darkSpyro

Back at the restaurant, when Ilasi was done talking, Angora remained silent. She ordered her food, salmon with lemon, grapes and avocado. It was a combination she chose. Ilasi's meal and drink was brought almost immediately after. Then during the eating, a voice was heard.
"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to the only place where the constellations can be better appreciated. For generations, our ancestors used the stars to navigate themselves and tell stories. Even today, being a good star reader can even save your life..."

And then the entire building became nothing but stars. For a moment, Angora believed that she was into deep space. The chairs and food began to float, but they didn't make a mess. Afterwards, the stars aligned, forming one constellation at a time, with the same voice explaining it's history and form. The exhibition even showed the planets and a few of the galaxies. It was an exhibition where you were literally spaced out, which is exactly what Angora needed...

It was a little more than an hour when the exhibition was finally over. The little troll was porting a small smile. She had really enjoyed that, but she didn't want to show too much emotion. Finally back to reality, she realized that her food was now cold, but she didn't care. She was happy. It was the distraction she was craving for such a long time...

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade smirked and suddenly cuddled Maverick and then licked him.

Maverick was more tolerant of licks than Angora, but it was still quite an unpleasant sensation to him.
"Knock it off Oscurito. I told ya you can eat me later." he joked, trying to get out of Shade's powerful grasp, even though he knew how futile it was.

"Come on! I just combed my hair! Your drool doesn't make a good gel you know." Maverick said as he groomed himself, pretending to be upset. He started thinking what Dahlia would've thought if he saw them play like that. Perhaps she would've confused it for an attack? Would she had tried to defend him? Even so, Dahlia losing her fear of Shade was a task Maverick didn't intended to forget.

Ilasi was silent throughout the presentation, having been completely captivated. Even in her time in the city, she had never seen anything like it before. When it was all over, she was speechless; she had finished the meat, but some of the vegetables still remained.
Ilasi could see that Angora wasn't really in much of a talking mood. As much as she wanted to ease some of the awkwardness, she didn't want to disturb Angora if the troll didn't want to be disturbed; Angora was a rather volatile conversational partner, so Ilasi wanted to make sure that any conversation was something Angora would be fine with.

Angora was happy, but became uneasy again with too much silence. The show was nice while it lasted, but then it was back to reality. She had ordered dessert for the both of them, but it was going to take a while before it arrived. As she watched the mermaid, it wasn't hard to realize there was much on her mind. Unable to contain the quiet any longer, she finally decided to break the silence at last.
"So really now, what are you going to tell me Ilasi? You still think I'm this horrible creature, don't you? When I met you, you treated me decently. Sure, you paid more attention to Maverick, but you still treated me politely as well. And then in the prison, you gave me that apple when everyone else wanted to starve me, so I would be too weak to face that beast. You... you treated me well, far better than so many people and creatures I met. Better than... my own parents..." Angora said with lowered head and ears, clearly tortured by that memory. She had to make a short pause before continuing.

"But then... the next time I see you, turns out you're working with those... Guardians. They talked trash about me, didn't they? That why you... started to hate me as well. You even start hating Maverick. The Guardians hate me. They always have, and they always will. And they hate Maverick too for being my friend. And you believed all the awful things they said about me. They talked badly about me... and Maverick as well to everyone on that ship, denying us the chance to befriend anybody there. That didn't surprise me. But you...? Why did you do it Ilasi? Why did you choose to believe them instead of simply choosing to get to know us better? You have seen how they treat me... how they still treat me. Do I really deserve to suffer more than I already have? Do I deserve their constant abuse? Have I really been so awful for them to step on me over and over again?" Angora concluded, not crying, but the movement of her throat indicated that she wanted to badly. She didn't care if Ilasi felt awkward with the question. This was the first time the two of them have ever been truly alone, and she had to hear from her own mouth why she let herself be as indifferent as the Guardians once she started to associate with them.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Hehe I couldn’t help myself.” Shade said laughing.

Maverick frowned, and then tried to pick up Shade's tail and tie a knot, but he barely managed to lift it up. It was too heavy for him. His strength was that of an average human, and a fawn's muscles were similar to that of a human, so not even heritage could help him.
"Whew! So heavy! How does Angorita manages to pull you around like you're some sort of giant carpet?" he exclaimed, realizing now the magnitude of Angora's muscles. She once carried Maverick with one arm and pulled Shade's entire body from the tail. Despite her size, she was indeed incredibly strong, and it was now that Maverick realized the magnitude of her strength. Size didn't hide the sturdiness of her species.

With Angora's bitter words, Ilasi couldn't immediately come up with a response. It was as she feated - this "fun" night had turned into yet another confrontation. Ilasi tried to keep a blank expression, unsure of what to say.
After some more awkward silence, however, she felt that she absolutely needed to say something. "Well... I'll be honest," she began. "Their words have had an influence on me... but what really drove me to come to the conclusion I did was your response to me the first time we met in Redwater. I didn't want to believe their words at first, but after seeing how quickly you turned on me for calling you out on speaking ill of the very plans that the crew leader had in motion... I saw that their words were not baseless. And then, when you came back to the cave... again, it was my fault. You turned on me so quickly... from that, it was apparent to me that your opinion of me had already been tainted, and you would react rather negatively to anything I said if you didn't agree with it.
"From there, I eventually asked more about you... learned about the time the others spent with you beforehand. Latnok said you were too prideful to change, and, either out of laziness or defiance, didn't want to take advantage of your potential; Sere thought you had reconciled at first, but stated that you seemed to have regressed in your time away from them. They both believed that you couldn't be trusted on the mission - that you would sabotage the mission either through premeditation or in an emotional fit. And after what happened... I had no reason to doubt them." This time, instead of looking away like she usually would in such a situation, Ilasi continued to maintain eye contact with Angora. She did not believe she was wrong. She had no need to be submissive.

Angora did a brief pause before answering, maintaining eye contact with Ilasi as well.
"I know I'm not easy. I won't deny that. I'm bitter, I know... but you must know by now, everything I say is out of frustration. When have you seen me being violent and taking revenge on someone? Everything I say, no matter how cruel and offensive it is, I do it to vent, nothing more. It's all from the mouth out. How else do you want me to feel Ilasi? My own parents didn't love me. How can I surpress this anger? I know... I offended you back then. I didn't mean it! I didn't even know I offended you. I'm just... that way. I can't help it! I try to be better... I really do... but I just can't help feeling this way. Sometimes I'm harsh and I never realize it until somebody points it out. But many, instead of telling me I'm going too far, people hurt me! I never turned on you Ilasi! I thought it was you who turned on me... AND Maverick. I maybe deserved it, but he didn't! You were so kind to us before, but seeing you treating us that way after you have been so gentle... I felt... betrayed. I really thought I was making another friend... but then the Guardians came and lyou turned against us..." Angora confessed, realizing now that they were feeling the same thing around each other. All this time, Angora believed Ilasi was being antagonistic, but it turns out that perhaps she was being that way too and just didn't realize it. Angora had a strong personality due to all the suffering she had endured that she many times offended people without even intending to. She just wanted Ilasi to know how wrong she was about her.

The dessert came, and Angora gave a tip, by this time lowering her head again and moving her throat in an attempt to contain the tears. This wasn't the conversation she had in mind, but felt like it was nevertheless necessary.

Maverick didn't expected being caught again. He has seen a Shade using his tail for many things, but never in this way. He was nervous that he would start licking again.
"Come on dude! You're not playing fair. Boy if we had been enemies, I would've been doomed a very long time ago." Maverick commented, trying to make it sound like a banter. To think that in the past, he had heard how horrible trolls and dragons were, yet he was friends with precisely two of them. He found it funny how instead of playing, Shade looked more interested in showing affection.

"Well... in the end, I was protecting myself," Ilasi said. "I will admit, I had some resentment - but hopefully, now that we've had a chance to clear the air... we can finally put all of this behind us. We all know where we stand. If you aren't going to be a stranger, then I would be glad to spend some more time with you - if I could. My question is, where are you going to go after Shade leaves?"
Ilasi hadn't forgotten about the whole reason Angora was present - and with Shade leaving, she would not have any obligation to be on the ship anymore. "Where do you plan to go after that? I don't know if there would be any way you would even be able to reach Shade from there."

Angora was surprised Ilasi believed she was going to leave Shade alone. But before touching the subject, she decided to reply to her other comment.
"It's all in the past now. Thank goodness. I've done good things as well... but of course... the Guardians will never recognize that..." Angora said in a low voice, tempted to show her the medals Sere gave to them, but that would wait. For now, she proceeded to answer her other concern.

"I know Shade has much to atone for, but... I'm not going anywhere. I know it will be hard to convince the king, but I have to stay with him. Being separated from me... he would be too devastated. Maverick however..." Angora then went deep in thought. She had a plan, but she didn't like it. And Maverick probably wasn't gonna either.

"Shady is my responsibility now. I can't just abandon him to be a prisoner. If I have to be one too, then so be it, but I won't leave him alone. Maverick doesn't have to come with us. He deserves far better. I know he'll want to help, but I can convince him to let go and leave everything to me. He can go with you Ilasi. I won't be in the way. And neither will Shady. I know... deep inside... is what you want. I will help Shady. And you can finally get to know Maverick properly. It will be you, him... and right, that silly buffalo too, but she likes you. I've seen it. Please take care of them while we're gone..." Angora pleaded, starting to eat her dessert before it melted. Maverick was going to have s miserable time if he went with them, so Angora was determined to make him desist his decision to come with them and stay with the mermaid instead. If one of them could find true happiness, it'll be worth it, and if someone deserved it the most, it was definetly Maverick.

Maverick tried to get loose, but the tail was coiling him like a snake with it's prey, though thankfully, it wasn't nearly as painful. Shade was in an extremely playful mood that night, to the point of annoyance. No wonder Angora liked to bully him from time to time.
"Now I see why it's a bad idea to try and sneak up to a dragon." he exclaimed, as Shade continued to taunt him with all those pokes. If all dragons could do with their tail what Shade could do, it really added to the danger of the hostile ones.
"Heard a saying once to never poke a dragon. They never said about the other way around." Maverick then added, starting to feel like Shade was treating him as his own personal toy. He had a little mountain of it on the side, yet he wasn't using any of them. Now he knew how the overworked Angora felt when taking care of him.

”Somehow I feel like I can trust you. Thats of course when most of us in this business die, but sometimes you just have to do something you dont like to get what you need” Dex said smiling a bit.
”Well looks like my client has something to say” He continued and took the scroll. He read it and put it away. ”Nothing new there really. Just more reasons to do what I asked from you. So what we still need to talk about before going? I am sure you can come up with a plan right? Thats kind of what I am paying you for” Dex said. His face was smiling a bit, but it was clear he was thinking about something.

"Oh, uh... don't be so quick to assume the worst," Ilasi said, turning away to try to hide her blushing. "Things might work out... and... and I'm not sure they would accept you, anyway," she continued. "Only suspects can be held in jail, and only criminals or prisoners of war can be held in prison... and if you were to commit a crime to be thrown in prison, I'm not quite sure they would allow you to choose who you get to serve your sentence with." Though it was a serious matter Ilasi was bringing up, it was also a conveniently timed deflection from the matter at hand, which she was still figuring out how to respond to.
"Besides, I'm sure Maverick would be much happier with you around than without you, wouldn't you agree? There has to be something else."

"I wouldn't worry about Maverick so much. He may be a kind hearted fool, but he's stronger than he lets out. He spent years alone, without me or anyone else, and as you can see, he's fine. He spent much time without me and he's fine. If he's with you and his new mount, he would be much better." Angora assured, preferring if Maverick wasn't alone. She didn't think Ilasi liked her so much, but she got along very well with Maverick and a Dahlia, and she would feel better if she had some company.

As she finished the sentence, she started pondering about Shade's future.
"As for Shady, maybe I don't have to be a prisoner. But perhaps I can just convince the king to just be one of his caretakers. He knows me. He pardoned my life and his, so maybe there's hope. Besides, you saw how Shady's with me. Shade... he's big and intimidating, but he can be such a wimp. My goal is to make his sentence as short and pleasant as possible. You saw it yourself Ilasi. Ever since that blood moon, Shady hasn't gone rogue once, and with some faith, he probably never will again. If the king and his men can see and realize that the attack back then was just a freak accident on his part, then just maybe, they can finally set him free. If they see how kind and harmless he is, they will know the truth. After all, you saw me feeding him too. Others would've probably been eaten on the spot, but he never did that. He only wants friends and be happy. I mean, doesn't everyone?" Angora explained in a very calm and serene voice, almost sounding like a different person. There wasn't a trace of sass or frustration in her voice. She just wanted Ilasi to know how she really felt. Despite all the misery Angora has been through, there was still a faint glimmer of hope in her.


Quote: cyndego

”Somehow I feel like I can trust you. Thats of course when most of us in this business die, but sometimes you just have to do something you dont like to get what you need” Dex said smiling a bit.
”Well looks like my client has something to say” He continued and took the scroll. He read it and put it away. ”Nothing new there really. Just more reasons to do what I asked from you. So what we still need to talk about before going? I am sure you can come up with a plan right? Thats kind of what I am paying you for” Dex said. His face was smiling a bit, but it was clear he was thinking about something.

"Of course. It's easy. Just climb on my shoulder. Some of the soldiers here know me, and it's not rare for some people in Redwater to have exotic pets. As long as you don't talk and behave yourself, they will let me enter to the archives with you. We search together, and once you find what you're looking for, you'll do the first payment right there in the archives." Huntress instructed, knowing that if Dex was inside and tried to escape without paying her, the soldiers would just capture him if they believed him to be an escaped pet. That way, only Huntress would have the authority to release him, which would only be after he has paid what he promised her.

Ilasi could see that Angora had a point - nevertheless, she couldn't help but have her doubts as to the efficacy of her plan. "Well, not everyone wants those things - but I see what you're getting at," she said. "There's still the matter of Shade serving the time for those he's already killed. I don't know how far reform will go in getting the king to change his mind in that regard." As they spoke, Ilasi noted Angora's much-improved tone; she seemed to be much happier, or at least more relaxed, than she was initially, which made speaking to her much easier.
"I think, in the end, it'll depend on how confident the king actually is in Shade and his reform. He only has the captain's word to take for it, and after all that... well, you know."

Angora continued eating her dessert, and indicated Ilasi to do the same before continuing the conversation.
"Well, like me, Shade did win the crowd in the arena, so that could work in his favor. And the more people see him being kind and not going rogue, the more they will realize he's just a misunderstood creature who was at the wrong place at a wrong time when that attack happened. Sere already warned me that the king may not want me on board, but I'm quite used to those odds. I do believe I can convince the monarch somehow. The arena, facing a behemoth, those aren't even half of the hard, scary things I've faced in my life. You Ilasi, you may think that you've had a hard life working overtime and trying to please people, but at least you have your beauty and heritage to your advantage. Then you have me, an ugly little troll who isn't even loved by her own kind. People have stepped on me like a cockroach and have abused me to no end, and yet here I am, alive and standing. Of course, Maverick helped me a big deal. He was the first person who ever had any kind of faith in me, and how can you forget something like that? But I didn't always have him you know..." Angora lectured, finally feeling comfortable around Ilasi. She needed to vent earlier, but now that she did, she felt so much better, and could finally talk to Ilasi without repercussions.

Ilasi understood just what Angora was getting at - she thought she understood, at least. Was Angora jealous? Or was she simply trying to get Ilasi to see things from her perspective somewhat better? She took a moment o consider her words before speaking.
"I don't know what will happen tomorrow," she said. "But I think we can make it all work out. How are we going to do that? I don't know for sure - but, if I recall correctly, the king's main wish is to see Shade make amends for the hundreds he's killed. Now, if Shade were to somehow be capable of doing something absolutely amazing for the nation... perhaps that could be enough.
"What could that possibly be? I think it might be worth looking into, and considering. Perhaps speaking to someone who's a bit more knowledgeable on the subject than we are. But I think there's a way we can make this work out for all of us." Ilasi hid her doubts this time, wanting to cheer Angora up somehow. Though Angora had been through much, she seemed somewhat hopeful now - which would be enough to get her through, she hoped.

Angora was done speaking, glad that she could finally talk to Ilasi and leave each other's previous animosity behind. Maverick did well in letting them be together for this one night, and didn't mind if there were others like this, but after tomorrow, it'll probably have to wait. The two of them finish their dessert, with Angora entering a store that was open all night and purchasing the toy Shade wanted. She made sure to write down everything she spent so that Maverick would know how much less they had, though most of the money came from what she won in the arena. When both girls returned to the ship, Angora could see Shade practically treating Maverick like a rag doll.
"Now now Shady. Remember it's not nice to play with your food." she said jokingly, trying to mellow down the shock on what she was about to say. After getting into a corner of the ship, she told her friends what she had planned. Predictably, there was some outcry, especially from Maverick. He refused to leave two friends behind, but Angora was having none of his tantrums.

"Listen to me! There's no point in BOTH of us going. I don't want you to be treated badly Maverick. Those guards can be... quite the bullies sometimes, and I have no doubt they will hold it against you for being friends with US. Besides, you don't want to leave Ilasi alone, do you? You can't possibly ask for her to join us in this. Shady is not her responsibility." Angora pointed out, with Maverick hating when she made this much sense.
"You can spend a nice time with her Maverick. You can get to know each other better and maybe even talk about us around Redwater. You can learn about the city, and maybe fine something that could help us eventually. Chances are people will still know about us and our victory in the arena, and that could work in our favor too. Please don't feel bad about us. This is only temporary." Angora assured, firmly believing that the captivity won't be a long one.

It took her almost a whole hour to convince Maverick. She didn't know what Shade thought, but he must know he has no option on the matter. With everything settled, it was time to sleep. Shade and Angora especially had to be well rested to receive the king tomorrow. Both she and Maverick slept on Shade, her on his head and the hybrid surrounded by his tail. The troll invited Ilasi to do the same if she desired, though she didn't wait to see what her decision would be. She went to sleep almost immediately, hoping and praying she wouldn't have another nightmare, but morning was coming and her sleep had been rather pleasant...

As Angora returned to the ship, so to did Risar and Leoquin-- the two having remained mostly silent other than the occasional small talk. Meanwhile, Raclaw and Chester finished eating alongside the beloved Latnok. Chester hadn't quite managed to finish the steak, but the little Beagle had made a good effort at it. And as soon they were finished eating, the trio of friends was shown to their room. It was a different room-- larger in size and slightly more luxurious than their previous offering. Latnok's bed was mostly the same, while Raclaw and Chester's bed was larger. The pillow fluff was even fluffier and a couple water bowls had even been provided nearby. "Well-- this is an improvement. They went all out today.," Raclaw said as they settled in. "It's even bigger!," Chester exclaimed as he ran to check out the oh so comfortable looking bed. It wasn't long till everyone was soundly asleep...

Ilasi did opt to take Angora up on her offer - at least for the time being. Though she was still rather uncomfortable being that close to the dragon, she decided to give it a try. Although it took awhile, she eventually managed to drift to sleep leaning against his body.

Lathok, in the meantime, gave Raclaw and Chester a bit of petting before going to sleep. If there was anyone he could trust, at least as far as a personal relationship went, it was those two.

The city, though not quite as lively as it was during the day, was still bustling at night, withmany galuds roaming the streets. Many of the more well-established places were open 24 hours, rotating staff in order to accommodate all sorts of customers. With everyone sleeping, however, there was much discussion to be had in the Aelinon capital, Tal Rogas... and most of it was not of the pleasant sort.

With the sun coming up, Sere was already out of bed, putting his armor on. Most of the ship's crew decided to sleep out in various places in town, leaving the ship mostly empty. Sere had barely stepped out of the ship, however, when he was greeted with a sight he wasn't expecting, at least not yet - a formation of several wyverns flying above near the general area of the docks. With them being so high in the sky, they had to be military wyverns - other flyers wouldn't get permission to stay as high. They soon descended on the roof of a building not too far away; though Sere could not get a clear view of the passengers, he knew exactly who they were. King Seraos and his royal guard.
Sere strolled over to Shade, and those sleeping with him. "Rise and shine," he called out. "The king will be here before long. Get ready."

Angora yawned widely, clearly still sleepy.
"Seriously? Boy does his magesty has some... questionable timing. Not only does he makes us wait for an entire day, he also makes up wake up at the very crack of dawn." she complained, rubbing the sleep off her eyes. Yesterday's stuffing combined with Shade's warm skin and blossoming friendship with Ilasi made her sleep very well, though now she wished the slumber could've laser longer.

Maverick got up and immediately stretched, giving a smile to his three friends.
"Good morning to you too Angorita. Don't worry. You'll wake up well after a breakfast..." he expressed, wondering if he should make something to the king too, believing that maybe appealing to him that way would help them. He was almost a celebrity with his cooking, so perhaps it could help a little. Or maybe he could ask? He still wasn't certain, but since the ship's kitchen was the closest, that's where he headed. Dahlia's food could wait for now.

Sere stood out on the dock, watching as King Seraos and his royal guards made their approach. There was no mistaking him; his uniform and that of his guards was a dead giveaway. Though many people gave the king greetings in passing, none stopped to bow before him, and he didn't seem to care.
The king and his entourage were moving with a purpose; a determined pace as opposed to a slow, leisurely one. Soon, he would end up at the ganplank of the boats, where Sere would be waiting.
"Good morning, King Seraos," Sere offered in greeting. "I take it you have received my message?"
"Yes, I have," the king said. "Unfortunately, the situation for our nation as of late has become somewhat more urgent. It would appear that the Silvianestians are attempting to cause turmoil within our nation - to weaken us."
"How would you know this?" Sere asked.
"The magic. They must've thought they were clever... but my mages have analyzed it. Ancient elven magic of some sort. It's something that your average thug isn't going to get their hands no. This, timed with their increased military preparation - it's clear what they intend to do. And, despite their warmongering, I need to delay this from happening. Though I do not doubt that we would be victorious if we were to get into a war, it would be a Pyrrhic victory at best at this point. And that's not something I'm willing to risk. I want complete and utter domination - that is what will be best for our people. To that end, we need planning and preparation... I'll have to temper the peoples' desire for war until then.
"Enough about that, though. Those are Aelinon's own concerns - though you will likely not bother yourself with such matters, you should be aware that such things may indirectly affect the Ardent Guardians. We know why we're meeting here right now. Let's see the creature." Sere beckoned to Shade, calling him to come forth.

As Latnok petted him-- Raclaw had leaned into the petting and directed the Guardian's hands towards a couple more sensitive spots. And although he normally wouldn't have been seen embracing such an act, Latnok was different. He and Latnok had formed a powerful bond. The man was not only his best friend, but now also his owner and his human. There was no longer any point in hiding the fact that he had secretly enjoyed being petted all along. And as their eyes closed and the sun arose -- Chester was the first of two four-legged friends to awake.

As the little Beagle opened his eyes, he found himself wrapped in comfort and security. Beneath him lied the comfortable pillow-soft bed, aside him lied the comfortable Raclaw, and around his neck lied the secure feeling of being owned. The genuine premium leather lied comfortably against his neck and told him that his beloved friends would never leave him. The loop of leather wasn't going anywhere and neither was he. This was his new life now-- traveling alongside his two beloved companions, seeing the world for the first time, and possibly soaring the skies. The so-called 'double loop' meant that he could be secured safely on Raclaw's back. And hoped to one day soar among the clouds again. As he gently moved out of the beloved Fur Dragon's wing, he observed that Raclaw was still seemingly sound asleep. He looked up at where Latnok would've been sleeping. 'Yes-- this is my life now.,' he thought to himself with a smile. He was owned, he was loved, and.. he was happy.

Elsewhere, Risar had awoken as well. The large minotaur had returned alongside Leoquin and had noticed that many had stayed in the city-- Raclaw and Latnok included. The fur dragon and his now owner had no doubt gone off to see the sights; he had never seen Raclaw so happy until this last month or two. It would be the first of many months for the newly claimed dragon. It was ironic... he had escaped that life and Raclaw had ran back towards it. Risar briefly felt his brand before getting ready and soon joining the others on deck. To his surprise, the king has already showed up and looked as if he was already claiming the now stable dragolet known as Shade. The large minotaur stood aside Sere, watching but not interfering.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

Shade looked at Angora and Maverick. “Stay quiet and don’t say a word unless spoken to.” Shade said knowing he would not want to insult the king. He then came forward and gave a formal bow of respect.

Maverick was disappointed that he didn't managed to get into the kitchen in time. Leaving right now might be seen as rude, so he decided to just wait what the king had to say before he offered some food. He doubted the king would want food from a commoner, but there was nothing wrong with asking. For now, he remained silent as instructed.

Angora remained quiet as well, preferring to leave Shade do the request. As the king approached, she heard everything he was saying. She knew it was wrong to feel this way, but she was actually glad a nation had the guts and resources to attack the cruel, greedy Aelinonians. The king said so himself. His objective was total control. There was nothing more greedy than that. That would mean expanding their brutal nation and unfair laws around the world, and also expand their resources and power, most likely have more of those always hungry behemoths. While it wasn't nice to wish harm upon anybody, especially knowing innocents would be involved, Angora believed it was about time somebody gave the bratty king and his racist men a taste of their own medicine.

"That would be correct," King Seraos responded politely, pleased by Shade's seemingly docile demeanor. His men stood on high alert, weapons trained should Shade happen to go rogue - Seraos, however, was nonetheless confident in his own safety. "So is it true that you are in control of yourself? That you can control your abilities? Please demonstrate for us. Face the ocean and let us see a breath of fire."
Leoquin, for once, was waking up a bit earlier. As soon as he stepped out onto the main deck, he saw King Seraos speaking with Sere - no doubt the matter of Shade was under discussion. Ilasi was standing off to the side - not knowing quite what to do. Though it would be polite to greet the king, he hadn't addressed her yet - so she would wait.

Latnok slowly began to rouse from sleep. He somewhat lethargically brought himself up, sitting on the edge of his bed, when he saw Chester already up and about. "Hey, Chester," Latnok greeted, as he he extended a hand to the dog, offering some petting.

Quote:

Latnok slowly began to rouse from sleep. He somewhat lethargically brought himself up, sitting on the edge of his bed, when he saw Chester already up and about. "Hey, Chester," Latnok greeted, as he he extended a hand to the dog, offering some petting.

"Morning!," Chester barked accepting the petting. Raclaw slowly began to stir, but hadn't yet awoken.

Angora didn't like the idea of the king forcing his powers out. That could make things return to the very beginning. It had to run it's course, let the power return in it's own time. She however, decided not to speak just yet, not wanting the king or his men to think she was rudely interrupting such an important conversation. For now, it was better to just let Shade handle things for a while.

While Maverick wanted to be present to see the progress, he figured this may take a while, and while Shade and the king talked, he left the ship to attend Dahlia, who was terrified. Having so many wyverns nearby was panicking her severely. Maverick offered her some oats, which she ate after much hesitation. He stayed with her for a while, wanting to ease up her poor nerves.

"Dormant powers? ...that doesn't sound right," King Seraos said. "You're telling me that after all you have done - all of my people you have killed, and as much of our city you have destroyed - you have no capabilities whatsoever? You WILL show me some fire," he demanded, clearly incredulous in regards to Shade's claims. "If you are powerless, then you are worthless to me and my people - and if you are worthless, what do you expect me to do with you?" Sere continued to observe - he himself wasn't quite sure about the situation with Shade's powers himself, so would watch and wait.

Latnok smiled as he gave Chester a slow pet, and a scratch behind the ears. "Well, I guess we'll just wait for our buddy to get up now," he said. "What are you thinking about for breakfast this morning?"

Angora was baffled by the young king's reactions. Why was it so important to him for Shade to have his powers? She would've expected him to be pleased with the news. She was confused.
"Sire? Pardon the intrusion, but if I may, please, but... don't you think it's better if he doesn't have any powers? That way, he can't hurt anybody again, at least not in the same way. I'm sure there are some other ways for him to be useful..." Angora said in a very submissive tone, getting in front of her dragolet friend. If the king wanted him WITH powers, she had no doubt there had to be a very good reason. She had no doubt the brat would consider going as far as to sentence him to the arena again, or even immediate death if Shade didn't please him...

With Dahlia Maverick stayed, not wanting to leave her alone in her fear. He was tempted to bring her to the ship, but Shade was there, and he didn't want to risk the buffalo running in a panic while the king was there. Dirt buffalos weren't domestic animals, so he didn't want any tragedies.

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Latnok smiled as he gave Chester a slow pet, and a scratch behind the ears. "Well, I guess we'll just wait for our buddy to get up now," he said. "What are you thinking about for breakfast this morning?"

"Hmmm...," Chester said tilting his head as Latnok scratched. "I want something with bacon.," he then said looking up at the beloved Guardian. As he spoke-- he licked his chops and thought back to something bacon wrapped. At that very moment, Raclaw's senses had began to awaken and the telepathic Fur Dragon inadvertently picked up on the little Beagle's thought. "Bacon-- someone's thinking about bacon.," Raclaw said he immediately began to arouse from his sleep. The juicy aroma began to feel senses and he could almost taste the fat-filled meat from thought alone. "Raclaw-- you're up!," Chester said immediately running towards him. "Morning Chester! I'm up-- I'm up.," he said with a smile as the two briefly nuzzled.

"Without powers, he's as useful to Aelinon as a crippled, fragile behemoth," the king said. "That won't do at all, would it? If he is to serve us, we will take everything he can give us." The king looked on as Shade cast his most unusual fire breath - seemingly pleased. "I see..." he said. "Besides the odd coloration, it seems perfectly serviceable. How much power can you create on a larger scale, however? That is something that we will be wanting to test. I think the best place to do that would be the arena - at least as far as practicality goes. You like the taste of blood, do you not? I might not be willing to give you the innocent lives you were so willing to throw away, but we'll give you something."

Angora was relieved that the king didn't make a big deal out of her interruptions, and seemed to ignore her when Shade finally pleased him, but dropped her relief when she heard the infernal word arena.
"Sire please! Anything but that! Please! One fight was enough! Shade is not a violent monster. That time was just a freak accident! He didn't want to hurt anyone. You heard him! He doesn't like killing!" Angora pleaded, not wanting that horrid event to repeat itself. Just why this greedy boy was so interested in Shade's power? Angora didn't know exactly why, but she was getting some ideas, and didn't like either of them.

"I do not need your groveling," the king said to Angora. "What I need is for this creature here to be able to give Aelinon everything it has. If he is to serve us, we will want him to be able to do everything that is within his capability. Failing that, he is useful for little more than manual labor, and at that point we would be much better off flaying him for his scales and leaving the rest to a behemoth." The king expectantly waited for Shade's response - Sere did not seem to be too concerned at the moment, having fulfilled his part of the obligation, and Ilasi could do no more but impotently watch the scene unfold. Leoquin was rather pleased with the development; he never liked that creature, and now he wouldn't have to deal with him anymore.

Angora simply lowered her head and said nothing else, but how she wished she could give this bratty king the beating of his life. It didn't surprise her one bit that they were being attacked. Probably by a nation they have tormented for much time. As wrong as she believed it was, it actually made her very glad somebody was finally turning the tables against them, and hopefully, it would be kept that way. She has seen elves in action and they were powerful enough as they were. She has heard about the Silvianestians, and what nasty pieces of work they could be, so they were a foe that would no doubt give this stupid monarch and his precious army a really hard time.

Back at the docks, Dahlia's panic turned into extreme uneasiness. She didn't even mind the wyverns anymore. She just looked at the ship... very depressed.
"What is it girl? Our friends are there, yes. Let's pray for them mi hermosa. The king is with them. Let's pray for him to have mercy. And for our friends to get out of this one. They have suffered enough." Maverick said to the dirt buffalo, resting his head on her forehead. Dahlia leaned in too, sensing his distress. She kept looking at the ship, knowing there was a tense air out there. She has grown fond of Angora, and knew Shade didn't mean her any harm. Like Maverick, she also wished they would be fine...

"Then it is settled," the king said. "We will need to see where your capabilities lie at the moment. In order to ensure that you are safe for use, however, we will need some more thorough testing. Though I think the arena would be a fine environment for you, I am not willing to risk the lives of innocent people before getting a better idea of your control and capabilities. We will escort you to an open spot in the mountains where you may give us a more effective demonstration."

"Bacon - sounds good for all of us," Latnok said, pleased to see that Raclaw had finally gotten up. "Let me get ready, and I'll begin to get our food as soon as I'm done." Latnok began to put his armor on like he did every morning - despite the more relaxed environment, it was just a part of who he was at this point. Once he had it on, he left Raclaw and Chester upstairs - though he didn't stop them from following him - and headed to the lobby.
"Good morning, sir! How may I help you?" the clerk asked.
"I would like bacon - two larger plates for me and a fur dragon, and a smaller plate for a beagle, as well as water for all of us."
"We'll get that ready for you in just a moment, sir," the clerk said as she walked away.

Angora looked at Shade, knowing he was in for a miserable time. King Seraos was really determined to have him, and with him so interested in having a dragolet with powers, Angora couldn't help having a bad feeling about this. Something was definetly up if the young monarch was so eager to take possession of someone whose power caused mass destruction once before.
"Your magesty... if I may again please, I would like to go with Shade. I can help with his powers. I have spent much time with him and nobody understands him better than I do..." Angora asked very mildly, not letting her negative feelings get in the way of her politeness. With the way the king was treating Shade, she wasn't certain if he would accept his request of having her, but maybe if she did, or if they both did, he would consider it...

The king pondered Angora's request for a moment. On one hand, she did seem to calm the creature with her presence; on the other hand, she had shown to be willing to go to extremely great lengths to protect Shade, a trait which would definitely cause problems with some of their tests. "I may consider what you are asking, but tell me, why should I trust that you will keep yourself in check this time?" the king politely asked her. "We aren't sending him to a day care here. He will be pushed, until we deem him capable of serving our nation."

Angora remained calm when she heard the king was at least taking her proposition into consideration. She had been expecting an immediate no and that she would had to deploy too much persuasion, so the fact that there wasn't an immediate denial was a start. However, she despised the possibility of Shade being tortured, or as the brat so gently put it, pushed, but she knew that with a cruel nation like this, she couldn't be too defiant.
"King, I have seen your laws in action. I have fought in the arena. Experienced your power. Faced a behemoth. Been to two Aelinonian prisons. You think I want to repeat that? All I want is to keep Shade company. He listens to me. I understand him and his powers. And he's calm around me. All I want is to help." Angora explained serenely, keeping her great frustration buried deeply inside. She was so angry at the injustice being done. This was all too unfair. It was now that she started to realize that the Guardian's overwhelming patience with Shade was due to them having a mission, not for having a heart. Her fear of them was turning into hatred. How evil were they really? Even so, Angora knew she couldn't do anything for now except convince the king to let her come so that she could keep taking care of Shade and make his experience as a prisoner as easy as possible.