darkSpyro

Sere wasn't too hard to find - running the rounds and doing some last-minute inspections before turning in for the night. Raclaw wouldn't have to work hard to get his attention - he was anticipating the possibility of Raclaw being able to find Latnok, and was attentive to whatever the fur dragon had to show him. "Raclaw - what is it?" he asked guardedly, having hope but not being willing to make any assumptions just yet.

Latnok, meanwhile, was lying on top of a relatively solid rock in the middle of the marsh. Whatever happened, he obviously didn't go through the marsh to get to where he was - his armor showed no signs of mud. He thought he felt something within his mind - between his headache and his lack of focus, however, he couldn't discern it, nor did he try to.

"It's Latnok-- I've found him. His presence is subtle, but.. but I can track him.," Raclaw said looking at Godfather Sere with the same determined look. His eyes, displaying their pure white forms, indicated that was indeed using his powers. Chester quickly followed the fur dragon as he made no hesitation.

As Angora paced around, she soon started to be very hungry. She remembered that she only had breakfast, and it was already dark, so now that the heat of the battle was over and has already taken a nap, hunger was overtaking her. She wanted to ask for some of Maverick's cooking, but he looked quite happy with Ilasi, so she decided to let him have his moment and hunt something for herself like the old times, and how trolls did. However, she would stay near the ship as promised, and having realized that most of the fauna was active at night, Angora began searching around for anything she could eat. Thankfully, like her hearing, her night sight was decent, at least much better than a normal human but slightly weaker than a cat's, but it still helped.

As she looked around, she soon spotted a flock of what looked like seagulls the size of pelicans. Except they were a lime green in color. They didn't look very tasty, but Angora wasn't very picky with food, and she knew that things weren't always as they appeared. She got on all fours and began the hunting, wanting to make sure that while she hunted, she didn't ventured too far away from the ship...

Sere was undeniably pleased with the development - though he wasn't going to truly happy until the search had concluded. "Wonderful," Sere said. "I'll have Veris out soon. Just a moment, please."
Soon after Sere left, he came back from Veris' enclosure with the wyvern. "You'll be leading the way," Sere said. "I'll leave Veris behind if we end up having to navigate through tight spaces - but we will probably have better luck with a search from the air. Whenever you're ready."
Veris was somewhat tired - he knew, however, that Sere always fed him after taking him out for anything past his usual bedtime, as if to apologize. "Hey, Raclaw!" the wyvern said. "I'm tired... I'm going to get food, though! My human wants to find his human..."

Ilasi looked down as she gave a small frown at the mention of Maverick's mother. "I wish I could say I had the same reverence for my own parents," she said. "While they took care of me, they always made it clear that they were disappointed in me, that I should be more capable. Always comparing me to their friends' children. I... I got sick of that."
With that off her chest, Ilasi looked back up and gave a smile. "But yes, I will be practicing in my room. Nothing world-shattering, so it will have ample space. You are free to come, if you wish." Ilasi turned around, beginning to leave.

Off the ship, Angora continued with the hunt, already eyeing the selected prey. She chose a limping seagull, which wasn't the biggest but at least all were big enough for one to fill someone like her. When she dashed, Angora quickly grabbed the chosen bird by the wings, making the others fly away in a mess of feathers while she struggled with hers. The bird slipped off her grasp a few times, but she always managed to jump and catch it again. The lime feathered creature started to peck her after it became too injured to fly, but it's peck wasn't very painful and it was so weak, it didn't even managed to draw blood. Finally secured, Angora proceeded to give it a quick and merciful death, before noticing that she ventured some distance from where she was. Thankfully, the distance wasn't so great, and the ship was still visible, so as she walked towards it, she managed to make up Veris' unmistakable shilouette. The wyvern seemed fine even after being injured on that battle, and now he seemed to be getting a bit of fresh air. Good for him Angora thought. As she ate her new meal raw, Angora noticed that the remaining seagulls were still panicked and flying in all directions. She imagined Veris would have quite a feast if he noticed that flying mess...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi looked down as she gave a small frown at the mention of Maverick's mother. "I wish I could say I had the same reverence for my own parents," she said. "While they took care of me, they always made it clear that they were disappointed in me, that I should be more capable. Always comparing me to their friends' children. I... I got sick of that."
With that off her chest, Ilasi looked back up and gave a smile. "But yes, I will be practicing in my room. Nothing world-shattering, so it will have ample space. You are free to come, if you wish." Ilasi turned around, beginning to leave.

"Sure. Lead the way." Maverick said with another smile, happy beyond words that he could finally talk to Ilasi like a friend, without all the awkwardness or animosity of before. And it was all thanks to Dahlia, for motivating them both to settle aside their differences and for the mermaid to understand how wrong she had Angora.

"Sorry about your parents. No parent is perfect. Believe me. I should know. My mother though, was a very nice and kind lady. I remember so little about her, but I remember enough. She disappeared before I turned three. It's sad, but at least I'm grateful for the few memories I have of her and the fact that at least I have something from her." Maverick said with a bit of sadness but also gratitude. He didn't have many memories of her, but the few he had were happy, and despite being very little when he last saw her, he remembered her appearance clearly, and that was enough for him.

"Hey Veris.," Raclaw greeted. "And he's not the only one. You never know just how much you miss a human until-- until you do.," Raclaw than said understandable to the Wyvern. "You're flying? Can.. can I come? For Latnok at least?," Chester then said looking up ar Raclaw-- both eager to find Latnok and eager to experience the glorious thing that was flight for a longer period of time. He had flown the little Beagle once ever so briefly, but only to the ship and only once. Raclaw looked down at the little dog and motioned for Chester to get on. "Chester.," he said in common looking back at his smaller companion. "This is a longer flight and we don't entirely know what we're getting into-- so I may have to secure you. Get comfortable and stay still please.," he then gently warned as he manipulated the artifact and formed what almost looked like some kind of metal harness over the Beagle. The artifact mental bended itself and formed a slightly tight but comfortable grip over Chester's little torso.

"We're ready.," Raclaw said with nod before taking off-- and soaring into the air. "This-- this amazing!.," Chester barked his little voice echoing into the night. "Are you comfortable back there?," Raclaw asked in common, although he knew that comfort probably mattered little in comparison to just truly experiencing flight for the first time in a little dog's life. Raclaw proceeded towards the direction of Latnok, with an eager and excited Chester aboard.

Veris knew who to be on the lookout for. Though Sere was looking out as well, Veris had much better vision. The wyvern soon sharply changed his direction of his own accord, having been led sufficiently enough by Raclaw to get within spotting range of Latnok.
"Yes... Veris sees him!" Sere cried out. "With any luck, he'll still be alive..."

"I'm glad she treated you well," Ilasi said. "I can see where you got your kindness from. Well, if the stories of your father weren't enough, that is..." The two soon came up to Ilasi's room, and she opened the door. "Please, make yourself at home," she said as she stepped in. She soon began rummaging through her neatly organized drawers - searching for something to practice magic with, though she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do yet.

Angora watched the flying shilouette of Veris and Raclaw, and wondered just where the heck they were going at a time like this. It was dark and the island was creepy enough, but she decided not to care and continued to make her way to the island, swallowing the remaining meat, which she devoured in very few bites.

Quote: A Guy

"I'm glad she treated you well," Ilasi said. "I can see where you got your kindness from. Well, if the stories of your father weren't enough, that is..." The two soon came up to Ilasi's room, and she opened the door. "Please, make yourself at home," she said as she stepped in. She soon began rummaging through her neatly organized drawers - searching for something to practice magic with, though she wasn't quite sure what she wanted to do yet.

"I'd rather remember my mother." Maverick said in a neutral tone, not wanting to sound rude to Ilasi but wanting her to know how much he wished to avoid the subject. His father may have raised him, but he was gone now, and he wanted to forget the miserable life he had while under his wing. And Ilasi searched, Maverick decided to mellow down the remaining tension with a more pleasant conversation.

"Need something? I can part with something from my hyperspace bag." he said contently, willing to part with almost anything for her sake. It wasn't much of a traveling merchant's way to give away stuff for free, but Maverick wasn't in need of money right, having quite enough from previous sales plus the large sum Angora received when she faced the behemoth.

Quote: A Guy

Veris knew who to be on the lookout for. Though Sere was looking out as well, Veris had much better vision. The wyvern soon sharply changed his direction of his own accord, having been led sufficiently enough by Raclaw to get within spotting range of Latnok.
"Yes... Veris sees him!" Sere cried out. "With any luck, he'll still be alive..."

As Veris spotted Latok-- Raclaw eagerly allowed the wyvern to lead the rest of the way. From what he could see, they were heading towards towards a large rock in the middle of what definitely smelled like a swamp. "Latnok-- there he is!," Raclaw called out sensing and spotting the limp body. The limp Guardian wasn't moving, but he could still feel Latnok's presence and knew that he was alive. "Latnok! ..Latnok?," Chester barked. "He's still alive-- I can feel him. We should land over there.," Raclaw said reassuringly as he motioned towards a rather muddy clearing just out of the way. As they landed... it was evident that the way to Latnok wasn't entirely clear. Trees blocked their way, some of which had fallen over and grown overgrown roots.

As suggested, Veris moved to land in the muddy clearing, with Sere dismounting in short order. Not wanting to be taken by surprise, Sere was on high alert, prepared to draw his sword if need be.
He did realize, however, that he would need to do some maneuvering. The path ahead was full of vegetation, most notably trees which wouldn't be the most trivial thing to cut down. As well as he could, Sere ducked and crept past the vegetation, simply swinging a fist or an arm at the smaller branches that were in his way - the hole would be big enough for Raclaw to make his way through without much trouble.
Sere finally reached Latnok - who, to his surprise, had absolutely no signs of mud on his clothing. He evidently didn't travel through the marsh to get to his current position. He also seemed to be in possession of a new weapon - a spear, not the typical Guardian make, but fashioned out of some kind of bone. With a gentle, experimental shake, Sere attempted to wake Latnok, being observant of his response.
Latnok, who had dozed off but not gone into deep sleep, woke without further prodding. "Eh... oh, Godfather Sere..."
Sere knelt down to speak to Latnok, who was still prone. "Latnok. It's good to see you again," Sere said.
"Yeah, about that... how long have I been gone? I don't remember going anywhere... how did I get here? And where did I get this thing? Did I lose a fight or something?"
"We know even less than you do," Sere said. "As far as we were concerned, you left to clear your head, and someone or something took you, and you vanished without a trace." Sere had a small fear that Latnok was distraught enough to completely abandon his duty and managed to find a way to hide, but it was quite clear by the circumstances that that was not the case.

Ilasi eventually found something - a long bowstring. As she listened to Maverick's offer, she tied one end to the bed and one to the window.
"Anything...?" Ilasi asked, not quite sure exactly what Maverick meant, or if he was being sincere. "Well, honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you. I'm not quite sure what I want myself honestly. Besides becoming very good at my job, someone people can count on. I appreciate the offer, though..." As she spoke, Ilasi began focusing on the condensation spell - similar to the one Sere had used to water Veris on several occasions - and focused the water into a floating ball, which she currently held out in front of her.

Angora went in front of the ship again, pondering long and hard about many things. After a while, she headed to the gangplank and finally into the vessel itself. It was getting cold, and now that she had eaten, she didn't want to stay on that island any longer. She looked at the horizon in hopes of spotting Raclaw and Veris on the distance. Just where they were planning to head? We're they actually searching for Latnok in such darkness and without even asking her if the mysterious stranger contacted her again? She was curious, but decided not to pry on it too much and just opted to wait for them. The stranger's offer... it was still tempting, but Angora didn't want to believe such a promise would be kept. She really thought she could have peace, but as long as Shade continued acting that way, the Guardians were just going to keep pestering them. Did the stranger actually offered to kill the Guardians in order for them to have peace? Someone avoiding Godfather's Sere's detection like that had to be powerful. Was the stranger offering their deaths, or for them to leave just very far away? All Angora wanted was to continue traveling the world and just be happy like before, where it was only her, Shade and Maverick.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi eventually found something - a long bowstring. As she listened to Maverick's offer, she tied one end to the bed and one to the window.
"Anything...?" Ilasi asked, not quite sure exactly what Maverick meant, or if he was being sincere. "Well, honestly, I wouldn't be able to tell you. I'm not quite sure what I want myself honestly. Besides becoming very good at my job, someone people can count on. I appreciate the offer, though..." As she spoke, Ilasi began focusing on the condensation spell - similar to the one Sere had used to water Veris on several occasions - and focused the water into a floating ball, which she currently held out in front of her.

Maverick gazed at the spell, and after a little while realized Ilasi didn't quite get what he meant.
"That's quite amazing Ilasi. You are getting really good." he complemented before addressing to the other subject.
"Heh, about my bag, I think you mistook. It's not a wishing well, but I have many materials here that you could use. Jewels, weapons, books, toys, anything you would like... well, almost anything. The bag only holds what I put in it, it doesn't make stuff up. The advantage though is that you don't need to think the exact shape and appearance to get something. Say you want a toy, maybe a teddy bear or something similar, and the bag will give you the object that most resembles that, and if it has it, it will be out. Not exactly perfect, but it's very reliable." Maverick kindly explained, doubting Ilasi knew how hyperspace bags worked. He didn't know how the Guardian's own bag worked, but he firmly believed they were more advanced and direct in the materials they gave and held.

"Latnok! I'm glad you're alright-- we were worried you know. We tried looking for you, but had only ran into a dead end. After that...," Raclaw said not sure how the beloved Guardian would react to his presence. He put his head at eye level to Latnok and spoke with what sounded like a genuine concerned tone. "After that-- we we afraid that something might've happened to you, but we knew that you were alive. You had to be and.. and I suspect we have much to discuss. But Latnok-- we missed you. I missed you.," he then said as his emotions got to him. Chester, whose harness-like abstraction had been resolved, jumped onto the fur dragon's head. What followed was a series of barks which portrayed various tones ending in a tone of concern and relief-- the little's Beagle's attempt at explaining some things. Damon's voice took over via the link to help translate the Beagle's words.

"The dog says that everything Raclaw says is true. He missed you, he was miserable in your absence, and.. and he loves you. Perhaps I was wrong about you, Latnok. It seems that my host truly cares about you and needs you in his life. And he may have something else he wants to say to you.," the voice of Damon concluded before going silent again. Raclaw's emotions were flying everything via the links-- a mixture of emotions that placed Latnok at the center of Raclaw's heart. "I'm sorry Latnok-- we may have gotten a little carried away there, but we.. we genuinely missed you. And once we are somewhere safer, I do have a proposal for you. I've been thinking and there may be a way for us to further help each other and for me to fully show my trust in you.," Raclaw said giving the Guardian a moment to gather his thoughts. He feared that they may have said to much too soon and he wasn't expecting Damon to chip into the emotional chaos. Damon was the one who had put them in this mess to begin with.

Latnok listened to the three as he spoke to him - with great incredulity, however. "I'm sorry... I don't think I'm familiar with you," he said dismissively. "At least not anymore. What else have you been hiding from me?" he asked accusingly, turning away from Raclaw as he spoke. "This entire time, I thought we had a friendship based on mutual respect... but I was being lied to. You not only sympathized with Angora - you could empathize with her. Because you felt the exact same way. You feared me - despite the entire facade of friendship you put up. And you expect me to buy this story now? Now that I'm going to be back on the ship, a personality you won't be able to get away from? Do you really... take me to be some kind of fool? Do you think I don't see the front you're putting up, knowing that I'm not just going away?" As Latnok spoke, his tone slowly shifted from disappointment and sadness to that of indignation.
"I... maybe I am a fool, after all. Thinking that there was a chance that someone would want to form a friendship, and not just an alliance... Do not worry about me. I have no intention for my own allies to fear me. I will keep to myself." As Latnok spoke, Sere listened - he was, however, hesitant to intervene, figuring that the matter was something to be resolved between the two - or three.

"Oh... that makes sense," Ilasi said, as she began to move the ball of water such that it would surround the center part of the bowstring. As she did so, she performed gentle movements with her hands - the water and the bowstring moved accordingly. "You wouldn't happen to have anything... magical, would you? Oh... I'm sorry, that's quite a lot for me to be asking. I would appreciate a good book, though. I really would." Though Ilasi wished she could look at Maverick as she spoke, she had to keep her focus on the water in order to keep control of it. Just how many things did Maverick have? Him making such an offer to her was, no doubt, touching.

Quote: A Guy

Adjudicator Bier raised an eyebrow. "Really, now? So the claims can indeed be corroborated... Interestinf. That makes learning about them all the more important. Please, keep in touch. Let me know if you need anything else." Adjudicator Bier turned back to some paperworm, though he kept an ear out in case the others had something to say.

”Agreed. I will see what I can do.” Dex said and he and Sapphire made their way to the door. ”Please make sure that Sere knows I want to speak with him, if he comes back before I do” Dex said not waiting a response.

Sapphire and Dex made their way to the gate again. ”We will make our way to the city of Redwater. Lets get on our way, I will tell you more when we are moving” He said to the two waiting them....


As their horse carriage was on the way they started to speak.

”Once we are in Redwater we need to split up. (Pointing to the dwarf) You will go to continue the negotiations as planed, and you driver will bring my messages back to the one I set lead back in the base. Me and Sapphire are going for a job. And before you ask one everybody works in guild even the leader and two we need to keep good realationship up with this group. We do have some money, but we need more for the guild, we want to give our members the freedom to keep most of their payments for theirself witch means we have to do many Jobs to keep our new guild up. Questions?”
Dex said with very strict voice

”Not many boss, just How are we going to contact you after we are done” The dwarf said

”I dont know How long this will take, but if needed send your messages to the base we just where, I will be going back there after I am done. And driver when you get back send someone else back for us, you should take some time for yourself back at the headquarters” Dex answered

”Got it” the dwarf said, ”I will do that, and Thanks boss” The driver answered

And so their kept going towards the city of Redwater.

Still outside the ship and now lying on the ground to look at the stars and make the digestion, Angora felt the cold wind blowing. It was a chilly and rather moist atmosphere, but it was to be expected on an island with nothing but swamps and marshes. She had tolerated worse conditions like this, but believed that having spent all that time warming herself with Shade's body had made her rather intolerable. She decide to remain there for a little while longer, meaning to get some of her sturdiness back...

... but as she did, she started to feel extremely sad. It was a depressing sadness, to the point where Angora even started crying. Why was she even feeling that way? Nobody had insulted her yet, and nobody had harmed her. She hated feeling that way, especially since nobody had done anything to her. Was it the meat she just consumed? Turns out it was a combination of many things. The White Shadow battle, Raclaw's exhausting mind reading yesterday, and even Latnok's disappearance. She didn't exactly missed him, but she nevertheless was worried about him, a fact that infuriated. But above all, she was thinking about her mysterious telepathic messenger. Despite wanting to avoid any temptations, deep inside, she wanted what he was offering. She didn't want respect anymore... not much of it anyway. It wasn't a priority. She did wanted a peaceful life for herself and her only true friends Maverick and Shade. Why did it had to be so hard? They spent all those months without a problem, and only after they reached Aelinon is when everything started to crumble. Why couldn't they just return to their previous life? She wanted to believe the stranger could keep his promise... but she couldn't. She just didn't believe him. She only believed he said that in order to convince her to go with him. It was just too good to be true...

Quote: A Guy

"Oh... that makes sense," Ilasi said, as she began to move the ball of water such that it would surround the center part of the bowstring. As she did so, she performed gentle movements with her hands - the water and the bowstring moved accordingly. "You wouldn't happen to have anything... magical, would you? Oh... I'm sorry, that's quite a lot for me to be asking. I would appreciate a good book, though. I really would." Though Ilasi wished she could look at Maverick as she spoke, she had to keep her focus on the water in order to keep control of it. Just how many things did Maverick have? Him making such an offer to her was, no doubt, touching.

Since Ilasi was very focused with the spell, Maverick kept his response brief to avoid distracting her.
"No magic item... that I know of. But I can get all the books out and you choose one." he said, proceeding to get all the books he had. He didn't know how many he had, but he just had to keep thinking about books so the hyperspace bag would keep giving them to him until they were all out.

Once Maverick finished, there were more than two dozen books on Ilasi's bed. Most of them were either bedtime stories, epics or instruction books like cook books and construction tutorials, even a small one that explained how the hyperspace bag worked. However, one rather large book caught his eye. It was one that he had completely forgotten about. The wizard that helped them in Redwater had sold it to him on account that he didn't need it anymore. It was a tome called Basic Magic Spells and Enchantments. And what made the book even more fascinating is that it didn't have any words. The spells were told in the form of small projections that showed how the spells worked while a voice narrated the instructions. How could he had forgotten such a book? The stress of Shade's predicament and the fact that he had to convince Sere to get him and Angora on the ship again must've made him forget. Maverick wasn't magical, and he knew Angora didn't like magic despite having some, so he was certain she didn't mind if he parted with the book. Maverick kept the book hidden as Ilasi finished her own spell, meaning to surprise her with the fascinating tome once she was done.

As Ilasi finished manipulating the bowstring via the water, she removed the water by aerosolizing it. When she was done, she turned to see an array of books Maverick set out.
Ilasi gave a smile as she began to look at them. "One of these? For me? You're too kind..." she said gratefully, despite feeling somewhat uncomfortable accepting such a gift. As she took a look through them, some of the books - mainly the bedtime stories - failed to catch her interest, though many of the stories did.
"So many... I think you should pick one out," she said. "Please not one of the bedtime stories, though... not that I'm trying to be picky or anything, I'm sorry." In the end, she was very uncertain as to what she should pick - between that and feeling embarrassed asking Maverick to just give her one of his possessions for free, she decided that Maverick would probably be the more appropriate person to make the selection.

Maverick simply shook his head and gave her a little smile, being ever gentle with her but feeling a little sorry at the overwhelming lack of confidence she had, something he was determined to help her with. Not keeping the secret any longer, he finally got the tome out.
"Well, in that case, I have the perfect book for you." he said, as he proceeded to open the tome to a random page, where it projected a teenaged wizard boy standing up and doing a few movements according to the narrator's instructions.
"THE PLANT REVIVER. THIS SPELL IS EASY BUT CAN BE CONFUSING. YOU JUST POSITION YOUR HANDS LIKE THIS, TALK TO THE PLANT AS YOU WOULD A NEWBORN BABY, THEN DRAW A CIRCLE AROUND THE DIRT..." the voice began to say, which Maverick believed it belonged to the wizard that sold him the book. Was he the author? Didn't he needed the book cause he memorized it or had a fee like it? Maverick didn't know. Perhaps the wizard was out of money and decided to sell that book out of necessity. It has been rather expensive, but he didn't care. It was still amazing.

Just then, Maverick closed the tome to give Ilasi some time to process what she just saw. As she did, he decided to tell her more about the book so she could see the awesome way it worked.
"You always want to improve your magic Ilasi. Well, now you can. This book has some basic, yet very useful spells. What's better, you don't have to distract yourself with the lecture. Just follow the instructions by voice and demonstration to make things faster." Maverick explained happily, imagining that was the kind of book Ilasi would want. It had been expensive, yet he didn't mind if Ilasi had it for free.

As Ilasi saw the book spring to life, she eventually found it impossible to suppress the childlike enthusiasm that she felt for such a gift - slowly, her face developed a bright, beautiful smile, as if she were being compelled. Not only would she be able to learn quite a few more spells on her own - she could learn at the pace she wanted. While Latnok was always doing his best to make sure trainees understood what he was teaching and were comfortable, his lectures could get a bit wordy and boring.
"This... this is beautiful!" she said gleefully, almost hopping with joy. "You would give this... to me?! I'm..." Ilasi, completely lost in the moment, was temporarily at a loss for words to describe her feelings - instead, she expressed herself by almost charging Maverick and giving him the biggest hug she could muster, not waiting for him to reciprocate.

Maverick's hair rose up as she hugged him. The reaction was so sudden and unexpected he remained as still as a statue. Ilasi was always so slow and meek in her demeanor that this was a side he had never seen. He laughed rather goofily as she embraced him.
"Well, I'm no magical, and Angorita doesn't need it. She used magic as a last resort, and she rather use her imagination... so yeah... no problem." he stammered, wanting Ilasi to know there was no issue for him to part with such amazing and unique book. He already had many unique things in his possession, not to mention a fair share of money, so he gave dear Ilasi the treasure free of charge. Speaking of Angora, he did wonder what she was doing, but he decided to keep giving the troll some space and the time Ilasi deserved.

Ilasi, caught up in the moment, finally settled down a little. Taking Maverick's stammering as a sign of him being uncomfortable, she suddenly pulled back, looking away with her hands behind her back, her face becoming quite red from embarrassment. "Uh... sorry... I got a little carried away..." she barely managed to get out. "T-thank you..." In her embarrassment, she completely forgot to actually take the tome from Maverick.

Maverick shook his head again, blushing as well but shaking it out as fast as he could to avoid embarrassing her further.
"No no, it's alright. Vamos Ilasi. You apologize too much. How can you apologize for an action as sweet and gentle as a hug? Sometimes you just need your emotions flow with the moment, you know? It's not good keeping them to yourself all the time. Here, I'll put your gift here. Better get those other books out of your bed. This room is too pretty to be so messy." Maverick expressed kindly as he put the tome on a small table near Ilasi's bed, afterwards putting the little library back to his hyperspace bag, and even accommodating her bed sheets and ironing with his arm the wrinkles that formed from the weight of the books. Maverick was still in shock, but it was a happy shock. He was so taken by surprise with the hug that his hair was still standing, not only from his arms, but also from his head. He looked adorably ridiculous, almost like a nervous cockatoo.

With Maverick finished talking, Ilasi was able to bring herself to look at him once more. "Maybe... maybe you're right," she said. "I just... I don't like disappointing people, you know? I thought that maybe I made you feel, well, uncomfortable." With Maverick being kind enough to tidy up as he put the books away, even after giving her such a gift, Ilasi was more than appreciative of what he had done.
If she didn't apologize so much, though, what would happen when she offends someone? What if she caused something similar to the situation with Angora? How would she know when it was appropriate not to apologize?

Tired of the stars and the chilly night, Angora got up and made her way to the gangplank, and thus the ship, where a few sailors were drinking beer, chatting and paying little to no attention to her. She presumed that nobody there saw her battle the White Shadow. Maybe Shade who was much bigger, but with her side, she most likely couldn't be seen on his back when he flew. Feeling thirsty, she went to Ilasi's station to get a drink of water, getting the cup she always used and grabbing some gloves from one of the barrels to avoid contaminating it. She lied to Shade back then about the water, but this time, she was going to try it for real, hoping it was as good as everybody said. She could use some pure water...

Quote: A Guy

With Maverick finished talking, Ilasi was able to bring herself to look at him once more. "Maybe... maybe you're right," she said. "I just... I don't like disappointing people, you know? I thought that maybe I made you feel, well, uncomfortable." With Maverick being kind enough to tidy up as he put the books away, even after giving her such a gift, Ilasi was more than appreciative of what he had done.
If she didn't apologize so much, though, what would happen when she offends someone? What if she caused something similar to the situation with Angora? How would she know when it was appropriate not to apologize?

"Uncomfortable? For something as simple and kind as a hug? It was rather sudden, but there was nothing wrong about it. You were just expressing your happiness. I know, I know. You don't want to disappoint anybody. But there's nothing disappointing or wrong about showing happiness. If disappointment is what you're really worried about, don't worry about that with me. I'm hard to disappoint." Maverick said awkwardly, trying exceptionally hard to make her feel better, and recalling with some embarrassment how many times he repeated the same word. Just how much was asked from Ilasi in her lifetime to make her feel the need to please everybody? It almost reminded him of his life with his father, even if the circumstances were completely different.

MEANWHILE...
Quote: A Guy

Latnok listened to the three as he spoke to him - with great incredulity, however. "I'm sorry... I don't think I'm familiar with you," he said dismissively. "At least not anymore. What else have you been hiding from me?" he asked accusingly, turning away from Raclaw as he spoke. "This entire time, I thought we had a friendship based on mutual respect... but I was being lied to. You not only sympathized with Angora - you could empathize with her. Because you felt the exact same way. You feared me - despite the entire facade of friendship you put up. And you expect me to buy this story now? Now that I'm going to be back on the ship, a personality you won't be able to get away from? Do you really... take me to be some kind of fool? Do you think I don't see the front you're putting up, knowing that I'm not just going away?" As Latnok spoke, his tone slowly shifted from disappointment and sadness to that of indignation.
"I... maybe I am a fool, after all. Thinking that there was a chance that someone would want to form a friendship, and not just an alliance... Do not worry about me. I have no intention for my own allies to fear me. I will keep to myself." As Latnok spoke, Sere listened - he was, however, hesitant to intervene, figuring that the matter was something to be resolved between the two - or three.

"Latnok-- wait!," Raclaw desperately pleaded. "If that.. if that is what you think is going on, you have it all wrong. Everything-- EVERYTHING between us was real. And what you saw wasn't fear, but rather fear of a very situational scenario. I never feared you and Damon should've never sent that memory without the proper context and.. and at the appropriate time. What-- what you saw was how I felt about the cave incident, something which we never discussed and a burden that I carried for the sake of our friendship. I knew that you would've reacted negatively to it and it was something that I had mostly long gotten over-- I came to trust you and came to know you for who you really were. You were someone who was caring and someone who would do anything for those.. for those you considered friend. What we had was something precious and a small part of me didn't want to see this other side of you come out-- just as it had before with Angora. The caves were what motivated it, but Angora-- Angora was the trigger. Her words and her actions had managed to bring it out before and I.. I didn't want to see that happen again. For both our sakes. I was trying to protect us-- to protect you.," he then tried to explain before coming up with an idea. He desperately hoped that it would work.

"Look Latnok-- I know that my words have little weight to them right now, but I am telling the truth and I mean every word I am saying. You know me or at least you know my abilities. You know now that I am capable of revealing the truth, the whole truth. I've done it with Angora now and I can do it again. What we had was something special, something truly unique. Please... please give me a chance and let me at least prove myself and show you exactly who I am before you just walk away from that. What I did to Angora-- I can do to myself or if you prefer, Damon can do it on my behalf. You know I can't resist him and that I will not have any direct control over he reveals to you. You will see everything, experience everything. It seems that Damon only trying to help me by lifting that burden, only he didn't complete the job. He left you hanging with only a sliver of information and in a moment where you were emotionally compromised. Latnok-- I'm sorry for that. I should've revealed, should've explained earlier. But please-- give me this chance now. Let Damon probe me and reveal to you everything that I am. I am prepared to do this no matter the consequences-- and I will do so willingly.," Raclaw then said waiting for a reaction on the beloved Guardian's part. As he spoke, he almost teared up at times and was trusting Damon not to damage what was left of their precious friendship. 'Please Damon-- you know now how much he matters to me. Please do this for me.,' he thought knowing that the jealous entity would be able to hear. He didn't know what he would do without Latnok in life his life-- and everything that friendship had brought him.

Latnok, though still angry at first, slowly began to calm down as Raclaw spoke to him. He was still rather guarded - the outrage at the idea of such betrayal would linger, until his doubts were dispelled. What he had been shown - both of Angora's thoughts and Raclaw's thoughts - were true. Latnok couldn't immediately sense anything off, with the very faint mental connection that currently remained. Nevertheless, even if he wasn't fully trusting of Raclaw right now, he would trust Damon to work his magic - he was not afraid to show the truth before.
"All right. Let's see what Damon has to show me," Latnok said - the emphasis indicating his current lack of complete trust in Raclaw. "Was everything I knew - or thought I knew - a lie? Show me, Damon..."
Though Latnok remained cautious for his own sake, deep inside, he wanted to trust Raclaw. He did not, however, feel that such a thing was practical - and thus, it would be pushed aside for the "reality" he was now facing.

Ilasi gave Maverick a small smile, though she was having difficulty keeping eye contact. "...okay, then. I'll make sure to not be afraid to share my feelings with you," she said. "Thank you, Maverick. I really appreciate the effort you've gone through to help me. I just wanted you to know that. As Ilasi spoke, she was, in the back of her mind, wondering just when Maverick would leave to go back to Angora - not being aware of the troll's outing.

Meanwhile, Angora was having some of Ilasi's purified water... but she didn't think it was such a big deal. Was the water overrated? Was it her troll tastebuds? Water was water for Angora, and as long as it refreshed her dry throat, it was good. Once she was done with the drink, she went with Shade, believing he was starting to feel lonely.
"Hey Shady. How are you feeling tonight? Listen, if you're hungry, there are several flocks of seagulls out there. They taste rather funny, but they're still good. I know you would rather hunt, but I can get a few for you without trouble, of course, if you want to vary the ship's usual meals." Angora said, feeling the need to do something nice to someone. She knew Shade would've preferred to get his own food, but given he was quarantined, she knew that was out of the question. She still felt quite sorry for him, knowing that the last thing he hunted was some rat on that ship. There wasn't enough thrill or meat on them, not to mention the dragolet wasn't very fond of them.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi gave Maverick a small smile, though she was having difficulty keeping eye contact. "...okay, then. I'll make sure to not be afraid to share my feelings with you," she said. "Thank you, Maverick. I really appreciate the effort you've gone through to help me. I just wanted you to know that. As Ilasi spoke, she was, in the back of her mind, wondering just when Maverick would leave to go back to Angora - not being aware of the troll's outing.

Just then, Maverick was done with Ilasi's bed, leaving it even better than before. As soon as he was done, his stomach started to growl quite loudly, making him pull his shirt down in embarrassment.
"Heh... eh... well, I guess you'll like to be alone with your new book for a while? If not, it's no problem. I can stay for a little while longer. You... heh, can even try a few of those spells on me if you need a subject." Maverick said meekly, not wanting to be in any way rude and wanting to make Ilasi feel better however he could, even going as far as to be her personal guinea pig. He wanted to find some food, but also go the main deck to see how Angora was doing, but decided that it was time to give her some space and Ilasi more time. The troll could take care of herself, and she always had Shade to keep her company and a close eye on her. He wasn't Angora's only friend, so that was quite a relief.

"Well, I think you upset them more than you scare them. Just look at that dumb mayor. At heart his daughter was nice." Angora said, but then realized she was drifting away from the main subject.
"Oh well, tell me, how many seagulls would you like? I could bring them dead or alive if you want. Or cook them if it's the former, unless you want them raw. They are quite big and easy to hunt, of course, if you managed to catch them before they fly away." Angora explained, trying to add a little humor. She knew Shade was restricted from using his fire breath, especially on the ship even if the hexphage was still taking it's time, so the cooking had to be her or Maverick.

"Heh, understood. I will try to bring at least six for you. One alive just so you have something to entertain yourself with... and maybe you can cook them yourself with a little fire. I know you probably miss that, so I'll let you have that moment. Just keep it a small spark ok? Have to be careful not to set fire to the floor." Angora said, knowing how vulnerable the wodden parts of the ship were. Shade almost never toyed with his food on account that he didn't like the suffering of others, but there were times where he would gently play with them when particularly bored before giving them a merciful death like she did. With it settled, Angora left the ship again to search for the seagulls. The one she had targeted was still flying, but there were some other flocks around, which would make the hunt easier. Nocturnal birds were rather creepy looking, and this seagull was particularly scary not with their strange lime green coloration, but because their eyes glowed red. Thankfully, they were harmless, and an excellent source of meat...

Raclaw nodded at the Guardian's response-- saying no more and laying down. He had an idea of what he was about to go through and wanted to make sure that he was on safe ground, just in case he passed out. Chester laid down next to him and placed his paws over one of his. 'Damon-- you wanted Latnok to know everything about me and now's your chance. Do your thing and do not leave anything out.,' Raclaw advised via his thoughts before the collar entity soon started the process. At first, Raclaw's current thoughts came to be and the fur dragon's eyes turned white. However-- it was only a brief moment before Raclaw's memories 'zoomed back' and suddenly everything could seen, heard, and felt all at the same time. It was like looking at a giant living mural; each segment actively showing a memory and its related range of emotions. Suddenly, Raclaw eyes began to flicker between black and white-- and Latnok was thrust into one of Raclaw's earliest memories. As the mind probing began, Raclaw remained motionless no doubt experiencing some kind of pain although unable to currently show it. Chester looked at Latnok and at Sera, but remained silent.

"Hey Jonathan-- someone left something on our porch.," a female voice could be heard as what could be assumed to be Raclaw's adopted 'mother' opened what appeared to be a very large door from the perspective of a near baby Raclaw in a basket. "What is it Martha?," a male voice could be heard from inside what had to be a farmhouse. "It's-- it's some kind of dog. No wait... it's a dragon, a fur dragon.," Martha said now picking up at Raclaw from inside the basket and looked into his eyes. "It has a collar and a name tag-- R A C L A W... Raclaw.," she then observed as both current Raclaw and Latnok would greeted with a close up of her face. "KA... KAW?," a dragon-like noise could be heard coming from Raclaw before another animal noise could heard. "Bark, bark, bark... puppy?," a young sand-colored german shepherd could be heard and seen looking up at the little Raclaw. As the memory fast forwarded and time sped up-- scenes could be experienced of Raclaw growing up, trying to develop his abilities (but failing), and playing alongside the also growing Sandy. It could be seen that Raclaw had learned the tongue from growing up alongside the pupper and that although he had been able to understand his human 'parents', he couldn't communicate in same tongue-- resorting to dog noises and gestures. One seen showed Raclaw playing fetch, while another showed a young adorable Raclaw begging for table food.

More memories came, slowing down at key points, and went through Raclaw's later years. One scene showed the family meeting Julian for the first time, while another scene showed Raclaw experiencing a game similar to tennis for the very first time. "Here-- Raclaw. We made this for you. We designed it to be held in your mouth... like this.," a group of kids could be seen/heard as they handed a young Raclaw what appeared to be a modified racket similar to that of tennis. Holding the modified grip in his mouth-- the young fur dragon hit the ball and only got better with time. More memories came-- Julian doing 'research' to spend to more time with Raclaw and telling the family fabricated versions of the truth concerning the collar. "I would like him to stay with me for a week-- to further study the collar you see.," Julian said as the family agreed and more memories with the Guardian could be seen. Under the guise of being 'studied'-- the then head researcher had Raclaw show him all of his physical abilities and even helping him learn to fly. "There you go my young furry friend-- give it time and you will soar with the best of them.," a distant voice could be heard as Raclaw soared over the small village near where the family farm resided. As he flew-- a hawk suddenly starting flying aside him; a black leash ring rested on one of its talons. "Tannus! Come back!," a young child's voice could be heard from down below. "Kah! Can you understand me?," the hawk 'spoke' to the flying Raclaw. Time fast forwarded again-- this time to Raclaw being 'released' and leaving the farm for the first time.

“Please… I wish to keep it. It—it is the only thing I have and will serve as a reminder… a reminder for everything you have done for me and something to remember you by.,” a 16-year-old Raclaw pleaded to which his adopted 'family' seemed puzzled. The memories continued as past Raclaw stepped foot into the nearby woods-- of Raclaw hunting, eating, surviving, discovering, and occasionally starving. "So hungry..... it seems that the hunters have stripped this area bare of prey.," a 16 or maybe 17 year old Raclaw thought out loud. "I hate to do it, but... help me collar...," he said holding onto his collar and opening the door that once stood between him and the then Damon. "It's time to move on-- find another food source or perhaps go back to one of the villages. You wanted to leave, you wanted to experience the world, and now you are. Either move on or back to one your humans. You're young, you're adorable, and any one of them will feed you. The choice is yours.," the voice of past Damon could be heard. Time fast forwards by hours and Raclaw eating out of some of bowl could be seen. A kid unseen before in his memories was actively petting him, an act which he actually seemed to enjoy. Memories, more flashbacks, and soon-- a volcano could be seen.

What followed was the antics of the initial party pre-Latnok and everything they ensued. "NO-- DON'T! PLEASE!," a desperate Raclaw could be seen/heard saying as an then unknown entity (later discovered to be a minor version of the corruption) triggered his TEACH command and shocked him repeatedly-- forcing to fight his then friends/allies. "ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzz....," the collar continued to shock him and one of the others tried to board and stop him. "Raclaw-- you can resist! You can fight back-- fight back!," a vaguely female sounding voice could be heard sounding a bit like Angora. Time fast forwarded-- to the party meeting Latnok for the first time. Raclaw's emotions could be felt and the fur dragon seemed to have attraction to the very familiar human. " I have this collar you see...," Raclaw said as time fast forwarded to just within the Guardian base. Raclaw was explaining the collar and asking if the Guardians knew anything about it. As Latnok spoke and answered his questions-- more feelings and thoughts could be felt. "I don't know why, but I believe I can this Guardian... this human. Maybe he can help me...," Raclaw's thoughts could be heard and more events unfolded. As the memored poured in and could be seen/heard/felt, Raclaw's emotions could be felt more and more-- trusting the Guardian and holding him in a somewhat higher position over the others. Another could be felt as sustancial as well-- Angora. "Please just get along-- we can all be friends, can't we?," Raclaw's thoughts could be heard as what appeared to be an argument occurred in the background.

Soon-- the cave incident came to by and the feelings related to that specific memory. As then Raclaw had his control threatened to be taken away by a corruption-infected Latnok, he felt as if he was trapped and couldn't escape. His emotions revealed that he had deeply for Latnok by that point and at the same time-- still had some feelings for Angora. "if you even think of talking to her...," Latnok could be seen/heard saying. Latnok had been Raclaw's ally and perhaps even friend and yet-- he was threatening to take away his control just because of Angora. His mind seemed to associate the cave memory with Angora and perhaps more importantly-- with "that other" side of Latnok. Fastforward-- Raclaw telling Sere out of pure desperation, Sere telling Latnok, and Latnok apologising to Raclaw. Raclaw's then emotions seemed to settle somewhat being cautious of Angora (and of interacting with Angora) and yet-- still developing trust in the Guardian. "Latnok my friend-- can't you and Angora just get along?," his thoughts pleaded. He seemed accepting enough of the apology, but felt as if he had some responsibility to protect Latnok from falling back to that corrupted controlling state. Memories came-- of Angora begging in front of Latnok, of the darkness being defeated, and of the split before the one group became two groups. "I choose to go with Anogora-- to stay with her and to protect her.," Shade could be seen saying as he made his decision.

Next was Raclaw-- would he go with Latnok/the Guardians or Angora/her new family? He wanted to find his parents yes, but he also deeply cared for this new human.. for Latnok. As memories flashed to him-- what was revealed wasn't fear, but rather happiness. He didn't feel as if he had to go with Latnok or was forced to go with Latnok, but rather... he wanted to. "Comeon-- I'll show you around.," the voice of Latnok could be heard time fast forwarded to the week before they flew to Shade's court case. What could be felt was pure happiness, pure bliss-- Raclaw was just happy to be with Latnok, to be his friend. It didn't matter if they had eventually found his parents-- he had a new new family as he saw it. The Guardians. 'What will become of me after all of this is done and over with? Will they let me stay should I fail to find my parents? Will they force me to go?,' Raclaw's thoughts could be hard as happy memories poured in-- his and Latnok's ball game, them just talking, the two just walking and looking at each other. It was a feeling of pure happiness.. pure love. Rather it was as a pet, companion, partner, whatever-- he wanted to be with Latnok. Fast forward-- the court case, the ship, the arena, and the hotel. What followed was a simple memory-- just Raclaw laying in bed and Latnok in another bed. The hotel. The two were just talking, enjoying each other's company, and shutting down for the day. It was one of his happier memories and up there with his 'adoptive' parents even.

Fast forward-- the ship taking off, Angora trying to fit in but failed, and arguments. Raclaw looked at Angora and wanted to do something, to show Latnok that the troll just didn't know any better. He looked at Latnok and thought about saying something, but stopped just short of doing so. 'No no... not yet. They just need time, that's all.," Raclaw's thoughts could be heard only briefly recalling the cave incident before quickly pushing the thought back. What followed were more memories-- most of the gentler nature. One showed Raclaw and Latnok merely eating (his thoughts showing bliss/happiness), another showed the two practicing techniques on each other, and another showed the two practising using their abilities together. "Now how the armor will work is...," Latnok could be heard explaining. Fast forward-- the battle the the two fighting side by side. Raclaw felt a mixed range of emotions-- happiness being with Latnok, a desire to protect Latnok, and other feelings related to being in his first battle.

Fast Forward again-- more ship memories and finally the moment where he probed Angora. "Damon-- don't! It's not time.," he pleased as the event played itself out once again. What followed was Raclaw waking up and feeling very alone-- lost without Latnok. He thought of Angora and the cave incident... no longer mattered. Latnok knew now, knew how Angora was feeling. 'But what about us? Will our friendship survive this my dear Latnok?,' his thoughts could be heard. He felt as if Damon had ruined everything and that Latnok might never forgive him or listen to reason. Flashbacks of being in the wilderness occurred-- of being alone, of having no-one around to support you. More memories, more feelings, more emotions-- and suddenly the battle with the beast played out. Raclaw had his tail spike in the shield of the beast and had expanded it. 'TEACH.' his thoughts said as the shock began. It went on and on-- the beast tried to fight back, but he remained alive however barely. In a moment where he thought he was all but done for-- a 'final' memory became burned into his brain. 'Latnok. Please be okay and please.. please forgive me.,' he thoughts could be heard as he was ready to give up. Fast forward-- back to dock, tracking Latnok via his faint telepathic signature, and finally the moment just before the present. As Damon ceased the very through probing, Raclaw 'woke up' from his trip before looking as if he was about to pass out. "And... and now you know.," Raclaw said barely conscious from the experience.

As Angora stalked a group of seagulls, she felt a sudden headache. Something in the atmosphere was different. It was a similar feeling to the one she had earlier. Just what was going on out there? She didn't want to dwell on it any longer and decided to just focus on the hunt. Shade needed food. However, she was too tired from the last hunt, so she decided to make things easier. When she approached a flock, she once again ran on all fours, but instead of trying to focus on one bird at a time, she instead trapped as many birds as she could with her by creating her now signature spheric shield. The birds were now trapped in there with her. They were too busy panicking to attack, so Angora gave each one a quick kill, leaving only one alive but unconscious. She managed to catch seven of them, one more than what she had promised Shade.

With haste, Angora made her way to the ship, grabbing the birds with her own hands to avoid catching attention with her magic. She then presented his latest meal to him, hoping he would be happy.
"Here Shady. I would've preferred the old, fashioned way of hunting, but I couldn't leave you waiting. I used a little bit of magic to catch these guys. This one is still alive just so you know." Angora said as she presented the unconscious bird and left the pile of deceased ones in front of him, nearly ready for consumption. She initially didn't noticed his distraction, but he did see he was rather spaced out, so she decided to give him a little bit of space but remaining nearby in case Shade wanted some company.

Angora looked at his reclutance, and couldn't help but smile at him.
"A dragon who refuses to kill his prey. I bet nobody has ever heard that one before. Dragons are usually portrayed as these fire breathing, flesh eating flying beasts who burn down villages and steal treasures. I wonder who was the ignoramus who started that myth. That's why I never read those old, stupid knight books." Angora expressed, knowing how nastily many children's stories and encyclopedias portrayed creatures like Shade and her. Even Raclaw was a dragon and he was anything but those things.
"I can release the seagull if you want. Or I can just kill it for you. Don't worry. I can make it quick. No need to let the poor creature suffer needlessly." she then assured, showing what great empathy she had for animals despite killing some of them. But unlike many humans and sadly a few members of her own kind, she never hunted for sport. The meat was always consumed.

Angora seemed rather disappointed, but didn't let it show. She took away the live seagull, still dazed from her beating, but was nevertheless not seriously injured. It took a wobbly walk and some spacing out before the bird was ready to fly away, not looking back, bringing Shade's seagull meal to the original six she intended to get.
"Ok Shady. It is done. Now eat up. Maverick may bring you something else later." Angora said, knowing that meal was barely a snack. Dragons and their subspecies were exclusive meat eaters, their digestive system unable to tolerate too many vegetables, but Angora started to wonder that with so much of Shade's empathy and pity if he would've gone as far as to become vegetarian if he could...

As Damon began the process of exposing all of Raclaw's memories, Latnok observed with astonishment - being too mesmerized to offer any sort of input during the entire process. He certainly wasn't expecting memories from so long ago to be revealed to him - all he wanted was some sort of assurance that Raclaw's feelings were genuine.
Going through the memories, he didn't feel particularly strongly about the initial memories of Raclaw's life, before he was on his own; they were, however, highly informative, serving to explain certain aspects of him (such as his affinity with dogs and typical dog toys), and he was, in a way, happy to learn about them. As the memories proceeded, however, the information became more and more relevant to the current situation - from how Raclaw acquired his collar, to how he ended up on his own, to... the experience right before he met Latnok.
From there, after meeting Latnok, and the beginning of their mutual cooperation, the bond - it seemed to be growing stronger, but at the same time, it was clear that Raclaw had issues with Latnok and Angora, and their hostility to each other, that could not be easily resolved.
Then - the memory he feared experiencing the most. The dreaded cave memory, in which he forcefully controlled Raclaw through a threat and an order which, under the circumstances, Raclaw would have no choice but to comply with. Despite all that had already happened, that memory, once again, stuck out in Latnok's mind like a sore thumb.
Then, though... much to Latnok's surprise, things improved after that. That memory was, in the end, one of many. From there, the bond was growing - legitimately - and Raclaw was becoming more fond and trusting of Latnok. Everything after that - it was real. In fact, Raclaw was worrying about being forced to separate. From there... the period of Latnok's disappearance. Despite everything Latnok felt, Raclaw really did miss him dearly, wishing more than anything else for his return and forgiveness, even in his weakest moments.

Latnok was, once again extremely conflicted. Raclaw was serious - he wasn't just acting out of fear, hoping to keep Latnok from turning on him. Yet... that fear was there. Despite Raclaw being his best friend, the fur dragon feared him. What did that mean for everyone else?
"...I'm sorry, Raclaw. I just don't know what to think at this point. What... I've not been fair to you. I don't..." Latnok was completely at a lostt for words to explain himself - how poor a judge of character he had been. Not only had he misjudged Angora - maybe not initially, but as of late - he had completely misjudged Raclaw based on one presentation, which he assumed reflected on the fur dragon's true feelings, just as they did with Angora.
And yet the fear remained. Was that really the sort of person he wanted to be?
What do you REALLY want? That message seemed oddly familiar.. where was it from? But it was something to consider. Was this all worth it? What did he really want?

Angora simply say besides Shade as he ate, wondering where Raclaw, Sere and Veris ran off to in the middle of the night. Chester wasn't anywhere on the main deck, but she didn't think Raclaw would risk his life like that... or did they take a stroll? Or was Chester somewhere on the lower deck? It didn't matter. All she had to do was wait for them. Sere and company were grown and powerful, and they could take care of themselves. Angora wished she could explore the island given how active both flora and fauna became, but knowing it was a place where potential and magically strong kidnappers lived, she knew better than to take an unecessary risk, although thinking if which, whoever was contacting her telepathically seemed to have given up at last. It made Angora somewhat relieved...

"No Latnok-- you've been.. more than fair to me. I'm sorry I put you through this. I'm sorry I...," Raclaw started to say growing weaker. The very thorough probing on Damon's part had no doubt drained him. Everything that Latnok was feeling-- he was feeling as well. He could feel just how conflicted and confused the Guardian felt. Everything that had happened, everything that he had experienced-- it was almost all too much for him. He wanted to comfort Latnok, to reassure Latnok somehow. "You'll get through this. We'll... get through this. Together.," Raclaw then managed to say -- not finding the strength to get up, but wishing he could comfort the beloved Guardian further. Chester gave what seemed to be a reassuring bark.

Latnok could only look at Raclaw - the dragon's words did little to assuage his self-doubt. "I'll... I'll find a way," he made out. "I'll... I promise - no, I can't do that. I will not promise something that I'm not sure that I can do. But I'll try to... at the very least, not cause any more damage. I don't know what happened to me in the past day, but I will try to work past it. I'm sorry... I can't promise anything. But..."
Latnok's heart weighed heavily on him as he spoke. Under the circumstances, there was one more thing that needed to be said.
"Godfather Sere. I intend to work towards accomplishing the mission, just as I always have. However... I am not fit to lead. I cannot, in good faith, continue to assume any sort of leadership role until I have found out what the solution is to all of this. Please... understand me. I want to do my job... I just..." As Latnok spoke, thoughts of Sere being willing to abandon him without a second thought came into his head. Is that what you really want? The statement came back - what did he really want? That was all he was in the end - a tool. He was satisfied with that existence... but was it what he really wanted?
"Say no more," Sere said calmly. "Though you will, of course, still hold your rank, and will answer to no one on the ship but myself, I will leave it to your own discretion as to when you fel you are ready. We all need time to refocus every now and then. As for recent events, there isn't too much we can do about them with such little knowledge. However, I do not sense any sort of malevolent magic - I do not believe that there are any further measures we need to take with you. Come; Veris isn't too far away. We'll leave when you're ready." As Latnok slowly got up and began to move, following Sere's trail, he was still attentive to any further words Raclaw may have.

"Hmm..." Ilasi thought out loud. "In that case... why don't we try a spell? I'm sure that it can't be too bad..." Ilasi quickly went through the book, until she found a spell that seemed harmless enough - bioluminescence.
As she "read" the book, it animated once again - the voice giving the instructions, as a figure performed certain casting motions. In the end, the target seemed to glow as the lights went out.
"So... based on how I cast this, this can last a few minutes to an hour," she thought out loud once again. "Okay, I think I'll take it easy. Just a small cast - nothing too fancy. Want to give it a try?" she asked eagerly. "You might even attract fireflies!"

With nothing else to do, Angora remained by Shade's side, once again using his belly like a giant pillow. At first she regretted telling Sere about the voice, but it seemed like her confession made the mysterious stranger hesitant to contact her more often. The sooner they left the island, the better. She didn't want to be tempted any further.

Quote: A Guy

"Hmm..." Ilasi thought out loud. "In that case... why don't we try a spell? I'm sure that it can't be too bad..." Ilasi quickly went through the book, until she found a spell that seemed harmless enough - bioluminescence.
As she "read" the book, it animated once again - the voice giving the instructions, as a figure performed certain casting motions. In the end, the target seemed to glow as the lights went out.
"So... based on how I cast this, this can last a few minutes to an hour," she thought out loud once again. "Okay, I think I'll take it easy. Just a small cast - nothing too fancy. Want to give it a try?" she asked eagerly. "You might even attract fireflies!"

"Bio...lumini...essence? Oh, the glowing stuff. Yeah, I've seen that spectacle before, though not so often. Who would've known there was a spell for that? Fire away." Maverick said as he gave his permission, having difficulty pronouncing the word. He did saw a couple of those glowing shores in his dying days, but with his father's hasty navigation, he never could appreciate them enough. It seemed like an easy spell, and something within Ilasi's capabilities. Despite not wanting to regret offering himself as a subject, he was nevertheless a little nervous...

After a moment of rest-- Raclaw got up and followed the others; Chester resuming his place on the fur dragon's back. "Latnok. Whatever happens... Just know that I will always trust you. That-- that will never change.," he said drained but no longer enough to the point where he couldn't walk or fly.

With the matter settled, Latnok and Sere mounted Veris (the wyvern not caring at all about the mud on them). After they strapped up, they took off. The group would ride in silence; Latnok's head still hurt too much for him to feel up for any sort of casual conversation, not that he would even if he wasn't bothered. The group would land on the deck on the ship, with no obstacles in the way of the landing.

Ilasi focused intently as she made the hand motions of the spell - wanting to be absolutely sure of her spellcasting. She had to have complete confidence. What eased her mind, however, was knowing that Maverick was hard to disappoint - at least according to him. At the very least, the spell would have next to no potential to be harmful, with how little power she was putting into it. Eventually, she cast the spell, and stood back to observe the results.

Maverick wanted to close his eyes, but desisted knowing Ilasi would associate the action with fear, and he didn't want to make her nervous or fearful herself. So he just waited for Ilasi to be done with the incantation, standing still like a kid sitting on a roller coaster waiting to operate. Once the mermaid was done, he stopped to look at his body, and could only see his fingernails, including the one from his feet, plus his elbows, knees and chest glowing. It wasn't his whole body like he was expecting.
"So, how do I look?" he asked with a rather goofy smile, unaware that his eyebrows, nose, ears and tongue were glowing, almost making him look like a clown. The spell didn't hurt him one bit, and he actually rather enjoyed it, mostly because he knew he was helping Ilasi and her delicate confidence. He didn't know how ridiculous he looked.

As the group arrived-- Chester jumped off the somewhat muddy Raclaw, relatively dry in comparison. Raclaw, Latnok, and the others initially landed in silence... the beloved Guardian having much to think about. Raclaw knew that it wouldn't be an easy development fir Latnok, but it would be an nessary one -- both fir himself and for certain others such as Angora. As for the fur dragon himself, he would do what he could to help his Guardian friend and to help ease the transition.

Without as much as a word, Latnok headed back inside the ship. Some of the skeleton crew - including Leoquin - noticed him, and there was some chatting between them about it. Latnok disappeared inside the ship, where he would head to his room and sleep, with much to sift through in his thoughts. Sere would stay on deck a little longer, though he would also retire before long.

Ilasi gave quite a smile. "Well, I don't think it's quite what I expected... but it's something!" she said playfully. "I'll just let you know right now - I was trying to make your entire body glow, but only portions of it are. I have the general idea of the spell down at least, however. Maybe it could come in handly... like looking down in the deep sea for treasure!" Ilasi recalled the adventure the two were planning on going on tomorrow - perhaps it could be useful, indeed. Even if it was just partial bioluminescence, it would still work.

"Well, maybe it takes a while to go into full effect. Perhaps we should wait and see what happens." Maverick suggested, having seen the spell take full effect immediately in the book demonstration, butting was probably because whoever did the spell was far more experienced than Ilasi and it made the effects go faster.

Quote: A Guy

Without as much as a word, Latnok headed back inside the ship. Some of the skeleton crew - including Leoquin - noticed him, and there was some chatting between them about it. Latnok disappeared inside the ship, where he would head to his room and sleep, with much to sift through in his thoughts. Sere would stay on deck a little longer, though he would also retire before long.

Their return wasn't dismissed by Angora. She had been waiting for their return... but... how could it be? Was that... Latnok? They found him already? Without her help? How was it possible? Almost involuntarily, Angora got up and hid behind Shade's elbow, trembling with fear. All the sass and anger she always showed Latnok was no more. Raclaw destroyed that façade, and all she felt for the young Guardian was fear. Sere wasn't the only one anymore. Latnok has returned, and she firmly believed that meant all the abuse, bullying and misery would return. Thinking about it made Angora sob quietly from her hiding place.

As Latnok left the deck-- Raclaw briefly stayed and gathered his thoughts. Based on his eyes and facial expressions alone, it couldn't be immediately determined exactly what happened between him and Leoquin. The fur dragon just looked tired and more so verses prior to finding Latnok. Risar noticed the arrival of Latnok and the return of Raclaw-- but didn't immediately approach deciding that they probably needed their space. Chester remained near Raclaw not immediately providing any answers ether.