darkSpyro

Lyon’s heart rate increased. Not only was General Brinecrag putting his daughter in the discussion again, but he was suggesting releasing an overly powerful dragon on the people and sacrificing men with families.
“General, do you have any idea the severity of what you’re suggesting? Releasing that monster so it can obliterate all those people and cause the same pain of years ago!? The beast is too unpredictable to control if things get out of hand. I’ve lost many men in combat, but it was to fight enemies and we as generals must always try our best to prevent as many casualties as possible. This scenario is completely different! We’ll be purposely killing our own. Denying them life! Engineering their downfall! And what if there’s the small chance that the beast learned to control it’s powers after all these years? I doubt it’ll be willing to cause destruction on purpose, especially if it knows what can be done to it!” Lyon pointed out, never imagining the Scourge of Redwater of all creatures would have any part in General Brinecrag’s plans. He has only seen the multi legged dragon from a distance, but it always managed to creep him out.

Back at the Guardian's base, Angora was still trapped, waiting patiently for Veris to wake up. At that moment, the night guard was getting ready to leave, anxious for his pay check tomorrow. Before leaving, he went to the report office to file what he saw last night... but decided at the last minute that it was not important. There were rumors that the troll was the best paid caretaker there, and since there was nothing in the rules that stated caretakers couldn’t sleep close to the wyverns, he decided not to report anything. If by any chance Sere or anyone else found out about what she did, he could always say that he didn’t see her. Veris was big and could’ve easily blocked his view of her. It was the perfect excuse. If the midget creature was crushed or eaten by the master’s wyverns, he doubted anyone was going to miss her.

Brinecrag didn't flinch at Lyon's balking, accepting it as calmly as ever. "I know exactly how severe my suggestion is, General," he answered steadily. "The reason we are taking these severe actions is because the tyranny we are looking to uproot is severe enough to warrant it. You know, this, General - the greatest victories are worth the greatest sacrifices. You have firsthand experience subverting your own government in order to protect the vulnerable. You were arrested, the honors you've earned thrown out like irrelevant rubbish. Your daughter was tortured. You both were starved, pending an investigation. And you know that you're not the only one who's ever had to endure that for doing the right thing."
Brinecrag took a more relaxed, casual posture. "Think about this, General - if they did what they did to your daughter just for following you - her father, her authority figure - as you tried to protect others, what happens to those who try to directly oppose injustice? Do you think the Masseur is kept fettered? Do you think the King doesn't come after their friends, their family, their family's pet nurse shark? Do you think human paranoia and hunger for power will allow such a thing to stand? Of course it wouldn't - you know it wouldn't. You chose to stand against him when you saw that poor satyr child, because you know that he is merciless to anyone who gives him any reason to doubt.
"Think about it this way - from the other direction. Would you say subjecting the many generations to come to human tyranny is a fair price to pay to protect some now? If a parent were to trade their children to slavery in exchange for mercy, do you know what we would call them? A coward. General, I know I am no coward. I know you are no coward. And I know our people are no cowards. Our nation would not exist if they were. We will do what is right, even when those choices are hard to make."
Brinecrag resumed his more formal stance as he returned to the matter of the execution. "Fortunately, General, this is not a decision you will have to make - I inform you here only because I believe that it's right for you to know. You don't have to be burdened with these dilemmas - that's what I'm here for. Your job is to be the hero - our champion. The man who inspires our people to come together when everything is falling apart. I will inform you of the actions we take, but your time to act will be later - and when that time comes, I know you will do your part to rally our people, because to do otherwise would lead to more suffering." It seemed that Brinecrag already considered Lyon's vehement opposition, and yet considered a way to assure Lyon would do what he wanted the old general to do in spite of that.

Veris sometimes had dreams of some... thing, something he couldn't see, pulling Angora from him. Tonight was one of those times. The subconscious fear remained seated in his mind, and he still struggled to come to terms with it, even as he tried to create emotional distance between himself and his caretaker.
Though he was unaware of Angora's presence, he wound his tail more tightly as he slept - unknowingly keeping her close to him in the real world, just like he tried to do in those dreams. He awoke to feeling something in his tail, and found Angora firmly wrapped within its grasp when he looked. Was it truly possible for him to keep her around, if he just tried hard enough? He knew one thing for certain - any attempt at keeping her would be unsuccessful unless the other wyverns remained reluctant to hurt her. Fighting was bad... but what could he do?

Lyon was in an inner conflict like no other. None like ever before. He never expected special treatment for his years of service, nor to be above the law. He was aware that, in the names of the law at least, he committed treason, but the moment they decided to involve his daughter for his mistake, things changed. As as much as he hated to admit it, General Brinecrag was right. He had gone against the law when he finds the necessity to break it for a better good. And keeping the Myth society a secret wasn’t the first time. And he has been general long enough to know some soldiers, officers and guards were sadists, and loved doing their job more for the cruelty they could inflict rather than just being work. The Masseur was just one example.
“It’s not like I have a choice, do I General Brinecrag? Even if I wanted to return to the outside world and warn the king about this, either my head will be rolling down a hill or I’d be on my way to a behemoth’s stomach. I tried telling him about the satyr girl, but he wouldn’t listen. Now their existence is exposed, so there’s no point in keeping it a secret anymore.” Lyon lamented, wishing there was another road.

He took a sigh before continuing.
“Listen, I am not happy about what you’re suggesting... but if I’m willing to go along with it this, I’ll only do it with two conditions; first, we must avoid casualties, or at least as many as possible. And that includes this first heist. I will tell you by now I think it’s insanity to release that monster. If we release it, let it be at a time where there’s barely any guards that could get hurt or killed in it’s rampage. Plus we must find a way to control it. We don’t know if it will decide to fly off and start killing people outside the prison.” Lyon stated, really believing Shade was was an evil animal.
“Second, Lydia. I don’t care that you saved me, I’m indebted only because you got Lydia out of that awful place. But like I said, I want her no part of anything. And if... IF there’s ever a chance where you can take her out of Aelinon to be spared of the horrors you want to unfold, take it. It pains me that I’m practically suggesting exile, but I will give her the order.” the old merman commented, implementing his second condition. He knew Lydia was going to protest, but as her father, she always obeyed him, very hesitantly sometimes, but she did. He didn’t know where she could go, and with the Old Myth exposed, their p,ace might not be safe anymore, but any place was bound to be safer than Aelinon at the moment.

Angora gasped for air as Veris squeezed firmly. Was he having a nightmare? Veris never had nightmares, did he? As she once again tried in vain to release herself, the large wyvern finally opened his eyes, mesmerizing but as intimidating as ever. The eyes of a friend for her, but the gaze of death for anything and anyone he considered prey.
“Good morning Veris.” she greeted cordially, hiding the strain in her voice. She thought he’d release her as soon as he noticed where she was, but it wasn’t the case. Was it because of a nightmare? Angora hoped he wasn’t liking it and didn’t make a habit out of this. Wyverns, like most dragons, had small spikes along their backs and tails, and while they weren’t sharp and didn’t hurt her hard skin, it was still very uncomfortable.

Brinecrag's eyes widened very slightly, hearing Lyon's request, before quickly returning to normal. "Ah, General... there seems to be a bit of a misunderstanding," he said. "Casualties... they are our goal. A catastrophic event is the best outcome. The more severe the outcome, the more angry the people be; the more difficult it is to downplay the occurrence with propaganda; and the more primed people will be to galvanization. These are things we need, General; they are things our nation needs; and they are things we will make happen."
Brinecrag took a less rigid tone as he transitioned. "And when this is all done, General... not only will your daughter not need to flee anything, she will be openly embraced. She will be the daughter of our legendary champion, the liberator who broke the chains of human tyranny. You would essentially have your pick of an endless array of worthy men - mermen - to take her hand in marriage, and take care of her. She will never want for anything again. All we need, General... is to make this happen. When the path before us is hard... think of our future. Think of her future." Brinecrag didn't seem nervous at all - perhaps because he had already made it clear that Lyon's protests would have no influence on whether the plan moved forward.

As others awoke to the sun-- so too did the crew members and guests onboard the Raging Serpent. Risar, having met with the trusted Icestorm in private, had been been able to warn his second-in-command and others not to interfere with the newly arrived Crystal. For as long as she didn't catch trouble.. she would be considered a friend or at the very least, an ally. Raclaw, too, awoke along with the nearby Chester who had been cuddling and sleeping under the warmth of his wing. After recent events, the furry pet pair knew that their time here would be limited and that traveling sooner rather than later would likely be the more *ideal* choice. They had done all that their could thus far considering the circumstances and any action to retake or reclaim the island from the dragon queen would have to wait.

"Mmmm--- morning.," Raclaw greeted as he awoke and briefly stretched. "So.. what's for breakfast?," Chester asked his stomach seemingly doing the immediate thinking. "Knowing the minotaurs, meat. Lots of meat.," Raclaw responded half-jokingly and half-seriously. He wondered if could convince either them or Leoquin to perhaps catch some fish for some variety. Unknowingly to him, Leoquin already had...

Lyon grabbed the top of his nose, lowered his head and closed his eyes, upset with General Brinecrag’s plan. He wanted the best for his daughter indeed, but not like this. He knew though that he had to be careful on how he addressed to the younger general, since he did take them out of that prison and they were literally in his territory, with his followers.
“Just tell me one thing General Brinecrag, why did you become a general? Or better yet, why do you arrest people like the Ishulgites? Allow me to answer. In case you forgot, we must find it in our duty to protect, and only take away life when it’s exclusively necessary. Do you honestly believe it’s necessary in this case? Can you look at me in the eye and say that you won’t have all of those deaths in your conscience? Can you say to me with all sincerity that you won’t be overwhelmed by guilt that you caused deliberate demises instead of inflicting them out of self defense? Are you going to be able to live with yourself knowing that you denied many innocents the chance of life while others enjoy it?” Lyon asked, wanting to see how far his younger counterpart was willing to go. A simple yes or no would suffice, but he had a feeling Brinecrag was going to elaborate. All the military have seen how horrible and sometimes unfair the regime could be, but nobody ever thought of overthrowing the king... or so Lyon thought. He wondered if something in particular happened to make General Brinecrag took the drastic decision that enough is enough to the point he’s willing to resort to mass murder.

Several miles away, there was still no progress with the satyr girl.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying! I really am. But I just can’t remember kicking that soldier! I mean... I could never do something so horrible!” Danya indicated, which Sergeat Farlo concluding that the suppressed memory was more out of subconscious self denial than the actual head trauma.
“Calm down sweetie. I know you. You’d never do something like that. It was just a complete and unfortunate accident. I really wish you didn’t have to remember, but the king wants you to recall the details so you can apologize properly and he can help you accordingly. He has the power to get you out of here. You’ll be back home. With your mother. Your pam flute. Your friend... Enton.” the centaur reminded, helping his young friend get more comfortable.

Danya still needed a little more time, but with the reward that came from the memory, she had more motivation. She just needed more time to reflect and a soft place to recall the missing memory. Sergeant Farlo really wished he’d know a little hypnosis, but that was more nymph territory. He had to do his best, and in his own way.

Brinecrag gave Lyon a blank stare as he prepared to answer Lyon's questions. "You know, General, I could answer you - but that would not be enough. You would then want to know, what could possibly drive a man like me to even consider such a course of action," he said, before giving a slight smile.
"And to that question, I would ask: are you a sadomasochist? Was your time in the prison not enough to provide your fill of suffering? Do you still yearn for more, such that you seek out mine?" he said - though in a light tone that indicated a jocular facetiousness, rather than anger.
"Very well then, General. To sate you, I will provide my share. Please, grab a chair - this will be longer than I was considering," he offered, as he waved to indicate some chairs by a wall.

Lyon reluctantly sat down, not hiding his discomfort at being compared with such a horrible word.
“A simple yes or no would’ve been enough. No need to use such unrefined words. Cause the way I see it, you can’t single out those who do us harm. You want innocents to get in the collateral damage so that the ones who survive can see how unfair the current regime is. I owe you for getting my daughter out of there, and I do agree that things must change around here, but I must warn you, even if I... go along with your plans, let it be known to you right now that there will be many things I’m not willing to do.” Lyon warned, not particularly interested in listening to a whole life story, even if it meant getting to the root of General Brinecrag’s current mentality. Lyon was going to let him explain himself if he so much desired, but it was no secret he was very uncomfortable about being here.

Many miles away, Maverick was getting uneasy. He didn’t see Leoquin anywhere. If he wasn’t on the ship, then he must be on the island. But was he allowed to be there? Huntress liked him, so maybe she knew something? He hated the idea of approaching her given how hostile she was, but he has already asked many minotaurs and nobody has seen him.
“Um... señorita Huntress? I was wondering, have you seen Leoquin the merman?” he asked politely, even though he suspected he was not going to get the same treatment.
“No. Who am I, his babysitter? He’s an adult. He’s nearby somewhere most likely.” she asked in a calm yet equally rude tone. She did like Leoquin, but she wasn’t one to watch over someone unless she was spying or targeting them. Realizing the waste of time, Maverick left her, getting near the plank and wondering if he should look there. He wasn’t sure if he’d be welcomed there or if Risar would allow him to go, but Leoquin was missing. Perhaps... he should...?

Latnok was already prepared for the morning. After witnessing the killing of the enforcer by Alithe, he would suggest to Risar that they leave - once everyone was accounted for in the morning muster, with perhaps a wait to allow people to wrap up any business they had. Though Latnok had his own concerns for Alithe, the man was much more familiar with the people and the way of life on the island than he was - Latnok trusted in him to find a solution to cover up the murder.
One person Latnok hadn't seen so far that he expected to was Leoquin - the merman was usually out and about by now, if he didn't work a night shift. The ship didn't move, so there wasn't any reason he would have to. Was he just being lazy today?

Veris, realizing he was hurting Angora, relaxed his grip and looked away, ashamed. Would Angora be afraid of him now? Would she leave now because he was hurting her? Just like the other wyverns...
What could he do? Was there really no hope? Or... maybe his human was making a plan? His human always treated him well, and knew what to do. So if his human knew what to do, and his human treated him well... his human would know what to do to keep Angora to treat him well! Certainly he had a plan... right?

Brinecrag remained confident as he looked at Lyon from the other side of the table. "Like I said, General, don't worry - you just have to be our champion. Our hero. You will rally the people to us. All the work in the background to make it all happen? That will be on me and my men. This briefing is, realistically, a formality - we will be moving forward. But before that, let us go back a bit..."
Brinecrag looked up wistfully as he considered how to explain things next. Given the obvious case of mutual possession of a military background, however, it wouldn't take long, since details wouldn't have to be explained. "As you know, General, men are sacrificed on the battlefield to complete objectives. The important thing is that we make those sacrifices matter. The lives of our men are, after all, valuable. No man wants to die, but even more than that, no man wants to die for nothing.
"So, here I am - a merman close to completing my education as an engineer. As it turns out, the King then was interested in establishing colonies for mining saltpeter. The territory was orc-infested, one tribe was becoming especially dominant, and their mobility and nomadic nature made the pitched battles behemoths excel in impossible to execute, rendering them little more than transports. What was the orc leader's name? I don't even remember - maybe you do, but that's how little the blighter actually mattered in the end.
"So when we have a large enemy we can't just crush in pitched battles, what do we need? Why, more men, of course - and so, being close to finishing my education, I am conscripted. Denied the opportunity for a commission on the basis of not having had a few more months to complete my education, though they were at least decent enough to start me off two ranks higher. My four brothers, all being military age, are also conscripted. My father, at least, would be our inspiration, being a colonel.
"Given some basic training, I am then thrown on the front lines. As it turns out, the higher-ranking human officers were inexperienced with incorporating amphibious infantry, and were incredibly prideful with little respect for the enemy. As a result, promotions would come easily for me with vacancies to fill. Our unit has one especially terrible battle where an ambush wipes out most of our company's officers. With the chain of command in disarray, I take charge of whatever men will listen, and use my knowledge of engineering to set up a trap which caught... I estimate about two brigade's worth of blighters as they tried to pursue us, and left them helpless to escape the scalding water that followed. With the battle creating yet more vacancies, that effort earned me the distinction of being one of the few soldiers in Aelinon's history to receive a battlefield commission."
Brinecrag's face remained as neutral and friendly as he could keep it, though the pain was becoming noticeably harder to hide. He quickly hollered at one of the men in the room to fetch water, which he would wait for and drink before he continued his story, which showed no signs of getting better...

Lyon couldn’t see where in Brinecrag’s story excused what he wanted to do, but figured he still had much more to tell. If there was something he had no trouble murdering, were blighters like orcs, ogres and trolls. He didn’t know the name of the orc either since he never bothered learning the names of those beasts. Although he found it noble and miraculous how Seraos let that little troll live that one time and show such overwhelming mercy, he didn’t particularly cared for the creature. He remained silently on his chair, waiting for Brinecrag to finish his story and still not entirely sure on the decision to take...

Angora was relieved for the loosened grip, and while she could finally slip away without a problem, she rather not after seeing how Veris felt.
“Hey, hey hey hey Veris. Wait a moment. That’s no way to start the morning. See? I’m fine. I’m not that delicate! Come on, you should know that already!” Angora assured, feeling silly for taking offense. Veris was starting to become even more protective than Shade and Maverick were, and those weren’t good news.

After Brinecrag had some water, he briefly cleared his throat before continuing. "So where was I... Yes. We have many battles... and I see many men die. Sch things only make me feel guilty for ascending in the ranks, as those above me were cut down," he sorrowfully noted. "However... I figure that, when I got to the rank our most superior officers were, I will at least know how to better manage our forces and plan ahead so men didn't die for nothing.
"Eventually, the conflict ends. My father... I learn he fell in battle, along with the entirety of what was left of his regiment. They made a last stand at a major river ford, to cover retreating human allies, because to not do so would be to allow for a deadly rout with untold casualties and fatalities. My four brothers - all killed in battle, at various points throughout. Of my immediate family, only I and my mother were left."
Brinecrag's anger was subtly let through in his voice, though he made it a point not to lose control of his emotions. "All that, and what happens? We learn that the surveyors didn't quite do their job well. Most of the purported saltpeter mines are either nonexistent, or have some other material, such as iron, which could have been gotten more easily elsewhere. In the end, all that fighting we did... we just walked away from it all. Not worth trying to hold it. All those men I watched die? For nothing. My family? Most of us dead, for nothing. I had my mother, at the very least..."
Brinecrag took another sip of water. "Until one day, a little less than a year later, on my way home from work in garrison, I happen upon her corpse on the road, not far away from the entry point into the waterways. All the characteristics of a death by a fall from height, by the highest building nearby. I remember that that day would have been my father's birthday. I needed no one to tell me what happened there.
"And so we have it. The orc chieftain's name? Did not matter - because our victory over him was, in the end, meaningless. Many of my fellow soldiers? My family? Dead - for the sake of an economical experiment by a greedy king, lead by humans who did not care enough about them to plan. Would anyone remember? Of course not - the propaganda would ensure all that the people saw was a great menace to our nation, destroyed due to the valiant sacrifices of our soldiers. In the end, however... those lives meant nothing. They died for nothing."
Brinecrag needed a brief moment to collect himself, which he covered by drinking more water. "What was I to do then? Grieve? Grieving implies that one is working towards acceptance - but what I saw was unacceptable. The moment I accepted it, then that would be the end - their lives would truly have had no value. So I didn't grieve, General. I planned. I worked. I wouldn't let their lives be meaningless - I would let them be the driving force behind changing the entire system that would be fine discarding them like slag at a blast furnace. So while you see those who die now, General, I see the many, many more who have already died. You may find it acceptable for them to have died for nothing, if it means protecting others - but I am not, and I'm the one leading this operation. You will play your part - but we will do what we must." Brinecrag's ending tone was somewhat more assertive than he had been thus far, though there was not any kind of animosity.

It became clear for Lyon that the younger general was not going to back down. This plan, it was all part to avenge the family he lost. Lyon knew too well that someone with such suffering was beyond reason. No way to persuade them with something else.
“I never had siblings general, so I don’t know that pain. My wife died at an ambush. Vandals. Mercenaries with no connection to the military. They were never captured.” Lyon expressed, the mercenaries being of the same group that attacked his men and Sergeant Farlo when he was being escorted, thus prompting him even more to keep the dragon (shapeshifter) that saved them a secret.
“My mother died in her sleep. And my father, nothing but a wyvern stable boy from a young age due to a defective knee... died by a rogue wyvern, that wasn’t even sacrificed due to how valuable it was. They hated that I wanted to be in the military, but I did it anyway. Lost them doing nothing heroic. They were just trying to live a normal life. My mother, she hid it, but I knew she could never get over my father’s death. I continued in the military, got married, Lydia entered my life, and then those awful mercenaries... Lydia wanted to be a general like me to avenge her mother, so I trained her, wanting to support her. And now... this happens. I kept many secrets. The centaur and his community, they were just the beginning. The crimson dragon... that I later found out was a shapeshifter, he saved me, my warriors and the centaur when we were escorting him. We were ambushed by the same, sick mercenaries that took my wife away. I wanted to keep him a secret... then one of my own warriors sent a note on the bulletin board without my authorization. I couldn’t even trust my own men anymore. And when I wanted to explain the reason for my centaur secret, I am seen as nothing but a traitor...” Lyon vented, now feeling that being deemed a traitor meant that they betrayed their very integrity. The story of his life was nothing compared to General Brinecrag’s suffering, but he still wanted to make him see that he understood.

The former general got up to stretch his legs, and that’s when he finally took a decision.
“You know what? Do whatever you want. It’s not like I can stop you. And we can’t go back up there without dying. We have our hands tied. I’m too old to keep struggling. Spent too much time thinking about others. Keeping others safe, witnessing too many unfair deaths. Too much abuse of power. Decades doing the same thing... and I’m tired. I feel exhaustion consuming me. My only concern will be Lydia... and Lydia alone. I didn’t spend enough time with her as a child due to my job. It’s time to recapture the lost time while there’s still a chance. She lost faith in Aelinon and the king, so there’s no point in convincing her otherwise with everything going on. Been letting my beard grow so that the wrinkles don’t show how fatigued I am. So congratulations general. Can’t say I agree what you want to do, but you can bet I won’t attempt to stop you, from going along with your plans or using my image to gain more followers.” Lyon expressed, not reaching seventy years of age but still looking very old, with the beard only partially hiding his wrinkles and not doing any good for the bag under his eyes. He still wished there was something else he can do, but he would be fighting a losing battle. He was certain king Seraos wanted their heads now, and they were at the mercy General Brinecrag, so if they had to be somewhere, it might as well be in a place where they were wanted alive and took good care of them.

Brinecrag was visibly satisfied by Lyon's acquiescence. "I knew you'd see things our way, General," he said happily. "Sometimes, all it takes is a little bit of perspective."
There were other matters he had to consider, however. "Now, this operation is already in motion. Before long, it will be fulfilled. I need to show myself with my unit - when the time comes, I need to be able to explain where I was, and what I was doing. So I'll be gone for the next few days. When I return, we can move onto the next of these inspiration efforts." There were many questions still left unanswered - mainly how Brinecrag could find the men and resources for such efforts. Such a thing would be impossible to pull from within the military without being noticed and raising red flags. there were many, many documents around the room, which was natural for Brinecrag's penchant for planning out as many details as he could; it'd take an exceedingly reckless person to try to browse them without his permission, however.
"If there is no further pressing business, General, then I must prepare for my trip back," Brinecrag announced. Seeing as how Lyon already accepted things, he didn't think there would be any more questions to ask.

Angora's insistence gave Veris some relief, which he showed with a more relaxed expression. "I'm sorry," he apologized. He didn't know whether it would be good to explain his dreams to Angora, however. Would she be upset/ Worried? Those were things he didn't need her to be.
hope was perhaps the most dangerous thing he had been given - hope that things could change. Hope that something could be done to keep Angora with him. It was that hope that kept causing the pain. he needed to abandon it... but it was too enticing to surrender easily.

Lyon had no further questions, and he wasn’t interested in seeing how Brinecrag was planning on getting everything into motion. He did however, had a couple of favors to ask.
“I guess we’ll be living here for a while. Heh, what an irony. At least I hope there’s a body of water we can use from time to time. Also, there’s another thing I would like to ask of you. If there’s ever a chance that you could smuggle us out of Aelinon, please, do it. After you’re done with me of course. I know you need me for now. I need to talk with Lydia after we’re done here.” Lyon expressed, not certain how his daughter will feel about everything their rescuer was planning. She might’ve lost faith in the king, but knew she detested the loss of innocent lives. Lyon himself was already certain that he was going to feel an overwhelming guilt for not doing anything to stop the younger general, but he genuinely feel there was nothing he could do to stop him. Persuasion was out of the question, and he had followers and they were in his territory. Not to mention he couldn’t earn anyone about the plans. Major disadvantages, so it pained him to know he could do nothing but stay far away from view while knowing the events that were about to take place.

Angora gave Veris a small smile, blissfully unaware of the nightmare that has tormented him.
“No need. You spent years with me. And I spent many years of my youth alone, fending for myself, and that was before I had magic.” Angora assured, not wanting Veris to make the same mistake as Shade and Maverick.
“Now then, tell me what you want to do? Want me to bring you some breakfast or want to hunt this early? Not sure about you, but I’m getting hungry. You can carry me around like this if you like.” she commented so he would feel better. It was still early morning but Angora was indeed getting hungry, and was certain Veris was too, even if he has done a good job hiding it lately.

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Latnok was already prepared for the morning. After witnessing the killing of the enforcer by Alithe, he would suggest to Risar that they leave - once everyone was accounted for in the morning muster, with perhaps a wait to allow people to wrap up any business they had. Though Latnok had his own concerns for Alithe, the man was much more familiar with the people and the way of life on the island than he was - Latnok trusted in him to find a solution to cover up the murder.
One person Latnok hadn't seen so far that he expected to was Leoquin - the merman was usually out and about by now, if he didn't work a night shift. The ship didn't move, so there wasn't any reason he would have to. Was he just being lazy today?

Indeed-- the morning muster would soon take place, with Risar and his trusted taking 'inventory' of who was/wasn't onboard; the goal being to inform the crew and to collect any guests who otherwise refused to leave. After various names were called and accounted for (and eventually Huntress), only one name remained. "Leoquin-- has anyone seen Leoquin?," Risar called out wanting and expecting an answer. "No captain! Not since yesterday!," one of the minotaurs promptly responded. "I think I saw him gather a fishing pole, but I could've been mistaken. I only saw him out of the corner of my eyes... erm eye.," another Minotaur responded whom processed a fake marble/marble-like ball in place of one of his eyes. "Hmm-- Raclaw, Latnok? Can you sense his presence? Risar cannot leave a man behind, especially one with such a purpose.," the minotaur captain said after taking in the input. To find a brother... they had a common goal. Although his would likely one day take him into the once place he wasn't supposed to return to. His homeland. Someday.

"I do not detect him-- not on the ship anyway. Latnok?," Raclaw responded using his senses as requested. He trusted himself well enough, but it never hurt to ask if Latnok sensed anything he missed. As close as they were.. the Guardian Rider would have just as much access to his senses as he himself did. This. This was not good. They knew the dragon queen was fearful of their presence. What if...?

---

Elsewhere, the egg guarded by Sozen would appear to show activity once again. A vibe, a single word could faintly be heard-- "Warm?" It once again seemed to come from the egg. Telepathy? Or could it possibly be simply the imagination running wild? They still didn't know what exactly was in the egg.

Latnok did find it odd that he hadn't seen Leoquin earlier that night. "I haven't seen him - I think he might've been missing for at least half a day by now," he surmised. They wouldn't have to do much more guesswork, however - a courier on behalf of the islanders soon came running onto the ship, heedless of normal boarding procedures.
"Greetings, outsiders! The... the Queen..." the courier began, clearly winded from running. "She... she wants to speak to one of you!" The courier took another breath. "She said 'the human' this time, not the dragon."
Given who the human connected to Raclaw was, it wasn't hard to sort out which one she wanted to meet. "I guess that's me. I'll be headed off now," he said. "I have a suspicion I know our answer, however. We'll see how things end up after this meeting." On this occasion, Latnok was bringing weapons - at the very least, he wouldn't be left completely unarmed if things came to blows, though he was hoping they wouldn't.

Brinecrag nodded as he began to leave. "If you're determined to leave the continent instead of returning to it as the hero you will be, then I know a place that might work for you," he assured Lyon. "But that is a matter for later - much later. For now, I have this matter to attend to. My men will be prepared to complete the operation some time after I'm due to arrive at my destination."
Without any further waiting around, Brinecrag walked out. The soldier in the room gave Lyon an expectant look, the hint being that he should probably leave the room as well.

Though Veris had improved, his appetite hadn't come back to the level it was at before. Nevertheless, he was somewhat hungry right now.
"...Breakfast, please," he reluctantly asked. He hated the idea of even speaking to Angora like this when her departure was still impending, and any other caretaker wouldn't be able to understand his communication as well as she could - but there was still that hope. That dangerous, dangerous hope...

"Be careful, Latnok.," Raclaw said having suspected that the Queen would at 'some point want to speak to his 'master.' She was clearly intrigued by him, but knew that ultimately he wasn't the one in charge. He would try to keep his senses attuned to Latnok of course; the dynamic of their power balance meant that Latnok had easier access to him verses the other way around. To be expected when one wore a collar meant to provide control.. both for and over its wearer. "We'll await your return.," Risar added with a nod knowing that Queen wouldn't be keen on Latnok arriving with company. "Please return unharmed.," Chester barked out of concern. "Don't worry-- Latnok knows what he's doing.," Raclaw reassured his fellow furred companion. Here was hoping that Leoquin was only imprisoned/the like and not worse. Just how desperate was the queen to keep them from leaving?

---

Sozen would feel a 'vibe' similar to before and an ever-so-slight movement of the egg. The egg was perhaps getting further along its development cycle.

Maverick was about to exit the ship through the gangplank when everyone was called. The tension increased within him when everybody realized Leoquin was missing. He felt overwhelming guilt. He should've been taking care of him instead of focusing on a woman that clearly hates him. He was determined to help Icestorm with the search after his suggestion when they were interrupted by the courier. At first he was worried that the human was him when things were clarified. Latnok was technically the only pure human there... well him and Huntress as far as he knew. He didn't want to be worried, but Latnok was the only Guardian, and he wasn't certain if one lone Guardian was enough to deal with a behemoth sized dragon should it decide to turn violent...

Lyon bowed to the younger general as he was escorted out, deciding it was better to leave things at that. He almost wished General Brinecrag luck out of politeness, but he wasn't going to mean it, so lips sealed were the better option. He doubted very much victory was within his grasp given the large amount of resources Aelinon had. But even if they couldn't win the war, the battles could cause serious harm, especially with that dark scaled monster on the loose. It was going to be torture just sitting by and doing nothing, but he couldn't make an enemy out of Brinecrag and his people too. Things were bad enough as they were. What should be done? As he was escorted, he knew he had much to talk about with Lydia...

Angora didn't completely understand Veris' hesitation, but decided not to dwell upon that. She left to the cafeteria to get something for herself, then keeping it in her pocket, she headed for the wyvern food storage, bringing mostly rabbit meat, which was very common lately. Apparently they were getting too numerous in a field several miles away, so the hunt for their meat was plenty. Although Veris ate it, it wasn't his favorite meat, so Angora got pork as well to compensate. Once again, none of the wyverns tried attacking her, and while it was a relief, it made her sad how scared they were of one of their own. Once in Veris' enclosure, Angora left his meat there and quickly changed the water, sitting with him to eat.
"Have a nice meal Veris." she said politely, getting a head start on her food. There was an important conversation Angora wanted to have with Veris, and it made her uneasy thinking about how he was going to react.

As Sozen's beak made contact with the egg-- a very very slight crack began to form and it was almost as if something knocked back. Another vibe could be felt and the egg wobbled once again. The egg than went still again, as if waiting to see what Sozen would do.

In response-- the egg immediately knocked back, this time forming a larger crack and even a hole in which one could peer through. A glimpse of muted tan.. fur or feathers could be seen? Just what exactly was in this egg? Surely they couldn't had been that lucky? Subtle cracks began to form..

More cracks quickly began to form and what could be described as spots could be seen from within the egg. Spots, green eyes-- was it possible? Another crack began to form and another; something sharp and pointy, yet slightly rounded could be seen. Some sort of claw or a beak? Maybe, maybe not...? More cracks formed and just a little more help would complete the process...

As the last bit of the egg was removed-- what could be seen appeared to be.. a gryphon? Indeed, a beak was clearly visible as well as leopard-like spots and two long feathers that extended from the ears. If one had to compare it to an ordinary animal, one could almost describe it as a Snow Leopard. The young creature looked up at Sozen with curious eyes. 'Mother?,' a single word could be heard telepathically. And an adorable kaw could be heard at the same time, leading to double speech if one could understand the gryphon tongue. If they were hoping for a Fur Dragon... they got something else entirely.

Lyon wasn't escorted for long - just until he was a little bit away from the room. With nothing in particular to do, he would be free to wander the base.
One very noticeable aspect about the men at the base was that, though there were some (such as the galuds who rescued the merfolk) sounded like typical people from Aelinon, there were many who, despite their fluency in Common, had an accent which did not match anything that could be identified as coming from a particular region. It wasn't anything unintelligible, or anything thick, by any means - but even given the huge expanse of territory Aelinon pulled its recruits from, it didn't sound like any accent that any soldier Lyon knew would have had. Despite that, the unusual accent was consistent among those who had it - all of them came from the same place.
The base regularly got copies of the various papers distributed by Aelinon daily, in order to keep everyone aware of any major details which could influence plans. Brinecrag had left shortly before a courier came with a bundle of copies of the latest paper. The paper title, as expected, definitely featured Lyon and his daughter, reading...
'TREASONOUS FORMER GENERAL AND DAUGHTER OUTLAWED BY KING - 250,000 SCALES OFFERED FOR CAPTURE'
Printed with the article were recreations of Lyon and Lydia. The artists doing such things were nothing, if not extremely skilled and experienced. Lyon's image was almost indistinguishable from his appearance. Lydia's image was not quite as accurate - given that most of the descriptions they would have been provided would be from people who didn't know her particularly well - but the details were extrapolated well enough to allow anyone who compared the image to her to identify her regardless.

Lyon listened to some conversations as he was escorted, and it was impossible to ignore the accent. As a general, one of his attributes was to focus and be very observant, so the conversations caught his interest, or at least just the sound. The few faces he managed observe in the mostly dark base were not familiar to him. Where did all these people came from? Have they by any chance lived in here for so long that they had their own society and developed their own accents? Or were they from a part of Aelinon he has never visited? If that was the case, the rebellion somehow got the interest of people that apparently lived far away from Redwater and the cities he knew.

As the old merman walked, looking forward to a long, peaceful rest, he spotted the newspaper station, and the courier delivering a fresh stash.
“How quaint. News to entertain us while we’re stuck here gasping for air.” he said rather bitterly, his exhaustion becoming apparent. He wasn’t much into reading newspaper, but maybe Lydia would be entertained, even if eventually pained her to think she could never go back to her original home and see some of these news herself. The headlines, despite the obscurity of the base, were clearly seen. Lyon wanted to wait until he was in his room, but grew too curious.
“Well now. His majesty certainly wasted no time letting the whole world know of our status...” he stated under his breath, never imagining he’d see the day where he, or his beloved daughters were outlaws, escaping from the place they called home. He needed to read the headline twice to figure out what was going on. Capture... capture... CAPTURE!? Why capture? Was this a printing error? Outlaws were usually killed on sight. Clearly this was a mistake... wasn’t it? Or perhaps... the king wanted them alive so he could put them in the arena? Or have them tortured again? Or maybe... wait, it couldn’t be, could it? As Lyon headed to his room, he was still processing what he just read...

Locked up tight in his laboratory, Draikon was hard at work with the hexphage powder and inventing a more successful device that could remove it. Applying the new hexphage was easier than in it’s natural state, but much harder to remove. He still needed someone to test it on though. The Scourge of Redwater didn’t turned out to be the perfect candidate after all. And an Ishulgite prisoner would be too dangerous. The satyr girl was but a child, and not even he was aware on how those rare mythical creature’s magic worked. He was so caught up in his work that he still hasn’t heard the news about the centaur yet, something that no doubt would’ve been marvelous news for him. As he searched through his papers, he stumbled upon the sketch he did of Veris. So that’s where he put it. Seeing it made him remember Angora. He almost completely forgot about her, having focused too much on the satyr girl and his hexphage mix. She had magic, didn’t she? She could be the perfect subject... if she wasn’t dead.
“Oh great! Now I’m upset!” Draikon complained to himself, still believing his potential troll employee could become the wyvern’s victim soon, especially if the beast found out about her departure.

Though the courier offered offered to guide Latnok, he turned it down - he remembered the route from Raclaw's own trip. He moved forward at a brisk pace, bracing himself for the encounter.
Entering the peak, he once again made a mental note of the various details of the area, from the heating, to the sturdy stone pillars. The Queen would likely be on the level immediately below, past the chain-operated door.
Operating the chain, Latnok raised the door, immediately sensing the Queen lying just below. He wouldn't show signs of hesitation - he immediately began marching down the path. His bow and bone spear remained on his back, but he was ready to draw them at a moment's notice. Though he couldn't see the Queen, her shifting motions and groaning were a clear sign that she detected his entrance.
It didn't take long for Latnok to be able to see her, with her gaze tracking him on the way dow. By the time he was all the way down, she was fully alert and completely trained on him. "So, the human of that 'dragon'", she commented disdainfully. "Are those ornaments, or are you foolish enough to have come for a fight by yourself?"
Remembering the Queen's emotions before, during her encounter with Raclaw, Latnok decided to assume that the Queen was bluffing, and hiding her fear. "I'm here to talk with you, per your request," he answered calmly. "I'd be stupid to be here unprepared for the worst, however. You've already captured one of us - like hell you'll get another."
The Queen gave a dismissive groan. "Your colleague violated our laws, taking fish that wasn't his. What would you do? You certainly believe in the rule of law, don't you?'
Latnok's suspicions were immediately vindicated. Now, what exactly did the Queen want?

Having eaten a paltry serving of fish that morning, Leoquin took more of a look around the area. None of the mermen were standing guard, at least not in the immediate area. There was a spring nearby, from which the mermen came and left; this most likely led out into the sea. The area had only a few cells; he was currently the only one imprisoned. The area itself looked neglected; rusty bars, unmaintained floors, small stones in places the walls were falling apart.
Hmm... He had to figure something out. He wasn't counting on the Raging Serpent waiting forever for his sake. He had some ideas, however - he wasn't about to let this Kesivara and her lackeys best him.

Arriving to the room, Lyon brought the paper to his daughter, and was visibly annoyed by the news.
“Of course. When it comes to prisoners, they waste no time. First page too.” she said bitterly, losing even more faith in the king than ever. After all her father has done for him, and after she trained for so long to work for him, this is how they were repaid?
“Lydia. Don’t you see? They want us captured. Not killed on sight. Outlaws lose the right to fight for their life in the arena or have a trial. We are outlaws, and yet our capture is demanded, not our execution.” Lyon explained, and while Lydia did find it peculiar, it eventually made her even more angrier.
“So what does that prove? King Seraos wants us alive to execute us in public instead of in secret to make an example out of us. Or maybe is to torture us in another prison...” she made a brief pause, remembering her own torture for a moment.
“No Lydia! Listen, do you think he would take the risk of having us just captured, especially if the people know of our crimes? Exceptions to established laws are always risky. If we turn ourselves in instead of waiting for somebody to get us...” Lyon started to say, but Lydia put her hand in his mouth.
“Daddy! Have you lost your mind!? They are going to execute us! Don’t you see that? Seraos just wants it done in public. Or maybe he wants to see it for himself. Or... this bounty could be a trap in order to lure us into the open! Haven’t you witnessed enough how much he has slipped? You served his father! You have been serving him ever since he was a little boy, and look where we are right now! Outlawed! Running away! Far away from home! Unable to show our faces in the place we called home! We can’t even take a swim anywhere! That’s how much he values your decades of work! That’s how much he values your life! That’s how much he values everything you have done for him AND his late father! You explained to him why you kept the centaur and his people a secret! And instead of believing you and see the noble action behind your risky move, he deems you a traitor in the blink of an eye! How can you still be loyal to him after how badly he has treated you!?” Lydia asked, so overwhelmed with sadness that she couldn’t help but to sit on the bed and put her head behind her knees to cry.

Lyon felt too terrible. He had to take a small pause before talking again.
“Lydia... I am so awfully sorry you’re going through this. I never should’ve told you about Sergeant Farlo or his people. I should’ve kept it to myself. If I did, they would’ve known you knew nothing and not take you in as an accomplice. I should be the one with this burden, not you.” he said, involving her being one of the biggest mistakes of his life.
“They would’ve taken me anyway. Even if I hadn’t known of your supposed crime, I wouldn’t have let them take you.” she commented, believing that no matter the difference in scenario, they were going to end up together anyway.
“You shouldn’t be here. You should be at your house right now. Eating a pleasant meal. Chatting with your friends. Maybe... with a boyfriend, just like that boy you rescued years ago.” Lyon expressed, Lydia being the only one who ever believed there was good in the son of one of the most dastard pirates of the last century.
“Come to think of it, he lives in Redwater now, doesn’t he? Heh, curious how life is.” he casually commented, never expecting fate to put him so close to them after so many years.
“Maverick... I remember his name. I even found out where he lives some months ago. I wanted to say hello, but he looked so happy. He’s married now... to a mermaid just like me. Imagine that. He even has children now. I didn’t want my presence to open up old wounds from the past.” she said gloomily, him being the first and only man she ever loved. How Lyon wished he could’ve seen how in love his daughter was with him back then. He could’ve encouraged her to follow her heart and go with him once she brought him to shore. Things might’ve been so different right now. But now the chance was lost. He was unavailable now. She was an outlaw, in the middle of a potential conflict. How could she experience happiness ever again?

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Sozen simply smiled and shook his head. “You may call me father if you wish little one. I am merely a guardian to protect you.” He then looked around for one of the guardians. “Someone come in her quick! The egg hatched! He looks like some kind of gryphon.” He then came closer to the little chick and nestled it close to him to keep it comfortable. Sozen once knew a gryphon in his younger years so he knew a little of the tongue. He made a small caw and coo sound in response.

"Father.. Warm, comfortable..," the gryphon chick 'spoke.' An Guardian soon rushed into the room and appeared to stare at the hatchling in awe; he began to jot down notes on a notepad. They were clearly interested in it, for scientific reasons or otherwise.

"You're right-- it's a gryphon. And not just any gryphon, it appears to be possibly be..," he said motioning for another Guardian to come in the room. The two briefly discussed possibilities. "Have you ever heard Purid The Lonesome? The last Leopard Gryphon?," the same Guardian than asked looking at Sozen. "Has he, by chance, shown the ability to communicate via telepathy yet?," the other Guardian then added. The gryphon, meanwhile, was very comfortable but somewhat cautious of the new people. They knew that some were hoping for a Fur Dragon, but this.. this was just as rare. Possibly. Gryphons themselves weren't the rarest things, but some were more capable than others. And Purid's kind was one such gryphon.

The conversation between Lyon and Lydia was unceremoniously interrupted by a merman walking in with a medium-sized metal box, which would need two hands to carry were it not for the handle. As if the others were not having a conversation, he made his way to the in-progress construction - the place for a sun crystal fixture - before setting down his box and opening it. Visible within the box was a small selection of tools of both mundane and magical nature, as well as the sun crystal to be installed.

Latnok couldn't afford to back down. "Laws? Why was no law like that communicated to us?" he demanded.
"Everything on this island is mine. That is common sense," the Queen retorted. "One should need no law to tell them that."
"Sounds like a BS charge to me. Where's the trial? Who's the jury?" Latnok continued to press. Though the Queen wasn't exactly the kind of creature he wanted to goad, he knew that showing weakness right now would only embolden her.
"If my mermen say that your colleague violated the law, then he did. It is that simple," Kesivara answered uncompromisingly.
Latnok had to think about how to move to negotiation without seeming to falter. "So what? You're going to keep him indefinitely now? Are we going to have to kill every last person here to get him back? Is that what it'll take? Because I don't think you're expecting us to leave without him."
"Do not bluff me. I know you wouldn't do that," Kesivara challenged.
"Try us and see," Latnok insisted.
"I am willing to make a deal with you," Kesivara offered. "Stay awhile. Help my people out. Once you have done enough, I will see your comrade freed."
"What is 'enough' here?" Latnok pressed. "And what guarantee do we have that you won't find some other reason to hold him?"
"It will be enough when my people are satisfied," Kesivara answered. "You would be doing this for them, not me. And as long as you don't do anything obviously wrong, then of course there won't be any more issues."
"Is that so...?" Latnok responded. "I see. I think we're done here for now, but you might be in touch with me again pretty soon."
"Wait. Before you leave..." Kesivara added, before Latnok could turn around, "consider this: you can stay here. All the people on the island? They could answer to you. You could even change things to your liking. I don't know too much about the minotaurs - but a human like yourself? I don't think it would be hard to find a mate for you. Or several, if you prefer. And the dragon - he would be well taken care of, like a dragon should be. If you two are as close as he says you are, surely you care enough about him for that?"
Latnok had a feeling this would com up. The Queen wanted them to stay, at any cost. She knew things could end badly for her if the ship left.
"I'll have to talk with the rest of the ship," Latnok answered, before beginning to leave. In his head, however, he was already thinking about his next move.

Lydia quickly dried out her tears, not wanting anyone that wasn’t her father to see her that way. While she said nothing, her face indicated she was visibly annoyed. Didn’t anyone knew how to knock around here? Lyon speculated that it wasn’t common to have a woman here, so it was likely not a practiced habit. He gave a brief thank you to the merman, who seemed very focused on his job and showed no indication of having heard their conversation. It wasn’t anything Lyon wanted to be known anywhere around here. They’d have to speak more quietly from now on, but for now, the father-daughter conversation needed to be in a halt...

Maverick would look at the shore to be the first to spot Latnok arriving. It was silly to be worried about him, but he was. Plus Leoquin remained missing, and he didn’t want to imagine what his poor merman friend was going through. In the same corner she was before, Huntress was being fidgety. Leoquin was one of the few people on the ship she genuinely liked.
“You’re worried about him, aren’t you?” Maverick asked, her nervousness becoming too apparent to ignore.
“Worried about a Guardian? You’re crazy!” she indicated.
“Not him. I mean señor Leoquin. The merman. I’ve seen how you greet him.” Maverick expressed, having spotted Huntress greeting him very cordially once or twice during their voyage.
“What? You were spying? I was being polite. Nothing more. And seriously, you should stop approaching like this. Why can’t you get the message already? Run along now before that red cockroach comes this way and goes all nuisance mode again.” Huntress said annoyedly in a low voice, not wanting to draw attention. She wanted to avoid Maverick, but Icestorm was now on the top of the list. Not wanting to get more rudeness from her, Maverick left her, sighing. It has been hard enough to befriend her and get her to open up more about why she hated him so much, and Icestorm just made it harder. Perhaps she needed a bit more time to cool off.

The gryphon let out a gentle bird-like 'purr', indicating that it was content. "The Leopard Gryphon or Spotted Leopard Gryphon as some called it-- the last known spotted gryphon. Purid the Lonesome was believed to have been the last one and any attempts to.. erm that is increase the population had ultimately failed. She, too, was known to use telepathy to communicate basic needs and desires. Nothing to the level of the equally rare Fur Dragon, but more so than most of her non-spotted kin.," the second Guardian spoke clearly have done their research on the subject.

It was also evident just how rare the organization as a whole considered Raclaw-- indeed part of the reason for collaring him on a more permanent basis. After he himself had brought the idea up of course. The Fur Dragon had worked up quite a bit of respect among the Guardians who mattered; his opinion was valued highly and his loyalty to them was also something to value very highly. The collar had gone from just a modified restraining collar ('prisoner' collar, then 'pet collar') to bespoke gear unique to the Fur Dragon themselves. And from the more scientist side of the Guardians, they were generally pleased that such an endangered dragon would accept such collar modifications for the sake of preserving both himself and his species as a whole.

---

MEANWHILE...

"Raclaw-- look!," Chester would bark as soon as he could see Raclaw. The small but aging Beagle jumped onto and worked his way up to the Fur Dragon's head, allowing himself a better look. "I can sense him. He seems.. worried, but confidant. I suspect that our suspicions were right and I suspect that he has a plan. Assuming Risar goes for it.," Raclaw said as he approached the railing and peered out onto their approaching human. They would have to let Latnok describe what he saw and heard; the technically lob-sided nature of their collar bond didn't quite allow for the full 'spying' capabilities that Latnok had done on himself. "Latnok--welcome back. What news do you bring of Leoquin?," Risar greeted with a slightly lest cheery tone as the Guardian boarded.

"You and everyone else.," the first Guardian responded. "Indeed-- it seems like some eggs are more determined to survive than others. And sometimes show up when again you least expect them.," the second one added inferring to Raclaw's own egg as well as the new newly hatched one. One rare creature was a miracle, but two? It was only a shame that without finding a second of each individual kind.. the two would remain rare and exclusive creatures. Without an mate and without offspring, such a creature would remain rare until the day they passed. Just like Purid before them. The two briefly pondered.

"If he is the last of his kind-- we keep him safe and we keep him alive. The last rare creature one of our kind found, we lost him and we didn't find him again for many years. We must not let that happen again; we cannot make the same mistake again.," one of the Guardians responded. "If only Latnok were here, he would have more insight as to what to do. But regardless-- we can keep him here for now, at least until he develops more. He will need someone to look after him and he seems to have taken a liking to you.," the other noted. As for the the gryphon's future, Latnok would certainly have a say on that. And Raclaw, being Latnok's partner and an rare creature himself. What a time for the egg to hatch...

Back at the so called golden cage, there was still no signs of the satyr girl remembering the crucial final memory, leading Sergeant Farlo to conclude there was only one way to get such memory back.
“Do not worry my dear. I won’t abandon you, but in order to recuperate the missing memory, we’ll have to take some other measures. I’ll be right back.” The centaur said as he left the room, beckoning one of the guards to come.
“She’s too traumatized by what happened. There’s only one thing we can do. She must meet the soldier she kicked. Perhaps seeing him in person is just what she needs to remember.” he suggested, hoping the guard was in a better mood than the last one.

The guard pondered for a moment before coming with a small solution.
“We can give word to the king about your suggestion. But we won’t promise any fast results.” he answered, much nicer than the last guard but still with a bit of sass. Nevertheless, this guard was much more agreeable.
“If you’re done with the satyr, we’ll move her back to her cell.” he explained as he prepared to retrieve.
“No! Please. That place is much nicer. I don’t know what the rules state, but please let her be there. At least until she meets this guard.” Sergeant Farlo pleaded, firmly believing it was going to take a while to convince him, but the guard surprise him.
“Fine. We’ll leave her there. It’s not like she can escape anyway. But talk to the king as fast as you can.” he said as he shrank his shoulders, believing there wasn’t much of a difference where she stayed as long as she was still locked up. Besides, she was still a child, so there was no need to be too cruel. He was going to fulfill the centaur’s wishes just this once, even though that was not the usual protocol.

As Latnok boarded the ship once more following his uneventful return, he was greeted by everyone waiting for him with bated breath. Such a thing was to be anticipated, after all, considering the creature he spoke to.
So came the inevitable question from Risar. "My fears were correct - Leoquin was captured by the Queen's mermen on some BS charge for taking the Queen's property by fishing," he answered indignantly. She days she's willing to free him if we help the islanders enough. Which sounds fair - except she refused to specify what 'enough' would be in this case."
Latnok considered what the Queen said after that, and found it best to leave out the details. "But the Queen made one thing very clear - she does not want us to leave. Remember Alithe's words? 'We'll never be free while she lives.' I know where this game is headed - and I'm already drafting a plan, which I'll be illustrating and finishing up in the bridge. In for a sliver, in for a scale..."

An emergency meeting had been called on the island after an islander discovered the enforcer's dead body. As he had noted, the body was brought to Alithe, with all of the islanders awaiting his autopsy.
"Where was this body found?" Alithe asked the islander.
"By a path in the forest near the start of the path to the iron mines," the islander answered. "My son found it while playing around."
Accusations immediately came forth. "It's those damn outsiders!" one of the enforcers confidently asserted. "I'm sure of it!"
Some voices immediately chimed in to give their support, before Alithe silenced them by raising his hands.
"Now, hold on... the evidence we have isn't in line with that idea," Alithe challenged. "The body was found near a patrol route, far away from where the outsiders are stationed. Outside of meeting with me, the outsiders have, for the most part, stayed near their ships. Having seen them myself, the weapons they have in their possession are axes, spears, and bows - the injuries here were done with a bludgeon, like a rod or a staff that our enforcers have. The injuries are all to the back of the head - suggesting an ambush, which suggests that someone might have been lying in wait."
Alithe then pointed to the enforcer that brought the accusation. "You, Collin," he said accusingly. "Were you not fighting with Elson earlier? Accusations of infidelity with your wife?"
Gasps and murmurs came forth from the crowd, as the enforcer looked back indignantly. "I had absolutely no idea about any of this until we started this meeting!" he said.
"There isn't enough evidence with just this to say it was you," Alithe answered. "What I am saying is that this is much more likely to have been done by one of us than by an outsider. The attack would be completely random for them, and they would be the perfect scapegoat for someone looking to kill someone else they had a problem with." Well, one thing was certain - an islander was the murderer...

Maverick felt like his heart literally sank to his stomach. He should’ve been with Leoquin. He should’ve kept an eye on him instead of obsessing with getting along with Huntress.
“Why that big b... I knew it!” Huntress said under her breath, but loud enough for the nearby Maverick to hear. She avoided swearing cause it wasn’t very ladylike. Since the faun man was already looking her way, she addressed to him this time.
“See what the precious dragon did? ‘She probably just doesn’t know any other way of life.’ Yeah right!” she expressed, mocking Maverick’s sympathy for the dragon yesterday.
“We’ll get señor Leoquin back. I know it. Señor Latnok will have a plan. He always does.” Maverick assured, feeling horribly guilty but having much faith in Latnok. He had to to avoid being a sobbing mess.
“And what about the dragon? Won’t you feel bad if it’s killed? I bet you’d do something as stupid as asking for it to be spared, given your absurd love for the scaled, fire breathing abominations, aren’t you? You sounded so sure yesterday that she was just a misled, misunderstood beast, but guess what? Reality just hit you in all it’s raw splendor! The monster doesn’t want us to leave! It just wants more slaves! Or maybe turn us into ash or eat us! Whatever comes first!” Huntress said with certainty, now hating the dragoness even more, and waiting with interest what Maverick had to say next and see if he had the galls to defend her even after getting one of his friends imprisoned. Maverick was still thinking about what to say and what to do. Why would the dragoness didn’t want them to leave? Was she perhaps... afraid? Afraid that her way of life was in danger? Or her life? Was she perhaps afraid that if they left, they’d return with an army? Maverick didn’t have any other explanation as to why she wouldn’t want them to leave, unless Huntress was right and the Queen was simply trying to get more servants.

The guard gave the order to have Farlo’s message delivered. He entrusted a woman who was one of the fastest messengers in the prison.
“Olive! We got a message for the king. We need it delivered ASAP.” The guard indicated, dictating to her what the centaur said to him and her taking notes so it could get in the hands of Seraos as fast as possible. Once the note was finished, she prepared her wyvern, a beautiful and rare albino animal that only got along with her and blended perfectly with the day sky. It wasn’t the fastest or fiercest wyvern around, and it was slightly more susceptible to sunburns, but it was perfect as a deliverer, especially for afternoon or cloudy days where the sun wasn’t so strong. Saddling up, Olive headed to the palace, estimating she would arrive in around one hour and a half at this speed. The wyvern ate recently so it wasn’t as fast as other times, but she trusted no other two legged dragon for the job.

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As Latnok boarded the ship once more following his uneventful return, he was greeted by everyone waiting for him with bated breath. Such a thing was to be anticipated, after all, considering the creature he spoke to.
So came the inevitable question from Risar. "My fears were correct - Leoquin was captured by the Queen's mermen on some BS charge for taking the Queen's property by fishing," he answered indignantly. She days she's willing to free him if we help the islanders enough. Which sounds fair - except she refused to specify what 'enough' would be in this case."
Latnok considered what the Queen said after that, and found it best to leave out the details. "But the Queen made one thing very clear - she does not want us to leave. Remember Alithe's words? 'We'll never be free while she lives.' I know where this game is headed - and I'm already drafting a plan, which I'll be illustrating and finishing up in the bridge. In for a sliver, in for a scale..."

"If someone wants someone bad enough-- they'll come up with an excuse to keep them.," Risar said with a slight sigh. He internally recalled how some freed Minotaurs in his homeland would be captured and 'reclaimed' under the law due to some BS reason. Such things happened when a land legally allowed for freedom of his kin, but knew that one more free Minotaur meant one less productive 'cattle.' "I'm not surprised-- she seemed scared and clearly desperate. And she knows that if we leave, we'll more than likely coming back. With reinforcements.," Raclaw added either not picking up or commenting on the bit about him. The Minotaur looked at the Fur Dragon with an nod of agreement. "Hmm. I'll help you plan-- I know my men's strengths. And weaknesses.," he then added. Chester, meanwhile, was looking out with concern, both for Leoquin and for everyone else.

---

MEANWHILE...
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“I will be honored to take care of him. Once he is big enough I’ll teach him to fly.” He said as he gently nuzzled the hatchling. “Now what to call you.”

"Something to think on. He'll be one-of-a-kind among his kin and should have a name that he'll be proud to have.," One of the Guardians responded. "A name that may just end up going down history.. or at least a museum. Like Latnok's own.. that is, like the other unique creature we are happy to host.," the other one responded. Some Guardians considered Raclaw his own being, while others still clearly-- at least in part-- considered Raclaw to be the being *of* an Guardian. It was a notable difference, although most at least had respect for the unique Fur Dragon. In any case, the subject of ownership really only applied because of Aelinon law. And as far as this new unique creature was concerned, the Sanctuary was still in neutral territory.

Once in the bridge, Latnok grabbed some stationery from his pack, and began making illustrations. Before long, they were identifiable as a rough diagram of the Queen's abode.
"Okay, so here's what I'm thinking," Latnok began. "With the Queen having complete control of the island, our best chance of getting Leoquin is to wrest it from her. We'd have to do that from her cold, dead forelimbs."
Latnok drew several lines of movement, to places identifiable as residences. "Now, fighting the Queen head-on would be very ill-advised. I am the only one here both trained and equipped to survive a fight with her for more than a few seconds, and I'm not winning that fight unless she has a sudden heart attack."
Latnok pointed to the illustration of the Queen, which was on the lowest level of her lair. "Now, what else do we know about the queen? Once night is decently settled in, she heads to the lowest level here to sleep. At that time, no islanders are there," he noted. "Now, I recall what we did against the ishiuds on the island with all those 'byproducts' - blow the place up, and bring it collapsing down. Moving his finger, he pointed to a figure identifiable as a pillar - one of four. "The problem is that the place is supported by these four pillars. They're very sturdy - good construction. And we don't have the explosives we had there."
Latnok motioned his finger around the houses he drew lines to. "You know what we do have? Or rather, what we can acquire? The manpower of the islanders. Alithe has been waiting a long time, and is prepared to rally the islanders to his cause once the opportunity presents itself. The enforcers are who keeps everyone in line."
Latnok moved his finger over the lines he made earlier. "That's where we come in. Now, I hope you're ready for a coup," he said with a hint of enthusiasm. "What do we know? The islanders are ill-equipped, as a direct result of the Queen's ban on the development of most weapons. Big thing - that means no bows. Magic is naturally banned as well - so none of that either. Two of the biggest advantages humans would have in battle with minotaurs - a non-factor here. Our men are significantly stronger, they're better equipped, and they're better trained. I take it there wouldn't need to be much fighting - a show of force would likely get most to surrender. I don't anticipate any casualties on our part from this."
Latnok pointed back at the pillars. "Once we do that, Alithe can round up the islanders - he knows what to do. Thought the islanders are lacking in dangerous weapons, what they do have that we don't - not in any major measure - are tools to work. Mining, excavation, artisanal tasks. With their help, we can work on getting those upper two levels weakened - but not destroyed. They have architects - they will have a rough idea of what's needed."
Latnok pointed to the lowest level. "Fortunately, the Queen, being as big as she is, isn't bothered by most of the noises we'd be making on the upper levels, much like how a cat breaking stuff probably wouldn't register to someone living on the floor below. The same can't be said for her level. Above ground is already out of the picture. I do, however, have tunneling magic at my disposal. Given how solid the ground there is, I'm going to need to pot up for the power to dig fast enough," he said - 'pot up' referring to his use of the dragon's blood brew.
He continued by drawing a line from a nearby quarry to the lower pillars. "I'll dig right under the foundations, and damage them there. Raclaw will remain with the islanders in the two levels above, and we'll be able to coordinate that way. I'll prepare four explosive arrows - not going to make a boom like black powder, but it'll allow us all to be out of the lair before I set them off, doing enough damage to finish the pillars. It's important that each level is damaged appropriately - otherwise, the collapse of the level below it wouldn't cause it to collapse in turn, at least from my judgment."
Latnok pointed to the Queen once again. "Knowing dragons and how much their temperature cools while asleep, I'll have some time - but not forever - before the disturbance wakes up the Queen," he surmised, putting his experience in dragon slaying to good use. "Probably more in her case, considering her size. Still, it's not forever - which is why the work has to get done as quickly as possible. I need to be moving in as soon as you guys are done with the other levels."
Latnok stood upright, done outlining the major facets of his plan. "Any questions?" he asked - though he anticipated at least one, the plan itself was rather straightforward, requiring no sophistication whatsoever to follow. As far as the crew was concerned, they would just roll in and hand control over to Alithe. Latnok had not just assumed what kind of help the islanders were able to offer - every part of his strategy involving Alithe was based on what the scribe had communicated.

Maverick was sweating as he heard the plan, once again he was dragged into a dangerous adventure. Just when he was hoping this would be a calming search voyage with none of the deadly predicaments he and Angora went through together so many times in the past. He was very worried about Leoquin, but deep inside, he was feeling bad for the Queen. Dragons were few, and the fact that it seemed like such a necessity to kill one as mighty and long-lived as this one. But people’s lives were at stake. Was there really no other way? By complete opposite, Huntress heard the plan with delight on her face, relishing at the possibility of killing a dragon, one of her long last dreams since so many years. However, when Latnok asked if there were questions, she was not going to let the opportunity pass.
“Great plan! Well thought and elaborated. You Guardians truly earn your reputation. But... there’s one teensy little problem...” she took a brief pause before continuing.

“The islanders. Clearly they have this blind belief that the beast is their oh so mighty protector. If they find out about this, even if they can’t win against us, numbers and their equipment will no doubt help them a lot. We’re not going to convince them to stop believing in a generation’s old fairy tale. And above all, how do we know we can trust this Alithe fellow? We barely know him, and there’s always a chance that he’s loyal to the Queen and that this supposed will to help us is a trap. I don’t mean to question your planning skills of course. I just want to know if you have... maybe a plan B in case this one doesn’t work out?” Huntress asked in the sweetest, most gentlest and polite voice Maverick has ever heard her use. It shocked him a lot. Was this the same woman? Huntress didn’t like Latnok, and knew he didn’t like her for who knows what reason, but would rather have him in a good mood and show him the respect he believed he deserved.

Huntress' question was surprisingly reasonable. "That's a very smart question," Latnok replied. "I'll give you the major factors in my calculations. First - the islanders themselves aren't in the best physical condition, owing to their limited food intake. Besides the Queen, the enforcers get the most food - and they are the only ones trained to fight. Even then, the difference in strength and stature between a human and a minotaur is immense. I can't outmuscle Risar, and I'm enhanced beyond a typical human, and I eat and train well. Simply put, they cannot match our men." Latnok's confidence in Risar's crew was very apparent, and further enhanced by seeing their skill as they trained.
Latnok wasn't done yet, however - if Huntress was hoping to show a huge hole in his thinking in order to take him down a notch, she would be disappointed. "Then there's the matter of equipment. The biggest advantage humans have when fighting minotaurs are weapons that minotaurs lack the dexterity to use effectively - like bows or guns - and magic. Magic isn't taught, bows are banned, and considering the knowledge the islanders have came from centuries ago, the concept of a gun doesn't exist. The weapons we'll be seeing are blunt weapons - things that cannot pierce dragonhide effectively. They'd have to try pretty hard to hurt a minotaur that wasn't trying to fight - now imagine one with armor, and a significant reach advantage with their own weaponry of choice. That's not going to happen."
The matter of Alithe was also a decent question - at least at a surface level. Latnok's own knowledge, however, made it feel almost pointless. "Now, about Alithe," Latnok began. "I could tell you about all the ways this 'trap' would be a completely asinine maneuver for the Queen to do - how it would lead to the people she relies on getting mercilessly slaughtered, causing her to inevitably starve. I could tell you about how those centuries-old documents line up with history as far as it concerns the Ardent Guardians - down to specific deployment dates - and would be pretty hard to fake. I could tell you about Alithe killing an enforcer who was randomly trying to search his room due to his talks with us. Or I could tell you that my dear friend Raclaw, as you might have forgotten, is pretty good at reading people, and we got nothing but sincerity from Alithe. All of those things individually would establish his trustworthiness."
That aside, Latnok still had the matter of the islanders to address. "Though the islanders worship the Queen, they highly respect Alithe, and he is the arbiter of the truth they know - the Queen granting that authority and responsibility to him and all the other scribes," he explained. "Just as they are the ones who push the Queen's propaganda, the people will listen to him, provided the enforcers don't forcibly try to shut him down - which is why it's important for us to establish control here. Though Alithe is the lead scribe, there are several others - and they all can verify the authenticity of the documents once Alithe shares them."
Even then, Latnok wasn't done. "As for a Plan B? If the Queen awakens prematurely, then we'll count on me being quick with my bow. Fortunately, I'm pretty good at fighting dragons - though it won't win us the fight, the tactics will buy us time. I do what I would do to fight a dragon - two barbed arrows telekinetically pulled back to me to rip a hole in her wings - which would immediately ground her and significantly wound her if she's flying - and I follow up with anti-magic arrows coated with dragonsbane - a very generous portion in this case, despite how limited the stuff is. It's a short-acting neurotoxin to dragons - painful to the point of debilitation, and it causes convulsions, though in the Queen's case it'll probably just make her struggle a bit. That would buy us enough time to escape. We would have to leave Leoquin behind... but I don't count on that happening. In the event the islanders won't comply, despite Alithe's efforts... well, with our force around, let's just say that they'll be very eager to comply. So there you have it." Latnok was pretty amazed at how far he had come - this sort of plan would never be something he came up with years ago.

"Aye-- the plan is sound! And you can count on my men to do their part.," Risar responded showing his approval of the plan thus far. Latnok was right in several regards; his men had the power/will while the Guardian had the experience and the expertise in going against one such as the queen. Another trusted minotaur grunted and nodded in a manner not unlike that of the caption himself. While he didn't immediately formally issue the order to follow though, it was very much implied that the 'following though' was exactly what they were going to do. "Agreed.," Raclaw responded showing his (probably suspected to be bias) support for the plan. "While we didn't immediately plan to have to take down the Queen-- we have the people, we have the tools, and.. and we have the motivation. We will succeed if everyone does their part.," Raclaw said offering a confidant nod and looking at the others. A dragon and a dragon hunter helping a dragon rider take down a dragon. Somewhere in there was a joke, a bad punchline, a heavy dose of irony, and just a touch of betrayal in the cold dead eyes of a dragon queen. Chester didn't comment on the matter, knowing that he would probably stay behind for his own safety.

Huntress listened carefully, her face showing nothing but focus as each word was spoken. How funny that a Guardian, who had the reputation of being smart yet merciless to their enemies, used eloquent words such as asinine. It was ridiculous though, that Latnok, who was talking and planning to kill a dragon, had such faith in another dragon, no matter how different it was. The islanders were not the only ones with blind faith here.
“Well then, I sincerely hope this Alithe is no master in faking emotions. It calms me to know there is at least a plan B, one I pray never goes along. This Leoquin merman is quite the good lad. I believe you already know very well though, that even if we don’t lose our own people, we might lose a few islanders trying to stop us if they still believe in the Queen and not even Alithe is enough to stop them.” Huntress warned, though she doubted she had to tell Latnok that. She didn’t know too much about Guardians, but they didn’t strike her as the kind who would feel guilty if they lose a few innocents in the crossfire. Since everybody had no questions and she was seemingly alone in her reasonings, Huntress said no more. Maverick was surprised she asked such intelligent questions and managed to avoid a negative reaction out of Latnok, who usually didn’t like to be somewhat challenged, but still, he couldn’t help thinking if Huntress was really concerned about the islanders and themselves or if she was simply trying to ridicule the young Guardian’s plan somehow. He knew for a fact Huntress didn’t like Guardians either, or at least just Latnok.

Throughout the rest of the morning, Angora dozed off along with Veris in the enclosure as they digested their food, not wanting to leave him alone and allowing him to enjoy her presence for as long as the time remaining allowed. The wyvern was so quiet that if it wasn’t for his breathing, she would think he was dead. It came the moment where the silence was driving her crazy. She missed the Veris that played and talked plenty with her.
“Tell me something Veris. What does it take for you to really be happy? What does it take to finally feel like you have everything? What should happen that you’ll say, I don’t need anything else anymore?” Angora suddenly asked, already asking him a similar question some time ago, but afraid the answer could be different after the attack. It terrified her to think the hatred Veris could develop for his companions by that one near deadly event...