darkSpyro

As the ship moved on, Sere herded Veris into his large enclosure within the ship, to sit out the worst of the weather. The ship rocked back and forth somewhat, though not significantly. Eventually, however, a thunderbolt dropped from the sky somewhere in the distance, despite the relatively clear sky.
"That's a bit odd," Latnok commented. "Wonder if this place is always like that." Leoquin, in the meantime, was preparing all of the data he would need to keep the ship on course should they suddenly lose vision of the surroundings.

Seeing what he was doing, Maverick brought Dahlia to the main deck, covering her eyes and pulling her far from Veris. At least the wyvern would be locked up below and avoid her the fright, as well as the wyvern's temptation.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Hehe.” He pokes her with his. Tail. “Hey look at that!”

Angora remained still with eyes half open, glaring at him.
"You must really think I'm stupid, don't you?" she asked, being done with the main meal. Now all that remained were the cookies, which were five. Angora grabbed one and munched on it with great, crunching delight, showing off to Shade.
"Want a few? You have to go through me. Think you can catch me without moving from that spot?" she challenged, knowing it could be quite hard avoiding Shade's long neck and mobile tail. She didn't want him to chase her, knowing he could accidentally damage the ship if he did, so she was going to make sure she would be within reach while avoiding him. Leaving the platter aside, she grabbed the remaining cookies, waving one to Shade in taunt...

"I don't know-- but I suspect this will merely be one of many strange occurances.," Raclaw said noticing the seemingly isolated thunderbolt alongside Latnok. It wasn't until just recently that they had encountered the White Beast and that mysterious mental presences had began to show the ability to block him. "What do you think it means?," Chester asked looking up at the Guardian/Dragon duo. "Right now-- probably nothing. However, it's only a matter of time until trouble finds us again.," Raclaw replied keeping his senses open just in case. 'It's only a matter of time.,' his thoughts repeated.

Angora believed it has been another one of Shade's attempts to fool her, but his comment was confirmed when she heard the rumbling herself.
"So it's true then. Playtime's over. Here, take just one cookie you big baby. I want to make sure I enjoy the rest without interruptions." Angora commented, leaving one cookie between his claws and playful mood vanishing. There will be other times to play. For now, Angkra wanted to have her dessert in peace, especially since Shade already had his fair share of the snacks.

With Veris gone, Maverick released Dahlia, letting her walk around the main deck to get the excercise she needed. The dirt buffalo didn't interrupted anybody, though she still looked around hoping somebody would notice her and start the petting. She was quite obsessed with it.

Angora simply shrank her shoulders, eating the cookies that were already in her possession. It was then that she noticed Dahlia walking around.
"Think you're ready to meet her?" she asked Shade, knowing how terrified Dahlia was of him and Beris, not that she blamed her. Ungulates like her were a dragon's main prey, and Shade was no exception.

Despite the thunderbolt, Ilasi stayed focused on her job, not feeling particularly threatened - at least not yet. Leoquin was also continuing to do his job, the lightning seemingly not even registering as anything meaningful to him. It wasn't long after Ilasi finished purifying enough water for the day before she noticed Dahlia on the deck - evidently comfortable now that Veris was gone. She was most happy to approach the buffalo to give her the petting she deserved.
"Hey, Dahlia," Ilasi greeted playfully. "How are you doing today? Did Maverick take good care of you?"

Maverick saw the two of them from a distance and smiled, very glad that the two of them got along so well. He still hasn't forgotten that it was thanks to Dahlia that he could finally have a better relationship with Ilasi. As he reflected upon this, the dirt buffalo enjoyed the petting, looking so gentle and being so still that it wasn't for her soft blinking, she would've looked like a statue. Dahlia really liked Ilasi, though she would've accepted a petting from almost anybody.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Tell Maverick to bring her over. I’ll be glad to meet her.” Shade said. “I dont want her to be terrified of me.”

Angora went to do just that, but not before taking the cookie she gave to Shade.
"No sense in wasting this." she commented jokingly, Shade already determined to give it to her since it belonged to her anyway. Seeing Dahlia was already with someone, she beckoned Maverick from the distance. He was so distracted with the scene, it took her a while to notice her.

"Hey mi Angorita. How are you? You guys ready for today? The weather here is very unpredictable. I can feel it." Maverick warned, with Angora knowing he was speaking the truth. He has spent so much time at sea the troll knew he had plenty of knowledge on the subject.
"Can't be worse than anything we have faced these last couple of weeks." she commented rather bitterly, already getting used to tough situations.
"Listen, once Dahlia is done and the weather is fine, think you can bring her here to meet Shady? It's time for her to get over that fear." Angora suggested, with Maverick nodding.
"I know. That's in my agenda. I'll have her running around the ship for a while and then I'll bring her here if there if the weather is still pleasant by then. If not, we can still wait a while more. Remember Oscurito, no sudden movements when meeting her. Remember dragons are one of her main predators." Maverick expressed, not wanting to cause chaos with a panicked dirt buffalo.

Raclaw briefly watched the activities of the other crew mates-- giving a slight smile at the act of Dahlia happily enjoying Ilasi's petting. He recalled Latnok drunkenly petting him as the Guardian fell asleep on top of him; petting was something that every animal/beast whom had grown used to human contact probably enjoyed even if only secretly. Of course, he knew that Latnok would never intentionally pet him on account of him being a 'free dragon' and how lowly such as an act would make him appear. As he looked away, he decided to distract himself and the others by playing with Chester. Focusing on the ever so useful tail artifact -- he soon formed the similar 'ring on a chain' toy he had once used on the playful Beagle. Chester looked up at him and soon began to jump loop as the fur dragon lifted and moved his long tail. It was activity that served to keep the at times bored Chester engaged, while also not requiring too much space. After all, hunting dogs like Chester had energy and had to eventually burn it off through some form of activity.

As time passed, the destination was slowly beginning to appear on the horizon. It wasn't too far from their original point - despite the rough waters and the lightning, the trip had been relatively uneventful, for the time being at least.
The mark on Angora's hand began to glow and vibrate once more. "Are you ready, child?" the voice asked. "We have determined the task we will ask of you once we have completed our end of the bargain. Be assured that it will take but a few seconds of your time and almost no effort. When you see how we can help each other, you will realize how valuable we can be to you in pursuit of your own goals - your wish for solitude, with no one to bother you - just your friends as company. Be ready."

While Dahlia remained with Ilasi for the rest of the trip and Maverick decided to help with the navigation, Angora was startled with the new message. New details emerged. Whatever task they needed from her, it will only last a few seconds. What worried her the most was the word solitude. Just what could they possibly mean by that? Angora didn't wanted solitude. She just wanted acceptance. People not judging her for what or how she was. These people didn't know her as well as they thought. She had so many question, but the hexphage already returned to how it was before, so she refrained herself from communicating telepathically. As she received the message, she held her arm tightly. The glow might be invisible to everyone but her, but she was certain the shake wasn't, and she knew that if Shade or Maverick saw her like that, they would ask questions.

As the island gradually began to become visible-- Raclaw watched the horizon, the little Chester getting a better view from on top of his head. "We're getting closer. Chester--.," Raclaw started to say as the two took a brief break from their games. "When we get there, you'll have to stay on the ship. It's dangerous and we only have an vague idea of what is out there. We wouldn't want you getting hurt. You.. you understand don't you?," he then said knowing how much the Beagle cared for both him and Latnok. "I.. I do. Just stay safe, will you? Both of you.," Chester barked audible to both his beloved companions. "Don't worry-- we'll keep each other safe. Now more than ever.," Raclaw than said looking at Latnok. Between his powers, Latnok's powers, and effectively combined strength of both via the collar-- they now had more means to protect each other than ever before. Elsewhere, Risar kept things in order.

Before too long, the ship had reached the island without incident; rough water, but nothing major besides that. In the distance, several large, rocky hills could be seen, with tunnels being faintly visible. As the ship approached the shipping port, the sailors prepared to lower the anchor.
Latnok was prepared. Grabbing his spear, he stood in anticipation of the mission ahead. Scout the area to see what they were dealing with - didn't sound too hard. Nothing he hadn't faced before.
He felt especially prepared for the upcoming battle. Why? For something with such a big unknown, he certainly felt at home.
Soon, the gangplank was lowered - and the man who appeared before was already there to greet them. Sere stepped off, to address him.
"Welcome," the man said. "I take it your trip went well?"
"Easy enough sailing," Sere said. "Where are the mines we're checking out."
"Please follow me, and my men and I will show you," the leader said. Sere gave a beckoning motion - indicating forthe party of Latnok, Raclaw, Risar, and Shade to come to him.

"Good luck." Angora said, feeling very nervous around the island. It has an even worse aura than the marsh island they just left behind. She could only see him disappearing along with the rest of the party behind the strange man that just beckoned them to him. She didn't dare look at him in the eyes, knowing that he may be one of the ones who had been contacting her through telepathy. She was really worried about Shade's future, but even if it went well, she still had to fulfill her end of the bagain. Even if her task did take a few seconds like she was told, it still worried her very much not knowing what was wanted from her. She tried to keep calm and not make a big deal out of it, but NOT knowing anything was probably worse than if she had known what awaited her.

Elsewhere there, Maverick bid goodbye to Shade and the party from a distance by waving his arm, heading to where Dahlia and Ilasi were once the party went out of view. The dirt buffalo wasn't pacing around, but she was still stomping her hooves, clearly very nervous.
"Easy Dahlia. The'll be fine." Maverick assured as he petted her. He then looked at Ilasi and had an idea.
"Say Ilasi, want to try hand feed her?" he suggested to his mermaid friend, knowing that would strengthened their bond even more.

Quote: A Guy

Before too long, the ship had reached the island without incident; rough water, but nothing major besides that. In the distance, several large, rocky hills could be seen, with tunnels being faintly visible. As the ship approached the shipping port, the sailors prepared to lower the anchor.
Latnok was prepared. Grabbing his spear, he stood in anticipation of the mission ahead. Scout the area to see what they were dealing with - didn't sound too hard. Nothing he hadn't faced before.
He felt especially prepared for the upcoming battle. Why? For something with such a big unknown, he certainly felt at home.
Soon, the gangplank was lowered - and the man who appeared before was already there to greet them. Sere stepped off, to address him.
"Welcome," the man said. "I take it your trip went well?"
"Easy enough sailing," Sere said. "Where are the mines we're checking out."
"Please follow me, and my men and I will show you," the leader said. Sere gave a beckoning motion - indicating forthe party of Latnok, Raclaw, Risar, and Shade to come to him.

Raclaw followed alongside Latnok-- feeling particularly eager about the mission, both as a result of Latnok's confidence and his own desire to test out their new strengthened bond. He could already sense a vague familiarity about the place, even though he had never been there. 'Latnok.,' he thought although he initially figured it to an extension of the Guardian's confidence and his familiarity with similar situations in general. Behind Latnok and Raclaw-- Risar closely followed behind and allowing the enhanced senses of the companioned duo to take front and center. The bond shared between the two was more now obvious than ever, with even the fur dragon's walk showing the love he felt for the Guardian while near him. As the group followed the man, the enhanced senses of the two companions could already be felt by each other. They would presumably be able to detect almost any threat, present or future.

The man began to lead the way, with some other men - clearly miners - falling in soon afterwards. Sere and Latnok moved out, following the leader.
"The material we seek is a magical ore - it has traces of what can best be described as life energy," the leader said. "We will use this ore as part of an alloy to form a new type of steel - something we aptly call living steel. Such a material should prove capable of adapting to attempts to destroy it."
"Interesting," Sere said. "I take it you have hexsmiths here, then?"
"We do indeed," the man said. "We know much about the crafting of various materials, both mundane and magical. You may find that our knowledge can be quite useful to you."

A smile came across Ilasi's face as Maverick made his offer. "Of course I would!" she said enthusiastically. Ilasi hadn't done much in regards to animals before except clean up after them; an opportunity to do something else and grow with them was more than enticing. Ilasi continued to give Dahlia some petting as she waited for Maverick - either to bring food, or to direct the two to where they could get it.

As the group walked, Raclaw listened carefully to what the man was saying. "Hmm. Living steel-- it could work.," Raclaw thought taking advantage of the new collar-enforced bond and seamlessly sending an message to Latnok. Such a bond meant that either of them could send the other a message without even touching their native or magic-powered telepathy. As the man explained what they were after, he was confident that the mission would be an success. If only he or Latnok knew what the true cost was and who was eventually going to pay it.

Meanwhile-- Chester remained aboard the ship and was currently watching Mav's activities with a sense of curiosity. The little Beagle had his clear belled ball next to him, having requested to receive it before his beloved companions' departure. He was occasionally gently rolling it, but really just keeping himself busy while the others did their own thing. He knew that Latnok and Raclaw would watch each other's backs and envied the now two-fold mental bond they now shared with each other. A part of him wanted so badly to help ease Raclaw's troubles and more so than what he was doing currently.

Having done enough chores very early in the morning, Angora hastily returned to her hideout among the barrels, still pondering the same thing. The positive outlook was soon vanishing, and not only did she had the uncertainty of the future, she also had the task of telling both Maverick and Shade what she did. They will find out sooner or later, so she believed it was better... or at least less worse to tell them rather than letting them fibrous on their own. It was just so hard. How could she tell them knowing how much it would hurt them, especially Shade? Perhaps if they knew she will be gone for a very short while, it wouldn't' be so hard...

Quote: A Guy

A smile came across Ilasi's face as Maverick made his offer. "Of course I would!" she said enthusiastically. Ilasi hadn't done much in regards to animals before except clean up after them; an opportunity to do something else and grow with them was more than enticing. Ilasi continued to give Dahlia some petting as she waited for Maverick - either to bring food, or to direct the two to where they could get it.

Maverick took a handful of oats from a small pouch he always carried around when feeding Dahlia and gave them to Ilasi, placing them in her hands and the dirt buffalo raising her ears in anticipation. The hybrid saw Chester after he heard the bell, and even though Raclaw didn't ask him anything this time, he was still going to keep an eye on him.

"Well, we will see if that works, now, won't we?" the leader responded to Shade. "You better pray it does... a rather weak-willed creature, it would appear. We have heard about how many innocent people you have killed by losing control. A real problem. But we will offer our assistance."
Sere and Latnok said nothing - the man was rather brazen with his statements but they needed his help if they were to keep Shade alive. Latnok, in fact, didn't even think that keeping Shade alive was worth the effort - it wasn't his decision, however.
The assembly would soon reach a tunnel - the passageway was big enough for men, but would not contain a creature of Shade's size.

Ilasi took the oats offered by Maverick, and gently extended her hand to Dahlia's mouth to offer the oats. "Here, Dahlia," she said as she presented the oats. "Eat up, please. Just try not to eat me... of course you wouldn't do such a thing! I'm just teasing."

Almost as if on cue, Dahlia took the oats, and along it Ilasi's entire arm. Thankfully, the buffalo was gentle and controlling enough to avoid biting her.
"No no no! Bad Dahlia! It's the oats! The OATS!" Maverick scolded as he pushed the dirt buffalo's head back, releasing Ilasi's intact yet very drooled arm. He immediately took a handkerchief from his pocket and started cleaning her up.
"Lo lamento tanto Ilasi. I'm so sorry. She hadn't acted like this in a while. I should've warned you." He said apologetically, as red as a tomato. He then glared at Dahlia, who remained still, but looked like she was... grinning? Was she actually smiling? After all the intelligence the dirt buffalo has shown these last days, he wondered if the arm taking was overexitement or Dahlia's genuine attempts to prank Ilasi.

Having grown tired of her negative thoughts, Angora came from her hideout to pace around the ship, making sure she didn't approach or touch anybody. From a distance, she managed to spot Ilasi trying to hand feed Dahlia... and what followed. That was so awkward... yet way too funny. After seeing Ilasi wasn't hurt, Angora had to cover her mouth to avoid bellowing with laughter, and continued pacing around but near them discretely to entertain herself with the spectacle.

Raclaw looked back at Shade, having hoped that Shade would've been able to make it further. "I'm sorry Shade-- it looks we'll have to have take from here. Just wait here for now and we'll be back as soon as we can.," he then reassured the dark Dragolet. It wasn't entirely surprising that the mines were strictly human-sized and that the miners hadn't taken someone of Shade's size into account. Raclaw, being the perfect companion size for a dragon, would of course fit through the tunnels with little issue. "Just.. just stay out of trouble.," Risar said before looking at Sere. "Captain. Do you wish for one of us to watch him?," the large-but-not-too-large minotaur then said motioning towards the troublesome Dragolet.

Elsewhere-- Chester continued to watch Maverick and his current company, pleased to see Dahlia getting more comfortable with the crew.

Sere shook his head. "That will not be necessary," he said. "Should he lose control, one person will likely not be enough to subdue him. We will push into the mines - the sooner we can get this mes sorted out, the sooner we can have Shade under wraps."
The group began to enter the mines; the path was lit with many lamps, closed to protect them from the elements. There weren't many sounds at the moment; it would appear that the miners were choosing not to risk anything until their safety could be assured. Eventually, the group reached a fork in the path, with several routes.
"Hold on," the leader said, raising his hand to indicate a stop. "I sense danger down the path to our left. Enemies - insectoid creatures with adaptable carapaces. Creatures which shoot calcified bones. Creatures capable of fighting telepathically. My men will stay behind; I will accompany you to monitor progress on the job." Latnok grabbed his bow, preparing to engage whatever came up ahead.

Ilasi withdrew her slobber-covered arm, rather embarrassed at what had happened, though she tried to hide it. "It's okay - I'm sure she was just hungry. I'm, uh, glad that I helped her out. Maybe I, uh taste good? No harm done - I don't think she was trying to eat me, anyway." Ilasi, unsure of what to do at the moment, remained static, not bothering to find anything to clean her arm with.

Raclaw nodded and prepared himself for the engagement-- quickly enabling his tail spikes and keeping his senses fully open for both his and Latnok's sake. With both the fur dragon's advanced telepathy and the Guardian's foresight in effect, the new and improved 'sense' would be in full effect. This would be the first test of their newfound fighting capabilities as a direct result of the new collar-enforced bond. This was something that Raclaw had been eager to try and sense of both confidence and excitement could be felt over the dragon/Guardian bond. Risar, for his part, happily withdrew his two heavy greataxes and was eager for the pending fight.

Angora watched with both some sadness and happiness as Maverick and Ilasi bonded. She really missed spending time with the half human, but of course, he had every right to befriend others besides her and Shade. She and the dragolet couldn't touch him despite being at less risk than others of contracting hexphage, so it really was nice to see him getting along so well with others other than them and his unique mount.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi withdrew her slobber-covered arm, rather embarrassed at what had happened, though she tried to hide it. "It's okay - I'm sure she was just hungry. I'm, uh, glad that I helped her out. Maybe I, uh taste good? No harm done - I don't think she was trying to eat me, anyway." Ilasi, unsure of what to do at the moment, remained static, not bothering to find anything to clean her arm with.

Maverick chuckled at her comment, but then immediately went to being embarrased.
"Nah. Dirt buffalos are exclusive herbivores. I'm sure Dahlia just got a little too exited with the oats. She just loves that stuff too much." Maverick explained kindly as he continued cleaning her up, glad that there was no accident. He didn't know if Dahlia did try to prank her or if she got carried away with the food, but he knew from research dirt buffalos only fed on plants and have never eaten people, although they most likely had the size for it. Even defensive attacks were rare despite their wild nature. Was the comment Ilasi's innocence or her attempt to cope with the incident with a joke? Maverick didn't know, but found it cute. All the while. Dahia was eyeing his pouch full of the precious snacks, even though she knew she wouldn't be getting some for a while now.

With foresight active, Latnok and Sere led ther way into the next section of the mines. The lights were out - seemingly deliberately extinguished. Sere drew Grimbane, and the light rom the blade was enough to illuminate the path.
As the group proceeded, a telepathic presence could be felt up ahead; perhaps more to Raclaw than to anyone else, though Latnok would be more cognizant of it through the bond. It was just a hint of things to come; up ahead, in a more spacious area, the creatures began to appear. They did not seem to make any attempt at an ambush - in the space ahead, they were all in plain sight. Several insectoid creatures with shimmering carapaces, some lithe creatures with bony protrusions - and, in the air above, what could best be described as a floating, circular blob with many eyes, and various sensory appendages sticking out of its body at several points.
"These are the creatures I was referring to," the leader said. "Please, be careful." Sere and Latnok nodded - Sere, drawing on the power of Grimbane, attempted to slice at one of the insectoid creatures, bu its carapace seemingly changed form and shape, causing the attack to hit it with no effect. The spiny creatures, meanwhile, fired a few spikes, whistling audibly as they moved through the air.
Seeing the attack coming, Latnok was able to knock the shots aside with force deflects. The fight had begun; it remained to be seen how the group would overcome these creatures.

Ilasi, despite feeling rather taken aback by Dahlia's overeagerness, was more than happy that Maverick was helping clean her up. Maybe this was a good thing - it showed just how comfortable Dahlia was with her now, or so Ilasi would like to hink at least. "As long as she's taken care of, then, I'm happy," she said. "Maybe we can work on the table manners a little more next time." Ilasi gave a light chuckle at her attempt at a joke.

As Latnok activated his foresight-- the effects could be felt not only by the Guardian himself, but also the now collar-claimed Raclaw. The new bond ensured that the two companions shared in their advantages. Latnok would gain access to his advanced telepathy, while he would in turn gain access to Latnok's foresight abilities; aka 'the sight.' Raclaw quickly observed what they were up against with his thoughts nearly simultaneously transmitting to Latnok as well. 'Insectoids-- adaptive like my artifact. Lithes-- projectile shooting. Sensory units-- possibly telepathic. Transmitting to the others?,' his thoughts observed as he observed his options. He had to consider his collar's own 'teach' option as well, although such a thing would be a last resort. Flying up into the air and placing himself into a hovering position, Raclaw proceeded to to attempt to flame the floating circular blob. If he was right, he would hopefully at least disrupt the creatures' senses and in turn give the party a better chance of hitting. Or at least-- that was the idea anyway.

At the same time, Risar attempted to strike one of the insectoid creatures-- spacing his strikes so that he might interrupt its adaptive ability.

Elsewhere-- Chester gentle rolled his ball around and watched Mav's friends. The little Beagle seemed content enough and didn't directly get involved.

After a while of looking at the ocean, Angora couldn't take it any longer. She felt so bored, so useless in that ship. As she watched the horizon, she spotted a black spot at the distance to what looked like Shade. It was hard to tell due to the presence of some fog, but it had to be him. It wouldn't surprise her if he hadn't fit in the mines. He was just too big for practically everything.
"Well I'm not going to stay here and be stupid. Whether they like it or not, I'm going to help." Angora whispered to herself as she started to sneak out of the ship. It wasn't hard for her considering that the crew mostly ignored her and Ilasi and Maverick were distracted with each other, so her mind made up, she got off the ship and decided to follow the direction Sere and his party ran off to. Perhaps if she helped to a considerable amount, Angora hoped that was enough to get the stranger to reconsider her deal and let her off the hook...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi, despite feeling rather taken aback by Dahlia's overeagerness, was more than happy that Maverick was helping clean her up. Maybe this was a good thing - it showed just how comfortable Dahlia was with her now, or so Ilasi would like to hink at least. "As long as she's taken care of, then, I'm happy," she said. "Maybe we can work on the table manners a little more next time." Ilasi gave a light chuckle at her attempt at a joke.

"Yeah, we'll work on that later. She really needs it." Maverick commented, trying to se a joke tone as well. But then he couldn't stop laughing after a while for what Ilasi said earlier.
"He heh, you really thought Dahlia gonna eat you? Imagine how I felt when I met Oscurito." he then commented, wanting to mess with her. Dahlia I'm the meantime began pacing around, taking a short notice of Angora but then proceeding to ignore her, knowing how much the troll loved her alone time. Instead, she focused on the lonely Chester, having grown interested in his ball, although she wasn't sure if it was the same one her owner had...

Chester was currently looking at the ball, or more specially, at the interesting-shaped bell within the ball. The bell had always reminded him of his own Raclaw-- and of the golden shapeshifting artifact that the beloved fur dragon had taken on as an tail accessory. 'I hope you're alright. Both of you.,' he briefly thought to himself before resuming rolling the ball. Wherever Latnok went-- Raclaw would likely go. And wherever Raclaw went, he would follow at least as much as he was allowed to. As Dahlia paced, he looked up at the dirt buffalo with the ball in the mouth and the best smile he could manage.

Angora walked to the black blob she saw at the distance, taking advantage of her size and greenish brown color to camouflage. If somebody managed to spot her from the distance, it was bro ably they wouldn't either care or dismiss her as something else. The road was longer than she expected. With her small legs, the journey was always longer, and she didn't want to run and risk depleting energy. She kept walking and walking until she could finally make up the shape. It was indeed Shade, and she correctly deduced he was staying there due to being unable to enter the mines. Shame for him they weren't behemoth sized like the ones in Aelinon. She was thinking of greeting him, but she didn't want him to discover her. So as she continued walking, she was thinking on how she could enter the mines without him spotting her...

Quote: redwes

Chester was currently looking at the ball, or more specially, at the interesting-shaped bell within the ball. The bell had always reminded him of his own Raclaw-- and of the golden shapeshifting artifact that the beloved fur dragon had taken on as an tail accessory. 'I hope you're alright. Both of you.,' he briefly thought to himself before resuming rolling the ball. Wherever Latnok went-- Raclaw would likely go. And wherever Raclaw went, he would follow at least as much as he was allowed to. As Dahlia paced, he looked up at the dirt buffalo with the ball in the mouth and the best smile he could manage.

Being in a playful mood as well, Dahlia proceeded to kick the ball out of his mouth with her horn, having been so careful, she didn't stab the beagle. She wanted to play with the ball as well...

The blob, with a quick scan of the thoughts of the enemy combatants, was able to quickly push itself out of the way - moving itself telekinetically. At the same time, in concert, two of the whistlers dropped their previous targets to set their sights on Raclaw, immediately and frantically firing several sets of spines. The insectoid engaged with Risar shifted the form of its carapace once again, as the blob communicated with it telepathically to warn it of the incoming attacks; though, with Risar's strength, there was still at least a visible impact of some kind.
Latnok knew exactly what to do; the creatures shifted their form. He would need the resonating chime. It didn't take much effort for him to reach into his pack and pull it out; focusing his magic, he rang the device, and the carapaces of the insectoid combatants lost their luster.

"Oh, of course she wasn't going to eat me," Ilasi said confidently. "She's much too kind for that. Much like her caretaker!" Ilasi flashed Maverick a quick smile as she observed Dahlia - who herself seemed to be distracted playing with Chester. Ilasi couldn't help but wonder how the dynamic between the two of them would work - could they be friends in the same way as people could? Ilasi only hoped that Dahlia wasn't imposing herself too much on Chester.

As the whistlers frantically fired-- Raclaw was able to see them in advance thanks to 'the sight' and his prior experience practising with Latnok's foresight. By shifting his weight/tilt and predicting where the spines would strike, he was able to avoid the first couple sets. He focused on the sight and on the incoming spines... and was just able to avoid the remaining sets. One of the spines had managed to cut clean through the very edge of one of his wines and had pinned a loose feather on one of the nearby walls. 'Whew-- that was close.,' he thought as his theory was instantly confirmed. He would have to conceal his plans if any of them besides maybe Risar were to stand a chance. And so he began to focus his telepathic energy in an attempt to block the blob from reading his thoughts. "Damon. You know what to do with the spikes.," he instructed the collar entity as he regained some height.

Flying forward, he wouldn't do something that the creature would immediately suspect. Instead, he turned his body and swung his tail; the target being the sensory unit. If he was able to block the target, something he wasn't yet very experienced in, he would presumably be able to strike it and Damon would than expand the spikes-- performing one of his signature moves. At the same time, Risar saw what Latnok was doing and proceeded to strike again. One swing of the heavy 8 pound greataxe would be instantly followed through with the swing of the other axe. With an combined 16 pounds of weight between the two minotaur-sized weapons-- massive amounts of damage could be done assuming they hit at all.

Back on the ship-- Chester followed and ran after the ball. He was happy to play with anyone... be it human, dragon, or dirt buffalo.

With her destination in tow, Angora quickly noticed the ground was soft and moist, almost as if it had been raining there for a long while. Taking advantage of the soggy soil, Angora measured the entrance between her and the mines and then dug herself like a giant mole, passing underneath Shade and into the mines. She knew when she reached her destination since the soil hardened considerably, but even so, she kept digging just a little further away so that Shade wouldn't see her emerging inside.

She managed to succeed, and popped at the surface again. She hasn't dig like that in a long time. Even though troll nails weren't suited for digging, their hands were still wide and strong enough to achieve it. It helped the moist, soft nature of the dirt. So finally inside the cave, Angora started sniffing the air. Her nose wasn't built for tracking, but a troll's sense of smell was still better than a human's, and since she was underground, the smell concentrated more.
"Yep. Those idiots passed through here alright. Well then, time to lend a hand. They'll probably need me without knowing." Angora said to herself, as she made her way deeper. She knew it was madness to venture into these dangerous mines without the proper preparation or knowledge, but she trusted in her abilities and senses. She knew about the monsters, but even if she couldn't fight them with magic, she still had her knife, which may still have some poison in it. Better yet, if the creatures were magical, she could always infect them with the hexphage. She has saved a Sere and company's lives before, so maybe she could make herself useful and do something. She didn't care about being recognized anymore. She had to get out of that ship since she felt like she would go mad lingering there...

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, of course she wasn't going to eat me," Ilasi said confidently. "She's much too kind for that. Much like her caretaker!" Ilasi flashed Maverick a quick smile as she observed Dahlia - who herself seemed to be distracted playing with Chester. Ilasi couldn't help but wonder how the dynamic between the two of them would work - could they be friends in the same way as people could? Ilasi only hoped that Dahlia wasn't imposing herself too much on Chester.

"Kind... and you know what else." Maverick replied, referring to Dahlia's herbivore nature. Then something came to mind.
"Although you thought that of Oscurito when you met him too, and for real, didn't you?" he then asked, although in that case her concern made much more sense. As he talked, he was keeping a close eye on Dahlia, wanting to make sure she didn't overdid it.

Quote: redwes

Back on the ship-- Chester followed and ran after the ball. He was happy to play with anyone... be it human, dragon, or dirt buffalo.

Dahlia kept playing, rolling the ball away from Chester so he could get it again and again. She was so extremely careful not to trample or stab him while she moved, knowing that a wrong move could seriously hurt him. The beagle was so mobile and energetic that she adapted a very slow pace so that she could react in time whenever the dog found himself in harm's way while bringing back the ball.

The mastermind, its communications to its allies temporarily disrupted by Raclaw's efforts, made no attempt to continue the fight, moving into complete retreat mode. Using telekinesis, it quickly thrust its body - moving well out of the area Raclaw was in - as it attempted to leave the immediate battlefield. As it did so, the whistlers resumed launching spines at Raclaw, though their attacks didn't seem to be as coordinated as before. The soldiers, meanwhile, rapidly fell to Risar's might, lacking anything to coordinate them and unable to adjust their forms at the very moment.
Reaching out, Sere locked one whistler down in a shadowy grip - soon followed by an explosive arrow from Latnok, destroying it. "This seems easy enough," Sere said. "We can only hope the other battles go as well."

"Well... yes," Ilasi admitted to Maverick. "Dragons - Aelinon doesn't exactly have the best history with them. Those in our territory for any reason are highly monitored; and the Aelinon military has a multitude of weapons dedicated to killing them. Needless to say, a dragon other than a wyvern approaching me wasn't exactly the most common experience. I can only imagine what things will be like in regards to them after what happened in Redwater..." It was something that didn't particularly concern Ilasi up until now - but there was very little chance that any sort of dragon would be given any level of freedom comparable to what was allowed to Shade prior to what happened.

As Angora ventured to those mines, she made sure she left a clear trail of rocks and messy footprints in order to avoid getting lost. She wasn't stupid. She knew the risk she was getting in, so she wanted to make sure she was going to be able to find her way out in case she needed to run away. The footprints were left but she rubbed the ground so that they wouldn't be recognizable. The mines were dark but using the orb around her neck, which used a dim light similar to a lava lamp, she navigated her way. It wasn't much, but it was still enough for her. But just in case, she kept the orb behind part of her clock so that it wouldn't shine too bright and attract unwanted attention.

Angora almost couldn't believe what she was doing, but it was still better than wallowing in worry and self pity lack in the ship. As she walked around those mines doing the trails, she moved her ears around like a cat to scan for sounds. She wanted to make sure she wasn't ambushed, and perhaps she would be able to listen for the Guardian's or their companions... she did heard something very faint. Could it be? She started to follow the sound, still on high alert...

Quote: A Guy

"Well... yes," Ilasi admitted to Maverick. "Dragons - Aelinon doesn't exactly have the best history with them. Those in our territory for any reason are highly monitored; and the Aelinon military has a multitude of weapons dedicated to killing them. Needless to say, a dragon other than a wyvern approaching me wasn't exactly the most common experience. I can only imagine what things will be like in regards to them after what happened in Redwater..." It was something that didn't particularly concern Ilasi up until now - but there was very little chance that any sort of dragon would be given any level of freedom comparable to what was allowed to Shade prior to what happened.

"I see... so that's why the behemoths are kept? All my life, I thought dragons and whales were the biggest creatures, but then I saw those things... I still can't fathom the idea of controlling or befriending them." Maverick commented, as white as milk. It was still too hard to believe that Aelinonians had under their ranks such creatures, that could even feed on dragons. Just how did they do it? As he pondered about it, he also started to think about how the arena existed, and how even right now, many prisoners were fighting in that awful place in order to keep the people entertained, some who may even be innocent like Angora was. Just how many creatures were slaughtered in order to keep those beasts' monstrous appetites in check? It almost made him throw up thinking about that day he was a spectator, and how Angora almost ended up in the stomach of one for a crime she didn't commit.

The whistlers' uncoordinated attempts were no match for the sight-- with Raclaw easily avoiding the remaining spines. They weren't the main threat, however. That honor belonged to the mastermind, who could warn whoever/whatever else was in the mind. Flying up and forward; Raclaw rapidly pursued the blob attempting two mid-flight attacks on the remaining whistler. The first was a flame attack and the second of a tail strike, with Damon expanding the tail spikes as a last second attempt to take it down. And if neither of those attempts worked-- Latnok and the others would easily be able to take care of it. As he followed, he continued blocking the mastermind's telepathy and would attempt an flame attack should he get close enough. 'Come on--,' he thought. 'I've almost got you!,' his thoughts encouraged. He found the whole thing kind of assilarating and Latnok's increased influence over him meant that the beloved Guardian would be helping him even when they weren't directly fighting side-by-side.

MEANWHILE...
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Dahlia kept playing, rolling the ball away from Chester so he could get it again and again. She was so extremely careful not to trample or stab him while she moved, knowing that a wrong move could seriously hurt him. The beagle was so mobile and energetic that she adapted a very slow pace so that she could react in time whenever the dog found himself in harm's way while bringing back the ball.

Chester continued to give chase, returning the ball only to have the Dirt Buffalo creatively roll it-- and without harming him. He knew that the hybrid-loved Dahlia was purposely trying to be extra careful. Seeing a dragon play was one thing, but seeing someone like Dahlia do was something else entirely. He soon invited Dahlia to a modified game of catch similar to some he and Raclaw had occasionally done. "Here-- you stop the ball and roll it back. Just like this and don't worry about injuring me.," the little Beagle explained as he backed up and set the boundaries for what was a smaller play field than he and his own 'owner' had usually worked with. This modified game would put some space between them and allow the dirt buffalo to be fully competitive without having to worry about hurting him.

Dahlia couldn't completely understand Chester, but she could understand a little. She responded in the only language she knew.
"Buffalo bored... human dummie busy... me want to eat oaths. So bored! Ball? Pretty ball... Human distracted... water human, too innocent. She no face world. She the girlfriend. Need protection! Me want oats? Oh, is that ball?" Dahlia said as she rolled around the ball once more, being the same cautious self. It was almost as if she didn't listened to Chester. Once again, she spoke her mind. It seemed like a dirt buffalo's brain was unable to keep on one thought at a time, so Dahlia had to say everything she had on her mind before she could stop.

Quote: redwes

The whistlers' uncoordinated attempts were no match for the sight-- with Raclaw easily avoiding the remaining spines. They weren't the main threat, however. That honor belonged to the mastermind, who could warn whoever/whatever else was in the mind. Flying up and forward; Raclaw rapidly pursued the blob attempting two mid-flight attacks on the remaining whistler. The first was a flame attack and the second of a tail strike, with Damon expanding the tail spikes as a last second attempt to take it down. And if neither of those attempts worked-- Latnok and the others would easily be able to take care of it. As he followed, he continued blocking the creature's telepathy and would attempt an flame attack should he get close enough. 'Come on--,' he thought. 'I've almost got you!,' his thoughts encouraged. He found the whole thing kind of assilarating and Latnok's increased influence over him meant that the beloved Guardian would be helping him even when they weren't directly fighting side-by-side.

It took her several minutes, mostly due to creating the trail, but Angora managed to find the source of the sound. About a hundred yards away from her, there was the group, helped by the fact that Risar's massive horns were so easily recognizable. They were fighting what looked like very ugly insect monsters. It was quite a miracle she hasn't been discovered by anything or anyone at that point, but it was of course one of the perks of being so small and be able to camouflage herself so well. She saw poor Raclaw doing most of the job, but not wanting to reveal or distract herself, Angora immediately protected their backs. They seemed to be doing fine so far, but they could still be ambushed. Somebody could get attacked from behind, so she stayed on guard, hidden from her position and hiding the orb completely so that nobody would notice her. She would act like a stealthy protector...

As Dahlia spoke in her own 'special' language-- Chester rolled the ball back, noting how the beloved Dirt Buffalo had remained just as cautious. It was clear that the two, while mostly compatible language-wise, weren't an exact match and that Dahlia was having more trouble understanding him. "Alright-- I'm going to roll the ball back. All you have to do is chase it and roll it back. Chase, aim, and roll. I move fast so you can move fast. No risk of injury-- just aim and roll.," the little Beagle than tried to explain. He repeated the instructions in a style more remnant of Dahlia's speech patterns, keeping his sentences somewhat short and concise.

As he ran back and opened the 'field' again, he would become a moving target and would pick up speed-- hoping to encourage Dahlia to do the very same. It was a game that worked better between dog and fur dragon, but he hoped he could teach it to the Dirt Buffalo to give both of them something to do during times where their owners were away or otherwise distracted. And with Chester himself being an companion to an companion, such moments would not be entirely uncommon. Latnok's line of work would take Raclaw from him more often than not and he knew just how dedicated his beloved fur dragon was to the Guardian. Raclaw was a fur dragon who had voluntarily allowed another to claim him via Guardian magic that he didn't quite understand. And Raclaw didn't just allow it, but rather he asked for it. Even he knew that such a thing was probably unprecedented.

Dahlia couldn't understand what Chester wanted her to do, so instead of chasing the ball as he was trying to explain, she simply rolled it around with her hoof, remaining in place and still being overly cautious around the beagle. Even though she was in a playful mood, she was also feeling very slow, and her thoughts always drifted away on oats and sometimes in the little prank she did on Ilasi...

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Icestorm was nearby Maverick and Ilasi. He overheard what she just said. “So what about me? I lived in Redwater and the guards never gave me any trouble. Yes I did cause fights in bars but that was really the only things.”

Maverick had been distracted watching Dahlia and talking to Ilasi that it was after a while that he noticed Icestorm.
"Oh, hola. Sorry I didn't see you there. You came from Redwater you say? Well... my apologies for saying this, but I think the only reason you never had trouble was because you're so small. You're even smaller than Angorita..." he said after watching him carefully. He usually wasn't this blunt, but after seeing Redwater in action, he had a thing or two to say about it.

"Angorita may be small too and look harmless, but she's still a troll. And I could see how much trolls are hated there. Angorita was convicted for a crime she didn't commit. And yeah, I'm aware that she falsely confessed to the crime, but instead of searching for evidence about her claim, they were quick to judge and sacrifice her without knowing if she was telling the truth. Lo siento Ilasi. I know you worked there and everything, but I just think they are doing things very wrong. How many people? How many creatures have been sacrificed to that arena? How many have been innocent like Angorita? Or even Shade? He did caused those deaths, but it wasn't his intention. I know it still happened... but, he was still innocent... in some way. Ugh, I know it's confusing, so let's just take Angorita as an example. She... she did absolutely nothing to deserve that. She was thrown in that awful arena without having done anything wrong, all to entertain the people and be fed to a behemoth if she died. Why that arena? There are other forms of entertainment you know. Why do they have to torture the prisoners in such a way? Some that may even be innocent. I... I know Shade and Angorita were pardoned in the end... And I... I know I shouldn't judge too much because they are still alive, but..." then Maverick remained quiet, conflicted with his own thoughts. Icestorm mentioning Redwater and his avoidance of trouble struck a nerve on him, and was unavoidably reminded of the arena and the horrors he saw with that one spectacle...

Chester, seeing just how one-sided their 'conversation' was, gave up on the idea for now and returned to their previous game. Dahlia was to him-- what he was to Raclaw. And while he could understand the Dirt Buffalo well enough, she had a harder time understanding him without the fur dragon's telepathy coming into play. Regardless, he was still happy enough just to have someone to play with and to keep him company.

The mastermind continued its retreat , dispersing the incoming flames with telekinetic blasts of air. As it moved further into the darkness, it began its counterattack - attempting to suppress Raclaw's own telepathic senses and make him lose his way in the dark. Meanwhile, the sounds of more creatures in the distance would be audible to Raclaw.
The whistler, in the meanwhile, was injured by Raclaw's own fire, before being finished off with a shadow strike from Sere. With no enemies currently alive in the immediate area, Sere beckoned for the group to move on.
"Most impressive," the leader complimented. "There is much we can learn from you."
"Most of us have been doing this for a while," Sere responded. "This is probably not something that men with no combat experience would have an easy time doing. lease, do not become complacent here."

The mention of the situation back in Aelinon drew a frown from Ilasi. "The laws... they are harsh, but they are what is needed to protect us," she explained. "Historically, the nation has faced opposition from many, many enemies - sticking together was necessary then. We couldn't afford to be at each other's throats - a nation where criminals are made an example of is a nation where people are afraid to even consider breaking the law. A nation like that is a nation where you're confident in your safety. And when the citizens know that the government is on their side, they are happier to cooperate when they need to.
"And unfortunately, Angora and Shade did violate laws which would qualify them for the death penalty. Perjury is a capital offense in Aelinon, as is disobeying a court order. As the law sees it, they are guilty, regardless of their intentions." The discussion of Aelinon laws wasn't exactly how Ilasi was planning to pass the time, and it made her uncomfortable to discuss the subject.

As Raclaw tried to resist the telepathic counterattack, he triggered an internal collar command. 'Collar-- light!,' he thought as the collar soon began to glow a familiar greenish-whitish glow. "Raclaw-- I've got this. Your grasp of your abilities isn't yet complete. Focus on attacking and I'll keep its mind busy.," the voice of Damon than spoke perhaps audible over the enhanced bond. As the two 'individuals' switched roles and the collar entity briefly took charge of his host's telepathic abilities, Raclaw continued the chase and picked up speed. He would continue with a combination of both flame and tail strikes; attempting to move slightly ahead of the creature and putting it within range of both viable attacks. If the tail strike struck, he would expand the spikes himself. And if both the flame and the tail strike didn't work-- there was one more option to resort. 'Only as a last resort.,' he thought to himself.

Risar, in response to the leader's comments, gave a slight grunt and a nod-- appreciating the comment. Latnok, through the the new collar enforced bond, could sense/feel much of what Raclaw was going through if the Guardian was determined to listen in. And just up ahead... the greenish/whitish glow of Raclaw's collar could be seen making his presence more obvious even without the new voluntary bond. Risar followed the others as the group continued forward; his two greataxes eager for more combat.