darkSpyro

After a while, everyone went their separate ways. Angora spotted Mischief and asked her if she intended to go with Maverick and Ilasi as she instructed, but she decided to start from zero and search for a job, if not in Redwater or Guardian base, then somewhere nearby. It was admirable of her part, though she wondered if she was doing it to avoid interrupting the couple's life too. She didn't know if someone like her could get a job, and she kept a secret where exactly she was going to work to prevent her from worrying.

After receiving their payment, Angora went as far as to give everything to Maverick, from her voyage payment to the money she earned in the arena. She kept some of it after Maverick felt horribly guilty to accept so much. Before signing the contract, she made sure she retrieved the cookies from her old cabin's drawer before she could forget about them, and looking at the door with the words 'Murder' she wondered if Sere ever found the culprit. It wasn't important now she guessed. She signed the contract, and after a final farewell to the people she was closest to, she went with the Guardians, Veris beyond happy that she was coming with them and already with the idea of making her stay permanent way in his head. It was going to be some tiresome days ahead of her. She didn't know about how the other Guardians would treat her, but she knew she had to keep her distance from the other wyverns, since she very much doubted they, or at least some of them, we're going to be eager to befriend her like Veris did, and even he was kinda troublesome to befriend at the beginning. Before they would go to their new place, Angora made Veris promise he wouldn't get crazily overprotective of her like her best friends were before him, since she didn't want him to get into trouble too.

Huntress and the three men went to Redwater, the woman even giving them good references and helping them keep their past, pirate life a secret so that they could get a job and avoid the law. They have been low ranked pirates and not many people knew their faces nor did they had much reference except the time before they were pirates, and lower rank meant they were not as sought as captains or first mates, but the fact that they were once pirates would've been enough to get them arrested on the spot. Huntress hated pirates, but these men were quite fascinating people, and was interested in getting to know them before deciding if she should rat on them. Maverick was someone she didn't intend to ignore either however. The faun man and his girlfriend lived on a rented house near the ocean where Ilasi's parents lived so that she could visit them whenever she wanted. From there, they would look at books and brochures in order to find the perfect spot to build a house on their own. Their address was something Huntress discovered, and she didn't intend to let Maverick out of her sight just yet...

Several days later...

Latnok woke up in what was once again becoming the familiar scene of his room. Courtesy of the money and resources he had access to, he was able to get an especially comfortable bed of soft fur and down for his companions, Raclaw and Chester. He donned his armor in the typical manner before heading out to speak with Adjudicator Bier about his earlier proposal.
It would be the first of several - potentially, many - actions to expand the role of the Ardent Guardians. A new project - a place where orphans, or downtrodden children who otherwise had nowhere else to go - could be taken care of. More importantly than just meeting their needs, however, would be an effort to educate them, in academics and magic, in order to empower them to make their own path in life.
There were many details to work out; but, much like the children themselves, this had potential. If it ever turned out that there were child dragons that needed taking care of, it would prove to be a good opportunity to enable bonding between dragons and other sapient species. Ideally, this would produce much better results than eradication of dragons ever could.

Julian himself had recently fit on a wooden prosthesis - a reminder of the price he paid, and also a reminder of the problems that could potentially be solved with enough research and dedication. Ironically, losing his biggest test subject - himself - would slow down work on the cure for hexwood parasitism. However, he was no longer in a race against the clock, and he had plenty of time to dedicate himself to other things.

Though she had a nightmare about the battle on one occasion, Ilasi was soon able to get back to the rhythm of sleeping comfortably - made easier than ever with Maverick by her side, and no Ishulgites to worry about. The time ahead would allow them to sort out the details of their life ahead. After all, the past was certainly behind them... certainly.

After learning of the Guardian's address, which was carefully hidden but he was allowed to know it, Maverick wrote a letter to Angora so that she would know where he was staying. It was likely going to take a while to find a perfect spot to build a house, so in the meantime, they were going to stay in that rented place. They had more than enough money to afford it, although Maverick wanted to make sure they didn't spend it all in rent and debts, so he took a job as a local merchant. He missed the traveling part, but there was surprisingly a lot of people who were willing to buy from him. His unique appearance kinda helped, and children in particular loved him. This was his day off, so he took the moment to write the letter, which a particular Guardian delivered after he was told where he lived. Afterwards, he took the time to contemplate the calming sea as he sighed.
"You know, I miss Angorita and Oscurito already. I hope they're doing okay. Maybe I can visit them soon." Maverick said to his girlfriend, loving his new life with Ilasi, but couldn't help missing his two best friends and the times it was just them, flying to the horizon, without a home, selling stuff and exploring the world.

When Angora arrived at Guardian headquarters, it was almost the way she imagined. A strict, military and rather miserable place full of weapons and heavily armed humans. Darkheart tried to live here, but there was a point where she couldn't stand it, and even though she left, she remained nearby as a wild dragon to continue visiting Raclaw. It was a long distance relationship for sure, but it was better than nothing. Angora was just glad Maverick wasn't the only one with a mate.

Despite the drab appearance of the base, she managed to take a peek at one of the Guardian's rooms, and it looked amazing. Even though hers wasn't as great as them, Sere made sure she had a nice enough place. The other Guardians were... surprised at her to say the least. Not only was she a troll with a weird condition, but she bonded with the captain's wyvern, a natural predator of her, and one that was particularly gluttonous. Those last bits made it even more impressive, although many doubted she was going to last long. The wyvern barn were almost the exact opposite of the base. Their individual cages were far more spacious than the place Veris had at the ship, and even though they had a ceiling for obvious reasons, it was high enough to allow them enough space to fly. Angora even suspected this place was far bigger than the Guardian headquarters. There were many caretakers there that took turns feeding certain wyverns, though Veris was going to be her only responsibility. Angora tried to befriend a few of the wyverns she saw, but they either couldn't talk or weren't interested in communicating with her. One look at their eyes and she could swear all they wanted from her was to give her a one way trip down their gullets. Although she believed her shield could protect her, she didn't want to take the risk.

As the days passed and Angora got used to the routine, she made sure to stay as far away from the other cages as she could since many of the wyverns could fit their heads and necks beyond the bars. Today, she was going to have her first paycheck, but first things first. It was time for Veris' lunch.
"Afternoon big guy. Brought you cow filet." Angora greeted, Veris always happy to see her. He would sometimes glare at his companions when they looked at her in a not so pleasant way, though Angora didn't want to encourage such behavior. She didn't want Veris to grow distant or violent to his fellow wyverns because of her.

Things were going well to the three former pirates. Thanks to Huntress' help, they managed to get very good jobs. Sand Dune worked at a clinic, Opium made medicine not too far away, and Random was a vet assistant. He loved animals. They knew they owed much to the young woman. Opium even tried to court her once, but she made it blatantly clear she wasn't interested. She was a bit kinder to Random when he visited though, having become interested in learning his special language. While she still saw them, her main goal was still Maverick. She would usually stay at inns near where he and Ilasi lived, and kept a close eye on the couple, using her careful years of training to avoid detection. She still took bounty hunting jobs, but in her spare time, she would watch over Armon Blake's freak son...

Ilasi's days were often spent playing the violin, practicing her magic, or working on her medicine. Occasionally, she would head to the market with Maverick in order to sell her wares alongside him - she didn't do it all the time, however. She didn't want him to become tired of her so quickly, after all. She would also make the occasional visit to her parents, though she kept them rather short as their obsessing still remained somewhat annoying.
"I'm not sure how easy it would be to see Shade - but certainly the Guardians wouldn't have too much of a problem allowing you to meet Angora?" Ilasi suggested. "At the very least, you know the man in charge. Asking for a visit every now and then shouldn't be too hard... I think." The rank of the Ardent Guardians had only ever been open to humans, so their inner workings were still a mystery to many.
From here, it was just a matter of passing the time until they completed all their plans. The future was looking brighter than it ever had for Ilasi.

Leoquin returned to his parents' home, now vacant. It was a reminder of everything he had lost - and everything he hoped to eventually find. There was no use dwelling on things right now, however.
His first order of business would be decorating the place more. His parents always lived relatively modestly, but he thought the place deserved a bit more. Fortunately, he had just the money to do such a thing...

Besides rounding up the traitors, the first order Seraos gave was for a thorough census of every citizen in Aelinon to be accounted for as best as possible - age, species, trade, everything feasible for one person to presumably know about themselves. Such information would be necessary to set the foundation for the changes to come. Such changes were likely to be controversial and tumultuous - but Seraos believed that they were necessary as a result of changing times.

Despite their friendship, Angora knew better than to get in the way of Veris' feeding, so she always backed away like she did back at the ship. The wyvern eating voraciously was something she has gotten too used to see, so it was nothing extraordinary to her anymore. Although she enjoyed Veris' company and knew how much she loved him, it just didn't feel the same. She missed Maverick and Shade terribly. The life she had with them. In this locked, hidden place, she was in constant danger. She had to avoid the other wyverns, and was in the constant paranoia that a Guardian too biased to tolerate her presence was going to plot against her. Besides Veris, she had Julian and Raclaw as friends too, but despite some days there, none of the Guardians made any efforts to befriend her. They weren't being mean to her, but they mostly ignored her, although sometimes they would talk about her when she wasn't looking.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi's days were often spent playing the violin, practicing her magic, or working on her medicine. Occasionally, she would head to the market with Maverick in order to sell her wares alongside him - she didn't do it all the time, however. She didn't want him to become tired of her so quickly, after all. She would also make the occasional visit to her parents, though she kept them rather short as their obsessing still remained somewhat annoying.
"I'm not sure how easy it would be to see Shade - but certainly the Guardians wouldn't have too much of a problem allowing you to meet Angora?" Ilasi suggested. "At the very least, you know the man in charge. Asking for a visit every now and then shouldn't be too hard... I think." The rank of the Ardent Guardians had only ever been open to humans, so their inner workings were still a mystery to many.
From here, it was just a matter of passing the time until they completed all their plans. The future was looking brighter than it ever had for Ilasi.

"Well, the king is a nice man. I'm sure I can convince him to allow me to visit Oscurito. And mi Angorita... wrote a letter to her earlier, you know? Not gonna lie. I'm still very worried about her." Maverick expressed, still not liking where Angora was right now. Even if the Guardians didn't do anything to her, the wyverns themselves could pose a danger. He heard not too long ago from Ilasi that they preyed on trolls in the wild, which just made matters worse. Even if Angora impressively managed to befriend one against all odds, befriending a whole bunch of them could be a challenge not even she could handle.

Veris was more satisfied as ever. He just knew everything would work out! Angora was here , and would continue taking good care of him. Sometimes he noticed the other wyverns giving Angora hungry eyes. He tried his best to ignore them, as he had promised, but it wasn't easy. He had warned them that Angora was a friend, not a snack.
One occasion would have a wyvern taking a quick snap at Angora when he thought she was within range, while Veris was napping; he was a bit short of the mark, however. From there, he pulled back as if nothing had happened, without any of the Guardians having immediately witnessed such a thing. Angora would certainly have to be a little careful.

"Angora's made it through such worse. I'm sure that a few tame wyverns aren't going to be a huge problem for her," Ilasi assured maverick. "As for Shade... King Seraos is a rather busy man. I don't know how easily we could get an entreaty to him. We would have to schedule an appointment... and all of the bureaucracy that entails. He will be especially occupied with those changes he seems to be working to implement. Which reminds me..."
Ilasi had received a census form in the mail earlier. She would have to fill it out when she got a chance.

Maverick wanted to believe she was right, but he couldn't stop being worried.
"I know Angorita is tough. Fuerte. It's just that, you know, it's an every day danger. I hope señor Sere is paying her very well at least. She and Oscurito are the very first genuine friends I ever had. I don't want anything to happen to them." Maverick stated, worried about both of them. No matter how much he wanted to believe they were going to be fine, concern was something he couldn't shake off. He knew the king wouldn't let anyone hurt Shade, although he feared the soldiers were still being cruel to him. But for Angora, the danger was likely far worse. He was going to visit her first soon to see how the Guardians were treating her and how she was avoiding the other wyverns.

Quote: A Guy

Veris was more satisfied as ever. He just knew everything would work out! Angora was here , and would continue taking good care of him. Sometimes he noticed the other wyverns giving Angora hungry eyes. He tried his best to ignore them, as he had promised, but it wasn't easy. He had warned them that Angora was a friend, not a snack.
One occasion would have a wyvern taking a quick snap at Angora when he thought she was within range, while Veris was napping; he was a bit short of the mark, however. From there, he pulled back as if nothing had happened, without any of the Guardians having immediately witnessed such a thing. Angora would certainly have to be a little careful.

Angora looked at the wyverns nearby. One was even looking at her with what looked like pleading eyes. Was it expecting her to give him food as well like she did with Veris? Or was it just pleading her to come so it could eat her? Probably the latter. She overheard from one of the Guardians talking behind her back that trolls were the natural prey of wyverns, which increased her nervousness around them, and sometimes even Veris himself. She wondered if he knew such detail. Whether he knew or not, she wasn't going to tell him. These wyverns weren't as gluttonous and voracious as Veris, but it seemed like she was too much of a temptation.
"You know, I bet your friends are wondering why have you been saving this snack for too long." Angora said, trying to make a joke to ease up her own uneasiness. Today was going to be her first paycheck. Hopefully Sere would be considerate enough and give her a large sum. She took care of his own, special wyvern after all. Plus the other caretakers weren't as in risk as her, for she hasn't seen any of the wyverns trying to catch them like they did her.

As Raclaw eventually soon awoke alongside Chester on the new oh-so-comfortable bed, the former briefly thought back to everything that had happened leading up to this point. After the Enduring Legacy had reached the proper mainland again and various thanks were said-- Sere made sure that the Aelinon government was properly informed and updated on certain *legal* changes; Raclaw was now the legal pet of Latnok alongside that of his canine companion Chester. If there was any doubt on that fact, such doubts were now gone.. at least on paper.

This now clarified classification also made him the first non-prisoner, non-wyvern dragon in the 'procession' of an single Guardian rather being 'owned' by the Guardians as a vague generality. Such things mattered not when it came to how Latnok treated him or even how he felt about it; he had long accepted such facts. He was a pet, but he was no prisoner. He was a loyal companion and a properly collared one at that, but he was still a friend and a 'person' to those who truly cared about him. His needs would continue to be met and he would continue to be 'dependent' for the the foreseeable future, but he was okay with this. He was a unique dragon with unique circumstances and was only merely now even more.. unique. That much was certain.

Chester nudged him as the little Beagle soon awoke as well; the two offered their usual morning greetings. "Morning.," Chester barked looking up at Raclaw between one of his wings. "Morning.," Raclaw replied in the same canine tongue-- something that wasn't entirely necessary given the little dog's affinity to understanding without issue. 'They' said that dogs only knew so many words, but you couldn't tell that looking at Chester. Or perhaps their deep deep canine bond had something to do with that, alongside their shared love/affinity to their owner/'master' Latnok. Either way, Chester was now in a much better place and now had a proper 'home' alongside a proper caring master. And Latnok was only a master in the loosest of terms; he and Raclaw were basically equal under the young Guardian's eyes and they were friends first rather than pets first. Collars made no difference in that assessment.

Meanwhile, they also hadn't forgotten about their friends and allies of past. Risar, for instance, had been a rather interesting fellow and was now settling down and he planned his next move-- the Minotaur always seemed like he would make a good ship's captain one day, so perhaps that was a possible future for the ex-slave? At the very least, this whole journey would have proved very profitable for all involved. And then was still others like Angora, Shade, and even Veris. The former and the latter were who both in the same Guardian base he was and could be visited anytime. And as for Shade-- the two remained connected, even now. He could still feel the dragolet's presence when they were in close proximity and seeing him also wasn't entirely out of the question, although such matters would now require multiple appointments and like to get to what was the King's prisoner and the King's Dragolet.

As Raclaw and Chester fully awoke-- the two canines noticed that Latnok was already gone, but already knew the reason. It was indeed a noble goal; a place where the downtrodden could be raised and more importantly, eventually become something of their own making. And Latnok had even mentioned the possibility and tending to dragons as well; no more would dragons end up 'stuck' in positions such as his own. Presumingly, such dragons could be taught both to socialize (thus preventing their extermination) and to survive without entirely having to depend on another. It was too late for him in such matters and he was alright with that; Latnok had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. But perhaps *they* could have a future entirely of their choosing. Such dragons would be free to make what they wanted of their lives of course; some might even come to prefer human companionship.

It was in Maverick's nature to remain concerned about his friends - there was little Ilasi could do about that, and she knew he only had the best of intentions for them. Still, there was little more she could do about the matter, except to encourage him to pursue the means by which to stay in contact with them. though such measures could work for now, she wondered how effective they would be once they moved somewhere else.

Veris gave an understanding grin as Angora made her comment. "THey do not know you. They do not try. They should try to see that you are better as a friend than food!" he answered. He doubted they would avoid making any attempts to eat Angora; and though Angora discouraged it, he was willing to perhaps offer just a slight bit of discouragement should any of them ever attempt it, to his knowledge.

Angora shrank her shoulders, growing used to this lifestyle already, though she wished these wyverns would cease their attempts to catch her. What possible nourishment could she be with her size? Unless their instincts were just too strong? Veris was a rather advanced wyvern genetically, so she figured he could surpress his instinct far better than his companions.
"Well, perhaps I should try another approach? Believe me, I'm too used to be seen as food. When you're my size, you learn to get use to it. It's... depressing of course, but you learn to live with it. Maybe if they keep seeing how well I treat you, how I groom you, how close I get to you and even how much I trust you with my own life, then just maybe they'll at least grow curious and start talking instead of snapping." Angora said, doubting she could befriend each and every single wyvern in that place, but if she could befriend just a few, her stay there could be a little less dangerous.

Quote: A Guy

It was in Maverick's nature to remain concerned about his friends - there was little Ilasi could do about that, and she knew he only had the best of intentions for them. Still, there was little more she could do about the matter, except to encourage him to pursue the means by which to stay in contact with them. though such measures could work for now, she wondered how effective they would be once they moved somewhere else.

Maverick wasn't only concerned about his friend's safety, but the stress their current lives could cause. He knew he couldn't do anything about it, so the best he could do was wish for the best, and that in the not so distant future, they could have better life.
"Well, they are quite the hardcore duo, but I do wish they could have a better life... eventually." Maverick expressed, looking forward to seeing them again. He didn't want to keep pressing Ilasi with his concerns, so he decided to change the subject a bit.
"Say mi amor, what you have there?" he asked, glad he could find a new subject this fast.

Veris had to think a bit. How much she trusted him with her own life? Maybe ... but then again, could that not potentially give the other wyverns the wrong idea?
Of course not. He was sure Angora knew what she was doing. "If they try to talk instead, they may learn. Then they can learn that you are a good friend!" he said proudly. "That is a good idea. We should try it!" As far as he was concerned, the other wyverns were just not educated on the matter enough.

"Oh, this?" Ilasi held up the piece of paper she had. "Aelinon is ordering a census of all its citizens. From what I know, King Seraos plans to use the data he gathers in order to inform his plans for Aelinon going forward. I don't know too much about the deal, except that there may be 'drastic changes.'" Whatever it was, Ilasi had faith in things going forward.

"Hmm? Drastic?" Maverick asked, wondering what it was all about. He hoped it was a change for the good, since many things did needed to change, and after the battle with the Ishulgites, the king looked quite different. He was worried about the people though, since too much change tended not to be very welcoming.
"Is it a census for the both of us? Or do we each get one? I got some mail too, but haven't checked it yet. Was too busy writing that letter to Angorita and trying to find a way to contact señor Leoquin. I wonder if I can send him some sort of message through the bulletin board..." he wondered, though that last part was mostly for himself. Maverick hasn't forgotten about what he told the merman, but his whereabouts were currently unknown, so it was difficult to give him an address. He had to find a way to contact him...

Quote: A Guy

Veris had to think a bit. How much she trusted him with her own life? Maybe ... but then again, could that not potentially give the other wyverns the wrong idea?
Of course not. He was sure Angora knew what she was doing. "If they try to talk instead, they may learn. Then they can learn that you are a good friend!" he said proudly. "That is a good idea. We should try it!" As far as he was concerned, the other wyverns were just not educated on the matter enough.

When she made sure enough wyverns were looking at them, that's when she got the idea. She only groomed him once ever since getting there, so it was time for another one. Veris had a few loose scales, and knew that was uncomfortable to him. If they could see how pleasant the massage was, perhaps that could be a start. She climbed his back and started the grooming. Afterwards she was going to collect her pay if Veris let her go.
"This should get them interested at least. You can't really blame them Veris. I'm not a human like the rest of the caretakers. Plus I'm small. The temptation may be a bit much for them." Angora assured, wanting Veris to be more comprehensible even if she hated being targeted.

It was then that she believed she had the perfect argument to make Veris a little more understanding.
"Besides, have you forgotten the first time we met? You landed in that forest with Sere, and as soon as you saw me, you started running towards me, snarling and showing your teeth. You were going to eat me, weren't you? You only stopped cause your master stopped you. You only started seeing me differently when I gave you that boar, remember?" she reminded with a raised eyebrow, never forgetting that first meeting, but wondering if Veris has forgotten about it himself since things were so different now. Angora was certain Veris view wasn't so different from his companions back then, and Sere preventing him from hurting her is what gave both of them a chance to get to know each other.

Ilasi gave the form a quick glance. "It would appear to be a single copy for the whole household," she noted. "Shouldn't be too much work - I'll fill it out and send it on its way." As she prepared to do so, she realized that contacting Leoquin might not be the simplest of tasks, if Maverick was trying to reach out to him again. Perhaps the bulletin boards would indeed be the best means. "Ah, Leoquin... I believe the Guardians met him in a tavern. I don't know which one, particularly - but perhaps they would have a better idea on how to get in touch with him?"

Veris gave an excited grin as he laid down, ready to relax as Angora did her work. She did bring up a fair point. "Yes. I remember. i was unaware of how well you could treat me! The other wyverns should get a chance to see. Maybe they will become interested then. Maybe they will change their minds."

"Oh. Muy bien. I'll let you fill it and I will see what mail I got." Maverick stated, heading to his table. Two of them to be precise. One was a catalog of different objects for merchants to claim and sell if they promote their campaign. The other was from a scientist interested in taking a blood sample out of him and study his particular genes.
"Well look at this. Word gets around fast. A blood sample. As if I'm going anywhere near a needle." he stated jokingly, terrified of needles. While his faun heritage made him quite proud, he sometimes got sad when he thought it was the only thing making him special. He wanted to be special by his own merits, not for the rare genes he had inside him.

Quote: A Guy

Veris gave an excited grin as he laid down, ready to relax as Angora did her work. She did bring up a fair point. "Yes. I remember. i was unaware of how well you could treat me! The other wyverns should get a chance to see. Maybe they will become interested then. Maybe they will change their minds."

What Veris said kinda bothered Angora. Was he really this fond of her because of the many nice things she did for him? If she hadn't been this caring to him, would he still be friends with her? Veris let her go after Darkmatter, but wanted her to stay after she became his caretaker. However, she didn't let Veris know of her concern and let the matter slip for now.
"How long have I been here? Less than a week? You need to give them time to know me better. Heh, aren't you glad your master stopped you back then?" Angora asked almost in a teasing matter, looking at the other wyverns to see how they were reacting to their rather odd bond.

Ilasi wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of her boyfriend being used as a guinea pig to sate the curiosity of random scientists. "I would rather they keep to themselves, dear..." she answered, as she worked on the census provided to them. The thought brought her back to when Maverick was abducted by the Ishulgites... for whatever purpose they had in mind for him before returning him. It was a rather unpleasant thought, however, so she tried not to dwell on it.

"Yes. A very good outcome!" Veris answered Angora, as he relaxed. Angora's small size gave her an easier time getting to certain spots that others couldn't get to. "Perhaps some time is all we need. Maybe then!"
The grooming session was, at the very least, getting the attention of a few wyverns, who looked curiously at the proceedings. A rather odd application of a morsel... but a bit innovative.

Maverick put the scientist's letter in the garbage, not wanting any part of it, but he kept the catalog.
"I hope it's not too rude of me to reject such offer, but he has to understand not everyone is willing to cooperate with such a thing. May be just a blood sample, but he may want more. I am kinda proud of my faun heritage, but I don't want it to be the only thing that makes me special. It's actually quite sad to think the pure race might be extinct. I mean, there is no evidence of such a thing, but nobody has seen them either so far. Goat legs aren't exactly something easy to hide." Maverick stated, looking at his legs and wondering how he would've been if he had been born with them. Although such legs couldn't be comfortable.

Quote: A Guy

"Yes. A very good outcome!" Veris answered Angora, as he relaxed. Angora's small size gave her an easier time getting to certain spots that others couldn't get to. "Perhaps some time is all we need. Maybe then!"
The grooming session was, at the very least, getting the attention of a few wyverns, who looked curiously at the proceedings. A rather odd application of a morsel... but a bit innovative.

Despite the size, grooming Veris was relatively easy. A hard skin meant it was harder for things like mites and ticks to get ahold, so these grooming segments were mostly to get loose scales off his body. She looked around to see some wyverns were indeed looking their way, but it was impossible to tell what they were thinking. It was going to be a long procedure.

As the grooming was near the end, Angora wondered if Veris was at least trying to understand how much stress she felt avoiding his companion's jaws each time she came to visit. Although Veris wanted to protect her, he seemed too happy to have her around to think much about it. Plus there was nothing he could do from his position anyway.
"Well, whatever the case, you're not going to please everybody. Latnok has known me for a while and he still doesn't like me. But even if it's not everybody, I'm sure I can befriend some of your friends... with some caution of course." Angora said, already getting used to the idea of not succeeding by much. As for Latnok, she assumed he still didn't like her, for he hasn't made any attempts to approach her ever since she got here. Such a thing didn't matter to her anymore either way. She has given up on his friendship a long time ago. Raclaw at least, was very nice to her, which still made her wonder how he could choose Latnok of all people as a friend.

Latnok, in the meantime, had some breakfast to prepare for his companions. Some bacon would perhaps be fitting for now; it never seemed to be a bad choice for them. Putting in the order for food in the cafeteria, he waited patiently before receiving it and heading back to his room.
Setting down the tray, he took his own food, and set aside the bowls for Raclaw and Chester. "Good morning," he greeted the two as he did so. "Some work ahead of us today, but all for a good cause, yeah?"

Meanwhile in the hunter's guild, Huntress returned covered in what appeared to be pieces of cactus stuck in her body. They were actually spikes from an animal.
"Heh, I seriously don't know how you do it lady. I mean, sure you were trained by Aelinon soldiers, but sheesh..." the receptionist said, but Huntress just glared. She came here for her pay. Despite the rumors of this woman having a hidden fortune, nobody could prove it, and if she ever visited this hoard, she always made sure to cover her tracks. Huntress got her pay... but she wasn't done.
"Anything new with our boy?" she asked, having secret ties with the guild to help her keep an eye on Maverick when she couldn't.
"Nothing new. Well, except the mail. We intercepted it, but it was just some catalog and a scientist apparently wanting to take a blood sample off him. We traced the scientist, but we're not sure if this Maverick fellow will go." the receptionist replied, doubting many people would be so open to willingly give blood if it wasn't for an emergency. Huntress correctly figured out this scientist was likely interested in his faun heritage. It was a species whose pure form hasn't been seen for hundreds of years. Such a discovery was bound to make anybody famous.

As Angora finished cleaning up Veris' face, whose eyes were closed in pure, blind trust, she wondered if Neo was aware of everything going on or if he was dormant most of the time.
"Such life, huh? You once encouraged me to do this Neo. Let's just hope I don't get eaten in the line of duty." Angora said in her mind, addressing to her second spirit. She loved Veris, but she hated what she had to go through just to keep herself alive.

"Indeed!," Raclaw/Chester both responded in common and canine respectively. "I take it Adjudicator was open to your ideas? Looking forward to helping make it happen; the future children (possibly future dragons) deserve it. They deserve to have a future, a choice.," the larger companion then said thinking briefly of what could've or would've possibly become of him and Darkheart. She hadn't entirely left him (again), but... she might've well have. Aw well-- not much to be done about it now. He had made it clear that he intended to stay with Latnok and he meant it.

Once again, Neo didn't respond the way Angora intended, but he did have a point. She had him, plus Orion's powers. If one of those wyverns dared to sink their teeth into her, she could defend herself. However, she didn't want them to be afraid of her, even less accidentally kill one. Even if it was in self defense and accidental, she doubted killing a wyvern would bring her into a good light with the Guardians. These weren't just animals caught in the wild, but carefully bred creatures created for the purpose of obeying and serving the Guardians. Veris was seemingly much more special in terms of reasoning and maybe ferocity.
"Well, hopefully I don't need to defend myself in the first place." she commented, ending the conversation there and deciding it was better to just keep avoiding the other wyverns and keep trying to befriend them, even if it was from just a distance.

After Veris' grooming was done, it was time to collect her paycheck. He probably wanted her to stay a while, so she had to convince him to let him go.
"Well, nice and clean now Veris. I have to see your master for a moment and then get my own lunch. I'll bring you something later and then take you to get some exercise." Angora assured, getting ready to avoid wyvern jaws once she got out. Her contract established that she could groom Veris when she felt he needed it, but exercises once or twice a week at least were a must. The other wyverns wer let loose for a while and then returned on command, but Veris had more will and freedom, so he had to be accompanied by someone, especially to prevent him from dwelling too far from the facility when in one of his wild hunts.

"Well, first things first," Latnok explained. "We need to find a suitable place to establish the first shelters. Preferably a suitable distance between both Aelinon and Silvianesti. They will both have many orphans or other forsaken children, following the events that have happened. Once that's established, we will need to set up the infrastructure which lets us find these children in need and bring them over. I think Bier would have more details on that, but it's likely something we will have the assistance of contractors in." For now, Latnok couldn't do much except sit and wait. He planned to be as thoroughly involved as he could, however.

Silvianesti itself was much in shambles, with a good portion of its population dead or displaced between the conflict with Aelinon, the overthrow of Glaveilio, and their actions with the Ishulgites. Nirsesh had been released from Aelinon as a gesture of goodwill, but she had inherited a nation in complete disrepair. Rebuilding - and regaining the people's trust - would take a long time.

Veris laid down, content with the handling Angora had been providing so far. As Angora left, several of the wyverns gave her a look not of hunger, but of curiosity. Just what could this food morsel do? Was Veris not, perhaps, crazy?

Ilasi was in full agreement with Maverick. "Definitely. You're a person, not just some lab specimen to be observed. Quite the nerve they have, sending such a request without so much as arranging a meeting in person." Unfortunately, the trials and tribulation they had gone through didn't make them immune to many of the hassles that would naturally come to them. Ilasi feared what any of their children would have to go through if scientists with insatiable curiosity set their minds on them...

Feeling guilty, Maverick took the letter from the trash to write the scientist's address.
"I don't want to be sampled... ever, but the least I can do is write him back. I mean, if I don't answer, he'll probably know why. It's kinda obvious, but still, I want him to know by my own words. I'll write him a small reply and send the letter today. I will to some grocery shopping on the way to the mail." Maverick stated, feeling silly for feeling such a way, but for some reason, the idea of a needle terrified him to no end. Little did he know about what the Ishulgites did to him when he was kidnapped. While his memory of the moment was wiped out, the trauma still remained.

Quote: A Guy

Veris laid down, content with the handling Angora had been providing so far. As Angora left, several of the wyverns gave her a look not of hunger, but of curiosity. Just what could this food morsel do? Was Veris not, perhaps, crazy?

Angora was getting ready to dodge wyvern jaws, but found out to her surprise, that none of them tried to catch her. Could the plan be working? It could be just a one time thing, or maybe they weren't as hungry or interested, but it was a nice change of pace.
"Huh. This is nice." she said to herself, although she was in no way ready to have a close approach with them. Still, she smiled with some sarisfaction, glad that, for once, these beasts were leaving her alone.

As she walked, Angora didn't see any Guardians around, but then again, this place was huge. If she had to see somebody, she hoped it was Julian or Raclaw, maybe even Chester, but apparently no luck today. When she reached Sere's place, there was already a line of caretakers waiting at his door. It was usually closed, whether Sere was there or not, so they waited. Most of the caretakers either ignored Angora or saw her with a raised eyebrow. Even with her small stature, she stands out. None tried to befriend her, nor were particular open towards her, but at least they didn't bully her, even if some did talked behind her back sometimes like some of the Guardians. One particular fellow, a rather handsome human with auburn hair Angora estimated to be between seventeen and twenty years old, took the liberty of waving at her, which she reciprocated. It was a small gesture, yet one she really appreciated. It was nice to be greeted, even if it was just one person. First the wyverns didn't attacked her, and now one human looked at her in a kind way. Perhaps her stay wasn't going to be so overwhelmingly horrible like she estimated after all.

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"Well, first things first," Latnok explained. "We need to find a suitable place to establish the first shelters. Preferably a suitable distance between both Aelinon and Silvianesti. They will both have many orphans or other forsaken children, following the events that have happened. Once that's established, we will need to set up the infrastructure which lets us find these children in need and bring them over. I think Bier would have more details on that, but it's likely something we will have the assistance of contractors in." For now, Latnok couldn't do much except sit and wait. He planned to be as thoroughly involved as he could, however.

"Than we should do everything in our power to help out-- scout out the new location, keep an eye out for any aforementioned forsaken children, and when possible; bring said forsaken or orphaned child to said location.," Raclaw said between taking bites of his good-for-Guardian-cooking bacon. "Agreed!," Chester barked. Mission aside, the Guardians knew how to use magic to successfully enhance food. "Or at the very least.. we can send them along with someone else when we otherwise cannot transport them ourselves.," Raclaw then added knowing how just Latnok was an initial balancing act without having to deal with anyone else on his back. Their physical combined size would (ideally) be a considered limitation, partially with Latnok riding bareback as it was currently. They certainly couldn't do it themselves and it at least sounded like they didn't have to; they had the Guardians behind their back.

"Wait a moment.. what about the left or forgotten canines of the world?," Chester than asked via a curious/concern bark getting (presumingly) both Raclaw and Latnok's attention. "If there are orphans, than there are also orphaned pets-- those whose masters died or otherwise abandoned them along all the chaos? I know they aren't our primary goal, but can we do anything to help them or at least help those who want to be helped?," the little dog then added not forgetting that he had once successfully helped 'free' a pack of once-city-bound dogs who otherwise wanted nothing to do with humans again. But they were seemingly the exception in the world, at least from what he saw. Most dogs-- such as those in a certain damaged hotel --who rather happy to be with humans and would do anything to experience that again.

Still waiting in line, Angora remembered tomorrow was her day off. She still didn't know where Maverick lived, so she was thinking of visiting Gregor. She didn't know how much success she would have, but she hoped she didn't have to resort to visit the dreadful arena to see him. Things may be changing, but she wasn't so sure if the king was considering eliminating such cruel tradition. Angora only had one day off before ever since coming there, and while Veris was never hostile to the temporary caretakers, she heard he still acted quite indifferent towards them. But he had to learn that she wasn't going to take care of him every single day that existed. Even she needed breaks from time to time, and hoped Veris understands someday that taking care of him wasn't easy. She even started to believe that if it was up to him, he would keep her imprisoned so that she could never leave.

Thankfully, Angora never had any nightmares about Veris, or even the Ishulgites. The latter was a memory she intended to bury deep. She did dream about Shade and Maverick sometimes. She missed those days with them way too much. Not wanting to depress herself, she started to overhear some of the other caretaker's conversations, some that had families to take care of. None were talking about her at least, so that was good in a way. The family talk wasn't helping, so she stopped the hearing. When she did, her stomach reminded her how hungry she was. It was a shame she finished the cinnamon cookies she loved so much, but tomorrow, she was going to pay the restaurant that made them a visit.

Though Sere was evidently a busy man due to his position, Angora's turn would eventually come. By the time she entered, Sere had already set aside her pay in a bag on his desk.
"Greetings, Angora. I take it the day finds you well?" he asked as she approached. "We naturally have our hands tied - the recent events have led to a chaotic state of affairs in many locations, and we are working to fill the gaps where we can until a more permanent solution can be found." With all Sere had to deal with, he was satisfied that at least his mount was happy.

"Displaced canines? You know, I never really thought of that..." Latnok admitted. From his knowledge of stray dogs, many of them were ignored and left to fend for themselves, or, in the worst case scenarios, rounded up and put down. A lucky few managed to find someone willing to adopt them.
"Well, implementing dog care shouldn't be too difficult. What exactly would you suggest? I don't exactly know how keen most dogs would be on the idea of being rounded up... but I've not been in a dog's shoes before. Oh, pardon me, I mean I haven't been in the same situation these stray dogs would be in. It's an idiom..." Making a better world for many would by no means be easy - but it was worth the effort in the end.

Ilasi didn't think Maverick owed any nosy scientist any sort of a response or explanation, but she knew it would not be in his nature to be so rudely dismissive. As much of a flaw it could be at times, Maverick just wouldn't be the man she came to love if he was anything else. "Okay, dear. Take it easy," she asked Maverick, as she sat down to fill out the census. "Hopefully I'll be finished with this by the time you get back... and then, the rest of the day should be ours to do with as we please."

"No te preocupes mi amor. I'll be brief." Maverick assured, knowing it was only natural for her to worry. Worst case scenario was the scientist resorting to kidnapping, but knowing Aelinon was unforgiving of even the littlest crimes, he doubted the man would pull a stunt like that.

After finishing the letter, Maverick proceeded to write on several pieces of paper the address of his stand and Leoquin's name, leaving him the time he was working there and a small message to him. Maverick knew better than to give the address of his home where a bunch of strangers could see, so he just left the address of his stand so that he could be found in his working hours. If people bother to look at his message and decided they were curious enough to pay him a visit, he could take the opportunity to make a sale.
"All done. I'll see you later mi amor. Going to the mail, and then shop for some groceries. Oh, and look. Will leave some of these message around the bulletin boards. Hopefully señor Leoquin will see them." Maverick explained as he picked his trusty hyperspace bag, wondering if Ilasi missed him. Both of them used to be great friends, and he still intended to help them make amends, and also aid Leoquin in whatever problems he had. Poor merman looked like he was very deep in thought the last time he saw him, so he wanted to at least make the attempt to help.

Quote: A Guy

Though Sere was evidently a busy man due to his position, Angora's turn would eventually come. By the time she entered, Sere had already set aside her pay in a bag on his desk.
"Greetings, Angora. I take it the day finds you well?" he asked as she approached. "We naturally have our hands tied - the recent events have led to a chaotic state of affairs in many locations, and we are working to fill the gaps where we can until a more permanent solution can be found." With all Sere had to deal with, he was satisfied that at least his mount was happy.

"All is well, and I understand sir. Those stupid Ishulgites left a mess of everything." Angora replied as she collected her pay, still hating the society quite a lot even if they were mostly gone or fugitives. The bag was heavy, and when she saw inside, it was quite a large sum. She was expecting just a tad more, but knew it was better to be grateful than greedy.

Knowing Sere was a busy man and there were a couple of more awaiting their pay, Angora decided to leave things there, although she wondered if Sere knew, or at least suspected the oddysey she had to go through every day with the other wyverns.
"Going to take Veris for a flight now sir. Oh, and tomorrow is my day off and I'm planning on visiting Redwater in case you need to know." Angora reminded him, knowing it wasn't going to be hard to find a caretaker for the day, but knowing Veris, he wasn't going to be fond of the idea. She wished she knew of a way to make her permanent departure easier on him. Her contract only lasted six months, the shortest amount of time it could last. Even though she could always renew it, she still wasn't planning on spending the rest of her life with that job like Veris wanted.

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"Displaced canines? You know, I never really thought of that..." Latnok admitted. From his knowledge of stray dogs, many of them were ignored and left to fend for themselves, or, in the worst case scenarios, rounded up and put down. A lucky few managed to find someone willing to adopt them.
"Well, implementing dog care shouldn't be too difficult. What exactly would you suggest? I don't exactly know how keen most dogs would be on the idea of being rounded up... but I've not been in a dog's shoes before. Oh, pardon me, I mean I haven't been in the same situation these stray dogs would be in. It's an idiom..." Making a better world for many would by no means be easy - but it was worth the effort in the end.

"Perhaps we start by setting up feeding stations in both Aelinon and Silvianesti? Erm-- I mean safe locations in various alleyways where they can get food on a weekly if not daily basis without fear of being unwillingly captured. We shouldn't force them to comply, but we should give them the option to go if and when they want to. Perhaps via some sort of go-between similar to myself? If we could perhaps find others willing to communicate this message, then perhaps we could arrange a weekly or if need be biweekly pick up day as it were. Take those who want to go, but keep feeding those still the area. And if we can find orphaned children, abandoned canines, and possibly other dragons such as Raclaw-- than perhaps we could even form more powerful bonds such as ourselves?," Chester responded somewhat inspired by the spark of an idea. "Well said, well said Chester...," Raclaw said with a nod. Perhaps this could actually work.

Somewhere in the beach, Huntress was on a special mission. The northern merfolks were on business in the city of Redwater, and this was the first time in a long time she managed to see them... or more specifically, general Lyon, who also happened to be Lydia's father.
"So here the thing general Lyon. You remember that pirate you and your warriors killed? Armon Blakes... he terrorizes the sea for far too long. Not even Guardian magic was enough to locate him. By the time they knew where his ship docked, he already left." Huntress reminded, but general Lyon wasn't amused.
"I don't need a history lesson miss Huntress. I already know what happened. We are grateful that you told us where he was back then, but get to the point." he said with a gruff voice, not enjoying her visit too much.
"You know his kid? Maverick Blakes? Well, as if destiny said so, I encountered him again. And you know how I knew? From a WANTED poster. So tell me my dear general, how come he is still alive? When you intercepted Armon Blakes's ship, I would've thought that an army such as yours would have a clean sweep..." Huntress accused, not very happy about the 'failure.' But even if Maverick escaped them, there was no way he would've been able to survive those waters on his own. She was certain he was spared. And not just anyone. The son of the dastard captain too.

General Lyon closed his eyes, remembering that day too well.
"We weren't going to spare anybody. We were getting them... one... by... one. Nobody was meant to be left alive. King Seraos wanted as many of them alive to throw them in that arena of his... but we weren't taking any chances with them. They were too sneaky to take the risk. Then my daughter... Lydia, she saw this... Maverick fellow, and she swore to me he was good. One look at his eyes, and she truly believed he was actually a good man, so I let her take him to shore to give him a second chance in life." General Lyon explained, and Huntress just groaned.
"Ugh! I should've known! She was charmed by those ridiculous, goggly eyes of him! Or maybe just his... fluffiness! I don't know, but your daughter was fooled! He has been doing that for a long time! How could you let her save him?" Huntress demanded to know, but one glare from general Lyon and she knew he was quite upset.
"My daughter has a good judge of character! Don't you DARE question her! If she says he was good, then he must be!" he said sternly, not willing to let Huntress badmouth his dear daughter.
"He's the SON of Armon Blakes! What good can possibly come from a man that has THAT blood!?" Huntress shouted, but the general shushed her again.
"YOU are your own person miss Huntress. You decide who you want to be, not who your relatives or ancestors were! You will do good to learn that. This boy Maverick... he was the ONLY one who didn't try to defend himself when we sank the ship. The rest of the pirates tried to hurt us to defend themselves, but he was the only one who didn't lift a finger to his own defense. He was ready to accept his destiny when Lydia stopped us." General Lyon explained kindly, and while Huntress still didn't agree on his or Lydia's reasoning, she didn't have a way to counter his argument. Was there a small chance that... Lydia did the right thing?

"Thank you, Angora," Sere said as he prepared for other comers into his office. "I appreciate the effort. Stay safe. Veris will be fine. Redwater is quite a ways from here so you can catch a ride with one of the Guardians headed there on wyvernback tomorrow." While Angora worked for him, Sere had to make sure she was taken care of, as he would do for all of his other men.

"Well," Latnok said, "that certainly sounds like a start." it was an ambitious project, to say the least - he doubted that such an effort had been attempted in regards to stray dogs before. "It would have to start simple, of course, but perhaps as we get more 'mediators', we will be able to expand the scope." Of course, everything at this stage was a matter of experimentation and sticking with what worked while changing what didn't. "I'll communicate it further to Adjudicator Bier when I get a chance to speak to him."

Back in Shade's cell, several armed guards arrived, with one rattling a baton against the large bars. "Rise and shine, you thing," he said as he did so. "You have a lot of work to do today." Despite Shade's own participation in the battle, most still held a negative opinion of him, for the moment.

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"Well," Latnok said, "that certainly sounds like a start." it was an ambitious project, to say the least - he doubted that such an effort had been attempted in regards to stray dogs before. "It would have to start simple, of course, but perhaps as we get more 'mediators', we will be able to expand the scope." Of course, everything at this stage was a matter of experimentation and sticking with what worked while changing what didn't. "I'll communicate it further to Adjudicator Bier when I get a chance to speak to him."

"Next time you speak to him-- can I come too? And perhaps we could see Vellune some time as well? I would like to thank him again for the part he played in what you and I became. And.. and I'm sure he would be glad to see the progress we made.," Raclaw responded wanting to see the Guardian again. He meant every word he said; he was glad for Vellune's having 'unleashed' his powers and he was glad for the modifications that the Adjudicator had made to his collar. "I would like to come too if it's alright.," Chester added with his head movements implying a look of curiosity. He would love to meet someone who had helped his beloved Raclaw and Latnok!

Giving Ilasi a small kiss of farewell, Maverick left, putting Leoquin's announcement in every bulletin board he found on his way to the post office. He didn't know where the merman was, but he was hoping he was still somewhere in Redwater.

After his battle with the Ishulgites, some people recognized Maverick as he passed. With his appearance and contribution, it was a bit hard to blend in with other people, but always the kind soul, he greeted everyone who said hello. Once he reached his destination and gave the letter, he went to do some grocery shopping like he said. Hyperspace bags were forbidden since it was very easy to steal with them and nobody ever noticing, and performing the spell that emptied the contents of the bags was too much of a hassle, so not allowing them was the better procedure. He took the money he was going to leave and placed it in a locker the store had just outside, each with their own unique keys. He didn't have to buy much, so this wasn't going to take so long...

Quote: A Guy

"Thank you, Angora," Sere said as he prepared for other comers into his office. "I appreciate the effort. Stay safe. Veris will be fine. Redwater is quite a ways from here so you can catch a ride with one of the Guardians headed there on wyvernback tomorrow." While Angora worked for him, Sere had to make sure she was taken care of, as he would do for all of his other men.

Angora nodded, not thrilled with the idea of riding a wyvern that wasn't Veris, but if they had a rider, their chances of attacking her was much lower since they rarely disobeyed their masters. Not wanting to take any more of Sere's time, she left, leaving the others to pass. She went to her room to put the money away and then locked it up, heading to the caretaker's cafeteria. The food there was much better than in the Enduring Legacy, and if it was this good here, she could only imagine how good the Guardian's food was. She even wanted to ask Julian to bring her some of it just to get a taste, but that was another matter for another time. She ate, but left room for more, intending to have Veris hunt something for her to see how willing he would be to share his kills.

She didn't know how well it would work, but there was only one way to find out. Whenever Veris hunted, he barely listened to the advice she gave him back at the ship, and ate prey without giving them a merciful kill first, at least most of them. If it was small enough to fit down his throat, he went for it without much effort. She didn't know if it was merely out of instinct or his own gluttony, or maybe even sadism, but Angora started to believe he couldn't be helped. Once she reached the wyvern's barns, she stayed in the middle of the road between the cages like she always did. They didn't attacked her last time, but it was too soon to take any chances.
"Hey big guy! Ready for some exercise? Come on, time to roam in nature and hunt your own food. Let's go! You know the way." Angora said, heading to the door to leave it open and getting ready to ride him one he left the cage. The other wyverns didn't dare to snap at her when she was with Veris, which made her wonder if they were afraid of him or if they simply didn't attack others of their kind.

The anticipation of a hunt had Veris raring to go, and he was already salivating at the thought of eating one of his kills. He allowed Angora to mount him securely before leaving. The other wyverns would naturally not dare to try to bite at Angora while she was with Veris - little reason to try to get into a fight, after all.

"Sure, I'll bring you guys along," Latnok offered. He himself wondered what the day had in store for him - likely some more training. Soon, however, his days would be spent working on his more ambitious goals. of course, the force allocation would be in the hands of Bier, in the end. - but it was an idea that seemed of particular interest to the Guardians.


One of the guards opened Shade's cell door as they watched him closely, weapons at the ready. "You're going to be helping with reconstruction efforts in some border territories," another guard explained. "It would be in your best interest to put in some good work."

After spending less than half an hour buying groceries, Maverick showed the receipt at the guard from the door and took his bag, placing his purchases there. He still had a few of the letters for Leoquin, but he didn't find any more bulletin boards along the way that hadn't been used. Before returning home, Maverick took a detour to a stable house. This is where Dahlia lived. It was the closest one he could find. Although he tried to have her in the current home, she was just too uncomfortable there. She couldn't let her on the beach, and keeping her tied didn't do. At least this stable house had a place to roam before the animals were moved to their barns for the night.
"There you are! Your animal is getting restless. How can you expect a wild animal like that to be a mount?" the owner explained, dirt buffalos not being domestic animals. Maverick had to pay the owner extra in order to have Dahlia be well taken care of.
"She's a good girl. Please señorita, prometo that she will behave. I will take her out for a walk." Maverick assured, wanting his dear Dahlia to get used to this place until he and Ilasi could find a better home.

With the groceries safe in the magical bag, Maverick saddled up, always fascinating the people around. Sweet, innocent looking Maverick mounting an animal as wild as a dirt buffalo was always impressive. Like many wild animals, you could tame them, but not domesticate them, even less mount them.
"Vamos mi Dahlia. Let's give Ilasi a surprise. She will be so glad to see you." he assured as they headed to the house, intending to give Dahlia a good run on the beach so that she'll be better behaved when he brought her back to the stables.

Quote: A Guy

The anticipation of a hunt had Veris raring to go, and he was already salivating at the thought of eating one of his kills. He allowed Angora to mount him securely before leaving. The other wyverns would naturally not dare to try to bite at Angora while she was with Veris - little reason to try to get into a fight, after all.

Letting Veris find himself out, Angora hold on tight, learning not to use the grappling hook Maverick gifted her to use as a harness. She could hear the wyvern breathing rapidly, knowing he was eager to sink his teeth on anything that moved and had meat. She knew she was lucky she was off the menu, but she worked quite hard to win such honor.

As Veris took off, she almost fell, but managed to get a good grip from one of the spikes on his back.
"Hey Veris, I know you like eating, but leave something for me too, will you? There wasn't much variety in the cafeteria today and I'm still hungry. Trolls gotta eat too." Angora said, telling him a little white lie with the cafeteria bit in case he questioned why she would still be hungry. She never tried this with Veris before, and Angora wanted see how willing the gluttonous wyvern would be to share one of his precious kills with her. She lost count on how many times she had to share her food with him, even after he had eaten, so it will be interesting to see if he would have the same courtesy.

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"Sure, I'll bring you guys along," Latnok offered. He himself wondered what the day had in store for him - likely some more training. Soon, however, his days would be spent working on his more ambitious goals. of course, the force allocation would be in the hands of Bier, in the end. - but it was an idea that seemed of particular interest to the Guardians.

"Thanks!," Raclaw and Chester both exclaimed in their respective languages. Raclaw himself considered his options for the day-- he could perhaps practice his fireball/other ideas of "spells", although that required Latnok. He could also perhaps spend some quality play time with Chester and that new frisbee their shared best friend got them. Or speaking again of Latnok; they could always try to improve their 'performance' as rider and mount via the fields. Or he could perhaps fly Chester around. Too bad they really couldn't do both at the same time...

After a while of thinking about Lyon's reasoning, Huntress still wasn't entirely convinced.
"Well, how do you explain the wanted poster, huh? If he is such a good man, how come he was wanted?" Huntress asked, refusing to believe a fugitive could change. The poster even came years after Maverick supposedly left that life behind.
"One of my merfolks investigated that issue when he arrived on business here. Turns out it was all a misunderstanding." He answered, not remembering all the details, but he recalled something about a troll, and the dragon everybody was calling the Scourge of Redwater.
"Fine, believe what you want, but if king Seraos finds out that you, or rather your daughter, let one of those dastard pirates loose without a sentence, you'll be in a world of trouble. Or who knows? Maybe I'll end up doing you a favor. The king was quite upset with you when you didn't deliver any of those fiends to him. Delivering this... Maverick will be quite a redemption. Even if it's a late sentence, I'm sure his magesty will be pleased to know that one of Armon's men, his son on top of that, is alive and still with a chance of paying for his crimes." Huntress expressed, just imagining all the different kinds of punishments Seraos could give to the faun man.

General Lyon didn't flinch. He did a long pause, staring at Huntress. It was enough to make the usually stoic woman cringe.
"Heh. And I thought your issues were with dragons. What did this boy did to you to make you hate him so much?" the general interrogated, noticing Huntress was too full of hate. Huntress stammered as she prepared to answer.
"Well... I told you, no? The son of Armon Blakes? No good can ever come from that! You had a job and you failed miserably." Huntress explained, apparently ignoring what Lyon told her earlier. The general shook his head.
"Didn't you tell me that you seduced one of Armon's men to make him tell you where the ship was headed so that we would know the exact location when we attacked?" Lyon asked, remembering the plan too well and correctly deducing the man was Maverick. Magic and spies weren't enough to stop Armon. Even the Guardians failed at intercepting him. Only Huntress had the idea of charming one of the men into spilling the beans, so that the northern mermen could know the exact coordinates of his location and the time the ship would be there. It was all a carefully crafted plan.
"Does it really matter? He is a criminal, but also quite the idiot. Once he told me of his father's plans, I managed to deduce the exact time and coordinates of the location he was going to be. I did my job, and you couldn't even do yours." Huntress accused, with Lyon frowning.

The arrival of a wyvern to pick the merman general up prompted them to continue this conversation for another time.
"Gotta go now miss Huntress. My warriors intercepted a few of those Ishulgites trying to run away by ship. We haven't lost your touch like you think. You missy, you are so full of rage and hate you refuse to see beyond everything else. You seduced that poor boy, and now that he has a second chance in life, you want to take that away from him. Is it really fair to blame the son for the sins of the father? That wanted poster you are talking about? All the cause of a misunderstanding like I told you. Live and let live. And if king Seraos find out about his identity, I can assure you, Lydia and I will come to his defense." General Lyon warned, feeling pity for poor Huntress. He knew her history with dragons, but never imagined she hated pirates so much too. A personal experience? Or simply hatred for what their dedication was. General Lyon didn't know, but as he flew away, he hoped Huntress could take his words by heart someday and leave this Maverick fellow alone...

As Leoquin was returning for the day - spent gathering things to better his old home - he browsed a noticeboard out of curiosity. Most of the notices were for jobs he may have taken if he still needed the money - but one in particular caught his attention, by name.
From Maverick. A meeting at the market? Judging by the time, Maverick would probably be gone for the day. Oh, well. Perhaps tomorrow, a visit wouldn't hurt...

Angora's request to Veris was unusual, to say the least. He had never shared a kill before. "I think I can try," he answered as the two gained altitude. "We will need a big creature. Small creatures too hard to save pieces of." He couldn't just let Angora starve, after all - everyone had to eat. Hopefully she would give him enough time to hunt so they could both have full bellies by the time it was all over.

Maverick arrived with Dahlia, greeting Ilasi from the window.
"Hola mi amor. Look who came to visit." he greeted, as Dahlia showed her humongous head besides him. She mooed contently, having grown very fond of Ilasi and glad the dumb yet lovable Maverick found such a wonderful mate. She wondered what became of the troll, but if something had happened to her, her master would be devastated, so she was sure Angora was fine... for now probably.

Quote: A Guy

Angora's request to Veris was unusual, to say the least. He had never shared a kill before. "I think I can try," he answered as the two gained altitude. "We will need a big creature. Small creatures too hard to save pieces of." He couldn't just let Angora starve, after all - everyone had to eat. Hopefully she would give him enough time to hunt so they could both have full bellies by the time it was all over.

Angora chucked quietly at his remark. He was going to try. He didn't say he was going to do it, just try. But it was better than nothing. It was enough for her to know that he has never shared food before, maybe not even with Sere, his own master.
"Heh, yes, yes I know. You swallow the small ones." Angora replied, some of them sometimes still alive when he did. She wondered if Veris knew the suffering he was causing those poor creatures, but despite trying once to convince him to kill first, Veris was often more interested in eating than killing. Having spent so much time with wyverns, Angora observed their teeth weren't for chewing, but rather to grab and tear. They were practically giant, winged crocodiles without the death roll.

"The first destination is about a day or two away," the guard explained. "From there, we will probably be moving farther out after each job. Get ready to move."

Ilasi was reading comfortably in a seat, but she quickly set the book down and came over very quickly for a hug when Dahlia presented herself. "Thank you, Maverick! Dahlia! How have you been doing, girl?" she asked gleefully. despite Dahlia's wild nature, Ilasi was glad to see that she was still managing here.

As Veris flew high up in the sky, the two came over an area with some foliage, but with few trees. The tricky part about hunting larger land prey, such as deer and boars, was that once Veris was identified, he only had so long before they ran to cover. Boars (and other predator animals, such as wolves, when they were spotted) at least took longer before they tried to flee, so they tended to be easier prey when the opportunity came. Flying high made him harder to identify, and open ground reduced the availability of hiding spaces, making prey more vulnerable.
High up, he could see prey much better than they could see him. There were quite a few creatures at various places on the ground. He was looking for something big for now, however...

Angora remained quiet and still as Veris did all the work. He was so concentrated she even began to believe there were times he forgot she was there. It was quite fascinated to see him in action, seeing everything from his point of view, acting like a hawk. She felt quite sorry for the creatures he hunted, but such was nature. She used to be quite a hunter herself, and now with magic, perhaps she was even better despite being out of practice. She could aid Veris with some of her powers, but didn't want to ruin the trill of the hunt for him. There were plenty of targets down there for what little she could see, so it was probably going to take him a while.

Even from up there, Angora did some pondering. She doubted the other caretakers bonded with the other wyverns this way, so it was no wonder Veris wanted her to stay. It was going to break her heart leaving him, and he was likely going to be mad at her for a long time... but what else could she do? She was in constant danger, something that Veris was aware of. He had to think of her safety and happiness too. Angora knew this kind of bonding was going to make her departure worse... but... what if she didn't have to? She could try winning over the other wyverns to lessen the danger. Today was some progress, so why not? Sere paid well, but she didn't want to work for him every month of the year... but wait... what if she took a seasonal job? Maverick was already ready to open the door for her, so she was going to have a roof already, and she trusted Shade wasn't going to be an Aelinon prisoner forever, so she could spend one season with her two best friends and another season with Veris. That way, it could be a win win for everybody. Veris was probably not going to like having her by season, but it was still better than nothing. It was worth a shot...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was reading comfortably in a seat, but she quickly set the book down and came over very quickly for a hug when Dahlia presented herself. "Thank you, Maverick! Dahlia! How have you been doing, girl?" she asked gleefully. despite Dahlia's wild nature, Ilasi was glad to see that she was still managing here.

"Mi pobre niña has been giving a rather hard time to her caretakers. No te preocupes Dahlia. Soon we'll find a better place and you can come with us. Look, I even bought you something." Maverick said, taking from his bag a small sack of oats, which were part of the groceries he purchased. He tied the bag to her snout like some horse owners did so that she could empty the content all by herself. Dahlia hated feeling like she was being tied up, but this was the only case where she didn't mind. She went to a corner of the balcony to look at the ocean while she ate.
"After you're done mi amor, let's ride Dahlia together. She needs to run plenty if we want her calm by the time I return her to the stables." Maverick indicated, proceeding to take out the groceries and putting them away where they belonged.

As Veris perused the landscape for some time, he eventually settled on a suitable target; a lone black bear, whose presence naturally scared off other wildlife. As strong as bears were, they were little match against a creature like him, and had plenty of meat to share. He began descending, as slowly as he possibly could for now; he would wait for the best opportunity to dive, to give his target little time to respond.
"Bear! Big animal! There will be much meat," Veris communicated - one thing he always had to keep in mind was that his rider couldn't see faraway objects as well as he could.

Unfortunately, it was only natural that Dahlia could prove to be difficult for most caretakers - she was a wild animal after all, even if she was tame. Going for a ride would give plenty of time for the two of them to calm her down, and would itself be enjoyable. Ilasi figured the three of them together would probably be an unusual sight, even in Redwater.
"Oh, I have nothing more that needs doing right now," Ilasi answered. "I'm good to go whenever you are. I sent the census out in the mail. We should be taken care of, as far as that goes."

Knowing Dahlia would finish the pats in no time, Maverick carried Ilasi to the saddle, climbing upfront and getting ready to lead her. He removed the oat sack once he didn't hear any more crunching.
"Had a nice meal mi Dahlia? Vamos girl. It is time for a pleasant walk." Maverick said as he lead her down to the beach, knowing she had to walk first to make digestion. This was very pleasant. Mounting a large ruminant at a slow pace, listening to the calming sound of the waves. Maverick used to hate the ocean due to his pirate life, but after seeing how beautiful it was on the inside and how peaceful the beach was, he found new reasons to care for it. As Dahlia walked serenely, Maverick couldn't help but to feel a little guilty for having such a happy life, while his two best friends were spending time in a place where they weren't very loved. The soldiers could still be mean to Shade, and Angora had wyverns and possibly Guardians to worry about. All he could hope was that they were fine. They were stronger than they looked.

Quote: A Guy

As Veris perused the landscape for some time, he eventually settled on a suitable target; a lone black bear, whose presence naturally scared off other wildlife. As strong as bears were, they were little match against a creature like him, and had plenty of meat to share. He began descending, as slowly as he possibly could for now; he would wait for the best opportunity to dive, to give his target little time to respond.
"Bear! Big animal! There will be much meat," Veris communicated - one thing he always had to keep in mind was that his rider couldn't see faraway objects as well as he could.

Angora looked below, and despite the altitude, she could see it was indeed a black bear.
"So you spotted your.. our prey. Well Veris, do your thing. Pretend I'm not even here." Angora said, remaining quiet afterwards to avoid distracting him. She had her fair share of bear encounters when she travelled alone, and some weren't very pleasant creatures. They were powerful, but evidently no match for an animal like Veris. If he managed to share his food with her, it was going to be some wonderful progress, and no doubt would increase their bond.

Her business being abruptly interrupted, Huntress left the beach on her trusty steed, frustrated that the thick headed general was too stubborn to see real reason. Since general Lyon was going to be far away now, Huntress went on another mission. She reached the Redwater archives, and after special permission, she went through the documents, finding what she was looking for.

Armon Blakes
Notorious pirate captain thought to be the culprit of the Beach Plain's massacre as well as many others, likely the culprit of many unsolved cases. He stole millions in gold and jewels throughout his lifetime. May also be the same pirate who destroyed Land's Wrath's harbor. Many of his crimes were confirmed through surviving witnesses only since hardly any evidence was ever recovered. Despite all the attempts from Aelinon and the Guardians to intercept him and his crew, they all failed for years, which was likely caused by magic in his possession, although such theory could never be proven. His reign of terror was finally put to an end when General Lyon and his warriors managed to finally intercept him through an anonymous informant. Despite the general's disobedience in handling the case, king Seraos eventually awarded him for his services.

After reading the file and not willing to see the list of his crimes, Huntress begrudgingly put it away after not finding a list of names. Just what kind of incompetents were working there? There wasn't even one single mention of Maverick, or even that then dastard Armon had a son. One would think that was going to be a very important detail to consider. She even started to wonder if her dear king was even aware that Armon had a descendant somewhere. Maverick may be acting like like a goofy, goody two-shoes now, but Huntress believed it was just too risky to have someone like him around, just waiting to decide to continue his demonic father's legacy...

The guards gave Shade's question a derisive laugh. "Oh, you think... you'll be flying... ha! You're moving on foot, like everyone else. You better keep up, or you'll be dragged along," one of the guards cautioned.

The bear didn't seem to be occupied with anything but lazily sniffing around. Veris was relatively silent in his descent, as he continued creeping closer until he was comfortable enough to go for a dive - then did just that, leaving the bear with little time to realize that it was actually in danger. By the time it did, it had no chance to escape. Veris sank his claws into its back as he came down, briefly biting at it as it struggled in his grip. The attack left no opportunity for the bear to reasonably strike back.
Veris came back to the ground, setting himself down with his fresh kill. He hopped back, giving Angora the opportunity to dismount.

Angora jumped down, almost open mouthed at seeing Veris in action. She has seen him hunting before, but never an animal this size.
"Dang Veris! You made it look so easy!" she complimented, looking at the dead bear. He made it look as easy as a hawk grabbing a little mouse. At least Veris had a decency to give it a rather quick death to his prey this time, although she imagined it was more to avoid injury to himself rather than empathy. Even if Veris was bigger and stronger, a struggling bear could still do some harm.
"Well then, eat to your heart's delight big guy. You earned it. Just remember to leave some for me. I'm in the mood for cooked meat, so go ahead. I'll be right back with some wood." Angora assured, such a task not being so hard thanks to the woods being so nearby. She didn't know if the Ishulgite's draining magic reached this far, but if it did, the trees looked like they recovered quite quickly. Seeing Veris hunting made her realize how lucky she was that she never encountered a wyvern in the wild. She was almost killed by a manticore, which was smaller and not as strong. She didn't have magic back then, so she wouldn't have survived such encounter if she barely managed that one.

As Dahlia galloped gently through a beach far away from there, Maverick wondered if his bulletin announcements had been worth it. He couldn't help his two best friends, but perhaps he could help this merman who always looked so aloof, especially with restoring the friendship with Ilasi. He sometimes wondered if his distancing was due to Ilasi choosing him instead, choosing someone above a member of her own species. He wanted to believe it was a silly thought, especially since Leoquin treated him very well after earning his respect, but perhaps it was one of the subjects he could investigate if he ever encountered him again. He had many plans, but for now, it was the best he could do. He had the announce,net, and Angora's letter was on the way. All that was left was for him to try to gain special permission to visit Shade. Wasn't going to be easy, but Maverick was willing to try.