darkSpyro

As the light cleared and Darkmatter laid defeated, its head seemingly cleanly cut off by the little Angora-- Raclaw immediately reigned in the mental barrier to its previous state and looked down at the large dragon corpse in amazement. "Is... is it done?," Raclaw said in awe landing beside Shade and Angora. He had hoped that the little troll would be able to do it, but hadn't completely expected it to actually work. 'Had we actually managed to defeat the darkness? And if it is truly dead-- what remains of the corruption?,' he thought as looked at the very much cut off head. Or at least-- so it seemed.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

When the light cleared Darkmatter lay defeated with its head chopped off.

Shade was still in a fighting stance just in case. He growled.

Maverick went green with sickness after witnessing the beheading. He has killed before in his pirate days to please his father and as self defense, but never in such a gruesome way, and he loathed those days. His shock went away when Angora, awed and unable to believe what happened, collapsed with the close call.
"Angorita!" Maverick yelled as he passed besides Shade, Raclaw and the dark being's head, picking up the little troll's head and gently slapping her face to wake her up. She opened her eyes, but they looked... unresponsive. As if she was in a trance. She dizzily watched the scene before her, and could barely believe it. Was it really over? Has it really been that quick? Or was her mind projecting what she wanted to see? Or maybe they were all dead and this is what she was seeing? She didn't think she could've succeeded, especially this quickly. She was unable to speak despite Maverick's gentle encouragement.

Latnok, feeling significantly less pressured upon the creature's apparent destruction, let the effects of the brew wear off once again, with Sere following suit. "Veris, to me," Sere called out, with Veris flying in soon afterwards.
"Well, that... that's it... I guess," Latnok said, breathing heavily as a result of the brew taking its toll on his body. "Or at least it seems that way." He couldn't believe that it was over that quickly - especially with Angora not only stepping up, but casting magic appropriately. The exact opposite of what he thought would happen.
Veris walked over to the corpse. He took a bite - but soon spat the meat right back out, gagging.
"We would do well not to let our guard down yet..." Sere said. "Orion, Neo, would either of you happen to know if the mission is over?"

Dex had the feeling that this could not be it. But he did not say anything, he just made sure he was ready for a surprise attack.

Angora went out of her daze and got up with Maverick's help. She still felt dizzy and fatigued.
"This is it, huh? Is... Is it really over?" she asked, expecting both Orion and Neo to answer. She was under the impression that she would keep the magic sword and armor after everything was over, but it seemed like it served one purpose alone and that was it.

Celebration was out of Angora's league right now. She didn't liked Neo at first, but she was startin to get used to his presence. He said that he would have to be part of ther for the rest of times, but it was a lie. Just like Maverick before him. Feeling lousy, she didn't feel like partying, or enjoying the much better scenery. With Darkmatter finally destroyed, she knew what she wanted to do now.
She got up, all wonky and refusing Maverick's help, began to walk away.
"Hey hey Angorita! Where are you going? Come on, you just did something extraordinary! Fantastico! You can't leave yet." Maverick said as he tried to pull her to the group again, but she just slapped his hand.
"Malo, I just faced a world destroying abomination. My magic is gone. But above all, I'm not bound to this infernal group anymore! That is the deal!" Angora said, feeling depressed. Maverick couldn't understand why. She just saved the world and proved herself to everybody present, yet she didn't want to celebrate such a major event. She just pushed Maverick again,mand turning her back on everybody, she shed a single tear, starting to miss Neo already.

Latnok and Sere looked on, as the whole scene unfolded. The feeling of success... the abomination finally destroyed... it was over. It was finally over. And now was the time to celebrate.
"Haha.. it's done. Amazing work. So how about that party, then?" Latnok asked.
"We'll certainly be doing our fair share of drinking and storytelling," Sere said. "Besides... you have the Pioneer medal to look forward to."
"Ah.. I forgot all about that!" Latnok said.
"Besides that, we will need some time to recover our powers after using the dragon brews," Sere said. "I would say a month or two of rest and relaxation should do us well. That will also allow me time to make some arrangements in preparation for travel to Falcon's Beak... which you will be attending me in."
"I knew it..."
"Angora, Maverick, there i something I wish to offer to you two, that may prove useful on your travels," Sere telepathed to the two.

Raclaw watched as the sword faded and the lush landscape of the cosmos gateway returned-- it.. it was beautiful. So it was true then; we have actually done it and had managed to defeat Darkmatter.,' he thought to himself. As Maverick tried to convince Angora, he knew that the troll has made up her mind and that once it was set-- there was no changing it. And so instead of possibly making things worse, he turned his attention towards Shade instead. "Shade, how do you feel? Can you still feel the corruption inside you?," he asked via telepathy knowing that Latnok would be able to hear the Dark Dragolet's response as well. That very response would likely determine the fate of the linked trio-- including what would happen to them after any immediate celebrations; and before Falcon's Beak.

Maverick looked at Sere, very curious on what he could offer. It could be anything amazing. Perhaps a magical artifact, an armor, or better. Angora however, wasn't interested. She just wanted to get out of there as fast as she could and return to the lonely, tranquil life she had. But Maverick begged her to stay just a little longer.
"Come on Angorita. Por favor! Just a few minutes!" he said, wanting her to enjoy this victory even if it was for just a little while. She knew Maverick was going to keep pestering her if she didn't agreed, so she obliged just so he would leave her alone. She retunred to the group begrudgingly, glaring at Veris. She saw when he attempted to feast on the beast's awful meat, but her daze didn't let her say anything until now.

"Serves you right." she whispered to the wyvern, glad to know he was finally repulsed by something. Maybe that'll teach him not to greedily consume everything all the time.

Sere grabbed his bag from Veris, and, after fishing around, produced two medallions - constructed of silver, with some rubies encrusting the edges, and strung with chains. It had the image of the logo of the Ardent Guardians on the top, as well as his signature, but the bottom portion was blank. Sere began focusing a small, strong beam of light on one medallion, moving it around to engrave something, a process repeated with the other. Once that was complete, he brought each medallion to his mouth individually, whispering a brief spell. When he was done, he presented one in each hand, one with Maverick's name and race, and one with Angora's.
"This is an award we present to those who are not a part of our organization, or of an organization allied with us, yet were great allies in time of need. Rubbing it will produce my voice reading off a citation of who you are and what you helped us with. The signature - both etched and magical - identify it as coming from me.
"With this, we, and those who know us, will know you as people that I myself put my trust in, and will treat you accordingly. This should make getting through some parts of the world easier; bandits are less likely to rob you if they know that they'll have us to answer to, and you in particular, Angora, should find that you will be accepted in certain places, such as the nation of Aelinon, that would normally not. As for you, Maverick... you will be able to get a horse from us by presenting this to one of our stables. Our stables are located above ground, near the area of our stronghold."

Maverick was very exited with the gift. It made him feel special and heroic. He went from a dirty pirate to a hero recognized by a pristine organization. Angora however, had other thoughts.
"So... how do we know this isn't some sort of locator?" she said indifferently, believing this medallion was just it's disguise and that Sere meant to track their every move. Maverick was flustered, and this was the first time since joining that group that he became genuinely angry at Angora.
"You've got to be kidding me Angorita! This is probably the first time you're ever recognized like this and you're still too paranoid to believe somebody appreciates your good deed! Come on! You can't be that pessimist all the time! Won't you accept that somebody actually cares that you did something heroic as is giving you an award for your great success?" Maverick said in a loud voice, surprising even Angora herself. Perhaps he was right. As much as she disliked Latnok, Sere was a much likeable man. She still resented him for allowing Latnok to bully her, but at least he was never mean to her, and he did stopped Latnok from wanting to control Shade and the free Raclaw. She still wasn't certain though, and felt like this was too much, so instead of putting the medal around her neck, she simply statched it away in her old bag, free of meat thanks to Maverick. She believed the medal was too overwhelming and wouldn't fit her, who returned to the same, old rags as before. Even her old staff was back, free of Neo's magic.

"I can see why you would be reluctant to accept it," Sere said. "But, as we are going our separate ways, and you are not enemies of ours, I have no need to have a locator on you. If you wish, you can take it to any hexsmith or other mage and they will be able to identify its magical properties for you; or you can simply refuse it. The choice is yours."
"Ungrateful as ever, of course..." Latnok said. "Still leagues away from what I would call a good person, and one good moment doesn't suddenly invalidate a trend of terrible behavior. But, as a warrior... not bad. You exceeded my expectations. You stepped up, didn't submit, didn't run away, and trusted us to do our part as you did yours. Maybe practice some more magic, so you can analyze enchanted jewelry yourself. Whether you seek to better yourself or go back to hiding, that is none of my concern. But you have the opportunity. You should take advantage of it." Angora had done all he could have asked for in the situation; he was glad to be rid of her. Yet he always did feel some sort of satisfaction about teaching people things which could help them later in life...
Veris, happy as ever, brought his head down and gave Angora a solid lick, his mouth still reeking of Darkmatter.

Angora was about to reply to Latnok, but decided to stop when he complimented her... if that could ever be called that. Him acknowledging her and admitting she did good must've been like drinking poison to him, and it made her grin with pleasure. She had no doubt he never had any faith in her, or maybe even thought she would betray them, so she was quite happy she managed to prove him so wrong. The moment was ruined when Veris got her all slobbered like last time.
"Ugh, again!? You stupid beast!" she said, trying to clean herself. With the dark being's meat, the wyvern's breath and saliva was even worse. Maverick on the other hand, was very amused, and started to laugh under his breath. Just when he thought Shade was the only one who liked her. Angora noticed and punched him on the arm, but that just made him snicker even more.
"Don't start! That... wyvern didn't do it because it likes me. He did it to take that horrible taste from it's mouth!" Angora assured, but Maverick didn't believe her. He wasn't angry at her anymore and was instead having fun at her displease. Maybe there was no reason to fear the giant mount if even he liked Angora that much.

The moment turned to awe when the two biggest dragons began to bow to her, showing how much they really appreciated her deed. She sighed, having nothing to say, and went even more silence when Shade told her about the sword. Why was it glowing again? Wasn't Neo resting? Without waiting for anyone to talk, Angkra got up and went towards it. She wasn't certain whether to puck her up, but did touched the handle, wondering if Neo was still there somewhere...

Raclaw had began to show respect and perhaps say a few last words when the sword started glowing. He watched, curious as to what was about to happen-- and how Angora would react.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

When Angora touched the handle Neo appeared before her and he had a big smile on his face. He bowed in respect as well. “Thank you for all that you have done.” He held out his hand. “I wish to be with you on your travels.”

Angora scowled, having believed she would never see Neo again. Why was he here when Lrion said he would be slumbering? Was it his desire to go with her and continue protecting her? She didn't know, and didn't even want to.
"I'm not sure. I suppose..." Angora said with aside glances to avoid eye contact. Maverick knew her long enough to know what that meant. She did wanted Neo to come, but was too proud to say something as easy as yes, especially in that large group. Nobody noticed when she shed that tear for Neo, and was better if nobody ever knew. She would just die of embarrassment, and her pride was all a tiny creature like her had.

"Well, isn't that a wonderful thing," Sere said to Angora. "You should be well-equipped for further adventures, then. I wish you the best of luck."
"Wait... one more thing," Latnok added. "Since you cast a force bolt, I will keep my word, qnd teach you how to cast force deflect, or at least give you a base understanding of it. For force deflect, you will be focusing power in one hand, typically your off-hand. The focus is on blocking whatever is coming at you. The invocation is a wave of your arm, as if you were swatting something away. The angle of the projectile relative to the angle of the temporary 'wall' formed in the direction you cast it will determine where the projectile is deflected to, and how much of the impact you bear on your body. The main advantage over a shield is that you don't have to bear the full force of whatever you're blocking, and you won't have projectiles such as some of my arrows detonating on impact. Don't expect it to protect against anything that's not really substantial, like fire and gases.
"In fact... considering the nature of your shield, you should be able to combine the two for the best of both worlds. If you intend to use it, though, I would highly recommend getting some good practice in before trying it in a life or death situation." Latnok realized that he might have thrown quite a bit of information at once at Angora - she did not have the kind of experience he had. "So do you need me to write this down for you, or do you think you can remember it? Or do you just not care? Either way, I kept my word."

Angora looked at Latnok, but she was more indifferent than annoyed.
"I can't believe you're still insisting on that! The deal was that once I defeated this menace, I wouldn't be bound to any of you anymore! Well, that is fulfilled. Now I don't have to see YOU, nor you have to see ME! Aren't you happy about that? Isn't it enough?" Angora said in a neutral voice, not being rude but not very kind either. Why would Latnok would want to continue to teach her when it was clear how much he despised her?

Maverick didn't know what to say this time. It was obvious there was some bad blood between them, perhaps far worse than long before he arrived. He started to suspect Angora wanted to leave the group only to avoid seeing Latnok. He didn't find her resenting anyone else but him.

"We are done," Latnok said. "That information is all you need. But if you want to hold a grudge, feel free to. Maybe somewhere along the way you'll actually become a respectable person. Or your tendency to ruminate on the past when it serves no purpose may lead to your comeuppance. Whether you do or not is none of my concern. I kept my word - I gave you the information."
"Well, then, are we all ready to depart this place?" Sere asked. "I would not risk flying here, due to the sporadic weather, but we should be able to manage on the ground." Veris perked up on the mention of flying, though his demeanor changed back to normal soon afterwards.

Dex walked to Sere not paying any attention to what was happening with others. " I guess my job is done then? I will say you did not have much use for my skills, but I guess you knew that might happen".

Maverick was discouraged to see how everyone already wanted to go their separate ways. He looked at Dex, one of the members he never introduced himself to.
"Hey little fox? You're not leaving too, aren't you?" he asked, not wanting the group to separate already when they have just done something extraordinary. His suspiscions about Angora were true. She has grown so used to that group, that she really didn't want to leave, but Latnok insulted, offended and bullied her too many times. She knew that holding a grudge was hurtful, but she just couldn't let go of all the hatred. All the resentments she felt for this human that belittled her so much.

"Well, he, at the very least, has to get the compensation I offered him," Sere said. "I have some money, but not enough to adequately offer payment for such a service here; we will have to return to the base."
"Well, that was... pretty easy," Latnok said. "Though I doubt such a creature would have been able to stand up to the Void Breaker. Anyway, we'll have quite the story to tell when we get back! The thinfs we had to put up with..."
"I do wonder what would have happened during our absence," Sere interjected. "Last I know, there were rumors of Aelinon preparing its army for an incursion into orc and troll territory. Would you happen to recall a rash of smallpox outbreaks in Aelinon colonies recently?"
"Of course," Latnok said.
"Well, the Silent Spear, after some intense searching, found smallpox samples in an orc holding. From what I know, the new king sees this as the last straw, and intends to launch a massige incursion into so-called 'blighter' territory, and completely destroy their ability to ever launch any dort of attack on the nation ever again."
"Hah! I'm surprised they haven't already done it," Latnok said. "Though something on that scale isn't our problem."
"Maybe not directly," Sere said, "but we will have to be vigilant for knock-on effects."

Angora was about to leave, but stopped abruptly at the mentioning of trolls.
"Trolls señor Sere?" Maverick asked, almost as if he read Angora's mind. He then looked at the little one with hope.
"Oye Angorita. If they're trolls there, maybe your family is among them. You can return to them. Isn't that what you want? Now that you are more powerful and important, they won't have any reason to banish you. You can go with them far away from that war." Maverick said innocently, wanting Angora to be happy and return to her family. Even if it meant parting ways again, he was willing to do so if that meant Angora happy.
"That... won't happen. You Sere, tell that Aelinon place I wish them luck. I hope they wipe them all!" Angora said with hatred, with Maverick flinching with such a cruel response. Did she really hated her family? Or, even her own kind?
"Angorita, that's a little harsh. Your family could be there..." Maverick said, merely speculating to give her hope, but she was having none of it.
"So? They'd deserve it." she responded in a sour tone, silencing Maverick. She really must've taken it so hard being banished by her own family. The little troll really was a resentful creature.

Sere was somewhat taken aback at Angora's display of cruelty, though Latnok was unfazed. "I would expect that such a move would result in nothing short of massive devastation to the orc and troll population, if not complete extermination, depending on how the king and his council determine the criteria for never being able to launch an attack again," Sere said. "The Aelinonians may possibly suffer major fatalities, depending on whether the various orc and troll factions can rally. I do not expect the war to push any further into Aelinon territory than the border.
"Fighting like this is a major shame; maybe one day, we will never have to deal with fighting again. Unfortunately, the hostile nature of orcs and trolls may have caused them to push one too many times against a nation which can more than fight back. Deliberately spreading smallpox to humans is probably the most brazen move they have ever done; though it does not really seem to be of their nature..."
"Their fault for not knowing how to adapt," Latnok said. "I don't know what they thought would happen. Acting like they still have dragons backing them, like Redwater and Vonterr never happened. They're not on top of the world anymore. Blighters are much like oaks; sometimes too unchanging for their own good. They stand their ground, but they'll break when the storm hits while others bend and adapt."
"Either way, this shouldn't affect our trip to Redwater," Sere said. "Maybe some more security to put up with, but that's about it."

Maverick looked at Angora with some concern, wondering why she would have so much hatred not only for her family, but to her own kind as well. He then addressed to Sere.
"Is war really that necessary? Can't you give them this awful scare or something? Anything that would make them leave you in peace?" he suggested, knowing that violence generated more violence. He lived most of his life in the ocean, stuck with one pirate war after another. It really was discouraging how land had wars as well. Why couldn't anyone get along?

"We do not control the actions of the Aelinonian government," Sere said matter-of-factly. "We are not within their jurisdiction, except that, like everyone else, we follow their laws while in their land. It is out of our hands - and large-scale war is generally something we stay out of. Besides, a case like this, with the spreading of smallpox is a rather blatant effort to cause indiscriminate death and suffering to human Aelinonians. Not something which will be taken lightly."
"Didn't I already tell you as much, Mav?" Latnok said, somewhat irritated. "Unless you think we can just go up to the king and ask him to stop a massive war. We can get favors, but our power doesn't extend anywhere near that much."

Noticing Latnok's irritation, Maverick decided not to press the matter further. Still, he believed there had to be some way to convince the government not to resort to genoscide. There was always a solution to everything, just many people decided for the painful way.
"Well... you can... still try." was all Maverick said, but Angora was getting tired of the conversation.
"All right all right. This has been fun. Very educational. I pleased you Malo. I stayed for a while like you wanted, but now is time I leave." Angora said, starting to get really annoyed. But Maverick had other plans.
"Oh come on Angorita! We can't just go randomly anywhere. I'm going to get a horse, remember? And if you come, maybe there's something for you too." Maverick said, trying to encourage her to go with him so that more Guardians could know about her heroic act today and gain the appreciation and respect she has always seeked, but Angora wanted nothing to do with them.
"Are you kidding? Me? In Guardian territory? They will spear me first and ask questions later!" she said, believing that if they were anything like Latnok, they would kill her on sight.
"I'm leaving now. If you want to come, don't linger here too long!" she warned, getting further away from the group and stopping near the realm's exit to give Maverick a chance to either say goodbye or make a decision.

The young hybrid simply sighed, starting to believe that he indeed had to start from zero with her.
"Well señor Sere. There is no changing her mind. I'm really grateful for all you did, and for offering me that horse. But I must decline. I thank you for this medal, but honestly, I did nothing in this battle. I will treasure it though. I can put it on along with my mother's small medallion." Maverick said kindly, putting it around his neck and showing for the first time the small, gold medallion he kept hidden under his shirt. It was the only thing he ever had from his mother, and his most prized treasure.

"The fact that - despite being on other business and having no obligation, not even receiving pay - you joined us for what very well have been a fatal encounter for you, with little more than a shield, speaks volumes of your character," Sere said. "That is much more than I could have asked from most others. You have earned it."
"While you're at it," Latnok said, "you might want to make sure that the troll wears the medal near Aelinonian territory, or near the battlefield, unless she's looking to get attacked. You may want to make sure she shows some damned manners too - the soldiers won't take kindly to insults from a 'blighter' - what Aelinonians call trolls, orcs, goblins, and other such races - and, if you fight back in retaliation, even if you are victorious, the Silent Spear will no doubt hunt you down and kill you, even if they have to go to hell and back to find you. If she does start something, at least distance yourself from her. She's free to throw her life away; I wouldn't recommend you throw yours in there with her."
After a bit of scratching and gnawing, Veris had gotten a large, loose scale of his to shed. Biting it, he brought his head over to Maverick, presenting it to him with his teeth.
"I think Veris is giving that to you," Sere said. "You at least were willing to interact with him, despite your fear. Definitely something he was capable of identifying. Well, go ahead. It's yours."

Dex nodded to Sere and said "Then I will follow you there." Dex was thinking about answering Mavericks question, but in the end did not because he was clearly having other things to worry about already.

Quote: A Guy

"The fact that - despite being on other business and having no obligation, not even receiving pay - you joined us for what very well have been a fatal encounter for you, with little more than a shield, speaks volumes of your character," Sere said. "That is much more than I could have asked from most others. You have earned it."
"While you're at it," Latnok said, "you might want to make sure that the troll wears the medal near Aelinonian territory, or near the battlefield, unless she's looking to get attacked. You may want to make sure she shows some damned manners too - the soldiers won't take kindly to insults from a 'blighter' - what Aelinonians call trolls, orcs, goblins, and other such races - and, if you fight back in retaliation, even if you are victorious, the Silent Spear will no doubt hunt you down and kill you, even if they have to go to hell and back to find you. If she does start something, at least distance yourself from her. She's free to throw her life away; I wouldn't recommend you throw yours in there with her."
After a bit of scratching and gnawing, Veris had gotten a large, loose scale of his to shed. Biting it, he brought his head over to Maverick, presenting it to him with his teeth.
"I think Veris is giving that to you," Sere said. "You at least were willing to interact with him, despite your fear. Definitely something he was capable of identifying. Well, go ahead. It's yours."

"Oh, well, thank you..." Maverick said, still nervous around Veris but not as fearful as before. But he didn't have the time to enjoy it any further since he was very uneasy with what Latnok said.
"Come on señor Latnok. Angorita just saved us all from that monster, and you still treat her so badly. I've heard how horrible trolls are, but you finally meet one that is good... well, maybe bitter and rude, but good nonetheless." Maverick said, knowing Angora was no white dove, but she was in no way evil either. What's more, she was now a hero. He couldn't explain why Latnok was still treating her that way. But what she said next came as a shocking surprise to him.

"Leave him alone Malo! He knows what he's doing! Let him hate trolls for all I care! They're monsters! You have no idea how much their reputation is justified!" she yelled, getting red, tears eyes. It was around this time that she finally snapped. She was determined to leave.
"I give up Latnok! There's really no way around you! I'm sorry for whatever trolls did to you, but I wasn't around them! But never mind! You'll never see me again! I'll probably be killed along the way anyway! In fact..." she then took Sere's medallion from her bag and threw it towards the old Guardian.
"... Take it! I don't need that junk. Why do you think it will prevent me from getting attacked? Chances are they'll think I stole it, or that I somehow manipulated you into creating it for me! And you...!" she then turned to Maverick.
"You will do good listening to the wise advance! Come on Maverick! You're free now. Free of your father! You finally have have the chance to make something of your life, and you're choosing to hang out with a vulgar troll! Don't be stupid! You're better than that!" Angora rebuffed as she headed to the gate and begged to be let out, tears flowing like a waterfall. She really wanted to avoid that, but she couldn't. Pride was the least of her problems now.

Maverick fell into an eerie silence. He had no idea how to counterattack her pessimism. He has never seen her like that. Or better explained, he has never seen anyone like that. Angora just did something extraordinary, something that probably nobody else has ever done before, yet all she was doing is giving up. Giving up on life, giving up on her kind, giving up on her happiness. What happened to her all this time? Did this started when meeting Latnok, or was it far long before that? It has been several years since Maverick last saw her after all. Even worse, she called him by his real name instead of Malo. This was a very serious issue...

Latnok and Sere fell silent, as Veris hung his head down in empathy. Even Latnok was stunned by how Angora had just reacted. But words needed to be spoken.
"Well, Mav... you can see for yourself. I have made genuine efforts to help her. And they have been rejected. Repeatedly. You saw for yourself, just now. I attempt to give life-saving advice, and she spurns it. She has continued to blame the world for her problems. She is an emotional vampire to you, and has even physically abused you. The only reason she has accepted you is because you have been willing to be her punching bah. Andthat's the 'kindest' troll we can come up with?
"I have been there. I have been rejected. But I worked on improving myself. I didn't ask to be tolerated, to be accepted for being a horrible person, before doing so. I worked on improving myself, then I was accepted by the Guardians. Do you see why we are so different now? Why I have been accepted and she has not?
"I say that you leave her be. She has been preying on you. If someone needs to be horrible to people in order to show a shred of goodness, then they are not a good person. You are a good man. Maybe TOO good. It's been to your own detriment. I know you will hate me for saying this. But you can do better than someone like that troll. Imagine if, instead of her, you took on an orphan who was willing to learn from you? Can you imagine the change you can develop in him?
"At the end of the day, the world owes you no more than you give it. Very few will pity you until you give them a reason to give a damn about you. Go ahead, say your piece. Tell me how horrible I am for refusing to accept someone who actively works against being accepted. But at the end of the day, I have the experience. I know that what I do saves lives. And I have no regrets, except when I have gotten people killed by not doing what needed to be done due to my own naivety."

Sere picked up the medallion. "...very well, then," he said in a low voice as he looked down. "There is nothing more I can offer you, Angora. I wish you the best of luck in your endeavors." Without looking, answering Orion, he said "the origin of the current conflict is centuries old. Too far back to pinpoint. But it seems as if the end of it is nigh."

Angora said nothing, having expected no other response from him. Latnok didn't like her, never had, never will. But Maverick was having none of it. He was furious.
"How can you say that señor Latnok? You still insist she is a bad person, even after she saved everyone's life, even yours? How can you be so cruel? You say you improved yourself, but I don't see any of that." Maverick said, unable to understand why Latnok was firmly grasping that lousy belief.
"Maverick, why can't you just listen? Don't you see? A troll can NEVER be loved. You just believe you do cause you're too stupidly naïve!"
"But Angorita, it's the truth. You just did something extraordinary and he doesn't..." but he was shushed by the troll.
"That is enough! You have so much potential in life Maverick, and look how you want to waste it! Trolls don't have a future! Don't you see? Cause they don't deserve it! My parents? You really think they banished me?" Angora began to say, prompting Maverick to be silence. He told her his deepest secrets back at the pirate ship. We're her secrets a lie?
"My parents... they had hoped I would grow up and be strong. They thought I was simply growing late... but when they saw my brother growing and I remained the same, vulgar runt, they couldn't have someone like me making the clan look weak. But if you don't know... trolls never waste any potential meat..." she began to say choking. Maverick went pale as a sheet. It couldn't be. A long silent followed before she continued.

"It was my brother who warned me. He was the only one in that infernal clan who had any care for me. They were preparing... to feast on me. So that I could be out of the way but at the same time fill their disgusting bellies, so I ran away. Don't you see Maverick? Don't you see how evil trolls are? How cursed I am? I can't be accepted by my own kind for being this size, and I can't be accepted by anyone else for being a troll. One angle or the other, it's hopeless. Your father... he was a murderer, but at least he loved you and took the time to raise you. My parents? Just another meat product for them. If my parents couldn't love me, what makes you think anyone else can? Don't waste your life anymore. A troll just saved the world. Hah! Do you think anyone is ever going to believe that?" Angora explained sorrowfully, her voice choking so much she felt like she was about to be mute. But before letting herself be voiceless, she spoke again.

"Now then, you know the truth at last. Can you finally leave me alone? I'm just going to return to the same, boring, wandering life and hope that some troll hating being of a hungry predator puts me out of my misery someday." Angora finally finished, turning around from the group without looking at anybody in the eyes. Many in that group supposedly liked her, but she believed it was only out of pity. If they had genuinely liked her, they would've saved her from Latnok's insults. So with her mind made up, she started to leave. Maverick found himself unable to stop her. He was as still as a statue. He refused to believe what he just heard. So much despair in just one individual. What else could he do to demonstrate to Angora that not all was lost?

At this point, Latnok had become so conditioned to the negative behavior that any effect that any of the words may have had previously had been completely lost. "Honestly? Do you seriously expect me to be impressed by her because she decided to save the world after some spirit latched onto her and refused to stop bothering her until she did? She didn't do it out of the kindness of her heart - she did it out of pure selfishness, plain and simple.
"You want to say that I haven't improved myself? Do you know what I was before? A worthless child without a home. A burden. But now? I save lives. I am respected. Maybe not by you - but I don't need your validation. I am powerful, and I have money. I am every bit more capable than I ever have been. I have improved - unless you think killing trolls who would crack a child's skull open for sport right in front of me makes me a horrible person.
"So no, I do not regret anything I have said. It is all true. Unless you think people should be forgiven for all of their crimes for one good action? No - you sow what you reap. And if you sow nothing but bitterness, you reap nothing but bitterness in return.
"So go ahead and hate me. Get it all out of your system. I know you're hurt and need a scapegoat. But I know that you can do better than that. If the troll is hostile to everyone - doesn't even want to give people a chance to help her - then that's not my problem. What do you expect me to do - bend down on one knee and beg her to accept my help? Just let her do whatever the hell she wants without saying anything because 'oh, woe is me'? No. You think anyone ever pitied me? No. But here I am, not breaking down, not crying because the world hates me. I worked to better myself, and I let people help me when they offered it. I can guarantee you that she would be much, much better off if she was as capable as much. If you are too proud to accept help, too proud to do the same duties others do, too proud to avoid biting the hand that feeds - then good riddance. Hell, she won't even take something which actually acknowledges the work she's done. If she wants to be forgotten by history? Not my problem.
"At the end of the day, Mav, we all make our choices. And if some genuine criticism is too much for you to bear, if that is what pushes you into despair, then maybe you should look at why it hurts so much. Am I just making things up when I say she doesn't want to do the same mutual duties everyone else performs? Am I making things up when I say that she's acted incredibly selfishly? Getting angry at me taking a tooth in order to figure out how better to control Shade's corruption when she wanted to keep it as a trophy, despite criticizing me for 'trophy-taking' which I have never done? I don't think so.
"If you think my criticisms of her are false, let me know, word for word, exactly what you disagree with and why, and I will explain to you why it is an issue. No, Mav, I won't suddenly bow down to her just because some spirit dragged her kicking and screaming to do this job. Doing that to stop being bothered doesn't suddenly invalidate every single act of hostility, of hypocrisy. No, I won't feel sorry for her just because she's had it rough. So have I, so have a lot of us. Hell, people STILL think we're out to control the government, or kidnap people, or perform demonic rituals. You think that means I stop helping them? No, that means I keep doing my job, and maybe they'll see that we're actually serving their best interest. There is absolutely nothing that would justify her bad behavior to me, and that's the end of the story."

Sere was considering interjecting - however, he figured that such a conversation was, at the end of the day, a matter between Latnok and the other two.

"I have no wish to control her," Latnok said. "Neo has done a lot more controlling of her than I ever have. She is free to do whatever she wants to do. Just a few people liking her does not make her any kinder than anyone else. 95 percent hostility is the best Neo could come up with? No. Until she actually shows that she's a good person, she is not. I don't care about any of the fantasy BS. This is the real world. And in the real world, people don't judge you by some invisible quality a spirit claims you have. They judge you by what you really are, what you actually do. And I will not take your word for it - she has not shown anything, except that she will do something when she is prodded enough by a spirit which refuses to leave her."

After being still for a while, Maverick's senses returned to him. He couldn't believe that even after all Angora went through, even saving his sorry existence, he was still this cruel to her. Shade and Orion, they went to her defense, yet Latnok was still blind to her nobility. If Orion was truly the great Galaxy dragon himself and was defending her, how could Latnok still not see her genuine heart?
"Powerful? Money? Saving lives? At what cost señor Latnok? Angorita is a hero, a savior, and you still treat her as nothing but a troll who doesn't deserve love. You say she's stuck in the past, but you are too. You say she was forced into the save? I didn't see her being controlled like a puppet. One good action? Does saving the world seems like little to you?" Maverick scolded, having believed that this confession would soften Latnok's heart a little bit, but how wrong he was.

"You meet one good troll that all she wants is to be loved, and yet you give up on her way too fast just because of past experiences! You're right about one thing though. We all make our choices. And my choice is to follow her. Never let her be alone again. You think I'll be able to live my own life knowing she's alone in the world? I won't abandon her! I won't give up on her! I'm not a quitter like you! I'd rather be a naive, punching bag than a heartless man like you." Maverick finally said, willing to follow Angora and be with her all the time. Good trolls were one in a million, and even if Angora was extremely rude and bitter, she was among those millions. And Maverick was determined to be her family, cause nobody else wanted to, except perhaps Shade.

Before leaving however, he quickly approached Sere.
"Señor Sere? Can I please have Angorita's medallion before I leave? Por favor. I don't want her good deed to be forgotten. Let her receive it from me if she won't accept it from you." Maverick begged, wanting to have the evidence that proved that she saved the world at the presence of Guardians. Maverick hoped Sere could forgive him for being so harsh to his companion, but Latnok pushed him to the edge. He really had no heart if he refused to see Angora's plight. Couldn't he see that the confession was a cry for help? Angora never revealed the truth of her past until now, and that made Maverick realize just how horrible her life has truly been. He just loved Angora way too much to let her drown in despair like this.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade rubbed his head against Angoras hand. He was always going to be there for her. She has helped him the whole way. He could never repay her.

Angora stopped in her tracks, feeling like this display of affection would simply hurt her even more.
"No Shade. Don't waste your life either. In the end, you will hate me, just like everyone else." she said, wiping the tears. Maverick didn't hate her because he was a childish man with ridiculous ideals instead of sense of reality.

Raclaw simply watched in awe as the mighty Orion defended Angora. Part of him desperately wanted to say something or to comfort the troll, but he felt as if he would only be pushed back just like Shade. Hopefully Orion would be able to get through.,' he thought to himself.

As Maverick waited for Sere to respond, he was listening to Orion. He wasn't the only one defending her. Everybody else seemed to like her. Not even Sere who was a Guardian, ever offended or insulted her. Even Veris liked her, and Maverick didn't even know wyverns and trolls were supposed to be natural enemies.

"So you want me to suddenly start begging for forgiveness from someone who insists on being hostile to me, despite my efforts to help her?" Latnok said. "What part of me offering to teach her life-saving techniques is cruel? You have been held a hostage for so long that you have forgotten your own. And you? Call me a quitter? I'm not the one who's quitting on my own life because someone said harsh words to me. I never quit on myself. I never quit on my trainees. What I will do, however, is abandon a lost cause.
"And you, Galaxy Dragon. Tell me, have I not tried to do things for her? I have given her a chance. She chose not to. Don't tell me I haven't. Why should I waste my time finding some BS kindness in her when I find way more kindness in your average person on a daily basis? Any warrior could've done what she did if they were given an appropriate weapon. You keep telling me this - but, in that case, every single person in the world is an amazing, kind, noble person. To that, I say, no. I show her kindness just now, and she responds with hatred - and I'm the one with hatred? You're so fixated on this vision of yours that you cannot see the reality. I have no reason to take your word seriously.
"If she wants help so much, she would take it. But she doesn't. She'd rather just keep insulting me and crying about her life when I call her out on things, and she knows that she has you guys to never, ever confront her on the myriad of issues she has. This is a massive waste of my time."

"Maverick... unfortunately, with the award comes an understanding of mutual respect. I am afraid that, until I can be completely sure of that, I cannot offer it to her. Although I thought we may have put it behind us... it appears that that is not yet the case. If she does not value it, then I will not grant it to her." Sere looked at the medallion. Such wasted potential...

"So, Shade, you expect me to believe that someone who tells me to screw off after I offer them help is kind?" Latnok said. "I can see perfectly clearly - I have no reason to go out of my way to offer kindness to someone who clearly has too much pride and hatred to accept it. Those aren't qualities of most generally kind people."

Maverick lowered his head, disappointed by the response. If only Angora hadn't refused the gift. But he didn't want to try to convince Sere and respected him too much to insist.
"Fine. I'll be on my way then..." Maverick said sadly, turning around to follow Angora outside the realm... but to his surprise, she was walking the other way. She had pushed Shade out of the way and was walking towards Latnok, eyes swollen.

"THAT IS ENOUGH! ALL OF YOU! JUST LEAVE HIM ALONE!" Angora yelled, coming to... Latnok's defense?
"He has every right to hate trolls. I tried to be kind! I tried to improve myself! But I obviously couldn't!" she said gloomily, before turning to Latnok.
"I'm sorry, alright? I'm sorry for the way I treated you! I'm sorry for being so rude to you and for not taking your lessons seriously! I know I was a jerk! I know I deserved every single one of your insults! Please! I can't do this anymore. I can't continue living like this!" Angora apologized as she felled to her knees, wanting Latnok to forgive her so she could have peace of mind and retain what little sanity she had left. She was certain that everyone defending her was just making him hate her even more, and she couldn't bear that thought anymore. She had enough of her pride and rudeness. It had caused her nothing but pain and trouble.

Maverick felt... undignified. As if he was hit by a brick. Why the hell was Angora apologizing to him? Shouldn't it be the other way around? Angora never apologized to anyone, ever, not even when she was wrong. Just how much Latnok has shattered her self esteem?

Raclaw watched in shock as... Angora actually defended Latnok? And apoligied of her own free will?! He watched-- wanting to see Latnok's reaction and hoping for some peace between the fauding pair.