile she gave Latnok. She wished so badly to hit this son of a pirate in the face with the tray, but once again, she managed to remained in control and continued the distribution.