darkSpyro

Quote: A Guy

As the days went by, Latnok and Raclaw continued to bond. Raclaw's presence in the stronghold was becoming a norm, and much of the garrison knew him by name, though completely shaking off his appearance as a pet would take some time. Finally, the day came - time to move out to Redwater.
Latnok moved along the stronghold. Finding Raclaw's room, he knocked several times on the door. "Raclaw, we need to meet Godfather Sere. We will be leaving today."

While Latnok knocked-- he initially received no response and the ever so faint sound of Raclaw talking could be heard, but to whom? If he was listening in to the mental links, another voice could be heard over that of Raclaw's. Otherwise, just the faint whisper of Raclaw would be publicly audible.

As Raclaw awoke, he heard a familiar voice once again. "Wake up-- it is time.," the voice spoke from within his head. It was the voice of the collar entity; the unknown who/what that he had lived with for the last two years. Except, something was different this time. He didn't trigger it and yet-- it spoke completely of its own free will. "It's.. it's you-- how are you able to speak to me now? I thought--," he quickly got cut off. "Things have changed-- the conditions have changed. I see you are free now and you have a shiny new toy.," it spoke referring to the single green gem that now adorned his collar to the right of the silver D-ring. "Yes-- that. It's..", he got cut off again. "It's a modified hyperspace bag modified to act more as a portable hole. I know it well.," the voice said. "Wait-- why are you telling me this? And why now?," he immediately rebutted. "Because why not? I am no longer under the restrictions I once was-- the barrier is down and I too am free.," it spoke. He was about to say something, but he soon heard the knocking and the voice of Latnok behind the door. "You have company-- I believe your voyage awaits you... awaits us.," the voice spoke one last time before immediately becoming silent.

"Coming!," Raclaw said loud enough for anyone behind the door to clearly hear. He quickly opened the door and in his eyes could be seen the look of-- shock? It looked as if he had seen a ghost and slight feelings of uncertainty or perhaps fear could be felt over the link.

Sere diligently took notes of everything Dex was saying, not wanting to forget anything in the mess of other things he had to deal with. "So to clarify... a dragon known as Blue has tried to recruit you... you've met Angora, Shade, and Maverick... and you need your name cleared. Those three have gotten themselves - and me - into a world of trouble, and it'll take some effort to fix things. But I'll relay the information to them. Thank you, Dex. You are free to report back to Bier." Just one more thing he had to deal with, involving those three... this was going to be a long few days.

Once Maverick had been brought to Orcford, the personnel present at the fort removed him. Laszur, his work completed (at least for the moment), left to receive new orders. Mermen soon grabbed Maverick, carrying him on the land near the river. Once they reached a certain point, a mermaid, casting a water spell, shifted the water in the river to leave a spot of dry land, exposing a trapdoor on the bottom. One merman opened the door; the others brought Maverick through.
The door opened up to a cave, sloping downwards, somewhat wet on the floor to facilitate the mermen's movement. The trapdoor closed behind them, and the water spell dissipated - evidently, the location of the entrance was chosen to make escape impossible. Torches lit up the path before them. The water pressure would keep the trapdoor from opening, and even it it did, the immediate downpour of water would wash away whoever was trying to escape.
After a while, they reached the dungeons. Finding an appropriate cell, the mermen literally threw Maverick in, before undoing his bonds and removing his gag.
"You will remain here until your troll and your mount arrive," the lead merman said. "Once they are here, you will all be put on trial, where you can explain yourselves and your actions, and why you feel they are justified. Should we agree, we will grant you freedom, and take action to ensure that such a thing never happens again. Should we find the actions inexcusable, all three of you will be sentenced to the arena, where you will have to fight for your freedom. If they do not appear, then you will die."

Latnok could barely hear some voice over the mental link - one that wasn't Raclaw's. Veris? His voice wouldn't be audible here. Besides, that didn't sound like Veris at all. What could it be?
Latnok was about to barge through the door, when Raclaw opened it up himself. "Uh, Raclaw... what was happening back there?" Latnok asked, concerned. "Is that drunken spider web of yours finally going haywire? Or are you hidin something from us... like some dragoness under your bed?" he added jokingly, attempting to alleviate the mood. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to be something Raclaw was expecting - perhaps this was something Sere would want to know about, but he apparently had other issues to deal with as of late.

"It's-- it's the collar. I don't know if Sere ever told you, but Julian had placed some sort of entity or spirit in the collar when he had initially freed me two years ago. We believe it was part of a experiment-- an attempt to turn the collar into almost that of an artifact. While the collar was in its locked state, this entity or spirit was placed behind a barrier and I purposely had to trigger it to talk to it. Now that the collar is unlocked and I am truly free, so too is the entity. That barrier-- that barrier is no longer there. And for the first time, it had spoken to me of its own free will and without my consent.," Raclaw said sounding very serious and slightly afraid. Now that the entity was free, it could talk to him at any point it wanted to-- and there wasn't much he could do about it. For all intensive purposes, this entity was the collar and it would remain with him for the rest of his life.

As soon as Maverick was thrown into that gloomy cell, he wanted nothing more than to speak, but even in that heated predicament, the ever polite Maverick waited until the mermen was done talking before speaking himself.
"Please gentlemen, you're making a mistake! This is all a big misunderstanding! Me and my friends, we're just travellers exploring the world and selling merchandise. We never mean any harm to anybody! Why is that so difficult to understand in this land?" Maverick pleaded back then, their arrival to Aelinon territory having been one nightmare after the other. Just when he was starting to nail his music, his practice has been cut short by this brutal kidnapping, and now he was thrown like a sack in this dark, damp cell below the water, being treated as some vulgar criminal threatened with death. The three of them had been so happy, and it was all going downhill fast. What were Shade and Angora doing right now? Were they crying for his disappearance? He knew the bond between them was strong, and he knew his friends would go look for him, but he also feared for their lives. What was it with this country where every little offense and misunderstanding was penalized with death? Why did all these people had to be such monstrous dictators?

"Well, uh..." Latnok didn't quite know what to say. That wasn't something he himself had ever dealt with. He could see that it was clearly disturbing Raclaw, however. "Has this entity been hostile in any way? I don't think Adjudicator Julian would have done something like that without a backup plan or a failsafe. I hope not, at least." After all, that would be highly irresponsible - it would be very uncharacteristic for any Guardian, especially an Adjudicator, to take such a reckless action on behalf of any ally without any concern for their safety. "Please at the very least tell me that it's not trying to take over your mind."

The mermen were seemingly unmoved by Maverick's pleas. "According to the galuds, your mount launched an unprovoked attack on them as they came to attend to something which had set off one of their traps," the lead merman said. "You were seen mounting the dragon at the time of the attack - which would indicate that you were in command of it. This, in contrast to your claims of being a peaceful traveler, is a hostile, perfidious action - actions which, in almost every nation, would warrant your death. We are currently in touch with the Ardent Guardians, who have essentially given us their word about your trustworthiness. They, as well as your troll and your mount, will be answering us for those actions. Consider yourself lucky, for if it weren't for certain people, you would already be dead."

"I will make sure that the league knows what happend with me and Blue so they will know I have not joined Him. Make sure your man know Blue so he can not trick them in anyway. What comes to my situation with him, thats my problem. But as long as I am working for you, I want you to know the reason Why somebody could think him as my ally." Dex said and started to walk to the door "So those three are in trouble, and even made trouble for you. Good luck with that for your and their sake. And if you get some more knowledge about their situation I would like to know too, when you have time ofcourse. I will go to report to Bier now" Dex said and walked Out. He did not wait Sere to respons, he clearly had other things to do and Dex had said everything he needed to.
He was walking pretty slowly and finally stopped. He was now looking at his necklace again. He had almost forgot about Sapphire when talking to Sere, but now again She was on his mind. "Why can I not forget. I won and I was even pretty fair at the end." He thought and finally started to walk again.

Dex was in fact thinking so much that he did not think where he was going and soon ended up in the wrong place..... to the door of Raclaws room. Finally realising he was not where he should be he Simply turned and as he heard there was someone talking he Simply said "Sorry wrong place" not even noticing the ones talking where Latnok and Raclaw.

Sapphire had worked hard and was now able to write the letter. She had it ready. And there was her opportunity a blackmarket ship coming for bussiness. She quickly made her way to the harbor "Is this a good idea?" She thought, but She knew that She had to try. She talked to the captain of the ship. "So you want to get this to the league. It is not normal to have someone from the brotherhood ask that. But bussiness is bussiness if you have the coin I will make it happen." Captain said. She quickly paid. And so after the ship left, the letter was on its way.

Maverick breathed a sigh of relief at the mentioning of the Guardians, but that still didn't excuse the way they were treating him right now.
"I do apologize for that incident. My dragon isn't completely domesticated yet, and I unfortunately couldn't stop him when he attacked those galuds." Maverick expressed, saying what Angora told him to. He had wanted to apologize ever since that incident happened, but the galuds left before he could do so. And Shade screaming to them cowards didn't help the matter at all. But even with the apology, Maverick wasn't done with his argument.

"Even so, when my dragon attacked those galuds, he didn't do it with the intention of killing. It was merely a rescue. The troll had accidentally set that trap, and they had their spears pointed at her. She was trapped, completely defenseless, and they seemed ready to kill her unfairly and without the chance to defend herself. You can't blame my dragon for thinking the worse about that situation." Maverick then explained calmly, trying to sucker punch the mermen and galud's absurd claims. Maverick was restrained there with the false charges of hostility, yet it had been the galuds themselves who had treated them that way, or at least Angora. Were they the only ones allowed to show hostility, even when they were attacking and murdering without provocation? Weren't others allowed to defend themselves? Where was the justice in that?

Quote: A Guy

"Well, uh..." Latnok didn't quite know what to say. That wasn't something he himself had ever dealt with. He could see that it was clearly disturbing Raclaw, however. "Has this entity been hostile in any way? I don't think Adjudicator Julian would have done something like that without a backup plan or a failsafe. I hope not, at least." After all, that would be highly irresponsible - it would be very uncharacteristic for any Guardian, especially an Adjudicator, to take such a reckless action on behalf of any ally without any concern for their safety. "Please at the very least tell me that it's not trying to take over your mind."

Quote: cyndego

Dex was in fact thinking so much that he did not think where he was going and soon ended up in the wrong place..... to the door of Raclaws room. Finally realising he was not where he should be he Simply turned and as he heard there was someone talking he Simply said "Sorry wrong place" not even noticing the ones talking where Latnok and Raclaw.

"No-- I wouldn't describe it as entirely friendly, but it has never wished me harm ether. And don't worry, I don't believe it is capable of taking over my mind. It once regulated my powers, but has since ceased now that I officially free. From what I can tell and from what it has told me-- it has experience with magical items and may have once stepped foot in this world. I want to believe that it simply wishes to experience the world through my eyes, but I will admit that its motives aren't entirely clear-- if it has any.," Raclaw said looking at Latnok. He then heard the voice of Dex and noticed a fox-sized shadow near the open door. "Dex, is that you? It's alright-- you can come in if you wish.," he called out.

The mermen looked on and listened, notably apathetic. "That's a really nice story you have there..." the lead merman said. "You should tell it to the judge. With that, he slammed the cell door, as his group began to leave, but he stopped for a moment. "If you dragon is really unruly, as you say, then you may wish to speak with your Ardent Guardian friends. I hear they have ways of controlling dragons." He then continued on his way, leaving Maverick all alone, no other prisoners being visible or audible from his position.

"Well, that's a relief," Latnok said. "Seems to me as if it's just really curious. Possibly longing for something it once had. At the very least, you don't seem to be in danger. Why were you so shocked, though? Did it-"
At that moment, Latnok noticed Dex's approach, as Raclaw began speaking to him. "Hey, Dex. How's it going? Getting yourself nice and comfy here? Heard your first job went pretty well."

Dex turned back quickly taking his eyes off the necklace "Ou it was you guys" Dex said making his way to the two of them. This was not the normal Dex... his response was just.... too normal. "Its not bad after months spend in caves, dont you agree?" Dex said to Latnok now sounding more like himself again. He then continued "Well some unfortuned encounters on the way, but the result was a good one. You might want to know that I happend to see Maverick, Angora and Shade on my way there" Dex said thinking that Latnok and Raclaw might get interested.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Angora we should ask about this place. We need to rescue him!” Shade said.

Angora agreed, and promised they would rescue Maverick from that hellish place even if it was the last thing they did. The days passed with Shade and Angora visiting the towns to educate themselves and preparing for the worst, the troll took some alone times in caves and other places to train herself for combat just in case it ever came to that. The orb she had placed around her neck was finally listened to her commands. It obeyed her every word, and it took simple commands for it to act out. She wasn't a magical being before, but thanks to Neo and her experience with Darkmatter, she finally had an accurate command of magic. This has been the potential Latnok had been talking about. She could even create a force field that would protect her even from physical attacks. It was all so impressive. It made her wondered why she didn't tried it before. She could've used magic to escape from that net much earlier and all this mess would've been avoided. Now she realized the mistake of not taking advantage of her potential. It was too late now. Maverick was a prisoner now and their only hope was for her and Shade to convince those monsters that they were innocent, and were only on those lands as means for peaceful exploration. Soon they would depart to Orcford, a place they knew exactly where it was now. Tomorrow would be a week after Maverick's kidnapping, but they wanted to be there the day before. Angora and Shade wanted their friend back at once...

Quote: A Guy

The mermen looked on and listened, notably apathetic. "That's a really nice story you have there..." the lead merman said. "You should tell it to the judge. With that, he slammed the cell door, as his group began to leave, but he stopped for a moment. "If you dragon is really unruly, as you say, then you may wish to speak with your Ardent Guardian friends. I hear they have ways of controlling dragons." He then continued on his way, leaving Maverick all alone, no other prisoners being visible or audible from his position.

Maverick begged to be let out, insisting about the misunderstanding and pleading that neither he, nor his friends were hostile criminals. He felt lousy for claiming Shade as nothing but a mount, but knew he had to to prevent him from being taken away and brainwashed like those wyverns. He yelled for the merpeople to be let out, but it became obvious they had left him alone in that enclosed space, nothing but a prisoner awaiting a trial that would determine his fate. Nobody else seemed to be there, so he didn't even had anyone to talk to. He spent the next days in that cold, dark cell, receiving very little food and water and no means of entertainment. He never tried to escape, knowing it was a useless attempts. He didn't even have his beloved hyperspace bag, which he firmly believed it had been confiscated, and maybe even destroyed. Most of his hours, he would spend time pretending to hold his mandolin, and he wrote music, some on his mind and some on the cell walls. He would sing a cappella about the adventures he had with his friends, but he would also sing well known ballads he has heard in his journey. He didn't have a very good singing voice before, but being in that cell with nothing to do made him get better. It wasn't exactly his idea for entertainment, but it was helping him practice, and singing had been the only thing helping him keep his sanity in that underwater prison.

Quote: cyndego

Dex turned back quickly taking his eyes off the necklace "Ou it was you guys" Dex said making his way to the two of them. This was not the normal Dex... his response was just.... too normal. "Its not bad after months spend in caves, dont you agree?" Dex said to Latnok now sounding more like himself again. He then continued "Well some unfortuned encounters on the way, but the result was a good one. You might want to know that I happend to see Maverick, Angora and Shade on my way there" Dex said thinking that Latnok and Raclaw might get interested.

"Really? And how are they if you don't mind me asking?," Raclaw asked looking at Dex. As Dex had predicted, he was very much interested in hearing about the fate of his former companions. In a different world, he could've seen himself taking the place of Shade and vice versa. Instead, he was only getting closer to the Guardians-- and to Latnok in particular. Shade on the other hand, presumably had a new family in the form of Angora and the ever-so-fluffy Maverick. And if both of them had stayed with the Guardians, than Angora might be alone right alone with the exception of Maverick. 'It doesn't matter now.,' he thought to himself. He smiled-- thinking about just how close he and Latnok had become over the last few days and weeks.

"I know. We've looked closely at the map. We know where to go." Angora recaps, afterwards giving Shade a very serious look.
"Now remember what we discussed Shady. You'll let me do the talking. I'll give you the signal we discussed about if we need to attack and retreat. But just remember, we'll stick to that plan ONLY as a last resort, so please try to control that temper of yours. Even if they point us with their stupid weapons, try not to look hostile. If we don't need to resort to violence, then better. Remember that we're just three against a whole army." Angora reminded, begging Shade not to do anything hasty that would get them into trouble again. Angora knew that attacking those ridiculous galuds is what got them into this mess, and he didn't want the dragolet to make things even worse with his impulsiveness.

Angora mounted Shade, both of them having eaten well to have some strength. They took a direct course to Oxford nonstop, knowing that Maverick was counting on them.
"Hang in there Maverick. We'll rescue you from those monsters. You'll have your freedom in no time." the little troll whispered to herself, having lived in complete agony thinking about how Maverick spent this week. As soon as they rescued him, they were going to leave that infernal place forever and let all of them kill each other in their greed for conquering.

"Keep calm Shady. It's possible they're not expecting us this early, so take a deep breath and be patient. Remember, keep it cool." Angora warned calmly, massaging his shoulders to help him with the nerves. She knew the welcoming committee weren't going to give them a warm reception, so she wanted the galuds and their allies to know they had come there for their friend and nothing else. They didn't want any trouble, and if this was because of what happened that night, Angora already had a defense.

"Well the situation was pretty complex. I had some unwanted company, so we really did not talk much. They have had some trouble it seems, but atleast they where fine after I helped them to escape my "friends" " Dex said and without even realising it took the nekclace to his paw and gave it a look. After he realised what he had just done he quickly put it down and waited what Latnok and Raclaw would answer.

Instantly on their approach, men had arbalests trained on them. "Get on the ground, troll on your face, dragon on your back," a voice telepathed to them. Not too far away, an absolutely massive, bipedal creature, with skin the consistency of rock, could be seen - it had a ballista mounted on its back. A war behemoth, an animal turned deadly siege weapon in the hands of Aelinon, in addition to all of the wyverns flying overhead. Aelinon was taking absolutely no chances with these two. "Any aggressive actions will result in an appropriate response from us and the execution of your friend. Do not trifle with us."

"Some lousy friends they seem to be..." Latnok said. "Know where they are? Need them taken out? Although, by the sound of it, maybe they should've done their job - after they attacked Aelinon soldiers, we're in a whole diplomatic mess. Bah, I knew that nothing good would come of trusting that troll and her lackies..." Latnok said, clearly unhappy that the worst of his qualms were verified. This was a disaster - the price to pay for being far too idealistic, as Sere had been. Now their jobs would get harder, unless they could play the game well enough.

"Wait-- Aelinon soldiers? What happened?!," Raclaw immediately asked looking at Latnok. Up to that point, he had heard very little about Angora's activities and now they were attacking Ailinon soldiers? Surely-- there had to be some kind of mistake or misunderstanding. He knew just how short-tempered the troll could be at times and how unstable Shade could also be at times. Whatever happened, he was sure it was because of some incident that had ether offended her or was completely innocent-- but perceived to be offensive. Of course, ether story would almost certainly get them in hot water and wouldn't help their image at all-- or that of the Guardians.

As Maverick awaited trial, his mind was more to his friends. He would ocasionally stop thinking about the people whom he travelled with, like the two Guardians, the gluttonous Veris and the gentle Raclaw. He even thought about the sweet mermaid he and his friends helped, and wondered what she was doing right now, and if she ever found Lydia. In the loneliness of his cell, he once put his hand on his pocket, where he found Dex's notes. He couldn't help but to cry like a little boy, punished for something he didn't even do. The only sin the three of them have ever committed was taking care of each other, and it looked like they were going to pay the price for it...

Quote: A Guy

Instantly on their approach, men had arbalests trained on them. "Get on the ground, troll on your face, dragon on your back," a voice telepathed to them. Not too far away, an absolutely massive, bipedal creature, with skin the consistency of rock, could be seen - it had a ballista mounted on its back. A war behemoth, an animal turned deadly siege weapon in the hands of Aelinon, in addition to all of the wyverns flying overhead. Aelinon was taking absolutely no chances with these two. [i]"Any aggressive actions will result in an appropriate response from us and the execution of your friend. Do not trifle with us."

What looked like a rocky mountain at the distance, Angora was surprised it was actually a live animal. How can something so big existed? She had trained herself for defending herself, but now she began to think she should've examined Maverick's large tome. But the awe disappeared rather quickly and Angora did as she was told, ordering Shade to land and getting off, completely submissive and begging the dragolet to do nothing. Her face didn't show any anger. Maybe some disdain, but nothing else. She even put her hands on her head humiliatingly, wanting to demonstrate this awful bunch that she didn't mean to fight. She just wanted Maverick out of there and get out of there peacefully.

After some time, the wyverns flying around them descended, as the war behemoth approached and several soldiers arrived on foot. It was a truly massive creature - big and strong enough to carry siege engines on its back, dwarfing even Shade. The message was quite clear - Aelinon possessed overwhelming force, and would not hesitate to bring it to bear.
One of the men, a human in wyvernhide armor, dismounted, to address the two. "So you two are the ones responsible for the attack, then..." he said. "Muzzle the dragon - we'll chain him to the behemoth and move him around that way. We'll throw the troll in a cell with her owner until the trial comes." The other men moved to comply with the orders, somewhat wary. Still other men kept weapons, including the ballista, trained on the two, ready to use deadly force should the situation suddenly change.

"I don't know too much about the situation myself," Latnok said. "Just what I've heard from Godfather Sere in regards to some last-minute hiccups with planning. According to Aelinon, Angora had triggered a trap of theirs, and Maverick had commanded Shade to attack the galuds who went to investigate. This, of course, happens after Maverick and Angora use the award presented to them by Godfather Sere to ensure their safe passage. This, naturally, is a nightmare, and has compromised our integrity and trustworthiness. Doing anything in Aelinon territory will probably be a lot harder than it was before, unless we can get this resolved."
Latnok could only imagine what could be going through Sere's mind at the moment - Aelinon, being the biggest territory they operated out of and the one most closely connected to their history, was very important to have good relations with. Something like this had potential to hamstring operations in the region, which could potentially be a huge blow to Sere's vision. "One thing is certain - that group, with their blatant disregard for us, just completely screwed us. Figured it was stupid to trust them. They only see one way of thinking, theirs, and they don't care who they get in trouble as long as it helps them get some warm, fuzzy feeling inside."

Dex was again paying attention to the necklace of his. He did not know Why he was thinking so much about the things he went through with Sapphire. It was an normal job nothing more, and Why was he thinking about those moments when he was close her and giving smiles. It might have his first time puting that kind of effort out, but he had tricked others so many times that this was really not so new to him....... The poor fox had no idea that there was a possibility that he felt something for real. More he was trying to find a mistake he had made being sure that was the thing making him think so much.

Dex finally snapped out of it finally responding to Latnok " Yea especially the dragon named Blue. He is a real pain. But right now I think there is not much we can do about him and his brotherhood. I told Sere about him, so he should make sure that all of you will know him and be ready if they happen to see him. And if he comes again after me a little help would be nice Yes." Dex said now turning to Raclaw "Well Sere told me something, but so Thats the reason behind it. I have to say I am not too surprised remembering the additude both Angora and Shade have. Could not see myself thought.... there are even more quick tempered creatures then them. And because i happend to be with one, this Blue was first to attack. " Dex said

Quote: A Guy

After some time, the wyverns flying around them descended, as the war behemoth approached and several soldiers arrived on foot. It was a truly massive creature - big and strong enough to carry siege engines on its back, dwarfing even Shade. The message was quite clear - Aelinon possessed overwhelming force, and would not hesitate to bring it to bear.
One of the men, a human in wyvernhide armor, dismounted, to address the two. "So you two are the ones responsible for the attack, then..." he said. "Muzzle the dragon - we'll chain him to the behemoth and move him around that way. We'll throw the troll in a cell with her owner until the trial comes." The other men moved to comply with the orders, somewhat wary. Still other men kept weapons, including the ballista, trained on the two, ready to use deadly force should the situation suddenly change.

Angora was furious with the situation. She had thought the trial was going to begin as soon as they arrived, but it looked like this disorganized bunch wasn't ready. Still, she remained submissive, knowing that any impulsive action would be a stupid thing to do. She looked at Shade with a serene face, nodding, wanting to assure him that everything would be alright. The faced a world destroying abomination before and got out alive. She wanted to believe this ocassions would be no different. After all, this whole mess was just a misunderstanding. She let the men escorted her, without a fight or struggle. She didn't even cared if they confiscated Maverick's beloved bag, as long as she could get it back later. She walked along with the jailers, and she even started to hum some of the notes Maverick created with his mandolin before he was kidnapped. She wanted to show these men that she wasn't the violent, murderous creature every troll was believed to be.

Quote: A Guy

"I don't know too much about the situation myself," Latnok said. "Just what I've heard from Godfather Sere in regards to some last-minute hiccups with planning. According to Aelinon, Angora had triggered a trap of theirs, and Maverick had commanded Shade to attack the galuds who went to investigate. This, of course, happens after Maverick and Angora use the award presented to them by Godfather Sere to ensure their safe passage. This, naturally, is a nightmare, and has compromised our integrity and trustworthiness. Doing anything in Aelinon territory will probably be a lot harder than it was before, unless we can get this resolved."
Latnok could only imagine what could be going through Sere's mind at the moment - Aelinon, being the biggest territory they operated out of and the one most closely connected to their history, was very important to have good relations with. Something like this had potential to hamstring operations in the region, which could potentially be a huge blow to Sere's vision. "One thing is certain - that group, with their blatant disregard for us, just completely screwed us. Figured it was stupid to trust them. They only see one way of thinking, theirs, and they don't care who they get in trouble as long as it helps them get some warm, fuzzy feeling inside."

Quote: cyndego

"Well Sere told me something, but so Thats the reason behind it. I have to say I am not too surprised remembering the additude both Angora and Shade have. Could not see myself thought.... there are even more quick tempered creatures then them. And because i happend to be with one, this Blue was first to attack. " Dex said

"Knowing those two, I honestly can't say I'm too surprised-- one has a temper while the other has templemental abilities.," Raclaw said shaking his head. "I know it sounds bad but I'm sure Angora simply wasn't thinking of the big picture and Shade probably wasn't in complete control of his powers. Stick those two into into a unstable situation, such as Angora getting into a trap-- and one of them was bound to snap. For better or for worse. For their sake and our sake-- I hope this matter gets resolved and soon.," he then said sounding worried and taking into account the behaviors and personalities he had observed from the two during their previous journey. From the official description, it almost sounded as if Shade could have acted on his own without the help of Maverick. He knew that word-of-mouth could alter such descriptions slightly and he was certain that Maverick wasn't intentionally involved in the conflict.

As ordered, the men with Shade applied the muzzle to him. "File his claws down once he's secured," the leader ordered. "You, dragon. Fly onto the behemoth's back. There, you will be secured. The trial will be tomorrow morning. We will shoot you down if you even think of escaping."

Angora was handed over to mermen once she reached the river. As they had with Maverick, they brought her to a spot in the river, where a mermaid shifted the water flow to reveal a trapdoor on the bottom. Opening the trapdoor, the mermen escorted her into the damp, dimly lit passageway. Before too long, they had reached Maverick's cell, where Angora was crudely thrown in. "Your trial is tomorrow morning," the lead merman said. "Godfather Sere and Captain Wayson will be here as well. Your dragon will not be present; he poses a clear threat to us, so he will remain subdued until we know what to do with him."

"That's all the more reason we shouldn't have trusted them," Latnok said. "The troll wouldn't give a damn about anyone but herself, and then you have Shade and Mav doing whatever she wants? How did we think it would end? That she would suddenly change? No, all this has done is come back to bite us. Though I do doubt that Maverick actually ordered an attack... the situation doesn't look good. We will have to leave pretty soon; Godfather Sere has to be at Orcford by tomorrow." The group was going to leave soon, anyway, and was going to have to land at Orcford to get Raclaw cleared for flight; Aelinon didn't take kindly to dragons and other potentially dangerous creatures flying over its territory without being documented. The events just made it necessary to expedite the process.

"I'm ready to leave when you are.," Raclaw said nodding in agreement about Maverick. Whatever Shade was going through right now-- he was sure it wasn't pleasant and he hoped they wouldn't apply the same treatment to him, just because he also happened to be a dragon. Perhaps his slightly shorter status and friendlier appearance would help in that regard. And for Shade's sake, he hoped that he came out of it alive. 'Angora-- you aren't even part of the group anymore and are still causing trouble.,' he thought with a sigh.

Dex quickly remembering what he should have been doing "I need to go now. But lets hope this ends at least something close to Okey." Dex said to Latnok. Then turning to Raclaw "If you have time I would like to talk with you alone later, I have a little problem which I think you are the best choise to help with" Dex said and starting to run before Latnok or Raclaw could answer.

He quickly made his way to Bier "Here I am. So should we look what I got" Dex said to Bier. It was clear that the fox was in a hurry he had other things to think about now.

The letter had made its way to the blackmarket. Those blackmarkets that made deals with both the brotherhood and the league made sure that those who made their transports to brotherhood would not make them for league. This was mostly because it would be very tempting to force or bribe the information of the location of their bases from the transporters and that was something those blackmarkets did not want. So the captein gave the letter for another trader who was doing their bussiness with the league. "A letter from brotherhood to league. Thats something I have not seen before. Well I will take it" another man said to the captain. And so the letter was on its way again.

Angora felt very sorry for Shade, for dragging him into this situation. She knew how much he hated to be a captive, but it would only be for one day. If there was an ounce of justice in that land, she knew they would prevail. But right now, as she was thrown into jail, she saw the once face she wanted to see all week. Then she did something she has never in her life had done before. She surrounded Maverick with her arms and embraced him into a choking hug.
"Maverick! Oh Maverick! I'm so glad to see you! I'm so sorry! This is all my fault! I promise I will get you out of this!" Angora said as she cried inconsolably, never being more happy to see anyone in her life.
"Angorita mi vida! I am so very glad to see you. Don't worry my sweet pea. None of this is your fault. I promised I would take care of you no matter what. This is all a big misunderstanding. We'll solve it tomorrow, and we'll get to be a family again." Maverick said as he reciprocated the hug, being skinnier and more paler than before, but still with the sweet nature he was very known for.

Latnok and Raclaw did not take long to get to Sere's office; however, there was a note, to meet at the wyvern pen by Veris.
"Uh, Raclaw, I know this is a bit of an odd time to ask, but do you think you can keep up with Veris?" Latnok asked, somewhat concerned, as the two continued to the pen. "If you can't, then we can take it a bit slower - we're not too far away. Just something which I think may be important to know." Latnok had never really considered such a situation, anyway - if he had to, how exactly would Raclaw ride Veris? They would need a rather unique harness just for him.

Once Shade was on the behemoth's back, the men began tying chains to his various limbs. With some cooperation, they eventually had the chains wrapped around, through the underside of the behemoth. Once that was achieved, the men took stones and began filing away at Shade's claws.
"I want to make absolutely certain that this thing isn't going to be bursting in, like he did that night," the leader said. "Either a horribly malicious or a stupidly brash move; either way, it is clear that we can't take any chances. And you, dragon. Know that, if you make even the slightest aggressive move, we will kill your friends. They are underground, in a cell which can only be accessed via magic without drowning everyone inside. Do I make myself clear?
"Now, if you are lucky, you will all be cleared in the trial tomorrow. If you are lucky. You better pray to whatever god you believe in that those two and Sere can come up with a really good explanation for your behavior."

"Don't worry about me-- these wings can pick up wind like a bird and I can probably beat any scaled dragon my size. I'm not saying that I would beat Veris in a race, but I should at least be able to keep up.," Raclaw said with a grin as he lifted his wings as if to show off. By now, it would've been at least a week since he had flown, so it would be a good change of pace. He recalled when he had first learned how to fly and remembered showing off-- doing swirls, spins, and other fancy maneuvers in front of his human parents. Of course, this flight would have to be mostly based off speed alone especially seeing as Veris was at least three feet taller than him. He wasn't planning on doing any fancy tricks, but he would get the job done.

Despite the gloominess of the cell, Angora wasn't feeling depressed. She was with Maverick, the first being she ever truly came to love. He and Shade were her real family, and nothing was ever going to change that.
"It's alright my Maverick. We'll get out of this. This is just another one of life's harsh tests. I am calm. I can control my temper thanks to you, and tomorrow in that trial, we'll make everything clear. We will have a peaceful resolution the best way we can, and we'll get out of this. They'll see that I'm not the monster they want to see. I will prove them wrong. I also trained Shade to be calmer now. You'll see. We'll get out of this place, and we will finally return to the peace and happiness we knew." Angora assured, wanting Maverick to know how much faith she had in herself and her whole family. This was all a severe misunderstanding, and she was going to prove that tomorrow in that trial. She was going to show everyone the mistake they made. Even though she had trained herself for the worse, she was going to use words as weapons, and resort to violence only and absolutely as a last resort. She was going to do anything she could to prevent from ever coming to that.

Maverick was calm as well, happy that he wasn't going to spend the night alone. Angora lied down her head on his lap, getting ready to sleep so she could be well rested for the trial tomorrow. She smiled at Maverick, once again assuring that, somehow, they were going to get out of this mess. As she prepared to sleep so closely to him, Maverick looked like a proud brother watching over his little sister. That was because she was. She wasn't a pet like everyone else thought. She was his sibling. Maverick hoped that if there was some merfolks swimming around nearby, they could've heard her speech and know exactly what a terrible mistake this all was. He felt like he was the only human in the world who could ever overcome the fact of Angora being a troll. Should being a certain species define who you are? If they didn't believed Angora's words tomorrow, he was determined to take the stand himself and make his words loud and clear. Having been imprisoned that way for the false pretense that he used Shade to attack those galuds. And now they had imprisoned Angora, most likely for being a troll. That night, he prayed for the three of them, especially Shade. At least he and Angora had each other right, but he was all alone. He didn't want to imagine in what horrible way Shade was being held captive. He prayed for his safety and sanity, and promised him from afar that they will get out and have the peace and freedom they so thoroughly desired.

"Of your own will?" the leader repeated, being capable of making out Shade's words despite the muzzle. "Hmm... that is something we will keep in mind for the trial tomorrow. We will see whether or not that plays out in their favor. Now hold still - my men aren't done with you yet. Unless you need something a bit stronger to keep you still? The last thing I am looking for you to do is hurt my men any more than you already have."

As the day went on, there wasn't more of a trace of anyone else in the dungeons, except the occasional merman serving food or otherwise attending to matters in the dungeons - most didn't come the way the prisoners were brought in, however, suggesting an entrance/exit somewhere, perhaps one only they were capable of using. The sound of one could be heard somewhere past the line of sight of the cell; they stopped, however, as Angora spoke. About half a minute after, the sound moved closer. Soon, a mermaid could be seen, taking a peek into the cell.
"...Maverick? Is that you?!"

Quote:

He quickly made his way to Bier "Here I am. So should we look what I got" Dex said to Bier. It was clear that the fox was in a hurry he had other things to think about now.

"Excellent, Dex, welcome back," Bier greeted. "Please, empty the contents on the desk, or the floor, or anywhere they will fit. The authorities of Aelinon are extremely confused; they sensed no trace of magical infiltration, and everything would suggest a burglary, but there was absolutely no trace of any human or similar species. You have done an excellent job - I do believe that our continued relation would be mutually beneficial."

Quote:

"Don't worry about me-- these wings can pick up wind like a bird and I can probably beat any scaled dragon my size. I'm not saying that I would beat Veris in a race, but I should at least be able to keep up.," Raclaw said with a grin as he lifted his wings as if to show off. By now, it would've been at least a week since he had flown, so it would be a good change of pace. He recalled when he had first learned how to fly and remembered showing off-- doing swirls, spins, and other fancy maneuvers in front of his human parents. Of course, this flight would have to be mostly based off speed alone especially seeing as Veris was at least three feet taller than him. He wasn't planning on doing any fancy tricks, but he would get the job done.

"I'm glad to hear it," Latnok said. "We won't have to slow down, then. Now, let's hurry, I'm sure Godfather Sere is waiting for us."
The two picked up the pace, soon making their way to the wyvern pen. Once there, they found Sere, already mounted on his wyvern.
"Godfather Sere!" Latnok said. "I believe we're all ready."
"I was counting on it," Sere responded. "Now, we have to get going. Follow us."
"Raclaw! Flying with me? Just let me know if you get tired - I don't want to push you to hard!" Veris said. Latnok, through the mental link, was able to understand him, though Sere could not.

Maverick's ears stood up, and his eyes shined. He almost dropped Angora from his lap in his exitement, but fortunately, she managed to get up and out of the way. She too, knew that voice.
"Ilasi? Ilasi, is that you?" Maverick said as he took a peek from the cell's only window. He couldn't help but to cry tears of joy without signs of stopping.
"Ilasi! Oh I'm so glad to see a kind, familiar face! Not the way I was expecting to meet you again, but I'm very happy there is at least one kind mermaid here! You have no idea what we've been through!" Maverick said in such a childish and innocent voice, Angora couldn't help but to lower her head in embarrassment. Poor Maverick had been so alone and despaired in that cell all week with the other merfolks ignoring him that seeing Ilasi again restored even more of his spirit. He just wanted to extend his arms and give her a big hug. But as he saw her, he also felt ashamed that she had to meet him again in such dreaded conditions. He feared that she would see him with different eyes if she believed the galud's lies.

Ilasi smiled brightly, ecstatic that Maverick remembered her - but then remembered the situation. "Maverick, it's so good to see you again! But... I wish it wasn't like this. You? Order an attack on others? T-this all has to be some sort of... terrible, terrible misunderstanding, right?! It has to be! You are all too kind to be those sort of people! ...right?" Though she really wanted to believe that, what she heard from superiors was something different. She just needed to hear that no, what had happened wasn't what she had been hearing...

"Oh, you're going to be taken to a place several miles away from here," the man answered. "Somewhere big enough to hold even the creature you're chained to."
"HAHAHA! IS THE PUNY LITTLE CREATURE SCARED?" the behemoth bellowed - clearly capable of its own speech. "YOU! HURT US! WE! HURT YOU!"
"Now, that's not the time for that sort of talk," the man said. "We will keep him like this until the trial. He will remain safe unless the trial deems otherwise."

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi smiled brightly, ecstatic that Maverick remembered her - but then remembered the situation. "Maverick, it's so good to see you again! But... I wish it wasn't like this. You? Order an attack on others? T-this all has to be some sort of... terrible, terrible misunderstanding, right?! It has to be! You are all too kind to be those sort of people! ...right?" Though she really wanted to believe that, what she heard from superiors was something different. She just needed to hear that no, what had happened wasn't what she had been hearing...

"Of course it's a misunderstanding Ilasi! Why would you think otherwise sweetie? What have they been telling you?" Maverick said, clearly hurt, although understanding that she has been probably hearing too much about their supposed misdeeds all week. To give her peace of mind, he kindly explained the events.

"Por favor Ilasi. Just hear us out. This is all a big mistake. Last week, Angorita here accidentally set a galud trap and Shady and I went to look for her. You remember him, right? The big, black dragon?" Maverick specified, before continuing.
"Well when we saw Angorita from the sky, she was trapped in a net, and these big galuds were pointing spears at her. She was trapped, with no way to defend herself, and when Shady saw that scene, he immediately thought the worse. He attacked those galuds, but I can assure you that he didn't do it to hurt them. He just wanted to give them a big scare so they would leave Angorita alone. He just loves her too much..." Maverick said depressingly, knowing it was that extreme loyalty that made Shade act without thinking. After a breather, he continued.
"I couldn't do anything to stop him. I tried, but I couldn't, and since I was the one on his back, they mistakenly believe I commanded him to do so. You can rest assure my dear Ilasi that I wouldn't dream of bringing harm to another being." Maverick finally concluded with a gentle smile, with Angora nodding quietly behind him to confirm his words. They both wanted the mermaid to know beyond a shadow of a doubt that they were there under wrong accusation, and that this whole ordeal was indeed just a humongous misunderstanding. If they were as bad as everyone in that country was making them up to be, why would they had helped Ilasi cleaned that lake? This was something Angora hoped would linger in the mermaid's mind as soon as Maverick was done explaining the situation.

All the talk about his work got Finnally Dexes Full attention. He emptyed the bag "Sorry about all the non artifacts, but I am sure taking them made the act even better plus it gives me a nice tip after I sell them. But like I said this is what I do, and like you can see I am good at it. But I have to say it is nice to sleep when you know you are in a base of allies. I would say you are right, we will both benefit from this. So there is just no reason Why I would say no to continue. Now earlier you said you where looking something espcelially. Is it among this stuff" Dex said finally back to his normal "It is all about bussiness" Style.

Ilasi listened attentively as Maverick explained his story. When he was done, she seemed rather satisfied. "Oh, I knew there must have been more to it!" she said. "You wouldn't just come here to attack us - you are too kind for that! There must be something I can do..." Ilasi paused for a few moments to think, then resumed her speaking.
"I know! I will testify for your character at the trial tomorrow! The judges... they can actually be quite reasonable people, well sometimes. I'm sure that once they understand how good you are, they will realize that this is all a huge mistake!" Ilasi gave out a hopeful smile. "I do worry about your dragon, though. If they see him as uncontrollable, well..."

"YOU! HOLD STILL OR I WILL ROLL OVER AND CRUSH YOU!" the behemoth bellowed. "YOU BOTHER ME!"
"You, dragon, you will cease your resistance," the man said. "I would prefer not to have to use more potent measures to sedate you, but I will if I must. You have endangered my men enough - I will not tolerate any further such action."

Bier looked at all of the objects, before taking a scroll. "This - this is it. It is known as a divinity scroll. It is capable of invoking incredible divine power - artifacts with a scary amount of potential." Bier continued to look through the artifacts, but a look of worry came on his face as he finished. "Now, he had two of these scrolls... we have one here, but it would seem that someone has acquired the other one. This... this is not the best news. It will be up to us to find where the other scroll went."

Quote: A Guy

The two picked up the pace, soon making their way to the wyvern pen. Once there, they found Sere, already mounted on his wyvern.
"Godfather Sere!" Latnok said. "I believe we're all ready."
"I was counting on it," Sere responded. "Now, we have to get going. Follow us."
"Raclaw! Flying with me? Just let me know if you get tired - I don't want to push you to hard!" Veris said. Latnok, through the mental link, was able to understand him, though Sere could not.

Raclaw gave a single nod before following Veris and his passengers. "Don't worry about me. Believe me-- I have plenty of energy!," Raclaw could be heard over the mental links. It felt good to feel the wind under the tips of his festhery wings once again. It was a sensation unlike anything else and something that couldn't merely be described. As they took off-- Raclaw had caught a good breeze beneath his feathers and was almost flying side by side to Veris.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi listened attentively as Maverick explained his story. When he was done, she seemed rather satisfied. "Oh, I knew there must have been more to it!" she said. "You wouldn't just come here to attack us - you are too kind for that! There must be something I can do..." Ilasi paused for a few moments to think, then resumed her speaking.
"I know! I will testify for your character at the trial tomorrow! The judges... they can actually be quite reasonable people, well sometimes. I'm sure that once they understand how good you are, they will realize that this is all a huge mistake!" Ilasi gave out a hopeful smile. "I do worry about your dragon, though. If they see him as uncontrollable, well..."

Maverick was deeply moved that she wanted to help, but was worried about Shade.
"Oscurito isn't a bad dragon. I can testify to that. He was just protecting his family! They can't penalize him for that!' Maverick declared, finding it indignant how they wanted to punish Shade for something that came naturally. Angora had her own thing to say.
"Listen Maverick, I already know what to say about that. I will tell you tonight, just in case they won't listen to me, and you..." she then turned to Ilasi.
"Do what you can to save our Maverick. You know him little, but you've already seen his kind heart. Why do you think your other mermaid friend saved him from that shipwreck?" Angora reminded, still remembering when Maverick told her about that event.
"No, it'a alright Ilasi. Won't you get in trouble for defending us? We don't want your people to think badly about you because of us." Maverick expressed, even if he was aware that her testimony could help their cause.
"See that? Even in his predicament he is still thinking of others. Look Maverick, I understand why you won't want anyone in trouble, but we need all the help we can get. You know that, right?" Angora explained kindly to her hybrid friend, with Maverick lowering his head. He knew she was right. He looked at Ilasi sadly, knowing that it was going to be her decision whether she defended them or not, but he didn't want her people to despise her for taking the enemy's side.