darkSpyro

The mine leader readily took the artifact from Angora. Upon doing so, vines burst forth from the ground. As he placed the orb within the grasp of the vines, they receded back into the ground from whence they came, taking the orb with them. "Thank you for your contribution," he said. "Though you may feel sad at the moment, you have shown an important quality - the willingness to sacrifice. You may be pleasantly surprised at what happens in the future..." As he spoke, the mark on Angora's hand began to vanish. "I have a feeling that this is not the last time we'll meet."

The troll winced as she saw the orb disappeared with the vines, swallowed up by the earth. She watched as the mark on her hand disappeared, finally signaling her freedom, although not a very happy one. With lowered ears, she looked at the mine leader, wondering if she had done the right thing giving such a precious artifact to somebody she barely knew. He helped Shade, but only because she made that deal.
"Sure..." Angora briefly replied unenthusiastically, not looking forward to meeting him again. He already got what he wanted. Why else would he still want to meet her? But above all, why was he interested in her happiness anyway? She doubted he would answer if she asked, so Angora didn't bother.
"So... sir, you have what you want. Can I leave now?" she asked in a polite, yet bored tone, still uncertain with her decision. There was no turning back though. The orb was gone now. She started to think that a task as she originally thought would've been better than giving away her invaluable treasure.

The representative took the letter from Sapphire with a nod, before putting it away in a scroll case and moving out. Meanwhile, the priest began to head out - his destination was not anywhere further in the city at this hour, but rather for the city limits.

"We have no further need of you now," the mine leader said. "Your rebirth still awaits... there is much that you have yet to learn. But I bid you farewell. Return to your life for now - you will know when to act when the time comes."
Meanwhile, the ship was being brought around to the same dock it originally arrived at. Ilasi, finqlly feeling comfortable enough, stepped out; Leoquin did not have the leisure of choosing to stay inside, having to be out to navigate the ship.
"Let's go, Raclaw," Latnok gently encouraged. "Hey, I'll even carry you, just like the last time." Latnok brirfly recalled that moment - very similar to recent feelings in that it pushed him near the point of total apathy. Maybe things could be different this time - so he hoped.

Raclaw offered no resistance to the offer, being too weak to do otherwise. Instead-- he offered a slight smile and an nod, briefly recalling the memory from his perspective. Risar, meanwhile, was a little singed and kept an eye on things. Poor Raclaw was as black as Shade himself -- the cost of being so connected during such an event.

Elsewhere, Chester watched from the deck with concern. That black dragon-- was that Raclaw and why was he being carried?! He had seen his fur dragon friend be injured multiple times already and hated seeing his beloved master in pain.

Angora opened her mouth to say something, but she felt it was better if she didn't question this enigma of a human being too much... if he WAS human. With a nervous nod as farewell, she prepared to leave the mine leader's presence to be with Shade, feeling so empty without the orb hanging around her neck. First most of her clothes, skin and hair burnt off, and now she had to gave up on an artifact that has been with her for so many years. How many more trials would she had to endure? And why did this stranger kept talking about nonsense like rebirth and act? It baffled her not to know why such an intense interest in her and her happiness. But then again, Shade, Maverick, Neo and even Orion himself have shown great interest in her, so perhaps it wasn't so strange? Her bewilderment and nervousness was turning more into curiosity. She didn't know how he planned to meet her again if she was going to sail very far away from here, but figured that someone with his kind of magic would have his ways.

From that position, the ship could already be seen in the distance. Picking up Chester, they both saw the horizon, knowing their friends were somewhere up those hills.
"Look boy. We're finally here. We'll soon see our amigos heading this way." he commented to the beagle without seeing to the distance immediately, instead focusing on purposely being close to Ilasi once she stepped out, though trying to be discrete about it. He barely talked to her yesterday with the hassle of the chores he tasked himself with in order to be ready for today, but now that everything was over and Shade was hopefully going to return to normal without going rogue, there was time to do almost anything they wanted.

Sapphire was using her time at the blackmarket like Dex had asked her. She thought that it would be stupid to just sit around, so She started to look for stuff they might need in the future. And of course She was bit curious, because every blackmarket was under different leader even though all of them where a connected network. So there might be stuff in Redwater that was not in any other blackmarket.

Dex was still after the priest. After he noticed where the priest was going he knew it might take a long time to follow him.... but...... he knew this was something he needed to do in order to get the job done someday

OOC: New character incoming. Be prepared

Name: Huntress
Age: 27
Species: Human
Good or evil: Neutral
Appearance: Honey colored hair reaching below the knees, usually kept in a ponytail. Emerald green eyes and light skin. Leathered dark brown boots with spikes on their sides and front that can be activated. Heat and cold resistant gloves. Cape with reinforced cotton shirt and necklace in the form of a wolf. Protecting vest behind her shirt. Considered extremely beautiful by many men.
Personality: Acts very naive an innocent, but is actually very manipulative. Works only with those who pay best, though she has a code of honor when morale gets the best of her. Would do almost anything for money and riches. Can be ruthless and merciless when crossed. She's very proud but not usually impulsive, ready to back away from a clearly losing battle. What she lacks in strength makes it up for intelligence, stealth, stamina, agility, great reflexes and a killer aim. However, she has a hidden soft spot for children and small, fluffy animals.
Weapons: Whip, Crossbow, Katana, Fireproof cape, Boomerang, Curved knife and Shurikens. All small and concealed.
Element: N/A
History: Lost her home to a rampaging dragon when she was very young. Was adopted by an Aelinonian soilder who taught her everything he knew. Went solo afterwards to help him make money, but when he went to war, it made her train even more, roaming the Aelinonian lands as a successful bounty hunter. Claims herself to do a better job than most Guardians, whom she considers a bunch of overpaid show-offs. Has a hidden fortune somewhere in the land that nobody but her knows about. Works very well with merpeople and wishes she could be one. Has a past with Maverick...
Other: She ditched her real name. She's only known for her nickname now.

After leaving the city limits, the priest headed out further - heading into some woods, going deeper and deeper until he reached a clearing. In this clearing, he focused on channeling a spell - and eventually, after some rumbling, a giant tree root burst out of the ground, with a hollow spot. As he stepped into the root, it withdrew back into the ground with him, the ground seemingly restoring itself to immaculate condition.

Certain that the mine leader didn't have anything else to say to her, Angora finally departed to be with the injured Shade, trying to forget the pain of leaving behind the orb she so jealously used to carry around her neck. He got what he wanted, so it really was a mystery to her why this enigmatic individual wanted to meet with her again. But it was past now, and Angora was determined to forget about the artifact and this event soon. For now, she went to Shade's side, sitting on his snout so that when he opened his eyes again, she would be once more the first thing he sees. However, she didn't know if Sere would want to depart immediately, so she knew that it would be probably up to her to carry... or rather pull Shade to the ship if he didn't wake up. Knowing how impulsive that old man was, it was likely he wasn't going to wait too long for the dragolet to recover his strength.

At the ship, Maverick decided to stay behind to take care of the animals, waiting for Sere and company to arrive on the vessel itself. Chances were that the terrain was very hot and unstable after that brutal power surge, so Maverick decided it was better not to take the risk.

Sapphire was not doing anything special, but soon She saw something. They where Blues men or at least they where before the events in their former hideout. She wanted to know where they still with Blue and the brotherhood, or where they part of those who left before Blue got everything at controll again. But She knew that was a risk She could not take. There was just few guild members inside the blackmarket, and if they where with Blue they would for sure have the upper hand. So now She had to be very carefull and stay out of their way.

Dex looked after the priest ”Well that makes it even more weird and hard. I guess we need a new plan then.” He thought. He looked around the place making sure he noticed if there was anything special to see. He then climbed up in a tree and made a fast man with some places in there he could recognize, so that he would find his way back to this place if needed. He then started to make his way back to the city thinking about the next plan.

Seeing Shade as he was, Angora believed he was in a coma. Despite not having many physical injuries, she could tell how overwhelmingly drained he was. If Sere wanted to leave the island with him, it wasn't going to be a fast procedure...

In the black market, a lonely table containing a strange being in a cloak, drinking some root beer. Upon closer inspection one could see the face of nothing more than a young woman with an almost angelical face, and anybody who didn't know any better could swear it was just a simple soul who was lost in this dark world. The fox's activity and speech hadn't go unnoticed by her. This young woman, only known as the Huntress to the few who knew her well, was watching the little mammal with curiosity. It was very uncommon to see quadruped animals like that roaming around a place like this. How much would somebody pay for a critter like this? Or perhaps... it already belonged to someone? She kept an eye on her to see what Sapphire's next move would be...

Sere monitored Shade as he finally succumbed to his exhaustion, as the miners took the shackles off of him. Sere wanted to believe that it was all over, that he could finally cure Shade and loosen up with him - but knew better than to let his guard down until he had some way of being certain. "Keep an eye on Shade," he ordered Angora. "Get some food and water for him if he wakes up. The rest of us have things to take care of on the ship." Though the ship was sturdy, some of the more delicate structures sustained some damage needing repairs.
The Enduring Legacy... it certainly is enduring so far, Sere thought, as he headed back to the ship. By now, Latnok was across the gangplank, placing Raclaw down on the deck. Meanwhile, Ilasi stepped out - not immediately noticing those coming on board, her attention instead being taken by Maverick and the animals. "Hey, Maverick," Ilasi said, somewhat relieved. "That was pretty rough out there - it seems to be over right now, at least."

"Well, it's been rough. Certainly not an adventure I'm willing to repeat." Maverick said sincerely, carrying Chester in his arms after failing to calm Dahlia. She was still sulking, so he decided it was better to let her be at the moment. He noticed Latnok carrying Raclaw.
"Any cielos, looks like poor Raclaw got injured again. Come on Ilasi. Let's help him." he then suggested, placing Chester down so he could go to his friend himself. He felt so sorry for the fur dragon. No matter the expedition, he always seemed to be the one to receive the most beating. Recklessness? Or the Guardians letting him do most of the work? He didn't know, but the poor guy was going to lose all his fluffy adorableness if he kept it up.

With Shade Angora stayed, having listened to Sere's message but rolling his eyes at his instructions, wondering why he even bothered giving the order when she was already doing just that. Didn't want to lose his bossy streak she supposed. One thing was certain though; Shade only have a little breakfast that Maverick brought to him, and after such a display of energy, he would be hungry. But if he didn't wake up, she would have to force feed him while unconscious, a task she wasn't exactly enthusiastic about.

As Latnok laid Raclaw down-- the blackened fur dragon was fading in and out of consciousness. "Raclaw?," Chester barked in a worried tone running up him. "Hey.. Chester.," Raclaw managed to say in a weak tone as the little Beagle met him at eye level. "I'm-- I'm alright. It's just.. just a...," he couldn't find the energy to say more instead just remaining where Latnok laid him down and giving a ever so slight 'reassuring' nod.

Risar followed the others on deck and watched Raclaw-- concerned for the poor fur dragon. Raclaw's fur was almost as black as Shade and facing the effects of the Dragolet's power so soon clearly didn't do him any favors.

Without a second thought, Ilasi went to work, kneeling by the fur dragon. "How much pain are you feeling? Where are you hurt?" she asked him. She didn't know what was happening with Raclaw, but he seemed extremely injury-prone as of late.
Latnok, however, did see what happened - he was injured because Shade failed to sufficiently control himself, even with the hexphage and collar, and something ended up lashing out at Raclaw. Latnok still had great disdain for Shade; the creature had shown to be nothing but a liability. Being returned to Aelinon to be a slave for the rest of his life would be a fitting sentence for him.

As usual, Maverick stayed by her side to help with whatever she requested. Dahlia was still sulking in fear, and he didn't want to go to the island despite not liking leaving Angora and Shade alone there, but helping Ilasi was the best he could do right now.

Convinced that he wasn't going to wake up right now, Angora went to find some food for Shade, knowing that the crew members and maybe Maverick would be too busy with the healing and damages to pay attention to her. So she went to hunt the old fashioned way instead of going into the kitchen, knowing she wasn't allowed there due to the hexphage. It was going to be hard finding something in that wasteland... or so she thought. As the ground finally started to cool up, the little troll found a creature resembling an elephant, but without the trunk and tusks. The poor creature was caught in Shade's merciless line of fire. The rest of the unfortunate fauna around had either been incinerated completely or managed to get away, but this was one of the few creatures who didn't turned into ashes, having managed to get away far enough but sadly not enough. It was already cooked enough, so Angors dragged it along alone, doubting anybody would help her.

She returned to Shade without further delay.
"Come on Shady. Wake up just for a moment. You need to eat something you big lug! Don't make me force feed you!" she scolded, knowing that unconscious creatures could still hear a little. Angora hand't fed an unconscious Ahade before, but she imagined it would be unpleasant, and dangerous...

Angora gave a small smile in return, believing he was progressing.
"Here Shady. I brought you... something. It's not from the kitchen, but it's already cooked. Now go ahead. I know you're tired, but you must eat something. And if you're good, I'll ask Maverick to bring you some of that delicious milk." she said in an almost singsongy voice, wanting Shade to eat on his own. The creature was as big as Shade's head, if not bigger, so it was going to take more than one bite to consume it. Angora was willing to carve it if necessary. But what she wanted to avoid was force feed him.

As she waited for Shade to accept the meal, she wondered if her orb claiming dealer was looking at what she was doing. She really must be a devoted friend to be doing all of this, even if she wasn't a fan of everything that has happened because of the dragolet. She could barely believe the Guardians have been so patient. She doubted they care about him, or her, or Maverick, so we're they really doing it in order to make Shade safe for others? Angora wanted nothing more than to be free at last with him and Maverick, just roaming the land without anybody bothering them just like before, and believed that once Shade spent a few days under observation and was finally deemed harmless, they would have the freedom they desired so much. As bizzare as it sounded, the stranger's words about a better world for her and her friends did helped her have some hope...

Angora groaned quietly, figuring she would be stuck with the feeding. Angora carved the animal into big pieces that could still be easily swallowed by him.
"Alright now. Time to finally eat... you can at least open your mouth and swallow, right?" Angora asked rather dryly, feeling like it would be the last straw if she had to perform both actions for him. She could see the ship in the distance, and tried to look to see if somebody bored out of their minds was spying on them. She was exhausted with everything that happened, and the last thing she needed was somebody making fun of her out of the ridiculous spectacle that was someone as tiny as her feeding a humongous dragon so directly.

As Maverick helped Ilasi, he couldn't stop worrying about his friends.
"Hey Ilasi? Once we're done with señor Raclaw, I'm going to help my friends." Maverick explained, almost as if he was waiting for her to offer her help too. The soil would've hopefully returned to it's normal temperature by then.

Quote: A Guy

Without a second thought, Ilasi went to work, kneeling by the fur dragon. "How much pain are you feeling? Where are you hurt?" she asked him. She didn't know what was happening with Raclaw, but he seemed extremely injury-prone as of late.
Latnok, however, did see what happened - he was injured because Shade failed to sufficiently control himself, even with the hexphage and collar, and something ended up lashing out at Raclaw. Latnok still had great disdain for Shade; the creature had shown to be nothing but a liability. Being returned to Aelinon to be a slave for the rest of his life would be a fitting sentence for him.

"Pain... Everywhere...," Raclaw managed to say between breaths. "The darkness.. attacked my defenses. S-surged through me. H-held back what I could, but--" his eyes briefly flickerd batween black and white. And the streaks around his eyes, an vain-like collection of lines, also briefly glowed before becoming slightly fainter in appearance. Perhaps he was experiencing after effects from the experience or perhaps the telepathic fur dragon's internal struggle wasn't quite over yet. Chester held his paw-- supporting him one of the only ways he knew how.

Angora shook her head while making a face, unable to believe her ridiculous predicament. Shade couldn't even lift his neck, so she knew he would need some serious help. She entered his mouth and placed the meat near his throat, moving his tongue to help him with the swallowing and being very careful not to be dragged along. It was a procedure she knew she needed to repeat since Shade wouldn't be able to do it himself.
"Damn Shady! You must feel lucky to have a friend like me! How many creatures do you think would even dare to enter the jaws of a terrifying dragon in order to feed it?" Angora asked sarcastically, sometimes needing to open his mouth with her whole body since he was too weak to do even that. After the power surge he endured, it was no surprise, but it didn't make the caring any less humiliating...

Angora didn't like how Shade was seemingly enjoying this.
"Don't get use to it! I'm not going to serve you like a king every time you get injured. And try not to eat me! I doubt Maverick or anybody else would be willing to do this!" she said annoyed, taking another trip into Shade's mouth and dodging his enormous fangs. She didn't know if this was scary or just plain embarrassing. She was very cautious, knowing that one little slip and she could be swallowed as well, and of course, she didn't think the Guardians would rescue her if that happened. As she continued the dangerous task, she was hoping that at least one good thing could come out of this. If somebody from the ship was spying on them, perhaps this could be the chance for them to see how harmless Shade actually was and how big their friendship was, although it was possible they'd attribute the former with the dragolet being too weak to do any harm right now...

At the Redwater black market, the flow of people was pretty much the same. Nobody ever paid attention to a lonely, cloaked figure, and Huntress wouldn't have it any other way. From her pouch, she took a brief glimpse from a poster step kept without taking it out. It was Maverick's wanted poster. She had taken one before the soldiers tore it down once he was no longer a fugitive.
"Couldn't be..." she whispered to herself before putting the paper away again and continuing to spy on the curious black fox, sipping the last of her root beer quietly.

As Illasi tended to Raclaw and Angora tended to Shade-- it became painfully obvious that nether dragon was going anywhere for some time. What was supposed to be the 'last hurrah' of Shade's uncontrollable darkness had deeply affected both of them due to their long established mental link; ether one of the two dragons more than not experiencing the negative effects of the others' own power. It mattered not anyway as the ship still needed repairs and NO-ONE would be going anywhere fast. Risar and others would tend to the ship itself, while Illasi and the appropriate people would tend to the two injured and healing dragons of the ship. Angora was responsible for looking after Shade, Latnok looked after his best friend Raclaw, and Illasi's duties would be split between the two. It would be a long five days for the two downed companions, but no other 'fun' surprises would happen and thus far-- Shade seemed to have stabilized. With 'dark' surged occuring in nether Shade nor Raclaw, all seemed to be well. Or so it seemed.

As Illasi tended to Raclaw's wounds, and Latnok/Chester provided food and support-- three things could be noted in regards to the fur dragon's injuries. First, the furry Guardian companion did indeed 'hurt everywhere' and showed proof of such via numerous burns. The burns did not appear to focus on any particular spot (I.E. collar or tail band), although it didn't entirely help that some of the previous injuries had still been healing. Second, the 'new' Shade-like black coat was partly the result of ash of other chemicals that had briefly spawned in the air. It would wash out once Raclaw was able to move into a 'bath' or have water brought to him via bucket. And finally-- the green, white, and red 'streaks' that had formed about his eyes weren't permanent and were indeed an aftereffect of lingering darkness within the fur dragon's systems. The vein-like lines had represented Damon, Raclaw, and the lingering darkness appropriately. With each day, they faded and were almost non-existent on the fifth day. And upon Latnok's usage of the 'quicken' command-- they would be gone entirely and Raclaw's internal defenses were able to rid his body of the last of it. As Raclaw was soon able to walk again, the only lingering effect would be the lost of some fur -- the new patches growing in slightly more coarse, but stronger as a result of the recent string of events.

As the near week had passed, Angora continued caring for Shade, gently refusing Ilasi's attempts to help her heal in fear that she would be infected with hexphage as well. Angora treated herself instead and let the rest heal itself. Maverick has improvised to her new clothes with Ilasi's help using the cloth from his bed so that it would at least feel like the previous one. He did noticed the missing orb, but with Angora so overworked, he decided not to ask her about it and assumed it was probably lost or maybe even as far as destroyed during the rampage. Those were some tiresome days. Maverick was usually in charge for the cooking since almost everybody has grown fond of his meals. He would also help with the repairs, and in some of his spare time, he would go with Ilasi to help her train the spells of her new magic book, not minding being a guinea pig. Fortunately no major accidents had occurred except for the time he had to take a long time off from work due to algae growing out of his ears.

Asides that occasion, the rest of the days were rather normal and uneventful. It terrified Maverick seeing Angora feeding Shade, fearing she could accidentally be eaten in her attempts. Thankfully, no accidents ever occurred since both she and a Shade had been very careful. As the days passed, most of the crew members have mellowed down their attitudes towards him. They weren't giving him the cold shoulders like before, and a few even went as far as to wave their hand of him in greeting. Maverick was very appreciative of the gestures, but he was always so busy, he couldn't find the time to befriend somebody. With Angora however, not much has changed, although Maverick wanted to believe it was only due to the hexphage. He had noticed how a few of the crew members would usually watch how she would take care of Shade and whisper among themselves. Were they admiring her devotion to a friend? Her bravery in feeding a dragon? Or did they find her too stupid and reckless? He never knew, but with Angora being so gentle and mellowed, Maverick hoped this could change everyone's views of her.

In those days, most of Angora's time was spent either taking care of Shade or doing some manual work that wouldn't involve her spreading the hexphage. In those times, she would stay very far away from Sere and Latnok. Whenever they were nearby, she would hide, and sometimes even be on the verge of tears. She was still very afraid of them, but she always tried very hard not to show it. Once the five days passed and she saw Shade getting better, she finally took a breather.
"Well Shady, this is where I finally draw the line. From now on, you're going to scratch, drink and feed yourself. I'm tired of entering those smelly mandibles of yours." Angora commented, sounding like a joke but actually being very serious. She believed she had been ridiculed and criticized in secret for helping Shade, but nothing mattered to her much anymore. Feeling free at last, she literally dropped on the floor to doze off, feeling too drained. So much had happened ever since getting in that ship.

As the days went by, the shipmates rigorously attended to their duties. Eventually, with some help from the inhabitants,the ship had all it needed to set out once again - in good time, too, as Raclaw and Shade were recovering, thanks to the hard work done by their friends.
When the ship was finally solid enough for Sere's liking, he rang the meeting bell; the sailors, in the typical fashion, gathered around to hear what he had to say. "Good morning, Sailors," he called out. "We have successfully stabilized our dragon friend here. We will be moving out soon; into more treacherous territory. Be on your guard; the next leg of the journey will likely not be any easier than it's been so far. I thank you all for the good work you have all put in; each and every one of you has done their part to keep us as effective as we are. Please speak with Risar for further orders. Let's have a good day, and continue to make me proud." Sere stepped off, leaving the crew members to prepare for their movement.

Angora was relieved to be finally able to leave that infernal island once and for all. She didn't want to be reminded of everything that happened there, from Shade's power surge to the loss of her precious orb, out there somewhere underground in somebody else's possession. Back to Redwater she guessed, and hopefully, the king would see that Shade was harmless and finally let him go, even if he had to be kept and viewed as Maverick's pet for further safety.

As the vessel was being prepared to move, the troll's next thing was the hexphage cure. Five days have already passed, and not a single danger from Shade's part. She was tired of having the fungus practically consuming her and Shade. It wasn't as strong as the dose in the Redwater prison, but she still hated it. She wanted to ask Sere if they could finally get the permanent cure, but she was too hesitant to do so...

As the now recovering Raclaw stood next to Latnok-- he gave a slight smile at the announcement of Shade being stabilized. "Thank-you for looking after me these last few days. You and Illasi... you both did amazing.," he then said looking up at the Guardian. It would take some time for his fur to fully grow back in again, but he was in the final stages of recovery at least. Chester remained next to his now healed friend, while Risar began issuing orders.

Maverick in the meantime was brushing Dahlia while Sere gave his announcement. She had been spending more time in the main deck, trying to get used to the sailors and especially the dragons. She seemed to be getting along quite well with Raclaw, but Shade and Veris were still an issue. Not even having the dragolet lying down injured had been enough to make her approach him. Maverick's attempts to have her socialize with him have harvested very little success. She could get slightly closer to him, but she still had a limit.

Nearby, Angora simply didn't dare to ask for a cure. She was thinking of asking Maverick the favor, but he already gained much respect and didn't want to take that away from him. This was going to be a painful journey...

Angora was shocked to hear Shade asking the question himself. She had been contemplating how to ask, or ask Maverick to do it for her, but the dragolet saved her the trouble. She doubted Sere would agree, but at least she would now hear what his opinion on the matter was. She already spent a week with hexphage in the Redwater prison, and another one with the same infection right there. She had enough of the magic draining disease, and was certain Shade was too.

Sapphire stayed hidden, but was still only looking at the Blues guys. They where nothing special and if they started anything at there it would mean end of The brotherhoods deal with the blackmarket network.... but nothing said they could not tell they have seen her.

The Blues men where clearly looking for something. Which made Sapphire even more worried.

Dex returned knowing nothing about the situation. And it did not take long from the brotherhood members to spot him ”There he is!” One of them shouted. Because they where just normal members of the brotherhood Dex did not know them..... like Sapphire who have lived with them.

Dex just looked at them and said ”There is not many like me, so what do you want.” His voice was pretty Angry because of the job not going like he had planed.

”We are not here to fight” one of the brotherhood members said. ”We heard you might be in this town and so we came to give this to you” He continued holding a letter.

Dex did not know what to think about this..... these guys where not for sure with the guardians. He took the letter, and Lutherin brotherhood members started to leave. As they where at the door one of them said ”Blue will be waiting for your response. Dexes face turned in to evil and Full of hate. But before he had time to say anything..... the brotherhood members where gone.

Sapphire made her way to Dex. ” What did they want, are they after us” She said clearly in a panic.
Dex quickly turned his face back to normal ”No they just gave me this letter, but lets look for some place private to talk and wait for the response from the guardians.” Dex said and walked to a bar table and showed is goldendagger to the bartender who nodded and gave a key to Dex. They then walked at the back of the Bar and opened one of the private room doors. The door have a sign which said ” The assassins guild” they went in and closed the door.

Though initially planning to head out to the archipelago, Sere soon decided that it would be wiser to head back to Redwater, to rid themselves of Shade before moving on. Though Angora and Maverick had shown themselves to be useful, they would naturally leave with Shade - but they were far from irreplaceable, although he and Leoquin would be pulling more work navigating. When all of the preparations were complete, the ship began to move, with a vector towards Redwater.
Sere still did not know what to do with Shade in the meantime, when the dragolet came up to him to ask him about the fungus. He gave it a brief thought - was this truly the end of Shade's freakouts? It would seem so - but he couldn't be sure...
"I will grant you the cure," Sere said. "Hold there." Sere left into the ship, in search of the cure that had been allocated.

Angora contained her need to squeal in happiness. Was this really it? Did Sere finally grew a heart? If Shade was relieved of the infection, so would she. She doubted it would change their outcast position, but at least they would have more freedom, especially concerning their interactions with Maverick.

Quote: cyndego

Sapphire made her way to Dex. ” What did they want, are they after us” She said clearly in a panic.
Dex quickly turned his face back to normal ”No they just gave me this letter, but lets look for some place private to talk and wait for the response from the guardians.” Dex said and walked to a bar table and showed is goldendagger to the bartender who nodded and gave a key to Dex. They then walked at the back of the Bar and opened one of the private room doors. The door have a sign which said ” The assassins guild” they went in and closed the door.

In those days, Huntress had been observing the foxes, blending in with the crowd and waiting for them to return whenever they talked to someone else. There were two of them, and they talked. What an interesting race they must be. No wonder somebody would pay extra well for them, but she needed a client for that. Or perhaps, they could pay for her services? Whatever was the better deal. For now, she was just pleased with studying them.

For the days back, Angora was in a much better mood despite the increased chores. She didn't pick a fight with anybody, nor she sassed someone. The only thing that never changed was her fear and cautiousness around the Guardians. Despite Sere being more reasonable, she didn't to take any risks with him, nor give him any more excuse to punish or belittle her. The same went to Latnok. She would treat Raclaw cordially when seeing him, but she still kept her distance given his closeness to the young Guardian. But for everyone else, Angkra was very kind, rarely acting up. She even spent time with Dahlia and Chester. She has learned about Ilasi's little experiments with Maverick, but didn't minded very much. The times were few, but she spent some time with the mermaid as well, not finding her company unpleasant, although she could tell that Ilasi was still a bit hesitant with her sometimes. Still brainwashed she believed, though she still appreciated the attempts.

Five more days later passed, and then on the morning on the sixth day, land was spotted. Angora recognized the building's shapes from miles away. They were back in Redwater. And it seems like the repairs were a marvel. Neither Angora or Maverick were too happy to be back to a place that brought so many bad memories, but they really believed this would be the last time. Once the king sees the tremendous success Shade was, perhaps finally they will all get their freedom back. They would travel together like before, and maybe Ilasi would join them as well if she made the decision. Shade had been docile all this time, so the blood moon's prophecy seemed to be true after all. Maybe finally thing would go their way for once...

Eventually, the ship made landfall at one of the many ports the city had - near where the ship was being held previously, As the gangplanks were deployed, men eagerly awaited the opportunity to disembark. They had already been briefed - they were to return to the ship daily to keep track of any future plans, but were on liberty for the time being. Sere was thoughtful enough to brief before the ship made landfall, so as to avoid taking up their vacation time - he distributed the pay earned thus far to all of the men.
With the ship landing, Leoquin gave a sigh of relief - he was initially dismayed to learn of the ship returning, but decided that perhaps ridding themselves of the Scourge of Redwater was worth the extra time. He had certainly proved to be little more than a liability thus far. More vacation time wouldn't be too bad - and, considering that his navigation skills allowed him to earn more pay than most of the other crewmates, he had ample money to spend.
With the ship landing, Sere mounted Veris, and the duo took off. Sere would be bringing Veris to the same pen that he was at last time. Following that, he would be seeking to speak to the duke, in order to relay a message to the king about the preparation of his new weapon. Leoquin, Ilasi, and Latnok all had no tasks assigned tothem at the moment; they were on temporary vacation like everyone else.

Angora watched with some envy as Sere took off in Veris, barely unable wait to do the same.
"Look Shady. Flying. It has felt like an eternity, hasn't it? We'll finally leave soon." Angora said innocently, still not knowing about the king's true plans. She has overheard a few of the other crew members saying they would finally be rid of Shade, but she assumed they meant the responsibility. It couldn't mean a sacrifice, otherwise Sere wouldn't have spent so much time trying to have him under control.

She decided to stay with Shade on the ship, not daring to depart without Sere's permission, not to mention Shade hadn't recovered completely yet. Maverick on the other hand, couldn't wait to leave, but mostly to try other kinds of food. As soon as he saw land, he picked his bag and brought Dahlia.
"Al fin! Look girl, land at last! Man did I miss dry land!" Maverick exclaimed, sick of being in the water too long.
"Oscurito! Angorita! I'll go to the nearest restaurant and order some food. I'm so tired of the ship's meals. I'll bring you something." he said happily, eager to taste a different chow. He didn't ask them what they would want, deciding to surprise them instead. He then addressed to Ilasi.
"Hey Ilasi. Want to go with me? I'll buy you whatever you want." he invited, not necessarily referring to food. He already had plenty of money from his previous sales, not to mention the little fortune Angora won in the arena, so money wasn't too much of an issue. And maybe he would receive a little extra pay as well from Sere if he was generous enough.

As the crew members began to depart and split off into various directions-- Raclaw and Chester remained by Latnok's side and briefly stared out into the city. "Don't worry Chester, you're with us now. Your old owners can't touch you here.," the fur dragon said with a smile reassuring the little Beagle. Last time they were here; Chester had almost been almost cooked alive and he was still an unclaimed dragon. 'Oh-- how things have changed. And for the better.,' the fur dragon thought to himself not caring if the thought leaked to Latnok as well. He gently swayed his tail, happy to make landfall again and perhaps getting to see more of the big city. Of course, they were here for Shade and Shade's eventual purpose-- but he tried not to think about that.

"Of course I would," Ilasi said with a smile. "So there's this mansion I've had my eyes on..." she added facetiously. "Oh, I'm just kidding - nothing like that. I'm not hard to please..." Ilasi followed behind Maverick, ready to go where he went. As she did so, she thought of Shade and his eventual fate - no doubt Aelinon would milk him of all they could get after the destruction he caused. She felt somewhat bad for him... but at the same time, understood why it was happening, and didn't question it.
Latnok, after brief deliberation, began to step off the gangplank - before recalling a few things. "Shade," he telepathed. "If you get too far away from here, the collar will paralyze you - so don't even try to escape." He doubted at this point that Shade would actually try, considering how docile he had been, but nevertheless figured it was worth a warning. "Angora, I don't know what you're still doing here, but you're free to do whatever. We're honestly not even expecting you to come back." Latnok didn't wait for Angora's response before beginning to disembark. He didn't know exactly where he would be headed right now - maybe a bar? Or maybe something else - they had the whole day to sort things out, and there was nothing to stop them from just gallivanting about the city until they found something they wanted.
Meanwhile, Leoquin looked out onto the street, with many people going about their morning business. How would he pass the time...? Perhaps a trip to the arena would be in order.

Angora simply shook her head after he left, not surprised that he was still being the same, heartless jerk he's always been.
"He expects me to leave and never come back. Heh, he just can't wait to get rid of me. Don't worry Shady. I'm not going to leave without you." Angora assured, not certain if the dragolet heard the telepathic message addressed to her but telling him just the same.
"It just infuriates me so much he's still treating me this way! Sere wanted to leave him on that island, remember? I was the one who convinced him to go back and look for him, but of course, even if he knew, nothing will make him change." she added frustratingly, though not crying. Latnok didn't know that, although she wasn't planning on telling him anytime soon. He'll probably won't believe her. She felt so sorry for Raclaw and the friend he chose. But she wasn't going to meddle with that. For now, she just wanted thing to return to normal. She wanted to leave the ship so badly, but she wasn't willing to leave Shade alone there. To pass the time and forget about what happened, she started to play a game with him to distract her mind while she waited for Maverick's return.

Maverick chuckled at Ilasi's joke, glad that she trusted him enough to banter that way. As they left through the gangplank, Maverick was having mixed feelings. For one, he was glad to be stepping on land again. He just wished that land wasn't Redwater.
"Look around Ilasi. Choose what you want." he said, taking a slow pace so that she would have time to see what the merchants from around the port were offering, while he on the other hand was focusing on what restaurants and bars were around. He wanted to bring his friends the most delicious meals he could find. He knew his cooking was great, but variety was always nice.

As Latnok, Raclaw, and Chester stepped of the ship-- the trio of friends were soon surrounded by the city at large. It was still an impressive city and had more people in it than all the villages he had been to combined. The three friends and companions soon passed by bars, store fronts, attractions, and the occasional venders. They passed by one stall selling what looked like Raclaw's unique artifact in its original form, only it was clearly a fake. As Raclaw passed by with the adorable Chester perched on top of his back -- he brief waved his tail and gave a good smile as the unhonest merchant, causing the artifact to briefly form a wavy pattern. "Hehe-- I feel sorry for whoever falls for that, when the original is already sold.," Raclaw commented on the fake artifact upon moving past it. He just as instantly returned the artifact to its smooth band form.

As the small party continued onwards towards something, another vender quickly noticed Chester and tried to stop them from moving on. It was small stall in front of a elegant looking store front; both carried the same name 'Jerry & Jerry's: Canine & Felines Accessories.' As they tried to move on, an skinnier merchant out front tried to stop them again. "Heeeeey there friend! Is that a fur dragon you have there? I bet you don't find alotta people who know that. And a Beagle-- my my my do you make friends! It's a big world out there and you don't want your furry pals to get lost.," the merchant started to say talking at a faster rate than most. "I see you already have one collared, so why not complete the set and choose from any one of our fine selections. We have collars, harnesses, and even attachments for securing your Canine friend onto someone like your winged friend there! And just for you-- we'll even throw in a free toy from an limited selection. Only one toy per accessory and today only! And more inside!," the merchant went on motioned towards the small selection available on the outside stall and towards the store itself.

Elsewhere-- Risar was initially unsure of how to spend his free time, but started heading towards the arena. As he walked, most moved out of the way with a certain sense of urgency. His two mighty great axes only caused people to disperse further not wanting to get impaled front or back.

As Ilasi and Maverick perused the many goods the vendors had to offer, one thing in particular happened to catch Ilasi's eye - a music stand. She intently came over, and was soon captivated by all of the instruments that were on offer - from harps to violins to cymbals to flutes. Music was always something she enjoyed; she became discouraged when she found that she lacked the raw talent that a few others like Lydia had shown, however. Perhaps, with an instrument...
"Welcome there, young lady," the vendor, an older gentleman, greeted. "Anything in particular in mind, or just browsing?"
"I... I don't know quite what I want..." Ilasi said - she always felt just a little pressured, even knowing that vendors weren't expecting every person who came over to buy something.

Latnok wasn't particularly interested in what the merchant had to say - until he brought up his knowledge of Raclaw's species, at which point he stopped to listen. "Hmm... you seem to know a thing or two," Latnok said. "So securing a beagle onto a fur dragon - would you mind demonstrating that for me?" In the meantime, Latnok was also considering the prospect of the collar for Chester - he wouldn't have hesitated to get one, except now he had the luxury of knowing exactly how Chester would feel about it. "So Chester, are you interested in any collars?" he politely asked the beagle. He thought that the merchant might find it a bit odd, before remembering that people speaking to their dogs was rather common.

As Leoquin made his way into the arena, he was soon able to note a spot in the crowd that appeared to create quite the gap - and a quick glance at the source told him it was Risar, the bulky minotaur creating a rather imposing presence with his weapons. Deciding to take advantage of the space, he came over to follow along. "Hey, buddy, how's it going?" he asked Risar. "Don't plan on doing any fighting today, do you?"