darkSpyro

"Ether the Thunderbird or the new flyer, but our familiar friend has been targeted before.," Raclaw confirmed indeed not getting an exact confirmation on which creature the Mastermind was after. The Thunderbird hadn't been the most use newcomer they had come across, but that didn't mean he wanted it captured or worse. Assuming they did the same thing they did to Latnok and Maverick-- the intended target would presumably keep its life at least.

The mastermind identified the thunderbird's plan. CREATURE IS A COMPANION TO DRAGON WHO OVERSEES THE ISLAND. POTENTIAL TO FORCE DRAGON TO ENGAGE US ON THE ISLAND, FORCE COMPLIANCE OF ALLY, DISCOURAGE ESCAPE.
It soon had a plan of its own. Suddenly, the soldiers and weavers pulled back from their chase - instead, heading back to various spots on the island. Upon landing, the soldiers immediately began taking down the vegetation of the forest - as well as any animals unfortunate enough to be in the area. Whistlers, ishiud ranged attackers, crawled out of the root as the others began their assault on the forest.

Angora was horrified with what she was seeing. One thing was wanting to capture a creature, but another thing entirely was resorting to the destruction of an entire island to accomplish their objective.
"Shepherd!? What is the meaning of this? What is going on?" Angora asked in a low voice, grasping the orb but not taking it out of her pocket. She noticed Veris was on the main deck, perhaps about to or already done with a flight? It didn't matter. Almost without realizing it, Angora went closer to him, to protect him and also to find some comfort, since Maverick was already protecting Ilasi and getting close to Shade may get her into trouble, not to mention he was further away.

The orb remained dormant; it appeared that Angora's concern was not enough to cause it to become receptive. The orb would typically respond in times of despair, unless the person on the other end was initiating the conversation.
Sere, at the wheel, temporarily brought the ship to a halt; he instead went to see Veris, who was as excited as ever. Sere did not immediately notice Angora; however, he did mount Veris again, ready to move.

Angora was insulted being ignored like that, both by the orb and Sere, to the point she even believed they did it on purpose. But she didn't say anythinh and decided to let it go, glad that Sere finally took responsibility for his mount. She could groom the wyvern, bring him food and water, but when it came to flying, Angora didn't have much control, so that was a responsibility she was glad to be free of, at least for today. She didn't believe this was the best time for a ride, but she was going to keep her opinions to herself as promised. So with Veris away, she proceeded to continue eating her breakfast in peace, not caring that it had gotten cold.

Maverick put away his weapon, feeling like the danger has passed for now. Like Angora, he was baffled by what was happening on the island, but knew how foolish it was to intervene. He didn't have a weapon with him but he still remained observant, ready to take the sabre out in case the attack went to them.

As Crystal attacked one soldier, many of the others soon piled her, attacking , as weavers began shooting sticky webbing at her, and whistlers began shooting envenomed spines. Remaining soldiers on the ground continued to rip and tear through vegetation and creatures.

Sere flew high above the island on Veris' back. He wasn't concerned with the thunderbird or the dragon, who had asked them to leave - but if there were people on the island, they would have to be evacuated.

With the thunderbird seemingly waiting, the soldiers backed off, immediately going back to their task of attacking the forest. Whatever was happening, it seemed that they intended to force the others to initiate the attack.

Sere looked on from above. So far, he didn't spot any people - it looked like the island was completely devoid of any sapient creatures but the one he had already seen. Thus, saving the island was not his concern.

The lightning did absolutely nothing to the ishiuds, as they were already adapted to such a thing. The soldiers immediately around Crystal began attacking her as whistlers shot at her, with weavers shooting webbing to subdue her. The others continued their attack on the forest. "THUNDERBIRD HAS INTERFERED WITH US AND OUR MAGIC. WE WILL HAVE THE SURRENDER OF THE THUNDERBIRD. WE WILL WITHDRAW ONCE THE THUNDERBIRD COMPLIES," the mastermind telepathed to Crystal and Tyraika.

With the thunderbird subdued, the weavers completed the webbing on her, before the soldiers lifted her up. A giant root opened in the ground; the soldiers dragged Crystal through, into the roots. With Crystal in tow, the other ishiuds began heading through the wide-open root as well - leaving as quickly as they came.

Sere looked on - with a guilty sense of satisfaction. The thunderbird had gotten his men killed and had threatened him and his crew upon coming to the island. He wasn't sure what exactly the odd creatures wanted with Crystal, but that wasn't his concern.

Angora heard Shade, but she was terrified about doing something. She didn't know what she feared the most, the ishiuds or Sere. But like the dragolet, she found the event before her despicable and totally unfair. How could anybody destroy an entire island, along with an entire ecosystem, just to accomplish one seemingly simple objective? It was a horrendous way of getting something.

Maverick was also appealed by the event, but decided their best course of action was to do nothing.
"Stay behind me Ilasi. We may not be out of danger yet." he warned, fearing that the insects from the distance may bring the fight to them if they were spotted...

With the scouting mission done, Veris flew back to the ship with Sere, and the two landed in the typical clearing. After landing, Sere would begin the task of boldly navigating back to the island they just retreated from - the thunderbird seemed to be the one attracting the attention of the ishiuds, and she was no longer a factor. Hopefully, nothing would interfere with their investigation of the island now.
Ilasi nodded silently, as she complied with Maverick. After the last experience with the ishiuds, the sight of them terrified her - but she didn't tell anyone else. Not right away, anyhow.

Maverick was nervous about going back, and while he didn't want to say anything, he felt like he should.
"Capitán? Capitan, if I may por favor? Is... do we have to go back to the island so soon with those things around? Shouldn't we wait for a bit more time until we are sure they're really gone?" Maverick asked gently, wanting to make it clear that he wasn't questioning Sere's judgement, and that he was simply voicing a small concern.

Angora looked at Maverick talking with Sere, and while she wanted to know what he was talking about, she decided to stay out of it and headed to Veris instead.
"Hey big guy. Had fun up there? Did the captain fed you?" she asked, willing to give him some of the food that was left in the tray in order to kill some of his hunger while waiting for the real meal.

Tyraika had let out an angry roar when she saw that her island was being destroyed. The sky grew dark, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. She swooped down to fight off the soldiers and stop them from damaging her home. She attacked with her teeth, claws, and tail. She managed to defeat a few of them, but in the end, it didn't matter. There were just too many for the dragon to handle alone.

While Tyraika was distracted by defending her home, the thunderbird had been captured. When she realized this, the dragon tried to rush to her aid, but there were too many soldiers in the way. They managed to hold Tyraika off long enough to escape with her friend. After they were gone, the dragon closed her eyes tightly and lowered her head. Tyraika had failed to stop the swarm from doing anything. The storm overheard grew more intense. The thunder grew louder and lightning flashed more frequently.

Sere gave Maverick a hostile glare. "Did I ask you for your opinion?" he growled. He continued his heading, not dissuaded by Maverick's concerns. The ship approached the shore, as the storm immediately overhead became more severe. Why? Sere had no immediate answer, but whatever it was, it couldn't be as threatening as the creatures which attacked the island.

Veris shook his head at Angora. As Sere had just dismounted the wyvern, he hadn't been fed yet - at least as far as Veris was concerned. He had already been fed for breakfast.

Latnok looked out to the island as the ship approached, surveying the damage. Many trees and other plants had been ripped down and chewed up; much of the island was still intact, however. Whatever happened, it appeared that attacking the island was more a means to an end than anything else for the creatures.

Raclaw and Chester looked out onto the island alongside Latnok. "Do you think everyone is alright?," Chester asked. "The Thunderbird-- captured, but probably alive. As for everyone else, we're find out soon enough.," Raclaw as said the ship got closer and closer. The damage was extensive, but could've been worse had Crystal not ether given up or been taken down. It wasn't entirely clear, but it was evident that the Mastermind had been successful.

"My apologies capitán. I'll be on my way now." Maverick replied, leaving and trying not to seem hurt by Sere's hostility, but he was very offended deep inside, to the point he briefly avoided Ilasi in fear he would cry in front of her because of the treatment. Now he was understanding Angora. He was being very kind and respectful with his comment, yet he received this treatment. He can only imagine what the poor troll went through in ocassions that were probably normal for them. No wonder she always wanted to avoid them.

At Veris' response, Angora picked a piece of abandoned steak from one of the platters, not caring if the wyvern was lying to her. She knew how gluttonous he was, and a little snack like that wouldn't hurt, especially since it was one of Maverick's delicious cooking. But thinking of her friend, Angora saw the friendly faun man in a corner and away from Ilasi. Did something happened? Angora decided to ask him later and give him some space for now. For now, she focused on Veris.
"Here you go. A little snack until I can properly feed you." the little troll commented as she tossed the steak very high above her so that the wyvern could catch it in mid air. While she was somewhat glad they were going to be free of the sea for a while, she didn't feel very comfortable about the land being the very island where a nasty wildlife attack occurred just minutes ago.

As the storm grew more severe, Tyraika flew up to the mountaintop to survey her island and the damage that was done. Thankfully, it wasn't anything extensive, mostly just plant-life. The attack still angered her, though, especially with her friend being kidnapped as well. From her perch, Tyraika saw that the ship was returning to shore. She growled as sparks coursed through her body. She still had those pests to deal with. The dragon heard that distant roar again, but it sounded closer this time. Whatever made that roar was definitely heading this way. The fight to defend the island wasn't over yet.

Veris gladly snapped up the meat morsel in a flash, looking rather contented after flying so much. The storm made him uneasy, however, and he headed to his enclosure.

As the storm grew in intensity, Sere began to wonder; was the dragon on this island responsible for the storm surrounding the archipelago? If so, addressing it would be a great benefit to all future travelers. The creature had already made it clear that they were unwelcome; Sere was certain that further investigation of the island would encourage it to approach.
The ship soon reached the shore, turning to allow the gangplank to be dropped as the anchor was set. They would always need a sizable force at the ship, at least for the foreseeable future. Only a few men should be needed, however...

Angora was getting very nervous with the upcoming storm. She was ready for a battle if necessary, but then she saw Veris heading downstairs and grabbed on to his tail, knowing he could potentially destroy the walls of the hallways if he rushed among them nervously.
"Easy there Veris. Calm down. Shh, come on. Let's go to your enclosure... slowly..." Angora said gently as she dragged herself from his tail to his back, starting to massage it in order to slow his pace. She knew Veris couldn't be left alone in the hallways, and if the enclosure was closed, he wouldn't be able to open it himself.

The change in weather was enough to change Maverick's very mood. The roar, or at least if it could be called that, was something that alerted him greatly, and he immediately rushed to Ilasi's side.
"Here I am Ilasi. Perdón to have left you. I... I don't like this island, but we might as well be ready for anything." he said, though it was more to assure himself than his girlfriend. Something about that island made him feel very uneasy, and he was starting to wonder if it was the insects or something else entirely.

Upon landing, Sere would immediately begin gathering the crew members he would be moving out with. He should only need a few; he would take those who he could trust to be effective.
"Latnok, you're coming with me, naturally," Sere told Latnok - who was not surprised at all. "Risar! Laszur!" he called out. "You're with me as well!"
Sere looked at Shade; the dragolet would, at the very least, be useful for his strength, if nothing more, and he had to come along so someone with collar control could watch him. "Shade. You're coming with us as well," he said.
Sere then spotted Kasidra along the deck; though new, she had already proved herself effective in the scouting mission, and Latnok and Laszur both had good things to say about her. "Kasidra, was it? You're coming with me," he telepathed to her.

Ilasi simply looked ahead at the island with a somewhat blank stare. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me..." she said, though she wasn't quite sure that was true. The insectoid creatures creeped her out; at the very least, they only had a storm to deal with now, and the lightning rods on the ship were more than equipped for that.

Veris obeyed Angora, slowing down. He would instead make his way to the enclosure more calmly, being careful not to break anything. Veris strongly disliked storms, with them creating very dangerous conditions to fly in, between winds and lightning; he would only fly in one on Sere's orders, and would avoid them like the plague otherwise. Upon reaching the enclosure, the wyvern would find the door closed; not having opposable thumbs, he would be unable to open it.

Kasidra heard the voice in her head and glanced towards the captain. "Yes, sir," she replied simply. She headed over to where Sere stood and waited for further orders.

Tyraika stood on her mountain and scanned the sky. She could see the ship clearly from her perch, but still couldn't spot the source of that roar. Could they conceal themselves somehow or were they simply too far away to be seen? She wasn't sure, but she was ready for them regardless.

Raclaw stood next to Latnok, ready to depart alongside the beloved companion unless anyone had any complaints. Chester looked up at the two, but knew that he would probably be told to stay behind on account of how dangerous the island could be. 'What do you think? It's been awhile since he's been offship.,' Raclaw asked Latnok via telepathy as his tail band returned to its 'normal' form. "Aye Captain!," Risar said standing next to the Fur Dragon / Guardian duo and keeping his weapons on his back for the time being. Raclaw, for his part, was still eager to try out their new fireball spell in a real world setting.

Angora opened Veris' enclosure for him, leaving him some space for him to enter. She then entered with him.
"It's alright Veris. It's just a little storm. A part of nature. If you feel nervous, then... I can stay a little while." Angora said, wanting to explore the island, though that wasn't a smart move in those conditions, but above all after such attack, so she decided it was better to stay there and calm the jumpy wyvern's nerves. She took one look at his fangs and suddenly remembered what she was unable to do yesterday, and although she hoped Veris had forgotten all about it, she knew she had to comply if he asked, especially if it helped his mood.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi simply looked ahead at the island with a somewhat blank stare. "Oh, you don't have to worry about me..." she said, though she wasn't quite sure that was true. The insectoid creatures creeped her out; at the very least, they only had a storm to deal with now, and the lightning rods on the ship were more than equipped for that.

Maverick hugged her, needing some assurance. He felt a little sad that he wasn't picked to help, most likely because of that little disapproval earlier. But if he had to be true to himself, he was actually quite glad to stay on the ship, further away from danger and protecting his girlfriend as it should be. He was however, very worried about Shade being brought along. He tried not to be too concerned, since neither he or Angora was there, so there was no need to be so overprotective, and Shade was already sturdy enough, so he wanted to believe there was little to no cause for concern.

The soldiers carrying Crystal did not answer, not being capable of speech. They had a directive; there was no mastermind to answer on their behalf. The root continued to push the entire ishiud force along through peristaltic motions.

Veris calmed down in his pen, laying down with his head next to Angora. He was not, however, sleeping; he was simply lying down, trying to keep calm with Angora's assistance. He didn't seem to have any pressing needs at the moment, being satisfied for now.

Sere did a quick check of everyone available. "Is Chester coming?" Sere asked Latnok. He didn't need to ask about Raclaw, seeing the fur dragon had already decided.
"No, he's staying," Latnok said. "Be good, Chester. Don't cause too much trouble, now!"
"Okay, then. Let's head out. Laszur, Kasidra, you two lead the way," Sere ordered. "You will have a general idea of the best ways around. We can adapt from there." Sere had everyone available ready to follow the two leads. Laszur took the first steps off the gangplank, with others following after.

Kasidra nodded and walked alongside Laszur off the gangplank. She still remembered the paths they had taken last night on their scouting mission. They hadn't really encountered anything then, but things might change today. If nothing else, that dragon or whatever should still be here.

Tyraika turned her gaze back to the ship and saw that a party was moving out onto the island. There were more people than last time, plus two dragons. There was the fur dragon, as she expected, but also the black one. Didn't Crystal say he rarely left the deck? It seemed strange that he was leaving now, based on what she was told, but this may work to her advantage. Perhaps Tyraika could separate both dragons from their captors now.

The dragon turned her gaze back to the sky as she heard that roar again. She still couldn't see what it was exactly, although that was more difficult now with the dark clouds overhead. Tyraika considered clearing them, but then that intruder would be able to see them better as well. She figured she could use the added stealth to her advantage.

"Be careful!," Chester barked coming out as a quick series of barks to most. Raclaw and Risar soon followed allowing the the two more knowledged members take the lead. Raclaw would soon enable his senses-- keeping his 'eyes' out for anyone and anything.

With the selected group gone, Maverick wondered what could be done now. He had many plans today, but now he doubted he would be able to do most of them.
"Well Ilasi, have something on your mind? Perhaps you want to try more spells with the book? I wanted to spend some time with Angorita, but she's most likely with Veris right now." Maverick correctly deduced, since neither troll or wyvern were there.

Quote: A Guy

Veris calmed down in his pen, laying down with his head next to Angora. He was not, however, sleeping; he was simply lying down, trying to keep calm with Angora's assistance. He didn't seem to have any pressing needs at the moment, being satisfied for now.

Angora felt nervous when Veris rested her head in front of her, for a moment believing he was going to open those giant jaws of his and demand the task she mentioned yesterday, so she breathed a quiet sigh of relief when that wasn't the case. Hopefully, he had forgotten all about it. For now, Angora remained by Veris' side, remembering the times she used to do everything he has done for him to Shade, and really missing those moments. Although Veris was a good companion too.

After a while, Angora felt Veris' breathing in front of her too strong, so she climbed his snout and headed to his head, petting the sides of his horns but then started to feel very tired. The dream from last night didn't help her rest too well, and after one of Maverick's famous meals, she was starting to feel drowsy. She started resting on top of the wyvern's head, not sleeping but dozing off.
"You know Veris, there are some times where the best thing to do is not do anything at all." she commented casually to her particular companion, having felt so stressed and overwhelmed lately that she had learned to appreciate lazy times like this. She remembered she still had to talk to Maverick, but that could wait. If anything was bothering him, he at least had Ilasi to talk to.

As the group departed-- Chester would remain on deck not purposely bothering Maverick, but also not saying no if they wished to interact with him.

Kasidra activated her blood sense spell in order to keep track of any potential threats. She led the group through the forest alongside Laszur. As they walked along the path, she picked up on a group of small blood signatures. Kasidra pointed them out to the group, but it ended up just being a pack of the raptors from earlier, who immediately ran off upon seeing them. At least those things wouldn't be an issue anymore. Other island animals seemed to either ignore their presence or run off in a similar fashion.

Tyraika had flown through the hole of the mountaintop and landed in her lair. She headed out into the forest to track this group. She moved quietly while trying to stay hidden among the remaining plant-life. She picked up on their scent, having memorized the scouts' scents from last night. The dragons' scents also stood out from the rest of the island. Tyraika neared the group but kept her distance at first. She tried to remain hidden and avoid detection, unaware of the groups' collective abilities to locate her.

However, the dragon wasn't the only one on the island who was hunting the party. The beast that had been roaring had finally arrived. It flew above the dark clouds overhead. It couldn't see the island below but it had picked up on some interesting scents.

Quote: redwes

As the group departed-- Chester would remain on deck not purposely bothering Maverick, but also not saying no if they wished to interact with him.

Maverick noticed Chester nearby and remembered that he was now alone now.
"Aww, you poor baby. Your amigos left, didn't they? Don't worry. Stay close to us." Maverick said as he petted the cute beagle, knowing Ilasi won't mind, but even so, he was still going to be the one taking most, if not all the responsibility for him. It's been a while since he took care of the doggie, and taking care of someone other than his girlfriend may do him well.

The group was on high alert as they proceeded, expecting company. Laszur was able to hear the sounds of some creature bigger than the raptors, though he couldn't pinpoint it from his position. Meanwhile, Latnok was able to pick up on a hidden presence via his shared senses with Raclaw.
"Something's trying to hide from us - potential ambush," Latnok telepathed to the group, as he nocked an arrow and activated his combat foresight - combined with Raclaw's senses to form "the Sight", giving the duo a heightened sense of all of the goings-on in the area. Whatever it was, they would be ready.

While Maverick took it upon himself to watch over Chester, Angora was doing the same with Veris, or rather keeping him company in her case. As she dozed off, she was thinking about the dream last night. How would he feel if... she became his permanent caretaker? How would Veris feel with such news? She'd rather live with her original family, but Maverick had Ilasi, and Shade's future was uncertain. But despite the uncertainty, chances still were that Angora would be all alone in the end, just like it was before. Right now, all she had was Veris. The newcomer befriended Latnok, Raclaw could've been a great friend, but he chose the young Guardian, and Sere still disliked her a lot for all she knew. She didn't knew Risar very well, but he was always so busy. Many of the sailors there didn't give her a second glance, and knowing they already heard too many negative things about her, she wouldn't even try. Sand Dune, Random and Opium were already her friends, and they were released. Perhaps she could try to contact them?

Still, chances were that they would be overworked as well given their status of former prisoners and pirates, so in the end, it was Veris the one with most free time. She was thinking of telling the dream to him to see what he thought, but there would be no point in telling him if she wasn't going to understand his answer, and she didn't know if Veris would be able to reply the question with sign language alone, so she decided to just remain quiet for now...

The beast swooped down from above the clouds and descended on the group. As it neared them, its appearance was revealed to be a chimera. Five foot tall at the shoulder, the head and front paws of a lion, the head and back legs of a goat, and the head and wings of a green dragon. The dragon head spewed acid breath onto the group as it came within range.

Kasidra had sensed that something else was coming just as it started to descend below the clouds. "Up there!" she pointed. She narrowly dodged the acid attack.

Tyraika watched the scene from where she hid and saw that there was now a chimera on her island. That was a beast she hadn't encountered before, but it did explain why the roar sounded vaguely familiar yet different. She debated on whether to intervene or let the intruders fight among themselves.

Sere, Latnok, and Laszur were all able to avoid the acid breath - the former two on account of their future sight, the latter because of his agility. Laszur warped light and shadows around himself to become invisible, as Latnok immediately loosed the arrow he had prepared - charged with an explosive spell. Sere, meanwhile, settled for a simple shadow strike for now, lashing out at the chimera with a shadow in the ground. This wasn't the creature initially reported, or seen by Sere - but it was a foe, and would be cut down like one.

Raclaw, thanks to his shared senses with Latnok, was able to avoid the the attack just as the Guardians were. He would immediately expand his tail spikes and would counter the attack with his own fire, immediately getting into a combat stance alongside Latnok. He could see that Shade had hesitated-- perhaps a good sign elsewhere, but less so with such a clear threat in front of them. Risar, for his part, would immediately withdraw his two mighty great axes and took two heavy swings as the dragon/hybrid creature.

The chimera simply blew the smoke back with its wings. It flew up to dodge the arrow, shadow spell, and axes. It kept going higher to get out of reach of attacks, yet stayed within range to counter the fire breath with its own acid breath.

As the beast seemed to be getting out of reach, Kasidra raised a hand and clenched her fist. She constricted the chimera's movements by controlling its blood, and once she had a firm hold on it, she brought it back down to the ground hard. The beast roared at her with its lion head as its dragon head spewed acid.

While Kasidra dodged the attack, the chimera coated itself in acid and changed its body into a liquid form. The beast maintained its monstrous shape, yet its body was now made of acidic liquid. Kasidra tried to control its blood again, but failed. Its blood was now acid and no longer affected by her magic. With its form changed, the chimera spewed acid at the group with all three heads.

Acid... Hmm...
Latnok got to thinking, as the harsh acid made the air less tolerable, even as he and Sere were able to dodge the worst of it. A creature made entirely of acid - something which neutralized the acid would probably do a number to it.
Tossing his bow aside for the moment, he grabbed his pack, quickly reaching inside the hyperspace compartment to withdraw... soap. It was the first thing in his possessions that came to mind and could be of use.
"Laszur, catch!" Latnok telepathed to Laszur - not being able to see the galud, but having a sense of where he was thanks to Raclaw. Laszur jumped up, catching the soap that Latnok tossed, and the bar went invisible as he caught it. "Get a good angle and toss it at the creature!"
Laszur saw where Latnok was going with this - and would comply. Sneaking about, he would wait until he had a clear shot.

Angora felt a slight discomfort, one she has felt before but didn't know why. Perhaps she was still nervous about what happened earlier. Or maybe thinking of the future got her uneasy? While she didn't want to talk about it, she still wanted to make a comment about it.
"Veris? If... if I stay all alone, if Maverick leaves, if Shady leaves, would... would you allow me to stay with you? I... I can take care of you for as long as I live. I don't even care if I don't get paid for it. It... it'll give me a sense of usefulness in life at least..." Angora said very gloomily, believing Sere would never pay her for her services, but at this point, she didn't care anymore. She didn't know if Veris' calm breathing was a result of being asleep or just dozing off, but it didn't matter now. If he heard, she was going to let him express his opinion however he wanted.

Raclaw, seeing what Latnok was doing, quickly proceeded to distract the chimera by moving to the opposite side of Lazlur and breathing fire onto the three headed creature. With any luck-- it would go for him and give Lazlur the opening he needed to throw the bar of soap. Risar held his turn for the time being, allowing the soap to hopefully take effect. Elsewhere, Chester happily followed Maverick accomplying the Hybrid in whatever activity he wanted to partake in.

Angora's mind was a whirlwind. As she waited for Veris to respond, she got thinking, why was she considering what was practically slavery when she had Shepherd's golden offer still standing? Why was she even considering taking care of a dragon that wasn't hers in order to serve someone that hated her? There was a very good reason for it, she just couldn't recall. Shepherd's offer seemed perfect and foolish to reject, so why wasn't she taking it right now? Angora knew of Shepherd's kindness, and that the offer was still standing, so why was she still there in the Enduring Legacy, still going through the same pain as before? Why did she initially rejected the offer? There was a very good reason... but Angora couldn't remember why no matter how much she tried. Why couldn't she remember such an important detail? Knowing Shepherd, she firmly believed that was a question he didn't intend to answer. Still, should the reason really matter? Didn't she deserved a tiny bit of happiness after all she has gone through? Was wanting happiness such a selfish thing to think about? Shepherd was still basically a stranger to her, but he has never been mean to her once. The Guardians knew her and of her services before, yet it was one abuse after another. Shepherd barely knew her and he seemed genuinely interested in her happiness. With that into consideration, whatever reason she had for not taking his offer the first time didn't matter... did it?

Veris raised himself only slightly, giving a very small motion - wishing to give Angora an answer, but being unable to face her in order to do so, with the troll still on his head. Instead, he settled for a contented grunt. He wondered how his human would feel about Angora staying around - but there were always the penhands back at base, so he doubted that Sere would be particularly interested in keeping Angora around.