darkSpyro

The insectoid closed his eyes and waved his hands, reading Maverick's mind. "Say no more, my child. Your friends... a small troll and a large black dragon, correct? They are currently within the area of a port city in Aelinon known as Redwater. The dragon currently meets Aelinon soldiers in battle. The troll is currently trying futilely to reach him." The insectoid said it with an eerie nonchalantness, in a pure matter-of-fact tone.

Meanwhile, the soldiers continued to fire more bolts at Shade. "Someone bring us some dragonbane ammo!" one soldier called.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade roared out in pain. Another burst of energy came from Shade knocking the solders away. “Get away!”

“We need to stop him!” Icestorm said.

As the burst came-- Raclaw's eyes turned black again as Shade's power flowed through him. "I-- I can try something. Remember the self-imposed coma I put Shade in while we were in the deadzone?," Reclaw said looking at Latnok and Sere. If he were to do it, he would need the backing and support of the Guardians just in case he got himself stuck again. As he spoke, his voice got deeper and his demeanor changed to one that Sere knew well.

Angora continued to futilely destroy the barrier. The ground was too hard to dig with her practically useless nails, and knew that if Aelinon soldiers kept attacking, Shade wasn't going to stop.
"Idiots! STOP THAT. STOP ATTACKING! I WAS TRYING TO FIND A BEAST MASTER TO AVOID THIS, AND YOU'RE MAKING IT IMPOSSIBLE!" Angora yelled on top of her lungs, hoping that at least one of the riders could hear her pleas. She continued punching the barrier, trying very hard to make a hole she could fit through...

Quote: A Guy

The insectoid closed his eyes and waved his hands, reading Maverick's mind. "Say no more, my child. Your friends... a small troll and a large black dragon, correct? They are currently within the area of a port city in Aelinon known as Redwater. The dragon currently meets Aelinon soldiers in battle. The troll is currently trying futilely to reach him." The insectoid said it with an eerie nonchalantness, in a pure matter-of-fact tone.

Maverick was happy when the humanoid insect mentioned the black dragon and a small troll, but his face immediately changed to pure horror when he mentioned the rest. Maverick's face was as white as a ghost. The shock was so much, he almost fainted on the spot.
"No... NO! Why Aelinon? Why there of all places? Did those evil soldiers meant to capture them again? What does it takes for them to leave us alone?" Maverick said tearfully as he fell to his knees in total despair. He looked like a child who had just lost everything.

The despair lasted for only a few seconds. He wiped away the tears, but his eyes had more red than white and were swollen.
"Now it's not the time. Señor, tell me where this Redwater is. I need to find my family. I won't let those soldiers abuse their power again." Maverick begged, hating to ask so much help from this kind individual, but he was his only hope. Like Angora, Maverick was really starting to hate Aelinon soldiers. It was as if they made it their goal to make their lives as miserable as possible.

Angora fell on her knees, almost at the same time as Maverick many miles away. She blamed herself for this. She should've been the one to help Shade instead of searching for a beast master. She should've known that leaving Shade alone and coming to this town when it was part of the hellish Aelinon would cause this much trouble. Out of pure desperate hope, Angora got up her knees... and started to use magic to destroy the barrier. A yellowish aura surrounded her. She didn't care if somebody witnessed it. It didn't matter if the secret would be out. She had magic, and she was forced to use it. Looking almost like a divine entity, she started to concentrate on the barrier, hoping and praying that it could work so she could find her beloved Shade and leave that madhouse they called Aelinon...

"To elaborate on the situation, if it may be of use to you, it would seem that the dragon's instability in his own solitude had led to him causing rather destructive effects to the city with his power," the insectoid said. "As a result, Aelinon soldiers have met him in kind. Redwater is currently under the protection of a powerful artifact known as the Void Breaker; it absorbs and channels many kinds of supernatural energy, including divine energy such as what I use to heal and to gather this information for you. Due to your connection with the black dragon, I believe that entering their nation would be ill-advised, as they would almost certainly seek your death; however, if you are among the fittest, you will survive, Ishulgu will it.
"To that end, I will answer your question. Redwater is located on the very easternmost part of Aelinon, which is some ways south of here. You will want to be careful as to how you navigate the nearby lands; there are land mines in the more remote locations, yet soldiers are likely to recognize you in the more frequent locations. Be advised that the dragon is currently fleeing; his location is not going to remain static. Best of luck, and may Ishulgu guide you."

"Of course that thing loses control again..." Latnok said, exasperated. "Yeah, let's help him out, I guess. I don't know why he's anywhere near civilization with how volatile he has shown to be."
"We have your back, Raclaw," Sere said. "Do what you have to."

Meanwhile, the barrier, at least in the location Angora was concentrating on, was temporarily weakening. If she was quick, she would be able to exploit an opening in it for a very brief moment before it automatically sealed up again. As she did so, wyvern riders gave chase to Shade, launching more arbalest bolts at him. Some wyverns sped up, in an attempt to allow their riders to 'board' Shade.

Quote: A Guy

"To elaborate on the situation, if it may be of use to you, it would seem that the dragon's instability in his own solitude had led to him causing rather destructive effects to the city with his power," the insectoid said. "As a result, Aelinon soldiers have met him in kind. Redwater is currently under the protection of a powerful artifact known as the Void Breaker; it absorbs and channels many kinds of supernatural energy, including divine energy such as what I use to heal and to gather this information for you. Due to your connection with the black dragon, I believe that entering their nation would be ill-advised, as they would almost certainly seek your death; however, if you are among the fittest, you will survive, Ishulgu will it.
"To that end, I will answer your question. Redwater is located on the very easternmost part of Aelinon, which is some ways south of here. You will want to be careful as to how you navigate the nearby lands; there are land mines in the more remote locations, yet soldiers are likely to recognize you in the more frequent locations. Be advised that the dragon is currently fleeing; his location is not going to remain static. Best of luck, and may Ishulgu guide you."

Maverick heard of the Void Breaker, and how powerful it apparently was. He also remembered the death threat he had should Shade get out of control again. His poor family was in far more danger than he imagined.
"What should I do señor? The Aelinon people insist that I own Shade, but he's actually just a companion. They are just too insistent in putting me under the responsibility. If only Orion was here. He could transport them here and we could finally leave." Maverick said, remembering when he transported them away. He didn't know who this Ishulgu was, but it seemed like he couldn't help them at this moment. Maverick didn't know how far Redwater was, and without a mount, it could take him hours, perhaps even days to reach it.

Quote: [url=http://forum.darkspyro.net/spyro/viewposts.php?topic=139991&post=6369587

Meanwhile, the barrier, at least in the location Angora was concentrating on, was temporarily weakening. If she was quick, she would be able to exploit an opening in it for a very brief moment before it automatically sealed up again. As she did so, wyvern riders gave chase to Shade, launching more arbalest bolts at him. Some wyverns sped up, in an attempt to allow their riders to 'board' Shade.

Angora's magic made a small opening in the barrier, acting like a pulley that allowed someone her size to go through. Concentrating her energy on it, Angora passed trough, stopping immediately after she was on the other side. The hole closed immediately like a steel trap. She was left fatigued and dehydrated, practically like climbing a small mountain without equipment. But she knew she didn't have time to rest. Running slowly, she tried to catch up with Shade, but knew it would be impossible with him flying. She then tried telepathy again.
"Shady? I'm here in the woods. Don't search for me. I will find you later. For now, just run. Don't go back for me. Try to leave the Aelinon border." Angora begged, believing that the soilders didn't have any rights stopping him if they were in a foreign land where their laws didn't apply. It was the only chance they had at the moment...

Raclaw nodded as he began to focus all his mental energy directly on Shade. His eyes shifted from a deep black to a pure white as he first altered the same memory he used last time-- adjusting it to give both him and Shade an easy way out without having to play through the entire memory again. "I'm going to render Shade powerless once he's in the approviate state, assuming all goes as planned. I'm using the same memory as before, only this time I added an easy way out and altered it so that I can maintain communication.," he explained before pushing forward and fully connecting to Shade's mind. "Shade... Shade... listen to my voice-- focus on my voice.," he said directly in Shade's mind while he started to push the artificial memory through just as he had before."Yes-- that's it. Focus on my voice. I am here to help you. I am here to calm you down-- Just focus on my voice.," he started to push the memory deeper and deeper into the dark dragolet's conscious with the goal of putting Shade to sleep just as he did before.

As Raclaw did his thing-- Risar stood by unable to help with the matter. Chester made a whining noise as Raclaw became static and his eyes turns an unfamiliar color.

"If it were up to me, my child, I would wait outside of Aelinon's borders, in the nearest sovereign nation recognized by them," the insectoid said. "If your friends are worthy, then they will survive the challenge ahead of them, and grow from it. If not, you may learn from their shortcomings, and grow to be better as a result. For as it is in life, the fittest are those who can adapt; those who can change to meet the situation, learn from their own failings, and learn from the failings of others. It is conflict that drives our improvement, until we eventually create a world with no conflict."
One of the men came off of Shade, his wyvern picking him up as he fell - clearly a practiced maneuver. Another, though he stayed on, lost grip of his polearm just as he was about to plunge it into Shade's nape, leaving him impotent to do anything. He jumped off willingly, being caught by his own wyvern. "Pull off of him - I know exactly how to make him come back," his leader telepathed to the group, which then retreated.
"We're going to find one of his companions and capture them, just like last time. Except instead of keeping them in Orcford, we'll keep them in Vonterr, where we will be able to destroy the creature with ease. Whoever approved of him being here without his owner will pay the price. His owner will pay the price - and so will his pet troll. That judge was a fool to show them such mercy. We will not make the same mistake a second time."

Just as Shade went unconscious, so too did Raclaw-- collapsing on the ground. In the real world, he remained both silent and motionless-- having to dedicate almost all of his energy to force the now unconscious Shade into the desired state. In the dream world, a current day Raclaw and Shade soon found themselves waking up in an familiar woods. This time-- they both ended up in the desired location next to the peaceful koi pond. Shade 'awoke' first, while Raclaw appeared to be asleep on the ground. Chester whined again, only louder this time.

As Shade looked around-- he appeared to be in the woods with two paths branching off in different directions. On the ground next to where to where he almost fell it laid what appeared to be an unconscious Raclaw. As he asked his question, he got no response other a faint echo in the distance.

Angora ran as far as she could, using the woods as cover. Using the mental energy she learned from the scroll she lost at the castle, she tried to pinpoint Shade's location like a radar. It felt... odd, as if his memories weren't the only ones. Still, there was no time to drift on that. She was too fatigued to run, so she walked at a quick pace.
"Don't worry Shady. I'll find you. And we'll leave those devils behind. Let Orion and their destiny punish them for their atrocious sins against us." Angora said in her mind, extremely full of hatred. How she wished those evil, abusive Aelinon soldiers could just drop dead and be the ones who received the ultimate punishment for destroying the peace she and her family were trying so hard to achieve.

Quote: A Guy

"If it were up to me, my child, I would wait outside of Aelinon's borders, in the nearest sovereign nation recognized by them," the insectoid said. "If your friends are worthy, then they will survive the challenge ahead of them, and grow from it. If not, you may learn from their shortcomings, and grow to be better as a result. For as it is in life, the fittest are those who can adapt; those who can change to meet the situation, learn from their own failings, and learn from the failings of others. It is conflict that drives our improvement, until we eventually create a world with no conflict."[/i]

"So you're telling me I should just abandon them to their luck?" Maverick asked indignantly, having hoped the insect man would have a better solution than that.
"I can't just sit by and do nothing! What kind of man would I be? My family may survive well on their own, but when it comes to those monsters and their cities, the chances dininished. I don't care what it takes! I will find a way to rescue them, with or without help." Maverick said as he picked his fox friends and headed to the clinic. This wasn't their battle, so he intended to leave them here on this peaceful town while he went to find Shade and Angora...

Raclaw didn't respond and twitched slightly as he continued to lay there, seemingly not hearing Shade's desperate plea.
In real life-- Raclaw remained motionless as Chester nudged him to no effect. "Is he alright?," he whined looking up at the others.

Latnok and Sere stood by patiently, as Raclaw did his work. "I wouldn't worry about him..." Sere told Risar. "He knows what he's doing - he's done it before." He left out the part where Raclaw only did it once before, and messed it up by forgetting a small detail. An uncomfortable truth that could be held off on for the moment.

The insectoid did not seem at all upset by Maverick's response - rather, he was understanding. "Very well, my child," he telepathed. "Ishulgu bless you on your journey. May you prove yourself among the fittest. I advise that, when given a choice, you go through populated areas - soldiers, as ruthless as they may be, can be reasoned with. Land mines cannot be, and they are highly lethal."

Angora continued searching for Shade, but she couldn't stop feeling this other presence. What was happening to Shade's mind? It was as if he had a split personality. Wait... did that explained his sudden outbursts? Even though Angora could finally use telepathy, it was giving her quite a headache...

Quote: A Guy

The insectoid did not seem at all upset by Maverick's response - rather, he was understanding. "Very well, my child," he telepathed. "Ishulgu bless you on your journey. May you prove yourself among the fittest. I advise that, when given a choice, you go through populated areas - soldiers, as ruthless as they may be, can be reasoned with. Land mines cannot be, and they are highly lethal."

Maverick nodded at him from the distance, glad for all his help and even apologetic for getting upset with him when he has been enough help already. He then entered the clinic.
"Ah, hello again boy. Did he turned out to be a fraud after all?" the elf doctor asked, but Maverick didn't have the time for a casual conversation.
"Sorry señor. I have to leave now. And yes, he healed my friend completely, but I'm afraid I'll have to take on your offer for them. Por favor, allow them to stay at least one night. I have a long and perilous journey ahead and I don't want them involved." Maverick explained quickly, putting the fox pair on the floor.

With a sad face, he kneeled to their level.
"I'm sorry my dear fluffies, but the journey ahead is too dangerous. Here you'll be safe and happy. This is a quest I have to do alone." Maverick said to Sapphire and Dex sorrowfully, wanting them to proceed with their own lives and prevent them for getting them into the trouble he and his family endured constantly.

Dex simply nodded "Well there is league stuff we need to do anyway. Thanks for this and good luck " Dex said. He had in fact started to feel uncomfortable with Maverick. He helping all the time taking care of him like he was a baby. The guy was nice, but too much is too much especially for Dex.

Sapphire looked at Dex clearly dissappointed, then turning To Maverick "I guess this is it then, thank you. I hope you do find your family." She said with a said voice

Laszur had barely been back to report on his findings when he was immediately sent back out to the source of the disturbance - the black dragon Shade. Not this again... he thought. Regardless, he was to track down and neutralize the target via any means necessary - though he had permission to kill the target if possible, capture would be preferred to make an example of Shade and the wayward captain in the arena.
Laszur had just the tool he felt he needed - hexphage fungus, the same kind proposed by the mage earlier. A spear even coming into contact with Shade would cause the fungus to begin growing and sapping his magic and energy, and would only be curable with the antifungal they possessed. A bit irked, but not complaining, Laszur set off once again.

Angora continued using telepathy to find Shade, but at the same time keeping her ears alert in case she heard wyverns flying above. The last thing she needed was being captured and put away, far away from Shade. Those idiots couldn't comprehend that Shade was getting wild because of their relentless pursuit and attacks. As she walked, she remembered with much frustration that she left the meat she puchased back in Redwater.
"Oh damn. This has to happen to me! Ugh! Well then, may it provide food for some needy family." Angora said after a while, knowing it would take too much time to return for it. If it wasn't already taken, she still wasn't going through the ordeal of opening the border again. It was too exhausting. So the troll continued to search for Shade, knowing she would have to get meat the old, fashioned way...

Quote: cyndego

Dex simply nodded "Well there is league stuff we need to do anyway. Thanks for this and good luck " Dex said. He had in fact started to feel uncomfortable with Maverick. He helping all the time taking care of him like he was a baby. The guy was nice, but too much is too much especially for Dex.

Sapphire looked at Dex clearly dissappointed, then turning To Maverick "I guess this is it then, thank you. I hope you do find your family." She said with a said voice

Maverick had thought that they would've insisted to go with him, but he was glad that he underestimated their independence.
"Well, I guess this is it then. So... so long," maverick said rather sadly, having gotten used to these naughty, furry pair. He rustled their heads as if they were doggies, showing his playful side. He didn't know how uncomfortable was making Dex with all the smothering kindness. The young hybrid then turned around to leave, but the doctor stopped him.
"Wait... if you really must leave... then take this." he said, as he offered him a single leathered glove. Maverick accepted it, but then the doctor explained it's purpose after seeing his confusion.
"Don't worry. This isn't just a simple glove. This has some elf magic. Whenever you point, the glove will always lead you to the closest body of drinking water, even in a desert." the kind doctor explained.
"Hold it señor. I can't accept something like this. This is too important." Maverick said, trying to offer it back.
"I don't need it boy. I pretty much never keave this place. But I know that for a traveler like you, it's perfect." he said, persuading Maverick to take it already so that he will never be dehydrated again.

Finally convinced, Maverick took off, taking one last look at his new friends before he disappeared through that door. It was time to head to Redwater, but on the road, he would brainstorm about how he could rescue his friends, and keep himself safe. It was so unfair the way they wanted to hold him responsible for Shade's actions. He was his own individual, who never attacks unless provoked. Just what did those soilders did that made Shade attacked him again? Maverick theorized that they probably endangered Angora like last time and once again, their rashness made the dangerous Shade attack them again. This was unacceptable. Somehow, he had to get his family back and get them out of that abusive city...

After Maverick was gone Sapphire gave Dex quite angry look "Why you let him go alone, did you not see how sad he was. And what league bussiness we really have to take care so badly that we let our friend go" Sapphire said.

"First of all I could not take anymore baby like care. Thats something i dont like, they say i have chanced, that might even be true, but not this much. And second think about the situation, what can we do better then anybody.... follow from the Shadows. He will be in trouble there, and if they think we are his pets.... Well there is nothing we can do. Now when even he does not know we are there....It will be easier to help by surprise." Dex said with a little smile turning to the doctor "Sorry but we will go after him. Thanks for the help. And if you would be so nice and dont tell anybody that we can talk, it would help us" Dex said to the doctor making more of an statement then talking friendly. Then he started to walk outside

Sapphire quickly turning to the doctor "Sorry his manners are not the best, he is not used to being around so many others. But he really is greatful and so am I. Thank you for everything" Sapphire said with a really friendly voice before going after Dex.

And so the two started to follow Maverick, if something they knew how to do that and stay hidden

The doctor was at first rather surprised to hear them talk, but then looked calm. Talking animals weren't news to him, although it was the first time he heard foxes.
"Don't you worry. Your secret is safe with me. Are you sure you want to leave? I can still take care of you for as long as you need it." the elf doctor said, feeling like he would be betraying Maverick's trust in him by letting them go with him towards the perilous journey. Still, he wasn't going to stop them either. Those two must be really loyal to the hybrid boy if they decided to go after him so quickly. It was quite touching. He also found it funny how Dex didn't like to be smothered. If only he knew how many animals wanted such a kind caretaker.

From the magic signature he was granted, the target was not hard to track for Laszur. As the other wyverns had recalled, not being in communication with him, his was alone in the sky as he descended in a nearby clearing. He grabbed several spears; all of then were tipped with the hexphage fungus.
The target was... sleeping. Right outside their current territory. Did he truly believe that that would stop them? Cloaked in his invisibility, Laszur grabbed a javelin, trying to get at a good angle at one of Shade's flanks.

Sapphire made her way back from the door. "When he has a plan there is no turning back. We are really greatful for everything, but we must go. Like i said he is not going to turn back, and somebody needs to be there to teach him some manners (giving a wink to the doctor). Trust me we know what we are doing and thanks once again" Sapphire said and went after Dex, but not before a respectful bow

Dex was already waiting outside looking like he was in a real hurry "Come on, we need to go already ." Dex said clearly not liking how long it had taken Sapphire to say goodbye.

"Of course honey" Sapphire said with a cute smile knowing that Dex would not like that at all.

Dex was clearly frustrated by this "Dont say that again" he said

Sapphire still smiling "Well why not, did I get the wrong idea When you where injured?" She said knowing that it was just more teasing

Dex did not know what To say " I meant..... What I was ..... Come lets go we are going to lose him soon" Dex said and started to run

Sapphire did the same. "You are so cute when you dont know what to say" She said giving a little chuckle

Dex clearly feeling uncomfortable did not say anything. And so the two started to follow Maverick from the shadows.

Maverick was about to leave the city, but then he remembered that he didn't know in what direction Redwater was. The Aelinonian map he had didn't showed this town anywhere, and the compass didn't do him any good if he didn't know where his destination was. So before he left town without a p,an, Maverick decided to get information first, talking to the locals and see if he could get some piece of gossip. Chances are that a black dragon and a troll supposedly causing trouble could reach news even in a remote o,ace like that, so the half fawn made sure he also listened to the townsfolk to make sure he would know what he was up against and have a better plan to save his friends.

Quote: A Guy

From the magic signature he was granted, the target was not hard to track for Laszur. As the other wyverns had recalled, not being in communication with him, his was alone in the sky as he descended in a nearby clearing. He grabbed several spears; all of then were tipped with the hexphage fungus.
The target was... sleeping. Right outside their current territory. Did he truly believe that that would stop them? Cloaked in his invisibility, Laszur grabbed a javelin, trying to get at a good angle at one of Shade's flanks.

Not far from there, Angora marched exhaustedly, she came across a clearing. It looked like a large meadow, and right on the other side was another part of the forest, which she didn't know if it was part of Aelinon too. It seemed more dense, more abundant, and wild, so maybe that was a boundary? She couldn't be certain, but one thing that was sure was that Shade was somewhere out there, and something even more clear was that if she tried to walk in that treeless valley, she could be spotted by a soldier or their wyverns. The fauna wasn't as abundant except for some very small, antelope like creatures. They're horns were extremely tiny. Although small creatures, they were still twice the size of Angora. Looking closely at them, the little troll finally managed to brainstorm an idea; she chose a target, and concentrating on her magic, she freeze one of the antelopes into place. It wasn't as hard as she thought, but the spell was thedious to maintain, so she had to move fast. She got to the antelope as fast as she could and climbed below it's underbelly. Moving again, the panicked animal tried to shake her off, but she grasped below the small beast like a baby marsupial and lead it to the denser forest like a horse. It was quite a strange scene, and Angora got crushed several times by the animal, but at least it wasn't so heavy, so the injuries were minor. The antelope, with it's own body, was providing her with both a transport and a hiding place, but it was hard to control it's directions. Angora was spending a harsh time taking control of the frantic animal, but she was trying very hard to mai gain her own control so that the antelope wouldn't attract the attention of any predator, even less a hungry wyvern...

Moving as stealthily as he could, Laszur made his way within range of Shade's right flank. He intended to be out before Shade even knew what was happening. After that, it was only a matter of tracking Shade until the fungus took effect, then calling in the army. Taking aim, he tossed a hexphage-tipped javelin at Shade - briefly revealing himself before he restored his invisibility.

Due to being below the antelope, Angora didn't see Lasur's wyvern flying in the distance. She didn't care about spotting one, as long as they didn't spot her. After several minutes of wrestling with the ruminant to force it to the direction she wanted, the antelope finally crashed into one of the trees of the denser forest.
"Finally!" Angora said as she released the dazed animal. She took a few moments to catch her breath. Taking advantage of the wet leaves she took a few drops of water accumulated on them to hydrate herself. She watched as the poor antelope retreated and wondered if she should hunt it for Shade. Nevertheless, as the unfortunate animals went into the clearing, a cougar-like creature brought it down easily, taking advantage of it's disorientation. Nothing new to Angora seeing a predator stealing away her potential prey. Nature could really be cruel. Still, the hunt was taking place in the exposed clearing, and Angora wasn't going to take the risk.

Deciding to hunt later, she resumed her search for Shade.
"Come on big guy. I know you're out here somewhere. I will find you." Angora said with both her mouth and her mind, hoping he could answer. Shade's mind was unresponsive, and she feared he may be either sleeping or has fainted. These denser woods were eerily quiet, and no matter how much she tried to listen, there wasn't a sound except for the rustling leaves. Not even a songbird could be seen, or even heard. She really wanted to believe that Shade was the only one around, but this much quiet meant there was probably something out there scaring them. She could be wrong... or at least she hoped so...

Meanwhile in the dream world...
Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Raclaw! Wake up!” Shade said shaking him trying to wake him.

As Shade shook him-- he gently awoke and slowly getting up. "It-- it worked.," he said first taking a brief look at his own reflection and than looking at Shade again. He was seemingly still his normal self and not the younger power-restricted version of himself that he had stepped into the first time he had used this memory on Shade. "Shade, I'm sorry-- that took more out of me than I initially expected. I know you're scared and I know you're wondering where you are. I-- I have placed you in the same memory as I once did before in hopes of calming you down and helping you control your powers which were than ravaging the city. I was hoping that we wouldn't meet like this, but everything will be alright. Please tell me... can you still feel your powers?," Raclaw than explained and asked the dark Dragolet.

In the real world, Latnok could faintly feel his mental presence-- confirming that he was alright. Chester laid down next to the unconscious fur dragon, while Risar nodded and stood by. Raclaw still remained motionless, but his presence at least confirmed that he still had some connection to the real world. Due to he and Shade being unconscious, Raclaw was blissfully unaware of the incoming attack on Shade. However, he hoped that he wasn't putting the dragolet in too much immediate trouble. His immediate concern was that of Shade's raw unpredictable power.

Beyond the Aelinonian border in the dense forest, Angora searched thoroughly for her unstable friend. She continued to feel his presence, but she still couldn't pinpoint his exact location. The sun was barely on the horizon now, and she knew that the search will be harder that time. Trolls had slightly better night visions than humans, but it was still not very helpful in a tupid forest like that. Then Angora encountered what she believed to be an oversized tree root sticking out of the soil, but when she fount it's origin, she found to the horror that the root was the thick tail of a wyvern. She gasped quietly and retreated backwards to hide behind a tree. Fortunately, the large creature didn't seem to notice her. It was very still, and Angora could see by it's equipment it had to belong to one of those infernal Aelinon soldiers. No doubt looking for Shade. There was only one wyvern though, which was strange. Nevertheless, she had an idea. It was going to be risky, but it was worth a shot. She rubbed herself with different leaves to disguise her smell, and afterwards, she grabbed a rock. She threw it high among the trees to make a loud rustling sound. Her plan was to distract the wyvern with various was. Chances were that if the wyvern thought the rustling came from an animal, it wasn't going to miss a chance for a potential meal. If it works, Angora would continue throwing rocks in various directions to confuse the wyvern and hopefully make him crazy enough to force it's owner to investigate and calm it down, and while the soldier was busy, she could search for Shade quickly and get him out of there...

The wyvern did not immediately make any response to Angora's rock throwing. However, it and its owner had been rather pushed that day, and it was not fed on schedule; its hunger eventually led to its curiosity overcoming its training, as it began following the sources of rustling, eventually climbing into the trees and making a huge disturbance as many small animals began running away.
Laszur didn't stick around; he wanted to be out of the area when the dragon awoke. While looking for a hiding spot, his ears picked up the sudden disturbance; judging by the direction and distance, it would seem to have come from the area his wyvern was stationed at. Well... can't afford to just leave that alone. He was in territory that wasn't yet secured, and would prefer to not have to make it back home on foot.
Laszur headed back, as the wyvern began darting around more and more to chase other animals, creating a bigger and bigger ruckus. He recast his invisibility and sound dampening; if something was wrong, he wanted to take the threat by surprise.
He saw various animals as he made his way back; one thing he saw, however, was clearly not like the rest of them. That dwarf troll. The same one he saw at the trial and when he was capturing Maverick. She was headed in the very general direction he came from, by the looks of it; he had a golden opportunity here. Not only would he intercept her, but he would also have another one of the wanted trio, and he would have a bargaining chip for forcing Shade into compliance. Waiting for her to get close, he would perform a low sweep with his tail, then immediately drop his invisibility and brandish his spear at her.

Meanwhile, Latnok began to feel the signs of Raclaw becoming active again, at least mentally - a good sign, considering what happened last time. "I can feel him," Latnok notified the others. "He's doing his work. I'll keep you updated if I feel anything worrying." Latnok was really starting to regret not just being responsible and suppressing Shade - he did the 'right' thing, and innocent people paid the price.

As Shade felt it-- so too did Raclaw and he knew the Aelinonians were up to something. "Shade!," Raclaw immediately called out running towards the downed dragolet and trying to hold him up. He could feel the dark dragolet's power weakening and with it-- the connection he shared with Shade. "I can feel it too. I swear-- this isn't me!," he said struggling somewhat to stay up himself as the pain surged through their currently shared minds. "Listen-- whatever is happening, we don't want to make things worse than they already are. I have programed a way out of here, but we need to move. And when you return to the real world-- you need to ensure whoever is doing this this you don't mean any harm. You are in immediate danger-- it's time to move.," Raclaw said trying to lift Shade up and get him moving. He didn't know exactly what was going on in the real world, but it was clear that someone was doing something to him. Furthermore, he didn't know what the full effects of what such an action would have on them-- should both of then remain in their current coma-like state.

In the real world, Raclaw began to twitch in pain as if something was actively happening to him. The mental presence was also growing somewhat unsteady-- and the occasional burst of pain could be felt over the mental link as his presence briefly became stronger at times.

At the remote town, Maverixk was done gathering all the information he needed. So far, news of Shade and Angora's supposed misdeeds hadn't reached that quiet gathering, and he wasn't going to stay to wait. So knowing in which direction Redwater was at, he headed his way, leaving the town behind in search for his family, thinking he was all alone. He would have to reach the city fast, so he kept his eyes peeled for animals he could possibly use as a mount to reach the place faster...

Quote: A Guy

The wyvern did not immediately make any response to Angora's rock throwing. However, it and its owner had been rather pushed that day, and it was not fed on schedule; its hunger eventually led to its curiosity overcoming its training, as it began following the sources of rustling, eventually climbing into the trees and making a huge disturbance as many small animals began running away.
Laszur didn't stick around; he wanted to be out of the area when the dragon awoke. While looking for a hiding spot, his ears picked up the sudden disturbance; judging by the direction and distance, it would seem to have come from the area his wyvern was stationed at. Well... can't afford to just leave that alone. He was in territory that wasn't yet secured, and would prefer to not have to make it back home on foot.
Laszur headed back, as the wyvern began darting around more and more to chase other animals, creating a bigger and bigger ruckus. He recast his invisibility and sound dampening; if something was wrong, he wanted to take the threat by surprise.
He saw various animals as he made his way back; one thing he saw, however, was clearly not like the rest of them. That dwarf troll. The same one he saw at the trial and when he was capturing Maverick. She was headed in the very general direction he came from, by the looks of it; he had a golden opportunity here. Not only would he intercept her, but he would also have another one of the wanted trio, and he would have a bargaining chip for forcing Shade into compliance. Waiting for her to get close, he would perform a low sweep with his tail, then immediately drop his invisibility and brandish his spear at her.

Angora scowled in disgust, Lasur being the last guard and galud she had wanted to see. But since her cover had been blown, she made no attempts to run away and kept her cool.
"Oh, it's just you. Here to make my life miserable again? Some owner you are letting your wyvern go rogue like that." Angora scolded, keeping it a secret that she was the one who provoked him. She wanted to avoid using magic, but if the awful galud didn't leave her a choice, she would do it.

Laszur went straight to business - he let out a short series of whoops, which was responded to by the rustling noise drawing towards the location of the two, no doubt his wyvern nearing. As he did this, he also launched a ball of light into the sky, closing his eyes as it exploded in a pattern of various colors.
"Do not defy us," he warned. "Your dragon has been found sleeping, and I have inoculated him with the hexphage fungus - it will sap his magic and his energy, weakening him immediately and rendering him listless and completely subdued before long. We are the only ones who possess the antifungal for that particular strain. He will be completely helpless against us before long. Our trackers are already on Maverick's trail and will find him before too long - a creature like him is not hard to identify.
"Your dragon has caused death and destruction in Redwater - of his own accord. He was found unaccompanied at our borders when he began his attack. Such an action is punishable by death - and, as per the court order, both you and Maverick must pay the price. Surrender peacefully, and the duke of Redwater may allow you to attempt to earn your freedom in the arena fighting and killing criminals for our entertainment and glory - or die trying. Resist, and the king may personally take an interest in your execution - and you will be lucky if it is only crucifixion like those who bring smallpox against our humans." Galud's ultimatum issued, his wyvern burst from the vegetation, behind Angora.

Latnok could feel the surges of pain, as the mental connection grew more inconsistent. "Something... something's off," Latnok said. "Like something is attacking him mentally right now. I can't quite pinpoint it. But we may need to intervene further if it worsens." Latnok remained cautious - Shade has caused too much trouble already. The last thing Shade would do is take Raclaw from him as well.

Maverick walked with the compass at hand, but the valley he reached was almost like a desert. He couldn't find any animals he could use as a mount, so he simply pressed on with his own two feet. Then when thirst finally started to win him over, he remembered the elf doctor's gift. He felt quite silly with that single, leathered glove, especially when he started to point it. As soon as he did, the glove itself moved his entire arm, and made him point to another direction. Maverick was startled at first, then fascinated. He followed the road, knowing that wherever the glove was taking him, there would be water...

Quote: A Guy

Laszur went straight to business - he let out a short series of whoops, which was responded to by the rustling noise drawing towards the location of the two, no doubt his wyvern nearing. As he did this, he also launched a ball of light into the sky, closing his eyes as it exploded in a pattern of various colors.
"Do not defy us," he warned. "Your dragon has been found sleeping, and I have inoculated him with the hexphage fungus - it will sap his magic and his energy, weakening him immediately and rendering him listless and completely subdued before long. We are the only ones who possess the antifungal for that particular strain. He will be completely helpless against us before long. Our trackers are already on Maverick's trail and will find him before too long - a creature like him is not hard to identify.
"Your dragon has caused death and destruction in Redwater - of his own accord. He was found unaccompanied at our borders when he began his attack. Such an action is punishable by death - and, as per the court order, both you and Maverick must pay the price. Surrender peacefully, and the duke of Redwater may allow you to attempt to earn your freedom in the arena fighting and killing criminals for our entertainment and glory - or die trying. Resist, and the king may personally take an interest in your execution - and you will be lucky if it is only crucifixion like those who bring smallpox against our humans." Galud's ultimatum issued, his wyvern burst from the vegetation, behind Angora.

Angora felt the wyvern's eerie shadow, and saw the beast looking right below her. However, she didn't let the monster or it's equally monstrous owner intimidate her. She calmly explained everything to the menacing galud.
"First of all, aren't you even wondering why we are separated from Maverick in the first place? Our poor human was blackmailed by this awful water dragon, and he's still out there. We managed to escape, but now we don't know where he is. I came to Redwater to find food and a beast master that would help us, but after I'm done, what do I found? Your precious soldiers attacking Shade. Perhaps you forgot, but in the court, it was clearly stated that Shade ONLY attacks when he or one of us is threatened. I have no doubt that the soilders attacked him from out of nowhere and that is what iniciated the destruction. We have stated one time too many that all we want is peace, and yet here you are, ready to arrest us again and make our lives miserable! And what's more, you DARE accuse me of spreading the smallpox? Why do you think I'm traveling with a dragon and a human? I have nothing to do with what my kind does to your people! It's their war, not mine! There are far worse threats out there, like the water dragon I just mentioned, yet you insist on persecuting us specifically! What the hell does it takes to get all of you off out backs?!" Angora lectured, bold enough to criticize the galud right in his face. She didn't care that she had a spear at one end and a hungry wyvern at the other. She wasn't going to just let herself arrested without expressing herself first.

Laszur, much like almost every single Aelinonian soldier up to that point, was completely unmoved by Angora's indignation. "Your denial is irrelevant," he said curtly. "Those are the facts. Now, you will surrender, or you can continue to defy me and we'll let you explain to your friends why you felt your own pride was worth their own suffering. Enough innocents have died - we will take you three and end this, so no more will have to. Perhaps you would like to see your dragon friend right now? See how he is dealing with the fungus? Even if, by some miracle, he escapes, he will never be able to live as anything more than a living zombie without our antifungal.
"As for your water dragon friend - he has not attacked us yet. Your dragon, however, has killed innocents and destroyed their property. There were no mitigating circumstances, like last time. The only punishments are death or the arena." Laszur's weapon remained pointed at Angora the whole time, and he brought it ever closer to her, threatening a jab.

Meanwhile, off in the very far distance from where Maverick was, there were what looked like two orc children frolicking about in the rough, bare land. They were going at it for a while; one step later, however, a brief, loud explosion could be seen and heard where they were. What was left of the children did not move.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade followed weakly he stumbled here and there but Raclaw helped keep his footing.

"Come on-- it's way.," Raclaw said knowing that they would have to get out of there before Shade's power drained completely. He helped keep Shade's footing as they slowly made their way onto a hidden third path. "When.. when you make it back to the real world, just remain calm. I don't know where you are right now or what's happening to you, but we'll figure something out. And--," he started to say as a particularly powerful burst of pain went through him. "And we need to stop meeting like this. Your power-- it's strong and one way or the other, you will learn how to control it. I know you will. And--," he almost fell down from the increasing pain. "And when that happens, the world will see you for who you truly are.," he said having almost taken them to their intended destination. Two trees just off in the distance curved into each other and almost formed what looked like an invisible gateway.

In the real world, Raclaw continued to twitch in pain-- and his mental presence continued to cut in and out. The outbursts of mental pain continued, becoming both stronger and more frequent. Chester was no longer laying down peacefully, but rather watching his furry friend with grave concern.

Quote: A Guy

Meanwhile, off in the very far distance from where Maverick was, there were what looked like two orc children frolicking about in the rough, bare land. They were going at it for a while; one step later, however, a brief, loud explosion could be seen and heard where they were. What was left of the children did not move.

Maverick was shot backwards with the force of the explosion. The glove was alright, but he had a few bruises.
"Pero que diablos..." he cursed in Spanish, never having expected such a loud noise in such a calm place. He looked at the distance, and noticed a couple of bulks that seemed like rocks near the direction the glove was pointing. There was a lot of smoke and heat. Maverick was covered in ash. Not knowing the real identity of those rocks, he took cover behind a small hill, not daring to approach a place. He then realized he must be in Aelinon,more at least near it. They were expanding their territory by force, so Maverick stayed put for a while until the heat was off. Just how destructive and murderous that society was?

Quote: A Guy

Laszur, much like almost every single Aelinonian soldier up to that point, was completely unmoved by Angora's indignation. "Your denial is irrelevant," he said curtly. "Those are the facts. Now, you will surrender, or you can continue to defy me and we'll let you explain to your friends why you felt your own pride was worth their own suffering. Enough innocents have died - we will take you three and end this, so no more will have to. Perhaps you would like to see your dragon friend right now? See how he is dealing with the fungus? Even if, by some miracle, he escapes, he will never be able to live as anything more than a living zombie without our antifungal.
"As for your water dragon friend - he has not attacked us yet. Your dragon, however, has killed innocents and destroyed their property. There were no mitigating circumstances, like last time. The only punishments are death or the arena." Laszur's weapon remained pointed at Angora the whole time, and he brought it ever closer to her, threatening a jab.

Angora didn't move, nor she stepped back. The wyvern was in the way anyway, so she simply tried to convinced Laszur how wrong he was.
"So that's it huh? Is this is how it always going to be? We win our freedom just so some of your soldiers can come and bully Shade again to create an excuse to detain him? Are you people really that shallow? Besides, I'm already warning you of a genuine threat. I have seen what this water dragon can do, and it sounded to me like he had big plans. Or what? Are you just going to ignore my warning and wait until he murders innocent people so that then you can take action? When will you admit that your soldiers just can't stand our presence and are just going to keep provoking Shade to coax him into attacking so you can have more excuses to keep arresting us?" Angora accused, wanting to get into the galud's head. She has done it with many other creatures before. She refused to budge or show fear.

Despite Angora's attempts, Laszur did not budge from his thinking. "Make your excuses. I have given you a choice. You have chosen to remain noncompliant. You and your friends will suffer the consequences for your hubris." Without moving the rest of his body to betray his motion, Laszur shot his tail under Angora, in an effort to wrap it around her legs and subdue her. As he did so, he made a short series of clicking sounds, and his wyvern moved to pin her down with one of its wings.

Latnok was growing increasingly uneasy; he did not want to alarm the others as to the true nature of the situation, however, doubting their ability to help. "RACLAW. GET OUT. NOW," he called out telepathically. He wasn't sure if Raclaw would hear, but he had to try.

As Latnok telepathically called out to him-- the urgent warning could be heard, although faintly, as if it were coming from the sky itself. He got up from where he had briefly fallen from within the dream-like state and proceeded to make it towards the gateway alongside Shade. Just behind the two, the environment itself started to break apart as if Raclaw's mind was mentally and visually screaming out in pain. "We're-- we're almost there. Just keeping going!," he called out to Shade and they were mere steps away from entering the real world again. From behind them, blackness could be seen where the ground had previously broken apart. With a one paw on the gateway-- he pushed Shade through before going through himself.

And just at the very moment, he started to wake up. The twitching increased, but the outbursts of pain stopped and Raclaw started to slowly open his eyes. Chester and Risar watched with great interest-- the former not wanting to lose their friend while the later didn't want to immediately lose his new crewmate.

After waiting almost half an hour and making sure no more explosions would occur, Maverick began to investigate. He found out much to his horror that the two rocks he saw were anything but. They were childrens of some kind. They couldn't be trolls... so maybe kid orcs? Or ogres? It didn't matter. They had suffered a most horrid death. Aelinon didn't even forgave the young and innocent. How could they be such monsters? The young man couldn't help but to cry for these lost lives, unaware on how lucky he was being not suffering the same fate. But these souls, barely beginning to live just to have their lives cut short by a monstrous, senseless war...

Quote: A Guy

Despite Angora's attempts, Laszur did not budge from his thinking. "Make your excuses. I have given you a choice. You have chosen to remain noncompliant. You and your friends will suffer the consequences for your hubris." Without moving the rest of his body to betray his motion, Laszur shot his tail under Angora, in an effort to wrap it around her legs and subdue her. As he did so, he made a short series of clicking sounds, and his wyvern moved to pin her down with one of its wings.

Angora's eyes went yellow with fury. If there was one thing she despised more than being underestimated and treated as a kid, was injustice. And what Laszur and his wyvern were doing was abusing their power. Angora was about to release a strong burst of magic in her anger, but thankfully, she desisted. She didn't want Laszur to see her as just another violent troll, and if he found out she had magic, the worse it could be for her. Even though she had the chance to escape, Angora didn't evaded capture, and instead decided to remain still.
"Have it your way. You want to continue wasting your time? Fine. Just don't go blaming me when that water dragons begins killing you all. He can create sharp weapons with mere water, and can even materialize itself into water. You could confuse him for a puddle. You will see. Destiny will punish you for all your sins." Angora declared as she let herself be captured. Even if she had managed to escape, Shade was unconscious somewhere. She could feel it. She wasn't going to abandon him, and knew she couldn't drag him anywhere she wanted. For now, this was the best option until they could win their freedom yet again. They have done it twice already. A third time wasn't going to be any different.

Laszur, satisfied with Angora being subdued, began dragging her as he moved along - his tail making contact with the ground so she wouldn't. Wouldn't want to have the prisoner in too bad a shape for the arena if it could be avoided, after all. "My orders are to neutralize you and your friends," Laszur told Angora. "That gives me permission to kill you - but I think the arena is a much better place to determine your fate and that of your dragon friend. My orders are not to hunt down this water bogeyman. My job is to enforce the will of Aelinon. Nothing more." A few minutes later, Laszur and his wyvern had brought Angora to the clearing Shade made - spear still implanted in him, the fungus beginning to have some physical manifestation, with red, blue, and green blotches.

"Raclaw! Raclaw?! Are you all right?!" Latnok asked, highly concerned. "That's it - we're done with Shade! We're not wasting any more time with him! You need to cut that mental link - we cannot be held to him like this anymore!" Latnok said, furious. Sere looked on - fully understanding Latnok's concern and reasoning. As much as he did not want to admit it, trying to keep Shade under control had proven to be completely infeasible, and others were paying the price for it.

After a moment of praying for the two children, Maverick continued his way, knowing there was nothing he could do for them. His family was his priority now, and nothing was going to stop him... except the glove leading him to water again. First a drink, and then continued his mission without hesitation...

Quote: A Guy

Laszur, satisfied with Angora being subdued, began dragging her as he moved along - his tail making contact with the ground so she wouldn't. Wouldn't want to have the prisoner in too bad a shape for the arena if it could be avoided, after all. "My orders are to neutralize you and your friends," Laszur told Angora. "That gives me permission to kill you - but I think the arena is a much better place to determine your fate and that of your dragon friend. My orders are not to hunt down this water bogeyman. My job is to enforce the will of Aelinon. Nothing more." A few minutes later, Laszur and his wyvern had brought Angora to the clearing Shade made - spear still implanted in him, the fungus beginning to have some physical manifestation, with red, blue, and green blotches.

"Oh sure, the arena. The more the merrier, huh? More to satisfy your sadistic pleasure. How can you even live with yourself? What's more, why are you even helping humans? They promised you something, didn't they?" Angora asked, once again, trying to play with his mind. If there was another court, she was going to do everything in her power to make them exonerated again and avoid the dastard arena. This abuse was going too far. She was still certain Shade destroyed those buildings due to being provoked by the soldiers, so she could find a way to blame them, she would... wait... was there? She then knew she had something that could help her, but it was impossible to reach with Laszur grasping her like that...

Laszur stopped in place, his grasp remaining firm on Angora. "Humans... I do not help humans. I help Aelinonians. The people I work with are Aelinonians before they are any race. I do not expect more... simple creatures to be able to grasp that. Humans don't pay me; Aelinon does. Humans don't feed me; Aelinon does. Aelinon serves me well, so I serve it in kind, enforcing its will. Us galuds, we realize something; everyone has their part to play in the team. And I do mine. Now observe." Laszur pulled Angora to a standing position, to enable her to take a good look at the spread of the fungal infection.

Angora got sick of listening to the word Aelinon. It just made her hate them more. And it just reinforce itself when Angora saw what was done to Shade.
"You really are the most disgusting kind of monster there is!" Angora insulted, feeling like throwing up. Before Laszur could counterattack her argument, something suddenly occurred to her. Mentioning Aelinon so much, she thought of something...
"Wait a second... this forest... is it part of Aelinon territory? If it isn't, your laws don't hold here." she declared, not remembering much of the Aelinon map Maverick had, but do recalling that it didn't have a forest this thick. She waited for an answer as the monstrous galud grasped her with his tail like a snake coiling it's prey...