darkSpyro

As Morning came, Raclaw was still asleep-- having had many thoughts to keep him awake including an unexpected encounter with an famiar fox.
Quote: cyndego

Dex and Sapphire had split up. Dex had gone after Raclaw and just before he had gone any further in to the inn small rock flew to his head from outside. Dex wanted to get Raclaws attention, but did not want the whole inn to see him, now he was hoping that Raclaw would start to look who was behind the thrown rock and so would make his way in a position where Dex could talk to him without being seen.

'What the...,' Raclaw thought as the small pebble hit his head. He briefly turned around and he could feel the familiar aura of-- something. Someone or something called to him and he briefly made his way to a nearby corner, the source of the pebble. Little did he know what to expect...

The guard scowled at Shade. "Thanks to you, many people won't be able to see their family again Your trial is whenever the king finds time for it; until then, you can sit here and think about what you have done."
"HEXPHAGE. DRAGON LOOKS DELICIOUS!" the behemoth bellowed.
"Seal him back in," one guard commanded. The behemoth raised its forelegs and slammed on the ground, and the earth in front of Shade once again closed up, leaving him completely sealed in.

"Your trial... hmm..." Ilasi thought out loud. "Oh, yes. I don't know exactly when your trial is; however, I do know that the king himself will be attending. The king arrived at Redwater this morning, both to survey the damage and to speak to a subject matter expert on the subject of Shade. Considering that, they are not likely to delay the trial too much longer, as the king no doubt has many other things to do."

Angora was quite disappointed there wasn't a specific date for the trial.
"Ugh... Well, at least if the king is here, I hope that means the trial won't take long. Thank you Ilasi. I pray that the king is merciful enough to take away this fungus from us. Those behemoths... fascinating creatures let me tell you, but if you pardon my saying, very nasty as well. But anyway, thank you for everything. It's been a lousy time, but I have faith things will get better." Angora expressed, dismising Ilasi. Even though she wished she could stay, she also knew how much work she had, so Angora decided not to take any more of her time.

Dex coming a bit out so that Raclaw could see him. "It would be nice to talk longer, but i dont want to been seen here. I have been following Maverick for some time and i guess he did not like the answer he got from you. Why i am here following him is a story for other time. But i need you to give my message to Sere. I want him to know i am here and i am going To help Maverick if i can. Wait a bit with this information, i want to be gone before he knows. I just want him to know what i am doing, and that me working with them will stay a secret. What he does with this information is his decision." Dex said with a serious voice, but still looking like he was happy to see Raclaw even if their conversation could not be a long one if he wanted nobody else seeing him.

Sapphire noticed that the animal with Maverick did not like her presence, so she stayed bit away from them " We have been following you all this time. I was in fact angry that Dex let you go without us, but his plan was to follow you from the shadows. We work the best when nobody knows we are there and if we had gone with you everybody would know about us. Dex thought i should not have let you know we are here, but i could not look at you like that anymore. We are going to help you so dont give up, you are not alone!" Sapphire said first sounding serious and at the end almost crying. But the most clear part was that she was not going to take no for an answer to her offering of help and at the same time ignoring Mavericks first reaction when he saw her.

As Dex soon made an appearance and explained the situation, Raclaw kept an close an eye on his surroundings knowing that the others would soon be wondering where he was. After all, it wasn't too hard to notice your fur dragon going missing and even if they didn't-- "Raclaw?," Chester could be heard with a quiet whine. Raclaw quickly looked at Dex and nodded, indicating that he understood and would go with the plan. "Go on ahead-- I'll catch up.," Raclaw responded to Chester in dogspeak before he got close enough to notice the sneaky fox. "Good luck.," he mouthed to Dex before he disappeared.

As Sere was speaking with the king, Latnok had just finished eating his meal in the lobby. The king's royal guard was present - the king was at the inn. Latnok had a pretty good idea of why - Sere was here, and could have some knowledge as to the situation with Shade, so the king likely sought a direct audience with him. That explained why he didn't show up for breakfast - far more important things to deal with. Heading back to his room, he wanted to see if Raclaw and Chester were ready.
"Raclaw! Chester!" Latnok called as he opened the door. "Ah, good morning. Godfather Sere is... busy right now. Important stuff, I'd presume. Anyway, we'll be without him for most of the day. Are you guys ready?"

As Ilasi left, the sad Angora sat on the bed, despising the fact that she was all alone again.
"At least they could've left us some toys or something." she said to herself, hating the fact that there was nothing to do to kill time and spare them the agony of waiting to know what their fate will be. She watched as the hexphage slowly spreaded like an annoying microorganism taking control of the body. Angora even tried to take at least a few of them off, but the more she tried to remove it, the more it seemed to spread. Since her magic wasn't entirely her own, it's effects weren't as noticeable as with other beings, but even so, she could still feel the awful fungus chugging it away, leaving her weaker and more powerless...

Quote: cyndego

Sapphire noticed that the animal with Maverick did not like her presence, so she stayed bit away from them " We have been following you all this time. I was in fact angry that Dex let you go without us, but his plan was to follow you from the shadows. We work the best when nobody knows we are there and if we had gone with you everybody would know about us. Dex thought i should not have let you know we are here, but i could not look at you like that anymore. We are going to help you so dont give up, you are not alone!" Sapphire said first sounding serious and at the end almost crying. But the most clear part was that she was not going to take no for an answer to her offering of help and at the same time ignoring Mavericks first reaction when he saw her.

"Well bad idea. Come on! It's dangerous here. This is my mission, not yours. Don't you know how..." Maverick them lowered his voice.
"... don't you know how dangerous the people here is? They want to make you a criminal out of nowhere. I barely reached this city and I'm already a wanting man cause of some destruction Shade caused." Maverick explained calmly at Sapphire, upset about her and Dex following him. Despite not liking them exposing themselves to danger like that, the young man disguised the fact that he was quite happy to see her again.

Quote: A Guy

As Sere was speaking with the king, Latnok had just finished eating his meal in the lobby. The king's royal guard was present - the king was at the inn. Latnok had a pretty good idea of why - Sere was here, and could have some knowledge as to the situation with Shade, so the king likely sought a direct audience with him. That explained why he didn't show up for breakfast - far more important things to deal with. Heading back to his room, he wanted to see if Raclaw and Chester were ready.
"Raclaw! Chester!" Latnok called as he opened the door. "Ah, good morning. Godfather Sere is... busy right now. Important stuff, I'd presume. Anyway, we'll be without him for most of the day. Are you guys ready?"

As Latnok opened the door, Chester had just woken Raclaw up-- needing much less sleep than the walking telepathic conduit that was Raclaw. "Morning Latnok! Yeah-- we're ready.," Raclaw said with a smile. Chester offered an happy bark as he followed Raclaw out of the room. He knew that he would have to tell Sere eventually, but that would have to wait.

The trio went down to the lobby - Sere followed not too long after. "So are we sticking to the plan then, Godfather Sere?" Latnok asked.
"Yes, we are," Sere said. "Although there are now certain elements of that which may complicate things somewhat.?
"You mean..."
"The situation with Shade... Aelinon may not be dealing with it in the most straightforward way. Granted, Shade is still in a bind - but he may - may - have a chance. Of course, it will require quite a bit of effort on our part... not effort I would normally bother with, honestly. However... there may be some benefit overall."
"Well... I know you have more of the details on that. I don't feel quite comfortable about the whole thing myself, but we'll see how it plays out," Latnok said. "Just let me know what you need me to do."
"For now? We do what we have been planning to do. Later, however, that is when things will change."

With time running out slowly and Angora having nothing else to do, she settled with playing with the food Ilasi brought to her, wanting something to entertain herself with. She didn't know what was worse, if this extreme boredom and loneliness or not knowing what will happen to her and Shade. She was worried about him the most. Not only was he the one who caused the destruction, he was also the most likely target for the behemoths, being far bigger and meatier than her. Angora even started to wonder if the behemoths would even be interested in eating her, being the insignificantly small creature she was, even with the hexphage. Still, it was a very likely outcome nevertheless, and even if they didn't saw her as food, she still believed them sadistic enough to go as far as to simply step on her and crush her. One way or another, she had to give her all in that trial, impress the king if possible, and hopefully, finally win their freedom once again and find Shade the help he so desperately needed.

Quote: A Guy

The trio went down to the lobby - Sere followed not too long after. "So are we sticking to the plan then, Godfather Sere?" Latnok asked.
"Yes, we are," Sere said. "Although there are now certain elements of that which may complicate things somewhat.?
"You mean..."
"The situation with Shade... Aelinon may not be dealing with it in the most straightforward way. Granted, Shade is still in a bind - but he may - may - have a chance. Of course, it will require quite a bit of effort on our part... not effort I would normally bother with, honestly. However... there may be some benefit overall."
"Well... I know you have more of the details on that. I don't feel quite comfortable about the whole thing myself, but we'll see how it plays out," Latnok said. "Just let me know what you need me to do."
"For now? We do what we have been planning to do. Later, however, that is when things will change."

Raclaw's eyes lit up at hearing that Shade had a chance, although that may not mean that the dark Dragolet would nessarily like whatever the Aelinonians had planned to do with him now. "Well-- whatever you need later, we'll be here.," Raclaw said with a nod. If they were dealing with Shade again, than he knew that his abilities would be of use-- even more so than already. Chester barked just happy to be along for the ride.

Tired and with a grumbling stomach, Angora finally decide to eat the dinner Ilasi kindly brought to her. She was still hungry, but knew she wasn't going to get any food even if she asked kindly. She then lied down on the bed, thinking about everything that has happened lately, from her imprisonment in Orcford to this brand new predicament. Even though she wanted to think she and Shade will get out of this one without needing to go to the arena, she was still assimilating the idea of the worse case scenario of facing a behemoth. If what the galud prisoner said was true and the beasts have never lost a battle, they were as good as dead. The hexphage also made sure of that. How Angora wished she had Maverick's large tome right now. If it has information about them, it could've been so useful, especially if it indicated any weaknesses. If only the behemoth she talked to could've seen reason. Even right now, she was wondering if he was thinking about what she said yesterday, or if he even thought about their conversation at least once...

A while later, some mermen guards approached Angora's cell, with the leader opening it. "Get out - it's trial time," he said. "King is here, and he has better things to do than wait around for you. You might want to move with a purpose."
Meanwhile, in Shade's cell, the wall came down again as a behemoth shifted it with its magic. There was another mage and some guards with him. "Your trial will begin soon," he said. "You will not be physically attending - however, through my magic, you will see what is happening, and will be able to speak to those present."

Everyone had finished their meals at the inn. The inn was even more populated today than yesterday - no doubt on account of the king himself having visited. There was much going on, and the staff were beginning to become overworked.
"I will be headed off now," Sere said. "Remember what I said, Latnok."
"Don't you worry about me," Latnok said. The group left the inn, with Sere splitting off from the others. "Hey, Raclaw," Latnok asked, "you don't suppose this Damon guy knows any more good taverns, do you?"

Quote: A Guy

A while later, some mermen guards approached Angora's cell, with the leader opening it. "Get out - it's trial time," he said. "King is here, and he has better things to do than wait around for you. You might want to move with a purpose."

Angora flinched when the guard gave the news. She was hopeful that the trial would began as soon as today due to the king being in the city, but she never imagined it it would be as soon as now. She quietly left the cell, glad to be out but at the same time very nervous. She wanted the trial to begin as soon as possible to defend herself and Shade and win their freedom faster, but now she wasn't so sure. The fungus continued spreading, which didn't help her image too much. However, just like last time, she intended to defend herself with just words, hoping that the king would be as impartial and understandable as the judge in Orcford.

After some moving through the underground tunnels, and being handed over to humans, Angora was brought through a tunnel passageway which opened up to a district within Redwater. There were many guards present by a courthouse, the top of which could be seen over all present, in highly decorated armor, with the insignia of Aelinon - a wyvern repelling arrows with its wings flared, with a thunderbolt in the background.
With some maneuvering, Angora was pushed through, until they were finally in the courtroom. Not everyone was present yet - of those currently present were the judge, Laszur, Sere, King Seraos, and an illusion of Shade, being projected from his chamber.

Sapphire gave a weak smile to Maverick " Well this is not the first time I am doing something dangerous. And even if you feel like this is your mission I have more then one reason to be here! Without you I would not have gain the courage to go against Blue. And what comes to your friends, i have almost got them killed two times. And this might have never happend if I had not helped Blue. I am in debt to you and to your friends!" Sapphire said Showing her emotions again.

Dex nodded to Raclaw "Thanks" he said. He noticed Chester, but decided not to make comment about him, and just took off in to the shadows.

Quote: A Guy

Everyone had finished their meals at the inn. The inn was even more populated today than yesterday - no doubt on account of the king himself having visited. There was much going on, and the staff were beginning to become overworked.
"I will be headed off now," Sere said. "Remember what I said, Latnok."
"Don't you worry about me," Latnok said. The group left the inn, with Sere splitting off from the others. "Hey, Raclaw," Latnok asked, "you don't suppose this Damon guy knows any more good taverns, do you?"

"You know-- that's a good a question.," Raclaw thought out loud as they walked. Chester, as always, walked right alongside Raclaw. "Damon?," Raclaw asked over the links knowing that the entity could hear everything he did-- and that he wouldn't need to repeat the question. He still found that aspect of Damon kind of off putting especially when considering the fact Damon once could've physically stopped him from performing an action and still could override his own telepathy; even if they had agreed on him no longer doing that. That didn't change the facts, however, and it remained true that he and Damon were incapable of speaking at the same time. So long as one was speaking, the other couldn't-- and he wasn't the one in control of that switch. So long as he chose to wear the collar, he would never have complete control of his own facilities and would always depend (at least a little) on Damon's continued cooperation. At the very least-- his telepathy depended on Damon and that just happened to be his primary element.

"I may know a place with experienced sailors, although I can't guarantee that that they're fit in the rest of the crew.," Damon said before briefly pausing. "Well we first need a crew, before we can even begin to worry about anyone fitting or not fitting in.," Raclaw reminded Damon. "Very well than-- I once lost on a bet and had to spend an entire night drinking at this place called the 'Salty Sailor.' The ale was reasonably priced if not a little spicy, but the men--," Damon paused again. "The men were let's just say different if you catch my drift. They're experienced, however, that I can ensure you and their rows have touched many an ocean.," he then concluded offering the trio ample instructions and citing key landmarks that would likely still be around after his time. The instructions would lead them down the docks and away from where most of the bars were located. According to Damon, they would know that they were in the right place once they heard the sailor songs.

Soon Risar showed up as well, struggling to get through the crowd that had formed around the hotel. "Risar here, Risar late-- much crowd today.," the foreign minotaur said catching up to the others. Some of the gathered citizens scattered as he made an appearance, talking among themselves. Needless to say, their crew would have an odd assortment of races by the time they were through with their search. They were already beginning to become a running bar joke-- with an fur dragon, a dog, and a minotaur already making up part of the crew.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade saw Angora finally. “Angora!”

"Shade..." Angora whispered to his projection, being so glad to see him. Like her, the infectious fungus was surrounding him, spreading like a plague. Even if he wasn't really there, she just wanted to give him a big hug and apologize for everything, but she sadly knew that would have to wait. After setting her emotions asides, she went to see the familiar faces... and one she hasn't seen before. A boy with the most elegant and regal clothes she has seen. It... it couldn't be. Was this Aelinon's mighty king? This brat? She was expecting someone much older, maybe someone with a beard and many battle scars, but this king was nothing but a boy, probably not even older than Maverick himself. Has he lost his parents at an early age? Angora couldn't help but make a funny face when she realized who he was, but immediately changed it to a more neutral one to avoid seeing disrespectful. This was, after all, the moment of truth. She and Shade will either walk away freely or be sentenced to the bloody arena and into their final doom...

Quote: cyndego

Sapphire gave a weak smile to Maverick " Well this is not the first time I am doing something dangerous. And even if you feel like this is your mission I have more then one reason to be here! Without you I would not have gain the courage to go against Blue. And what comes to your friends, i have almost got them killed two times. And this might have never happend if I had not helped Blue. I am in debt to you and to your friends!" Sapphire said Showing her emotions again.

Although Maverick knew that part of their current's misfortune was because of Sapphire's precious loyalty to Blue, he didn't blame her. Like him in the past, she simply believed for a time she couldn't do better.
"You were used to that life. It's not your fault what happened to them. I... I should've protect them better. Listen, I have no doubts you've faced dangers before, but this is to a whole new level. The government here is very brutal and it's hard to earn your freedom once you're targeted. I'm enough problems as it is, I can't possibly let you two suffer as well." Maverick insisted, not wanting to involve anyone else despite needing all the help he could get. Orion was already helping him, and that was more than enough for him, so there was no need to involve anyone else... though he knew there was nothing he could do if Sapphire stubbornly insisted on helping him.

As some time passed, more and more personnel began filtering into the courtroom - including the captain who had granted Angora and Shade free reign to roam the land for a period of time. The judge was an old man - he had almost no hair except for a small, gray beard, and his skin showed his age, in contrast to the king. Soon, it was time for the trial to begin. As the trial started, and as it went on, Sere and the king would occasionally whisper something to each other.
"Attention," the judge called out, and the court quieted to just a few whispers. "The dragon Shade is accused of attacking Redwater unprovoked, causing great death and destruction to innocent civilians and their property. As per the court order, the troll Angora is to be held accountable for this action, barring extenuating circumstances - Angora is also accused of inciting an attack on Redwater, including wishing great harm upon the nation. Captain Urviun is accused of providing the dragon and troll free reign to roam the land, despite the court order, against good judgment. I will now give the defendants a chance to speak on these accusations." Captain Urviun did not say anything - he seemed to be accepting of the accusations.

"Good, so no one left to hunt down," Latnok said. "Let's go."
The group started moving out. The docks were as busy as ever - in fact, even more busy, as construction supplies were coming in droves, in addition to the plunder from the war. The sounds of crewmen hard at work, street performers, and ordinary citizens could be heard, along with seagulls cawing. The directions Damon provided were relatively easy to follow - soon the group arrived at a wooden bar, with no windows, and a sign with a logo of an anchor being gripped by two solid, hairy, muscled arms. "WELCOME TO THE SALTY SAILOR" the sign said.

Quote: A Guy

As some time passed, more and more personnel began filtering into the courtroom - including the captain who had granted Angora and Shade free reign to roam the land for a period of time. The judge was an old man - he had almost no hair except for a small, gray beard, and his skin showed his age, in contrast to the king. Soon, it was time for the trial to begin. As the trial started, and as it went on, Sere and the king would occasionally whisper something to each other.
"Attention," the judge called out, and the court quieted to just a few whispers. "The dragon Shade is accused of attacking Redwater unprovoked, causing great death and destruction to innocent civilians and their property. As per the court order, the troll Angora is to be held accountable for this action, barring extenuating circumstances - Angora is also accused of inciting an attack on Redwater, including wishing great harm upon the nation. Captain Urviun is accused of providing the dragon and troll free reign to roam the land, despite the court order, against good judgment. I will now give the defendants a chance to speak on these accusations." Captain Urviun did not say anything - he seemed to be accepting of the accusations.

Angora came to her and Shade's defense, trying very hard not to yell in response of the unfair and outrageous accusations.
"People of the court, as you may recall, this is not the first time I've been under trial, and in the outcome, we were instructed not to fly. To avoid more trouble, we left the city, but we were intercepted by a blue water dragon that kidnapped us and greatly injured us. Shade went near Redwater to get medical help, and after this captain was kind enough to treat us..." Angora then pointed at Captain Urviun,
"... we agreed to leave while respecting the first court's condition, but since I knew Shade needed help, I went to Redwater to find food and a beast master that would help us have better control of his power. I won't deny though, that Shade has had these power surges in the past, but NEVER to the point of such life threatening levels. After I purchased some food for him and went to get him, the first thing I see is Aelinonian soldiers attacking him. I could hear Shade begging them to stop, but they didn't listen. They continued attacking him, and that's when the deadly explosion occurred. Something like that never happened before. It became evident to me that his powers acted out violently in self defense, which lead to the current tragedy. I can understand your Magesty, why the Aelinonian soldiers would want to investigate something potentially dangerous, but attacking relentlessly like that, especially when their victim was begging to stop, was going too far." Angora explained calmly, trying to pinpoint the soldier's mistake without degrading their reputation. She didn't know what would happen to her, but her main priority was to earn Shade's freedom.

A mage, dressed in a more formal set of robes, took the stand. "Legate Yulis?" the judge said. "What do you have to say on the matter?"
"I have to say that the troll's conclusions are objectively false," the mage said. "I gave the order to attack - and I had only given such an order after there have already been reports of death and destruction. We had no choice but to act against the source, lest such a thing continue - were we to just allow innocents to keep dying? Should we spare a murderer because he begs those attempting to bring him to justice to stop? I think not. This creature should be executed on the spot - not even a chance at the arena. He is too dangerous to let live."
"Very well," the judge said. "Troll Angora, dragon Shade, do you have anything to say in response?"

Angora didn't know if the mage was lying to have them killed on the spot, or if there has been something she missed while at the tavern buying the meat. She did felt a small tremor while inside, but she never associated it with Shade... but was that his doing?
"Your magesty please, you must understand that when I left the tavern, I didn't see any destruction! Don't you have a spell or anything that can prove what I heard and saw yesterday? I already told you, Shade's power surges are never this deadly. It's too much coincidence that it went worse precisely when Aelinonian soldiers were present." Angora insisted, still believing that the soldiers made things worse by attacking Shade.

Rather than the judge, the legate answered Angora. "Behold - a memory of the circumstances," the legate said. He then projected an image of himself - at a table, presumably within an office somewhere. There was a tremor, knocking over some papers; a soldier then appeared in the projection.
"Sir! We've pinpointed the source of the attack!" the soldier said.
"What's the status of the city?" the legate asked.
"There is some damage to buildings already, trees have fallen, and there have been at least four deaths as a result," the soldier said.
"Very well. I want every wyvern rider answering that threat. Destroy it. The Void Breaker will no doubt be active soon - it will protect the city once it is."
"Consider it done, sir." The memory ended.
The king then spoke. "Do you think my men are stupid?" he asked indignantly. "Do you think our military is so undisciplined and wasteful as to throw so many men at a random target? Especially when the man right next to me flies a similar-looking creature, and had for years with no ill effect? What is your justification?" he asked Angora directly.

Angora knew she was making a bad impression on the king, so she was very careful in her next words.
"King... I really don't know how your military works, and pardon my ignorance for that. But there is one thing to be consider. Shade was left traumatized with the soldiers of Aelinon in the first experience. I think it's possible that he sensed them nearby and it prompted his powers to act in self defense even before they arrived." Angora began to say, realizing that she was useless as a witness. She could only come with random theories to explain Shade's power burst.

The legate then spoke up. "So your dragon... he knows for a fact that the presence of soldiers triggers his destructive tendencies... and yet he comes to the biggest city in Aelinon, which is no doubt full of armed men, not to mention countless innocents? There is nothing justifying this dragon's actions; he needs to be put to death." The legate clearly had his mind made; the judge, however, continued to listen, not showing any bias one way or another.

"I must see Dex again now. But we will help you if we can, even if you dont like it." Sapphire said with clearly bit Angry about the fact that Maverick did not understand her Motives better. He then took off before Maverick had time to answer.

Dex was waiting for Sapphire in the location they had earlier appointed "What is taking her so long...." he thought clearly frustrated about Sapphire taking so long

"But..." Maverick began to say, but Sapphire had disappeared. Even if it wasn't his fault, he was felling guilty for having the foxes involved.
"What am I going to do now Orion?" he asked, not knowing who else to turn to.

Quote: A Guy

The legate then spoke up. "So your dragon... he knows for a fact that the presence of soldiers triggers his destructive tendencies... and yet he comes to the biggest city in Aelinon, which is no doubt full of armed men, not to mention countless innocents? There is nothing justifying this dragon's actions; he needs to be put to death." The legate clearly had his mind made; the judge, however, continued to listen, not showing any bias one way or another.

"It was the nearest city where we could look for resources. I was trying to purchase food and find as beast master as fast as I could, but I underestimated just how deadly his powers were becoming. It's not his fault!" Angora desperately said, knowing that things were looking really bad for Shade. She really tried to create various excuses to explain his behavior, but her credibility was slowly breaking apart. She didn't care anymore what happened to her, as long as she could save Shade somehow. It didn't matter what it took. She had to find a way...

Angora was left speechless at Shade's defense. What mage was he talking about? When she was up the tower, it was too bright to see anyone else, so it was then that Angora knew she has missed quite a lot about Shade. If they could prove his words, then they would know that it was someone else that unleashed his powers, and not his own malice or instability.

"You still chose to come to Redwater, even knowing that," the legate said accusingly. "Your selfishness and foolishness has cost many lives. Why did you think it was a good idea to come near such a large populated city, knowing that you can cause such destruction at any moment? Why should you be anything more than behemoth food? At least that way you'd be feeding the creatures helping to rebuild some of what was lost." The judge continued to look on, as Sere and the king kept whispering to each other occasionally.

As Angora suspected, nobody was buying Shade's explaination, or if they did, the fact still remained that he should've avoided Redwater. She saw the king and Sere whispering to each other, and firmly believed they were simply planning to send Shade to the arena. She knew she didn't have the Guardian's support anymore. Her services in destroying Darkmatter were null. We went back to nothing but a simple, insignificant troll... and it was then that Angora took a decision that knew would cost her greatly. Before speaking, she looked depressingly at Shade, mouthing the words i'm sorry to him before talking.
"Alright! Enough of this farce! I didn't think you would find out about the attack! But the truth is... I was the one who ordered Shade to do it! It was my revenge against the people of Aelinon for being so unjust, so cruel, so violent to creatures like me! I was detained once under false charges! I wanted people to pay, no matter who got in the way, and what better way than to start with the biggest city? So you see... I forced Shade to attack Aelinon. I mentally tortured him with my magic until he obliged! So you see, I'm the one responsible for those deaths! He was just following orders! He doesn't deserve to be sacrificed!" Angora yelled to the whole court, having chosen to lie in order to give Shade a second chance. She didn't care if she was sent to the arena or sacrificed to a behemoth. She was willing to lose her life through a lie if it meant Shade will live. That's how much she loved him...

The court turned silent for a few seconds, followed by the sounds of increasing whispers. Surprisingly, no one responded directly; what was said spoke for itself. Instead, the judge called for anyone else who wished to speak, and Laszur took the stand.
"Judge, I do not have much information about the circumstances, but I can corroborate the story of the water dragon. When I was tracking the initial source of such an outburst of power, I happened upon a ruined castle. There, the human Maverick was engaged in combat with a water dragon... with the help of some fox creatures I do not have the identity of. It would seem that this group has, indeed, encountered a water dragon.
"As for the circumstances of the troll Angora's capture. Major Cailun had clearly abused his power in response to a facial expression by the troll, labeling her noncompliant. I would be reluctant to believe anything involving her noncompliance in prison."
"That is a very serious accusation you are levying on an officer, Laszur."
"I am well aware. I am gathering evidence of his lawbreaking, and expect to be able to build a case against him soon."
"Very well. You are dismissed."
Laszur left the stand, back to the audience. Sere and Seraos continued to whisper amongst themselves every now and then.

The little troll looked at the galud officer, knowing the risk he was taking by accusing one of his own. She still didn't know exactly why he would do that, but it was clear that it wasn't for her sake. She was terrified when she heard Maverick battled Blue, but to her relief, he has escaped. That made her breathe calmly. The castle was very far away from there, given Shade was flying for a long while after leaving it, and if Maverick found out that was where she and Shade were kept, she really hoped he would interpreted the castle's destruction as them having died in the blast. She had no doubt Maverick would mourn them greatly, and the thought tortured her, but she also believed he would get over it someday, and from that conclusion, hopefully build a better life for himself without her or Shade, they who have caused him so much trouble.

But as her little train of thoughts vanished, she listened to the whispers and silence among the crowd. She had no doubts they would believe her. After all, trolls were very despised creatures in Aelinon. Angora firmly believed that the people had been waiting for a moment to have her condemned, and she has finally given it to them. It didn't matter to her as long as Shade was spared. She knew that the people wouldn't care about what happened to her. Her sacrifice would simply mean one less troll in the world

"Captain Urviun, do you have any words?" the judge asked.
"I have nothing to say in my defense," Urviun said. "I am ready to accept my punishment."
"Very well..." The judge looked at King Seraos. "Your thoughts, my king?"
"You are much more experienced than I am," King Seraos said. "Please, make the decisions I pay you to make."
"Very well, Your Majesty," the judge said. "In the case of Maverick, I shall pass judgment in his absence on account of the situation. Mitigating circumstances would have made it impossible for him to keep accountability of the troll and dragon. Therefore, he shall be free of all charges. In the case of Captain Urviun. His lack of judgment has led to the deaths of many innocents; however, his actions were not selfish and were in good faith. He would have had no reason to believe that such destruction could occur; indeed, it is the first time any of us have heard of the dragon Shade causing such destruction. Therefore, he shall not suffer any penalties, except those of a military nature pertaining to rank, pay, and such, levied by his command. In the case of the troll, Angora, her confession is clear, and we have no reason to believe it is untrue. Therefore, I sentence her to death by combat. In the case of the dragon, Shade - knowing his powers were unstable and he feels highly uneasy around soldiers, he nevertheless chose to approach the most populated city in Aelinon, and has caused the death of many as a result - either by following an undeniably unlawful order, or by his own carelessness. Therefore, I sentence him to death by combat." The court went silent for a moment, then Sere and Seraos whispered amongst themselves once again.

Angora was more than ready to accept her punishment, but found it unacceptable that her false testimony didn't saved Shade. Ignoring the dragolet's comment, she talked herself.
"Your honor, please! He had no choice! I forced him to do it! He didn't have any will on the matter!" Angora insisted, wanting one way or another to save Shade, regardless of what happened to her. The good thing was that Maverick was free of all charges, but even so, Angora still desperately tried to save Shade as well, even if it meant creating one lie after the other.

The king looked sternly at Angora. "I do not care whether you ordered him to or not. If you were tormenting him, then he chose to put his own peace above the lives of many. That warrants death. My judge has made his sentence. Now, you... Shade is your name, yes? What do you ask of me?"
Sere looked along uneasily. This would be absolutely ruinous to the name of the Ardent Guardians, especially considering the reward he granted Angora. He would need to find a way to right things again...

As Angora awaited Shade's condition, she glared at Sere, feeling like he just gave her a stab in the back. He could've tried to do something, yet he simply remained there, whispering and conspiring with the king.
"Well then, you must be proud. I won't be a burden to you anymore. You boy Latnok must be very happy. Such will be the end of the one that destroyed the Darkmatter and saved..." Angora said weakly to Sere, using what little telepathy she had left. The voice was heard like it was far away. She was so weak from the hexphage, she had to stop her comment mid sentence. This was it. There was no doubt now. After that bogus confession, she knew she was destined to die. She lowered her head to cry, disappointed in herself and the whole world. She has always thought Orion made a huge mistake with her. Whatever nobility or attribute he saw in her, it didn't exist, cause nobody else could see it. Only Maverick, but only because he was too childish and naive for his own good.

Sere was quick on the response, despite Angora's condition. "I'm afraid your rash 'confession' has made things much more difficult than they were intended," Sere said. "Shade was destined to go to the arena, regardless of the circumstances, but I was hoping to be able to keep you out of prison. Your complete lack of faith and your pessimism has refused to allow you to consider that I was in a position where I could influence certain factors, and has left you feeling that I have forsaken you, even as I was in the court room with you." Sere's disappointment and frustration could be felt through his telepathy.

Angora could only shook her head, honestly not knowing if he was telling the truth. If it was, it meant that it wouldn't have mattered her attempts to save him, one way or another, they would've all been in vain, and now she has doomed herself for nothing. She gave a poisonous look at the king, knowing there was nothing worse he could do to her, and then immediately fell to her knees, in complete defeat. Her air of dispair was noticeable anywhere. If Aelinon wanted to see her broken, they did it. They defeated her. They have won, just like they were use to...

Elsewhere in Redwater...

Quote: A Guy

"Good, so no one left to hunt down," Latnok said. "Let's go."
The group started moving out. The docks were as busy as ever - in fact, even more busy, as construction supplies were coming in droves, in addition to the plunder from the war. The sounds of crewmen hard at work, street performers, and ordinary citizens could be heard, along with seagulls cawing. The directions Damon provided were relatively easy to follow - soon the group arrived at a wooden bar, with no windows, and a sign with a logo of an anchor being gripped by two solid, hairy, muscled arms. "WELCOME TO THE SALTY SAILOR" the sign said.

"Welcome back.," Raclaw said with a smile upon Risar's return as they proceeded towards and soon found the Salty Sailor. As they opened the doors and entered the new bar, a strong odor could be smelt which could best be described hairy armpits and cologne. "Looks like place-- smells like place.," Risar said the scent soon finding its way up his minotaur nose. Chester whined slightly, quickly picking up the scent as well. As soon as they fully stepped into the doorway, the heavy doors closed behind them and it took a moment for the group's eyes to adjust to new slightly dim surroundings. The bar had a shape that could best be described as an giant treasure chest-- with a domed ceiling dark hardware throughout. A slight haze filled the air and the only visible light was that of candlelight, via several candles located on each rectangular table as well as the bar itself-- which formed a L shape and stood against the very back wall of the establishment.

"Well well well.. Welcome! Welcome to the Salty Sailor-- we've never seen you before.," a voice could be heard from behind the bar counter although the face wasn't immediately clear. A pair of eyes as well of those of several of the patrons, all men, could be seen studying the group. "A minotaur-- you're not the first I've seen enter this establishment, but... impressive nonetheless.," a nearby patron could be heard saying not thinking much of the others. "Nice armor-- very shiny.," another patron could be heard saying closely studying Latnok. They didn't seem to have much to say on either of the two dragons or that of the little Chester. "Now now--," the first voice could be heard saying; its user leaning forward and showing himself. "Let's not make our new guests uncomfortable. My name is Morrigan. They call me Captain Morrigan and if there is anything you need-- just let me know.," the lean man said. He spoke in what sounded like an english accent, dressed in red, and wore what you would typically expect an captain to wear-- complete with the hat and all. Risar offered no response to the possibly flattering comment, while Raclaw was very surprised to not immediately earn the room's attention. If Damon had any comments, he was staying quiet as well. It wasn't clear if every new guest got this kind of reception, or if the Salty Sailor had simply made an exception.

"And have you blow up the arena and everyone within? I think not," the king said to Shade. "You, dragon, will fight in a battle to honor the legendary warrior Talsius. You see, Talsius was a criminal, much like yourself, before the founding of Aelinon. During the chaos of a losing battle one day, he escaped - yet chose to redeem himself. He performed the prototypic ritual now used by the Ardent Guardians, gaining much power at the cost of his own body. Facing countless enemies, he made a last stand against all odds, until his body became nothing.
"And that is what you will do. You will fight countless enemies - and the battle will only get harder as you go on. Survive long enough, put in a good effort, and impress the people, and you will be granted freedom, under conditions. You will maintain the fungus the whole time, and you will remain grounded the entire fight.
"As for you... Angora, was it? A less than impressive creature physically, but to my understanding, you can command magic. As I doubt your magic is strong enough to destroy an arena, you will receive the cure for the fungus some hours before you are slated to fight. Should your dragon act up at any time, I'm throwing you into the arena against him, and my behemoths will be killing you both should neither of you be willing to kill each other."

Latnok, not feeling like making conversation, introduced himself immediately. "Hello. I'm Latnok of the Ardent Guardians. Those with me are headed with us on an expedition to Falcon's Beak. Currently looking for some capable seamen. Oh, and hit me and my buddies here with drinks you think will impress us." As he spoke, Latnok withdrew a job notice he had written up, using the same wording as Sere's, looking for a place to post it.

Angora was furious at how unfair everything was. She knew she would have a fighting chance with magic, and it will give her the opportunity to speak with Shade telepathically. While she was kinda glad she would be getting the fungus off, she didn't remain quiet over the injustice.
"So, it's not enough we'll be killed by the behemoth. You want us to kill each other too?" Angora said in a calm, yet evidently upsetting tone. It was no wonder the people were in the violence loving position they were with a brat like him for a king.