darkSpyro

Quote: A Guy

"Go ahead," Sere answered to Maverick, his attention still being focused on Angora and Shade. "Don't make us wait for you - because we probably will not. Sailors have started coming back, however, so we'll probably wait at least until Latnok has the meal prepared."
Ilasi was noting the somewhat reduced tension in the group - the others didn't seem as hostile to Shade and his companions today, and Leoquin, though still not liking them, wasn't insulting, at least not at the moment. A much more pleasant work environment than she was used to. She only wished something could be done about the awkwardness between her and Maverick.

Maverick nodded in thanks, preparing to walk, but then turned around.
"Better get Dahlia. She'll help me arrive and return faster. Where is the wyvern? I don't want her to get nervous." Maverick asked, not knowing whether Veris was flying off somewhere, in his enclosure or lying around somewhere on the ship. Dahlia was terrified of him, even more so than of Shade, maybe because of his more feral nature.

Angora didn't respond to Sere's comment, knowing he was going to rush. However, applying the antibiotic was very easy, so it wasn't going to take her long. She was glad for Maverick though getting that permission, having feared that Sere was going to deny his request, so she was quite glad he was sensible for once.

With the shark cut in half, easy access to the fish's guts were now available. Leoquin began grabbing handfuls, dragging them out and tossing them out to the side, using a knife to cut pieces off where he couldn't just pull them. The process didn't bother him at all, being something that he, like many mermen, were used to.

"I wouldn't worry too much about Veris," Sere assured Maverick. "He's lazing about, enjoying the sun right now." Sere observed Shade - the compound was beginning to cure, solidifying into the form which would facilitate the healing of the skin and muscles underneath.
"The compound is working well enough, from what I can see at least. It will probably burn a bit, but nothing major. I'd advise you to rest up, Shade."
Ilasi observed Raclaw and Chester as they played with the ball, having a good old time. Though Ilasi had never really been a loner, she rarely had any time to play like they were - the time she had with Maverick yesterday being one of the few exceptions. The memory irritated her, for a reason she couldn't quite put her finger on. Was she expecting something? She wouldn't say that to herself now, after what happened.
"Raclaw, what game is it that you two are playing?" Ilasi inquired. "Anything with rules?"
"Thinking about joining him? Don't bother," Latnok said, in a lighthearted tone. "I don't know what sorcery he uses, but giving any sort of a challenge to him with anything involving a ball with him is impossible. Believe me - I've tried." Latnok still recalled their game of angleball - which he couldn't challenge Raclaw effectively in even when he started using his future sight.
"Oh, definitely not. I was just curious," Ilasi said. "They certainly seem to be having a lot of fun. Speaking of which... do you ever play games?"
"Besides that one time I played angleball with Raclaw? No, not in the traditional sense. At most, competitions and training exercises. Oh, and drinking games or whatever fun arises from a few rounds." Ilasi couldn't help but wonder what the Guardians would be like if they actually relaxed a bit, and appreciated life more - even full-time soldiers needed vacations.

Maverick thanked Sere gratefully as he went to the stairs to bring Dahlia, although he couldn't help but to glance at Ilasi when she started talking. As he went to the stairs, he couldn't help but to blush again. Only this time, it wasn't out of attraction. Embarrassment? Shame? Guilt? Pain? It was many things, but the blush wasn't out of cute attraction anymore. Even though he wanted to get over her rejection, he couldn't yet, and seeing Ilasi on the job certainly didn't help matters either. He didn't know whether to continue trying or follow Angora's advice and wait for another girl that would hopefully be the right one. Ilasi didn't accepted him for the way he was, and even tried to make him change, so how could there be hope?

Having been alone in the hallway, Maverick sobbed quietly, rubbing his eyes when he reached Dahlia's enclosure and putting on a happy face.
"Hey girl! Want to go for a walk? We'll see Alya. You remember her, right?" he said pleasantly, not even needing to make Dahlia follow him. But the buffalo wasn't dumb. She knew something was wrong, so remained very close to Maverick to bring him comfort. And when they reached the main deck, Maverick hid his face behind Dahlia's head to prevent himself from glancing at Ilasi as he made his way to the gangplank, mounting her and heading to Alya's farm. Angora didn't noticed them leaving, so she continued used treating Shade, being done with the compound and almost using nearly half of the vial.

Angora grabbed on to his tail to avoid being left behind.
"Hey! At least wait until that thing dries up better." she scolded, although Shade simply lied down in his spot without paying much attention to her, probably annoyed by her. Not that she blamed him too much though.

Maverick arrived at Alya's place, greeted warmly by her parents but telling him that they were very overworked and won't be able to receive him at their house. He only needed to talk to Alys for a little while, which they granted. On cue and predictably, the little girl hugged him, all dirty. She was doing some farm work herself.
"Hey Mavi! I didn't expect you. Heh, as you can see, we are doing some farm work." she explained, wishing she could spend time with him, but she wasn't going to desist her work.
"It's alright mi amiga. Just came to tell you there is a chance the ship may leave today, so K just wanted to say goodbye just in case I have to leave today." Maverick expressed, with her losing some of her shine. She knew he had to leave, but didn't expected it to be so soon. She then saw the giraffe toy.
"This is for you Alya. From me to you, so you can remember me. Remember Angorita. And Oscurito too." Maverick said warmly, with Alya getting slightly depressed.
"Thank you... Mavi. I... I'm dirty now, but... you can leave it on my mom's chair right there. Or wait, the house is open. Leave it in the living room." she said gloomily, but Maverixk continued smiling warmly, not wanting to leave with Alya pouting as the final goodbye. After leaving the plushie in the house, Maverick continued smiling.
"Come on Alya. Don't be sad. I know this island's coordinates now. I won't always be part of that ship. Maybe someday, I can get my own and visit again." he assured, finding new motivation to return to sea.

"Well stop being so hasty. Damn. And they say I am the impulsive one!" Angora scolded once more, turning his back to him and pouting, clearly angry at him. There she was busting her back to help him and being criticized for being too loyal to him, and Shade wasn't cooperating. She was done rubbing the wound, but Shade didn't give the medicine enough time to dry. It spreaded wrong,y, but thankfully not by much. She would leave it that way though, and let both the antibiotic and his body to do the rest.

At Alya's farm, Maverick couldn't stand seeing her so sad, so he remembered something.
"Hey Alya. Remember Dahlia? Want to ride her?" he asked, knowing she would love to. And indeed she did. But unfortunately, her parents didn't gave her permission. She insisted for a while, and even gave a mild tantrum, but her parents still refused. They trusted Maverick a little, but they didn't trust Dahlia. Dirt buffalos weren't really domesticated animals, so they didn't like the idea of their little girl mounting such a big, wild animal.

"Oh, lo lamento Alya. I know how disappointed you are. But your parents love you, and I can understand them. Maybe when you're older and I come back here, you can mount her. I will return someday. I promise. I will visit tomorrow if the ship has a delay, ok?" Maverick promised to the frustrated Alya, trying to get a smile out of her. He didn't want to leave until he had one of her warm, adorable smiles...

Angora grunted when he started teasing her. He glared at him for a moment and then continued ignoring him, being too upset with him. She didn't mind taking care of him, but only when he was being cooperative.

Meanwhile, Maverick mounted Dahlia and headed his way, being there for less than half an hour. He ran with his mount, unavoidably attracting the attention of some of the town folks. Mounting a dragon was cooler, but like Veris, some dragons were already domesticated. Dirt buffalos were stubborn and very hard to tame, so seeing somebody mounting one was impressive all the same. Dahlia didn't feel bad for Alya not being allowed to ride her, preferring Maverick to be the one to do that, and Angora if there wasn't any choice.

The troll knew what he was trying to do, so Angora simply crossed her arms.
"You have your antibiotic! Let it do it's work and leave me alone, or I'll pull out your tongue if you try that again!" Angora threatened, feeling too bitter to deal with his teasing. She was also angry at the Guardians and the respect she had to show to them, but unable to take her anger on them, Shade was the one paying.

After a few exhales, Angora was finally calmer. Shade reminded her how their condition was improving little by little, and even Latnok was treating them better. They were still too far from being treated with respect, but the change was noticeable.
"Oh alright. I guess I was just a little cranky. I'm sorry. I feel better now. Go ahead. Do whatever you want." Angora said gently as she approached him, realizing she was taking some of her inner frustration on him and now feeling lousy about it. She gave him the liberty to do whatever he wanted with her without retialating, wanting to show her regret.

Maverick was making his way into the ship, but since he still had plenty of time left, stopped to buy some goat's milk with Alya's father's label. Not only was the milk delicious, he wanted to help their business. He bought three dozen bottles and placed it on his hyperspace bag. The ones who witnessed it in action weren't very surprised, believing that if Maverick was part of the Giardians, they would have access to such useful and marvelous items.

"Oh, playing Knock the Troll now, are you?" Angora said as she climbed him again, determined to avoid his attempts to push her away and acting like the tick that never leaves, grinning naughtily as she climbed.
"Just wait until I find a stick. I'll insert it into your nostrils, just like the old times." she then said tauntingly, wanting to proved to Shade she could tease better than him.

Just a few seconds later, Maverick returned to the ship with his mount. He saw Ilasi at a distance, but since she was far away, he didn't greet her. Angora and Shade looked like they were having fun. He wanted to surprise them with the goat's milk, but they were so distracted and entertained he made Dahlia tiptoe to the stairs so they wouldn't interrupt them. There would be time for them to look at the surprise. For now, he wanted to leave his bag in his cabin and find the captain to let him know he was back, in less than an hour like he had promised.

"It's a simple game of catch-- usually just something to keep a dog.. or other creature's mind active.," Raclaw explained between throws as he and Chester continued to play. The two expanded their play field somewhat and Raclaw managed to catch the dog with near perfect timing before throwing it back again. "It's.. it's sort of a guilty pleasure. Being raised alongside a dog can have that effect on you.," the fur dragon then said addressing some of the mostly subtle dog-like behavior he displayed at times. "Before Chester-- there was Sandy, a white German Shepard. Her and I were taken in around the same time; we developed alongside each other and quickly learned to communicate with each other. I believe that was how I first developed my.. my gift.," he added as the others watched. "Sandy-- what was she like?," Chester barked as he caught and threw the ball. "Sandy-- she was sweet if not a little unpredictable. She retained a certain youthfulness throughout her life, like a big puppy. You would've liked her.," Raclaw responded in dogspeak answering the question in kind. It was obvious that the two furry friends were clearly enjoying themselves and that the activity was nothing new to them.

Elsewhere-- Risar watched as Leoquin quickly gutted the large shark. He had no quarrel with the process, blood and guts being nothing new to him. Blood was simply part of the fight... and a few loose guts here was simply part of the job. He could already envision the elegant course that Leoquin would no doubt prepare from the boneless fish now spread about.

Angora was determined to climb him again and grasp his skin until he begged her to let go, but decided to instead not play along.
"Fine. I won't climb you no more." Angora said as she sat besides him without touching, wanting to tease him by leaving him with the desire for more. As she pretended to pout again, she was both glad and surprised that nobody in the crew ever called them off for their games, especially Latnok and Sere, given their obsession for order. Perhaps this voyage wasn't so bad after all, and it would be better if they continued meeting people like Alya in their stops.

As Maverick finished in the cabin, he left the hyperspace bag in a corner, while grabbing a single bottle of goat milk so that Angora and Shade could share it among them. He would've offered them to somebody else as well, but given the crew's love for rum, wine and the ocassional juice, he decided not to bother. He was thinking of offering one to Ilasi, but with her rejection still fresh in his mind and hurting him, he decided maybe another time. He left the cabin, already sniffing the cooked shark coming from the kitchen. He wondered if somebody had done the dishes already, but as long as Leoquin was there, he wasn't going anywhere near that place.

"I'm not giving up. I'm just not giving you the pleasure." Angora commented with a smirk, believing Shade would be more annoyed at being ignored than being poked. She played a little with him back when they were traveling together in those months, but never to this magnitude, so it was quite ironic to see them bonding the most in a time and place like this...

"I see," Ilasi said, not having any particular comments about the game, but nodding to show that she was listening to Raclaw. She managed to catch a glimpse of Maverick boarding the ship; she wished that there was something to break the awkwardness between them, but would have to settle for time to smooth things over.
Latnok had nothing more to do on the main deck, his task having been completed. He left the rest of the group, arriving at the kitchen before long. Leoquin had already completed the gutting of the shark, and was preparing to start cutting it up with a long blade.
"Thanks, Leoquin," Latnok said. Risar didn't escape his notice - and the shark was clearly cut rather cleanly, with something much larger than Leoquin would be able to use effectively. "Thanks for helping him out, Risar. You two are good to relax or whatever you want to do. You can leave the rest to me."
"Sure thing, Latnok," Leoquin said, happy to be done with his assignment. He would wait to see if Risar had anything to say before heading up to the deck.

Angora continued ignoring him for a while more, but she had a short fuse and was easily provoked.
"Remember what I said about the tongue? Go ahead. Keep doing that and I'll pull your tongue out and make you bite it yourself." Angora said with a nearly malicious grin, feeling like she would have quite a lot of fun with that. She knew how painful that was, and believed it was the perfect punishment for Shade's annoyance.

Maverick went to the main deck again, eager to surprise Shade and Angora with the delicious goat milk they tasted this morning. He hid the bottle in his largest pocket, and pretended to look at sea again while he remained nearby waiting for them to be done with their game. Milk wasn't going to fill them up, so Maverick planned to go to the kitchen to get them something later if nobody gave them some of the shark meat. As he looked at the island, he couldn't help glancing at the talking Ilasi and Raclaw. He was glad that, for once, she was speaking to someone as gentle as the fur dragon instead of the rude and bullying Leoquin. He didn't feel as awkward as the mermaid in terms of their relationship, but it still made him sad the way things were with them due to her being unable to accept him the way he was.

"My pleasure.," Risar said with a rather large grin already tasting for the exotic fish. It wouldn't be the first time he had such an meal, but it would be the first taste he would ever have of this specific fish-- once it was properly prepared by the Guardian of course. Latnok, in some ways, reminded him of his old master-- strict to a point, but also kind and gentle. He could see what the bonded Raclaw saw in the man and what kind of life they could provide for each other, should they stick together. And like himself-- both Latnok and Raclaw had proven themselves to be excellent fighters and even more so together. The large minotaur gave a respectful nod before preparing to leave the kitchen alongside Leoquin -- and leaving Latnok to properly prepare the large shark into something both editable and very palatable. The Guardians commanded respect and rightfully so, while also showing a much gentler and caring side under the right circumstances. And speaking of Raclaw, he and Chester happily continued their game. "You know-- I never had a dog, but I can certainly see the appeal.," the voice of Damon could be heard within Raclaw's mind. The entity knew more about the canine influence on Raclaw than anyone else.

Angora seemed quite disappointed, having believed Shade wouldn't have given up that easily.
"Ok. Whatever you say... wimp" Angora said, whispering that last word and giving him a sly side glance as she continued with her back against him. She then noticed Maverick on the distance, looking deep in thought. She decided to let him be, a bit sad about being unable to approach him. Not being a magical being made Maverick less suceptible to the hexphage disease, but she still didn't want to take the risk.

There it was. Angora's berserk button. She immediately put her arms behind her to rub away the drool.
"Again with the stupid licking? Do you have any idea how disgusting that is?" she said annoyed, tolerating such behavior just a few times, but this ocassion wasn't one of them. She tackled Shade's snout in an attempt to force open his mouth and fulfill her earlier threat.

The mild commotion draw Maverick's attention, seeing that it was only Angora roughousing with Shade again. She looked so funny clamped around his snout like that. Maverick shook his head and chuckled, continuing to look at the island but giving ocasional glances at the spectacle behind him.

Angora smiled naughtily, still trying to force his mouth open.
"Too late for that!" she said with a toothy grin, enjoying his apologetic nature.
"Hey Angorita! Don't bully the pobre dragon." Maverick said loudly, deciding to join the game in the only way he could. Angora was rather surprised to hear him talk from his spot, but it made her happy that Maverick decided to interact with them even if he couldn't touch them.
"Mind your own business!" Angora shouted to him playfully, taking out a chuckle from both her and Maverick. He found this silly spectacle so fun. Angora playing with Shade almost looked like a little shrew trying to annoy a Great Dane. Shade was so tame and patient with her he felt lucky to have the dragolet on their side, even if his temper wasn't the best.

Latnok got right to his task of preparing the meal. Taking a long blade, he continued where Leoquin left off - removing the remainder of the guts from the shark, setting them to the side, as well as carving out the teeth. The guts would be appreciated by Veris; the teeth would be useful for Sere. With those tasks completed, he began dicing the shark. It would take a while, but he would have the meal ready eventually.

Sailors slowly began to filter back onto the ship. They avoided Angora and Shade as they had before, not wanting anything to do with them. Random chatter here and there could be heard about the upcoming shark meal. Sere counted every one as they boarded; once everyone was accounted for, he intended to set sail.

Maverick wasn't very fond of the way Shade and Angora were ignored, as if they had some sort of deadly disease, but he knew that was a thousand times better than being beaten or insulted. Everybody was minding their own business, just as it should be, and his friends were free to play to their heart's content. Just then,mis nostrils were entrained by the scent of the almost done shark. The toothy fish was something he was quite familiar with, even as food. There was just so much sea life his father and the crew hunted whenever the food became scarce, and sharks were no exceptions. Even though fish was his only meat, he didn't like sharks in particular, but was willing to consume it if there was no other choice.

He wasn't thinking much of himself in general. He had hoped Latnok and Sere were generous enough to share of that meal with his two friends, even though he knew the shark hunter wouldn't like that. If not, he could always get them something else and at the same time, give them the delicious bottle of goat milk. Speaking of which, he had also been thinking long and hard whether to share that milk with someone else, and after a while, he decided to give a bottle to Ilasi later. Despite still feeling hurt about yesterday's conversation, there was no need for him to stop acting kind and even a little charitable with her.

As the sailors began to pour back onto the ship-- Raclaw and Chester began to wind their game down, so as to not get in the way. "Here-- it's yours after all and if you ever need to store it in my stash, just let me know.," Raclaw said in common tossing the belled ball to the Beagle. "Did you have any toys when you were young?," Chester asked via a curious bark. "I did-- a couple balls, something to crew on in my earlier years, and even a frisbee. And of course, there was whatever Sandy got as well. I.. I had to leave all of that when I left.," Raclaw responded in kind as they soon smelled the scent of the delicate shark coming from the kitchen. "Ah--- Risar believes the shark is almost done.," the large minotaur said nearby relaxing and watching the island before their departure. "I do believe you're right-- this should be a first for the both of us. Isn't that right, Chester?," Raclaw said with a smile looking down at the little dog. Chester responded with a excited bark, eager to try the new food.

Without further ado, Latnok came onto the main deck - pushing a cart which had many portions of diced shark, seasoned with some spices, as well as various servings of produce. He had put a lot of time and effort into ensuring the food was cooked well and thoroughly - the plates were also made to be neat and appealing to look at. Maverick certainly wasn't going to show him up.
"Hey, everyone! Come get your lunch!" Latnok called out to the group. He would deliver Sere's plate to him, on account of Sere being posted by the gangplank to do the head count.
Leoquin came up, beaming with anticipation. "Why, thanks Latnok!" he said, as he took a plate, not being particularly picky about the side. Grabbing a piece of silverware, he quickly, stuffed some shark into his face - and was extremely pleased with the results. "This is everything I was hoping it would be!"
Ilasi came up next. "May I please have a plate, Latnok?" she asked.
"Don't ask - just take one," Latnok said. Ilasi took a few moments to analyze her options, before taking a plate with a side of oranges. Much like Leoquin, she took a bite - though much less gauchely - and smiled as she savored the food. Latnok certainly did try...
Ilasi couldn't help but glance at Maverick to the side. She was regretting the conversation they had last night even going as far as it did - she would have probably done well to just never bring up the subject, and not try to push things...

After Leoquin and Ilasi came up-- Risar was next. "Smells delicious.," Risar said opting for a plate with grapes and grabbing the approviate silverware before savering the first bite. "Sweet, savory, firm-- I like it.," Risar said using the singular pronoun that he so rarely used. It was something that took conscious effort on his part and something he had only done during brief moments of pure happiness or pure anger. After Risar, Raclaw and Chester came up alongside each other. "Here, put your ball in here.," the fur dragon said briefly opening his stash and allowing the little Beagle to drop it in. Looking at the table-- he spotted a plate sporting a side approviate to dogs and gave it to the little Chester to carry. "This all looks really good Latnok!," he then said looking over the options for himself. He opted for a plate with grapes and found a spot nearby for both he and Chester to eat. "This-- this is good! Like really good!," Chester barked looking at both Raclaw and Latnok. He took a bite for himself, fully savoring and absorbing the taste. "He's right-- this is really good.," he said translating the little dog's thoughts and complimenting the Chef on a meal well prepared.

Maverick came meekly with a piece of silverware, hoping he would also be welcomed to receive some of this meal. He already had his fair share of time as a chef, so it was time for him to enjoy somebody else's meal for once, or at least someone besides Alya's parents. He came almost at the same time as Ilasi, so seeing her was inevitable. He gave her a warm smile, wanting to show he held no grudges and that their relationship could still be a decent one if she was up to it.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade shut his mouth tight. “No I’m not letting you get my tongue!”

"You won't be able to clamp it for too long!" Angora said naughtily, still trying to pry his mouth open, but it was like trying to open up a rusty steel trap. Even while talking, Shade made sure he kept his jaws shut tight. Having been distracted with the quarrel, Angora hadn't noticed the smell of the large fish until now.
"Hmm, that smells quite divinely. Perhaps they'll give us something later. If not, well, I'm sure Maverick will bring us something anyway." Angora commented casually, really not caring if they gave them some of the special meal. She talked with Shade, but she also did it to make him lower his guard.

"Thanks," Latnok said to Raclaw, Risar, and Chester. "I was hoping you guys would like it. Just some good food to help keep the mood up before this journey, you know? Like I've said before, it's a skill I developed to make it easier to keep morale high during missions."
Latnok made no effort to stop Maverick from getting food. "Well, go on then," he said. "The food's not going to eat itself. Be sure to get some for your friends there, so they don't have to come here and touch stuff."
As Ilasi ate, she managed to catch a glimpse of Maverick smiling at her. Looking at him, she reciprocated the smile, before returning to her meal. It was at least a good sign that Maverick didn't hold any hard feelings against her - at least not any that he intended to show.

Maverick was very happy with the chance. He didn't know why, but Latnok was far more pleasant than before. Was it a one time thing? Or was he simply in an exceptionally good mood today? He had no idea, but this was a mood he might as well enjoy while it lasted. He served himself in a platter while he served his friends in large, disposable towels to be disbarred after they were done eating.
"Gracias señor Latnok." he said ecstatically, failing to notice Ilasi returning the smile. And with both his meal and his friends' he went to the still quarreling Shade and Angora.
"Alright you two! Knock it off. Time to eat. You can beat each other up later." he said as he put the large towel with the shark meat and other seasonings in front of them.
"Oh, and check it out. I purchased various goat milk bottles. Can you believe Alya's father has a business in it? Not that it's strange. Come on, you can share it among yourselves. I have plenty more if you want seconds." Maverick said kindly, putting the large bottle besides the towel with the meal.

Angora's face shined at the sight of the milk, really having enjoyed it and congratulating Maverick on the idea of purchasing such divine beverage. With his friends having their food, Maverick proceeded to eat himself, serving himself a simple cup of water to go with the lunch.
"Well Shady, eat well, but don't think you'll escale the punishment. I will get you, one way or another." Angora said, moving her fingers as if to indicate he was going to tickle him. She wasn't going to disturb his meal, but she was ready to bother him as soon as he was done...

Angora almost choked on her food when Shade acted all defiant, yet he cowardly took a step back.
"Heh heh, aww, the big, black dragon is scared of a puny little troll. You will see what happens to you." she taunted while enjoying her meal as well as his reaction. Maverick was eating some distance away from Latnok and his group, not feeling enough trust or comfort around then. He instead opted to just look at his two friends, still at each other's throats. One would call Angkra crazy, or even stupid for provoking a dragon like that, but being that way with him only demonstrated how much trust she placed on him, and how gentle and patient the dragolet could be.

"Well--," Raclaw started to say taking another bite and savoring the flavor. "I can imagine that this would have certainly done the trick.," he then said as he continued to eat. He looked down at Chester with a smile and across at Mav/company-- glad to see that the three were at least enjoying themselves despite their circumstances. Risar continued to eat as well, remaining nearby. He sucked a grape before taking another bite of the shark. "The fur dragon is right-- Risar can see the appeal. No man, beast, or other individual would deny themselves from such a delicacy.," the large minotaur said in a somewhat elegant (but still very minotaur) tone. He held up a piece of diced shark before quickly devouring it into his eager mouth. Latnok was a kind man when it counted-- and he could cook. Indeed, both his men and his new friends (such as Raclaw) were lucky to have him.

Maverick not only watched Shade and Angora, he also watched the others as they ate, although he didn't stare for too long to avoid being rude. He took particular interest in Risar, who looked like he could rival Shade himself in an eating contest. The shark meat was well cooked. Not exactly his ideal meal, but it was still good and filling. He drank his water as he saw little Chester ocasionally moving, in the mood to eat and play at the same time. Looked like the cute doggie couldn't make up his mind. He had watched him and Raclaw earlier, and was happy his belled ball was enjoyed by more than one.

From her side, Angora continued eating alongside Shade, pouring herself various drinks of milk. Trolls could eat and drink practically anything, but then drinking milk was a rare sight. They usually preferred stronger drinks like like rum, and even some ocasional blood, although in Angora's case, she preferred milder human drinks like juice and root beer, believing blood was too barbaric and ruined troll's image even further.
"Better take a sip of the goat's milk Shady, or I will drink it all." Angora said, adoring this particular beverage. The trip to this island was certainly worth it.

Once the last man was accounted for, Sere gave the order to pull up the gangplank. There were crew members preparing various pieces of equipment for the ship's departure. He would have the ship set sail as soon as he had charted a new course and the men were done eating. After that, there were some experiments he was planning to do with the life orb - that was for a later time, though.
Leoquin was rather excited to be on the move again soon. "Well, what's in store for us next?" he wondered aloud.
"Beats me," Latnok said. "We've done as much preparing as we can. Just be prepared to help out if anyone falls overboard." Latnok's comment reminded Leoquin of the whole conditions Angora and Maverick were allowed onto the ship under. He was quite pleased that it had proven to be effective thus far, not caring to deal with the troll's attitude.
Veris could be heard letting out a growl in the distance. The smell of the food had obviously reached him by now. Latnok had the shark guts set in a container behind one of the doors; he would grab it soon.

Maverick hadn't realized until now that those sailors around the gangplank was to prepare for departure. It made him increasingly sad. He knew the possibility of the ship leaving as soon as today, but he had hoped the departure would be delayed until tomorrow.
"Hasta luego... Alya." Maverick said gloomily into the distance, knowing how disappointed she would be. She already knew there was a possibility for him to leave as soon as today, but he believed his departure would still be unacceptable. He was pleased that at least he managed to warn her about the possibility and leave her a memento, and even help her father with the goat milk business. He knew now where she lived, and was determined to visit someday again. Even though the sea brought him many bad memories, that little girl was worth the future struggle.

Angora had been wishing to leave for a while, though unlike Maverick, she never got the chance to say goodbye to that sweet soul that was Alya. Possibly the only child she had ever liked and tolerated. Still, she doubted she would've been accepted by her parents, so it was better this way.

Angora couldn't get over the image of a dragon drinking milk. It was just too funny. As she continued eating, she avoided looking at everybody, especially Ilasi, whom she was still angry with. Did she seriously rejected Maverick for loving a troll? Was there a more absurd reason? Did you really needed a condition to give anybody a chance in love? All those thoughts made Angora furious, and what was worse, she knew deep inside that Maverick still had feelings for her, and it was causing him pain surpressing them.

Raclaw finished up his meal and watched as the last sailors soon made it aboard. With lunch in progress, the Islanders long saved, and the ship reinforced-- it would indeed be time to set sail again and onwards towards their next destination. As Chester and Risar finished, the little dog couldn't stop thinking about his new toy. "Here--," Raclaw said internally triggering his stash and pulling out the belled ball. "Just for now.," he said with a smile as Chester played with it. That little ball and the little chime it made had certay caught the attention of the two furry friends.

With the sailors finishing up their meals, Sere gave the order to set out. The anchor was pulled, and before long, the ship was on its way.
Latnok looked back at the island - satisfied that they were there in time to stop the attack. Innocent people didn't deserve to die just for the sake of lining greedy mens' pockets. Leoquin, in contrast, was looking forward, prepared - at least mentally - for whatever was to come. Ilasi looked around - Maverick was, as expected, with his friends - for a brief moment, at least, before separating himself. Though there may have been some issues, she didn't feel that Maverick deserved to be a pariah. Time - that is what would heal these wounds.