darkSpyro

Angora was still sleeping, and even though she didn't heard Neo, she could still sense him. It has been a while since she last talked to him, but given how he couldn't help her much with the information she always asked, it was no wonder. Maverick was also asleep, oblivious to his surroundings. Despite that being dangerous, he never had any major trouble for his deep sleep so far. There was so much he still didn't understand, but most especially, why was Angora hanging on that group when it was clear how much she despised them? Or at least more in particular, Latnok. That and many other questions he asked himself before falling asleep that night. He has managed to see Angora's gentlest and noblest side once, but whatever happened to her in the years she was alone, he felt like he had to start from zero. Life must've been too harsh with her to have hardened her heart in such a severe way, and he was certain that Latnok was only making things worse.

By the time Sere had started the final watch, Raclaw had begun to settle down although he was reluctant to immediately go asleep. The last dream was of his own creation and was one of the most blissful experiences he had ever had, but the same couldn't be said for his natural dreams which were becoming more and more influenced by his growing corruption-- and not for the better. As Sere took over for the final watch, Raclaw was laying down but wasn't actually sleeping. Instead, he was thinking-- of the past, the present, and the plausible future. He noticed that the others were sound asleep and envied those who didn't have to deal with the darkness. He decided to pass the time by getting up and talking to Sere, needing to inform the Godfather anyway of what he had discovered in his earlier dream.

"If you're wondering where Storm is-- don't worry. He's hunting and will be back soon. Do you have a moment?," he asked sparing his mental energy since his story was all but public anyway. His eyes gave the impression that he was deep in thought and that he had a lot on his mind. They also gave the slight impression of fear and at the same time-- hope. Needless to say, the fur dragon had a lot of time to think throughout the course of the night.

Sere had begun digging a hole in the ground with his hands and some force magic, to pool water for Veris to drink before leaving the cave for the morning, when Raclaw approached him. To give Raclaw a chance to speak to him, he sat down. "There is still some time before the others wake up," he said. "What do you ask of me?"

Raclaw briefly glanced down at the hole and back at Sere again, impressed by the amount of work the Guardians put into caring for and maintaining their Wyverns. He gave a nod and composed his thoughts before continuing. "I'm sorry for bothering you, Godfather. You're probably wondering what happened earlier with me and Shade-- and you should also know that I may have discovered something new about my past. Long story short, I had projected the conscious of both Shade and myself into an altered version of one of my earlier memories. This was an in attempt to both calm him down and to briefly separate him from the darkness-- and it worked. Not only did it work, but it worked so well that I had in fact managed to trap myself within the constraints of my younger self-- and the restrictions my younger self faced. Unable to immediately get out or contact the outside world, we were forced to play through the memory and to relive the experience.," he explained pausing before continuing. He knew he had taken a risk and that Sere probably wouldn't be entirely pleased that he had played loose with his powers once again.

"It was my twelve birthday and on that day, my adopted human parents had come from the local marketplace with a surprise. They had spoken with a trader who had given them something called a Rainbow Fish-- it's apparently a delicacy and.. and I agree based off what I remember tasting of it. Anyway-- that's not important although I would love to get a taste of that again one day. What is important is what the trader told them and what they in turn had told me that day; something I had forgotten about until now. About six years ago on the day before the anniversary of my arrival, that trader had spoken with an armored human accompanied by a fur dragon. I unfortunately wasn't told more and they didn't think to ask at the time, but this had to be one of your Guardians and this other fur dragon might be of some importance to me. Perhaps you might be able to use to this information to help narrow things even further.," he then said sounding quite confidant in his assessment. Or at the very least, he hoped that he was right.

Sere listened patiently as Raclaw spoke, and put his head down in thought. Though he was very dissatisfied with Raclaw's recklessness in regards to his powers, he was pleased that at least some good came out of it.
"Executioner Narril... he was quite fond of rainbow fish himself... he would always celebrate with some, and share some with new acquaintances. Unfortunately, he ended up falling in battle to undead, from what I can recall." Sere lifted his head up. "That could be of significance. Unfortunately, we are too far away from the base for any further communication, and I do not have a messenger pigeon on me - our ability to work with this information will be limited until this is over. Nevertheless, I thank you for informing me. Though..." he paused, then looked Raclaw directly in the eye. "Please do take more care as to how you push your capabilities. This is a time we can ill afford to be careless."

Before dawn, Angora was finally opening her eyes. Despite sleeping less than she usually does, she felt well rested... but the loud grumble in her stomach signaled her just how terribly hungry she was. Most of the meat she gathered in the traveling had been for Veris, and the two boar meat pieces hadn't been enough in that long journey. She wanted to eat something, and didn't even cared if it was fruit. However, she didn't trust the flora of that place, so she knew she had to hunt something, this time much smaller than the monstrous sloth she hunted yesterday.

She got up, ignoring everybody, especially Veris. There was no way she was going to share her food again, especially not with that greedy beast. As she prepared to leave the cave, she watched with some envy how the still sleeping Maverick was just slumbering away without a care in the world, as still as a rock. He didn't even snored. One wouldn't know he was there if they didn't see him. But after bitterly contemplating her former friend for a while, Angora got ready to leave. The air felt rather uneasy today, but she wasn't going to let that stop her...

Finally being alone and away from the crowded cave, Angora got the courage to finally talk to Neo after such a long while. She used her mind to make sure nobody could hear her.
"He's never going to change, is he? I did what he told me to, and since he didn't get the results he wanted, he hates me even more. That infernal Latnok! I'm done with him! I really want to understand him, but why does he keep treating me like a mindless animal or another one of his stupid recruits is beyond me! I just wish I could battle this Darkmatter thing and get it all over with! His lack of faith doesn't affect me! I'm still not certain why you chose me of all creatures, but I will still get through to this somehow. I've been surviving all my life! This occasion is no different!" Angora vented, knowing Latnok too well to know he wasn't pleased with last night's training. Even though she has been scared, now she couldn't wait to fight the monster just so she could get Latnok out of her life, and hopefully, the traitor Maverick as well.

"Well, it varies," Sere said. "For your typical hunting party, we have a record of when they are sent out and their general destination, though that is, of course, subject to change. With that situation we were dealing with at the time, however, things were much more chaotic, with men constantly having to change location with little preparation to account for new threats. I'm sure that with enough effort, however, we can narrow things down further." Sere smiled under his helmet. "I'm sure we will get to the bottom of this."

Latnok was sleeping, rather peacefully for a change, when he started to have an odd dream; a simple, yet indescribable background, hard to compare to anything that he knew. There were just two - himself, and a humanoid, insectoid figure, resembling a beetle in many ways, holding a staff taller than he was. Before he could begin, the figure spoke. "Welcome, child," it said in a calm, smooth voice, easily identifiable as a human voice.
"Child? I'm no child," Latnok said.
"Ah, but we have known you ever since you were a child," the figure said. "You have done well; facing hardship and adapting and changing in whatever way you needed to survive. You have an important job to do; but I feel we will meet, soon enough..."
Latnok awoke from sleep. Eh... With no further information to consider about the exchange, he began to put on his armor.

While waiting for Neo to reply, Angora scanned the area, trying to search for a creature small enough for her to carry effortlessly and without it giving her much trouble. She tried not to let her hunger distract her. It was still night, and she hoped that meant many creatures were active and more easy to find... however, she set her guard high, knowing too well she may not be the only one hunting. She then remembered she didn't activated her armor and immediately did so to make sure she would protect her from anything trying to ambush her or strilke her down from behind. She never needed an armor before, bu t now that she had one that she could activate one at will, she might as well use it.

As Latnok finished donning his armor, he prepared to go on a hunt - though there was still plenty of meat, Veris needed to be fed, and he sure as hell wasn't going to demand that Godfather Sere do it. Grabbing his bag and weapons, he stepped out, keeping in mind some potential shelters nearby in the event of a storm.
Setting out, he sought tracks like he did last time. After some scanning, he found similar tracks to the one the last catwolf made. Recalling that the last one saw him as potential prey, he once again was ready to use himself as bait - this time, however, he intended to shoot it down before it even got close. He grabbed his bow and activated his combat prescience as he continued to pursue the tracks, as the sky slowly began to lighten up.
Some more trees. This scene was all too familiar. This time, wanting to make sure that the predator was awake and alert to his presence, he took out his resonating chime and rang it, after which he heard an agitated growl not too far off. Continuing to walk, making sure to make noise, he nocked an arrow.
Then, he foresaw it. The predator leaping in the future. With a quick twist, he aimed at its location and loosed an arrow. The catwolf was down as soon as it began its lunge, and it crashed into the ground lifelessly. Simple enough. Satisfied, Latnok squatted, picking up the catwolf and carrying it on his back.

"Well, I never needed any of that!" Angora replied, quite disappointed by the answer. It was almost as if Neo was on Latnok's side too, justifying his actions like that. Regretting speaking to him, Angora continued with the hunt without saying another word, seeing quite well in the dark but as usual, unable to find what she was looking for. She did saw a few bird like creatures and some rodents, but neither of them convinced her. She continued walking further away from the cave, but not losing sight of the road. She tried not to venture too far, otherwise Sere would probably be paranoid enough to send Veris after her like last time.

"I already did. Didn't worked out. At least be happy I can do some spells." Angora replied bluntly, as she retreated into a more foliage terrain. She never went to the denser part of the realm, and believed she could find more animals there. And less than two minutes later, her suspicions paid off. She heard an awful sound, that sounded like women screaming, and when she came to investigate, she could see it was two animals battling, most likely males fighting over territory. They looked like wombats slightly smaller than the little troll with pointy ears and a very long lizard like tails. A very bizzare looking animal indeed, but Angora knew they would be the perfect prey. She knew it wasn't very sporty of her to wait until the two killed, or at least wounded each other like that, but she was hungry. This wasn't the time to think what was honorable or fair. She waited until the two were done fighting, being very cautious about her surrounding. Their screeching was quite loud, and she couldn't help but to think some animals might have the same idea as her. At least that part of the realm had trees, which would make it harder for animals like storm claws to land there, but then again, there could be other predators she still haven't seen yet. She was very alert...

As Latnok made his way back, he began to recall the dream he had with the insectoid man, or whatever the creature was. What did it mean? Was he just going insane? He couldn't take his mind off of that possibility - maybe the effects of the corruption wouldn't always be blatant. That was a problem for another time, however.
As Latnok walked back into the cave, Veris was already wide awake, visibly salivating as he yeed the meat. Latnok squatted, then stood up, tossing it forward. "Breakfast time, Veris." Veris attacked the mwat without question, devouring it within seconds, crunching bone, licking the blood off of his snout.
"Welcome back, Latnok," Sere greeted. "Have you had sufficient rest?"
"Yes, I have," Latnok said. "Ready to kill this thing and get it over with. Where is everyone else?" he asked, referring to those out of the cave.
"Angora is currently hunting, mosy likely, and according to Raclaw, so is Storm, though I am not counting on his return. Dex still has not returned."
"She's STILL hunting?" Latnok said incredulously, deducing that that is where Angora went in the morning. "Well, can't say I'm surprised. And Dex... would be nice to have him back here. Found some holes, which would probably be big enough for him, but not for me. From the look of the grass, herbivores live in them, similar to rabbits I'd imagine. Sort of like ferreting. Besides that, could use an extra set of eyes - and a nose - to survey the area."
"I would trust that he is not in too much trouble," Sere said. "I feel you may be underestimating Angora's capabilities somewhat, however. I would say that she's much more similar in intelligence to a troll shaman than a typical troll - her emotions set her back, but I feel that, with Maverick's help, she may manage them. I think you should try her again if you get the opportunity. I will not order you to, however - that is my feeling on the matter, though."
"I'm done wasting my time trying to squeeze juice out of a raisin. Speaking of which, how goes your efforts on the magic?" Latnok asked.
"I've managed to replicate some signatures, though without Neo myself, I don't believe that what I have yet will be effective - if it is, probably not nearly as much as the original. Still, a work in progress. We will be ready next time we face a similar threat."

OOC: Sorry for the late awkward past post.

---

Just as Sere patiently listened earlier, so too did Raclaw...
Quote: A Guy

"Executioner Narril... he was quite fond of rainbow fish himself... he would always celebrate with some, and share some with new acquaintances. Unfortunately, he ended up falling in battle to undead, from what I can recall." Sere lifted his head up. "That could be of significance. Unfortunately, we are too far away from the base for any further communication, and I do not have a messenger pigeon on me - our ability to work with this information will be limited until this is over. Nevertheless, I thank you for informing me. Though..." he paused, then looked Raclaw directly in the eye. "Please do take more care as to how you push your capabilities. This is a time we can ill afford to be careless."

"I.. I will be more careful in the future. And thank-you.," Raclaw had said sounding very sincere and looking Sere directly at where his eyes would've been behind the helmet. "This Executioner Narril had excellent tastes and I'm sorry to hear that he fell in battle, although I'm sure you have heard this many times from me by now. And about the lack of communication, I understand. We'll get to it when we get to it and just know that I truly appreciate everything that you have done for me-- and continue to do for me.," he had concluded.

While Angora waited for the two bizzare creatures to weaken each other, Maverick was waking up, stretching his scrawny body. He looked at himself.
"Whew. I'm still whole." he said, joking with himself. He felt like he has risked himself too much sleeping with a bunch of giant carnivores, but he decided to trust Racaw's word of safety and he was relieved it paid off. He thought he would've been squashed or eaten by one of the dragons, but he was very happy he managed to sleep without getting hurt. He then looked for Angora, and felt rather sad not seeing her in the cave. He wasn't worried however, knowing she could take care of herself, but he wanted to talk with her to see how much of her life he had missed.

"Morning.," Raclaw said with a slight smile noticing the fluffy human waking up from the corner of his provisual vision. After his extended watch and discussion with Sere, he was merely standing near the entrance and keeping an eye out for Storm or any of the other stranglers still outside. Whatever had been going on with the fur dragon when Maverick had previously seen him had seemingly passed and he appeared to be in good spirits-- or at least as much as one could be considering the circumstances. He knew that he still had many things to explain to the newcomer such as the true origin of his collar, but also knew that had time and he would simply answer Maverick's questions as they came up.

"Oh, hey there..." Maverick said mellowly, not certain how to describe him. He himself was a hybrid, but Raclaw looked like a griffin and dog mix. He claimed to be a fur dragon, so if he was a subspecies, he was too different. But he didn't judge. One wouldn't think of comparing a manatee with an elephant, even though they were actually from the same family.
"You don't happen to know where Angorita is, do you?" he asked, wanting to know now that Raclaw decided to open up a conversation. Him and Orion were the only dragons he felt comfortable with.

"Raclaw, Mav, good morning," Latnok said. "Don't intend to go catatonic today, do you Raclaw? We still have work to do, as soon as everyone else is done taking their sweet time hunting or whatever they do. Why can't they just... find something... kill it... and bring it right back, just like that? It's not hard." Latnok, from his experience hunting both as a living and from his time in the Guardians, had grown somewhat out of touch with how it typically went for others - many of the things involved in it were second-nature to him, and he had tools others did not have. "Anyway, considering we'll be here until they get back, and should probably check with that storm claw for the time the next storm is expected... what do you guys want to do? Hey, Mav, why don't you say hi to Veris?"
Veris, hearing his name, looked towards the group, paying special attention to Maverick as he brought his head closer.

"Angora's probably out hunting, as is Storm.," Raclaw said knowing the troll often went out to kill time and get some space. "And don't worry-- that was a one time thing and not something I intend to try again. At least not without reason and with certain precautions in place.," he then said looking at Latnok and knowing just how dangerous such a attempt could be if not done correctly.

"Welcome back.," Raclaw telepathically greeted upon the Storm Claw's return. It was now twice that Storm had left to go hunting-- and returned even though nothing was physically keeping him with the group. He had kept his promises and Raclaw had to give him credit for that.

Maverick didn't have the time to reply to Raclaw. He went silent and nervous when Veris got suddenly close like that. He didn't even noticed the storm claw returning.
"I'd... rather say hello from a distance..." Maverick said after recovering his voice, pushing his back against the wall. Veris was even more scary looking up close, especially with those eyes, and despite his dark coloration, Maverick could still spot the blood from his recent meal. Despite having seen how trained Sere had him, he was still too intimidating.

Meanwhile, the battle between the two wombat creatures was over, with one of them dropping dead from the combat. The other, while a winner, was terribly wounded. Angora didn't think it had much time left. So knowing another predator was probably going to get to it anyway, she activated the sword only halfway to resemble a knife and strikes, killing it instantly. She felt a little bad about it for a while, but shook it off quickly and carried both animals, using one arm for each of them. She accelerated her pace, not wanting to encounter any more predators that would want to steal her food like last time...

Sere looked on, somewhat amused at Maverick's recoiling. "Well, come on, then," he called out. "He won't bite. Isn't that right, Veris?" Veris looked back at Sere, nodding as he bared his teeth in an enthusiastic grin. "Why, I think you should try petting him," Sere said. Veris approached accordingly, to give Maverick the opportunity.

Raclaw closely watched as Veris approached, interested in seeing how Maverick would react. "He's honestly just like a big puppy once he gets to know you.," Raclaw gently said trying to encourage the hybrid and ease his fear.

Despite everyone's encouragement, Maverick was still skeptical.
"Mr. Latnok? You said he wouldn't hurt a human being unless he's ordered to. Perhaps you don't know, but I'm not... entirely human." Maverick explained, still too nervous around the giant wyvern. It was quite amazing how many, even other dragons, we're trying to encourage him to go along with it, but Maverick was simply too cautious. He was afraid that even under Sere's vigilance, the two legged dragon would get a little bit too exited in his approach and bite his arm off, or maybe just take him in whole.

"Not... quite human?" Latnok said, having had the tiniest suspicion, but nothing more. "What are you, then...? Well, whatever you are, we're not quite human ourselves, so you'll be fine. Hell, he doesn't even bother the troll." In an attempt to encourage Maverick, Veris gave him a friendly lick across his body, not quite knowing the implications.
"Don't get carried away now, Veris," Sere said. "That's probably a bit too friendly for our friend here. But... he will not hurt you. That much, I can promise."

Maverick stood still, not knowing if the lick was a friendly gesture or just a taste. He hated feeling this paranoid, especially since he was most likely causing a bad impression, but for somebody who has never seen dragons until yesterday, the attention was too much.
"Actually, I have some fawn ancestry. Sure, I don't have the goat legs, but all this hair? It's not something a pure human would have, at least not like this." Maverick explained, rather worried that Latnok would start treating him differently. Given his treatment with Angora, even somebody as careless as Maverick was smart enough to know he had some unfortunate racism, but fawns were gentle, peaceful creatures with very few hating them, and Maverick knew for a fact that it was the reason why others bullied them.

While explaining, Maverick looked at Veris in the eyes, and then closed his own, wanting to trust the wyvern but also to show he was willing to trust him. Plus with closed eyes, Maverick wouldn't be able to see him and perhaps not feel so scared.

Veris brought his head closer to Maverick, rubbing him with his snout as a show of friendship.
"Ahh, that explains it..." Latnok muttered. "But weren't fawns wiped out centuries ago? By humans, no less?"
"Not quite," Sere said. "The conquest wasn't quite a genocide - at least not in the end. Some pitied them, and fawns eventually blended in with those who did. What is left of them is mostly interbred with humans, with Maverick being one such example."
"Wait... you mean you knew, and didn't tell me?" Latnok asked.
"It wasn't really important," Sere said. "Besides, I wasn't certain myself. Nonetheless, fawns are a sad example of the hostility we humans are capable of, and an example of why one cannot just hope for peace without being capable of defending said peace against those who would seek to destroy it."
"Ah... well, must've been a pretty curious bloke that lead to the first hybrid," Latnok joked. Maverick's difference didn't much register to him at this point, fawns being a race he had never had issues with in the past. "That's not anything to worry about, though. You're one of us, now! Veris won't eat you - give him a chance!"

Maverick slowly opened his eyes after feeling Veris' touching him and breathing up close. Even though he was still nervous, he was slowly convincing himself that Veris meant him no harm. While letting the wyvern be the one to approach him, Maverick seemed interested in what Sere just said.
"Oh, so you know that story? Indeed, fawns were almost wiped out centuries ago. I learned about it in my days as a traveling merchant. Apparently, they were just too peaceful, and unfortunately, they also had many riches that made them constant targets. But at least they got the help they needed. Still... I don't know if they're pure fawns out there." Maverick said, never having seen one. He believed that all that was left were hybrids like himself, and that purebred fawns were a thing of the past.

Near the cave, Angora was finally returning, exhausted to no end. She encountered a giant worm that almost took her in with prey and all, and even though she managed to kill it with the sword, she soon encountered what looked like a green tiger with small, useless wings that tried to steal her prey. One of the wombat creatures was missing a leg, courtesy of that tiger, and even though she couldn't kill it, she managed to scare it off, but not before it could take part of her kill. Her hunting life wasn't easy, a bad luck she attributed once more to her exceedingly tiny size.

Veris, satisfied, pulled his head back to give Maverick some space, then returned to drinking the water Eere had condensed for him.
"Unfortunately, I have not had any evidence of the existence of pure fawns," Sere said. "IF they do exist, then they would most likely either be using powerful magic or living in areas too hazardous or barren for anyone to want to even pass through. But yes... I have much historical knowledge, especially in regards to the rise and fall of civilizations and races. Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it. The stakes are too high to make needless mistakes "
"Which is why I would highly suggest getting more effective means of defending yourself..." Latnok added on, as he noted Angora's entry in the corner of his eye. Seems she was... successful? For her size? Nothing to write home about, but it would keep her fed. "Nevermind that. See, Veris didn't eat you. Nothing to fear. One of us."

"Well, if pure fawns do still exist, we can't blame them for wanting to hide, especially if they know their history." Maverick admitted, believing that they still existed and were simply keeping their existence a secret for their own sakes. He breathed a sigh of relief when Veris decided to give him some space, really appreciated how respectful the wyvern was. Now that he was out of the way, he could finally see Angora returning.
"Angorita! Hola! How did it go... and why are you so slimy?" Maverick asked, really happy to see her, but at the same time concerned. She didn't look injured, but she was evidently exhausted.
"Malo! I'm seriously not in the mood! I had a lousy, forsaken morning, so just please get out of the way." Angora said, politely but bitterly, just wanting to enjoy her meal in peace. The hunt was very easy this time. It was returning home the harsh part. The ever kind Maverick did as told and gave her space, wanting her to eat and give her some time to cool off. It was admirable how someone her size could get her own meal all by herself, but based on her appearance, it became obvious it was no easy task.

Veris was not quite as polite as Maverick. Smelling the exotic meat, he approached Angora - detecting the slime on her, he shamelessly began licking her.
"Easy, now, Veris," Sere commanded. "Latnok just gave you an entire animal." Veris pulled back, and went back to drinking his water.
"So that's everyone accounted for... except Dex," Latnok announced. "I'm sure that he'll make his way back to us, though. We should get ready to move, if we aren't already. There's still plenty of leftover food, and water isn't far from here. Hey, Raclaw, please ask that thing when the next storm is," he requested, motioning to Storm.

"Great! Now I have worm AND wyvern slime!" Angora said angrily as she tried to rub herself clean, hating just how disastrous her day began. Maverick went to his bag and handed her a towel, and despite giving him an annoyed glance, she accepted it. It wasn't enough to clean her, but she was in a far better state than before. She returned the slimy towel with a simple grunt as thanks, and then proceeded to go to her corner, but not before giving the drinking wyvern a glare.
"Keep dreaming you beast, cause I'm not going to give you anything this time." she said as she threw the dead creatures to her corner, refusing to share a bite. She didn't believed Veris licked her just because he was happy to see her. She was certain he did it to beg for food. As Maverick put the disgusting towel away, he was quite surprised, and rather amused to see Angora acting all rude towards Veris himself. Even the gluttonous wyvern wasn't safe from her bitterness.

Raclaw nodded and looked towards Storm. "Hey Storm-- we're going to be moving out soon. You wouldn't happen to know when the next storm is coming in, would you?," he gently asked the Storm Claw via telepathy. He looked at Angora's slimy arrival with a slight smile and internal laugh. Poor veris didn't know when to back off or when to hold back his massive appetite; not that he could or even wanted to. As he spoke to Storm, he spoke in a kind manner and phased the Guardians' requests as just that-- requests and not straight up demands. He knew the creature could technically leave anytime he wanted and knew that he was staying with them now more out of goodwill than anything else.

Latnok let out a slight chuckle at the scene, finding Veris' "greeting" and the reaction to it somwwhat amusing. There was another matter, however; though he wasn't going to waste his time with Angora, he had absolutely no faith in her to keep her word, considering her past hypocrisy.
"Things haven't changed," he telepathed to Raclaw. "If I sense the slightest change in the link witb you and me, or even suspect that you're speaking with the troll out of my oresence, I'll rake that as a sign that you have absolutely no concern for the the integrity of the link, and I will sever it."

Finally at peace, Angora took out her sword, and bringing it to knife size again, she began cutting up the meat in a similar fashion to Latnok earlier. It was a clean, near professional cut, except she left the belly intact to avoid gutting. She wanted to demonstrate she could also be civilized during meal time, but at the same time have pieces of meat small enough to statch away in her improvised bag. It took her just ten minutes to cut everything, since Neo's sword could do perfect cuts without having to rub it off like ordinary knives. Now finally done, it was time to eat. She put away the meat she would leave for earlier, but as she fed, she kept a close eye on Veris, glaring at him from time to time. She didn't want to risk him stealing away part of the meat while she doesn't look. It has happened many times before in the past, and considering his unscrupulous greed for food, she believed him capable of doing such a thing.

"You won't have to worry about that.," Raclaw simply replied wishing that the two could simply settle their differences. Their arguments had grown from just that to something worse-- absolute silence. They were at least talking before and had even managed to teach each other a couple things. Now, however, they were completely ignoring each other and as usual-- he was caught in the middle. He knew that he needed the link and he knew that he had little choice but to comply.

Angora ate peacefully and slowly, wanting to savor every bite without interruptions. She ignored everybody, especially Latnok, and was only keeping an eye on Veris. She was determined to fulfill her end of the bargain as long as Larnok respected his side. It would be as if he didn't exist, or as if he was just a cockroach passing by.

While she had her meal, Maverick felt very out of place in that group. The tension was extreme there, and he had no doubt it was because of Angora and Latnok. He wanted to do something to make the atmosphere more pleasant, but no ideas came. He has only been there for a day, and he felt so clueless. Once again, he wondered why Angora was with that group. Why was she even in that realm in the first place? Was she working for them like back then with his father and the crew? Or was it something worse? Was she enslaved? Imprisoned? Perhaps under threat? If he she hated being in that group so much, why did she kept hanging around with them? Maverick wanted to find out.
"So then... this is... quite a varied group. Foxes, humans, some strange couple of creatures, many kinds of dragons... and even a troll. Heh, it must've been a curious event how you all got together." Maverick said to Raclaw, hoping he could start a conversation that would enlighten him to just what in blazes was going on there.

Raclaw was glad that Maverick had attempted to break the ice-- and would answer the question to the best of his ability. "Some of us were here since the beginning after an incident involving an volcano and an unknown explosion. This was how I joined up, as I volunteered to investigate the explosion on the behalf of those who once raised me. Through this encounter-- Angora, Shade, and the almighty Orion joined as well. It was there that we learned about the creature called Darkmatter and that the universe itself was in danger. In our travels, some of our members parted ways while we gained new members along the way. This is how we encountered Dex, Star, and Darkheart. It was through an encounter with wildlife that we met up with Latnok, while later events would introduce us to Godfather Sere and his mount Veris. We took shelter once we stepped foot beyond that magic-blocking gate back there-- and ended up forming an agreement with Storm to help guide us. And through this need for shelter; the others you see here joined up as well.," he briefly explained cutting himself short when he received an telepathic response from Storm. "Thank-you. Please keep us updated if that changes.," he thanked Storm via telepathy.

"According to Storm, there is no storm coming-- only wind. We can leave whenever we're ready.," he then announced.

Maverick understood about when the group joined, but he was at a loss when the Darkmatter was mentioned. What could be so bad that threatened the universe? A natural disaster they wanted to prevent? Or something else? Nevertheless, the former pirate decided to ask Angora about it later, and concentrated on knowing more about her and her ties to the group.
"I see. Bueno, but what was a Angora doing investigating a volcano? It's not like her to venture into something she knows is dangerous. And, what is... what is she doing traveling in a group? She is more of a loner, and you don't have to be clairvoyant to know she doesn't like señor Latnok at all." Maverick said, straight to the point, whispering those last words. He didn't want Latnok to misinterpreted his mentioning as Maverick talking bad about him, so he decided it was better to speak in a low voice.

Angora was almost done eating, without lowering her guard. Veris looked like an innocent creature with his created watering hole, but she couldn't help but to think he was waiting for her to flinch so he could steal part of the food, maybe even use his pointy tail as a fork. When it comes to food, she believed the wyvern was that smart and resourceful.

"When we first encountered her near the sight of the explosion, I believe she was initially trying to steal something and take advantage of the ongoing distraction. However, her efforts didn't go unnoticed and Orion saw something in her. He granted her with a gift; a magical lantern that needed no oil and processed certain unique qualities. It was only until later that we discovered that this lantern was actually the vessel of a spirit guardian who goes by the name of Neo. This-- this Neo believe that she will be the one to defeat the darkness and thus has chosen to help aide her in this quest. This is why she currently travels with the group and I also believe that she sees this as an opportunity to prove herself-- to humans and to the world as a whole.," Raclaw carefully explained matching the quieter tone of Maverick and avoiding any direct reference of the ongoing Latnok/Angora standstill.

Maverick was having a hard time processing everything. No doubt he missed way too much, although he wasn't surprised to know Angora wanted to steal. She was quite the thief on his father's ship.
"Oh, this is... quite a lot to take in. Defeat the darkness? Chosen? Heh, it all sounds like those knights and wizards books that plague children libraries." Maverick said, finding it all difficult to believe. But Raclaw didn't seemed like someone that would invent stories or mess with someone, and since a bizzare realm like the one they were currently in existed, the young man was becoming more open minded about everything.
"I get it now. That's why señor Latnok is so hard on Angorita. He wants to test her, doesn't he? But I think he's doing it way too harshly. I know Angorita can be a bit of a jerk, but she had a very sad life, and even so, she always means good in the end." Maverick expressed, still in a low voice. Once again, he tried to excuse Latnok's behavior and find the best of him, but at the same time demonstrate just how fond he was of the bitter little troll. However, if it was the truth that Angora had such a heavy task at hand, Maverick believed Latnok was teaching her the the wrong way. He could understand structure and strictness, but Latnok was sometimes downright mean to her and Maverick didn't like it.

"It sounds crazy I know-- but it's true.," Raclaw said briefly pausing before addressing the subject of Angora again. "She's never given too much detail about her life prior to all of this, but I've gathered as much and I can tell that she is trying. She feels alone and at times-- as if the whole world wants to see her fail. And about Latnok, he has a lot on his plate. I'm not the only one dealing with corruption and if it wasn't for the structure that his presence provides in the mental link-- Shade and I would be a lot worse off. He may have his Guardian training, but he is not used to handling the stress related to carrying such a mental burden.," Raclaw responded retaining the same tone and seemingly almost defending the Guardian. He felt for Angora, but he also felt for Latnok as well. In a perfect world, the two would simply get along and see what made the other tick. Alas, that world was not this world..

"Well, her own family banished her. Her own parents, and brother, who are suppose to be her protectors and friends, didn't even supported her. My father... he was a monster... but... at least he took care of me. He was my family. I had his support. Señor Latnok may not have a pleasant past, but at least he seems to be doing fine now. He has the Guardians, and señor Sere, and the wyvern. Angorita... she only had me... and I abandoned her..." Maverick said with a lowered head, the fact still haunting him. It was a regret that he was certain was going to live with for the rest of his life. He said those words in a normal voice in hopes that Lantok would hear this time and finally understand her. Angora's antagonism towards Maverick was understandable, and he didn't blame her. If somebody knew just how close they were before, it was no wonder why she felt so betrayed.

Angora was hearings everything from her corner. Her cheeks inflated her, containing her need to scream to shut him up, but she was worried she would ended up talking bad about Latnok as usual and dishonor the deal. She desisted, distracting herself by statching away the remaining meat, but not before ripping part of her rags to use the cloth as ear plugs so she wouldn't hear anything else.

Latnok overheard bits and pieces of the conversation, most notably the part Maverick intended him to hear. He wouldn't want to be overheard himself, however. Speaking to Raclaw and Maverick telepathically, he said "Let me ask you... how do you think I got my position in the Guardians? Do you think it was by constantly sulking, refusing to better myself, and biting the hand that feeds? Do you think the Guardians just took pity on me after I was nothing but hostile? No. I worked for it, and to say that I 'had the Guardians' as an excuse for the troll is honestly insulting to me and everything I've done to be who I am. I trained and absorbed knowledge, knew my place, and did my job without complaints. That is why I am what I am today. Not because anyone pitied my past. But because I worked to make a better future. I will never, ever pity anyone just because they had a rough past. Never."

Maverick was already used to the idea of speaking telepathically, so he said nothing about it. Instead, after Latnok was done, Maverick glanced at him, with a look that almost looked like pity and disappointment. He was beginning to think that Angora was right. Latnok was beyond reason, and with the way he acted, it was as if his word and views were the only ones that counted, nobody else's. It was becoming clear that he expected everyone to see things his way. If Raclaw was right and Angora was destined to save them all from this dastard evil, how was that not working for a better future? In fact, that was about to save the future so that everyone could have one. But Latnok admitted so himself that he despised Angora for being a troll, and even though he said not anymore, Maverick doubted that was really the case. Nothing sadder than someone who despised you for being born a certain species. So he decided to give up in trying to be reasonable with the younger Guardian, and decided to continue talking to Raclaw.

"Angorita may be moody and bitter, but she's a good lass deep inside. Try talking to her from time to time my fluffy amigo. All she needs is patience and a little kindness. You'd be surprised." Maverick encouraged, still remembering the fond memories he had with her, when he finally managed to soften up that rocky heart of hers. She was like an entirely different being. Even if he had to start from zero due to his abandonment, he was willing to do so. He abandoned her once, but now that destiny was kind enough to encounter her again, never again.