darkSpyro

Even though Sere was making sense, Maverick still wasn't convinced. He knew the world wasn't an ideal place, but there had to be a way to make it better.
"Still... don't you think it's a bit much? If somebody were to find your camp in search for help or peace, don't you think he or she would mistake you as violent with so many weapons on sight? I know you're the expert, and I don't mean to question you. I'm just saying that with so many weapons, you seem ready for a war, and maybe make others feel fear. You can't have peace though fear. I know many don't think this way and that they'll always be... greed..." he paused, looking hurt, and Angora knew exacly why.
"I know not everyone will want peace and somebody will always want to use force or be better than everybody else, but still, that's no reason to have so many things. Those weapons, that scary armor... it creates the wrong impression. Violence beckons violence. I think... you should try to look more benevolent and only use violence as a very last resort..." Maverick pointed out, demonstrating what a wide eyed idealist he was. Angora felt really bad for him. His father was such a sadistic, greedy, evil man who was the perpretator of some horrifying violent acts, which she no doubt knew scarred the innocent hearted Maverick.

Sere, unwavering, would remain obstinate in his opinion - his experience would not let him do otherwise. "The cost for failing to be prepared is much too high. We don't need to use our weapons if we don't have to - but we must be ready to, if necessary. Many species will bring others to extinction or complete subjugation to benefit themselves if they would face no opposition in doing so. Dragons tried to enslave the entire human population before - which was stopped in events which would lead to our founding. Humans have attempted to drive other races to extinction just for their resources, without even getting to know them first - I can guarantee you that there are some who have been wiped out so thoroughly that they no longer exist in any sort of history.
"I cannot risk the lives of so many on a dream - or it will rapidly turn into a nightmare. Just like a building needs a solid foundation, so does any sort of peace. That foundation cannot be something which will fall over with the slightest push."

Even with the explaination, Maverick still refused to see things his way. He and Latnok seemed to have opinions too different from him.
"I'm not saying you shouldn't be prepared, I'm just saying that you have to work on your image. Besides, there are more good people and species than they're bad. You just need to get to know them better." Maverick said, still insisting there was a better way. He looked at the dragons from the group and find it hard to believe they once tried to enslave the human race when they were plenty of them there right now, helping at that very moment. For what he heard about the Guardians, it became Maverick's dream to became part of an organization looking for peace, but now that he was facing with reality, he wasn't so sure anymore.

Angora listened without interrupting, though she was tempted too many times. She glared at Latnok when Sere mentioned humans bringing species to extinction for their resources, the older Guardian admitting so himself. She would even dare to believe that the Guardians have done the same in their so called quest for peace. Latnok once admitted to her he was doing this to humanity, when it was humanity that has done far worse damage than any other species, perhaps even more than dragons themselves.

Sere shook his head. "What would you have me do? Have every troop put on a magical illusion? If our weapons aren't ready, we risk not being prepared to respond as quickly as we need to. If our armor isn't ready, we risk being more vulnerable when caught unawares. You are a very idealistic man - but your ideals are what get people killed. Latnok once spared an enemy out of pity - that enemy ended up killing two of his comrades. That is the cost of being idealistic without considering reality - much worse than anything else that would happen if you were to make rational decisions."

Latnok glared right back at Angora. "Do you want to be so high and mighty now because we know - as we always have - that humans are flawed? Don't act like trolls are any better - they are just as, if not more, bloodthirsty - the difference is that our technology, strategy, tactics, and magic makes us much better at fighting on a large scale. Now pleaee, stop trying to start trouble."

"I didn't even say anything this time and you're still at it with me! I know my kind are scums, but that doesn't excuse how you've been treating me this whole damn journey!" Angora said furiously, not even saying a word and Latnok was already accusing her or something. She couldn't even express herself with a simple look. Now that Latnok already broke the ice with her, she decided to talk with the now silent Maverick.

"And you... things will not always be like they appear. You're hearing it yourself. These Guardians aren't the peace seekers they claim. They have their precious weapons because they're constantly attacked! Why do you think is that?" Angora rebuffed, wanting Latnok to open his eyes. If the Guardians were attacked even with how insanely prepared they were, it was probably due to something or someone looking for revenge for something they did. No one in their right mind would think of attacking them if the objective was simply to steal something. Most thieves looked for vulnerable or weak looking targets. Angora was a former thief herself, so she knew how that world worked.

"You knew the terms, Angora," Sere interjected sternly. "If you seek to do nothing but disparage us to every person you come across, then you cannot reasonably expect us to treat you like we would anyone else. Is your hate for us, just for what we have said to you - despite the fact that you have said things just as vile - so deep seated that you would not even be willing to compromise and keep the peace? I see no point in making any deal that the other party has no intention to respect. I had thougbt you better than that..." he finished, witb disappointment in his voice.
"Eh, I'd give her the benefit of the doubt, this once..." Latnok offered. "I offered a clear rebuttal to her very obviously deliberate, accusing glare. But I would make it clear that I won't stand for passive-aggressive behavior. You will honor your end thoroughly - not in half-measures."
"...is that so?" Sere asked.
"Yes."
"Very well, then. We will see what she has to say about it. Anyway, to answer your objection - of course only a fool would attack us. But we are only so many - this has never been just about us. We have to have weapons and armor on hand to protect everyone. Without them, we are slow to respond. Being slow to respond costs lives. And I value lives more than I value nebulous ideals."

"So typical of you to take one of you own's side! Or didn't you noticed? HE was the one who started! I said nothing until HE said something first! Or what? Does part of the deal involve me keeping a neutral face and keeps all my expressions bottled up?" Angora expressed undignified, believing that she couldn't even do something as simple as a face without receiving some form of retaliation. Maverick saw how tense the conversation was getting, and knowing just how much Angora could irritate everybody he stepped up.
"Calm down Angorita! Por favor? I don't know what deal this is, but you have to take things easy." Maverick begged as he picked her up, but Angora refused to budge and slipped away, blowing up some steam before speaking again.

"No no no NO Maverick! Don't you DARE tell me to calm down! Do you have ANY idea what I had to endure ever since joining this miserable group!? He..." she said as she pointed to Latnok;
"... HE has done nothing but insult and criticize me ever since meeting me! I didn't even give such a lousy first impression, but he still belittled me every chance he got! I tried to make peace! I tried to be nice! But he keeps treating me worse. Why? This... THIS FACE MAVERICK! The simple fact that I'm a TROLL is enough for him! I could've been the saintest being on the planet and it wouldn't have made a difference! If you had been here just a few hours ago, you wouldn've known! But of course, as you just witnessed, I CAN'T EVEN MAKE A SIMPLE FACE WITHOUT RECEIVING ANY SORT OF RETIALATION!" Angora said, with visible tears in her eyes, although she didn't let them pour down. Unlike the other times where she completely repressed them, she felt enough trust in Maverick to let her deepest emotions flow. He was a beloved friend once, and deep inside, she felt like he still was.

The young man didn't even know what to say or even think. Angora had a tendency to exaggerate facts, but after all he's learned, he wondered how much of that was the truth. The troll had the bad tendency to give a very nasty first impression and leave it that way for a while, but he knew her. She was naughty and extremely rude, but she was in no way evil, and it was painful for Maverick to see her this way.

Latnok and Sere felt absolutely no sympathy for Angora. "I have tried to make peace on several occasions," Latnok said, "and on every occasion, you blow me off, insult me, or call me a liar or hypocrite. Do you think you're anything special? Do you think that I will just acquiesce to you because I pity you? I have had trainees that act like you - and I have been even harsher to them than I have been to you. I don't have the liberty to treat you the same way I do them - but don't think that I will tolerate you being rude and spiteful, and put up with your attempts to turn everyone against me.
"I just want to finish this. I would apprciate it if you were easy to cooperate with. But your stubbornness combines with your refusal to abide by the same rules every other member of the party abides by makes that extremely difficult. The instant you show me that you can bury the hatchet, I will not need to call you out on your behavior anymore. Hell, I was willing to compromise just now - and I rarely do. But you don't want that, do you?
"You want no compromise. You demand tolerance, but give none of it. You act like a bratty child, but try to make your race a scapegoat, as if I don't treat other humans who act like you just as harshly. What the hell do you want me to do? Carry you on my back while feeding you fine wine and fruits? Just let you go around spreading your paranoid lies about us without answering? I am only going to work with those who have to work with me. You can only bend a metal so much before you have to put it under a fire to shape it like you need to.
"Now, I will offer you a choice. We can start all of this over, with neither of us saying a word about anything which happened previously, and no passive-aggressive behavior. Or we can continue like this. What will it be? I don't think it's a hard choice. Don't make it one - I do not pity you, and no one who has seen your bigotry against humans will, either. You claim we hate your for being a troll - but you insist on exhibiting every possible negative trait you can, along with your conatant insistence on being contrary with absolutely everything we say or do, as if we have no idea what we're doing and are out to murder babies. You are no one special - no one here is. Even Godfather Sere, leader of the Ardent Guardians, does watch to keep us all safe - even ORION does - yet you can't be bothered to? And you think I'll be okay with that just because you did one thing right?
"But you think you're some sort of god, and we should worship you as one. Hell, you would have killed your FRIEND here, and everyone else in the world, on multiple occasions, because you couldn't tolerate me confronting you on your wrongdoings. But you completely forgot to tell him that part, didn't you? You're just the blameless victim.
"Say what you want. But know that, unless you're using force magic, for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Don't be surprised."

Sere just shook his head. As much as he wanted peace, Latnok was his warrior, and he had a point - Angora had refused any sort of kindness from the duo, returning only hostility. He highly doubted anything fruitful would come of this confrontation; but the die had been cast. "This is almost over. We will be done with each other soon, and never have to see each other again. Personal silence her if you must, Latnok; it is clear that she does not respond to any kind actions with anything but suspicions and hostility. But we must keep going."

"Peace? PEACE! After the way you treated me when I fed Veris and you dishonor our deal!? I DID WHAT YOU TOLD ME TO AND LOOK WHAT HAPPENED! AND NOW, I CAN'T EVEN MAKE SOMETHING AS SIMPLE AND NATURAL AS A FACE CAUSE YOU ALWAYS TAKE IT THE WORSE WAY!" Angora accused, knowing too well that Sere once more, was going to take Latnok's side. Maverick has seen enough. This has escalated way too much. He grabbed Angora by the neck and covered her mouth.

"Angorita! Angorita please! Just stop por favor! Gentlemen, I don't know what the trouble is between you, but please understand that Angorita has been through a lot and the only way to cope is to be this way. She has absolutely nobody in the world. Her own parents abandoned her for being small. Not even her own brother came to her defense. I know she isn't nice the first time, but por favor. You have to understand she isn't a bad lady." Maverick explained as he winced in pain from Angora's struggling, as she punched him and even tried to pull off some of his arm's hair to get free. He was begging for a miracle in this moment. Just for how long this has been happening? Angora was right when she said he should've come sooner. She probably felt too alone, even in this large group.

Latnok still was not moved. "Yes, you fed Veris. I said that was good. What I did not appreciate was you deliberately skipping watch, and I called you out on as much. I honored my end - but the instant I said something positive, you blew me off, as usual."
He then decided to address Maverick. "Hey Mav. That is no excuse. I've had a tough life too. You've seen it yourself. I killed someone who tried to kidnap me at the age of 10, and had no one to turn to. You don't see me being a defeatist. You don't see me with a victim complex. You want to know the difference? I decided to fix myself instead of the world - other people didn't seem to have problems. So I worked to better myself, gave myself a purpose. When things don't go my way? I don't complain that people are out to get me. I suck it up and adapt so that it doesn't happen again.
"I don't care what excuse she makes. If she wants to keep being a terrible person and fall back on excuse after excuse, she can feel free to. Or she can do what I do and suck it up and do her best. If she wants good relations, she wouldn't take every opportunity to trash us. The first thing she said when some others came into the cave? "'This guy is terrible, avoid him.' Absolutely no provocation. And she demands that I treat her well when she has no intention to reciprocate?
"And then she has the nerve to try to be passive-aggressive by glaring because she wants to be hostile but doesn't want to ruin the deal. I'm not dumb. You don't see me making hostile faces at her. I'm sorry, Mav, but I have compromised enough - she has accepted none of it, and has continued to give me reason after reason to consider her hostile and unreliable, yet has the nerve to make excuses. Hell, I tried to compromise just now - she didn't care for it, though. Until she is willing to change and stop moping about the past, I have no reason to treat her as anything other than hostile and uncooperative."

Maverick released Angora, who glared at him and then the Guardians.
"You said so yourself! Just because I made a stupid face, you treat me this way! I can't even express myself quietly! And a night watch? I already did one before and he still wants me to keep doing that when I never had to before. He just likes bossing me around! See that wyvern? I took a risk and gave him food, because he ordered me to. You think that was enough to stop the insults?" Angora said indignant as she left Maverick figure the rest. She then turned her back to them to continue walking to the new cave without saying anything else.

Maverick lowered his head, realizing that Angora was in a far worse shape than when he last saw her. Knowing that Latnok had something to say, the young man decided to speak first.
"Not everyone copes the same way you do Mr. Latnok. Everyone has a different way to deal with their emotions. At least you had a family that loved you. And you have the Guardians as your family now. Angora... who does she have? It... it's my fault for abandoning her." Maverick said with sorrow, his optimistic persona dropping for that moment.
"I shouldn't have abandoned her in that town when she left the crew. But I didn't want to defy my father. Now I realize that I should've tried to run away when I had the chance. I knew Angora was alone in the world... yet... I did nothing." the young man said, almost crying himself. He blamed himself for Angora's current behavior.

Latnok remained unmoving in his conviction. "We all had night watch. I had night watch the previous night too, AND I had it that night, AND I had to take your watch because you were too lazy to do it and unwilling to do so just because you never had to - you just admitted that you wouldn't be willing to keep your allies safe if it meant getting out of your comfort zone. And I'm supposed to respect that just because you did one task? I will never respect someone who would be fine leaving their allies to die because they're too lazy."
Latnok then turned to answer Maverick. "Mav, I definitely did not have a loving family. I was an illegitimate child, my father being some foreign soldier or knight or whatnot and getting himself killed or something along those lines. My mother despised me, and only raised me because letting me die would haunt her conscience. There was a reason I was a street urchin, and it wasn't for fun.
"And maybe not everyone is mentally resilient. But if her idea of coping is by being hostile and uncooperative, then she needs to find a new coping method, one which doesn't involve trying to sabotage the mission by spreading lies and trying to turn everyone against me. She would even do that with Raclaw, when she knows full well that any conflict between us could make it harder to resist the corruption and could cause him, Shade, or even myself to lose control.
"If she's actually a really good person, then I want to see that, not constant hostility and spitefulness. I have tried to be nice, and she has rejected it every time. What am I supposed to do? Kiss her feet? What do YOU think I should do that would be fair to me?
"I could be her family if she would just work with me and stop trying to oppose me on EVERY. SINGLE. FRONT. I always look after my allies. Even now, when she acts like this, I won't just let her die. But that's about as much as I'll give someone who doesn't give the respect they expect, and doesn't do their fair share."

Angora still didn't say anything, but the guilty Maverick responded for the both of them.
"Sorry for assuming your blood family loved you. But... the point is you have the Guardians now at least. Angora... in both her past AND her present, she has nobody, because I was the only friend she ever had... and I abandoned her." Maverick said, still haunted by the fact.

"Listen, I know you expect her to do thing, but Angorita... I guess it's hard to accept orders from somebody, especially when you have been alone almost all your life. I don't want to take any sides, and I'm sorry I wasn't here earlier... but I think you're giving up on her too soon. I still have a few bruises back from when I first met her. She was quite... bitter I'll admit it, but I never gave up on her. No matter how much pain or bruises I had to endure, I still insisted there was something good in her. It took me almost an entire year, but I made it. We became inseparable... until I messed it up in the end." Maverick said gloomily, still insisting it was his fault. Back at the ship, after tolerating Angora's mistreatment, he managed to see the good side everyone else always missed, and that intrigued Maverick. It made him the optimistic person he was, somebody who always wanted to see the good in everyone no matter how hopeless it seemed, and he believed that by abandoning Angora, he undid everything in her.

Angora listened and remembered why she found Maverick so darn annoying. It was that naive optimism that irritated her so much... but if she was true to herself, she was glad he appeared. Him, that idiot but good hearted individual who has been her only true friend in life. She was glad to have somebody like him trying to defend her, even if she believed he was wasting his time trying to reason with those two.

Latnok shook his head. He pauses for a few seconds... then a few more.
"Hey Mav," he said. "Let's get one thing straight. I will never give anyone carte blanche to laze about whole being hostile to their allies. Never have. That is a habit I drill out of trainees the instant I see it. Angora displays that, frequently, and has shown time and time again that she is extremely selfish. Something I have absolutely no tolerance for.
"However... you seem like a respectable man. So I will listen to you. You want me to ease up on her? Then I will. However, she won't have free rein to do whatever. You vouch for her - so you will be held accountable. Every time she doesn't do watch, you will take her place in addition to your regular watch. Every time she decides to be hostile towards me - no, anyone - you will take the watch of that person. Does that sound fair to you? Is that a cost you're willing to pay to support your belief?"
Latnok knew that this would be a win-win - either he would stop making excuses for her, or she would be strongly encouraged to stop being nasty. Either way, it would work out in his favor.

OOC: We're sorry. We got carried away

Quote: A Guy

Latnok shook his head. He pauses for a few seconds... then a few more.
"Hey Mav," he said. "Let's get one thing straight. I will never give anyone carte blanche to laze about whole being hostile to their allies. Never have. That is a habit I drill out of trainees the instant I see it. Angora displays that, frequently, and has shown time and time again that she is extremely selfish. Something I have absolutely no tolerance for.
"However... you seem like a respectable man. So I will listen to you. You want me to ease up on her? Then I will. However, she won't have free rein to do whatever. You vouch for her - so you will be held accountable. Every time she doesn't do watch, you will take her place in addition to your regular watch. Every time she decides to be hostile towards me - no, anyone - you will take the watch of that person. Does that sound fair to you? Is that a cost you're willing to pay to support your belief?"
Latnok knew that this would be a win-win - either he would stop making excuses for her, or she would be strongly encouraged to stop being nasty. Either way, it would work out in his favor.

Maverick thought about it very hard, unable to comprehend why Latnok was this harsh, most especially, towards Angora. She was bitter and rude, but not that hostile. Has she really changed for the worse in the years he hasn't seen her? Maverick was about to reply, until Angora pushed him aside and spoke herself.
"Listen, let's get this madness over! I will do everything you tell me, see what the heck is what you want from me... but ONLY until tomorrow! Afterwards, your master Sere will make good of his promise and tell you to LEAVE ME ALONE! I won't SAY anything about you or the Guardians, but if I do faces, you won't say anything either! Ever heard of liberty of expression?" Angora asked, finding it really infuriating how Latnok couldn't even tolerate one simple face. She could understand when he belittled her for insulting him or his dear Guardians, but saying something only because of a face she made was too much.

"Just for tonight, I will do whatever the hell you want me to do, like a slave! Afterwards, you'll stop all this nonsense! Why the hell do you care if I do a watch or not? Why do you care if I'm selfish? It's not like you care about me or the kind of life I lead! I'm not one of your stupid recruits, so STOP treating me like one for heaven's sake. I will allow it just for tomorrow. Afterwards, we're DONE!" Angora said, prepared to take on whatever abusive training Latnok had for her tonight. She knew she was going to despise the moment, but since she was certain Latnok was going to be cruel with the tasks, it would make Maverick see with his own eyes just what a biased, abusive bully he has been to her all this time.

Latnok beamed underneath his helmet. "Very well. You understand the conditions. Do you really not know why I care about why you do a watch?" he asked, half in disbelief and half in perplexion. "Everyone does watch. Responsibility is split among the group for the mutual good of the group. Others doing watch helps you by making you less vulnerable to being kidnapped by some creature like Shade was. Why would I not have a problem with you reciprocating?" Latnok sighed deeply, before crossing his arms.
"Very well. I will instruct you in spellcasting tonight. I expect you to put in an honest effort - like the deal was - and I will be the judge of that. So you might want to pay attention to me and not blow me off like you usually do. I will work with you if you work with me - but I will not go out of my way any more than I already have. And I expect you to continue to do watch, like everyone else. I covered for you last time - I will just wake you up next time. Unless you would rather sleep on your own and take your chances getting eaten in your sleep by the various creatures this place has."
Latnok began walking again, but turned back to address Maverick. "If you want to stay up with us and try to learn some magic, you may, and I will cover your watch so you don't miss out on sleep. However, since you probably won't want to learn how to cast a force bolt, I will have to think of another spell which is simple to learn, if you wish to attend." Regardless of everything, teaching spellcasting gave Latnik great satisfaction - very little made him happier than building up his allies.

Maverick seemed exited by the offer. He wasn't a magic user, but it'll be cool to learn. Angora had a different opinion. It sounded that in terms of night watches, it won't be until tomorrow. She knew Latnok intended her to make them every night regardless of the deal. Despite her fury, she didn't exploded. She kept telling herself that this won't be temporary and that as soon as the Darkmatter was dead, she wouldn't have to tolerate Latnok or his infuriating bossy self anymore.
"Angorita..." Maverick suddenly said, trying to console her, but his attempt fell short.

"Don't spare me your pathetic concerns Malo! This won't be forever, so just let me do this and get out of my way!" Angora said rudely, but evidently more calmer than her treatment of

"Looks like somebody feels like a cranky bitterama. Vamos Angorita. We have just found each other again after so many years. Let's get reacquainted." the young man said with a rather goofy smile, picking Angora and giving her a piggyback ride. She slapped his head to make him release her, but he didn't do anything, and being too physically exhausted, she left him do what he wanted. It was nice to give her feet a rest, since not even a single one of the dragons ever offered her a ride. She glared at Raclaw, referring to him in particular. Maverick was looking a little fatigued. Angora weighed more than last time, but he didn't care. Seeing her again made him happy and he was determined to make up for abandoning her in favor of his psychopathic father.

Raclaw simply gave a slight sigh-- having recognized the glare and having offered to give Angora a ride on numerous occasions, being rejected each and every time. He didn't say anything though and continued onwards towards the cave, having planned to explain certain aspects of his history in more detail to Maverick later and perhaps to Angora as well; assuming the troll would stay awake long enough to hear it. As he briefly glanced towards Maverick and Angora, his eyes gave the impression of both hope and slight tiredness. Once again, the arguing pursued even after the brief omission and the friendly new face. His eyes also then briefly flickered black, indicating an slight increase in his corruption level to those who knew. To anyone who could tell precisely, his corruption had increased from 9% to 10% -- and matching the previous peak.

Raclaw briefly looked away, somewhat ashamed in how much pain he caused the dragolet. It was mostly because of his own faults, or more specifically his open connections, that his corruption had steadily increased throughout the course of the last few days. The corruption was now at around ten percent-- decreasing his potential by said ten percent, increasing the mental strain he experienced on a daily basis, and causing that much more pain for all involved parties. It was only because of his own inability to close the frustratingly annoying connection that this whole thing was an issue to begin with. And as a result, both him and his fellow mental connectees suffered.

He looked up again at Shade with an facial expression of 'I'm sorry.' and a sulumn nod. Feelings of guilt could be felt over the mental links-- and he wondered just how much of this corruption he would be able to take before the worst came to shove. They were only a few days in beyond the initial gates and the very objects representing the lands that blocked outside magic for better or for worse. His corruption had started out around five percent, had peaked at around ten percent, and was now once again at that same ten percent. Only time would tell what effects the corruption would have on him or the others down the road.

By this time, Angora have fallen asleep on top of Maverick, who was still struggling to keep her up. It was a little hard, but he would do it a million times if necessary. She seemed like she has been though a lot, and with what little he has seen, he could see Latnok had some resentment towards her. Just what happened between them? Was Angora exaggerating the facts? Or did Latnok really despised her for being a troll? He had too many questions, but he was still new on this group and he still didn't know what was going on. He wasn't going to state his opinion over something he didn't know for sure. He was about to ask Raclaw, but then he noticed both him and Shade acting strangely.
"Hey amigos. Are you two alright? You seem like you got a headache." he asked Shade and Raclaw, trying not to think of his own with the heavy Angora on top of him. She was small, but quite muscular and plump, and it made her weight more than she seemed.

The increasing effect of the corruption had not escaped Latnok - he felt a sort of mental fog. But he had to keep a stiff upper lip, keep his resolve intact to prevent the others from falling. "We'll be fine..." he said - a habitual line at this point whenever others expressed concern.
The group had begun approaching the entrance of the cave - it would not be long. "You should be able to take a rest soon, Mav," Latnok said. He could visibly see Maverick struggling to bear the weight - and had remembered how hard it was for him to carry similar weight for long periods of time before he underwent the ritual, which had improved his strength enough to lift up and run with a young dragon like he had previously. "In the future, if she's getting tired, ask Sere if you can throw her on Veris' back instead of carrying her yourself and wearing yourself out. Veris has no problem bearing weight at all unless he's flying, and even then he can bear a lot."
"I would have no problem granting such a request," Sere said. "As long as she doesn't protest. But you wearing yourself out with more than you can reasonably handle slows us all down. You must know when to share the burden."
Latnok looked at the sky - dusk, approaching night, but he should have some time before then. "I'm going to fish in that river nearby," he said. "I'll catch up with you guys."

Raclaw gave a simple nod to Latnok before turning his attention back towards the immediate topic. "It's-- it's the corruption. As you've probably figured by now, I am highly telepathic. I currently share a three-way mental link with both Shade and Latnok, so that we may better manage Shade's inner corruption. In addition, I also have what you could consider a mental weak point-- an open connection to which ether Shade's corruption or something else has taken notice of. Long story short, I am being mentally attacked on two fronts and am having to maintain a mental barrier to help keep the corruption at bay. This has put a strain on me and I am having to devote more and more of my energy to keep the barrier active.," Raclaw explained revealing more information now that Maverick was more likely to stay the course with them. He didn't yet mention why he had such an open connection, but would do so in due time.

Maverick thought about the offer, looking at Veris. He was still quite afraid of him, and unaware of the wyvern's odd fondness for the troll, he didn't like the idea of leaving her alone with the animal, not to mention that Sere and Latnok didn't seem to like Angora very much. He didn't want to occupy them on something he could do.
"It's alright Mr. Sere. No te preocupes. Don't trouble yourself or your friend. I can handle it. Angorita is a teensy bit heavier than before, but I can still carry her." Maverick said kindly, willing to keep the tiny troll for the rest of the way. He even accelerated his pace to demonstrate she wasn't a burden. Maverick's bag not only got bigger space than it seems, it also decreased the weight of the objects greatly, so he wasn't used to the extra weight. He carried worse on his father's ship, so he was certain he could get use to it again if necessary.

It was only after he was done explaining to Sere that Maverick heard what Raclaw said, or at least most of it.
"I'm sorry Mr. Raclaw. You kinda lost me there. What do you mean a corruption? Do you have a virus or something?" he asked, really concerned. He wouldn't have guessed the fur dragon was telepathic, but he would prefer if he didn't use that as a method of communication, especially if there was something wrong with his mind.

Sere lead the way into the dark cave. He made light with a basic light spell, illuminating his gauntlet. The cave was quite spacious - soon there was a fork, with three paths.
"Well, we shouldn't have to venture too far in," Sere said. "We should be fine setting up here for now. Judging by the exterior, however, I doubt the cave goes much deeper - most likely dead ends at each fork. We should set up a fire."

Latnok had gotten down to the river. He thought he saw some faint glimpses of fish - he should be able to catch them if he moved quick enough. Setting his bag down, he prepared to gather some food for the night.

Dex had not said anything in long time. He did not feel any need To do that. He walked after the group like he did all the time. When Sere stopped Dex just took a place a bit away of the group, but again so that he could hear what others will say.

Quote: Felines

It was only after he was done explaining to Sere that Maverick heard what Raclaw said, or at least most of it.
"I'm sorry Mr. Raclaw. You kinda lost me there. What do you mean a corruption? Do you have a virus or something?" he asked, really concerned. He wouldn't have guessed the fur dragon was telepathic, but he would prefer if he didn't use that as a method of communication, especially if there was something wrong with his mind.

"No I'm sorry-- I should have explained it better.," Raclaw said quickly realising that Maverick didn't have a very good understanding of how telepathy worked or magic in general. He paused, thinking of how to properly describe the concept and the corruption to the furry human. "To answer your question-- no, I do not have a virus. At least, I don't in the typical sense and you can rest assured that I won't just accidently transmite it to you-- say via a simple telepathic message or a stray thought. It is just a little more complicated than that and very deliberate very precise actions would have to be taken in order for you to experience any of it.," he started explaining hoping to first ease Maverick's very visible concern. It was as if he had read the newcomer's mind, but he was merely reading Maverick's body emotions and perhaps the stray thought.

"Latnok, I, and Shade have done very deliberate actions in order to partly share the same mind-- with me/Shade forming the first link and Latnok joining in later. While we are still very much three separate individuals, we now share some of the same thoughts and emotions. This means that if, for example, I get sad-- than Shade and Latnok might feel the same. The same applies if someone is in great pain or if someone experiences a moment of great happiness. We are not the same individual, but we are now connected and simply share the load so-to-speak. We have done it for one purpose-- Shade the Dragolet. Shade experiences what could best be described as a darkness, which can cause his powers and emotions to become unstable at times. It is not his fault and he means no harm by any emotionally unstable reactions, which is why we're helping him. The darkness or corruption that he experiences is now experienced by all of us and as a collective-- we are better able to cope and ensure his own safety.," he continued.

"As for myself, the darkness or corruption rather has found another way into my system in addition to the established mind link. This alternate way results from my dependence on my-- on an outside magic which has previously helped me either control or enhance my abilities. This outside magic became blocked once I stepped foot beyond the initial gate, but not entirely. It has remained unblocked just enough to keep one of my connections open-- but not enough to ether connect or prevent something else from connecting. As I had already experienced some of the corruption felt by Shade and still am, this corruption saw fit to try and take advantage and has continuously bombarded that connection in hopes of connecting. For now, I am keeping it back via an mental barrier (a wall of defence) and although it is taking up more and more of my resources-- it is still.. manageable. You need not worry about me-- I've got this.," he then finished almost saying something else at the mention of an outside magic and not quite sounding so certain at the mention of the corruption being manageable. He also looked at Shade, still feeling guilty that he couldn't better manage the darkness.

As the group entered the new cave and Maverick gently put the sleeping Angora on the ground, he listened carefully to Raclaw's explaination, trying to make sense of everything he was saying.
"So... you mean that one of you got this corruption thing and you share the link in order to stop it?" he asked, wondering why anyone would want to be part of something that would get them out of control. Raclaw assured safety, but how could he trust his word if this corruption could get him dangerous at any moment.
"Doesn't that make things worse?" he then asked, thinking that if more than one shared the corruption, there would be more risks. It made him even more wary of the dragons, but most of all, it would explain why Latnok was so rude.

The so called Galaxy dragon's appearance didn't go unnoticed by the confused and concerned human hybrid. Even though he was the biggest and shiniest dragon of them, he didn't want to believe he had such a supernatural being in his presence. And if he was indeed the legendary deity, what was he doing in the world of mortals? Why wasn't he helping to destroy the corruption within Shade and the others?

Latnok walked by the riverbed, looking for a spot shallow enough to feasibly ford. It didn't take long for him to find a reasonable spot. Wading in, he anchored himself by digging his feet into the sediment, before he began his fishing efforts.
He reached out and tried to grab a fish; he barely missed it. Another attempt; it slipped away from his grasp. This would go on for a few minutes - Latnok was determined to come back with something, at the very least. Finally, he gripped something big and firm as it was moving down. Latnok began pulling the creature up, to bring it out of the water.
His quarry had different plans, however. Biting onto Latnok's lower leg, its teeth sunk into the dragonhide, it pulled Latnok out of the sediment as he was pulling up, causing him to fall over. The river drove the two further down, as Latnok, his head submerged, struggled to fight his way up as the creature - appearing as some sort of giant mudskipper with fangs - fought to drown him.
No... it won't end like this, Latnok thought. All this way to drown like this? That would just be pathetic. He was going to survive; he had to.

Maverick was really starting to freak out now. He now knew there was too much about this peculiar group he didn't know about.
"Ok, I feel like I'm missing something here. What is this Darkmatter? And what..." he stopped when he looked at Shade apparently struggling with himself. He pulled Angora and himself further away from the pained dragon and looked at Sere. He was a Guardian just like Latnok and knew much more than him. Raclaw had assured he'd be safe with them, but the traveling merchant was having serious doubts about that...

"Back off-- now!," Raclaw warned taking a step away from Shade. "I'm going to try and calm him down.," he then said. He knew that he still had a lot of explaining to do, in particularly about the collars and the rabbit hole that would lead to. However, Shade was their immediate concern.

'Shade-- focus on my voice. It's going to be alright. Just remain calm, take slow breaths, and.. focus.. on.. my.. voice.,' Raclaw gently encouraged via telepathy alongside alongside various peaceful images-- such a rivers and the like. To Maverick, he would appear deeply lost in thought or at the very least intently focused on something. He could feel Shade losing control as well the distant pain or distress that Latnok was feeling. "Sere-- Latnok is in trouble. He is in a moment of great distress and its affecting the links.," he also sent out as an urgent telecommunication being heard by anyone nearby. He maintained his focus on calming Shade and keeping the corruption-fueled powers under control.

Sere simply nodded in acknowledgement. "Most likely by the water. He said he was going fishing." Beckoning to Veris, he called "Veris! Outside! We're going flying!" Veris, sensing the urgency in Sere's voice, rushed outside - Sere mounted Veris and he took off in a flash.

Latnok knew he needed to get his head up soon. Instead of futilely trying to grab the creature, he reached a hand out to the edge of the river. Successfully finding some purchase against the flow of the river, he reached out another hand. Despite the creature's best efforts to pull him in, he managed to pull his head out of the water for a moment and gasped. As the creature continued to pull down, he fell back in. Knowing what to do again, he dug his hands into the edge of the river again and pulled up. With his hands on the riverbed, with everything he had, he pulled himself - and the giant mudskipper - out of the river.
The mudskipper creature, sensing that its prey was not going to be easy to drown at this point, lunged at Latnok, with what were apparently claws. Latnok, still fatigued from his efforts to get out of the river, was not quick enough to dodge - the creature tore into some of his armor and pinned him. With a hard twist of his body and a push up on the creature, however, Latnok achieved a reversal, being on top of the creature. My turn now.

'Shade! Just calm down-- help is on the way. Just try to focus on my voice and.. ramain.. calm. Just be at peace and focus on my voice.,' Raclaw said via telepathy as he continued to send the images. First there a river, followed by a pond, followed by other peaceful nature scenes. He made a paw gesture warning anyone nearby to stay back.

Latnok seized his opportunity. Using one arm, to keep the creature pinned, he wound his other arm back, and began pummeling the creature in the head with force strikes. Its arms flailed in desperation; some strikes landed, but were mostly deflected by the dragonhide due to their wild inaccuracy. Eventually, the creature succumbed.
After a few moments of the creature's movements ceasing, Latnok rolled off, injured in several places - most notably his leg - but relieved. It would be really hard to bring the meant back like this. He needed to rest. Closing his eyes, he began to sleep.

A few minutes later, however, he was woken up by something shaking him. Startled, he immediately jumped up, ready to engage another enemy.
"Calm down, Latnok, it's Godfather Sere," Sere said. Veris was at his side, looking at the mutant mudskipper. "Raclaw said that you were in distress. It would seem that you have resolved the problem, though."
"Yeah, mostly..." Latnok replied. His leg was still radiating with pain. Sere did not need to use any of his medicine, however; it would heal as Latnok slept. "This place... everything is trying to kill you. I very well could have been dead if I had reacted more slowly. That's a pretty similar story with every other scar I have, however." Latnok looked at his leg. The dragonhide was torn in places; Sere could mend that, though. The wound would definitely scar, like so many other wounds he's had. Every scar is a mistake I've made... he thought. A fight that was too close. But I'm still here. Nevertheless, he was almost punished for his hubris today.
"Get on Veris," Sere said. "We'll bring this with us and handle everything when we get back."
"Gladly." Veris lowered his body so the others could mount; Sere put the mudskipper on as well, tying it down with some rope. As soon as Sere got on at the front, Veris took off, back to the shelter.

Maverick watched in amazement the way Sere so majestically took off in that humongous wyvern. He has heard about dragon riders before in the short while he has travelled on land, but to sounded too incredible to be true. He would really want to try... if he ever got over his fear of Veris. Or maybe some of the other dragons would offer him a ride?

His awe didn't last long though, after he saw how Shade was getting worse.
"Señor Raclaw, please do something! He's going to burn us to a crisp if he doesn't calm down." he said, trying very hard not to succumb to panic. He was brave and courageous when facing smaller animals opponents his size, but this was a dragon, a creature that could kill before you even got the chance to strike, so he was obviously very nervous. He could feel the heat of Shade's breath, even if he was aiming outside the cave. His hair didn't help much either.

"I'm... trying..," Raclaw said looking at Maverick. He knew the ongoing incident wasn't exactly helping appease the merchant's mind-- and suddenly got an idea. He focused once again on the pained-but-trying Shade and tried to recall what he could consider his most peaceful memory-- and the feelings that went with it. 'Perhaps-- perhaps this might work.,' he quickly thought to himself.

'Listen-- I'm going to try something so don't be afraid. What are you about to see represents a piece of my past. I'm going to try to place you in that memory so that you may better absorb it. It will feel as if you were transported somewhere else or perhaps passed out into a dream. Feel free to look around and simply let yourself absorb the new surroundings.,' he gently said telepathically to Shade prepared to use his mental abilities to trick the dragolet's mind into believing it was somewhere else. He recalled a memory on the farm back when he was still young and tried to recall every precise element within the memory-- Raclaw laying down staring at what seemed like a koi pond, the koi swimming around without a single care in the world, the mixture of tall and short grass gently blowing in the breeze, and finally-- the family dog lying alongside him staring out onto that same pond.

He recalled the dog and attempted to make an new memory-- one where it wasn't the dog lying alongside him but rather Shade. He then tried to imagine the memory from the new Shade's perspective and imagined himself as the young Raclaw. Feeling as if the memory was ready, he then attempted to transmite that altered memory right into the conscious mind of Shade. If it worked-- it would be as Shade as suddenly found himself within a dream. And if the other intended effect worked, Raclaw would be then able to actively speak to Shade through the eyes and ears of the young Raclaw within the dream-like memory. 'Be ready.,' he simply said as he transmitted it and waited to see what would happen.

Maverick didn't know what Raclaw was doing, but it seemed to be working. Between the corrupted trio, it appeared that the fur dragon was the one with the most control. From all the dragons, he was the one he felt more comfortable with. Now that Shade was calmer, he had a lot of questions.
"So... I guess this has been happening for a while now? I don't know anything about magic or spells, but I have seen plenty of it, and I must say I never understood it." Maverick said, trying to start up a conversation. He wanted to know about Angora and her life after she left the ship, but he knew better than to interrupt her beauty sleep. Plus all the questions he had, he was certain Raclaw was the one with the better answers.

As Shade went into a trance-- so too did Raclaw. The fur dragon's eyes soon changed from their normal appearance, but to that of a pure white rather than the usual black. In the real world, he would appear motionless and stared off into the same vague distance as the dragolet. As Maverick spoke, Raclaw offered no response-- and was seemingly unable to hear and/or respond to the question for reasons not immediately clear.

Within the dream-- Raclaw soon awoke, but it wasn't the usual Raclaw. He looked down at himself and, at least visibly, he was his young counterpart once again. As he slowly got up, he felt instantly shorter and smaller. A slight ringing could be heard as he moved and that was when he reminded himself of the than young Raclaw's collar tag. "Right-- the collar.," he thought out loud. He tried to mentally speak an command to the collar, only to find that he couldn't reach out to the collar-- or anything. He then tried whispering the same command only to then get the intended effect. "Symbol.," he whispered and the tag disappeared again although he still couldn't access any of his mental abilities. He had also found himself not quite where he expected himself to wake up once he had entered dream; something was off although he couldn't quite pinpoint what.

He heard a voice just off in the distance and instantly recognized the trail that led to the koi pond he so clearly remembered. 'Just like old times.,' he thought to himself. He proceeded to follow the trail and soon spotted the Dragolet just as he had expected. "Shade-- there are you! Don't worry-- everything's alright. You are in my past or rather... an altered version of it. I have placed both of us within an altered version of one of my own memories, so that I can temporary relieve you from the troubles of the real world. Where you are standing, the family dog once stood. And although I may have made it more real than intended, I am for all intensive purposes... my young innocent self again. How-- how are you feeling?," Reclaw asked actually looking down at himself in slight amazement. He hadn't expected to actually do it, but he not only looked like his young counterpart again but felt younger as well. Perhaps it was nostalgia or perhaps his memories were more real to him than he had expected, but he felt.. different.

Based off fur pattern and general features alone, he was visibly the same Raclaw as anyone remembered. However-- he appeared slightly shorter, slightly smaller, and certain features such his horns appears to haven't quite fully grown in just yet. As he spoke, he indeed sounded younger and something could be seen as visually different about his collar-- if one were to notice. Where as the normal Raclaw had an adjustable leather collar with only a silver buckle and an single unadorned D-ring, the same couldn't be said for the past version of the collar. In the front, there lied two visible gems of different colors-- one red, one yellow, and each seemingly embedded to the left/right of the D-ring. Along the side where the buckle was normally seen, there was simply a seamless leather surface in its place-- with the buckle nowhere to be seen. If it wasn't for him hiding it via the usage of a not-then-known command; there would've also been a both visible and audible claw-shaped tag. As they spoke, koi fish could be seen swimming and a gentle breeze could be felt.

When Maverick didn't get a response, Raclaw's eyes said it all. He was unresponsive, just like Shade. Their minds must've been deeply connected.
"Oh boy, no sé for how much long will I be able to stand this." Maverick said to himself, the rest of the group being either too distracted with something else or waiting for Sere. Angora was still sleeping, probably wanting to be ready for the night watch ahead. Or maybe recovering lost sleep? One way or the other, the young man was alone with Raclaw in that corner, with Shade just a few steps away. Since Raclaw wasn't aware of his surroundings, Maverick wondered about something crazy. After seeing Sere take off into the skies like that, he became fascinated with the same possibility. Looking around and make sure nobody was looking, especially the shiny dragon, he climbed onto the fur dragon's back, shaking.
"Just for a few seconds..." he whispered to himself, imagining Raclaw flying very high with him on his back, the fur dragon as his mount, looking at the world from an entirely new perspective. It wasn't the real deal, but imagining it was almost as good. He didn't plan on staying too long. Maverick knew Raclaw could wake up at any moment, so he was prepared to climb down and pretend nothing happened, wanting to save himself the embarrassment...

"Veris, land by the cave!"
With the order from Sere, Veris began his steady descent, taking care not to overdo the angle. As he approached the ground, he used his wings to slow his landing down. Hitting the ground, he lowered his body to give Sere and Latnok the opportunity to dismount.
Once they did so, Sere began untying the mutant mudskipper. Latnok, his armor showing some damage, hobbled over to the fire within the cave, but was stopped by the sight of Raclaw and Shade in a trance. "Well... okay. I leave for a few seconds, and this happens?!" Latnok himself was rather out of focus, and could not properly decipher what was happening with the two. The others didn't seem to be panicking, however, so he decided to let it be, as he prepared to cook the mudskipper.
Sere was doing his typical analysis of the anatomy of the new creature, as Veris looked on impatiently, ready for an opportunity to eat. After a thorough analysis of the outside, he opened it up, just like before, and took notes and an illustration of its inner anatomy. Once that was done, he gutted the fish just like he did with the catwolf. Once he was done, all of the guts were in a pile to the side. "Veris, eat."
Veris did as he was commanded. Sere brought the mudskipper over to Latnok, who had a fire prepared like last time. Latnok nodded in silent acknowledgement, as he sat down after a bit of effort lowering himself and began to scale the mudskipper.

"Good-- that's progress. This may infer that the corruption is unable to operate without your conscious thoughts and if that is true, then it may be possible for you to control it. If my own memory albeit altered can do this much, than perhaps one of your own memories can do the same or even stop it completely. For me, this is where I go back to when I miss the old days and the simplicity of it all. I am at peace here and regardless of whatever may be going on in the real world, I can simply be myself. It may be possible for us to find a similar memory for you as well-- something that would take you back to the better says and something that would you control your abilities.," Raclaw said responding to Shade and thinking out loud. He looked around at his surroundings and was very much at peace.

"Speaking of which, I may have made some aspects of this memory a bit too real. Please tell me-- can you sense anything from the real world, other than your powers of course?," he then said touching his collar and seemingly looking for something he was wasn't finding. From his perspective, he was unable to feel Latnok or even Shade for that matter. He felt suddenly disconnected from the world, more so than he had expected to be upon entering and placing himself within this memory. It was as if the collar was actually doing it own past job-- and effectively blocking him from sensing anything.

In the real world-- he remained motionless and provided not even the slightest reaction to Maverick's horseplay. From on top of his back, Maverick would've had a good view of his feathery wings as well as the back of his leather collar. It could be seen that the position of the silver buckle was oriented in such a fashion as to be slightly more accessible for someone else vs the wearer themselves. And if one had to guess, the collar was very much a human-built decoration-- appearing to have a seemingly undamaged and rather thick build quality. His wings were very much feathers verses that of fur, while it his soft comfortable body could possibly be one or the other-- depending on how knowledgeable the rider was.

Dex saw that Latnok had clearly had some trouble. He wanted to make a nasty comment about it, but after all he did not. He just walked to Latnok and asked "Trouble?" with thoughtfull voice.

Latnok shrugged in response to Dex. "That thing put up a real fight - tried to drown me, continued to try to fight me on land, all that good stuff. Just surprised a bit, that's all. The fight won't be nearly as close next time." He took a moment to take a deep breath, then sighed. "Everything in this place wants to kill you. But I've dealt with that before."
Veris, his maw covered with guts and blood, licked his snout as he finished his meal. "Veris, let me inspect you," Sere commanded. Veris lay down, and Sere began his daily inspection of the hide and scales. As he went along, he would occasionally pull out some small bugs and incinerate them in a brief flash of light.