darkSpyro

"Yes. I'm aware of dragon lifespan. Not sure if I would want to live so long though. Trolls don't live even half of that. We do overpass humans, but it's still too little. Five hundred I think if we take care of ourselves. Not sure if a troll has reached a thousand though. I'm just twenty two and it has felt like an eternity." Angora commented, not liking the idea of living so long. If Shade managed to live through this, he was going to outlive Maverick and her. It was a sad thought, but she wasn't going to dwell on that and just live the moment and keep battling through life's harsh trials.

Quote: A Guy

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.

Maverick looked with glittering eyes, never stopping the fascination of seeing Ilasi's legs transform into an elegant, glowing tail. Such a useful feature. The only interesting thing about him was the extra hair.
"Now I wish I could've been born part merman. So cool that you can navigate both land and sea and breathe in both of them. So convenient!" he said with a hint of jealousy, not disappointed about his unique heritage but wishing he could've had more useful features.

"The Sight - a bit simple, but elegant. I like it," Latnok said. "Regardless of whatever surprise these creatures have for us when we enter the mines, we should be prepared. Hell, their hide or carapace may even come in handy."
"At the very least, we will have yet another creature to document," Sere said. "Maybe the life orb will give us more knowledge on them." There hadn't been too many opportunities to use the device as of yet - but Sere strongly believed that such an artifact would prove to be invaluable, especially in regards to the unknown. If there was one thing which improved the odds of survival, it was being prepared - and being forewarned was being forearmed.

"Well," Ilasi said, "it does have its disadvantages. Such as transforming whenever it rains... some cities like Redwater are made to accommodate us better, but other places aren't quite as hospitable. It makes journeys deep inland somewhat troubling." Ilasi then gave a beckoning motion, as she waited for Maverick to join her in the water. "Well, come on in! I have to get the spell ready on you!"

"So getting wet is all you need. Huh." Maverick commented casually, as he went into the water. He was a really good swimmer, given one of the priorities of being a pirate was to know how to swim in case the ship sunk or you went overboard. His hair quickly got very wet, the texture being very absorbing, almost like a sponge. He waited for Ilasi to do the spell on him so they could keep going. He wasn't as worried as yesterday with the experiment since Ilasi has done this before, but this time, they were going to get further into sea, so he couldn't help being a little nervous and exiting at the same time.

With Maverick in the water, Ilasi submerged herself. Swimming under Maverick, she began to cast the same spell as before; the water around Maverick slowly appeared to sink, until he was below the surface, at which point he was contained in an air bubble. "Okay, there we go," Ilasi said - she was more confident in the spell doing what she intended to this time, on account of having used it before in the same scenario.
"You can move it exactly how you moved it before. Of course, I'll be here to give you a bit of a nudge where you need it. Anyway, where do you want to go?" Ilasi asked. The water below the surface wasn't an unfamiliar environment for Ilasi; Maverick, however, wouldn't have spent as much time there, and would probably be more curious about certain things, so Ilasi was willing to let him lead.

"Anywhere with no monsters." Maverick answered, though eith his goofy smile, it was clear he was only teasing her. He began to swim in the same fashion as before, though not as silly as the last time. He was experimenting with different body movements until finding the most comfortable, and began to move. There wasn't much to see asides a few small fish, plus seashells and anemones, all interesting things that he has seen in books but never this close. Interesting, but not particularly exiting, some decided to take a change and went further into open water. He always imagined the deeps as a dark blue, but they look more black. It was an exiting as it was scary what could lie in that dark horizon, and everything he must've missed from the ocean by simply looking above the surface...

Quote: A Guy

"The Sight - a bit simple, but elegant. I like it," Latnok said. "Regardless of whatever surprise these creatures have for us when we enter the mines, we should be prepared. Hell, their hide or carapace may even come in handy."
"At the very least, we will have yet another creature to document," Sere said. "Maybe the life orb will give us more knowledge on them." There hadn't been too many opportunities to use the device as of yet - but Sere strongly believed that such an artifact would prove to be invaluable, especially in regards to the unknown. If there was one thing which improved the odds of survival, it was being prepared - and being forewarned was being forearmed.

"Either way-- it should be an interesting trip and if gets us what we need for Shade.," Raclaw said thinking of the Dragolet. "Latnok, you should be warned. Shade and I are more connected than you may think. We were the first bond; before us and even before the collars. Now that our thoughts, emotions, and abilities are more closely linked with each other-- you may experience more of what I experience with my powers. With our powers.," he paused. Now that Latnok had claimed him, he and the Guardian would be less of individuals-- and more an shared entity.

"Ever since I formed the first permanent connection with Shade-- we have experienced each other's feelings, emotional outbursts, power surges, and.. and I've even drawn upon his power once or twice. Once the Blood Moon comes, it is possible that both of us may be affected as well. It may not even happen, but I cannot entirely discount the possibility.," the fur dragon then said looking at both Latnok and Sere. It was no secret that previous outbursts had affected him to an extent-- and that some of his more powerful moments had knocked the Dragolet into unconsciousness on at least a few occasions. Chester placed a paw over one of his, as if to reassure him. Damon, among everything that had happened, had remained eerily quiet other than the initial mind probes.

As Ilasi and Maverick moved lower into the sea, it would become harder to see - more so for Maverick than Ilasi. There was a solution now, however - the bioluminescence spell that Ilasi had cast the other day.
As the two delved deeper into the sea, Ilasi decided to cast the spell again - this time, on herself. After performing the motions, she began to emit a vibrant glow, illuminating the area around her enough to allow the two to see the area better. "Well... that seems to be working fine. Let's keep going!" she said.

"I've already felt some things," Latnok said. "I seem to have become better at resisting any outside influence on my mind, however. Again, I don't quite know how... but I'm not going to complain." Though Latnok had begun to experience some different emotions previously, he was now deliberately suppressing such things - he could not afford to become compromised again, even after making peace with Raclaw.

"That was something I've been meaning to ask you more about...," Raclaw started to say getting an idea on how Latnok's mysterious new skill set could help him. "After I had initially allowed you to claim me-- your senses had began to instinctively block me. That was something I had only experienced twice before and only after we started getting closer to the danger zone. The first time was with the White Shadow, the sea creature we fought while you were gone. The second time.. the second time was on the marsh island. I kept detecting this presence and never could contact whatever or whoever it was. Godfather Sere told me it was nothing, but now I'm not sure. Suddenly-- the things we're facing are starting to resist my abilities and I've began to realize that I have no experience dealing with such matters. I've never dealt with a block before and blocking anything myself has only pained me greatly. Latnok, do you think you could train me? Teach me to get past these blocks and if need be-- to block such things myself?," the fur dragon than asked looking at the beloved Guardian. As great as he was with forming new connections, breaking such things off or blocking such things-- was not his expertise. At least not yet.

"Hmm... perhaps I can," Latnok said. "Again, I don't fully know the mechanism for me blocking off telepathy and the like, but we can give it a few tries, see what works and what doesn't. That sound good to you?" This wouldn't only be beneficial for Raclaw - it would also allow Latnok to practice ways to protect against attempts to circumvent his defenses. Little did he know that he already had some training in such matters...

Meanwhile on the deck, Leoquin, not having any particular task to do, decided to pay Risar a visit again. "Hey there," Leoquin said to Risar. "Heard the captain wants to move out tomorrow. Thought it'd be today, but I can see why he's going to wait a day. So... how's the promotion going?" Leoquin knew that, in some circles, it was bad form for such casual relationships to exist between him and who would now be his superior - however, he hoped that such a thing would not be an issue in this environment.

Quote: A Guy

As Ilasi and Maverick moved lower into the sea, it would become harder to see - more so for Maverick than Ilasi. There was a solution now, however - the bioluminescence spell that Ilasi had cast the other day.
As the two delved deeper into the sea, Ilasi decided to cast the spell again - this time, on herself. After performing the motions, she began to emit a vibrant glow, illuminating the area around her enough to allow the two to see the area better. "Well... that seems to be working fine. Let's keep going!" she said.

Maverick looked with pride how Ilasi successfully managed to cast yesterday's spell on herself. Not only did she remembered it, she has been completely successful.
"See Ilasi? You did it! I told you I was the one with the issue. Just look at you. You're now the light of my life." Maverick joked, in the mood to be silly. He knew Ilasi had felt bad for not casting the whole spell when she did it on him, but her managing to cast it completely at last made him further suspect that it was his hybrid status that had prevented him from glowing completely as he should have.

As he swam besides Ilasi, he began to feel a little more nervous, knowing from the books he reads that some creatures, particularly insects and maritime fauna, were attracted to light, although he could remember which ones. Still, he didn't express his concern and pressed on, hoping to see something fascinating but harmless...

Quote: A Guy

"Hmm... perhaps I can," Latnok said. "Again, I don't fully know the mechanism for me blocking off telepathy and the like, but we can give it a few tries, see what works and what doesn't. That sound good to you?" This wouldn't only be beneficial for Raclaw - it would also allow Latnok to practice ways to protect against attempts to circumvent his defenses. Little did he know that he already had some training in such matters...

Meanwhile on the deck, Leoquin, not having any particular task to do, decided to pay Risar a visit again. "Hey there," Leoquin said to Risar. "Heard the captain wants to move out tomorrow. Thought it'd be today, but I can see why he's going to wait a day. So... how's the promotion going?" Leoquin knew that, in some circles, it was bad form for such casual relationships to exist between him and who would now be his superior - however, he hoped that such a thing would not be an issue in this environment.

"It.. it does. Thank-you.," Raclaw said sitting near Latnok and instinctively slowly waving his tail. It was a natural reaction perhaps more kin to some kind of large cat-- a blend of dragon and dog behavior fused into one of many unique quirks on his part. Despite the strange circumstances regarding Latnok's brief disappearance and despite what Damon had put them through; he was happy that they were now closer than ever before. And whereas some dragons might find the feeling of constantly being connected to another individual via a bond that could be only be broken by said individual less than appealing-- Raclaw was no such dragon. This was Latnok, his best friend and human companion. As they traveled into parts unknown.. this new bond almost felt like some sort of security blanket. Shade had his toys and while he himself was fond of Chester's ball; it was his mental connections that ultimately brought him comfort. Chester had began to lay down next to the fur dragon, although his tail couldn't quite resist copying that of Raclaw's.

Risar, seeing Leoquin, gave the merman a nod as he approached. "The promotion pleases Risar. More duty, more responsibility, more.. sense of self.," the large minotaur said briefly staring out onto what looked like an happy now collar-claimed Raclaw. "The captain wishes to give the crew a day of rest before we head out. We will soon enter the danger zone as we approach closer to Falcon's Beak.," he then said giving Leoquin a brief debriefing on what had been discussed. He and Raclaw were at a stark contrast-- he was only further proving his independence, while Raclaw was going full circle. A small part of him was still conflicted and had missed such precious interactions with one's human master. Raclaw was technically a free dragon, but it still reminded him of such times. He quickly turned his attention back towards Leoquin, anticipating some kind of response.

Ilasi, in predictable fashion, blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, I, uh... I'm happy it worked out," she said, feeling rather flattered. Maverick sure did know how to please her.
As the two moved on, they moved deeper and deeper into the sea. "You know, I'm not quite sure what the captain would think of us going this deep..." Ilasi said, nervously - her tone soon changed, however. "This will be our little secret, then, won't it?" she said slyly. As she spoke, a school of colorful fish approached the two - the swam around Ilasi briefly before leaving hurriedly, seemingly surprised by what she was.

"Well, let me know when you want to get started, then," Latnok said. "I'll be practicing in the meantime - on land, I think, I might go a bit hard." Though Latnok did appreciate a respite every now and then, he never felt at ease going for too long without practicing. At this point, it wasn't just a matter of discipline - Latnok felt himself becoming less prepared the longer he went without appropriate practice.

Leoquin gave a small smile, pleased that Risar was still willing to oblige him with conversation. "You know, coming on this ship so far, everything has been exactly as I expected," Leoquin said. "I've actually been training in various seamanship skills for this sort of trip for awhile - it's one thing to be able to swim, like a typical merman, but it's another thing to actually be useful to people on a ship. The combination was what I was looking for - it'd give me an edge while looking for a job, for sure. Also, swimming for very long distances isn't exactly the most practical thing in the world - doable, but not as easily as you can do such a thing on a ship. Kinda like how many of us on land are better off riding a horse than taking a hike for long journeys."

"I'll go with you then. I would like to get started as soon as possible and if there is anything I can do to help your training-- just let me know.," Raclaw said with a smile prepared to follow the beloved Guardian. Although the two had made up, it didn't escape his observations that Latnok had been suppressing some of his would be emotions. Latnok had all but opened up, before Damon had to go and get involved. 'One thing at a time.,' he thought to himself.

"Risar has never rode a horse. My old master preferred the carriage and ships-- depending on where he wished to travel to at any particular moment. And we minotaurs were trained to endure long marches. It prepares you for a life of servitude and serves to make you suitable for any required purpose... be it manual labor, mine work, caravan guards, and any number of numerous hardships. Risar served other needs, but enduring the training nonetheless. Just in case master needed to resell him you see or.. or if something happened to master. Did you know that I originally belonged to another house before coming to and eventually leaving master? My brothers and I-- were all that survived the flames. An entire house. Gone.," the large minotaur responded evidently being reminded of his own past. As he spoke, he briefly placed a hand on one of his back shoulders-- as if being reminded of something. It was something he had done priority while aboard the Guardian ship and it always appeared to be the same shoulder.

As Angora continued massaging and talking with Shade, from his shoulders, she started to look at Raclaw and Latnok. They... they seemed to have reconciled? It made her feel a little bit of envy how close Raclaw has become to he young Guardian, and how he had managed to make him treat him so well. Despite Latnok now knowing how she truly felt about him, she doubted it would make any difference. She still firmly believed Latnok was waiting for the perfect opportunity to abuse her again, and now more than ever since she believed that had been his objective all along. Not wanting to incite him to come, she stopped staring at the duo and continued massaging Shade, looking very spaced out, almost as if she was preparing her mind for something...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi, in predictable fashion, blushed at the compliment. "Thanks, I, uh... I'm happy it worked out," she said, feeling rather flattered. Maverick sure did know how to please her.
As the two moved on, they moved deeper and deeper into the sea. "You know, I'm not quite sure what the captain would think of us going this deep..." Ilasi said, nervously - her tone soon changed, however. "This will be our little secret, then, won't it?" she said slyly. As she spoke, a school of colorful fish approached the two - the swam around Ilasi briefly before leaving hurriedly, seemingly surprised by what she was.

"El capitán doesn't need to know. Besides, we've earned this time off. We've done plenty already." Maverick assured her, finding it cute how much her concern was. Doing this little misadventure without the Godfather knowing, it almost made it look like Ilasi was quite the mischievous girl. As he contemplated her and the funny school fish around her, whom just left, he continued seeing the scary ocean,malt nought nothing was as interesting as the glowing Ilasi at that moment. The sound of the water around him was so calming. He couldn't help but to feel very grateful for how much their relationship has improved. While his crush on Ilasi wasn't completely diminished, it wasn't as deep or awkward as before, and even though he didn't expect the next step, a simple friendship for him was more than enough by this point.

Angora almost didn't answer, having been too deep in thought to think of anything else. She then replied to Shade.
"Huh? Oh, sorry. Kinda dozed off there. Hmm... let's see..." Angora said pondering, rather pleased with most of the knowledge he has already given her and already knowing there was a variety in both elements and physical appearance. Both Shade and Raclaw were dragons, and they couldn't be more different.

"I... don't want to sound too impertinent with this question, but is it true that some dragons hoard treasures and burn villages? I know it's a cruel stereotype, but such idea must've come from somewhere..." Angora asked rather meekly, willing to take advantage of Shade's informative mood to know as much as she could about dragons. She has been lucky so far, but she wanted to prepare for the future in case she had a bad luck of encountering a not so friendly one. Shade was a space dragon and he most likely didn't have any humanoids around his homeworld, but since he did have his age and probably has lived on Earth for a while, he must know a little something.

Angora wasn't certain if Shade meant both or mostly the hoarding treasure part.
"So... sort of like a crow with shinies. I see. But what about burning villages?" she asked again, not knowing how much true was that. There could be some truth in it, but maybe a combination of increased human power and dragon's reduced numbers have prevented that from happening again... IF it has ever happened before.

With Ilasi and Maverick moving deeper into the sea, one thing in particular caught Ilasi's attention - a shipwreck. Not feeling particularly wary, Ilasi began to rush on over, beckoning Maverick to follow.
Eventually, the two would reach the site. What exactly destroyed the ship was unclear; the wood seemed to have been broken in several places. There were a few skeletons scattered here and there - they were evidently there for a long time, however, having had all of their flesh picked off by various sea organisms. What really interested Ilasi, however, was what they could potentially find inside. "Well, it's time for a little treasure hunting!" she said enthusiastically.

Latnok made his way off the gangplank, onto the beachhead. With Raclaw following, he began to practice a few spear thrusts - enhancing his strikes with force magic. The spear was seemingly more in tune with any magic Latnok used, amplifying the effectiveness of his force magic, much to his surprise and pleasure. It felt more like an extension of his body than a weapon.
"Well," Latnok said to Raclaw, "give it a try. We'll see how well you progress while I'm distracted - then we'll up the challenge from there."

"I'm sorry, that sounds... awful," Leoquin said sympathetically. Having used fire himself to devastating effect recently, he was all too familiar with the horrors they could inflict. It was one thing to witness its effects on criminals; but seeing everyone and everything you know and care for, devoured by flames, seemed truly nightmarish.
"I haven't lost my whole family like that... but I had a brother. We were playing one day, swimming around - we'd recently moved. We were exploring the water a bit, being rather curious, wanting to learn more about the area - but then, he got caught in a current. As young as we were, he didn't have the strength to fight back against it. It carried him... somewhere. I don't know. We never found him; and we didn't have the faintest idea where to look. Considering where the current lead - somewhere deep below in the ocean - it'd be like, uh, what's the expression... finding a needle in a haystack." Leoquin found it hard to keep eye contact with Risar as he spoke; he looked away, a twinge of guilt evident on his face.

Quote: A Guy

With Ilasi and Maverick moving deeper into the sea, one thing in particular caught Ilasi's attention - a shipwreck. Not feeling particularly wary, Ilasi began to rush on over, beckoning Maverick to follow.
Eventually, the two would reach the site. What exactly destroyed the ship was unclear; the wood seemed to have been broken in several places. There were a few skeletons scattered here and there - they were evidently there for a long time, however, having had all of their flesh picked off by various sea organisms. What really interested Ilasi, however, was what they could potentially find inside. "Well, it's time for a little treasure hunting!" she said enthusiastically.

Maverick followed as instructed, staring at the shipwreck. He liked treasure hunting, but he would rather find stuff in nature than take advantage of the one's misfortune, especially knowing that his father's ship was in a similar state somewhere at the bottom of the ocean. Still, he left that way of thought to please Ilasi, and also because it wasn't like it was his fault this sinking and deaths. If they didn't salvage some treasure, chances were that somebody else in the future would.
"These poor people. Do you think... this was the White Shadow's doing?" he said as he examined the wreckage, believing the broken wood was similar to the damages the deity did. Maybe the skeletons belonged to some of the many missing islanders.

"The White Shadow? Quite possibly..." Ilasi said. "It would certainly be capable of such a thing. There are many other things that could've sunken the ship, however - like possibly crashing into something on the surface, or the wood fatiguing and giving out in one area or another for whatever reason. I certainly wouldn't know how to be sure of anything." Despite her comments, however, Ilasi found it hard to doubt the possibility of the White Shadow inflicting the damage, the other possibilities seemingly unlikely, short of blatant incompetence from the crew.
Moving further into the ship, there were various scattered objects strewn about, not unlike what you would usually see on a ship - the flotsam, however, was gone, on account of not being dense enough to sink.
As Ilasi turned back to keep track of Maverick, she couldn't help but notice a glimmer beneath his feet. "Wait, Maverick," she said, "stop. Do you see that thing below you?" Ilasi pointed to indicate what she was referring to - with a closer look, one would see a silver ring, with a sapphire embedded into it, just barely buried in the sand.

Maverick stood still in his swimming position, adopting a statue like posture that was almost comical. He then lowered his head to see what Ilasi was seeing.
"Good eye Ilasi. That's clearly a ring, and it seems like it's made from the real deal. I'm surprised it managed to avoid being buried in the sand." Maverick commented, having his own fair experience with jewelry, and being quite awed that such a treasure survived the merciless water sand. Maverick moved and went in to grab it, but he was afraid he would piece the bubble if he tried to extend his hand.
"You take it Ilasi. I don't want to mess up your spell. We have to think on how we'll carry what we find though. Should've brought my bag." Maverick commented regrettably, remembering he left his precious hyperspace bag on his cabin. It could be so useful right now. Perhaps his bubble or one of Iasi's spells could work as such?

"Oh, you don't have to worry about the bubble," Ilasi assured Maverick. "It'll hold - you'll just be in a dome instead of a sphere while you're on the floor." Ilasi had already started moving towards Maverick, however, so she decided to pick up the ring. Pushing a hand through, she dropped it in Maverick's bubble. "My spell should keep it floating at the bottom of the bubble. That'll work for at least the smaller things; not quite sure how the more bulky items will hold up... I wonder if we'll find anything else." Ilasi, having led Maverick around to the area of the ship, decided to defer to him in regards to their next move.

Maverick was amazed how the ring could float around it's bubble almost like a hyperspace bag worked. His idea of using the air inside like a container wasn't so farfetched after all.
"Well, what do you know? This is convenient." he commented with fascination as he entered the remains of the ship in search for more. Now that he knew he wouldn't pierce the bubble, he participated in the grabbing. The ship had many valuable things, like weapons, fine cutlery and jewels. He wondered if this ship could've been a merchant's ship, or maybe even a pirate one. He doubted royals would travel on a simple ship like this, even less toward a terrain as treacherous as this one, though he had his doubts when some of the treasures he found were two necklaces; one a rather large gold one with several emeralds and another one made of pearls, both worthy of being considered for monarchy.

"This ship has some very valuable stuff. I wonder what it was doing around here..." Maverick asked, still holding on to the theory that it was most likely a merchant ship that was arriving on the island before encountering trouble. Or maybe crew members who simply lost their way. He continued foraging around, letting Ilasi place her own findings inside the bubble while he gathered his own, among them bracelets, forks, spoons, chalices and weapons. They all floated around his air shield like electrons around a nucleus, except in a much slower, gentler pace.

As Maverick did his share of treasure hunting, Ilasi also grabbed a few things - some pieces of jewelry, but also more practical things, such as a mortar and pestle set and a few vials in one compartment. "As we know, the waters near here are pretty dangerous..." Ilasi said. "Perhaps they found treasure of some sort in the danger zone, but didn't manage to survive the trip back?"
After a while of treasure hunting, Maverick's bubble itself looked like the flotsam from a small shipwreck. "When we head back, you should probably go fetch your bag," Ilasi said. "Wouldn't want the others to wonder how we got so much stuff... then they'd want us to share!" Though, of course, Ilasi certainly understood sharing spoils of war, she felt that this was a bit different - just a personal adventure, done for amusement rather than for some mission.

"I agree. I was about to suggest that to you. Once we're done, we should leave the treasure hidden while I get my bag. Everybody is busy with the repairs anyway, so the distraction can help us." Maverick said, picking up more treasure, although he was feeling cramped with too many stuff hanging around. He was really having a great time. The only girl he ever spent time with was Angora, but Ilasi was a really nice company. But thinking of Angora, Maverick started to get worried about her again.

As he continued gathering treasure and having his thoughts, he then had an idea.
"Ilasi... after a while, or maybe one of these days, you can have a heart to heart with Angorita. You know, a girl talk. I always give my support to her as best as I could, but I'm afraid I'm not always successful. Perhaps speaking with someone like you can help her. And you can also get to know her better, you know, be friends." the hybrid suggested, really wanting Ilasi and Angora to bond, and eliminate whatever friction remained between them, and also have Angora talk to someone of the same gender.

"Well... I don't know if I'm quite the best person for the job," Ilasi said. "But that doesn't mean I can't give it a try. I don't know if there's anything she'd speak to me about that she wouldn't speak to you about, but we'll see what happens. Anyway, we should probably start heading back now." As Ilasi swam, her bioluminescence lead the way. Their adventure had proven to not only be fun, but fruitful as well - perhaps more like it could happen in the future...

Maverick wasn't certain if Ilasi replied that way to avoid the subject or if she didn't have any interest to get to know Angora, but just like Latnok, she knew how Angora truly felt from the beginning. It really broke his heart how misunderstood Angora was, and how she had to suffered so much abuse because of it, but maybe Ilasi, and even Raclaw, can change that.

For now, he settled to follow the glowing Ilasi back to shore with their bounty, feeling quite heavy.
"Want to head back later to see if we can find more?" he suddenly asked, imagining she wanted a change in subject. He really enjoyed this moment with Ilasi despite still thinking about Angora, and wouldn't mind another treasure hunt. He had been expecting to see some underwater fauna, but the trip was still nevertheless fun.

"Oh, I'd love to," Ilasi answered eagerly. "I had a blast today, didn't you? And no one else will know what happened..." There was something about keeping secrets that made Ilasi uneasy - however, there was also something somewhat enticing about it. Something of their own finding...
The two kept moving - as they came closer to the surface, more light began to filter through the water. Before long, the shore they departed from could be seen.

When Maverick reached the surface, the air bubble popped, which made some of the object float. He didn't want to bring them to shore.
"Say Ilasi, think you can guard these stuff underwater? I don't want to risk them being on the shore and spotted by one of the islanders, or even some of the crew member. It's better to keep them underwater." Maverick suggested, although before waiting for a reply, he headed to shore, already nervous enough about the prospect of sneaking these treasures without anyone other then them knowing. But unlike Ilasi, he wasn't uneasy with the prospect of not sharing. Maverick wasn't usually greedy, but this was his and Ilasi's treasure now. The crew members haven't been nice to him so he was in no mood to bring gifts to them or the Guardians, not to mention they already had plenty of stuff from the pirates they attacked. He would give Shade and Angora something later, though not today.

As he headed to the ship, he picked up a few seashells along the way, pretending his absence was due to that collection... just in case anyone even cared where he was in the first place. If anyone asked for Ilasi, he already knew what to say. He spotted Angora talking with Shade and massaging him, both looking very distracted. He decided not to disturb them and headed to his cabin,mocking his bag and thinking if he should bring Dahlia. He decided not to since the dirt buffalo most likely wasn't ready for an underwater adventure.

Once he returned to the main deck, he could see everybody was either busy with the repairs or some chores, or simply minding their own business while ignoring him. From afar, he spotted the rude Leoquin and gave a little frown,me till disliking the fact that the merman has been rude to him and Angora since day one, without even knowing them personally. But he decided to simply ignore him and head his way, wondering how Ilasi felt now that the two had a better relationship, or the fact that Angora didn't hate her as she originally thought...

While Maverick was getting his bag, Ilasi created another air bubble, bringing the acquired objects into the water. Their adventure had gone as well as Ilasi could've hoped - they found valuable things, and got to know each other better. Of course, there was still the matter of Angora...
What could be done about her? Ilasi doubted that she, by herself, would be able to change anyone's stance on her; and whatever the experience the Guardians had with her in the past, it seemed to have permanently tainted their view of her.First things first - they had to help Angora feel at home (as much as they could, anyway) to improve her mood. Perhaps, once she felt better about her situation on the ship, her positive mood would be seen by others, and they would be less inclined to keep their thoughts of her negativity.
Maverick also wanted to go on another trip. This was undoubtedly a major boon for Ilasi's confidence - not only did he want to have more fun with her, it also showed that he trusted her enough to have her take him deep into the sea. Perhaps there was something she could do to make the next adventure special...

Maverick left the ship through the gangplank with his trademark bag, catching the attention of just one sailor working on the repairs. The man didn't care what he did, although he was rather angry at him for leaving and not helping with the repairs, but whatever he went it was his business. He doubted the captain would care what he did, so he didn't complained and proceeded with the repairs, looking forward to lunch, hopefully courtesy of this annoying stowaway. Not everybody had a high opinion of him, but most admitted he was quite the cook.

Getting away without issue, Maverick returned to Ilasi, showing off his bag.
"Well, here we are. Better learn never to leave this thing behind. Let's go Ilasi. Time for the pickup." Maverick said as he waited for Ilasi to bring the treasures to him. One advantage of the bag was that you didn't have to put the items there directly. You could just place it close to them and the bag would absorb them like a whale shark with krill. He moved the open bag around like a fisherman using a net while Ilasi grabbed the stuff that were too far away for the bag to suck inside.

"It's like we're playing a game here. Heh, wow, if I had known there was such treasure underwater, I would've tried expeditions like this a long time ago. For a traveling merchant, this is like oil for a prospector." Maverick commented happily, really enjoying this moment, although this step would've been skipped if he had only brought his bag from the beginning. He didn't know what Ilasi intended to do now, whether she had a new plan or if she would return to the shipwreck immediately, but whatever she decided to do, Maverick would follow. He wasn't worried about Angora anymore. She still had Shade at least, and the two of them looked very entertained in their conversation, so while he would let them enjoy each other's company, he would do the same with Ilasi...

Angora nodded and smiled, having expected an answer like that.
"Well, no surprise there. Most books and stories are told by humans, so it's no mystery they would want to exaggerate the truth to cause fear and make other creatures look as the monsters." Angora expressed as she started massaging Shade's favorite spot near the back of his neck. All those stories about dragons were evidently out of humans' intimidation by them. Her species also had a lousy reputation, but sadly, most of it was well deserved.

But on a more positive outlook, Angora was really enjoying her time with Shade, and really hoped Maverick was feeling the same with Ilasi, though she was still worried the mermaid would somehow offend him like she did before. Not wanting to dwell on the negative, Angora continued talking with her dragolet friend.
"I suppose those stories about dragons demanding sacrifices is also a myth. Heh, humans do like to exaggerate facts indeed, and not just about dragons." Angora said casually, disguising the fact that the first sentence was another question. Shade was an exception to many cases, although she believed that last bit could be true for some dragons since sacrifices would mean they wouldn't have to hunt and instead have free food, without the necessity of wasting precious energy.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok made his way off the gangplank, onto the beachhead. With Raclaw following, he began to practice a few spear thrusts - enhancing his strikes with force magic. The spear was seemingly more in tune with any magic Latnok used, amplifying the effectiveness of his force magic, much to his surprise and pleasure. It felt more like an extension of his body than a weapon.
"Well," Latnok said to Raclaw, "give it a try. We'll see how well you progress while I'm distracted - then we'll up the challenge from there."

"I'm sorry, that sounds... awful," Leoquin said sympathetically. Having used fire himself to devastating effect recently, he was all too familiar with the horrors they could inflict. It was one thing to witness its effects on criminals; but seeing everyone and everything you know and care for, devoured by flames, seemed truly nightmarish.
"I haven't lost my whole family like that... but I had a brother. We were playing one day, swimming around - we'd recently moved. We were exploring the water a bit, being rather curious, wanting to learn more about the area - but then, he got caught in a current. As young as we were, he didn't have the strength to fight back against it. It carried him... somewhere. I don't know. We never found him; and we didn't have the faintest idea where to look. Considering where the current lead - somewhere deep below in the ocean - it'd be like, uh, what's the expression... finding a needle in a haystack." Leoquin found it hard to keep eye contact with Risar as he spoke; he looked away, a twinge of guilt evident on his face.

As Latnok both mentally and physically trained, Raclaw began to focus his energy directly on the Guardian. As expected-- Latnok had began to put an mental block up between the bonded fur dragon and his own personal thoughts. At first there was nothing, but soon Raclaw was able to take advantage of the ongoing distraction and find an opening. 'This spear-- it's amplifying my force magic. It feels.. quite natural.,' Latnok's thoughts began to pour in just as they normally would've otherwise. "I see you are enjoying your new weapon.," Raclaw spoke from within the Guardian's mind, having clearly been able to breach through. It had pained him somewhat finding a way around the initial block, but it wasn't entirely undoable and his familiarity with the mind had certainly helped. "When you think about the weapon, an slight opening forms-- although not all may immediately see it.," he then informed sharing what he learned from the initial experience. Chester watched from a safe distance, laying down on a barrel next to the gangplank.

Risar looked down, but didn't immediately say anything-- at first unsure of what to say. "You did what you could and no more. Sometimes life throws a curveball and that is simply all one can do. There is no shame in that and wherever your brother is or went-- he would understand. And.. and he would want you to move on. He would want you to live your life and not be held back by the past. It is possible that things could have happened differently or that he is still out there something, but there is no way to know and no point on dwelling on it.," he said pausing. "My brothers-- we were separated and sold off upon being found. We were young and I would remember no more about them than they would about me. But there is hope. My brothers and I.. were each branded at some earlier point with the symbol of the house. We are distinct-- the last of the house. None of us would have any title or status to our names, but the symbol would remain. I don't know or even expect to find them, but I don't entirely cut myself off the possibility ether. And perhaps the same can be said for your brother as well.," the large minotaur then said trying to comfort Leoquin in his own way.

He hadn't entirely given up on finding his brothers, but at the same time-- he wouldn't let it hold him back ether. At the mention of the branding, he once again placed a hand over the same back shoulder. What had originally been the symbol for a master's house had taken on a meaning of its own. It now carried more meaning to him and represented the possibility that he might one day find his fellow brethon. The master that came after and that had he left-- had purposely left the symbol intact as an eventual road map to his brothers. He could've chosen to nullify it via a bigger branding, but chose not to and had even left the symbol as his only branding. He was technically unmarked by his than current master, aside from the golden nose ring-- a staple of being a current or former Minotaur slave. Part of him wondered what his old master had done after he had left. Did he simply let him be or did he report him just in case he ever returned to those lands? He hadn't remained long enough to find out and had never stepped foot on those lands since.

"Well, let's continue on, then," Ilasi said, as she began to form the bubble for Maverick once again. "We can head back to the shipwreck - but first, I think there might be a fun place for us to go..."While Maverick was gone, Ilasi had taken the liberty of practicing some of her divination - revealing what, from what she could tell, was a cavern of some sort. It would certainly make for an interesting place to visit.

"Well, good to know," Latnok said to Raclaw, as he stopped his spear practice for a few moments. "Just like a typical fight, every use of a weapon leaves you open in some way, shape, or form - and it is in your best interest to find out how to minimize those openings. Now, see if you can find any similar openings when I'm not distracted - and if not, see if you can identify what's different." Latnok was happy to be training with Raclaw in such a manner, like he hadn't really had the opportunity to before - he had an unshakable feeling, however, that his training was a similar experience, and he couldn't put his finger on why.

"Yeah... I guess there wasn't really anything I could do, knowing as much as I knew," Leoquin answered resignedly. "I only wish I knew more, though... I don't know what my brother's fate is, but I'm hoping that he found somewhere nice to make a life for himself. Maybe become the king of some village or something." Leoquin threw in a forced chuckle at the last sentence, not wanting to inflict any further depression on the conversation. Despite all his well-wishing, however, there was only the reality that he could accept.

As she suspected, Angora imagined there would be some dragons that were that way. With a size and power like theirs, it was no wonder some would let their ego get to their heads. She was glad that she hasn't met a dragon that was that way.
"Well then, I guess I've been lucky then to meet nice dragons. You like me. Raclaw likes me... sort of I think. Even Veris. I don't know why, but ihe does, even if he expects food at some point. He helped me greatly in the times I was depressed." Angora commented, never forgetting the wyvern's kindness towards her. Despite Sere's control and influence, the creature was still fond of her, even when he was just waiting for a snack. Shade was once evil and enslaved her for a while, but that ocassion didn't count anymore. Icestorm looked like a dragon, but she hasn't had enough contact with him to know how he felt about her, but he has been one of the few crew members who hasn't been mean to her in any way, so that was something at least.

Quote: A Guy

"Well, let's continue on, then," Ilasi said, as she began to form the bubble for Maverick once again. "We can head back to the shipwreck - but first, I think there might be a fun place for us to go..."While Maverick was gone, Ilasi had taken the liberty of practicing some of her divination - revealing what, from what she could tell, was a cavern of some sort. It would certainly make for an interesting place to visit.

"Been having adventures behind my back? That's naughty." Maverick said with a frown as he entered the air bubble, but a small snicker and a goofy smile gave him away. He was teasing Ilasi. He was so happy with their adventures, he was in a very playful mood.

"Who? You mean... Raclaw?" Angora asked, still skeptical about it. She did remember Shade's connection with the fur dragon back in the caves when he was under corruption, but didn't know it still lasted. Angora simply shrank her shoulders, uncertain about it. Raclaw barely did anything to defend her when Latnok, and then Sere, bullied her. And he also also made her go through a very painful experience when he proved her mind. She had been hoping this would at least made Latnok treat her better, but instead he's mostly ignoring her now. But at least it was better to be ignored than constantly insulted.

"Oh, there is a lot that you still have to learn about me," Ilasi answered playfully, ash she began leading the way, her bioluminescence still persisting. As the two moved further into the sea, fish would once again began to gather around Ilasi, like children around a campfire. "Hello, friends!" she greeted them, as they lingered for a while before disappearing.
Leading the way, Ilasi headed somewhat west of the direction they found the initial shipwreck; the two would reach a passageway in a wall of rock, somewhat narrow but wide enough for them to fit through. "Beyond here," she said, "there should be a dry cave after we surface." Ilasi wasn't quite sure what they would find inside; she knew, however, that they would have a fun time regardless.

Still skeptical, Angora continued to have doubts.
"Well, he did try to defend me a few times, but they weren't enough. Perhaps... if he had tried a little harder..." she expressed, believing his attempts had been too week. Despite still holding a little grudge, she came to comprehend that maybe he didn't attempted too much in fear of the Guardians. It still eluded her how could Raclaw possibly be friends with Latnok. She still maintained there had to be some fear in their relationship despite their recent reconciliation, though she didn't say anything about it.

After a little while of staring at Raclaw from her tall spot, she was trying to leave the past way behind as it was suppose to be.
"Well, Raclaw sure is gentle, although I don't really know how he feels about me. But if you say he likes me, I'll take your word for it." Angora finally said, deciding to trust Shade's judgement. She prayed that if Raclaw liked her as much as the dragolet claimed, he could help Latnok treat her better and cease the painful abuse.

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, there is a lot that you still have to learn about me," Ilasi answered playfully, ash she began leading the way, her bioluminescence still persisting. As the two moved further into the sea, fish would once again began to gather around Ilasi, like children around a campfire. "Hello, friends!" she greeted them, as they lingered for a while before disappearing.
Leading the way, Ilasi headed somewhat west of the direction they found the initial shipwreck; the two would reach a passageway in a wall of rock, somewhat narrow but wide enough for them to fit through. "Beyond here," she said, "there should be a dry cave after we surface." Ilasi wasn't quite sure what they would find inside; she knew, however, that they would have a fun time regardless.

Maverick followed her every move, glad for the change of pace. He wanted to gathering treasure from the shipwreck, but he wanted even more a change in scenario, even if there weren't going to be any spoils.
"There?" he asked rather jumpy, not extremely fond of caves. He did used them as shelter, but he has learned that many times, some nasty wild animals lived there. However, he trusted IlasiMs judgement, and if the cave was dry inside, there should be no risk of encountering a hostile marine creature, or at least he hoped. He felt very uncomfortable in that cramped space, but he still followed Ilasi. The air bubble adapted to the space as he went through, scared but curious on what they would find on the other side...

Quote: A Guy

"Well, good to know," Latnok said to Raclaw, as he stopped his spear practice for a few moments. "Just like a typical fight, every use of a weapon leaves you open in some way, shape, or form - and it is in your best interest to find out how to minimize those openings. Now, see if you can find any similar openings when I'm not distracted - and if not, see if you can identify what's different." Latnok was happy to be training with Raclaw in such a manner, like he hadn't really had the opportunity to before - he had an unshakable feeling, however, that his training was a similar experience, and he couldn't put his finger on why.

Raclaw nodded and once again focused his energy, this time while Latnok was entirely focused on the task at hand. As he scanned the Guardian's mind-- he attempted to poke what almost seemed to be an opening before quickly getting mentally pushed back. He wondered how Latnok had managed to obtain the new ability. The Guardians were capable of telepathy, but had only previously shown themselves to be capable of only the most primitive techniques. The ability to put up blocks was something much more advanced-- and was something that not even he was currently completely capable of. It wasn't just something that magically happened out of the blue. And it certainly wasn't the Guardians, whom were open books in comparison, that had taught him. Just what had happened on the island and who (or what) was it exactly that had trained Latnok in their absence? And then just returned him?

Raclaw continued to scan, but had only continued to hit roadblocks. "I-- I can't quite reach on my own. You're focusing and are putting out all of your energy to block me. However, I am not the sum of my parts and if I just...," Raclaw said quickly coming up with a game plan and taking advantage of the collar. If he alone couldn't penetrate Latnok's mind at his current skill level, than perhaps he could with just a little more help. He started to draw upon the collar's energy, but then also saw an alternate method. 'Shade's power-- no. I can't use that. I.. I shouldn't use it.,' he thought to himself only briefly touching the alternate power source. Instead, he immediately followed his original plan and used the collar's energy to aide his cause. 'An opening-- the collar. He's blocking me, but he's not blocking the collar itself. All I have to do is go down the upstream and eurika!,' his thoughts exclaimed as Latnok's thoughts immediately became more clear.

"I'm in, although I took an alternate route. Just as I have an direct link to the collar, you now do as well. I was able to take advantage and get in via an opening that had caused me trouble in the past. Although to be fair-- someone would have to get to me first, before they could get to you via this method. And this is also why I'm doing this.," he said from directly inside Latnok's mind before pulling out again. "Do you remember the darklands and how I had struggled to keep the corruption out? Part of that was because of my.. the collar. The collar, or Damon rather, had failed to close this hole and had left me vulnerable to mental attacks as a result. The corruption had called to me, had wanted to offer its power, had.. had wanted to take me over. I will admit-- it was tempting at times. I don't know what it is about dark energy, but...," Raclaw started to say as his eyes briefly glowed black. His mind had inadvertently drawn upon some of Shade's excess energy if only briefly.

"I'm sorry-- some of Shade's energy seems to be leaking out through the web. Shade's energy is very similar to the corruption, an result of his being infected with Darkmatter. It doesn't carry quite the same properties and isn't quite as.. enticing. However, it is still an risk and one that will affect both of us now. We-- we should continue with the training and keep at it. If I can learn to better understand how to penetrate through blocks, than I eventually put those blocks myself. And if I can do that, than I can better protect myself and you.," he said with a slight nod. He was starting to realize just how naive he was when it came to certain aspects of his own telepathic. He could read minds, manipulate his own memories, put certain troublesome dragons into comas, and yet-- he had continued to struggle at keeping things that shouldn't be out of his own mind. At least thus far.

---
Quote: A Guy

"Yeah... I guess there wasn't really anything I could do, knowing as much as I knew," Leoquin answered resignedly. "I only wish I knew more, though... I don't know what my brother's fate is, but I'm hoping that he found somewhere nice to make a life for himself. Maybe become the king of some village or something." Leoquin threw in a forced chuckle at the last sentence, not wanting to inflict any further depression on the conversation. Despite all his well-wishing, however, there was only the reality that he could accept.

"I-- I don't know what my brother's fates were. I only know what I remember and.. and what master told Risar. I would like to believe that they were strong and enduring-- like me. I know, however, that they graded as less and that their changes would be equally less. At best, they were destined to become guards or laborers. At worst, my kind is considered an exotic kind of cattle. We are used yes, but.. but we can also be eaten if we are not deemed worthy enough. I-- I was and am worthy. My brethon on other hand.. were deemed to less worthy. Less favorable and thus pushed into less favorable positions in life. Or worse.," Risar responded still thinking of the past.

Having already spotted him, Angora replied, a little upset with the sudden change of subject.
"He's right over there. Why?" she asked, though not really wanting to know the answer. Shade's muscles turned tense, so she had to stop the massage for that while. He didn't give any signs of getting out of control at least, but she was still on high alert...

Latnok paid attention to everything that Raclaw had noted. "That is indeed a concern," he pointed out. "If need be, I will either detonate Shade's collar or have it asphyxiate him - we'll see if we can avoid it coming to that, however. As for this pathway... I can do further training on how to shut it down. Such a thing would likely, however, involve temporarily..." As Latnok spoke, he recalled the last instance he suggested severing his connection with Raclaw - something which did not go well. As the thought came, he shut out his mind, in an effort to stop Raclaw from recalling what he was thinking of.
"Nevermind," he said, his tone suddenly changing to one of suppressed anger. "We're done here. I'm going to take a break." In a huff, he walked away, heading back up the gangplank, frustrated at the event which, even now, still tainted their friendship.

Ilasi and Maverick made their way through the tight corridor - until, finally, they reached the end. Surfacing, they revealed a cavern, unlike many others - crystals embedded in the walls glimmered, somewhat reminiscent of the crystals in many Aelinonian cave networks or the Guardian base.
"This place... beautiful, isn't it?" Ilasi asked Maverick. With hrr divination, she couldn't locate any life form more significant than the fish in the water or the moss on the walls. Enticed by the sight, Ilaso began to shimmy up onto the shore, moving onto the sand.

"Well... on a happier note, things seem to be going well for us," Leoquin said, trying to change the subject. All of the speak of missing brothers had grown too depressing for him. "We fought that giant sea monster and won. Without losing anyone! I thought the captain was crazy for a while - but he definitely knows what he's doing!"

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi and Maverick made their way through the tight corridor - until, finally, they reached the end. Surfacing, they revealed a cavern, unlike many others - crystals embedded in the walls glimmered, somewhat reminiscent of the crystals in many Aelinonian cave networks or the Guardian base.
"This place... beautiful, isn't it?" Ilasi asked Maverick. With hrr divination, she couldn't locate any life form more significant than the fish in the water or the moss on the walls. Enticed by the sight, Ilaso began to shimmy up onto the shore, moving onto the sand.

"I'll say. Such a calming place. An area like this is priceless if you want to unwind and forget about the stress of life." Maverick commented in a soothing voice, reaching total relaxation. The gentle light from the crystals and the quiet sound of running water was excellent if you wanted to forget about your troubles. As horrible and brutal as the world could be, it was places like this that reminded Maverick how beautiful life could be as well.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“I think he is drawing my power.” Shade said. “That is a very bad idea. I don’t know what will happen during the blood moon and I don’t want this evil to transfer to him.”

Angora glared at Raclaw from the distance, not happy with what he was doing. At first she thought Latnok had ordered him to do it, but that didn't seem to be the case.
"Well, tell him to stop. We have enough problems as it is." she commented in a calm tone, having already experienced firsthand Raclaw's famous mind probing and fearing it could affect Shade as well, who was already very unstable on his own.