darkSpyro

Although vaguely, Maverick could hear the sound too.
"I want to trust el capitán, but... I'm still very worried." Maverick said, feeling ridiculous for feeling that way. He soon would have his little distraction when he saw Angora pacing around restlessly, the noise being louder from her end.
"Con calma Angorita. They'll be fine." he assured, though mostly for himself than to her.
"I just... feel so useless here. I want to help." Angora said, though she knew it wasn't a good idea to go out there and be prone to capture.
"We will have our turn Angorita. For now, you have to stay here." Maverick suggested, not wanting his dear little friend to go out there, especially after what happened with her orb.

Quote:

Latnok looked on at the huddled defenders - equipped with spears, axes, and the like, and the most basic of armor. In them, he saw something familiar, yet new to him - he saw himself as a child reflected in them. The turmoil he had to endure, the times he had to risk his life, not having anyone to support...
"Surely this isn't it, right? I mean... there has to be some other trick here. Because... there's no way they would just leave the young to defend a key artifact. It doesn't make sense... there has to be something else we're not seeing... right?" As the others consulted, the defenders stood steadfastly, seemingly unsure of doing anything else but standing their ground.

"It-- it has to be. Surely they wouldn't...," Raclaw said as he quickly scanned the 'enemy' for any signs of trickery. Perhaps they were only merely disguised as younglings and weren't actually what they seemed? He had killed many pirates and adults by now, but not any kids...

Unfortunately, Raclaw would pick up exactly what stood before him - everything in their consciousness that wasn't shared would indicate that they were as young as they seemed. They knew the adults were gone - and yet, despite the fear, they were determined to make a stand here, at all costs, hoping for help to arrive. It wouldn't be easy - if it was even possible - to have them stand aside.

Mischief nearly unleashes one of her strongest spells before suddenly extinguishing her attack. "They're... They're only children! Teenagers at most! I was older leaving the Academy!" Rocky looked down at the defenders, and turns to look at Mischief, who's too stunned to attack. "Who... Who'd send cubs to fight an army? It's wrong, so very wrong. If we had attacked thoughtlessly, it would've been a slaughter we'd never live down. Where's their army? Their soldiers, their monsters... It can't come down to this!"
Darkheart shook her head. "If this is their last line of defense... It relies less on power and more on us having the most basic morals. If we attacked, they'd point to the act as proof we were the real monsters. But where's the artifact?"
Mischief sighed and returned her Mana to her orb. "Why are you here? Are you orphans? Did you volunteer? Please, just put your weapons down... I... I don't think anyone here wants to hurt you. You have lives to live, don't you?" Her tone was pleading. She couldn't hurt them.

The defenders gave a quick look around at each other, before one of the bigger teenagers stepped up to address Mischief. "This is our future. We cannot allow you to destroy it!" he declared, as his grip reflexively tightened on his spear. "Everything we and our parents have worked for - everyone who has died or will die to make it happen - all of the work we've done... we will protect it at any cost! The current world order only enables suffering and oppression... It is not the world we want to live in. Leave!"
Though they didn't say anything, the other defenders looked on, as determined as before despite the disadvantage.

After a few minutes of Ilasi focusing, water vapor in the air coalesced into a ball - which soon seemed to show a vision of something else. Visible were the crumbled wall, the golem, Sere and company, and the experienced mercenary islanders... and children? At a standoff?
"Wait... this doesn't look right..." Ilasi said, extremely concerned. She expected some sort of horror - but this was the kind of horror she wasn't prepared for. Something had to be wrong. Maybe some magic she couldn't detect was interfering with her scrying. It had to be...

Mischief tilted her head. "Do you even know what the Ishulgites are planning? No more drago-" She suddenly shuddered, gripping her head as her eyes flickered. They settled on gold as she leveled a murderous look at the teens. "You won't listen any more than the others would. You likely don't care about the truth of the cult you're trying to help, of the new world order you want to bring about. Peace at the cost of choice, variety, and for some species, the right to even exist. Tsk. Where's the artifact? Tell us. There's no need for this to get violent. But we need to find it." She stood straighter, orb floating a few inches above her claws. What are you doing? Getting answers we need. But they're children! Children likely already brainwashed by the Ishulgites. Talking to them will do no good. If necessary, I'll use violence. Please! Let me have control again! Give me back my body! The vixen shifted slightly.
Darkheart winced at the blatant personality shift. "Mischief! What are you doing?!"
The vixen glanced back, cold golden eyes glowering at Darkheart. "Getting the answers we need. We've tried talking to the Ishulgites, they're uninterested in reason. They'll bring about their twisted idea of peace at any cost. The time to talk is over. It's time to act." She returned her attention to the defenders before her.

Angora let Maverick calm her, letting him massage her shoulders to help her relax. After all of the attacks they had to whitstand, she trusted the Ishulgites were weak now, and no match for the experienced Sere. She remained on very high alert though, paying attentions to her surroundings and trying to use magic to see if there was a spy or a messenger close to the ship. She became very concerned when she overheard Ilasi.
"What doesn't look right?" Angora demanded to know, with Maverick stippling the massage, equally concerned.
"What is it mi amor? What do you see?" he asked, figuring Ilasi was using magic to see what they couldn't see with sight alone.

Before the older teenager could answer, one of the younger boys spoke out. "It's beneath the trapdoor he-"
"Shh! You know we don't help the reactionaries!" another child criticized.
"They're never going to get to it anyway!" the boy defensively insisted. "Ishulgu is watching. They can't get past!"
As the combatants spoke, a previously cloaked mastermind revealed itself up in the sky in broad daylight - whether to reassure the defenders of their allies, or to let the enemy know that it was patiently watching for the results of the encounter, was unclear.

Mischief grinned wickedly. "Why, thank you. A trapdoor? Tsk. And what was that name? Ishulgu, was it? It sounds vaguely familiar. I've heard it before... Oh well. Let's see if your god really is protecting the artifact, now. But first, we have another guest." She glanced up at the Mastermind. "It seems the Ishulgites are watching us. Interesting. Tsk, it won't help them."
Darkheart blinked. "Well, I mean, we now have an idea where to look. I was worried we'd have to take this place apart brick by brick. Now, uh, Mischief? Please, stop being so aggressive. They're only children."
The vixen turned back to look at Darkheart again. "Slow on the uptake, are we? I have two issues with your request. First off, the cub isn't in control right now. Call me Eclipse. Second, my methods aren't pretty, but they get results." Wait, what? You'll just give away this hard kept secret?! Returning her attention to the defenders, she grinned cruelly. "I don't suppose you're going to let us get to the trapdoor without a struggle? Tsk. I suggest you not get in the way. I'd rather not harm a child, so don't make me."

The children were dauntless, not flinching at the threat. They all pointed various weapons in the direction of the attackers.
"We will protect our future!" one declared.
"For our parents!" followed another.
"Parents... mine were killed by the Scourge..." a third mentioned somberly. "I'll die before I stop fighting!"
The other attackers stood by without a word. They had to get through, but none dared to be the one to cut down these children and teenagers...

Ilasi kept her eyes on the orb of water as she explained. "It seems that we're at a standstill because the defenders are... children and teenagers. And... Mischief. She's being rather aggressive, from what I can see. I don't know if she's bluffing, or if she's going to kill them... None of the others seem to want to." She positioned the water orb so the others could get a better view for themselves of what was happening.

Eclipse suddenly dropped the vicious grin. "You refuse? How... Unfortunate. I suppose I have to rip you apart then. But I'll make it quick." She raised the orb, and began to cast Fire V. Suddenly she stopped.No! They may be on the opposing side, but they're still children! Children are to be protected and cherished! Her eyes flickered as the primary personality reasserted herself. "No... There's another way to get past." Eyes blue again, she prepared a sleep spell. "I don't want to hurt you. So... Sleep!" The spell dispersed a fine powder to induce extreme drowsiness.
Darkheart breathed a sigh of relief. "Back to yourself, I see."
Mischief glanced back and timidly smiled. "Y... Yeah... I couldn't let Eclipse hurt them. Threatening is bad enough. Uh, by the way don't breathe the powder. It carries the magick and induces sleep in minutes, usually." She glanced at Sere. What did he think about what happened? Then she looked at Latnok. She was a bit surprised he hadn't done something about Eclipse suddenly taking control. Returning her attention to the defenders, she watched closely to see if the spell was working.

Raclaw was speechless as Mischief/Eclipse did her or their thing. "So she also has someone inside her?," the Fur Dragon thought out loud looking at Latnok and Sere. He watched closely, observing the 'enemy' for signs of truly falling asleep. Elsewhere, Chester watched alongside Icestorm with growing concern.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi kept her eyes on the orb of water as she explained. "It seems that we're at a standstill because the defenders are... children and teenagers. And... Mischief. She's being rather aggressive, from what I can see. I don't know if she's bluffing, or if she's going to kill them... None of the others seem to want to." She positioned the water orb so the others could get a better view for themselves of what was happening.

Maverick couldn't believe what he was hearing. Angora however, wasn't surprised. She grabbed her head in frustration.
"Ugh! I knew they would try something so low!" she stated, knowing what they were up to. She has been exposed to the Ishulgites long enough to know they were playing with the group's emotions. As hard as Sere could be, she knew even he had his limits, especially if it concerned children. Unless they weren't children at all? She didn't believe the Ishulgites would leave children to protect their most valuable artifact, but if they did, it was no doubt to play on everyone's emotions.

The sleeping agent had no immediate noticeable effect - given some time to settle, however, the younger children seemed to become more unsteady, until some of them collapsed. Soon, the teenagers started to succumb to drowsiness as well.
All of this was interrupted by the sudden manifestation of an image of Rigel - in his basic human appearance, donned in more regal attire, rather than the more insectoid form he wore upon Sere's first meeting. The image stood before Sere and the others.
"So you've all come. Welcome," the man said in feigned warmness. "What seems to be the matter?"
"Rigel! What is the meaning of this cruelty?!" Sere demanded. "Surely this isn't your master defense plan."
"Brother, you know we have many plans," Rigel answered calmly. "We figured that maybe it was important for you and your allies to realize whose lives you would be destroying with your misguided views. Do you not see? We offer a future to many. Are you willing to ruin these lives in a vain attempt to maintain the current order? The one which permits perpetual suffering and oppression for the pleasure of the few?"
"Leave them out of this," Sere said, though he knew it was in vain.
"Age is no barrier to having desires for a better future," Rigel answered. "And age will not protect you from others taking that away from you. What would become of these people here when you kill their parents in defense of your current world? Hell, some of these younger ones here don't even have parents anymore. That doesn't stop one from wanting to keep fighting to survive... isn't that right, Latnok?"
Rigel gave Latnok a piercing glance as he called the younger Guardian. Latnok gave him an uneasy look, not expecting to be named. "Who the hell are you, and how..."
"We know much more than you can imagine," Rigel said smugly. "From an abandoned child... to what you are now. Would you deny others the opportunity to claim their lives back?"
Latnok had no immediate answer. Everyone was halted, as Rigel waited for someone else to speak.

Darkheart was about to speak when Mischief growled and spoke up. "You twist words. Such pretty promises. Who are you to decide who lives and dies? What right do you have to speak of bringing peace when all we've seen is your theft of lives, many of them innocent? You aren't a god. You don't have omniscience. And there are other paths. But as Eclipse mentioned, I suppose you care not for peaceful methods. After all, it's not like we don't try a gentler path... As you see around you. There are better ways to bring peace than yours. So keep your mouth shut, because all I hear from you are pretty words with no meaning. I'd rather have an honest enemy then a false friend. At least I could trust their words and actions to match up. And yours don't." The vixen's tone was downright venomous.
Darkheart blinked. Rather vicious words. But not unjustified.

Back at the Enduring Legacy, Maverick felt like he was about to choke with all the tension. Just what was happening out there? He didn't dare asking Ilasi. Angora wasn't doing any better. Although she had her mouth closed, Maverick could hear her gritting her teeth.
"It will be all fine Angorita. Todo bien. You'll see. We have been though so much already and always succeeded." he said trying to reassure her. He was still worried though. This time, they were entering enemy base. Surely nothing could be worse than the humongous beast from earlier... could it? Maverick couldn't even fathom the idea of something more dangerous than that thing. He still didn't know what was Angora's part in it's defeat, but now wasn't the time to ask...

Rigel sneered at Mischief's verbal lashing. "Odd for a creature not of this world to so vehemently defend the current order of things. You are blind to the suffering it creates... but I have seen too much of it. I have watched too many Innocents die for the sake of furthering someone else's ambitions to allow it to continue for all eternity. Even if this is what it takes, we will put an end to it. The cost in lives may be high now - but we will only ever have to pay it once."
The image of him then moved to face Darkheart, as he took a brief moment to analyze her. "You, dragoness. You've lived long enough to see the horrors of the world perpetuate - and yet you accept it. Very typical of dragons - they care not what happens to others. Us 'lesser' species are nothing but a tool to be used, or a nuisance to be eliminated. Such inherently selfish creatures have no place in a world where we must all stand united.
But then, as if he just came up with a clever idea, he gave a sly smile. "Latnok. Why not throw a collar on her, much like with your fur dragon friend? You know the Guardians have only ever used you as a tool - you yourself know the lack of compassion inherent with the transformation. But now, see what it's like in a world where your fellow people value you, not for what you can do, but for who you are! Join us - and collar that wild dog of a dragon. There is definitely a place for you and Raclaw, and we might even be able to make something work for the dragoness if you have her under your control."
Though Latnok wanted to immediate reject and condemn Rigel for suggesting such a thing, he could not. Instead, he stood silent, a hand firmly on his bow. "This... I..."
"Rigel, this is insanity!" Sere blasted. "Your world would only thrive by taking away what defines us."
"Brother, you have always been able to kill for the greater good. What hypocrisy now..." Rigel retorted. "I am doing exactly what you would do - except I will not hesitate when it counts. Eventually, when you see how pointless this struggle is, I have faith that you will surrender, and we can all work together for a better world once again. But what will you do now?" Latnok, meanwhile, still didn't have much more of a response. What made him hesitate?

Seeing the situation unfold before then in the scrying orb she created, Ilasi could only watch with anxiety. Regardless of what other plans the Ishulgites may have had in store, this sort of direct psychological warfare was probably the last thing anyone was expecting - the fortress was broken open so easily, yet there was a much more difficult barrier to cross, with much more significant effects...
"There will be some way this all works out... there has to be," she said, more to herself than anyone else.

OOC: Dear Arceus, what happened here?! I swear I didn't mean to make such a long post, honest!

Darkheart's jaw dropped at Rigel's words. "Not care? Not care?!" For a moment she was silent. Then she started speaking again, hiding tears. "Not too long ago... You would've been right to say I didn't care, and perhaps even now I am selfish. But it isn't necessary to slaughter my entire race to allow peace." Flashbacks of her past started to hit her. It was mostly a blur. "Once I acted as the monster everyone viewed me as... Then that day came when I was shown a new path. I learned violence wasn't the only option, something I'd never had a chance at." Rubbing her watering eyes she leveled a glare at Rigel. "You've decided this slaughter of anyone who doesn't entirely agree with you is the perfect option. To bring about this perfect world... Exactly how small a world do you intend to run? The remaining population will be quite small. But I suppose you could find an advantage there too. After all, a small population won't have to argue over resources. But your peace isn't only costing lives. You're right, I've seen the state the world is in. It's imperfect, for sure. But I've experienced first-hand the kindness hidden in this world. You could see it too, if you only cared to look. Pure souls exist everywhere. Raclaw, Mischief, Maverick... That's just a few of the ones I know of. They're as pure as driven snow. And yet, they see something in this world worth keeping. I don't know what happened to you. I can't claim to truly know your motives. But whatever it was must've been bad to make you believe outright genocide and slaughter is the only option. I know I've been through a lot. But I'm rambling, as I'm prone to doing." She looked to Latnok. "Come on, you... If you do have something to say, spit it out. You've been stumbling over words since this guy got here, you clearly have something you want to say!"
Mischief clutched her orb nervously and looked back at Latnok. Looking back at Rigel she attempted to help refute him. A moment later she looked to Darkheart. "You took all the good points. Including some I've never thought about."
Digi suddenly piped up. "If you can't think of something to say, I can."
Mischief nearly jumped out of her skin. "By the Maker! I forgot you were still in my bag!" Pulling the gadget out, she gave it an odd look. "We're, uh, kinda busy."
Digi became indignant. "Busy in a debate, which I'm quite capable of assisting with. Rigel, was it? Let's see if you can counter me! You see, my builder, Star..." Mischief rolled her eyes in disgust at the name, which Digi ignored. "He programmed pretty much everything he knew into my database! I know of many other worlds. I have nearly a hundred years of multiversal expertise in here. Which allows me to inform you of both worlds that are close to perfect, and ones that have been devastated. I could tell you of the Calamity. I could speak to you of hundreds of worlds all ruined by cruelty. I could tell you that you remind me a lot of how Star was shortly after my predecessor's needless deletion. But I have a question for you due to this knowledge. Of all races... Why exactly do you want to kill dragons when members of any race can be far worse than merely uncaring? I could easily give you the example of the humans who assumed Star burnt their village and gave him that scar and his new, cynical outlook on life. Ever since then he had a bit of a grudge. The difference between him and you, near as I can tell, is he eventually realized lumping an entire race under a single category was wrong. Surely you realize that people are individuals, with their own wants? And even if someone is bad at first, they can be redeemed? You don't need to kill to change the world for the better."
Mischief blinked. "Um. Nice speech. I don't know if it'll change his mind, but that was a good speech. You probably could've made it shorter, though."
Digi got indignant again. "I didn't exactly feel now was the time to refine speeches!"
Mischief sighed, then looked up at Rigel. "I'm not as experienced as the others... All I really have going for me in this is my optimism that it doesn't take genocide to make things better. I do suspect for every argument you give we'll have a counterargument." She tilted her head softly, her blue eyes locked on Rigel... It almost seemed she was trying to look into his very soul.

Angora paced around, breathing heavily and trying very hard not to pull out what little hair she had on her head.
"That's just great! I can't believe I let myself be manipulated by these... ugh!" Angora blurted out, not even able to find the right insult for them.
"But of course, so typical of humans to want to wipe out an entire race! They have done it before. And they are still doing it! Heck they don't even do it for their own self preservation anymore! They do it out of greed and whim! Just look at fauns! Probably the most caring race that ever existed, and not even that was enough for humans to spare them!" Angora said furiously, having researched fauns along with Maverick when he wanted to learn more about the species he shared DNA with. She wanted badly to help, but knew she couldn't be there. She would either be captured or killed as revenge for rejecting the Ishulgite's offer. She was certain of it.

Maverick could tell too well that Angora's blood was boiling with fury, so he picked her up.
"Take it easy Angorita! Con calma! El capitán and his companions will resolve this. I'm sure of it." Maverick said, as calm as he could be, but he wasn't as certain as he let on. She didn't know if Sere would go as far as to kill children or find another way, but not much thought was needed to know things were dire right now. Angora felt hopelessly useless waiting on the ship, either waiting for bad news or another batch of giant bugs coming to attack them. She let Maverick hold her, but her anxiety was so great, it was rubbing off on him. He could only look at his girlfriend and wait for her to keep them updated about what was going on...

"So that's who was manipulating him...," Raclaw's thoughts confirmed recognizing the enemy's attempts at mental temptation as the same thought that once nagged Latnok's mind. "Latnok, guys-- don't listen to them! They're only trying to get into your heads!," the collared dragon urged glaring at Rigel. The way they spoke, the way they referred to Darkheart, the way *they* had at some point captured his own parents and himself-- they didn't care and they only wanted what was best for themselves. Control.

Rigel did not hesitate. "As unpleasant as it may be, I speak only the truth," he insisted. As much as Latnok wanted to say something, he still hesitated - what if Rigel and the Ishulgites did have a point? What if he had just become complacent with servitude? What if there was potential for something better?
As Latnok pondered, Rigel continued. "Now, why dragons? The reason is relatively simple. Dragons, more than any other race, are naturally cruel, willful, selfish, and seek to subjugate every "lesser" species. They don't care about others, until there are consequences - the Scourge of Redwater, for an example everyone here is familiar with. He cared only to have his companion by his side, to the point of breaking multiple laws and orders to get her treated - and as a result, a moment of impulsiveness led him to kill hundreds and cause great destruction to the city. He attempted to escape punishment for this crime instead of facing justice.
"Now, between those tendencies, and the power imbalance, we have one species which is disproportionately inclined to wreak havoc. The new world order will be facilitated by perfect mental unity - and dragons being a part of that would contaminate the thoughts of all involved. Dragons cannot be assimilated into our union - and they will naturally fight to oppose anything which does not directly serve them. Behemoths have no issue coexisting with others; neither do others, such as wyverns... or one species of dragon we have been working to perfect. Every other breed of dragon will always be a danger, and there will never be peace as long as a threat exists."
Rigel now gave Darkheart his attention. "Such a haughty creature... you think there are very few who accept these things? You are woefully uninformed. Tell me; what do you know of Aelinon? An alliance of humans, merfolk, and galuds, with great sacrifice, eventually managed to overthrow dragons, and the orcs they were forcing to fight for them. Of course, the merfolk always knew most of the fighting would be on land; and yet they would be at a severe disadvantage there. So what did they do? They happened across a perfect human - young, charismatic, and the recent victor of his first uprising, freeing many human slaves. So what did they do? They molded him into a supreme leader... a force to unify humanity. As long as they had this, there was a force on land to do the fighting they were unable to.
"Now, what did they do to enforce said unity? He was, of course, the de jure leader; they pulled the strings, however. They offered him their guidance and counseling... and through their instructions, he was forced to become a tyrant in order to keep the people unified. Many atrocities were committed in his name - he wanted no part of it, and yet, despite his title, it was out of his hand. The merfolk made sure to remind him that all they had worked for would crumble if he could not keep the people unified. Thus, despite his wishes, he became almost a god figure, overseeing the suppression of any dissenters - and that leads to the monarchy in Aelinon today.
"Now, where am I going with this? The merfolk presented the humans with a gift - the Scepter of Storms, a magical artifact that only the king or nobility could wield. As benevolent a gift it seemed, it was really just a tool to assure the merfolk could keep a tight grip on the human monarchy, by controlling who could lead. As much as humans were made to believe they had the ultimate power, merfolk always kept a tight grip on it.
"Now, from there, humans have always been the majority of Aelinon's military - and the majority of the casualties. They've always had to endure things like harsh weather and rough living conditions in some areas for the sake of the nation. There has always been a sense of resentment - but there has always been somewhere else to direct it. But we're reaching a tipping point... The biggest smallpox outbreak in a long while. Especially harsh winter storms on the horizon. The war with Silvianesti, with many casualties and fatalities. All it would take is a little direction, and one big enough spark, and the flames of revolution would burn. Now, what would happen if someone just so happened to have the artifact which was lost centuries ago, and was declared by mandate to bestow the throne on whatever noble could claim it?"
From the image, Rigel manifested the Scepter of Storms in his hand - a medium-sized staff formed with a shaft of gold at base, a sapphire grip in the center, and a shining diamond encrusted into a golden cup at the top.
"I will be that noble. Of course, such a mandate was never intended to allow one to depose the current king - but it will happen nevertheless with the right poking and prodding. The seeds of doubt have already been planted I will educate the humans of the kingdom on how the merfolk have exploited them for their own personal gain. I will offer them a solution to the suffering they've endured for the sake of the kingdom. Once they follow me, the merfolk and galuds will follow in short order; with humans being most of the military force, they will either bow, or they will be brought down. Silvianesti has already submitted; once Aelinon does as well, the continent will be under our control. From there, we will have all we need to make the rest of the world fall in short order. With us already being days ahead, and the headwinds from the storm keeping you here, there is nothing you can do except watch it happen."

Ilasi listened to the story, visibly distressed. That couldn't be right... everything she had ever learned indicated mutuality between all of the inhabitant races of Aelinon. "Was that all... all a lie then? Were... Were my people really that wicked and exploitative? No. This has to be a lie. It has to be!" Ilasi maintained the scrying spell only for the sake of the others; she looked down, almost in shame, not knowing what to believe anymore.

OOC: Edited because I'm a bloody idiot who can't keep names straight. Which is probably why my character names are so simplistic.

Mischief growled in frustration. "Such pretty words, still. Whether truth or not, you twist it." She shuddered as Eclipse attempted to reclaim control. "Blast it, Eclipse... Not n- Yes, now! Even I have always judged others as individuals! And every part of both of us screams guilty with every word YOU speak, Rigel. Ugh... No argument... But who are we to sentence him? Our hands aren't free of bloodshed. He must be silenced. Whether his god is real or not, I'll have him cursing Ishulgu's name when I finally execute him! No, there must be another way! And yet, here we are. Even innocent cubs are being pushed to perform acts of violence for a cause. I've got a grudge against cults of all kinds. They twist people, and if the illusion is shattered they don't know what to believe in anymore. I DESPISE such cruelty. If you truly have such faith you're doing what's right, Rigel, why do you hide behind a wall of flesh? Reveal yourself! If your god is real and will truly protect you, then why do you stay behind and send your brainwashed followers instead? At least join them! Lead from the front, not from behind like a coward! Ugh... I think she's done... My apologies, she's never been subtle or polite... Though I suppose she has a point. Why not step on the battlefield yourself? Your followers lack fear, because they believe their god is helping them. Don't you? If you don't honestly believe in what you're doing, then what you're doing is all the crueler." The vixen crossed her arms, somewhat distressed. "This just isn't going anywhere..." she mumbled.
Darkheart looked down, then back up at Rigel. "I don't claim to know everything. Honestly, I'm not that special. But, again, you convict an entire race... And on what sounds much like a conspiracy theory. After all, you cannot control the personality of the nobility. Just look at you. You're planning to force the merfolk to obey with an item you claim they used to control humanity. Why would they bother? From what I've seen, they'd rather be left to themselves. They don't exactly have to interact with humanity at all. They can easily hide away. I won't deny there are dragons who have caused trouble, I was one of those after all, but you cannot convict an entire race based on those who've caused problems. Surely you realize the consequences of what you're doing. It's hard to believe you're delusional enough not to realize the damage you'll do. Now, kindly stop taunting us. If you're so powerful, so thoroughly in the right... Then stand and fight! Stop hiding behind illusions and followers, stop telling us how wrong we are without any actual evidence." She bared her fangs pointedly. "Stop messing with our heads. Stop playing with us. This isn't a game. We are not children to be disciplined. If you can truly prove your point, then do so. Otherwise, close your mouth and just draw your weapon to fight! Surely you don't intend to prove your point by hiding forever! So reveal yourself and stop delaying! This pointless war has gone on too long already!" She emphatically slammed her tail into the ground, the bladed end burying itself. She effortlessly removed it again as shadows swirled around her, obscuring her.

Rigel let out an amused chuckle, as if the threats were a rather humorous joke. "As much as you would like to fight, that is impossible right now. I - as well as most of us who were on these islands - are on ships, well on our way to Aelinon. You didn't honestly believe there was no master plan involved in not showing up here, did you? You are free to attempt to follow us - but you will find that the storm will leave you dead in the water. I will play my part - I will enlighten my fellow man, and secure the rest of the continent for us. From there, Apothis will have all he needs to manifest Ishulgu and unify this world."
Rigel looked down, shaking his head in disappointment. "Again, I tell you, you are misguided. The current order has left you so mindlessly reactionary that you fail to see the good - you think only of the cost, and not of the future hundreds or thousands of years from now. Please. It's pointless to keep resisting. It's a lost fight. Join us - help us forge a more wonderful world, where there will be a place for all of you," he said, almost pleadingly. "I know you all want the best - but so do I. What do I need to do to get you to accept it? You can already see that there won't be any practical way to stop us. You have seen for yourself how future generations are placing their hope on our success. This struggle... it'll just cost more lives for the sake of trying to stop the inevitable change of the current world order. Think about it."

Mischief growled again. "ALL of us, huh? Really, right after you state that dragons aren't an option? And a future where everyone thinks the same way and acts the same way... It'd be like taking color itself from the world. Sure, there'd be peace... But there wouldn't be anything new, there'd be no joy. It'd be bland, devoid of interest. I'm not interested in a world that's colorless. And you have more disparate mannerisms than Eclipse and myself. Is it just one of you in there, or is it two?" The vixen shook her head, frustrated and sad. "Maybe we can't stop you... But you can't keep us from trying anyway. We'll keep trying... Because there's another way to ensure peace. I know of it."
Darkheart glowered at the man. "To offer something you literally can't supply if you intend to follow through? You really are messed up in the head... Though I really can't talk. However, I will warn you... Even if you succeed... it might not be what you wanted after all." Her eyes suddenly flash with energy. "Sometimes, you'll find... Your success has unintended results."
Mischief turned to Sere. "You're so quiet... Please tell me your resolve hasn't weakened..." The vixen knew if her friends lost their resolve, her own will would likely shatter. She needed reassurance. She couldn't push on without emotional support. "Surely you're just as certain now?"

'Most of us who *were* on these islands - are on ships, well on our way to Aelinon...,' the words echoed through Raclaw's mind. So it was true; they really had left nothing but kids to guard the artifact and Rigel here was only an illusion. Ships heading to Aelinon-- an invasion, although of course they wouldn't portray it as such. They would naturally call it an revolution and claimed that they had 'freed' the people while either securing or destroying... the dragons. Finally, the Fur Dragon spoke up. "You claim to want peace, to want unity-- yet are willing to forego an entire species for the actions of a few. Yes, we dragons have not always done good but everyone is capable of destruction.. regardless of who or what they are. Fur or no fur, collar or no collar, wings or no wings-- every one of us is capable of both good and bad. Your intentions are honorable; world peace. Your actions are less honorable; destruction, discrimination, threatening to force people to comply rather they want to or not.," he took a breath before continuing.

"This is not the way-- there has to be a better way. My species, the Fur Dragon, is already few and far between. I have neither seen my parents or any others of my kind and as far as I can tell; you are responsible for that at least in part. I was saved from that environment. I.. I was taken away from whatever experiments you and your kind would've performed on me, while my parents remained your prisoners. And now you threaten to wipe out my scaled counterpart; an entire species! You only want those you can control-- you only want to hold power over those you deem worthy of your presence!," Raclaw then said even tearing up a little in the process. Now he was face to 'face' with one who had potentially tortured or killed his own parents.

Chester watched from on top of Icestorm's back, although it wasn't easy. "Raclaw...," the little dog audibly whined his concern. Risar watched from his own viewpoint; the 'enemy' was showing their true colors. And his great great ancestors knew the face of an conqueror well. From what he had been told of his own history, the Minotaur species was once free worldwide. But they had tried to conquer and were in turn conquered themselves. 'And turned into what we are now.,' he thought as he listened to Raclaw's words via the scrying. But at least his species was still alive and thriving; the same couldn't be said about the Fur Dragon or about its scaled counterpart. At least not with what Rigel and his people were planning...

Sere had had enough. Had Rigel really gone completely mad? Was he just reaching for whatever light he could still see? "We will not allow you to do that," he said plainly. "We'll find a way to the Void Locator - despite this ludicrous, heinous barrier you've set before us - and we will destroy it. We're coming - count on it."
"You know you will be too late by then, brother..." Rigel said resignedly, "but perhaps you will have enough time to come to your senses by then. Maybe it'll just take a while for the full gravity of the situation to come to you. Of course, these young, staunch warriors here aren't the only defenses here - I will leave you with a demonstration of some of our power. Let's see how well you play with some more otherworldly creatures."
With that, the image of Rigel faded, and a sharp rending sound could be heard behind the attacking force. The air itself seemed to split to open around the source, forming an incandescent portal at least twice as tall as the older Guardian.
As the portal opened, the attacking force retreated from the fortress opening to less open ground in anticipation of what was to come. Latnok followed the older Guardian along. It was highly enticing to him to just drop his weapons and maybe have a bit more of a talk with these people to see if there was anything they were missing...
But he couldn't... at least not yet. For Raclaw's sake, at the very least, he had to stay the course for now. The Ishulgites, at the very best, wanted Latnok to hold Darkheart almost as a slave, and at the very worst wanted to kill her with every other non-conforming dragon. "I don't know what's getting into me..." he apologized as he nocked an arrow for whatever may be coming. "I'm still here for now, though... We'll see what we can do for everyone."

Mischief was the only one not to recoil from the portal. "Oh, what exactly are they summoning? Fascinating!"
Darkheart became frustrated at it. "Mischief, for the love of... A good idea might be to retreat! I don't like the looks of that portal!"
Mischief turned slightly to glance at Darkheart. "Maybe! But I want to study it, and whatever comes out of it!"
Darkheart sighed. "You're too curious for your own good! Whatever! You can hang around if you like! I'm backing off so I can be ready!"
Mischief stared into the portal, fascinated. Rocky remained at her side, taking a position that would let him protect her from whatever came through. Mischief raised her orb and readied her Mana, eager to begin. "I wonder what he's sending in?"

Maverick hugged Ilasi while still carrying Angora, sensing how conflicted she was. No doubt Rigel was an expert in making everyone around him have self doubts.
"It's... alright mi amor. This has a solution. We will find it." he said, trying to stay positive... but he was losing all hope. The constantly positive Maverick was no more. He just couldn't find a way out of this. This crazy society was on their way to conquer Aelinon, and likely the world, and they were all prisoners of the archipelago, just waiting for their own judgement day. Angora however, refused to give up. She was so full of fury even her eyes were bloodshot.
"This is pure RIDICULOUSNESS! Seriously, how come someone as mad as him be loose in the world!? What makes him think he has the right to change the world? To forbid certain species from living as if he himself was a god? What does he have in that nut he calls a brain?" she said indignant, never having believed this level of madness could possibly exist. This wasn't just evil. It was beyond ludicrous!
"Angorita? Where are you going?" Maverick asked alarmed after she managed to slip from his arms.
"What does it look like? I'm not going to stay here while they put their plan into motion! What are we waiting for here? For more of those bugs to come here and devour us to a pile of bones? Or another behemoth like thing to come and either squash us like cockroaches or swallow us whole? You have no idea the humiliating thing I went through to help defeat the last one! I'm going out there and find the thing that's creating the stupid storm trapping us here!" Angora yelled, getting ready to leave the ship, but Maverick ran to her.
"No Angora! We have to stay here and guard the ship! El capitán will find it! He will find the solution!" he said, Angora noticing he wasn't calling her Angorita anymore. It hurt, but she didn't want to give up.
"Let me go Maverick! Are we suppose to depend on Sere for everything!? The BROTHER of the one doing THIS to us?" she demanded to know, sick and tired of letting the brother of the madman make all the decisions.
"You just need to have a little faith!" Maverick said, embracing her to prevent her to go any further.
"I'm tired of having a little faith Maverick! Nothing will get done just being here!" Angora screamed, roughousing with Maverick to escape from him. Their struggle was very similar to when they fought back in Darkmatter's dimension when they didn't recognized each other... except this time, they were being more rough...

From the portal, the form of a lean, giant, horned bipedal emerged. It took a few long steps out, revealing its golden eyes, menacing claws, and bony spikes growing past its shoulders. Its skin, which was gray initially, began to glow blue, similar to the portal in its incandescence. It seemed almost as if mere exposure to the environment was causing it to ignite; there was no visible evidence of any significant damage from such a thing, however
The creature was soon joined by two more just like it, stepping out of the portal before the portal shut closed. Suddenly, many smaller tremors ravaged the ground - the telltale sign of roots, to anyone who'd dealt with the Ishulgites long enough. They burst quickly from the ground, in many locations between the shore and the fortress. The ishiuds, though significantly culled, were definitely not completely wiped out.

Ilasi tried her best to maintain the scrying orb, despite her fretting. This was terrible... this was absolutely terrible! "There has to be... No. There will be something we can do. If peace involves turning good friends against each other, I will have absolutely no part in it. We'll win this... and then... maybe..."
There were some ideas running through Ilasi's mind. How long would Aelinon hold before it acknowledged some new leader? And if he was trying to claim authority by right of wielding the Scepter, what if there was some way to deprive him of the ability to wield it?

Maverick and Angora stopped their struggle to see what Ilasi's spell was showing. While the faun man was afraid, Angora looked more annoyed.
"Not more bug things!" she exclaimed, though the monsters looked more sort of like... dinosaurs? She couldn't give them an exact description, but she settled for just abominations.
"We will interfere, but only if our friends are in trouble. For the time being, we mist stay here Angorita." Maverick begged, returning her little nickname. She wasn't struggling anymore, but she was still very tense. She knew Orion must be seeing this, but he couldn't come. What if this was all a ploy to lure him? As she learned with Darkmatter, not even a deity like Orion was invulnerable, and if they wanted her, it likely had to do with him.

Maverick took a glance at Shade, and while he knew he was forbidden to talk to him too, the circumstances were special.
"Not you too Oacurito! Por favor, you have come this far! Don't let the anger get to you!" Maverick pleaded, knowing Shade well enough to know that him under rage mode could do more harm than good. Even if he was powerful, he could injure both foe and ally. At this moment, Angora also took notice, and was ready to intercept him like she did in the last. She didn't care either about the restriction rules. If Shade needed help, she was going to get involved...

The roots from the ground opened to reveal hosts of the usual ishiuds - soldiers, whistlers, and weavers. The new reinforcements began to engage the attackers as soon as they entered the battlefield.
The three demon creatures seemed content to stay where they were for now - their heads moving back and forth as they looked for something or another.

Raclaw looked to Latnok with a gentle smile, pleased that the Guardian was still with him. As the creatures came through the portal and the inevitable roots soon appeared, Raclaw knew exactly what to expect. "Lets--let's do this.," the Fur Dragon said expanding his spikes and preparing to defend himself and Latnok against their immediate foes.

Risar kept an close eye on his shipmates and on the battle at large-- Shade in particular.

Maverick looked at the glowing portal, and within the roots swarms of the ugly beasts that have been attacking them since arriving to the archipelago.
"Oh no. Not again..." Maverick muttered under his breath, unable to believe there were more of those things alive. Just how many of them were? They have killed hundreds, if not thousands of them, not counting the time where Julien helped blow their underground base back at the last island. Not to mention the destruction of the behemoth thing with the crocodile head. One would believe it was enough to deplete the Ishulgites of their resources, but no matter where they looked, they always seemed to have an army ready. They were going to attack the group, and likely them as well. But he couldn't lose hope. He had a future with Ilasi, and his dear friends were counting on him. Somehow, they had to win, so he drew his sword, ignoring the strong feeling of Orion entering the mortal realm, thinking it was nothing but his nerves.

Angora looked at Maverick, who wanted to maintain his battle ready façade, but she knew better. In his heart there was nothing but despair. The Ishulgites were on their way to conquer Aelinon, while they were trapped there, with more of those bugs coming out to destroy them. But as she got ready to leave to head to the group before Maverick could stop her, she felt a burst of energy. Unlike Maverick, she knew what it was.
"Orion? Wait, what are you doing? No! You can't come here! If the Ishulgites are doing this and wanted me, it means that they are expecting your arrival!" Angora warned, having been exposed to the Ishulgites long enough to know how twisted they were. She doubted they wanted her for her tiny appearance, so if their objective earlier was to capture her, it was likely for her connection to the deity. She couldn't help but to think that the Ishulgites were prepared even for Orion's arrival, and unfortunately, she knew that not even the light dragon was invincible.

With the impending battle, Ilasi dispelled the water orb - focus would be needed on the battle to come now. With perfect timing, a group of the mercenaries, as mentioned, were arriving to supplement the ship's own capabilities with some cannons and ammunition.
Laszur, out on the deck himself, was standing by, observing the happenings outside through the veil over his eyes. It wouldn't do him any good to just rush out onto the battlefield; perhaps there was some other way he could make himself useful. Rendering himself invisible, he hopped off the ship into the sand, so as to not interrupt the suppliers. Now, what could be done?
Julian, in the meanwhile, was more than ready to fight - however, he stood back at the ship for now, not having any immediate ideas. He would have to observe things a little longer before coming up with something.

Latnok grabbed his chime, upon seeing the soldiers. "Yes, let's," he answered, as he focused on ringing the chime in tune with his magic. The effects would restrict the adaptive armor on the soldiers nearby, making it easier for the islanders to deal with them. He wasn't going to just let things end here... he couldn't. There had to be more to this.

Maverick was glad that they weren't alone, and had the islander's support, those who weren't Ishulgites anyway. He still had his sword ready, and he gave a bow to Ilasi so she could use it and maybe surround the arrows with magic.

Angora didn't know if Orion heard her, but now it wasn't the time for any more distraction. She created force bolts out of her hands, very happy to see she could still do it, but burned the longer she had them, so she vanished them. She was going to throw them to the ugly bugs once they come closer. She could use her shield if they became too close, but had to be prepared to use the shields on others as well. Ironically, she could keep the shield together when it was surrounding her, but couldn't expand it. It was the exact opposite when she used it outside. She could expand the shield almost to Shade's size, but couldn't keep it stable for too long, which was the reason why she had to be inside the magic sphere whenever Veris played with it. Why did her magic had to be so weird? Speaking of the wyvern, she looked at the closest set of stairs, and hoped he was alright. She then turned her attention to Shade.
"Get ready to use your fire Shady. But don't be angry." she instructed, wanting him to be focused but at the same time helpful and not injure their companions...

"Men, Dragons, Otherworldly creatures-- remain calm but focused. Be prepared for anything.," Risar said as he withdrew his two greataxes in a determined manner. Chester jumped off Icestorm, knowing that the small dragon could be of some help in the coming battle. "Don't worry about me-- they may need you.," the little dog barked supplementing his 'words' with simple understandable gestures. Elsewhere, Raclaw stood side-by-side with Latnok; his opened senses would naturally aide his human counterpart.

Maverick had to briefly shield his eyes from the light. Never had Orion looked so mighty. When he finally recovered her sight, he could see Angora glowing and... floating?
"Angorita?" he asked dumbfounded, with the troll still assimilating what was happening to her.
"I... have no idea what is going on..." she replied, almost as if she knew what he was going to ask.
"Neo...?" she muttered, desperate for answers. She didn't know what she was feeling. Pain? If it was, it felt like a good type of pain, similarly but not quite the same as acupuncture. Was this Orion's doing?

Chester looked towards the idoor to the interior and back towards the now glowing Icestorm. "I can't open it.," he complained-- the subject of his barking being evident enough. Indeed, the little dog lacked the skills of either Raclaw or Icestorm.

Meanwhile, Raclaw felt a *shared* surge of power thanks to his bond with Latnok and he knew it wasn't the collar or Damon. "Orion?," he thought outloud with now glowing white eyes. "We have the power-- we can use it. Together. Wisely.," he said looking at his human counterpart.

Chester ran inside without hesitation-- making his way safely into the hallway.

After the power surge was over, Angora was ready for anything. She stepped on the handrails of the ship and began beckoning the little monsters towards her.
"Come on you butt ugly beasts! You want to cause us trouble? I'll make it worse for you!" Angora said tauntingly, scaring Maverick. Whatever happened to her, it made her extremely confident.
"Angorita?" he asked, wanting to know if she was still with them.
"Quiet Maverick! I'm so sick of those things! They want to attack us? They want to learn the hard way why they should leave us in peace then so be it!" she replied furiously, the surge of power adding up to her anger and the feeling of being more focused with her powers. She thanked Orion quietly for the power, and was glad that he followed her advice. She didn't want to risk the Ishulgites anticipating his arrival and have a way to use the deity's power to their advantage. After what she has seen them do and the powerful artifacts and magic they possessed, it wasn't so strange to think they might have something that could subdue even Orion himself, so if he could lend his help without having the need to appear physically, then better.

Latnok felt a familiar surge of power as he took aim at one of the giant creatures. Orion - not who he was expecting, but such help was welcomed nevertheless. With reaffirmed determination, he loosed an arrow at one of the giants.
In a very quick display of reflexes, it intercepted the arrow with a vambrace, deflecting it to the ground. Latnok took note of where it landed, as the giant broke off one of the spikes on its shoulders, wielding it as a blade. Slowly but deliberately, it began a menacing march towards the source of the arrow.

It took little time before the islander force was engaged with the ishiuds. The cannons did wonders against the large bunches of enemies; there was only so much they would be able to do before they did not have the means to fire them anymore, however. Meanwhile, a host of ishiuds broke off from the initial force, with the Enduring Legacy in their sights.