darkSpyro

"Thank you sir." Maverick said respectfully, leaving his post. He went to find Angora to help her with whatever she was doing at the moment, but he instead spotted Ilasi. He gave her a small, goofy smile and then headed the other way, not wanting to get her into trouble for speaking to her. Last night there was little to no people, so it wasn't a problem. Today was different for now, so he settled to talk to her later if she was in the mood. In the meantime, he just settled to find the little troll...

Angora kept cleaning, spaced out, and not knowing if to hate Latnok or Leoquin more. She wished life would get them back for their abusive bullying, or as some called them, karma. She didn't think of herself as a bad creature, but everyone else seemed to think so, so she was wondering if there was really no point in trying to be nice if everybody else was going to see you as this horrible being...

As the weather soon got worse, the ship would sway and rock more and more - fortunately, almost everyone on board had their sea legs, with Raclaw, Chester, Veris, and Shade likely to be the only ones who did not. Veris, however, was not prone to nausea, on account of being accustomed to much more drastic shifts in balance and perspective.
Sere, despite the difficulties, was able to maintain course and direction. Latnok and Ilasi continued to help on board with matters that needed another hand, not being bothered by the rain. Leoquin, meanwhile, was indoors for the most part, managing Angora as he was ordered to.
The ship held up well, as expected - certainly not something paid for with some loose change. Despite the turbulence and lightning, the ship proved to be a reliable piece of construction - at the very most, thanks to the efforts of the crew, minor repairs would be needed, and those could be performed while on the ship.
Eventually, the winds and rain began to let up, as the storm slowly abated.

Angora would ocasionally sob quietly whenever she had her back to Leoquin, and those times he left for a while. In the latter, Angora would take advantage of the ship's rocking to slide around the halls of the lower decks, putting the cloth on her feet and using it as a skateboard. If the mermen wondered how she cleaned so fast, she would leave him with the question. The storm has gotten worse, but at least Angora was inside, well and dry. She only needed to clean a few more spots and that chore would be done.

After a while, Maverick gave up searching for Angora in this enormous ship, knowing she would be fine and deciding he would be more useful helping the other sailors with the storm and repairing whatever was damaged. It didn't matter if the others gave him the cold shoulder. He concentrated on doing this new job, which he was doing really well. It has been years since he set foot on a ship, but his sailing experience was still fresh in his mind.

By the time the storm had began to dissipate, Raclaw and Chester had looked as if they had seen better days. As the large boat rocked and swayed, so too did Raclaw's stomach-- and something that once resembled the fur dragon's lunch. Dragon or not, he clearly wasn't used to rough weather and his sea legs had yet to come. As the swish and sway of the ship soon got to him, he ran towards the edge the ship; the little Chester quickly getting out of the way. And in one fell swoop... any appetite that ether Raclaw or any other nearby sailors had was gone. With his face turning some shade of green, the poor Raclaw soon threw up over the edge of the ship and remained rather embarried over the incident as the sea began to calm down again.

"I'm.. I'm sorry.," Raclaw meekly said as Chester tried to comfort him. "And I thought the dog would've been the first one to be affected.," the voice of Damon could be heard over the links. Chester, in comparison, wasn't looking so great ether but had at least managed to keep his breakfast in. Meanwhile, Risar had no issues as to be expected nor did any of the sailors-- some of whom who were a little salty inside about having their remaining appetite ruined. Raclaw had returned under the dry cover and laid down, not wanting to risk another go on the 'unique' experience of throwing up in front of all your crewmates. He knew it would be a new experience, but he had gotten just a little more than he had initially bargained for.

The lower decks were finally cleaned. Now it was time to fulfill Leoquin's next instructions. Angora hated the idea of washing up clothes, but it was better than doing nothing. She knew that she had to get used to it eventually, but despised the idea of having Leoquin as a boss. Trying not to think much about it, she returned to the main deck, where the storm had calmed down but it was still raining. Most of the sailors were there, so at least it wouldn't be too hard recollecting the clothes.
"Laundry! Laundry! Washing time!" Angora called loudly to everybody, waiting for the sailors to give her whatever they wanted cleaned. Her eyes were quite swollen from sobbing, but all that crying and venting made her feel so much better. Plus she would still have Maverick at the end of the day whenever she needed any consolation.

As Angora came around, requesting clothes from the sailors, they obliged. Before too long, Angora would have a massive pile of dirty, sweaty clothing to take care of. Most tossed them to her without even so much as acknowledging her, with aome simply saying something like "here" as they handed their clothes to her.
Latnok observed Angora as she made the rounds for the clothing. He was rather pleased with how Leoquin has managed to keep her occupied so far - perhaps enough experience with these kinds of jobs would teach her some humility. Or, if not, she could stick with those jobs for the rest of her time here. If she thought she was going to get away with any sign of being disrespectful, she was in for a rude awakening.
Sere was occupied observing the horizon. The island wasn't yet visible, but it should be before the sun went down. There was work to be done, and he wanted to be moving as soon as possible.

Dex and Sapphire made their way to the city of Cross North. A large city which was independed. The league had a large building there with many layers. This was because there was a secret contract with the city and the league. The city agreed not to do anything against the league, as long as any bussiness in the city made by the league was agreed in secret meetings between the leaders of the league and the state coverment and of course league made some tax money to run in the citys way just to keep them happy with the co-operation.

"This city is so modern" Sapphire said looking around and seeing all the technology (mostly working with magical powers).
"Yea" Dex said turning his attention to Sapphire. "Once we are there I hope you can let me do most of the talking. We might be members of the same organisation, but it does not mean we are friends with everybody. In fact most do not like me, and they will turn it against you" Dex said
"Okey I will follow your lead, so is there going to be much choises in this meeting" Sapphire said.
"I think not. Our leader is pretty old, and he has not been challenged in years, so I am pretty sure it will be the same this year. The rankings will be the main point again I think" Dex answered

And so their carriage was in the front of the league headquarters. Dex and Sapphire made their way out of the carriage looking around. "Hey is it my favorite drinking master" A dwarf said coming closer to Dex. "Drinking master, you are worse then I thought" Sapphire whispered. Dex quickly answering "My blood burns all the alcohol before it can effect me. Pretty usefull sometimes". Then turning to the dwarf "So here we are again. Hoping to rise above the 8 this year" Dex said clearly not too happy to see this Dwarf. "Of course, of course..... but you should relax somet..... What is this! You really have a partner! I was sure that was just a rumor to cover your actions even more! The silent judgement stuff is True then! And look at her, hah! Dont even try to tell me this is pure bussiness..... You out of all creatures in love! That must be the story of the year!" The dwarf said with loud voice
Dex was clearly Angry, but did not know what to do. So Sapphire took over " So you are the number 8 from last year, good to know, my name is Sapphire but trust me after this years rankings you will know that! And about him (pointing at Dex), I only work with the best, do I need other reasons? Now if you want to keep talking with us you should buy some drinks for us and take a more respectfull tone" She said and started to walk inside the league building. The dwarf was in a shock before saying to Dex with a quiet voice " She is tough one right? You have to get her as your life partner, and I dont mean just the workteam stuff, you will not find another one. Come on lets go inside I will buy us drinks, She will probably kill me if I dont" The dwarf said. Dex just nodded as an answer and so he started to make his way inside after Sapphire and the Dwarf. Dex had a huge grin in his face, clearly liking very much what Sapphire had just done.

Quote: A Guy

As Angora came around, requesting clothes from the sailors, they obliged. Before too long, Angora would have a massive pile of dirty, sweaty clothing to take care of. Most tossed them to her without even so much as acknowledging her, with aome simply saying something like "here" as they handed their clothes to her.
Latnok observed Angora as she made the rounds for the clothing. He was rather pleased with how Leoquin has managed to keep her occupied so far - perhaps enough experience with these kinds of jobs would teach her some humility. Or, if not, she could stick with those jobs for the rest of her time here. If she thought she was going to get away with any sign of being disrespectful, she was in for a rude awakening.
Sere was occupied observing the horizon. The island wasn't yet visible, but it should be before the sun went down. There was work to be done, and he wanted to be moving as soon as possible.

Angora picked all the piles of dirty, smelly clothes, recoiling in disgust. They said trolls stink, but Anfora could swore human stench was far worse. Not even skunks smelled this bad. And the rain soaking them made things worse. But as usual, Angora said nothing and focused on collecting the clothes. She was still angry for being left the worse jobs, but thanks to the venting earlier, she could tolerate. As she got the clothes, the hard crying she did earlier made her do some hard sniffling from time to time, so she hid behind the pile of laundry she carried so nobody would see her. She then came to Maverick, but after seeing her with such a big pile, he decided not to overwork her.
"Don't worry Angorita. I can wash my own clothes." he said kindly, glad to see her but sad that she was stuck with such thedious work. Not insisting, Angora turned back and recollected the remaining clothes, going to Ilasi and Latnok whom they were last, and also Risar, but he didn't wear much. There were probably more smelly sailors in the hull, but for now, they were the last ones on the main deck. As always, Angora hid her face behind the pile of dirty clothes, at least having that excuse. She didn't want that hateful duo to see her sniffling and eyes swollen, so after they gave their clothes, she wanted to leave as fast as possible...

Latnok and Ilasi gazed at the animate pile of sweaty clothes that was Angora, Latnok being somwwhat amused. He had aleays washed his own clothes, so he never would have thought to put Angora to such a task. It served her right, though - someone who always put down and looked down on others was now forced to do their dirty work.
"I'll was my own clothes," Latnok said gruffly, believing that Angora would find some excuse to 'accidentally' destroy them. "Godfather Sere can wash his own clothes, too, so don't even waste his time."
Though the clothes were far from pleasant-smelling, Ilasi had become inured to such things over the course of her work history. "No thank you, Angora - I do appreciate the offer," she said, politely declining. Ilasi did find it rather ironic how, for once, she wasn't doing all of the dirty work.

Angora turned around from the duo of heartless jerks, not being the least bit surprised about their insensitivity. After going to Risar, Angora headed to the lower decks to see if there were more stenched sailors, and once she was done, Angora grabbed the same bucket as before, cleaned it up and filled it with new water and detergent. With the vein of her temple showing, she began to rub the clothes clean, hanging them near a window. She remained inside the lower deck, not wanting anybody to see her reduced to this humiliating position.

The cleaning took her several hours, but even with her anger, she managed to leave the clothes spotless and without damage. She just knew Leoquin would come up with another hateful task for her if he was nearby, but she didn't care anymore. She just wanted the day to be over so she could take all her anger on the room in peace...

Before long, Leoquin did indeed stop by to check on her - to find, to his pleasure, that the cleaning was done. There was still more to do, however, and he fully intended to keep her busy. "Good job on the laundry, little princess," he said. "Once that's dry, you can hand it back to every sailor. In the meantime, you can start cleaning the scullery - oh, wait, it's about time for lunch. Get that done, then clean the scullery, then you can clean it again later." He, in the meantime, had more pressing matters to attend to on deck.

Angora said nothing to him and went to the kitchen to get some food. She wasn't in the mood for cooking, so holding the bent tray she had in the morning, she picked up rum this time and food already prepared, heating it up and starting to distribute it among the sailors. It was a hellish life for her, but this was all for Shade. If only he wasn't such a moody idiot. Still, she would have time to vent once more, but in the meantime, it was time to do the tasks so that hopefully when there was nothing to do, Leoquin would just leave her alone. This time, she began the distribution with Ilasi and Latnok, wanting to get out of their presence as soon as she can. Not even the tray was enough to hide her swollen eyes, but at least she had stopped sniffling. She believed that showing any emotion would only cause them to make fun of her instead of consoling her, so she remained stoic and emotionless as she distributed the lunch...

Larnok and Ilasi were in the middle of discussing various details of the past - specifically, Latnok's growing up, and how it compared with Maverick and Angora.
"... that's the main reason I don't feel that your background gives you an excuse to be a horrible person," he said. "I took what I had, and made of it what I could. No one pitied me. Why..." Latnok was interrupted by Angora's arrival.
"Good job, actually looking at us this time," Latnok said, as he took his food. "That wasn't so hard, was it? I know you've spent a lifetime sulking and being hostile to pretty much everyone, but maybe - just maybe - you'll find that, once you stop that, the world won't be out to get you, like you claim."
"Thank you, Angora," Ilasi said gratefully. "Please don't get down - keep up the hard work. I know life can be tough sometimes..."

As Angora made her rounds and soon made it to the nearby Raclaw, he gratefully accepted his and Chester's food-- feeling better after the earlier incident of sea sickness. "Thank-you Angora.," he said with a polite smile. He looked to the cups of alcohol and finding that the troll didn't even offer, stopped her before she got too too far away. "Angora-- wait. I didn't want to bother you last time, but we dragons have a hard time drinking out of regular cups. Somewhere in the kitchen, you'll find something that looks like this-- could you please bring my alcohol in that? I do drink... you could say that Latnok has shown me the ways.," he said with a slight smile looking at Latnok. As he spoke, he sent Angora one single telepathic image; that of the drinking vessel that Latnok has provided for him earlier. Elsewhere, Risar was keeping the men busy. Upon making it him, the minotaur took his drink with a single nod and slight huff. He glanced across the deck and was glad to see that the previously sea sick fur dragon was feeling better again.

Angora simply exhaled hardly, believing that the two of them just pretended to be talking. It was too much coincidence that they happened to be talking about something that seemingly concerned her. Turning their back to them, she walked away, feeding the rest of the crew. When it was time to feed Raclaw, she listened to what he had to say.
"Fine. I'll be done with this and I'll get it to you." she said in a neutral tone, never expecting the fur dragon to be an alcohol drinker. She had always assumed he drank the water that Ilasi prepared and shared it with Chester, but now that she knew, she would include a bowl on the tray from now on. She continued distributing the food, a bit nervous around Risar but shaking it off quite quickly, and waiting for the food and drinks to be over so she could return to the kitchen and give the bowl Raclaw requested.

When she came to Maverick, he happily accepted the food. He already had a glass of water, and after what happened to him in Redwater, he wanted nothing to do with alcohol.
"Gracias mi Angorita. Keep up the good work. I don't have much to do, so once you're done, I can help you if you want." Maverick said with the kind, innocent voice that distinguish him so much, patting Angora on the shoulders as he said those words. He managed to get a warm, genuine smile on her, a smile that could even be considered adorable, swollen eyes and all. Maverick was very glad he managed to do such a thing, especially considering how overworked she was right now, but he was content for his dear friend. Angora turned around to continue serving the rest, resuming her expressionless face, but it wasn't as gloomy as before. Her face shined just a tiny bit more than before. She was so glad to have a friend like Maverick. Despite the crappy life she had, and was still having, life was kind enough to provide him with a friend like him. She was pleased to receive some recognition for her hard work. True, it was only Maverick, but she still appreciated his kind encouragement. Just like she has helped him maintain his sanity and hope on his father's ship, he was doing the same for her on this voyage.

Latnok was rather displeased with Angora's seeming attempts at getting away with as much disrespect as she could. Punishing her, however, didn't seem to be working - but he had an idea of what could work.
As she walked away, he telepathed her. "So you don't even want to give a proper response to a thank you? That's fine. You can take Shade's food and feed it to Veris instead. Shade will be muzzled, so don't even try it."
A few minutes later, finding Shade, he called out "Collar, muzzle." The command would prevent Shade's mouth from opening.

Angora didn't respond to Latnok's cruel threat. He wanted to punish somebody else for what he believed it to be a mistake? It was a pathetic action. Angora looked at Shade, but felt nothing. She was still angry at him, and at least he ate before. It was going to last him for a while until it was decided that he had enough. Angora then looked at Latnok... with a look that appeared to be...pity? Yes, pity for him. Latnok was such a bully, and he had this obsession for having everything going his way. He was right, and everybody else was wrong. And he always made sure to find every single one of her actions to be rude and disrespectful just to have an excuse to punish her. He has become a sadistic jerk, more than he was before. It was as sad as it was pathetic. Shaking her head slowly, Angora continued to distribute the food, ignoring him completely and showing no emotion whatsoever. If he had been looking to offend her like the heartless monster he was, he would see that he has failed miserably.

Raclaw looked across at Shade and felt sorry for the dark dragolet, although he was glad that such 'features' were never included in his own collar. By now-- it was clear that Latnok had no patience for Angora and that he had been offended by Angora's actions or lack there of. He wished there was something he could do to somehow appease the two, but their own actions simply continuously bounced off each other in turn led to more offending actions. One said or did something-- and the other responded in turn. As Raclaw started to eat, he pondered what he could do to somehow remedy the situation.

Latnok gave Shade a stern look. "You can eat again once your friend starts showing some respect," he assured. "She doesn't care about us? She'll care about you. And she'll come around." Latnok was seriously considering just informing Sere of her behavior to have her thrown overboard - all he wanted was a bit of cooperation, and even then she resisted him at wvery opportunity. He just wanted the same thing he expected from the rest of the crew... And he would either get it, or get rid of her. She was no longer mission-critical, after all. She was here on their terms, and would leave on their terms.

Angora continued doing her job, paying no attention to Latnok. Just because she didn't want to respond to Ilasi's kindness did Shade had to pay? She really couldn't understand what she did so wrong. Was it her brief exhale? Was there really nothing she could to do vent and take her frustrations away? Angora's earlier happiness disappeared completely. She just saw Latnok as too much as a monster that allowed people like Leoquin to treat her like crap.

While everyone had lunch, Angora went to the scullery and cleaned it, which didn't take her long considering it was cleaned yesterday. Once that chore was done, Angora grabbed the bowl for Raclaw, filling it with rum and once she took it to him, she went to recollect all the pots and plates she served the sailors with, and before Leoquin could think of the chore himself, Angora had the initiative and started to do the dishes, distracting her mind with the very few times she was happy in her life. That was the only way she could avoid saying or doing something inappropriate, and at the same time, maintain her sanity.

"Thank-you.," Raclaw said again with a polite nod as Angora quickly hurried off to finish her chores. As he ate and drank his rum (albeit late), he stared out onto the sea and at the distant supply island merely thinking-- thinking of Angora, thinking of Damon, and of what or who they may eventually find at Falcon's Beak. 'Oh yeah-- the artifact.,' he thought as it soon changed back to its simpler band form. Chester watched next to him and unknowingly to the distracted fur dragon, Risar as well who was taking a break from managing the salty sailors. "Risar notice-- interesting armor you have there. Impressive yet practical.," the minotaur said eyeing his tail and what was tail armor. "Oh uh-- thanks! It's.. it's something Latnok found for me awhile back. From what we know, it's some kind of artifact and can change to your whim.," Raclaw quickly explained having been too lost-in-thought to notice Risar prior. As he spoke, he did so with a slight smile and glanced at Latnok.

Raclaw's smile was something that Latnok gladly reciprocated, though it wasn't visible behind his helmet. "Worth every scale," he said. "You yourself have proven your worth time and time again. I'd have you at my side any time. And Risar - I've seen how you handle those men. Impressive. I can tell you definitely know your stuff. Sure glad we found you."
Ilasi was once again lost in thought - about all she had witnessed. What course of action could she take? Could she do anything? Should she do anything? She thought about how to help Angora get along better with the other crew members - but recalled that Angora had a reputation for being hostile, and her experiences with her ever since meeting at Redwater have only confirmed that. This was Maverick's goal in life? Serving her? Ilasi couldn't help but be somewhat disappointed...

Angora finished the dishes without any interruptions. Even in all her sadness and gloominess, she managed to get the job done without a single broken dish. She looked outside the window to see that it was already late afternoon. The time has passed quickly, but slowly all at the same time. Having finished her chores, she went to help Maverick to have something to do, though expecting Leoquin to come out of nowhere to give her another thedious chore...

Meanwhile, Maverick was at the main deck, helping with mopping and drying up the floor to prevent the sailors from slipping. It wasn't an order, but like Angora, he rather keep himself busy rather than to wait for someone to give him a task.

"I feel the same.," Raclaw said to with Latnok with another smile. "After I left the farm, I never felt as close as I did to a human-- until now. Even before we were linked, I felt as if there was some kind of connection between us. I don't know... I can't quite explain it.," Raclaw admitted revealing some of his feelings concerning Latnok to Risar and anyone close enough to listen. Risar gave a nod as he listened to Raclaw. It was true that he had felt something even before the link came into play. Before he even knew who the Guardians were, there was Latnok-- and then eventually Sere who had so gracefully filled in the blanks for him. And despite the fact that the Guardians had altered his life from the very beginning, he only felt closer to them and to Latnok.

As the day drew on, the faint trace of the island soon became visible in the distance. Sere looked at it - greatly satisfied that they were going to reach terra firma soon. However, something seemed a bit off...
...there was smoke in the distance, billowing from the shore. And what was that... were those ships? Those definitely weren't just any casual merchant ships - those ships were on a mission.
"Pirates." Sere immediately turned to Latnok.
"Pirates? So what's the plan?" Latnok asked.
"You know the plan," Sere said. "That island is pretty much a haven for people who have left Aelinon for many reasons. They will be able to fight somewhat - against those forces, though? I'm counting one, two, three... three boats on the shore right now. Those pirates know they're in for a fight - they likely know, or at least suspect, something highly valuable is on the island.
"Those people are dead if we don't intervene. Latnok, see to it that every combatant on the ship is prepared."
"I'll do that," Latnok said. Latnok immediately ran to reach the upper deck - there was something there that would do just that...

Raclaw followed Latnok, eager to see what his human companion was referring to. 'Pirates? Here.. now?,' Raclaw thought knowing to expect trouble but never expecting that. "Chester-- whatever happens, stick close to me.," he quickly said looking back at the little Chester who eagerly followed.

"Pirates?" Maverick repeated, his every hair standing to an end. He went as white as a sheet of paper. Why pirates? Why did he had to face such people?
"Well, they won't get away with anything." the fawn man said, taking out a sword. Unbelievably, he was ready for a fight. The usually pacifist Maverick was ready for a fight. He really despised pirates, to the point he was willing to turn violent to make them pay.

Angora was on the main deck looking for Maverick when she saw the other sailors looking at the island. It was just as Maverick estimated. But... something was very wrong. Angora then went to Shade. She couldn't hear his message, but knew he was very restless.
"Listen to me Shady. I will amend this, but for now, you have to keep calm." she said, as she went to see what all the fuzz was about...

Sere, though he appreciated Maverick's eagerness, shook his head. "You're staying on deck. I'm only sending those who fight for a living." As he spoke, a deep bell began to ring throughout the ship - the call to arms, activated by Latnok on the upper deck. Immediately, many of the sailors dropped what they were doing, and, with haste, began making their way to the armories at the lower decks.
"So let's see what we know so far... they have ships on the shore, and they're already fighting on the ground. I'm expecting nothing more than a skeleton crew on those ships. We can easily board them. I know our men will have superior arms and armor - they have our phoenix steel, and it's highly unlikely that the enemy has managed to get their hands on that. The ship takeover shouldn't be hard."
"Uh, Mr. Sere sir, I'm... there are more ships up ahead," Ilasi said. They will be arriving around the time we will, and they will no doubt be full of fighters."
"Well, that complicates things," Sere said. Still, he had an idea...
"Risar, have our men get the boarding crafts ready. Leoquin, come here. I have a special job for you..."

OOC: Hey SC. To save a page, you can edit the first one and put that second message below that one and then delete it

"Shady please, patience. This isn't forever." Angora tried to assure, noticing how mad Shade was being. Even if she was seeing no way out of this, she was trying to stay positive, like Maverick has done so many annoying times. As for the fawn man, he was disappointed that he didn't get to fight,mbut he was willing to protect the ship. He went to find Angora, but checked on Shade first, and luckily,Moshe was there with him.
"Alright you dos. We're staying here. Pirates are on our destination. We will stay here and protect the ship and each other." Maverick instructed, with an eagerness so serious and extreme, it was even startling Angora. Maverick really hated pirates, but she knew he had a good reason for it. Getting to his side, Angora was ready to fight as well, ready to attack whatever pirate got onto the ship. Shade was muzzled, so he couldn't defend himself. She left Maverick's side and went behind him, getting ready in case there was an ambush...

As the ship drew closer to the island, the battlefield became clearer and clearer. Though individual men couldn't yet be made out, the buildings could be seen, and many were already pillaged.
"Don't worry, Icestorm, there will be plenty of enemies to go around. The enemy is likely to be further inland," Sere said. "Which will give us time to establish a foothold on the beach."
"What about those ships, sir?" Leoquin asked Sere.
"Ah, yes, that's where you come in. Tell me... how many people do you think you're going to kill today?"
"I dunno, five, maybe ten, sir?"
"Try a few hundred... You see, I've come prepared - we have developed a compound which ignites in the presence of water, and cannot be put out by water. It's kept in glass vials - they're sealed very tightly so you'll have to be careful. What I need you to do is take some of these vials, swim as fast as you can, intercept those ships, and toss a vial on the deck of each ship. The decks are no doubt damp, if not by the sea environment then definitely as a result of the recent storm. Once it lands, the vial should break, the compound will ignite, and the ship will rapidly conflagrate - those pirates can send Davy Jones our regards.
"Once that's taken care of, there will be no interception. We should easily be able to take over those ships at the beachhead. Once we are established there, we can meet the enemy on land. I doubt those on the boats will put up much of a fight - they're likely to surrender once they see what they're contending with. You can capture them, and leave some behind to keep them. As for those on land - they've made their choice once they started attacking innocent civilians. They'll be stuck between the defending forces and enemy forces on land they weren't expecting. Find every last one of them and put them to the sword."
Latnok didn't need much preparation to be combat ready - just his bag and bow. "Latnok, you can lead one boarding craft. Risar, you can lead another. I will bring the ship over, and lead the boarding from there. Once we're secured, you will take Shade with you - I do not feel comfortable leaving him here. I will oversee the battlefield from the sky on Veris."

Risar nodded and began spouting orders, as the men proceeded to prep the boarding crafts-- untying the knots and whatnot. Meanwhile, Raclaw focused on the artifact and it promptly changed to its 'tail spike' form with two protruding spikes on either side. "Chester-- I'm going with Latnok, but you should stay here. Maverick, can you watch over him while I'm gone?," Raclaw asked feeling concerned about how the unarmed Beagle would do on the field.

"Of course Raclaw. Whatever you need." Maverick said kindly, taking the beagle to his care. He didn't get to know the dog very well, but he looked forward to, even if the conditions weren't so great. He then listened to what Sere had to say...

Quote: A Guy

As the ship drew closer to the island, the battlefield became clearer and clearer. Though individual men couldn't yet be made out, the buildings could be seen, and many were already pillaged.
"Don't worry, Icestorm, there will be plenty of enemies to go around. The enemy is likely to be further inland," Sere said. "Which will give us time to establish a foothold on the beach."
"What about those ships, sir?" Leoquin asked Sere.
"Ah, yes, that's where you come in. Tell me... how many people do you think you're going to kill today?"
"I dunno, five, maybe ten, sir?"
"Try a few hundred... You see, I've come prepared - we have developed a compound which ignites in the presence of water, and cannot be put out by water. It's kept in glass vials - they're sealed very tightly so you'll have to be careful. What I need you to do is take some of these vials, swim as fast as you can, intercept those ships, and toss a vial on the deck of each ship. The decks are no doubt damp, if not by the sea environment then definitely as a result of the recent storm. Once it lands, the vial should break, the compound will ignite, and the ship will rapidly conflagrate - those pirates can send Davy Jones our regards.
"Once that's taken care of, there will be no interception. We should easily be able to take over those ships at the beachhead. Once we are established there, we can meet the enemy on land. I doubt those on the boats will put up much of a fight - they're likely to surrender once they see what they're contending with. You can capture them, and leave some behind to keep them. As for those on land - they've made their choice once they started attacking innocent civilians. They'll be stuck between the defending forces and enemy forces on land they weren't expecting. Find every last one of them and put them to the sword."
Latnok didn't need much preparation to be combat ready - just his bag and bow. "Latnok, you can lead one boarding craft. Risar, you can lead another. I will bring the ship over, and lead the boarding from there. Once we're secured, you will take Shade with you - I do not feel comfortable leaving him here. I will oversee the battlefield from the sky on Veris."

"We can protect him señor, and we can also protect the ship if you leave a few sailors to help us. Once they figure out this is your ship, they will come and attack, and even ambush us from the other side." Maverick suggested after overhearing the orders, knowing too well the pirate life and fully aware of every dirty trick in the book. Angora said nothing, knowing that Maverick was the expert. In this case, she was going to leave everything to him...

Sere shook his head. "I'm not risking you taking over the crew with him and leaving us on my ship. Shade will come with us. Maverick, you will stay here. Angora, you can choose to stay or come with us. Don't worry - there will be some men left behind."
"Mr. Sere, sir... what do you want me to do?" Ilasi asked.
"You will remain here. Assist the others with your spells to detect the enemy, and make the water as rough for the enemy as possible."
Many sailors began to come back onto the main deck - decked in all sorts of armor and weapons. They looked more like a professional military than a bunch of adventurers pulled from taverns and other places. One thing was obvious - Sere expected combat, and he was fully prepared for it.
Leoquin, after leaving for a while, came back up with the vials Sere had talked about, provided by the armory. Without further question, he dived right into the water, his legs beginning to adjust.

"Thank-you.," Raclaw said with a nod as he prepared to go with Latnok. If they needed the extra room, he would fly over along with the boarding craft. "Raclaw-- be careful out there! I don't want you...," Chester frantically barked clearly worried for the fur dragon. 'Don't worry, I'll be fine and you'll be safe. Just stay with Mav, alright? I'll be back-- I promise.," Raclaw barked back in a reassuring tone although not understandable to most. Risar and the men proceeded to get the boarding crafts ready.

Maverick gave a warm smile to Chester, promising to protect him and assuring him his friend would be alright. It was then than Angora decided to say some thing. She meditated a lot before opening her mouth. This time, she was ready to speak without a hint of sass and rudeness, and now she was determined to know if their issue was with her or her behavior. If Sere acted hastily towards her, she would know there would be no way around him.
"With all due respect Mr. Sere, you seem to be forgetting that Maverick was a pirate before. He knows how to handle them. I think this time, his experience can be useful." Angora said calmly, breathing normally and leaving all her lingering frustrations buried deep within her. She still wanted to vent, but she knew she had to wait for a more appropriate moment...

"Do you think I would forget something like that?" Sere asked rhetorically. "I am an old man. I have fought in countless battles - in every type of environment. I'm no stranger to naval battles. I have prepared. I have observed the battlefield so far, and will continue to do so. Maverick is a pacifist. He can keep that. I don't expect him to lead any sort of battle. Let me do the things that I do best - leading men and killing things."
Latnok, in the meantime, was getting ready for boarding - he and many men were already in one of the boarding vessels. As they drew nearer to the beachhead, the men were preparing to lower the boarding craft...

Angora said nothing else, and only shook her head slowly, but Maverick in the meantime, remained neutral about it. He appreciated Angora trying to help, but Sere seemed to be too focused on his own tactics to listen to suggestions. Nevertheless, he let the Guardians take Shade away, wishing him luck. Despite the hexphage and his muzzle, Shade still had his wings, claws and skin, which still gave him much advantage.
"Good luck big guy." Maverick said to the dragolet, knowing he could do this. Angora just gave him a wave, and decided to stay with Maverick, with each behind one another to provide better protection.

As the ship drew closer near, the boarding crafts began to lower and would soon hit sea. Raclaw was in the boarding craft with Latnok, while Icestorm was able to find room in the boarding craft with Risar. "Raclaw, remember the artifact and use it wisely. It can adapt to the situation at hand-- armor, a bigger spike, whatever you need. Whereas before you only had your claws, teeth, and fire breath-- you now have your tail as well. Don't be afraid to get in there and don't hesitate. These are pirates, scum-- they deserve what they get.," the voice of Damon could be heard over the links seemingly giving Raclaw advice. "Don't worry-- I won't.," Raclaw responded. As he boarded, he boarded towards the back of the craft, so as to not accidentally clomble any of the men with his shiny new weapon. The artifact had yet to taste blood, but Raclaw had a feeling that Damon was eager for him to try it.

The crafts had hit the water now and under the orders of both Latnok and Risar, were now being rowed towards the looming beachhead. "Push, push-- show Risar that you can pull your weight!," the minotaur boasted with one of the men seeming a little too eager at that statement. The salty sailors were now sailing through very salty water and towards one of their first large conflicts in a long time to come. Up ahead were two maybe three ships already secured along the coast, while several more were already arriving. As Leoquin did her job, a few of those ships soon caught aflame while a couple carried onwards. One ship was already boarding the beachhead, while the the merman was no doubt preparing the vials for the other ship. "That's it men! Push!.," Risar shouted as the two boarding crafts quickly approached the beach. Once they reached land, a couple of the men immediately departed and began to secure the craft. As for the rest, they immediately went onshore where one of the reinforcements had made it.

"Oh thank god, you're not more pirates!," someone shouted clearly from the defending forces. Just than, a sword went through his back as the owner turned towards and charged towards the Latnok and the boarding crafts. They were pirates alright and they would to get in frey sooner than initially expected. "Raclaw-- to your right! Tail swing.. now!," the voice of Damon could be heard as Raclaw complied. His now spiked tail went right into the chest of a skinny looking pirate and expanded, presumably on Damon's part. The artifact strunk again as the pirate fell to the ground-- with a similar gaming hole as done to the test dummy just one night prior. Raclaw briefly shook his head, not believing how well that had worked in person. Elsewhere, Risar had drawn two heavy great axes and was now swining into a small crowd of pirates. Meanwhile, the other taller looking pirate was still charging towards Latnok...

Leoquin's job seemed pretty simple - just toss vials onto ships? That was it? Well, he wasn't going to question the boss. He, like many mermen, was a very fast swimmer; he made a mad dash towards the enemy ships, and managed to reach the first of three more ships still en route. He was undetected; no one would suspect anything.
Nearing the ship, he made sure to get as close as he possibly could... then he surfaced. As ordered, he tossed a vial - then immediately submerged to stay hidden. Just as Sere said, the vial broke, and the contents ignited violently; much of the ship, and many of the pirates on it, were soon ablaze. Despite the mad scramble to pour water on the fires, it didn't seem to work; if anything, it made the fire more aggressive.
Leoquin, though he had a glimpse of what happened, had no time to admire his handiwork. On to the next ship - though the men on it were on high alert, they still had no idea what had happened. He tossed another vial - and the ship went up in flames, just like the previous one. One more to go...
As Leoquin moved on to the third and final ship, many of the pirates on the other ships were beginning to jump out, deciding to take their chances at sea in the hope that they could swim to shore, rather than continue the futile attempts to put out the fire. Leoquin would deal with them later. Surfacing, he tossed another vial - and nothing. There was a bit of chatter among the men - "What the hell is this? What should we do with it?" Leoquin, however, brought spares. Moving to another part of the deck, where men were less congregated, he tossed another vial. This time, it hit its mark, and the third and final ship soon went ablaze. That job was done. Now just to deal with those attempting to reach the shore...

Latnok had his future sight ready as the man came charging at him. He wouldn't need it, however, as the simple attack would have a simple answer. Swinging his off-hand, Latnok used a force deflect to interrupt the blow, as he grabbed his axe and swung it into the collarbone of the assailant, before shoving him out of the way as he shuddered and collapsed. As he did so, the rest of the men with him began charging into battle, eager to earn their pay, and perhaps take what they could from the enemy.

Meanwhile, Sere's vessel was approaching one of the other ships on the beachhead. Immediately, a few arrows and a fireball were thrown at them; several of the men were hit, but the armor withstood the arrows, and the phoenix steel, unlike typical steels, was excellent at blocking heat. Immediately, the men retaliated with various weapons, be it bows or spears - the skeleton crew opposing them on the deck fell easily. Sere's men readied the planks, and as Sere's ship came abreast of the opposing vessel, the planks were deployed.
"Take whoever surrenders. Don't hesitate to kill the rest," Sere ordered.

Back at the ship, Maverick and Angora protected the other side of the vessel while the few sailors that remained behind were watching the explosive spectacle. It would be less than an hour before the sun sets, and while Angora could see very well in the night, Maverick couldn't. So far, not a single pirate had tried to board, but they were still on the lookout. With this time by theirselves, Maverick looked at Angora, and felt like the little troll had much on her mind, but she was too focused on protecting the ship that she didn't say anything.
"So... Angorita, are you going to tell me what was that outrageous plan you had back then?" Maverick asked, trying to do some small talk, and remembering Angora saying back in Redwater that she had a crazy backup plan to get onto the ship in case their final begging didn't do the trick. Since it worked, there was no need for that plan, but Angora never said anything about it and the fawn man was curious.
"Forget it Maverick. There was no need for it, so no point in telling you." Angora answered, wanting to forget about whatever plan she had back then.
"Aren't you going to tell me? We didn't go through it, but I still want to know." Maverick insisted, his curiosity simply growing.
"I told you Maverick, it was nothing. Besides, it was too crazy! Chances are we weren't going to survive." Angora hinted, making Maverick even more curious than before. Just what insane plan was in that little troll's mind that was so outrageous to the point she believed they weren't going to live? All Maverick ever knew about it was that it would involve her magic shield, so whatever it was, it was quite the plan. Maverick then came with a theory.
"Oh, I know. You were planning on following the ship using your shield as a boat, and we would walk after it like a giant hamster ball." Maverick hypothesized, but Angora just stared at him.
"Have you lost your marbles? That plan would've never worked! The shield doesn't work that way, and even if it did, the ship would've left us very far behind. Nobody can walk or run faster than a ship!" Angora explained, realizing now how desperate Maverick was for the answer if he came with such an absurd theory like that out of the blue. Still, the hybrid would have to wait. Angora didn't want to say anything. They were on the ship and that's what mattered. Maverick still wondered though why she was so secretive. Was she... embarrased by the plan? Why didn't she want to say anything? He decided it was better not to push the matter and give Angora room to decide when to tell him, if she ever did.

As Latnok and the Damon-aided Raclaw promptly defeated the first two foes, the others quickly charged in-- fighting sailor to sailor. Raclaw, seemingly motivated by the epic move, kept at it with the tail spike swing it into another pirate and performing a similar move. Some of the remaining pirates backed up to give the not-so-defenceless dragon some space; a situation to which Raclaw used to his advantage. Flying up and hovering just enough into the air, Raclaw proceeded to breathe fire into the pirates heavily damaging some lesser armored foes while at least stinging a a couple heavier armed foes. A couple arrows from one of the nearby ships went flying at him to which-- "Arrows on your right-- dodge now!," Damon shouted over the links. Raclaw quickly dodged and just barely avoided the arrows. Landing back on the ground, he breathed more fire into the crowd of pirates while using his tail spike a pirate who had gotten just a little too close to his tail. As the artifact expanded and retracted again-- the pirate crumbled on the ground. The remaining pirates in the local area swarmed Latnok and the salty sailor, whom managed to defeat them without too much issue although a couple loose arrows had managed to nick themselves into the slightly exposed neck of one of them. "Nick!," another yelled running up to the fallen sailor.

Meanwhile-- Risar and his men were at as well as a similar swarm of pirates charged. "Risar has more where that comes from!," the minotaur broasted as he swung his two heavy great axes into the crowd once again. "Fight-- and show Risar that you can defeat these scum of men!," he encouraged as many of the pirates fell; barely having a chance against them. The pirates fell like dominoes with a couple men even missing a limb or two. As the battle continued, blood went flying-- clearly visible on Risar's great axes, Raclaw's tail and tail spike, and with a little bit here and there. "Please... I surrender! Just take me and let me live!," one of the more greatly wounded pirates pleaded to Latnok as the Guardian was about take a swing into his neck. Along the edges of the crowd, some of the defendants were taking out some of the men-- although not all were successful and there would be at least one or two casualties among them.

Back on the main ship, Chester stuck alongside Maverick and watched the battle alongside the duo-- having no issues seeings thanks to his young canine eyesight. He seemed encouraged and somewhat pleased when he saw what was clearly a dragon flying up and lighting up the sky, likely that of his beloved Raclaw. The little dog still looked worried, but was at least partially reassured that his furry friend was still alive. He gave the occasional bark-- prusumily about the battle although the hairy hybrid couldn't be 100% certain.

As the fight raged on, the cry of fallen men, the shouts of battle, and the clash of metal on metal, as well as the occasional spell, could be heard. Dusk was approaching; what effect, if any, this would have on the battle could not be said.
Latnok was no stranger to fights like these. As long as he wasn't surrounded, he could handle the blows coming to him. Though his bow was no doubt an effective weapon, Latnok would often eschew it in favor of a close-range weapon supplemented by his magic in fights like these, due to the versatility it provided him in engagements. Most of the fights were won either by a force bolt before they began, or with a deflection followed by a riposte. As Latnok continued to fight, one of the men, his wounds debilitating at this point, called out to him, begging to be spared.
Latnok had little pity, especially for criminals like him. "You made your choice when you came here," he said. "Wrong move." Without second-guessing himself, Latnok brought his axe up and swung it into the man's neck, cleanly separating his head from his body. Sere's order was to put them all to the sword - and Latnok was happy to oblige.

Sere thought for a few moments, considering what should be done about Shade in his current state. "Stay here, then," he said. "Defend yourself as best as you can if need be. I will be in the sky - don't try anything. We will know, and will not respond pleasantly." With that, Sere headed for the enclosure housing Veris. Opening the bay door, he found that, as expected, Veris was already active and eager, the sounds of combat having roused him. Without being ordered, Veris lowered himself to allow Sere to mount, and the two took to the sky - they would observe the battle from up high, allowing Sere to more effectively issue orders and intervene where needed.
Sere's men rushed the craft they had set gangplanks on; without much resistance, the pirates inside surrendered. With the beachhead completely secured, the forces would be free to push closer in on the main body of the enemy.

Leoquin, meanwhile, was still at sea. He was looking for survivors who were trying to reach the shore; they would likely join the fight once they did, so he wouldn't give them that opportunity. Swimming underneath the survivor closest to the shore, he swam up and thrust his spear, penetrating one of the pirate's lungs before he realized what was happening. The pirate let out a quick gasp before succumbing; there was little fight to be had, especially against a merman underwater. You're catfish food, he thought smugly as his foe sank. Now for the others...

Raclaw, although new to such fights, seemed to be handling himself well enough-- adrenaline pumping through his blood and Damon using the fur dragon's own telepathy to help him when he was otherwise distracted. The entity known as Damon was quickly learning how to his host's own elements without or without his consent. At least for the time being, however, he seemed to strictly be using them for good-- being able to use Raclaw's own telepathy to observe or directly command the artifact which rested tightly against Raclaw's own tail. He couldn't directly force Raclaw to dodge or swing, however, and thus had to order the fur dragon in such situations. While in the heat of combat, he happily complied appreciating the help and at least trusting Damon not to risk his own life.

As the beachhead was now offcially secure and any remaining pirates were quickly dealt with-- Raclaw, the Guardians, and the crew got a brief respite and were able to observe the immediate aftermath of the first of many battles. On the pirate side of things, there were many fatalities indeed with Latnok or one of the sailors happily taking their lives. There were to be no survivors and prisoners, an order to which the men were more than happy to follow. Veris and Sere helped out where needed-- giving orders and aiding in combat from above. With an army of Guardians, sailors, and dragons involved; the Pirate stood little chance against the incoming force.

On the Guardian side, things were looking much better-- although the Phoenix steel armored crew wasn't entirely safe. There were a few fatalities, but many more casualties. Arrows stuck out of many sailors; the last hurrah of the pirates still on the ships. The sailor known as Nick had unfortunately bled out among the chaos with his 'partner' trying to stop the bleeding. Others had been stabbed or slashed as a few of the pirates had struck a lucky blow. Some didn't make it, while many were injured-- but very much alive. Risar was bloody but unharmed; no doubt the blood of his enemies. Raclaw, on the other hand, had taken an arrow to the tip of one of his wings-- the arrowhead just barely piercing it and barely registering to otherwise unharmed fur dragon. The adrenaline was no doubt helping mask any pain. Chester watched what he could from his position with Maverick And Angora-- worried but reassured at the same time.

Maverick and Angora settled for just being spectators, knowing beyond the shadow of a doubt they were winning, and that they probably won already. The former picked up Chester kindly so he could see his friend Raclaw in action.
"Look boy. That is your friend. See how powerful he is? You couldn't ask for a better protector." Maverick said kindly to the beagle, never having a dog of his own, but he could see in this little time why dogs were such popular pets. As he and Angora watched the carnage, Maverick couldn't believe his father was able to avoid the Guardians. He was a wanted man on almost every archipelago there was. Every time they stopped on an island, there would be bounties on him and anyone that worked for him, but somehow, always, he would evade justice. How did he do it Maverick never knew, and it took a whole clan of mermen to finally bring him down.

As for Angora, she also continued to see the theatrics, keeping a close eye on the ship herself since the few sailors that remained behind we're too distracted with the battle taking place on the island. It was no wonder the Guardians were so cocky. With resources and political power like theirs, it was evident they felt invincible. Still, she didn't dwelled on it much. She watched as Maverick bonded with the beagle with some minor annoyance, but said nothing about it since she didn't want her friend to mistake it as jealousy. Soon, her inner thoughts were interrupted by what sounded like a loose floorboards behind them, but when she turned, nobody was there. But she was no fool. There were barrels nearby, and she knew what was going on...

She acted as if nothing was happening, and then there it was. She saw the shadow. It was aiming at Maverick. Without a second thought, Angora tacked the individual in the belly like a bull, leaving it to crouch in pain. It was a monster of a man, one that could rival even Risar in size. Maverick turned around, seeing what was going on. He put the beagle behind him, but he didn't have to do anything. The humongous man grabbed his scythe, aiming at Angora this time, but he was still in severe pain. Then, she jumped on his back, and before the rest of the sailors on board could react to the new threat. she used the brute strength trolls were notorious for. Angora threw the large man overboard... but then, before he could hit the water, she obliterated him, with a perfectly cast force bolt. Maverick recognized the spell immediately. It was the very same one she struggled with back in the Darkmatter caves.
"Angorita...?" Maverick said stupefied, never expecting the little troll to do such magic.
"Don't start Maverick! If you feel awful for me killing that man, well I didn't have a choice! If he had reached the water, he would've stubbornly gotten up again! Besides, remember what happened the last time you tried to solve a matter peacefully." Angora said as she pointed as his neck, wanting to remind him of the thief that nearly decapitated him. But Maverick didn't pay attention. He wasn't feeling bad for the pirate. His atonished to wasn't from the kill. It was from Angora performing a spell she struggled with so much in the past. Had she been practicing?

Sere had been observing the battle from on high - issuing orders, landing and fighting where needed. The enemy was suffering severe losses - there were casualties and a few fatalities on their side, however. As much as Sere abhorred sending men to die, such things were often necessary for the greater good; all of the men he enlisted knew the risks they were taking.
Though he was keeping an eye on the battlefield, he was also watching the ship; to be on alert for potential stragglers or stowaways, and to dissuade Shade and his company from leaving on his ship. What he witnessed, however, was nothing short of interesting - Angora deftly subduing and tossing a man, and killing him in mid-air, with a force bolt. So she has been practicing, then...

As Sere's crew moved further inland, the opposing force could already be seen falling apart; news of the events at the shore had no doubt reached them, and many men were seeking to flee rather than stay in the fight to be crushed between two forces. The battle was turning into a total rout, and would no doubt be over before long.