darkSpyro

Sere looked long and hard at the scene; with everything Chester had spotted, it would indeed seem that Latnok and this individual just vanished into the tree somehow. Sere conducted a more detailed search of the area; there appeared to be no signs of a struggle. That could mean many possible things, however: Latnok could have left of his own free will; or he could have been disabled before he had a chance to respond, right as he approached the tree; or he could have been warped away somehow. The former didn't seem characteristic of Latnok, and the latter two would mean that there was a much more powerful force at play; but why would Latnok be their first target? There was no word of something similar on the island.
Sere quickly charged and fired a force bolt at the tree, blowing a chunk out of it. The tree was not hollow; there was no tunnel underneath, nothing that would indicate any sort of passageway. The tree itself didn't seem to be magical, at least not more so than the rest of the environment around them.
"Well, we went through all this... and we have nothing to show for it but speculation," Sere said, disappointed. He stood there for at least a minute, thinking; what could they possibly be missing? No... there was nothing they were missing. Whatever happened, whoever was involved - if they were indeed involved, and their footprints weren't just a coincidence - they did a very good job of covering their tracks.
"...we've hit a dead end. We will find nothing more here. We need to head back."

With Dahlia's approach, Ilasi was quite pleased with her friendliness. She hesitated for a moment, before reaching out and petting her. "Hey, Dahlia," she said. "Did you have a good night?"
Leoquin, seeing Ilasi and Dahlia, stopped by for a minute - more to occupy himself than for any important reason. "Hey, Ilasi. How's the work going? We... wait, is that Maverick's pet?"
"Yes, she is," Ilasi said. "She's really rather pleasant, though I'm not sure how long she would get along with strangers without being introduced."
"Well, she doesn't strike me as bad company," Leoquin said. "You know, land dwellers have all of these animals that they can get along with. Being amphibious... what kind of pet can I keep? A toad? Honestly, I'm a bit jealous of Maverick for getting something like that. I wonder how much it cost him?"

As Sere did his thing and spoke-- Raclaw sighed hoping to have found something, anything. They knew that Latnok had been here and that he had possibly gone with another probably magical individual, but nothing more. Without that knowledge, they would be powerless in finding him and could only hope he would return-- or be returned. if something had happened to Latnok-- than Raclaw would be partly responsible for whatever had become his fate and that was a terrible terrible feeling. Looking at the scene, he telepathically scanned for Latnok once again this time 'sending' a corresponding message to go along with the scan. "Latnok-- if you can hear me, please. Please respond and please come back to us. We miss you and we just want to know that you are alright. Everything can be explained and.. and we can get past this. But you have to give us a chance, please.," Raclaw telepathically pleaded desperately hoping he could somehow get through to wherever Latnok was. If he couldn't before, the chances were slim but he would still try nonetheless. "I've-- I've transmitted a message and probed for him once more. I doubt he'll respond. I doubt he'll even be able to respond, but I have to try something.," Raclaw said giving his beloved Guardian a moment or two to respond before just leaving.

Below deck, it was Angora's turn to wake up. She didn't know what time it was, but based on the position of the sun, it looked like it was almost noon. It has been so long since she had overslept that way. Her eye bags felt heavy, but nothing painful. She looked at her side to see the pleasant meal that was obvious who prepared it.
"Oh that Maverick. Too good for his own good. But then again, the world needs more people like him." Angora commented to herself, not wasting any more time with the meal. It was rather cold by now, having slept too much, but she didn't mind. This was still better than raw meat.

Quote: A Guy

With Dahlia's approach, Ilasi was quite pleased with her friendliness. She hesitated for a moment, before reaching out and petting her. "Hey, Dahlia," she said. "Did you have a good night?"
Leoquin, seeing Ilasi and Dahlia, stopped by for a minute - more to occupy himself than for any important reason. "Hey, Ilasi. How's the work going? We... wait, is that Maverick's pet?"
"Yes, she is," Ilasi said. "She's really rather pleasant, though I'm not sure how long she would get along with strangers without being introduced."
"Well, she doesn't strike me as bad company," Leoquin said. "You know, land dwellers have all of these animals that they can get along with. Being amphibious... what kind of pet can I keep? A toad? Honestly, I'm a bit jealous of Maverick for getting something like that. I wonder how much it cost him?"

Like her rider, Dahlia didn't like Leoquin very much, having a rather unpleasant aura around him. Still, he wasn't being hostile, so she reciprocated the action. He wasn't doing anything bad to her, so there was no need for the dirt buffalo to be defensive. She was even willing to welcome his petting if he desired, knowing that would mean another free massage.

Without any further leads, Sere, Raclaw, and Chester would make their way back to the ship, in complete silence. One thing was clear - Latnok's return, at least for now, would be completely out of their hands.
After what seemed like an eternity, the trio finally made their way back onto the ship. As soon as they arrived, Sere grabbed the bell once again, and rang it to get the attention of the sailors on board.
Once the sailors were all gathered, he began his announcement again, his height removing any need for a podium of any sort. "Sailors! I have two announcements to make. The first: after thorough search results, we have been unable to locate Latnok. Our search led to a complete dead end where he seemingly vanished without a trace after meeting another individual. Until we know the nature of whatever caused this, I highly recommend traveling in groups, and onlyu when necessary.
"Second - we are going to search and destroy the creature that attempted to destroy us. We will be prepared this time - we know its tricks, and preparations are currently underway to allow me to construct a most powerful weapon - something which will allow us to devastate this creature if comes anywhere close to our ship, regardless of whether it tries to stay submerged or not. We will be ready this time. We will have our vengeance; we will keep the seas safe for all those in the future who may have otherwise been killed; and we will show that there is no one, or nothing that will attack us and not suffer dire consequences. That is all. Keep up the good work. At this rate, we are set to be moving by tomorrow. You are dismissed."
With Sere's announcements, there was once again uproarious chatter; some in alarm of what's on the island that could make people disappear; some concerned about possibly fighting this creature, though almost all of those who signed up were expecting at least some danger of the sort; some in eager anticipation for the battle and the stories to come.

Maverick's previous hope had shattered completely with Sere's second announcement. How was it possible that he wanted to engage a creature that could move that giant boat practically effortlessly? Was he mad? Was decades of surviving similar encounters made him overconfident? He didn't want to hunt the creature only to prevent any more deaths. He said it plainly he wanted revenge. The ship was damaged, but it still managed to lead them to the island unscathed. And yet he still wanted to go after this monster. What was worse, Latnok was nowhere to be found, and he was seemingly with another individual. How can anyone vanish without a trace and still be alive? Everyone always left some sort of trail. Was it magic even superior to that of the Godfather? Were they dealing with a kidnapper? So many questions flooded Maverick's mind.
"I have to warn Angora." Maverick whispered to himself, wanting Angora to know from him about the new predicament rather than hear it randomly from a gossiping sailor or Sere himself.

Dahlia looked with some sadness how Maverick, after finishing up with a particular task, left downstairs without even saying hello to him. She wasn't angry though, sensing the tense atmosphere, so she believed her rider left for a little time off.

At the cabin,Mir only took Angora a couple of minutes to clean her platter, she had been very hungry. She heard Sere's voice even from there, but was too far and locked to listen to what he was saying. She went to investigate when she nearly crashed onto Maverick, who quickly explained what Sere announced. Angora wasn't surprised.
"Heh, was there ever any doubt? I can't believe he's going through with this. He should be focusing on his dear protégée. Is he planning to face this beast tomorrow even if they don't find Latnok?" she asked, quite upset.
"I don't know, but he still wants to hunt that thing in revenge. I'm telling you, he's mad." Maverick replied after making sure nobody was around.
"Well it doesn't matter Maverick. We have to go with a plan and hope we can survive like we have always done. We have the option to stay on the island, but Shade will be forced to leave with them, so unless we want to leave him alone, we have to go too." Angora expressed, with Maverick sadly agreeing. She still recalled painfully how Sere wanted to kick her out and how he cruelly explained he would take Sere with them whether he wanted it or not. She was starting to believe the memory should've been addressed to Sere instead of Latnok.

With the sailors mostly dispersed, Sere needed one among them in particular - Leoquin. "Leoquin!" Sere called out as he spotted him. "To me!" Leoquin came running.
"What is it, captain?" he asked, hoping it wasn't about the previous day.
"You can hunt sharks, right?"
"Yes - do you want a shark to eat?"
"No... I'm in need of a test subject," Sere said. "Of course, getting a whale as a test subject would be infeasible - so I need you to bring a shark. You don't even have to bring it on deck - just leave it on the shore."
"Will do, captain!" Leoquin said. "Hopping right to it, you can trust me!" Without hesitation, he grabbed his polearm, ran over and jumped off the side of the ship, diving into the water.
"With that done..."

Sere soon found the components he had requested that Risar gathered. Various sorts of lenses, cheap gems, and other objects perfect for manipulating light. This would be exactly what he needed. All he had to figure out was how to combine them into something workable. It probably wouldn't function just assembled together physically - some magic would have to play a part as well. Taking the pile of components, he moved down into the ship, into the workshop. Here, he would do what he needed to craft the weapon...

Meanwhile, a mastermind ishiud - the same kind that Latnok encountered, hovered lowly about the ship - using a combination of basic short-term mind reading, powerful senses, and its own intelligence to make its way around the ship, surveying it without being spotted. One creature, in particular, caught its attention...
Hovering just below the ship, out of sight, it tried to locate the mental signature of the creature it had spotted - a troll. A creature from Latnok's memory that, from its knowledge, may perhaps be receptive...
"CREATURE," it telepathed to her. "YOU ARE AN INFERIOR ORGANISM. LACK THE SIZE, POWER OF OWN KIND. SOON. YOU WILL HAVE OPPORTUNITY. WE CAN RECONSTRUCT YOU. MAKE YOU TRUE TROLL. MAKE YOU ONE TO BE RESPECTED. REMEMBER THIS. BE READY FOR OPPORTUNITY." As soon as it had arrived, it began to leave, in the same stealthy way it had come, obscuring its own mental signature to make it harder to detect.

Maverick and Angora arrived in the main deck, only for both of them to notice that Angora's hexphage was returning. They were very small spores, but the sun made them very much visible.
"Oh bummer. When will they give you the real antidote?" Maverick complained, unable to stand seeing Angora in such a way. He looked at Shade and saw he was the same way.
"All with time Maverick. Be patient." Angora assured, being surprisingly calm. She had spend so much time with the hexphage that she reached a point where she didn't even started to care. She did miss contact with Maverick and his mount though. She wanted to help with the repairs to ease up her friend's workload, but even if she used gloves to avoid a spreading, there was the risk of sailors crashing into her, especially if they were carrying materials, so she decided to be useful by continuing the special training she had with Shade.

As she went to the now hexphaged dragolet as well, certain that Maverick fed him well. But as she walked towards him, she started to hear a voice. Inferior creature? Reconstruct? Thoughts like that she dismissed them as her brain saying those things in response of the shattered self esteem Latnok and Sere were responsible of.
"Oh great. Now I'm hearing things." she complained to herself in a whisper, not immediately thinking of the possibility that someone was using telepathy on her. With her experience, she would've identified it almost immediately, but after yesterday's experience, she believed the voice was a result of her now messed mind.

Upon their return to the ship-- Raclaw watched and kept his mind open. If Latnok was out there, able to respond, and willing to respond.. than perhaps there was hope. As he scanned and listened; something caught his attention before quickly disappearing again. Whatever it was-- it wasn't a member of the crew although he couldn't quite pinpoint who or what is was. He only got a brief feeling that he was being watched and that whoever/whatever was watching them didn't want to be detected.

Back in the cave, Latnok continued the trials ahead - fighting more and more soldiers, with the same conditions. Over time, he became more and more resistant to the mastermind's effects - until he suddenly wasn't.
Though he overcame that battle, it filled him with some concern - was he slipping? Cernentium detected those feelings, and knew how to address them. "Do not be alarmed," Cernentium said. "Just as you learn, so do we. We have learned how you resist, and apply methods to circumvent it. As you grow, so do we. Just like any traditional sparring. Simple concept, yes?"
"Yes... indeed," Latnok said, somewhat roughed up and left with a headache after that particular fight.
"Adapt or be destroyed. That is true in all of nature, whether it be the individual level, the group level, or the species level. Now, let us continue. We have something a little different for you this time."

Back at the workshop, Sere was finalizing the assembly of his conceptual weapon - it was essentially a giant, shiny, robust, multi-faceted lens. This was something that could be held (with some effort), or be mounted on the ballista mount, or somewhere on the ship if the proper machinery were assembled. With the aid of magic, this would allow one to drastically amplify the power of light by focusing it. There would be more than one way to use it as a weapon, however...
Sere exited the workshop and made his way onto the deck, lens in tow. Now all he needed was for Leoquin to show up with the shark, so he could test it.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade felt uneasy by something around the ship but thought it was just nerves. He soon saw Angora and quickly came to her and gently nuzzled her. “Good morning Angora! How are you feeling?”

"Much better now. Maybe still with a little headache, but nothing I can't handle. Can you believe Ilasi helped me? Heh, maybe she doesn't hate me as much as I thought." Angora replied, wanting to assure Shade that she was alright but also demonstrating she still had a few doubts about the mermaid even after they had made peace. There was nothing else Angora wanted more than to start over, but she feared that Ilasi may still be a little too wary of her.

By Ilasi's side, Dahlia was welcoming the mermaid's petting, but she couldn't stand Maverick ignoring her any longer. So she went to his side while he worked, prompting him to leave the materials he was carrying on the floor to attend her.
"Dahlia! I'm sorry I've been dismissive girl. The days ahead will be... very busy for sure. But you can still find me if I become too dismissive." Maverick assured as he petted her, trying not to think of tomorrow to calm his nerves. He knew by now how sensible Dahlia was to emotions, so he tried to remain calm to avoid passing his uneasiness to her.

"Godfather Sere.," Raclaw said approaching the Guardian head. "I've been keeping my senses open just in case-- and we're not alone. It's just a feeling, but something or someone is watching us. I'll tell you if I know more.," he warned. Elsewhere-- Risar was keeping both the prisoners and the crew busy.

"Watched?" Angora repeated, starting to have the feeling as well as soon as Shade mentioned it.
"Probably one of the sailors gossiping about us. I don't know. Anyway, ready for more training? We still need to do that. Don't worry. I'll try to make it more like a game." Angora assured as she tried to ignore the feeling, having wanted to continue for a while now, but there was also some kind of delay. As she finished the sentence, she couldn't stop thinking about the voice she heard earlier. Her thoughts were usually with her own voice, so it was too strange an entirely different one was used this time...

Pleased now, Dahlia was calmer. She even lowered herself to indicate to Maverick to put the materials on her back, wanting to help with the repairs. He smiled at her enthusiasm and intelligence, but then remembered something important.
"Oh gracias Dahlia. But you haven't had any breakfast. Or did Ilasi fed you? Never mind, if you want to help, you'll need more energy." he said, leading Dahlia downstairs. The buffalo wasn't that hungry despite not having eaten a thing since waking up, wanting to help immediately, but she was willing to welcome food if Maverick insisted, especially if it came from him.

"One of my Guardians just vanished into thin air with some unknown person or thing. Of course we're not alone," Sere said dismissively, clearly still displeased with the whole situation. Raclaw was just trying to help - however, Sere was too busy to appreciate being informed of things he felt he already knew. Right now, he was more concerned with getting the lens set up by the shore.
The timing was perfect. A shark could be seen moving onto the shore - being pushed, rather, being limp and lifeless. Once it was a decent distance on the shore, Leoquin came up behind it and pulled it somewhat to prevent the waves from drawing it in. Leoquin slowly shimmied his way back onto the boat as Sere held the lens in one hand and Grimbane in the other.
Leoquin came up just in time to see Sere readying himself for the test. "SAILORS!" Sere called out telepathically to those he could reach on the ship. "I will be testing our new weapon. Do not look directly at me or the shark on the shore."
With the warning given out, and the sailors seemingly diligently aware, Sere began focusing light into Grimbane, the weapon beginning to glow incandescently as the immediate surrounding area became somewhat dimmer.
After some charge-up time, Sere was finally ready. Calling forth Grimbane's power, he channeled the beam of light through the lens - which completely absorbed the beam of light, magnifying it and pointing it as Sere directed it with his wrist in his off-hand. On the shore, the beam could be seen - if one was foolish enough to stare at it - striking the shore. The shark soon began to burn to ash. After a bit more time of focusing the beam, some of the sand in the immediate area turned into brittle glass.
The beam stopped soon afterward, with Sere slumping to the floor. Quite a bit of power he had to call up - he wound undoubtedly need a dragon brew when the fight happened. He would need to focus the beam long enough to boil the water, at least, if the creature refused to surface. He intended to win - no, he was going to win. He had to. The lives of countless people were depending on him. Defeat was completely out of the picture.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, Aelinonian forces had just completed an engagement with enemy orcs, after which they were routed. It would seem that, despite the increased resistance and greater casualties, Aelinon was pushing on, and would continue to do so. What they didn't see - or at least didn't care enough about to do anything about - was that up above was yet another ishiud mastermind. It didn't do anything for now - only watching, observing, taking notes on tactics, battle outcomes...

Raclaw saw the results of the experiment-- amazed at the results. Soon they would fight the beast and at least they would have a chance.

With Maverick downstairs feeding Dahlia, Angora did as Sere told and looked away, telling Shade to do the same. She hoped the Hodfather wouldn't be doing too many of these experiments or Shade's training could be delayed again.
"Well then, I think it's over. Ready to begin?" Angora said, thinking of what possible challenge she could give Shade this time. But as she pondered that, the thought was interrupted by another one. Sere spoke telepathically. Was it possible that the voice she heard earlier was telepathy also? Only Sere, Latnok and Raclaw knew telepathy as far as she knew. Minotaurs weren't magical creatures, and the voices weren't from the mermen pair, so who could've send that message... IF it was a message and not her mind as she originally thought. She felt like she had to report this to Sere, but being too angry at him and doubting he would believe her anyway, she decided not to say anything.

Angora had to sit to ponder for a moment, already trying the cup game and brain teasers. She needed something more to add to the variety of their training... when it finally hit her. It could work, even if it did become a tad risky to her. Shade couldn't use much of his magic with the hexphage growing again, but he still had his natural abilities. She climbed his back before proceeding to explain.
"Alright Shady. Get ready. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm gonna pat you. Walk all over you and touch you. It'll be just like a massage. However, there will be times where I hit you, maybe reach a nerve or a muscle tension if you have any, and it'll hurt. Your task is not to react too much at the sudden burst of pain. If you scold, snap at me or throw me off you, you'll lose, and I'll kick one of your toes if you fail, and that will be even more painful." Angora warned, ready to begin the exercise once Shade assure her he was ready, and not afraid of getting physically violent with him if he fails a session. It was only instinct to react to pain and want to stop whatever's causing it, so Angora's objective was to make Shade stop from reacting so violently to situations he deemed dangerous to himself. He has attacked mostly for his friend's defense rather than his, but Angora would have to think of another challenge that simulated that scenario later. For now, this one will do...

"Perfect. That means the excercise will be more accurate." Angora stated, as she began. Despite knowing Shade for quite long, she didn't know his body very well, so the pain will be as unpredictable to her as it would be to him. The troll was going to resort to pinching and kicking his spikes also to see his reaction. She would accept some flinching and must,e spasm as response to the pain, but none of the reasons she mentioned earlier.

At Dahlia's enclosure, Maverick was making sure Dahlia ate well, and after she was done, he gave her a big hug, much to her surprise and delight. It was, after all, thanks to her that he and Angora managed to make peace with Ilasi. If the mermaid had left when he rejected her help, none of yesterday's events at the cabin would've happened. He even began to think Dahlia was somewhat responsible for Ilasi listening at their door what Angora confessed to him, making the girl further understand how much she had the troll wrong. It was at that very moment that Maverick truly believed he was underestimating his mount's intelligence. Not only that instance, she had also lead him to that underground entrance when Latnok, Raclaw and Chester when they were being attacked by that giant badger in the other island, so not only was Dahlia intelligent, she had great empathy and spirit., which Maverick much admired.

The weapon was ready. The crew was working hard to get the ship back in running order. Latnok was MIA - but there was nothing that they would be capable of doing about it with their current knowledge. With all of this information, Sere was certain of their next move - they would head out to the area this creature was said to dwell, lure it, and destroy it.
Sere, still exhausted from the power he channeled, took a look at the aftermath on the shore. It was every bit as powerful as he'd been hoping. He had always found ways to get himself and his men out of tough situations - this would be no different.
Leoquin rubbed his eyes, having caught some of the bright light in his periphery vision. "Wow... that was something, all right," he said to Ilasi. "These guys sure do have a knack for coming up with weapons."
"Well, their entire life is based around fighting..." Ilasi said. "Seems that the older they get, the better they do that sort of thing." Ilasi had her doubts - the general morale on the ship still seemed relatively high, however, at least in regards to the engagement. Perhaps it was just her inexperience in these sorts of matters.

With Angora and Shade hexphaged again, they stayed far away from the crew to avoid a spreading, with the troll making herself useful the only way she knew in that condition despite yesterday's painful experience, doing the rather risky excercise with the large, black space dragon.

In that time, Maverick had returned to the deck with a well fed Dahlia, who made it clear her desire to help. Since many materials had to be carried, the dirt buffalo let herself be used as a carrier, letting Maverick and even the rest of the sailors use her back to move materials around, accelerating the repairs. Maverick was glad to have this beloved companion. He continued helping with the repairs in a slightly good mood despite believing this was a humongous waste of time. The ship was being fixed just so it could go after the very creature that did those damages in the first place. The stubborn old Guardian was determined to hunt it down despite the obvious risks, and it just make the fawn man angry just how ridiculous revenge could be. He, like Latnok, has claimed that it was for the good of the people, but he was aware that they always had some sort of reward for their services, making Maverick believe they never did these suppose helpful actions out of the kindness of their own hearts. And to think he wanted to be a Guardian at one point in his life. Still, Maverick knew better than to question Sere, so he continued with the work, simply taking Angora earlier words to heart and hoping that they will survive as they have done all their lives.

As the day moved on, the ship came together more and more, once again looking seaworthy. As the evening came in, it was apparent that the night's skeleton crew would be able to have the ship ready to go by the morning. There was still no sign of Latnok - but it could not be helped.
Sere looked out to the shore. The White Shadow had caught them unprepared - but they would best it next time. He thought about Angora and Maverick - it was obvious to him that they wanted no part of the upcoming battle. They would participate, however - for Shade's sake, at least. The ship going down could easily lead to his death. He knew that they didn't care about his mission at all - as long as their goals coincided, however, their presence on the ship would work out. What would they do once their goals diverged, however? At the very least, he knew that Angora wasn't trying to be hostile - or at least trusted Raclaw on the matter. So he would allow her for now.
Latnok - would he just become the next Julian? What would happen to him? One thing was clear - Latnok didn't just disappear on his own. Not only was it uncharacteristic of him, he was unable to just disappear like that. Something else was at play here - but what? It was something he would habe to figure out later. For now, they had the task at hand.

The ship was ready to tackle the sea again, a fact that worried Maverick greatly. Latnok was still missing, and Sere was still determined to go after the fog beast. Why did he had to be so stubborn? If he didn't care about his own life, couldn't he at least care about his crew? Or even a lady like Ilasi? Or the fact that his beloved Latnok was still missing, most likely kidnapped? Maverick had tried very hard to understand Sere's views, but he just couldn't. It's like he didn't have an ounce of care in his heart. Still, he knew he had to go through with this, whether he liked it or not. Sere may have a plan by now, but Maverick still believed this would be a foolish move.

As for Angora, she didn't think much about Sere's mission, having other things in her mind. As she trained Shade, she couldn't stop thinking about the otherworldly voice she heard earlier. The more she thought about it, the more she was convinced that was someone using telepathy rather than her own mind talking to her. This voice didn't sounded human, or even troll, so what tried to contact her earlier? And what did that creature meant with reconstructing her? The thought was disturbing her too much. Just when she thought nothing could get worse than yesterday's events. It didn't helped the fact that Latnok was still missing alongside another individual, and that made her believe that something or someone grabbed him and literally made him disappear. Not even Sere or Raclaw were able to detect him with all their abilities and magic. She didn't know what was scarier. If the beast lurking out there or the fact that there was possibly someone even more powerful than the Godfather and the fur dragon...

As the day came to a close-- the ship was once again seaworthy and Latnok was still nowhere to be seen. Several questions ran through the worried fur dragon's mind. Who was this unknown individual that Latnok had ether willingly gone with or had been taken by? What if he was some kind trouble with no way to reach out? Or worse? And what if they simply hadn't tried hard enough to look? What would become of his eventual future should they discover the worse or should Latnok decide never to trust him again? He and the Guardian had been close-- and he couldn't see his future without the beloved Latnok in it. Throughout the day, Chester had tried to reassure him and to cheer him up. The little Beagle had offered a game of fetch or a smaller scale variant, but the larger Raclaw didn't feel that such games would be appropriate. After all-- he was partly responsible for the incident that led to Latnok running away. If it wasn't for his own memory and the poorly timed revealed on Damon's part, Latnok might be standing aside right now. And not probably hating his guts. Whoever or whatever was watching them had to be connected somehow, although he only had a vague feeling about it. As the day progressed-- he helped out with what he could although his quadruped status meant that he couldn't handle much of the more delicate work. Chester remained nearby, trying his best to keep his best friend's spirits high.

Meanwhile, Risar had continued to keep both the crew and the prisoners busy-- the two almost working side by side at times to help get the ship seaworthy again. For the prisoners, the Guardians were now their only hope-- of redemption and of some kind of life that involve prison or worse. He took his new position in stride, taking on a confidant (while still very minotaur) tone and only occasionally glancing at the partnerless fur dragon. He had seen just powerful of a bond that Latnok and Raclaw had formed, although he did recognize that sometimes even the smallest breaking point is enough to cause tension. For him and his former master, it had been his freedom and what that represented for him. For Raclaw, it was some past incident that had worried a small but substantial part of him. For Latnok, assuming that he hadn't yet changed his mind, it appeared to be a matter of... trust? Disbelieve? It couldn't be entirely certain until the Guardian's eventual return or otherwise bad news. He opted to give Raclaw space and focused on his new position as second.

With the ship ready, Maverick gave a hug to Dahliain thanks.
"Gracias my girl. You really helped us out. What we'll face tomorrow... I'm not certain what will happen, but I pray you... we'll all be alright." Maverick said with a downed mood, still hating Sere's plan. He would force to release Dahlia, but after what happened to the other island, plus the fact that this new one was nothing like Dahlia's normal habitat and the possibility of powerful creatures stronger than the Godfather himself, the dirt buffalo wasn't going to be any safer there. He knew nothing about the people, so he didn't know if he could leave Dahlia with someone while he's away on this trip. What could he do? He watched Angora with some envy, training Shade her own rough way and treating this day as any other. She was calm, and only wished he could be the same way. Dahlia could sense his current mood, and gave him a very expressive look of determination, not knowing either what the future held for them, but she felt ready for anything.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Oww! That hurts Angora!” Shade said as she pinched a sensitive scale. “That’s an old battle wound. Still hurts.” Shade said flinching.

True to her word, Angora kicked Shade on one toe to make it hurt even more.
"Old battle wound, spasm, it doesn't matter. You have to learn to endure it without complaining or attacking the source of your pain. Unless is something threatening your life, you can't use violence for everything. And even in those cases, you still need to learn how to think. When I was trapped in that net with those galuds, you could've just grabbed the net and fly me away without them knowing what took me, and instead you decided to attack and taunt them, endangering even the innocent Maverick! Now then, limo all you want, cause we will continue the exercise. Use your brain and endure the pain." Angora rhymed, believing that way would the message stick more. She climbed Shade again and continued with the challenge, not caring about his pain. He had to learn for better or worse...

That night, at the Tal Rogas castle, King Seraos was receiving his typical nightly briefing from his head councilor.
"The elves of Silvianesti have issued us an ultimatum," the head councilor informed the king. "They say that we are to stop moving our armies any further westward, or they will see such actions as a declaration of war."
"Of course hey will..." King Seraos muttered. Their current enemies, the orcs and trolls, were still further westward - at best, this was the elves attempting to keep some sort of buffer zone, and at worst, this was a deliberate act to harbor their enemies. "Any word from our scouts?"
"One of the members of the Silent Spear, Laszur, reports spotting the buildup of troops, weapons, and constructs by the relevant border, though he was unable to ascertain any defenses. My king, I personally do not trust these elves. You know how they se us - as inferior beings. They could be biding their time, harboring our enemies, until they feel they are strong enough to defeat us. We should not grant them that opportunity," the councilor vehemently suggested.
"...we cannot be reckless," Seraos said. "Unlike the orcs and trolls, we do not know the intent of the Silvianesti elves - who's to say that they really are just taking paranoid measures to defend themselves? Nevertheless, we will be prepared. We will give them limits, much like they have given us, lest they see this as an opportunity to push their armies closer to us. For now, have our troops begin to entrench along the limit they have declared. Trenches for miles, mines, all matter of weapons facing down the demilitarized zone. In addition, let it be known to them tat we will give them a period of time to figure out a solution for our blighter problem, lest we be forced to act. Do these things, and we will come out on top, regardless of what they feel like doing."
"...it will be done, my king," the councilor acknowledged - somewhat displeased, but obedient nonetheless.

The crew had finished more quickly than Sere had been hoping for. Either they were very eager to get back into action, or Risar drove them very efficiently. Either way, they would be ready tomorrow. Latnok still hadn't returned... there was nothing in Sere's power that he was capable of doing to resolve that, however. All he knew was that Latnok was still alive.
Leoquin, having put in a hard day's work, fell asleep rather quickly - not without a bit of concern over where Latnok could be, however. They weren't even at Falcon's Beak purported danger zone yet and people were already disappearing, with giant sea monsters attacking. He never counted on such a trip to be easy, however - it's why he had been preparing for such a long time.
Ilasi slept comfortably, having taken advantage of much of the day to practice some water magic - especially fog dispelling. It would work, hopefully, for at least a period of time - and that was the one thing the captain would need of her in the upcoming fight. She prayed that she wouldn't let him down, lest she be the reason for anyone else on the ship dying.

After a hard day's work, Maverick was more than ready to hit the hay. Some of the prisoners had handled the lunch and dinner of the day, but they were nowhere near as good as his or Latnok's cooking. As he got ready to leave, he looked at Ilasi, but was too nervous to ask if he could sleep in her room tonight. He only caught a small glimpse of it when Ilasi sent him that note, but it was more spacious and far prettier than his own room. He would've invited her to his own cabin, but it was too small, and the mermaid couldn't use Angora's bed, especially with the possibility of being infected with hexphage.

Being too shy to ask her, Maverick went to Angora and Shade while Dahlia kept her distance, and wished them a very quick goodnight after seeing how exhausted they were, especially Shade. Seemed like Angora was being rough with him again. Leaving the, be, Maverick headed downstairs, with Dahlia on tow. He was thinking of sleeping with her in her enclosure, since she was too big to fit through his cabin's door. He didn't want to be alone tonight...

Angora didn't need to be told twice. She was also exhausted, and now believed the exercise hasn't been the best one. Thankfully, he didn't attacked her once, just complained a lot.
"Not to worry Shady. We're done here. Sleep. Tomorrow is going to be one heck of a day." Angora said unenthusiastically, not even sure if they would survive. Still, she had hope. She already defeated a world destroying abomination and faced a mountain sized behemoth. And even before that, she escaped her own parents, faced many racist societies, bloodthirsty thugs and enormous predators who either saw her as easy prey or someone to steal food from. It has been a hard life, but she had managed it, so why this ocassion should be any different?

As she accommodated herself on Shade's belly, she was thinking of many things. Would Sere really navigate without Latnok? Not only would he be useful for the upcoming battle, it also demonstrated how Sere would go as far as to leave his own people behind to satisfy a reckless obsession. What's more, this White Shadow was capable of blocking telepathy, which is something she could never do. Was it very intelligent or just very powerful? Whatever happened, Angora wanted to believe this sea monster would decide to stay very far away from the mad Sere instead of facing him...

As the daylight fleeted and night soon came to be-- Raclaw and Chester had gone to their room and were prepared to get some sleep. Before hitting the sack, however, Raclaw briefly looked out the window and touched his collar. Latnok's now doubtful trust in him, his slight fear in what Latnok might become around Angora... that was something that they would ultimately have to resolve. Damon may have had poor timing, but perhaps he was right-- Latnok needed to know. The only question now (assuming Latnok would return) was what they do about it. 'It has to be done, both for his sake and my own.' Raclaw thought to himself clearing planning something. For all effective purposes-- they had been partners and companions, even if Raclaw was a free dragon and technically not 'owned' by the Guardian(s). As for how the others saw them-- he was effectively Latnok's; considered to be a pet of the Guardians and possibly some kind of mount in training. He was almost almost considering the later, but.. but what exactly was he planning?

Elsewhere, Risar had gone to sleep but not 'till he had instructed the graveyard crew on certain aspects of the almost complete repairs. The skeleton crew, composed of sailors and even a couple prisoners, were quick to follow his commands and giving the him even more respect than they already had for the large Guardian. Before hitting the sack himself-- he thought back to his own master and everything his former owner had meant to him before he had made that fateful decision. Raclaw and Latnok's than growing relationship had the foundation to form what could be the most powerful partnership the Guardians or any other organization could ever hope for. Dragon and human-- best friends, combat partners, and perhaps more. The rumors has the two destined to be become rider and mount, something that would very much benefit the Guardians and their noble goal. As much as he valued his freedom and independence-- he wouldn't stop such a partnership from forming. Of course, it mattered not if Latnok couldn't be found or their bond could withstand the tension that was Damon's unfortunate reveal. Still-- he saw the potential and was still curious as to what the two would become.

As the sun began to peek over the horizon, Sere was already there to meet it. There would be much to do today; however, he would wait until mid-morning to move out, giving the crew a chance to get some good rest in. He had dismissed the skeleton crew earlier that night; he wanted everyone as well-rested as possible before the upcoming battle.
Latnok still hadn't appeared. Despite Latnok being one of his very own, he could not afford to keep the lives of thousands at risk waiting for him to return. Sere had to act. People were counting on him.
What were the craven Angora and Maverick going to be doing today? He would find some way to put them to work, even if they refused to actually wield any weapons ahainst the creature. He himself wasn't afraid to get up close and personal with the White Shadow, if need be; he'd rather it not come to that, however.

Ilasi came out soon after, to Sere's surprise. "Ilasi. Good morning. What are you doing up so early?" Sere asked.
"I'm just... a little concerned about the battle ahead, that's all," Ilasi said. She didn't want Sere to get the wrong impression of her, however. "I mean, I'm not battle-hardened like most of the people on this ship... I'll do my part, though. I won't run away."
"I intend for us to all get through this," Sere said. "I'm not looking to conduct any sort of suicide mission. I appreciate your assistance. We will find this thing, and we will neutralize it, so that it is no longer a threat to anyone else. Please, get some more rest if you can."
"Okay, I will, captain," Ilasi said, before heading back into the ship.

As the light began to shine through the single window-- Raclaw and Chester were still sound asleep. The former couldn't get Latnok out of his head and was having some kind of dream, while the later had gotten too comfortable wrapped between one of Raclaw's wings. Even though they had their own separate beds and such an sleeping scenario was unnecessary... Raclaw appreciated the little Beagles attempts at comforting him. Just feeling his physical presence was enough to hold back some of the greater nightmares and to make him fall asleep just a little bit faster given the ongoing situation. The little Chester just starting to stir, when he saw that his beloved fur dragon was having some kind of bad dream. 'So soft... so comfortable... so cozy...,' he thought himself to himself. 'A bad dream? That won't do-- maybe just a little longer. To help him sleep more comfortably.' he then thought as ht got cozy again and went back to sleep. Raclaw was enough to make him delay thinking about Latnok, but unfortunately-- Raclaw's telepathic mind didn't give him the same luxuries.

Elsewhere-- Risar was getting up and getting ready for the day, prepared to do whatever was necessary to prepare for the coming battle. However, he decided against immediately waking up any of the prisoners up on the count of the crew needing sleep and walking onto the main deck. There... he would just watch the sunset and the waves; mentally preparing himself for the new day. Not initially paying attention to who on currently on deck, he merely watched and thought... about the battle, about Latnok, about things in general. Noticing the captain just out of the corner of his eyes, he gave a nod and slight huff-- a simple friendly greeting. "You know-- that fur dragon, Raclaw. You're lucky to have him.," he started to casually say sharing some of his thoughts with the Godfather. "He and Latnok-- he would do anything for him. Such a relationship, such a friendship-- can form into a powerful partnership. He misses Latnok, he adores Latnok-- Risar can see it in his eyes. When.. when man and beast bond, when man and dragon bond-- you have potential for something powerful there. Don't let that get prematurely taken away and they will do well together. I just know it.," the large minotaur than said stating his observations on the duo and suggesting that Sere do all that he can to help Raclaw preserve his relationship with Latnok. It was obvious that Raclaw had been very happy with his ongoing arrangement with the Guardians-- and that Latnok was a major player in that.

Sere listened to Risar, though he continued to look out onto the horizon. "Latnok... I'm sure he will come back... somehow," Sere said with feigned confidence. "He wouldn't just abandon his duty, and he's a tough one. I'm sure that he'll make it out of whatever predicament he's in. We do not have the luxury of waiting for that, however. Every day we waste here is another opportunity for that creature out there to sink another ship. As for Raclaw - I don't quite knoe what will happen between the two at this point. I pray that the two are able to reconcile - though I do not knoe if it'll be easy."

At that moment, Maverick was waking up. He had sleep with Dahlia in her enclosure, having literally hit the hay. The hay was everywhere around her enclosure, which is what Dahlia fed on when her rider wasn't giving him oats. The dirt buffalo was still sleeping, so Maverick left the place without making a sound. He went to his cabin, changed clothes and then immediately headed to the kitchen for some breakfast. After preparing a quick something for himself, he decided that if they were to face that beast, the least he could do was prepare a very hearty breakfast from the crew, almost certain that it will be the last meal for many of them. He wasn't much in the mood for cooking again, but he decide to do it nevertheless, getting things easy to cook and using large pots and pans to get things done faster. When everything was done, he proceeded with the decoration, although with his lack of motivation, the ending results weren't as pretty as his other times. Maverick didn't care though, since he was certain the crew wasn't going to pay much attention to the details anyway. Grabbing the cart, he began the tedious work of moving around the hallways and using the stairs, which was always the hardest part...

Meanwhile on the deck, Angora had a lousy night. She would usually wake up at different times of the night to see if Latnok had returned, and would sometimes only manage to doze off. A little ray of sunshine penetrated her eye, making her wake up, with bags under her eyes. She didn't have any nightmares, but constantly waking up seriously altered her resting. It wasn't the first time though, and usually, a small shower and a strong meal usually got her energetic in no time. Whether it was Maverick or somebody else, she didn't care. She was ready to accept food from practically anybody...

With the sun slowly making its way over the horizon, more and more sailors began to come outside, preparing for the day ahead. It did not take an announcement for them to realize that Latnok was still missing. Many had assumed that he was just one of many deaths that were likely to befall the crew in this perilous adventure - though they did not know the full details of his relation to the captain, they presumed that he was on the journey knowing full well the potential risks, just as they all had. The thought of the upcoming battle, though, was somewhat unnerving, even if the crew did knoe that such dangerous battles were likely to happen - they hadn't even reached the purported danger zone and were already having sea monster attacks and crew members vanishing.
Ilasi awoke once again - and headed out to perform her usual duties of water preparation. Leoquin likewise headed out, ready for whatever the captain or Risar might have for him.

Maverick began distributing food among the crew, some of them eating without enthusiasm. Most of them ate because they knew they needed the energy. Angora was grooming the sleeping Shade when Maverick brought her the breakfast in a disposable towel to once again avoid the fungus' abysmal spreading. Shade was brought food the same way so that he could eat as soon as he woke up. Both friends were really quiet. Angora gave a brief thanks to Maverick as she ate while he left to continue feeding the remaining of the crew, noticing too much the melancholic atmosphere around...

Leoquin took his food from Maverick without much ceremony, giving him a quick "thanks" before sitting down and eating. Ilasi, on the other hand, decided to take the opportunity to make conversation with Maverick when he came by.
"Good morning, Maverick," Ilasi greeted. "Are you ready for today? This seems a bit scary to me... but maybe it's just my nerves. Latnok still hasn't come back, and still can't be found, after stepping away... I wonder if anyone else would just disappear like that on this island." Ilasi was so distracted in her speaking that she forgot that she was going to take a plate.

By that time-- Raclaw had woken up, only to find that is was Chester who needed waking up. The little Beagle had was so snug in his wing that he looked like he was in some kind of doggy sleeping bag. Unrolling his wing and quietly getting up from the feathery bed, he gently nudged the little dog. "Come on-- time to get up. The others are surely on deck already we should be there in case Latnok comes back.," he gently said in dogspeak as the oh so comfortable Chester got up with a little bit of a yawn. "You know-- you're so comfortable and so easy to fall asleep on.," Chester barked still waking up. "I know, I know--," Raclaw said encouraging the floppy-eared doggo to come along. "I only wish that your own mind would let you sleep as easily.," Chester commented as they walked... knowing just how troubled the fur dragon was at times. "That's the price you pay for having powers such as my own.," Raclaw said opening the bedroom door and proceeding down the hallways. A couple sailors passing by gave him a nod, having grown used to his presence on the ship. Another gave a look of pity-- not understanding why Latnok was gone but recognizing how it affected the Guardian's companion.

"Come on-- let's get some breakfast and maybe we'll get lucky. I'm sure Mav is up already.," he then said opening the door to the main deck. Getting breakfast for him and Chester-- he politely thanked the hybrid before sitting down next to Leoquin. He looked over at Leoquin, who hastily and messily ate his breakfast without any silverware. Just than, a thought came to him concerning his tail band and another potential use for it. Using the artifact to 'hold' the bowl via some kind of imagined grip; he was able to bring the bowl up to his muzzle rather than the other way around. It was something that looked kind of funny at first, but proved to be a slightly more elegant way to eat alongside his fellow crewmates. If his tail could be used to help load/unload equipment (the cannon parts) and could even be used to hold a bowl, what else could it be used for? Thanks to the tail artifact-- he was able to humanize himself in more ways than before, as if to make up the lack of proper thumbs and the other useful qualities of the human hand.

Elsewhere, Risar was eating breakfast and had ordered one of the more trustworthy sailors to wake up the prisoners. He had already told him of their tasks beforehand and they knew better than to go against him with or without his direct oversight. Poor Henry had learned that lesson the hard way. He sat down next to Leoquin, Chester, and Raclaw-- purposely not bringing up Latnok and possibly souring the fur dragon's mood during the course.

"Good morning." Angora replied dryly, knowing too well what Sere was planning for today. If Shade had come with them to stay on the island along with Maverick while the crew faced that White Shadow, she would've considered it, but now that she knew people like Latnok could disappear out of nowhere, she wasn't so sure now what was dangerous. Something about that island gave her too many goosebumps.

Now that she was alone with Shade, there was something she wanted to ask him.
"Say Shady... about that presence you felt yesterday... how was it?" she asked, still unable to forget about that infernal voice and how it practically called her a pathetic being. Shade usually had better instincts than her, so perhaps he knew better...

Quote: A Guy

Leoquin took his food from Maverick without much ceremony, giving him a quick "thanks" before sitting down and eating. Ilasi, on the other hand, decided to take the opportunity to make conversation with Maverick when he came by.
"Good morning, Maverick," Ilasi greeted. "Are you ready for today? This seems a bit scary to me... but maybe it's just my nerves. Latnok still hasn't come back, and still can't be found, after stepping away... I wonder if anyone else would just disappear like that on this island." Ilasi was so distracted in her speaking that she forgot that she was going to take a plate.

Maverick was in a rather pleasant mood despite his own nervousness, especially since Leoquin finally thanked him for something, even if it had been in a rather unenthusiastic way. He then proceeded to anger Ilasi.
"Ready... ready is not the right word for it. Guess we't find out afterwards..." he replied with an air of uneasiness, which he tried badly to disguise for the beautiful lady's sake.

"As for Latnok, I wouldn't worry too much about him. I knew him for a little while, and I can tell you he's stubbornly resilient. I don't know how he has managed to avoid Raclaw or the capitán's detection, but I'm certain he just needs some time to cool off. The day before yesterday was... quite an eventful day for him, so I suppose he just needs time to clear his head." Maverick assured Ilasi to hide his own worry. Regardless of how he felt about the young Guardian, Maverick didn't wish any harm upon him, and it still shocked him how Sere would go after the White Shadow without his beloved protégée.

Angora then got closer to him to whisper. She made sure nobody was eavesdropping on them, not even Maverick.
"Don't tell anyone this, but when you told me that yesterday, I think... I think something or someone telepathed to me. I thought it had been my own mind, but I'm almost certain someone was hiding among the crew yesterday. It's just a theory. I'm not sure yet, but that voice is nothing like've never heard before." Angora confessed, leaving a secret what the voice told her. Whoever contact her was powerful enough to avoid even the Godfather's detection. If that was the case, she even started to wonder if this ominous being had any connection to the Guardian's disappearance...

Angora thought of a quick and easy sign. Making sure nobody was looking at them, she put a hand over her mouth and the other one over her head.
"I'll do that if I hear the voice again... although I doubt it will help much. I'm serious, I don't know what's worse, this island with beings possibly more powerful that Sere himself that seemingly kidnap people, or the sea with a creature most likely behemoth sized." Angora complained, upset that wherever they look or went, there was some foreign danger waiting for them.

Angora would've preferred the latter, but that was not an option now.
"Well, what can we do but to do our best? Now go ahead Shady. Eat. There will be no training today." Angora said with little energy, not wanting to hurt Shade again, and being too exhausted to do anything anyway. She looked at the sky, uncertain of what will they face today on that vast ocean, or even if Latnok is ever going to appear again. Neo still resided within her, and wondered if he could help her with his battle. Orion was probably very busy, so she wasn't going to rely on him. She would protect her family however she could, but if there was no doubt about something is that nothing was certain now...