darkSpyro

Sere, after his brief respite in his quarters to consider matters, was back on the deck, admiring the repairs led by Risar. As he strolled along the deck, Ilasi, in the quarters below, was giving Dahlia a big hug - as big as she could manage, anyway - and taking a moment to appreciate Dahlia's soft fur. "Hello, you big girl!" she greeted. "Have you been having a good time?" Seeing Maverick play around and get along with Dahlia so well made Ilasi just a bit envious - she had never known the companionship of a pet, and could only imagine what it was like to get along with Dahlia or Veris as well as their owners did.

"All I can say is that I hope your trust in me is well-placed," Latnok said, with doubt. "I've failed you... in a way I shouldn't have." Failure - it was bound to happen, but Latnok detested it nonetheless - most of all, from himself. Understanding the perception of others - not just generally, but in such a clear way as Raclaw had facilitated - was never something he was capable of. He wished hr could go back - hide behind his shield of ignorance and detachment. There would be no unseeing what he saw, however - it was something he'd have to live with, and it would weigh on him for a while to come.

On the main deck, Angora spotted Sere... but also Risar nearby. The minotaur looked super busy, yet she wasn't as afraid of him as Sere. Should she try to ask Risar for the favor of suggesting Sere to accept the stranger's plea? Or will that make things worse for her? She knew the minotaur was Sere's second in command for the time being, so the Godfather was more beyond to listen to him yet to her. And yet... she knew the minotaur, just like so many others on that ship, didn't like her, so she was very hesitant. Whether she asked Sere directly or not, he was going to find out she was the one with the suggestion, since she doubted Risar wouldn't let him know she spoke to him. Angora was so anguished, she almost curled into a ball in despair, but desisted since she was now in public. Almost anyone on the main deck could see her if they looked. As afraid and nervous as she was, she still had some dignity, just not the determination to make a decision right now. Just whom should she talk to?

Quote: A Guy

Sere, after his brief respite in his quarters to consider matters, was back on the deck, admiring the repairs led by Risar. As he strolled along the deck, Ilasi, in the quarters below, was giving Dahlia a big hug - as big as she could manage, anyway - and taking a moment to appreciate Dahlia's soft fur. "Hello, you big girl!" she greeted. "Have you been having a good time?" Seeing Maverick play around and get along with Dahlia so well made Ilasi just a bit envious - she had never known the companionship of a pet, and could only imagine what it was like to get along with Dahlia or Veris as well as their owners did.

Maverick could see how much Ilasi enjoyed the moment, and it was then that he had an idea.
"You know Ilasi, you can mount her any time if you want. You can wait until we get to a more pleasant island, or we can do it around the halls for a little while. Or maybe just here around the enclosure. I know it may not be as fun as exploring the beautiful ocean, but mounting Dahlia, you'll feel taller." he suggested, knowing Ilasi would have plenty of fun trying something as new as that. She probably hasn't even mounted a horse, so Maverick truly believed this could a very refreshing experience for her. Despite being partly aware of the current situation, he figured they both needed a moment to distract themselves from the ship work.

As Sere observed the progress on the repairs, he noticed Angora through his peripheral vision - off in the distance, seemingly undecided or nervous about something. With all of the happenings as of late, asking her wouldn't hurt. [i]"[Are you still getting messages from this stranger?"/i] he asked her via telepathy.

The idea of mounting an animal was both enticing and scary to Ilasi, whose face showed some signs of both. "Oh, I would love to..." she started. "I don't know, though - it seems really dangerous. I wouldn't want to slip off or hurt myself right now - that wouldn't do anyone any good." Though Ilasi was strongly considering taking Maverick up on his offer, her lack of self-confidence prevailed in the end.

Angora almost jumped with the sudden voice, having thought for a moment her mysterious messanger was contacting her again, but she immediately recognized his voice.
"Please don't do that... Captain..." Angora replied meekly through telepathy, not having expected Sere to notice her or even bother to speak to her. But now what he has, it made her decision more immediate. Now that he was under contact with Sere, she might as well take this moment to tell her suggestion.

"No. It's not that... I... it's just that... I think we should take that offer... the metal... I... I think we shouldn't prolong this..." Angora requested shyly, receiving a severe migraine once she was done. Telepathy was getting very hard to sustain. She saw then that the effects of the hexphage antidote were ending, and the fungus was making it difficult for her to use magic. But even so, that was the least of her worries. She feared that Sere would reprimand her for her suggestion, but he was quite far away, so it would give her time to prepare both body and mind for whatever punishment she believed he was planning on her.

Quote: A Guy

The idea of mounting an animal was both enticing and scary to Ilasi, whose face showed some signs of both. "Oh, I would love to..." she started. "I don't know, though - it seems really dangerous. I wouldn't want to slip off or hurt myself right now - that wouldn't do anyone any good." Though Ilasi was strongly considering taking Maverick up on his offer, her lack of self-confidence prevailed in the end.

"Heh, don't worry. Dahlia is very gentle. And I'll be here to grab you if you fall. Come on. We can start right here." Maverick said very kindly, offering his hand ready to pick Ilasi up and place her on Dahlia's back. His eyes displayed such a gentle soul, it was very easy to forget Maverick once lived among some of the ruthless pirates to ever navigate the seas.

Sere attributed Angora's faltering telepathy more to the effects of the hexphage than any sort of fear. "You will be pleased to know that I'm taking them up on the offer," he said. "I don't trust this man one hundred percent, and I know this may be some sort of setup; nevertheless, if there really are dangerous creatures about such mines, it is important that we clear them in order to prevent future travelers from falling to them. In addition, we may get what we need to secure Shade - something I believe is worth the effort, if we can avoid killing him." Sere wasn't going to move any closer to Angora; if she wanted to speak to him, she would have to either use her faltering telepathy, or approach him.

"I can give it a try, I guess..." Ilasi said nervously; despite her nervousness, however, she took Maverick up on his offer, grabbing his hand in order to mount Dahlia. On the buffalo's back, she felt rather odd - steady, yet capable of becoming unsteady with little control in the matter. Despite never seeing Dahlia have problems carrying someone, she was really concerned about the possibility of falling off. Subconsciously, she grabbed some of Dahlia's fur rather tightly.

Quote: A Guy

"All I can say is that I hope your trust in me is well-placed," Latnok said, with doubt. "I've failed you... in a way I shouldn't have." Failure - it was bound to happen, but Latnok detested it nonetheless - most of all, from himself. Understanding the perception of others - not just generally, but in such a clear way as Raclaw had facilitated - was never something he was capable of. He wished hr could go back - hide behind his shield of ignorance and detachment. There would be no unseeing what he saw, however - it was something he'd have to live with, and it would weigh on him for a while to come.

"No Latnok-- You didn't fail me. There is no way you could've known.," Raclaw said trying to reassure the troubled Guardian. He could feel his beloved friend's doubt now more than ever thanks to the new collar enforced bond. "What happened.. happened. And what's done is done. We cannot change the past, but we can work towards the future. I know this will not be easy for you and I'm sorry for that, Latnok. Just know that you don't have to do it alone and that I will right by your side the entire way. You have my full support and my friendship; I will follow you through hell and back again. No matter what it takes, no matter what you have to do to find yourself again-- I.. I will be there. You have my word.," Raclaw then said with a gentle nod.

"Raclaw is right-- you don't have to do this alone. You'll have both of us and I'm not going anywhere.," Chester said trying to comfort their beloved Latnok and almost rubbing up against the Guardian. "Chester says-- well.. I suppose you already know. We'll not going anywhere and will be here whenever and however you need us.," Raclaw then said almost instinctively translating for the little dog. Latnok could technically force the matter thanks to the new improved control he now held over the fur dragon, but he wouldn't have to. The two furry companions were dedicated towards the Guardian's new cause, both to better himself and his relations to the world at large. A collar claim could never force a proper friendship-- that came from the heart itself and nothing else. Elsewhere, Risar remained on the main deck.

Maverick picked Ilasi up effortlessly and placed her on Dahlia's back, with the dirt buffalo sensing her nervousness and feeling rather uneasy herself, but was quickly calmed by Maverick, who knew that like horses, dirt buffalos could sense their rider's feelings. The fur pulling however, didn't seemed to bother her. Despite it's softness, the texture was really strong.
"You can hug the hump if you're not certain Ilasi. My apologies for the lack of seat or reigns, but Dahlia didn't like them." Maverick said, believing Ilasi would feel calmer if she grabbed the hump instead of the hair. Ilasi also had the option of going in front of the hump and grab Dahlia's horns, but it was more difficult. And the top of the hump was the tallest part of the animal, but only with enough experience could do that.

For extra security, Maverick tied Ilasi's legs using Dahlia's own hairs as rope, and once he made sure she was properly secured, he gently pulled the dirt buffalo around, carefully grabbing her by the beard-like lock of hair that hung from her neck. She was very patient and gentle, and followed Maverick's lead without question or complaints. There wasn't much space on Dahlia's enclosure, but it was enough for her to walk around with a decent amount of mobility.

Quote: A Guy

Sere attributed Angora's faltering telepathy more to the effects of the hexphage than any sort of fear. "You will be pleased to know that I'm taking them up on the offer," he said. "I don't trust this man one hundred percent, and I know this may be some sort of setup; nevertheless, if there really are dangerous creatures about such mines, it is important that we clear them in order to prevent future travelers from falling to them. In addition, we may get what we need to secure Shade - something I believe is worth the effort, if we can avoid killing him." Sere wasn't going to move any closer to Angora; if she wanted to speak to him, she would have to either use her faltering telepathy, or approach him.

Angora didn't want to be near Sere despite being surprised and amazed that he had already made his decision and the fact that he wasn't being rude or harsh to her. Even so, she didn't want to push her luck.
"Th... Thanks. Thank you." she managed to reply telepathically before holding her head with both hands in pain. Telepathy was a struggle now, so that was the last message she intended to send to the Godfather. She was sort of happy with the kinder treatment, yet she still didn't want to approach him in fear that her ugly little presence alone would set him off.

With Angora done speaking to him, Sere resumed the subject matter, recalling what he was here for initially - Risar. "Risar," Sere said. "We will be assisting some miners in clearing out a mine. I will get more details about what we are facing; I intend to send a scouting force, to probe what we are up against; the scouting party will consist of myself, Latnok, you, and likely Raclaw. Thoughts?" Despite being the one in command, Sere trusted his direct subordinates enough to ask them their opinion on most matters, especially those involving combat.

Thanks to the combined efforts of both Maverick and Dahlia, Ilasi slowly but surely became more comfortable on Dahlia's back, as she grabbed the hump as Maverick suggested. "Wow..." she let out. "There is something about this that is... pretty fun! No wonder you humans like riding horses and the like so much!" Ilasi couldn't imagine moving so slowly to be so enjoyable; there was something about the feeling of Dahlia walking that was rather soothing, despite how rough it was. Ilasi wasn't quite sure how Maverick guided Dahlia without speaking to her, considering he wasn't telepathic - she figured it was due to the strong bond the two had built.

"Sounds like an appropriate force. And-- it will do Latnok and Raclaw some good being out in the field. Risar agrees.," the large minotaur said with a nod. Last he saw; both Latnok and Raclaw had gone down to the lower decks-- likely to discuss something. For their sake, he hoped that the 'discussion' had gone well and that their recently troubled relationship hadn't gone downhill again. He knew not of what had occurred within the confines of Latnok's cabin -- and that their bond was now stronger than ever before. As they talked, he kept an eye on an distant sailor performing a somewhat fragile repair.

Angora retired from the spot, heading to where Shade was. But instead of being there with him, she remained nearby, not wanting to risk getting hurt. If Shade accidentally hurts her, it will not only make him feel bad, the Guardians would misinterpret the attack as hostility. She didn't believe they would care if she got injured, but it could still be an excuse to go along with their original plan. Despite the risk, she stayed on guard, ready to stop him if he went wild. As she watched over him, she had high hopes that Sere would continue treating her better like he has and see how much polite she was trying to be by saying things like thank you and referring to him by title.

Quote: A Guy

Thanks to the combined efforts of both Maverick and Dahlia, Ilasi slowly but surely became more comfortable on Dahlia's back, as she grabbed the hump as Maverick suggested. "Wow..." she let out. "There is something about this that is... pretty fun! No wonder you humans like riding horses and the like so much!" Ilasi couldn't imagine moving so slowly to be so enjoyable; there was something about the feeling of Dahlia walking that was rather soothing, despite how rough it was. Ilasi wasn't quite sure how Maverick guided Dahlia without speaking to her, considering he wasn't telepathic - she figured it was due to the strong bond the two had built.

"Heh, well this is nothing Ilasi. Once you have more experience and we go to another place, you can make Dahlia run. It's such an awesome feeling. You don't even need wings to feel like you're flying." Maverick expressed, looking forward to Ilasi gaining experience with Dahlia and feel enough trust to ride her on her own and make the dirt buffalo gallop at full speed. They were far bigger than horses, so their running could feel both scary and exiting.

Angora kept a close eye on Shade with great concern, ready to intervene and tackle his snout like she usually did when he gave signs of losing control, particularly with nightmares. The thought of the deal tormented Angora. She had to tell somebody of what she did, what she dared to do for Shade's sake. But Shade already had a clue and Maverick would be too heartbroken to know, so she was with tied hands. In other occasions, Raclaw would've been the one she would trust the most, but given his friendship with Latnok, he was out of the question. Whom could she trust she wondered...

Sere nodded, acknowledging Risar's thoughts, before leaving. "Keep up the good work," he said to Risar and the sailors, before heading back into the ship.
After some walking, he found Latnok's door, giving it a sturdy knock. Latnok knew who it was - no one else would possibly be visiting him of their own volition. He stood up, coming to the door to open it.
"Godfather Sere," Latnok greeted. "What do you need of me?"
"You're going to be part of a scouting party I'm sending out to probe the mine," Sere explained. "I know I can trust in your abilities... and it would certainly be a good opportunity for you and Raclaw to further practice some of your synergy... if you're so inclined, that is." Sere was not yet aware of the new bond formed by Raclaw and Latnok, only knowing of the fight on the beachhead so far.
"...what do you think, Raclaw?" Latnok asked the dragon with uncertainty. He wasn't ever going to *tell* Raclaw to do anything again, if he could help it.

"Experience? MAKING her run?" Ilasi asked Maverick, surprised at the thought. "You mean... you would expect me to be able to work with Dahlia, have her understand me, guide her? Oh, I'm no beast master..." she said, referring to the title of many of those in Aelinon who were highly knowledgeable in the matter of capturing and training creatures to obey their commands. "It just... I think we need to slow down just a bit."

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Soon Shade regained control after fighting hard to keep the darkness out.

Angora, who was still keeping a close eye on him, gave the dragolet a quick thumbs up in congratulations for his resistance. She knew it was being hard for him, but she still believed he could succeed if she just tried. However, she knew that if the blood mood legend was true, then Shade's body won't be his own anymore. Just when she had believed she had defeated that infernal Darkmatter, turns out it was still living inside him. Was that the reason Neo decided to stay with her? He had much explaining to do.

Hiding among some barrels that were the closest to Shade, Angora started whispering, not wanting to strain herself again with telepathy but not wanting anybody to see her seemingly talking to herself either.
"Alright Neo. I know we haven't talked in a long time, but I know you're still in there. Did you know about this blood moon legend? Shade didn't tell me, and neither did you. I figured that if you supposedly know so much about this Darkmatter, clearly you must've known something about this." Angora demanded to know, almost sounding like a scold. Neo hasn't talked to her in such a long while that it was easy to forget sometimes there was a spirit living within her. She didn't know if his lack of contact was due to her not talking to him like this or if it was out of guilt for getting her in trouble in Redwater, but right now, she wanted answers...

Quote: A Guy

"Experience? MAKING her run?" Ilasi asked Maverick, surprised at the thought. "You mean... you would expect me to be able to work with Dahlia, have her understand me, guide her? Oh, I'm no beast master..." she said, referring to the title of many of those in Aelinon who were highly knowledgeable in the matter of capturing and training creatures to obey their commands. "It just... I think we need to slow down just a bit."

Maverick gave a little laugh as Ilasi did her comment. It was so cute how insecure she was, but also sad.
"Beast master? He heh. Come on Ilasi. You don't need to be a beast master to tame every animal. You don't have to treat them as something to domesticate or as a creature beneath you. Dahlia is more than a mount or a pet. She's my friend. We don't need to speak the same language to understand each other. You can bond with an animal without needing any special abilities. You just need to understand their feelings, show them the respect you wish upon yourself, and treat them as you would a dear family member." Maverick instructed kindly and patiently, understanding why Ilasi thought that way. If she was raised among Aelinon and their laws, it was no mystery why she had that kind of mentality.

Quote:

"...what do you think, Raclaw?" Latnok asked the dragon with uncertainty. He wasn't ever going to *tell* Raclaw to do anything again, if he could help it.

"Let's-- let's do it.," Raclaw said with a nod somewhat eager to test their new snergy. It would appear that the Godfather wouldn't have to walk far to find the now claimed fur dragon, as everyone would already be in the same room.

Latnok gave a very slight nod as Raclaw confirmed his decision. With the two ready, all that was left was to get Risar and meet the stranger. "Excellent. We will be moving immediately," Sere said. Swre opened the door, stepping out as Latnok followed. Risar would most likely be right where Sere left him, so they would have no issue finding him.

"That... that seems a bit simple," Ilasi said. "Almost unbelievably simple. The captain told me of all of the effort that goes into training a wyvern from birth to be an effective mount - but just finding a wild animal and becoming friends with them? I'm... that's amazing." Of course, Dahlia didn't have to perform quite as many functions as Veris, but she was an animal who was doing her own thing beforehand regardless.
"You know, it could be even easier if you could communicate like Raclaw does!" Ilasi suddenly thought out loud. Considering Maverick's seeming affinity for animals, perfect understanding of them could lead to some quite amazing things .. at the moment, however, it was a bit of a pipe dream.

Raclaw followed alongside Latnok; slowly getting used to the increased mental presence that the beloved Guardian now had in his mind. As expected-- it didn't much to find Risar who wasn't that far away from where the large minotaur had been previously. "Raclaw, Latnok.," he greeted the two with a slight nod. The fur dragon's spirits seemed to up at least, while the Guardian still seemed-- uncertain? Chester followed as well, but already knew that he would have to stay behind with Maverick. He looked up at the fur dragon, who shook his head 'no.' "Be safe out there!," the little Beagle said in a friendly tone.

Quote: A Guy

"That... that seems a bit simple," Ilasi said. "Almost unbelievably simple. The captain told me of all of the effort that goes into training a wyvern from birth to be an effective mount - but just finding a wild animal and becoming friends with them? I'm... that's amazing." Of course, Dahlia didn't have to perform quite as many functions as Veris, but she was an animal who was doing her own thing beforehand regardless.
"You know, it could be even easier if you could communicate like Raclaw does!" Ilasi suddenly thought out loud. Considering Maverick's seeming affinity for animals, perfect understanding of them could lead to some quite amazing things .. at the moment, however, it was a bit of a pipe dream.

Maverick nodded at her comment, not wanting to completely discredit her view.
"Well, I'm not sure how bonding, or at least training a bigger animal like a wyvern works given their size and strength. I guess you need a genuine beast master for them, but if they are intelligent enough to talk and feel empathy, like Shade and señor Raclaw, it shouldn't be so hard. Dirt buffalos aren't usually domesticated. I had to for an emergency, and it helped that Dahlia was already injured, which made her easier for me to tame. I gave her the option to be free, but she refused. She really is a magnificent animal. Talking to them like señor Raclaw does would be amazing, but with her, I didn't need to. And Dahlia liked you almost instantly Ilasi. I'd say you have a chance with animals without needing to be a beast master." Maverick encouraged happily, figuring that Ilasi was under the impression that you had to be a beast master in order to tame animals like the Guardians did. He was no beast master, yet he managed to bond with Dahlia in a short time. The dirt buffalo genuinely loved him, even if she had a rather low opinion of him that he didn't know about.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

”I did not know of this legend until Shade spoke of it. It may be of his species. He is not of this world after all.” Neo said.

Angora wasn't really expecting an answer out of him given all of his time inactive, so she was rather glad when he replied.
"Well, then he has some explaining to do. I know of him being this weird space dragon and all of that, but how does he know something like that? Or better yet, why didn't he tell us? I think something like that is very important. Now the idiot is risking being excecuted by the Guardians if they lose their patience with him." Angora said, believing Neo didn't have the answer as to why Shade would keep a secret like that, but nevertheless wanted to hear his own opinion. She didn't know if the Guardians were being patient with him for her and Maverick's sake or if they were genuinely growing a heart for him, but she didn't want to risk their luck. They almost always chose execution when it came to creatures they deemed dangerous, like what was almost the fate of the poor White Shadow, so she really was desperate for answers, as well as a Sere helping the stranger with the metal.

Latnok, though still assailed by doubts, was growing accustomed to Raclaw's increased presence. When Risar greeted him, Latnok responded in kind. "Hey, Risar," he said. "How's it going?" Risar was the one person on the deck, besides the captain, that Latnok felt the most comfortable with now - he highly doubted that Risar ever had any sort of fear for him, or was being duplicitous with his feelings while talking to him. Risar... I can trust him.
"Risar. I will be meeting our contact shortly. Soon after, be prepared to move out," Sere said. "Lock the prisoners up, or have someone trustworthy look after them. I'll leave the judgment call to you."

Leoquin, meanwhile, had had enough sleep for now - though it wasn't as much as he usually got, the sun was already out, and, being naturally diurnal, he could not sleep anymore. He soon stepped out onto the main deck - much to his dissatisfaction, no breakfast had been served. It wasn't anything he would gripe about, however - he could always make some himself with the supplies he had. Or go fishing.

Ilasi gave a slight blush, still being at least somewhat uncomfortable with being complimented. "That seems like it'd be a bit of a long way off," she said. "I'd have to start with the fish in the sea - and honestly, I'm pretty sure Leoquin understands them better than I do. Just one of the many sea-related things he can go on and on about... oh!" Ilasi interjected, as she suddenly recalled the reason that they were meeting today.
"The fish! You have to meet them! Maybe they'll all try to swarm you if you go deep enough!" she said with a slight laugh. The idea of Maverick being engulfed and carried away by fish was at least somewhat whimsical.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

”Like Shade said he thought those stories were just legends and myths. He had no way of knowing it would happen to him.” Neo said.

Angora stopped thinking about that, but even if he didn't know it would happen, she still had many doubts.
"He still should've said something. He was once controlled by Darkmatter. A legend like that doesn't sound too unrealistic after what has happened to him. And now look what I had to do. I had to make a deal with this blobby man, who is going to do to me who knows what in order for him to find this metal that will help Shade restrained. But what if it doesn't work? What if the Guardians... kill Shade anyway? What if he gets loose? What if... I have to face Darkmatter again? And if it does work, what will happen to me?" Angora asked with a dreaded voice, really needing some assurance now. Now knowing that Neo was still active, there was no one else better to vent with.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi gave a slight blush, still being at least somewhat uncomfortable with being complimented. "That seems like it'd be a bit of a long way off," she said. "I'd have to start with the fish in the sea - and honestly, I'm pretty sure Leoquin understands them better than I do. Just one of the many sea-related things he can go on and on about... oh!" Ilasi interjected, as she suddenly recalled the reason that they were meeting today.
"The fish! You have to meet them! Maybe they'll all try to swarm you if you go deep enough!" she said with a slight laugh. The idea of Maverick being engulfed and carried away by fish was at least somewhat whimsical.

"Oh? Is it time already?" Maverick asked, almost forgetting about their little trip. He then untied Ilasi's legs and got her off Dahlia like a footman attending a princess getting off her carriage.
"Well, one step at a time. If you can do it with fish, you can do it with land animals. I'd say you're off to a great start already." he said as Dahlia looked at him, rather sad at the fact of them leaving. As Maverick assured her, he spoke again.
"Being swarmed by fish does sound... rather fun. Heh, as long as they're not sharks or a whale in feeding." Maverick added jokingly, trying to hide the fact that he was a little afraid of this trip. The last one was in a bubble and very close to shore, but it sounded like Ilasi was intending to take him further away now.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok, though still assailed by doubts, was growing accustomed to Raclaw's increased presence. When Risar greeted him, Latnok responded in kind. "Hey, Risar," he said. "How's it going?" Risar was the one person on the deck, besides the captain, that Latnok felt the most comfortable with now - he highly doubted that Risar ever had any sort of fear for him, or was being duplicitous with his feelings while talking to him. Risar... I can trust him.
"Risar. I will be meeting our contact shortly. Soon after, be prepared to move out," Sere said. "Lock the prisoners up, or have someone trustworthy look after them. I'll leave the judgment call to you.".

"Risar doing well.," the minotaur responded before turning his attention towards Godfather Sere."Yes captain.," he soon replied directing a couple of the stronger sailors to begin the process of moving the prisoners. As Raclaw stood alongside Latnok, he had returned Risar's nod as well. Looking up at the Guardian-- the initial 'warm fuzzy' feeling was settling into something pleasant and consistent. He could feel that a certain degree of control was now in Latnok's hands, just as Latnok himself could no doubt feel the slight temptation at poking one of the now viable commands.

He wouldn't lose access himself to any such command, but he was also no longer the only one. Many of his commands were now executable by himself, Latnok, and Damon. And that was part of the intention of forming the new bond. Should Damon want to take control and he find himself incapable of resisting-- Latnok could now step in on his behalf. It was a feeling that told him that he would never be alone, so long as Latnok and Damon remained in his life. There was always Chester of course, but he would try to keep the young innocent doggo away from the complex web that was his telepathy.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

”Do not worry young Angora. Darkmatter will never return. Shade will get through this. I know and you know he will.” Neo said. ”he wouldn’t be here if he didn’t try his best to help you and Maverick out.”

"I know! I know! But... the question is, will the Guardian's?" Angora asked sorrowfully, knowing that Shade wasn't the only issue here. It was his current captors. If they fail to help their mysterious visitor gain the metal they needed to restrain him, chances are they we're going to resort to excecution like they usually did and deny Shade the chance to finally and completely beat the corruption that still resided within him. They have done quite a lot sparing him, and she and Maverick couldn't continue bailing Shade out, especially now that he had claimed hundreds of lives, maybe even more when he was under the full influence of Darkmatter.

"Very well," Sere said. "I will be back before too long." Sere left to get Veris; he would eventually mount the wyvern and leave the ship, as the rest of the group waited.
It didn't take long for him to find who he was looking for - in fact, the stranger was already at the rendezvous point. Sere gave Veris the order to land, and the wyvern did so several yards away from the hooded man. Veris lowered himself, allowing Sere to dismount.
"You seem oddly prepared for our arrival," Sere said. "I have my answer."
"I trust you do," the man said. "Will you be assisting us, then?"
"Yes, we will," Sere said. "I will first send a scouting force to identify what kind of threat we're up against... information I would appreciate you assisting us with."
"Oh, of course," the man said. "I don't know how to describe them... some are like giant insects, some are floating blobs with eyes, some are more lithe and shoot spines at you... nothing anyone has ever seen before."
That piqued Sere's curiosity. "So, three different kinds... do you encounter them separately or all cooperating?"
"They all fight together," the man said. "The three, they fight as if they were all the same species working together. It's... it's odd. I doubt you have encountered anything like it."
The man was right - despite the Guardians' massive repertoire of knowledge on various creatures, the ones described just now didn't seem like anything he had heard of before. "And... would you happen to know how many there are?" Sere asked.
"A few dozen, I'd take it," the man said. "The mines are not spacious, however - there will only be so many who can reasonably fight at once. While this does somewhat limit how large a force you could reasonably take, it should ideally render encounters with these monsters somewhat easier."
"...thank you," Sere said. "Where is this mine?" Without saying a word, the man handed Sere a map - similar to ones they already had, except one location in particular was highlighted.
"That's at the start of the supposed danger zone of Falcon's Beak," Sere said. "How are you managing these operations?"
"We have sturdy ships and good navigators," the man said. "It is only the edge, There will not be much to fear."
Despite his suspicions, Sere didn't see any better answer, at least not at that moment. "We'll have our ship moving soon," Sere said. "Will you be coming with us?"
"I will travel back the way I came here," the man said. Sere figured that he wasn't going to get any more specific answer from the man; with a hand signal, he had Veris lower himself to allow him to mount.

Angora saw Sere on Veris, departing away, and she assumed it was to meet the strange man and assist him in the mine. If they were leaving without her, it meant that she wasn't going to help, which was sort of a relief to her. Perhaps the hexphage was the cause. Still, it seems like Maverick wasn't with them, so that was a greater relief. Her suspiscions were confirmed when he came to the main deck with Ilasi.
"Oh hey Angorita. Haven't seen you in a while. Listen, if you want, I can cook you something later. I'm going for a little swim right now." Maverick commented,mint asking her for permission, but still liking to tell Angora his whereabouts when he had the chance.
"Have fun then. Some pigeon with green grapes would be nice." she said in a rather neutral tone, wishing him good luck and letting him know what she craved. His cooking was always welcomed. She was glad that Maverick finally managed to befriend Ilasi, but she was still rather cautious around the mermaid, not wanting her to hurt his feelings again with selfish comments like the one from that night.

Maverick left with Ilasi, but not before expressing some concern for the troll once they were out of ear reach.
"I'm really worried about her. She's not... the same as before. She's... sad. How I wish el capitán and señor Latnok could be nicer to her. She is so afraid of them now. She was rude to them before. That much is true. But... she was never violent or vengeful to them. Just because someone talks harsh to you is no cause to be so extremely cruel to them... is it?" Maverick expressed, adding that last part with some doubt. Leoquin has been very rude to him, but he has never tried to be cruel or insult him back, so why were the Guardians so prone to treat those they don't like or are rude to them with fear? Did their pride knew no boundaries?

As Sere left-- Raclaw and the other involved crew members remained on deck, awaiting the Godfather return and allowing them to begin the task at hand. As the fur dragon briefly scanned the deck; he wondered what the others would think once they learned of his decision. Although he would still retain his status as a 'free dragon' as confirmed by Latnok's own words (and having previously defended the stance)-- such a status would only be harder and harder to justify to those not directly within the Guardian organization. According to the collar, he was now 'owned' by Latnok. And according to Aelinon Law, he would still be considered the 'flying pet' of Godfather Sere. He and Latnok had considered each other to be best friends-- but that could (and would) be quickly interpreted as that of pet/master, pet/owner, companion/partner, mount/rider, or any number of terms that described a 'owner/owned' relationship between the two. It would make little difference. Certain crew members, such as Leoquin, certainly already saw him as a pet -- and they made no attempts at hiding their bond. After all, he had voluntarily and happily placed himself in such an situation. Sere, at least, would find out in due time.

"I would think so..." Ilasi replied to Maverick. "Respect for authority and superiors seems to be very important to the Guardians, though. It's... a culture I'm familiar with. Anywhere you se any sort of military presence in Aelinon, it's similar - if you disrespect a superior, someone you work for, you won't have a good time... but speaking of which, we should start heading out, don't you agree?" As Ilasi spoke, she made her way towards the gangplank - unlike Leoquin, she preferred to wade into the water, especially on account of having a human to take with her. Perhaps a nice, fun experience would help take Maverick's mind off of some of the more stressful aspects of his life on the ship.

As Ilasi and Maverick were moving, Sere and Veris approached the ship, with Veris soon landing. In typical fashion, he lowered himself to allow Sere to dismount him - then looked at his rider expectantly.
Sere, obliging, reached into the pack he had on Veris' side, pulling out a large piece of meat from some giant bird creature. He tossed the food into the air, and Veris eagerly lunged his head at the meat, grabbing it in his mouth and devouring it voraciously soon afterwards.
Sere walked over to the others in wait for him, to give them a status report. "We have our destination," he said. "An island at the edge of the danger zone of Falcon's Beak. We'll wait a day before moving out; allow repairs to conclude, and a bit of a rest, though we can't rest as long as I'd like us to on account of the situation." Sere, though he didn't say anything, waited for an answer from the others, to have their thoughts on the matter. Latnok declined to give any such answer, figuring that he wasn't in a position to offer his opinion or advice. Come whatever may, he would do his job.

Quote:

"We have our destination," he said. "An island at the edge of the danger zone of Falcon's Beak. We'll wait a day before moving out; allow repairs to conclude, and a bit of a rest, though we can't rest as long as I'd like us to on account of the situation." Sere, though he didn't say anything, waited for an answer from the others, to have their thoughts on the matter. Latnok declined to give any such answer, figuring that he wasn't in a position to offer his opinion or advice. Come whatever may, he would do his job.

"The danger zone-- we were going to have to head there anyway and now we'll simply do so ahead of schedule. We.. we can't risk Shade going off and it sounds like we don't have much of a choice.," Raclaw said knowing that Shade's power surges more often than not affected himself as well. And now he and Latnok were even more connected. "The fur dragon is right, captain. There is only one alternative and this-- this is his only chance.," Risar added agreeing with Raclaw. "I agree with the others.," Chester barked audible to Latnok and Raclaw.

Angora watched with a smile, and even a little envy how Veris ate his meal. He hasn't changed at all. Despite being under Guardian control, he was treated so well. And she was nothing but an ugly little troll who didn't deserve any kind treatment in their eyes. That's why she lived Shade and Maverick so much. They were lractically the first beings in her life who tolerated her antics and never judged her for being a troll with a condition no less.

But there would be time to think about that. For now, she had listened to Sere's report from her spot, and got very concerned. A day? With Shade being like that? They couldn't keep postponing that, but Angora didn't dare to suggest anything to Sere. Couldn't they arrive on foot or flying? And take Shade's offer? Worried about the delay, Angora returned to her hiding spot and started to talk telepathically, not caring if it was going to hurt.
"Sir? I know you're there. Help with ship repairs so Sere can help you." Angora communicated in the same fashion as before as the migraine intensified, strained with the growing hexphage and keeping her message as brief as she could. If it was anything like last time, the stranger would've received her telepathy. They couldn't possibly wait for an entire day. Shade could be worse by then, and if there were monsters in those mines, it could further delay the metal gathering. Every second was precious to her...

Quote: A Guy

"I would think so..." Ilasi replied to Maverick. "Respect for authority and superiors seems to be very important to the Guardians, though. It's... a culture I'm familiar with. Anywhere you se any sort of military presence in Aelinon, it's similar - if you disrespect a superior, someone you work for, you won't have a good time... but speaking of which, we should start heading out, don't you agree?" As Ilasi spoke, she made her way towards the gangplank - unlike Leoquin, she preferred to wade into the water, especially on account of having a human to take with her. Perhaps a nice, fun experience would help take Maverick's mind off of some of the more stressful aspects of his life on the ship.

"Sure. Right behind you..." Maverick said to Ilasi, letting her lead the way.

But as he walked behind her, he couldn't let go of the previous subject.
"My apologies for expressing myself this way Ilasi, but if you ask me, I think it's excessive pride. You can't possibly shush everyone's opinions all the time. The Guardians are so powerful they think they have the right to be mean to anyone they think isn't showing them an ounce of respect. That's power abuse. I think that's... wrong." Maverick said in a rather low voice before continuing, not sure how Ilasi would react to his opinion but wanting her to know nonetheless.
"And not only that, even after Angorita tried to be nice to them and bury the past, they still treated her the same way... no, even worse. When she told me about what señor Raclaw did, about letting señor Latnok see how she truly felt about him, it just broke my heart. I only hope that he... can finally grow a heart for once and realize just how much harm he did to her. I don't think he or the capitán are bad people, but they really have to learn about feelings." he concluded, showing just how different he was from Sere and Latnok. While they were more about control and tactics, Maverick was more about emotions. From experience, he knew how feelings could affect your life, which is why emotions were so important to him, and the reason why he had wanted to help someone like Angora, who despite the horrid past and racist suffering, she was still a good creature, and trying to be even better.

"The area... from my understanding, it may not be the most spacious place for you," Sere informed Shade. "We will see how far you can come along, however." SAt the very least, bringing Shade along would allow Sere and Latnok to keep an eye on him. "As for the rest of you, complete what you need to today. We set out tomorrow."

"I understand where you're coming from, Maverick..." Ilasi said. "But... we're on their boat. W need to abide by their rules while we're there. A ouse owner might not just let you get away with insulting them - I don't quite know the history between you guys, but there seems to be a bit of friction. I fear it won't end until neither side feels that the other is being hostile to them or plotting against them. There are trust issues - I've seen both sides of it so far. SOmething has to change."

Back with Angora, the mark on her hand began to glow, as the stranger - or whoever was speaking on his behalf, or possibly who he was speaking on behalf of - answered Angora's request. "There will be enough time," the stranger assured her. "We have every intention to fulfill ouru end of the deal. Once we do, you will fulfill your end when we see fit. Have faith." The mark still glowed faintly, as whoever was on the other end of the message waited for a response.

Angora noticed a slight difference in the stranger's voice,mbut she couldn't tell if it was the same one that has been contacting her or perhaps one of his associates. Likewise, she replied.
"But it's... little time... Faith?" she said with too much strain. And that was it. She couldn't reply anymore. The headache was becoming too unbearable. She could still talk through telepathy if she wanted, but not without being accompanied by the excruciating pain. She wanted to have faith on the stranger's advice, but it was just so hard. And even if it paid off, the ordeal wouldn't be over. She would still have to fulfill her end of the deal and do whatever they wanted. She looked at the glowing symbol with fear, knowing that meant she was owned like cattle. It still terrified her not to know what they were planning with her, but chances were she was going to be imprisoned until they were done with her, a thought that depressed her knowing how many different times she had been a prisoner, mostly because of the bad circumstances she always went through...

Quote: A Guy

"I understand where you're coming from, Maverick..." Ilasi said. "But... we're on their boat. W need to abide by their rules while we're there. A ouse owner might not just let you get away with insulting them - I don't quite know the history between you guys, but there seems to be a bit of friction. I fear it won't end until neither side feels that the other is being hostile to them or plotting against them. There are trust issues - I've seen both sides of it so far. SOmething has to change."

Maverick could only shook his head slowly, trying very hard not to let the issue get to him, but he was simply too frustrated about the matter.
"I know it's their rules and everything. But it's just... so unfair Ilasi. You know? I spent what looked like an eternity trying to please my father and listening to everything he said. Now I finally have the chance to be good and do things right. Help others, but because Angora and I have had to cross path with them too many times and they can't take a few opinions, they believe they have the right to treat us however they want, even after the two of us, Angora especially, are trying very hard to be nice and helpful to them. But even with that, they still don't want to give us a chance. It's all just... so unfair..." Maverick complained, almost sounding like a little kid objecting to what he thought were unjust rules. Something had to change alright, and Maverick firmly believed it was the Guardians. Perhaps now that Latnok knows the entire truth about Angora's feelings, he could be the key to that change...

It was a nice thought, one that Maverick wanted to believe in. The Guardians had been too harsh on them already, even after all Angora has done. She defeated Darkmatter and helped a great deal with the White Shadow. What's more, Orion the Galaxy Dragon himself acknowledged her bravery and heart, so it escaped Maverick why Sere and Latnok continued to be so mean to her, even after her obvious change, or at least changing attempts. The hybrid continued following Ilasi, hoping that whatever the mermaid was planning with him distracted him from these stressful thoughts.

Quote: A Guy

"The area... from my understanding, it may not be the most spacious place for you," Sere informed Shade. "We will see how far you can come along, however." SAt the very least, bringing Shade along would allow Sere and Latnok to keep an eye on him. "As for the rest of you, complete what you need to today. We set out tomorrow."

Raclaw nodded and looked towards towards Sere, briefly pondering something. "Godfather Sere--.," he began to telecommunicate with the Guardian Head. "There is something you should know, just in case it affects anything. Latnok and I have formed a new bond... and more are closely connected now. I have voluntarily allowed Latnok to claim my collar, so that we may further help each other. And so that he can act on my behalf in case Damon acts up.," he then said via his telepathy and doing his due diligence in keeping Sere informed. It was possible that Shade's power surges may now more closely affect both of them. And that was worth the warning.

Sere raised an eyebrow. "New bond, you say? Interesting," he said. "Well, I can't say that was what I was expecting after recent events - but now is probably as good a time as ever. It would seem that this would be the perfect opportunity to test out your new capabilities."
Latnok gave a small smile in anticipation. Despite all he had been through, his love for a good fight, the adrenaline rush which came with it, still remained.

Maverick's bad mood rubbed off ever so slightly on Ilasi, who gave a frown. "There doesn't seem to be much we can do about it at he moment," she said, discouraged. "Maybe they'll open up more once there's no trace of the old Angora left. I don't know when that will happen... I could always ask, if you really want me to." Regardless of the Guardians' opinions of Angora, they wouldn't have anything against her for simply asking them what they thought about her... at least she hoped.

Maverick could sense immediately he was making Ilasi very uncomfortable, so he finally decided to desist the subject.
"No no, that's quite alright. Lo siento for being like this. I guess my past life left me a little bitter. Let's just... go ahead and have fun for now. I'm sure time will solve everything." Maverick said with a forced smile and a blush, looking quite ridiculous. He knew Ilasi didn't like to talk too much about Angora, but he was likewise glad that she still listened and that he had been able to vent with her a little.

With Angora unable to reply more, she assumed the stranger was done with her, so she came out of her hiding place and went to Shade. Despite his new struggle and the potential danger, Angora still climbed him and started to give him a massage, wanting to calm him down as much as possible before he went away to the mines.
"That's better, right? I heard you're going to that mine. I'm sure you'll be able to help a lot. In the meantime, can I get you anything? Some food? Water? I can groom your scales or brush your teeth." Angora offered, wanting to keep Shade happy, but at the same time distract herself from the awful thoughts about what will happen over these next days...

Quote: A Guy

Sere raised an eyebrow. "New bond, you say? Interesting," he said. "Well, I can't say that was what I was expecting after recent events - but now is probably as good a time as ever. It would seem that this would be the perfect opportunity to test out your new capabilities."
Latnok gave a small smile in anticipation. Despite all he had been through, his love for a good fight, the adrenaline rush which came with it, still remained.

Raclaw gave a slight smile in return, eager to test out their now shared abilities. "It was the right time. What we have-- is unique and this shows that nothing will stand between us. Despite what Damon may feel is or isn't right for me.," he then said almost hugging the beloved Guardian with his tail. Above all else, he wanted to show Damon that choosing Latnok was of his own free will. The collar entity had tried to separate them and in the process.. had only served to bring them closer. He had gone as far as willingly being 'claimed' by the Guardian, something that he hadn't been in some time. Risar gave a smile, pleased to see that the two were seemingly on better terms. Chester was just happy to see his two most favorite 'people' together again.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Can we just talk? I want to take my mind off of all this.” Shade said.

"Um, sure. Okay. What do you want to talk about?" Angora said, having expected something a little more distracting than that, but talking could take your mind off things too.

Angora was rather upset for being asked to call on a subject when Shade was the one who wanted to talk in the first place. She wasn't good with random conversations, and since neither her past nor Shade's were all too pleasant, she decided to come up with something else.
"So then... Veris... he's a wyvern. What a weird animal. I always thought they breathed fire like normal dragons, but that doesn't seem to be the case at all. It's just claws and teeths, not that it's less dangerous. I wish he had better table manners though. Eating as if somebody would dare steal his meal. At least you don't leave traces and have the decency to cook before consumption. But have you ever eaten raw meat before?" Angora said, suddenly curious about the manner, but a little angry that she couldn't come up with a better subject.

Angora listened with interest, not even knowing there was such variety in dragon breath. She did recalled Blue being some sort of water dragon, but he materialized his body into water rather than breathing it. There was of course Orion and White Shadow, but they were deities, so that sort of didn't count. Raclaw had power too, but she figured it was from his little toy.

"Huh. So many elements. But I guess fire is the most common one given that's how they are usually displayed. With so much power, no wonder dragons have such reputation. But of course, I know now it's a very unfair one." Angora expressed, trying to give Shade a compliment. Despite dragons being a little more common than in the past, she had never encountered one in her nomadic life until climbing that mountain where Orion resided. Now lately for some strange reason, she seemed to be well liked by them, Orion has a high opinion of her and Shade became very loyal and protective. Even Veris has been willing to spend time with her, which was even more amazing considering who his master was.

Ilasi was relieved that Maverick chose not to pursue the subject matter any further. "Okay - let's have some fun, then!" she said with a small smile. As the waves came in, she began to wade into the water slowly and gently. It didn't take long for the transformation to begin.

Latnok fully understood what Raclaw meant by his comment - the whole mess they got into between each other was due to Damon taking action against Raclaw's wishes. Even if keeping Raclaw alive was in Damon's best interests, he could be prone to taking action without considering anyone else's thoughts on the matter. With his additional responsibility as a result of their new bond, Latnok would have to work to keep Damon - or rather, Damon's actions - under control in those moments.
"I've got your back," he assured Raclaw. "As for these creatures - we can do some more testing of our shared awareness of the present and future. Hmm, we should give it some sort of name..."

"Hmm--," Raclaw thought out loud thinking of a name. "Your Guardian ability is called Foresight, right? So how about just... the Sight?," he then suggested looking up at the reassuring Latnok with somewhat of a playful smirk. Their new combined ability was so much more than just 'future' or 'present' sight. With their resources effectively and permanently combined -- they could change the battlefield. And even more if Damon was cooperative.