darkSpyro

Angora looked more amused than scared by his attitude and threat.
"Oh don't be a fool. Trolls aren't edible. We aren't hunted for that purpose. Well... except maybe a manticore, but those beasts are too stupid for their own good." Angora assured, having been viciously attacked by one once. Even though she had been traumatized for a long time and still had a few scars from that encounter, it had been years ago and she got over it. Shade's threat didn't intimidated her, believing he couldn't be capable of such a thing, especially in his current condition.

Angora's amusement was starting to turn into annoyance.
"Don't you growl at me! I'm doing YOU and all of us a favor. Look how you left that poor tree!" The little troll indicated, pointing at the torched thing.
"So from now on, I'll be like a little thorn down your paws." Angora remarked, determined to keep Shade awake. That was part of the watch, wasn't it? She didn't' realize he was genuinely getting provoked, and believed his threats were empty. Even though she currently didn't have her armor activated, she wasn't afraid of him.

"Perhaps we all get a little sleepwalking in our lives, but you... you have all these crazy, creepy powers. So you better not get too comfortable or you'll destroy this area that brings us protection, and maybe even us!" Angora scolded, wanting Shade to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that she wanted to keep him awake to prevent tragedy.
"Besides, all your stupid snoring scared away all the potential meals. You owe me a breakfast!" she then added, that ironically being her biggest priority.

Sounds of Shade speaking faintly filtered into Latnok's dreams. As the sun started peaking over the horizon, Latnok slowly slipped out of his sleep and into wakefulness. Though not perfect, he felt rested enough to perform his duties effectively. Immediately standing up, the first thing he noticed was Angora and Shade chatting.
Well, she definitely took watchlonger than she should have... Latnok thought. I probably should have taught her how to track time... He was somewhat irritated - bad enough that he had to babysit the troll, now he had to deal with her being sleep-addled. That was a problem for later, though. For now, while the others in the group were asleep, he was going to go hunting. Before any such thing, though, he began donning his armor - first the leggings, then the torso, then the boots, and finally the helmet - the piece that would turn him into a faceless monster, the nightmare of creatures that humans feared.

Angora was getting very bored of this conversation, and really tired of fighting with Shade on the matter. Even though she wanted to continue keeping him awake, she was sleep deprived herself as well as hungry.
"Oh fine! Go to sleep you wimp. But only for a short time. If there is even the tiniest hint that you'll go all loco again, I'll whack you harder, with an even bigger stick!" Angora warned, now being her the one doing the threatening. She turned her back to him and sat on the soil, just in time to see a certain despicable human putting up the last of his armor.

"Oh goodie. Here I thought this day couldn't get any worse. Boy wonder has just awoken." Angora whispered as she quietly glared at Latnok. She didn't have enough energy to start an argument with anybody, instead saving what little she had left to prepare and wake up Shade when the time comes. She was feeling so bitter, and was hating everybody in that area, even Dex for not sharing his meal. She was hoping she would be lucky enough to have a rat or any small creature passing her by to provide her with an easy hunt.

With the last of his armor put on, Latnok began making his way through the landscape, to the area where he suggested the group set up camp initially. Sure, one could try to hunt right now, but there was a certain food that he had been aching to try...

Coming to the river, Latnok walked into the shallow end without hesitation. A cursory scan allowed him to find exactly what he was looking for - some brush at the edge of the river. After some brief wading, he reached out into the brush - and felt a hefty bite from a particularly large catfish, though his armor protected him. Perfect.
Grabbing it by the gills, he stood up, dragging it out of the water. It was a tough thing, but wouldn't be as feisty once it was out in the air for a bit. A bit away from the shore, he laid the creature down. Now for some firewood...

Angora picked a rock near her, being too tired to walk and search for a big stick. She would simply threw it at Shade if he went too far. She saw how Latnok left, and couldn't care less. After a while, she fell backwards to sleep a little herself, unable to contain her own sleepiness. She hoped she could dream about food so she wouldn't have to feel too hungry when she woke up.

After assembling the firewood, Latnok grabbed his knife. With a few quick cuts, he gutted the fish, keeping them to the side for now, potentially for use as bait. A quick ignite later, and the fire was set. Using some of the longer sticks to set up a makeshift spit, he skewered the fish and slowly turned it over the fire. Nothing like a nice meal to warm the spirits...
There was one more thing that would help kick-start the morning... Fishing in his pack, he grabbed a reddish-brown vial. Diluted dragon blood mixed with preservatives, juice, and a bit of wine - not enough to even mildly affect a grown man. As he rotated the fish, he took sips from his vial. He could feel incredible warmth spreading through his blood vessels, and a shot of energy removed any grogginess he might have had.

As expected, Angora fell asleep herself, unavoidably succumbing to the sleep she missed last night. She was hoping to dream about food and wake up well rested and active so that she could hunt more successfully later on, but as it turned out, she wasn't the only one having nightmares. Similarly to Shade, she dreamt of his corrupted form. She saw him returning to that terrifying appearance, only this time, he was offering her a chance to have enough power to destroy Latnok and have revenge, but even with the temptation, she refused, and Shade cruelly punished her by slowly shrinking her until she was erased out of existence.

Such disturbing dream was enough for Angora to abruptly wake up. She was still sitting on the same patch of soil, being welcomed by the scent of cooked fish. But for once, she ignored her hunger and looked behind her to see the lied down Shade, being restless in his sleep. She had the rock in her hand and was ready to use it. Shade's power were contained and he wasn't corrupted anymore, but now Angora was starting to wonder if there was the risk of him returning to his evil self. Such doubt made her wonder if she should've let Latnok kill him, even if it meant encouraging his sadistic hobby.

OOC: I was waiting on SC but seems like you guys are all waiting on me.

Magic was not only good for operating strongholds and killing monsters. Sometimes, it had more mundane uses. Latnok was demonstrating such at the moment - using his knowledge of heat magic to evenly distribute the heat of the fire and cook the fish thoroughly, both on the inside and the outside. After some time, and a few taste tests, Latnok determined the meat was at its best condition for eating, and removed it from the fire, placing it on a tarp he had prepared for the occasion. Pulling out his dagger, he began cutting the fish up into many, many smaller portions - allowing for more convenient eating and storage. Just one thing missing...
Some watercress would probably make this a bit better. Fortunately, he didn't have to go far - watercress was widely available in the river and lake. He stepped away for a few moments in his endeavor to find some.

Angora looked at Latnok for a brief moment, believing the petty human was showing off with his magic. She said nothing though, and continued watching Shade. She was waiting for him to wake up so that he could hunt her food. It was his fault she was unsuccessful last night. She wanted to hit him with the rock so badly. Not only did he sabotaged her hunt, he had threatened her after she went as far as to defend him from Latnok. She wanted to teach him a little lesson after he was done hunting.

After finding some watercress, Latnok pulled a small mortar and pestle from his bag. It didn't take him long to have the watercress ground into a fine powder. He spread the ground watercress evenly on the cooked fish, taking care not to apply too much lest it offset the taste. Normally, that would be the least of his concern, but with the others still well asleep, he had some time for a nice meal to warm the spirits. Sitting down on the tarp, he began downing pieces of the fish, with more sips from his vial to help it move along.

Ignoring the delicious smell and the cook responsible, Angora continued focusing on the restless Shade, rock still at hand. She has been aiming for the forehead, but as she watched him, she focused on the snout.
"Hmm, one of those teeth could make a really fine necklace." she whispered to herself, wondering if she could knock one out and claim it was an accident.

OOC: What the... What happened while I was gone? I haven't had computer access for a while, so...

OOC: That pretty much covers it. I'm not sure what to post, but I'll do to keep the story moving.

Avoiding the temptation of stealing Latnok's food, Angora continued to see Shade nonstop, having taken seriously her watch job. The surroundings were already protected by Latnok's annoying magic, so there was no need to keep on guard except with Shade. She got the confidence to walk closer to him, examining his body in search for any weak points. If he turned evil again, it would be useful to know where to attack. She walked around him cautiously, still grasping the rock and ready to run away if his body heat intensified...

OOC: I was there when Shade was defeated, and when we followed Latnok. I don't know what happened after the blacksmith found out he couldn't repair Star's ChronoModifier. I haven't been on since.

OOC: The group left the caves and are camped somewhere not too far away. The sun has just come up after they slept.

Dex was now looking at the group. "What are they doing? This looks more like kids play then mission to safe the world" he thought, but still he was interested enough to see what happens and made sure he could see what is happening.

Angora saw he was acting the very same way he did just a few hours ago, and knew too well what would be coming next.
"Alright! I've seen enough! WAKE UP!" the small troll said as she threw the rock. She initially aimed at the forehead, but she remembered about the teeth, so she threw it at his snout hoping one would drop, although right now, her top priority was simply to wake the dragolet before he destroyed more part of the forest.

"Ugh, now what?" Angora said, starting to feel the heat. Troll skin was thick enough to resist both heat and cold, but Shade was another story. Since the heat wasn't strong enough yet, Angora decided to seize the moment and kick him as hard as she could in the snout, resisting the red aura.
"WAKE UP YOU BEAST!" she said with her eyes closed, not knowing if she managed to kick him or if the aura prevented her from touching him.

Angora grunted in frustration, glaring at Orion.
"And what do you think you're doing standing around? You're the great, oh powerful deity. Do something!" she demanded, wondering with annoyance what the Galaxy Dragon was waiting for. She left to find a bigger stick, hoping that another whack would be enough to penetrate that aura and hit him...

As soon as her eyes gre used to the surroundings again, Angora picked the first stick she found,being about the same size as the last one.
"Alright now, finally! But we're not out of the blue yet. He can still spontaneously combust and destroy most of the forest." Angora commented, as she started the almost routinely hits with the stick.
"Waker wakey beastly beauty! You're doing it again!" the tiny troll yelled as she clubbed his head, grasping the stick even harder than before so that Shade would be unable to get it out of her hands.

Star poked his head out of Latnok's bag and yawned. "Oh... Dear Arceus... How long have I been asleep? Where am... Oh, right."

Darkheart was nowhere in sight. Hidden in shadows, she watched the group. Again. As she watched the troll's apparently futile efforts to wake Shade, she growled. Suddenly she manifested herself again, stepping out of the shadows as if from a building. "You certainly seem to be having an eventful night. And you seem to have mangled the expression, or at least the use. 'Out of the blue' is something happening unexpectedly."
Star winced at the mix-up. Ugh... That makes me... "Sic." He smiled inwardly at the quip and silently debated making the comment before deciding there were less dangerous people to annoy.

OOC: Grammar Nazis: You can't escape them, even in fictional roleplays!

Angora was in awe. She had expected a rock to drop a tooth, but she never imagined a stick would do the trick.
"It was an accident! I was trying to wake you up you ungrateful beast! You were going rogue again!" Angora explained, keeping an innocent face. She was genuinely surprised by his tooth falling out that way, but one little smirk indicated she was glad to be able to do it even if it wasn't in the way she intended.

Star had only ever seen that look in a mirror while plotting mischief. He couldn't help but grin. Deciding to mess with Shade a bit, he commented "I thought dragons were, you know, tough." Darkheart gave him a warning glare, which he summarily ignored. "A little stick shouldn't be able to knock out a tooth on such MAGNIFICENT creatures. Maybe we could get an orthodontist or something for you."

Angora looked very a used with that comment, given Shade wasn't a real dragon. She didn't remember what his species was, but they were clearly not the same. She sensed Darkheart's eerie presence somewhere but ignored it, this scene being too interesting.

Angora looked as cold and neutral as she did with his previous threat.
"Fine, be that way. After all, I did let you sleep like you asked and defended you from that human when nobody else was, but if you want to be a jerk, I don't care. But don't forget, you owe me a breakfast." Angora remarked calmly, not being afraid of Shade, believing that he could do no harm to anybody as long as he had that collar AND was awake.

"Well he doesn't have to be a jerk about it! I'm trying to keep this forest intact!" Angora expressed angrily, being grumpy herself. She didn't sleep well either, and she was very hungry, something that she still blamed on Shade.
"Now go ahead and hunt something!" Angora then said rudely to Shade, wanting badly to eat.

Being too far from the uproar and not having direct line of sight, Latnok was not able to identify what was happening. He was bringing the rest of the fish, wrapped up in the tarp, when he managed to barely catch the tail end of what had happened. Walking over to what appeared to be a tooth, he picked it up, then looked at Shade, then the others.
"...again?" he said blankly. "Do you really need someone to discuss your feelings with that badly? Or something to cuddle at night? Because as of now, it seems that just not letting you sleep and dragging you around is the safest thing for all of us," he said, directed at Shade. He really just wanted to have the collar choke Shade and be done with him, but would keep him alive as long as Orion insisted. Besides that, he set the tarp down, the sliced fish being plenty to eat for most.
"Eat up, everyone. Or don't, if you fear I've poisoned the food. Everyone has to eat before we move on, though." As tempting as taking a lick of the blood on the tooth was, Latnok decided it was not for the best until he fully understood Shade's ability to corrupt. He simply tossed the tooth in his bag for now and went back to his rock.

Angora was about to accept the fish without question, but first, she was casually going to pick up the tooth when Latnok went ahead of her.
"Hey! What do you think you're doing? I dropped that tooth and I saw it first! Give it back!" Angora said furiously, wanting to take it by force. She was the one who made it fall and she wasn't going to let a greedy human take it away from her.

Latnok sighed. Way too early in the morning for him to want to deal with the troll. Unfortunately, the personal silencing spell did not persist past sleep. He once again cast the spell, with the same glowing effect, waving his casting hand dismissively at Angora. "I didn't think you were one for taking trophies," he telepathed to her. "Now don't bother me. This can be more useful than just being a plaything to you." He would need some time later to do an analysis on its properties, but for now, he simply held on to it.

Raclaw started to eat his fill of the fish, simply shaking his head at Angora purposely causing conflict among the party. Sometime between the previous couple days and now, he had silently used a command on his own collar and caused its appearance to slightly alter to once again reveal the previously seen buckle. The last thing he wanted was to become another Shade-- and the buckle would at least differentiate his collar (having willingly chosen to wear it and having control) verses that of Shade's if anyone asked. He got between Angora and Shade, wanting to keep an eye on the two and hoping to avoid further conflict.

Star pounced on a fish and devoured it. It took him a moment to realize that yes, he HAD just eaten a whole fish in what seemed to be mere second. "I, uh, I guess I was hungry..." he murmured to no one in particular.

"You're not the only one who has experienced some form of corruption. I know what it's like to not be in complete control of yourself, even if only briefly. You'll get through this and eventually the others will see you for who you truly are. It's only a matter of time.," Raclaw said looking back at Shade. His experience wasn't quite the same, but he could at least relate to the collared dragolet.

The sight of Star devouring fish was rather amusing to Latnok. "Well, then, I'm glad you enjoyed it! Nothing like a good meal to keep the spirits up. If you feel like eating some other animal here, I will have no problem hunting it - just let me know." Looking at the tooth in his hand for a moment, he then turned his gaze towards Shade.

"You know, we have quite a bit of a problem. There is no feasible way to allow him to get restful sleep without him becoming a massive risk to us. At the same time, sleep is essential, and dragging him around when he can barely think straight won't be the easiest task in the world. Any suggestions?" Despite thorough consideration of all of his items and his knowledge of medicine (albeit limited), he did not have a ready solution in mind. The potion he had for giving him energy would only work on Ascended like himself - not other humans or dragons.