darkSpyro

The king was quick with his response. "I will grant you the permission to accompany him, for as long as we find it acceptable," he said. "Do not intervene in our endeavors regarding him." Sere gave a nod - he cared little for what happened to Shade past this point, confident that Aelinon would be fully capable of controlling him. The only issue they might run into was not being able to draw upon his powers like they hoped; and then, what would they do?

Dex thought for a bit ”Well I am not so exotic if I dont say anything. Just a big black fox..... of course Thats not something you see everyday, but there is many much more exotic creatures here so Yea we should not get too much attention. Very Well then lets go with that then. I am sure you have your own plan to make sure the deal will go like agreed. So i just say that i have my ways of doing that too, so lets just make sure there is no need for that kind of plans” Dex said and smiled a bit ” Lets go then” he continued

That day yesterday, Huntress went to the archives with Dex in tow, gaining easy access with just using her face. Whoever were the guards, they seem to know her well. They entered there. She asked for the information. Nobody was interested in asking about Dex, probably assuming she just gained a new pet in her travels. She asked a little about information, but nothing in the archives seemed to have Brotherhood of Assassins in it.

There was, however, something that commented about a certain band of outlaws that worked in the borders and outskirts of Aelinon. Despite the Aelinonian's best resources, they never seemed able to capture individuals of this mysterious band. A few of their captures were suspected to be part of this group, but they never confessed to anything, not even with all the interrogation and torture they employed. These individuals even seemed immune to truth magic and truth serums.
"Well... here it is little fox. It says nothing about your precious brotherhood gang, but it sounds like this document may be describing them. They do sound like a very dangerous bunch indeed. Takes guts to defy Aelinon and it's laws." Huntress commented, even feeling some admiration for these assassins, if it turned out the document was indeed describing them.

Quote: A Guy

The king was quick with his response. "I will grant you the permission to accompany him, for as long as we find it acceptable," he said. "Do not intervene in our endeavors regarding him." Sere gave a nod - he cared little for what happened to Shade past this point, confident that Aelinon would be fully capable of controlling him. The only issue they might run into was not being able to draw upon his powers like they hoped; and then, what would they do?

Angora gave a low nod in thanks, simulating a bow. She just didn't respected him that much to give him a genuine one. With the king finally accepting her, Angora climbed to Shade's back to get a better view on where they were going, ready to be lead away. Before doing so however, she glanced at Sere, and started speaking to him telepathically.
"I hope you're happy now. You and your protégée did this. As always, you get what you want. Why do you hate us this much? I defeated Darkmatter, helped greatly in the fight against the White Shadow. Cushioned you and Veris' fall in the ocean. I even encouraged you to find Latnok when you were so willing to abandon him... and yet... you continued to be cruel. How can you be so evil? May Orion have mercy on you and your wicked ingratitude..." she commented in his mind, wanting to let him know before her and Shade's departure just how low she thought of him now. She had no doubt in her heart that Sere and Latnok were beyond redemption. The latter had learned just how much misery he caused her, yet he never made one single attempt to amend things. It just brought Angora to the conclusion that Latnok just liked to be abusive.

As King Seraos made his decision, Maverick was climbing the gangplank after Dahlia convinced him to go back to the ship, managing to hear the monarch's last sentence. Did that mean Angora managed to convince him? Had to be. It filled him with extreme sadness. It meant that he would have to say goodbye to his friends, probably for a very long time.

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"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.

Raclaw and Chester remained in the room, the later very much eager for the soon-to-be bacon. The two beloved companions didn't seem to be complaining very much about their current lot in life. Little did Raclaw know that the king had arrived early and that Shade and Angora would be departing soon.

Sere simply ignored Angora's response, feeling that any attempt to talk with her at this point was both futile and unnecessary. He would, of course, be watching the preliminary results of Shade's testing. "If you give me a ride to the western pen immediately outside the city, I will bring my wyvern," Sere said to the king. "The biggest possible concern I see is that Shade's powers are too drained to be usable for any prolonged period of time."
"Drained? Care to elaborate?" King Seraos asked, somewhat irate though he tried to hide it.
"Shade's powers were effectively exhausted during the blood moon," Sere clarified. "Which is what he meant by them being 'dormant.' Though some power has manifested, it's not of the same kind that he had before. The extent to which he can use these new powers is unknown at the moment; they're likely not going to be as 'interesting' as the old ones.'"
The king put his head down and shook it in thought. This would drastically complicate things were it to be true. There was only one way to find out, however. "We'll learn what the extent of his powers are during testing," he said. "Mount up on my wyvern, Sere, and we'll head to the pen. The rest of my men will guide the creature to our destination."

Latnok eventually came back with three plates full of bacon, delicately balanced. Carefully, he set down his own plate on his bed, and set down the other two plates on the floor for Raclaw and Chester to eat.
"After we're done here, we're going to head back to the ship to see if we have any new orders," Latnok said. "Then we'll see what needs to be done today."

Angora wasn't surprised with Sere's reaction. She did the comment to take her feelings off her chest, not to implant guilt on his empty conscience. She knew that wasn't going to work, but it made her feel slightly better saying that to his heartless self.

What made her feel better though, was Maverick approaching. She leaned over from Shade's back. Using one arm, Maverick hugged Angora, and Shade's belly with the other.
"Don't worry Maverick. We have been through worse. Take care of yourself and Ilasi. And that silly buffalo too." Angora commented, cleaning his tears so that the rest couldn't see how absolutely devastated he was. If she wasn't going to see him in a long time, Angora would rather remember him without tears and happy, but since the latter was impossible, she comically forced a smile on him, using her fingers to lift his chicks. Satisfied with the image, Angora climbed Shade's back again, ready to be escorted...

Having said goodbye, Maverick didn't want to remain there to see his friends disappear into the horizon. He was planning on making the king a meal, but he felt too depressed to do so. He wouldn't have minded another one of Shade's sloppy licks, but a nuzzle had been enough. Having finally said farewell, the hybrid headed to the ship's stairs, willing to enter his old cabin. He ignored everybody, even Ilasi, and made himself scarce. Angora was gloom, but she didn't show it. She knew how hard this was on him, and she didn't minded his decision to not be present when they left. She believed she would've probably done the same in his position...

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Latnok eventually came back with three plates full of bacon, delicately balanced. Carefully, he set down his own plate on his bed, and set down the other two plates on the floor for Raclaw and Chester to eat.
"After we're done here, we're going to head back to the ship to see if we have any new orders," Latnok said. "Then we'll see what needs to be done today."

Raclaw offered a nod before chowing down the bacon, with Chester doing the same. Risar had continued to watch the Shade and the others depart; a small part of him felt pity for the poor dragolet. He had seen how hard he had worked to controlled his powers-- and now he would be forced to use them for the good of Aelinon. He was also somewhat pleased that Maverick had chosen to remain aboard, the Hybrid actually having earned some respect in his eyes.

"Let's move on, then," Seraos ordered. "We don't have time to waste." Before long, his men left in order to bring over their wyverns - but then, a figure from the shadows seemed to appear from thin air.
"Laszur," the king said. "Thanks for coming to me - much earlier than I had expected. I have heard good things about you." Laszur gave a quick nod but remained silent. "I have a very, very important mission for you. But that we can talk about later. Please get your wyvern and follow us." Seraos then turned to answer Shade, as Laszur left to get his wyvern.
"A letter every week? If your friend stays on this continent, then we will grant you that. However, if he is to head back out to the sea, he will be unreachable to us. That is a matter that will be resolved once we have tested the extent of your powers."
Once all of the discussion at the ship was complete, the various people in the party all worked to get to their corresponding mounts. Eventually, they would begin their flight out of Redwater and to a rather barren area.

Once the group was finished with all of their food, they would eventually leave the inn, with Latnok leaving the dishes and paying the appropriate costs. With the city beginning to bustle again with the rising sun, they began to head towards the Enduring Legacy, when Latnok caught a glimpse of several wyverns in the sky - along with Shade. Though he couldn't identify the wyverns, he knew who the riders were - the king and his entourage.

Even with the letters, Angora wasn't feeling any better. She felt empty. Emotionless. Once again, they had to be in this infernal city, enduring who knows how many cruel tortures and humiliations. The only thing she looked forward to was those letters, and show everyone how wrong they were about Shade. Knowing Maverick already left and didn't hear Shade's request, Angora located him inside the ship with her powers and spoke to him telepathically. He was sobbing uncontrollably in his old cabin, using a blanket to drown out the sound. Angora explained to him about the letter, stopping his crying but still sniffling. Letters were better than nothing... but that would mean he would have to stay in Redwater. What about Ilasi? Would she accept staying in the city too? Or will she decide to keep journeying in the ship? He really wanted to communicate with his friends even if it meant staying in the city that still caused them much misery, but at the same time, he didn't want to displease the mermaid. He would have to consult it with her to see what she would decide...

Dahlia crouched down when she saw the wyverns in action, not wanting to be mistaken as prey. Why were there so many? This defied nature in her opinion, but she remained hidden around the poll, remaining still and using the ship's shadow to further conceal herself.

'Shade.,' Raclaw thought as he looked up at the distant Wyverns. Part of him had wanted to say goodbye to Angora, who had no doubt gone with him. It looked like the king came early, however, and that he had missed that last opportunity. He had also hoped to somehow resolve the awkward silence that had formed between Latnok and Angora. It mattered not now, although he did wonder if Maverick had gone with them as well. And what of Dalia the dirt buffalo? Even if Mav had wanted to go-- Dahlia couldn't fly and had rejected several opportunities to go free.

"Good luck Shade.," he attempted to telecommunicate to Shade via the still powerful bond that formed between him and the Dragolet long ago. Despite everything Shade had done-- he still believed that Shade at least deserved a chance at redeeming himself in the eyes of society. He had also wanted to mention Angora in the message, but wasn't sure what to say and thus-- kept it simple.

As the wyverns moved out, Ilasi couldn't help but sypathize with Maverick - how he must be feeling right now. Though she didn't want to embarrass him, she figured that it would be best to talk to him. So she waited some time - for the most immediate, strong emotions Maverick had to be released - before heading to his cabin to speak with him, beginning by knocking on his door.

"Eh, Shade got whatever was coming to him," Latnok said. "Stupid decision led to people getting killed. I have no sympathy for him suffering the consequences." Latnok kept moving on as if nothing had happened at all. "So with Godfather Sere not being here, it looks like we're free again for now. What are you looking to do today?"

Once Sere had retrieved Veris, the group began their travels to the testing grounds - some badlands in the former war zone now under Aelinon control. The flight was at a rather grueling pace - the men fully expected Shade to keep up. Veris was having a much better time of the flight than the other wyverns, on account of being much better maintained.

As Angora remained on Shade's back, flying for the first time in more than a month, she was depressed that Shade's first flight in a long time wasn't in better conditions. She looked below and wasn't surprised to see the miserable place they were in. No doubt work of these greedy, evil Aelinonians. They were like a disgusting disease that made the world sick, destroying everything, expanding territory, wanting nothing but power and control. For how long will they keep all this barbarity? When will they finally be satisfied?

Quote: A Guy

As the wyverns moved out, Ilasi couldn't help but sypathize with Maverick - how he must be feeling right now. Though she didn't want to embarrass him, she figured that it would be best to talk to him. So she waited some time - for the most immediate, strong emotions Maverick had to be released - before heading to his cabin to speak with him, beginning by knocking on his door.

"Come in..." Maverick answered bluntly, wiping all the tears and snot from his face. Despite not wanting to be seen crying, his face did nothing to conceal it. It was red with both fury and sorrow, and his eyes were blue and swollen. It looked more like he had a beating than anything else. He knew it was Ilasi. Who else could it be, really? Knowing his face was most likely a mess, he made sure he was turned away from her when she entered, finding it disgraceful that a lady like her should see a man with such despicable appearance.

After reaching a suitable clearing, the king gave the order to land, and everyone in tow followed along. The group ended up descending on a rather clear space, with nothing but large rocks to mark the areas around.
As Sere dismounted, he ordered Veris off to the side. The wyvern obliged, creating suitable distance for the testing. Sere was on standby, unsure of what the results of whatever this testing would be.
Once the king and his men were assembled, he moved right along. "Let's start off simple. That large chunk of rock over there - I want you to use your power to destroy it," he ordered Shade.

Ilasi opened the door, seeing Maverick's stance as she came in. She knew how he felt, and out of respect, she wouldn't ask him to face her. Instead, she came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll be all right..." she said as confidently as she could.

Angora remained on Shade's back after the landing, looking at him encouragingly and nodding.
"I believe he means your inner magic Shady." Angora whispered, firmly believing the king was more interested in his magic and elemental powers than anything else. There was nothing either of them could do right now except have Shade obey whatever stupid commands he was instructed. She gave him a mini massage, hoping her touch would be enough to wake at least some of his resting powers. Their bond was strong. She could feel it. She didn't need that collar or some disgusting Guardian magic to sense and feel what her friend was feeling.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi opened the door, seeing Maverick's stance as she came in. She knew how he felt, and out of respect, she wouldn't ask him to face her. Instead, she came over and put a hand on his shoulder. "They'll be all right..." she said as confidently as she could.

Not wanting to face her, Maverick replied.
"I know they will. It's just... why us? Why them? I have seen unspeakable evil in my time without them ever getting punished. But them? They have done so much good Ilasi. Much you haven't even heard of. Why does this keep happening to us? Why Godfather Sere allows this? What did we do to deserve this? To deserve his hatred? This... is this life's idea of a joke?" Maverick vented, like Angora, believing everything was so unfair. This was one of the few rare times where his optimism faltered.

"The same sort of power you used to destroy so much of our precious city," the king said intolerantly. "Get on with it. We don't have all day." As he indicated, his men stayed on guard, ready to protect their king, and Sere remained attentive.

"Maverick..." Ilasi didn't know exactly how to phrase what she meant to say, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. "What Shade did.. that will be a very hard thing for Aelinon to forgive. From their perspective, Shade knew what could happen, and..." Ilasi realized what she was doing, and didn't want to put Maverick in a worse mood, so she changed course.
"There's just so much to do. There won't be anything that satisfies everyone. But if Shade perseveres... there may be an end in sight. And then? Everyone's free to leave..." Ilasi couldn't talk about Sere's involvement in the situation - she wasn't quit sure how much influence he had in the matter, or if he cared enough to utilize it.

Maverick understood Ilasi. It just angered him how Shade being at the wrong place at the wrong time, or even more frustratingly, his powers acting up in such an inhabited place, lead to all this mess. And all because he was doing the noble attempt to find Angora a doctor when Blue's castle blew up. It was all a chain reaction, a disastrous domino effect that lead to all this misery. Despite still feeling lousy, he was glad that he at least had Ilasi with him. He turned around, but not completely. Ilasi could only see him from his side.
"Gracias for being here with me Ilasi. You have no idea how much it means to me to have at least one person here who doesn't hate us. I... I still have faith that my friends will get out of this one. Not sure about Oscurito, but Angorita... she has been through so much, and no matter how grim everything sees, she always triumphs. Oscurito will do fine if he has her. She... she doesn't look like it at first, but she really is a great friend. And she likes you very much Ilasi, even if she doesn't show it so directly." Maverick assured, managing to muster a smile despite the depression he still felt. The fact that Angora asked Maverick to take care of her was already an indication.

Quote: A Guy

"The same sort of power you used to destroy so much of our precious city," the king said intolerantly. "Get on with it. We don't have all day." As he indicated, his men stayed on guard, ready to protect their king, and Sere remained attentive.

As Angora waited for Shade's progress, the only thing she absolutely despised was the fact that Sere was present. She could tolerate the king and his men to some degree, but she was so disgusted with the old Guardian's presence it was even making her sick. Just why did he had to be present everywhere? Why couldn't she be free of the sore eyes he was? He was worse than a porcupine quill stuck in the neck, or a mosquito buzzing in your ear to suck out your blood and give you some mortal disease. Nevertheless, Angora was determined to ignore him like the cruel, greedy rat he was.

Angora didn't like where this was going. She got off as Shade instructed, but his new request was a bold one. Sere was still a paranoid control freak, and she knew that the only way he would oblige was if the king himself made the request. She looked at the young monarch submissively, nodding. If there was any hope for Shade to get rid of his ridiculous limitation, this was the moment. The king was adamant in having a Shade with powers, and only being free of his vulgar choker would get him what he wanted. She trusted Shade. After such a horrendous display of power during the blood moon, Angora believed he released all that extra energy that was making him so unstable, and that he finally had power he could control.

At the docks, Dahlia has fallen asleep, having exhausted herself being panicked by the wyverns' presence, combined with the feast of oats she had for breakfast.

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"Eh, Shade got whatever was coming to him," Latnok said. "Stupid decision led to people getting killed. I have no sympathy for him suffering the consequences." Latnok kept moving on as if nothing had happened at all. "So with Godfather Sere not being here, it looks like we're free again for now. What are you looking to do today?"

Raclaw initially said nothing and tried to get the thoughts regarding Shade out of his head. "Hmm...," he then said thinking of an potencial activity. As he thought and walked, he moved his wings slightly as if getting antsy. Chester looked up at him and knew what he was thinking. "You know-- I was thinking. We should probably test these fancy new attachments for real at least once before we leave the city. To get an actual idea of how they perform while in the air.," he then said as he lifted his tail to empathise the tail ring that contained one halve of the so-called 'double loop' system. As much as he enjoyed being spoiled and sleeping in almost luxurious surroundings -- he was still an dragon and even the most landlocked dragon had to flex his wings sometime.

"No. Absolutely not," Sere insisted. "We have no idea how much destruction you will cause should all of your restraints be removed. This is why we are undergoing testing. I will loosen the restraints on your collar as you move along." The king, not being an expert on the subject, deferred to Sere in regards to it - much like he did with any one of his more knowledgeable personnel.

But Angora had already foreseen this predictable outcome. Having known, she knew exactly what to say.
"Fine. Don't take the collar off. But his majesty won't be able to see the power he wants." Angora commented, almost as if challenging Sere's authority and influence. The king was very insistent in seeing Shade's powers in actions, and the only way to do it was if the dragolet's limitations were eliminated. Shade's powers were dormant enough as they were, and the collar was making things worse.

"When we are ready to push Shade's boundaries, I'll shut down the power drain on Shade's collar," Sere assured King Seraos. "We cannot take any inappropriate risks before we can fully assess what will happen." Sere wasn't happy witb Angora's interference, and thought as much would happen - but he let her be for now.

Ilasi's thoughts returned to the previous night with the mention of Angora. She had so much pent-up frustration that she couldn't help but take it out on others. But what would happen to her if she was finally left in peace?
Ilasi reciprocated Maverick's smile. "I'm glad to be here for you," she said. "Please, do take care of yourself."

Once Shade was done talking, Angora backed away and gave an aside scowl to Sere, proceeding to ignore him like before. She just hated him so much right now. All this time conspiring against them, with her thinking once before that he and Latnok were finally growing a heart and that was the reason they were helping Shade, but all this time, his training was to make him one of the bratty king's weapons. There couldn't be another explaination as to why king Seraos wanted a Shade with powers. Something that infuriated her even more is that most of the dragolet's training and all of his caring and wellbeing had been because to her, and Sere was taking all the credit.

She noticed however, how tense he became when she did the comment, and that pleased her considerably. She only needed to be on good terms with the king, who had more power than Sere, and as long as she was with the monarch, the old Guardian had no power over her. If she could keep challenging his arguments and influence like this and give him a hard time with the king, it would be the only thing that could make her happy. She wanted to make Sere's life as miserable as he has made hers.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi's thoughts returned to the previous night with the mention of Angora. She had so much pent-up frustration that she couldn't help but take it out on others. But what would happen to her if she was finally left in peace?
Ilasi reciprocated Maverick's smile. "I'm glad to be here for you," she said. "Please, do take care of yourself."

Maverick nodded, determined to do the same with Ilasi. It was then that he remembered what Angora communicated to him.
"Well, at least I'll be still hearing about them. Angora told me that the king would allow her and Oscurito to write me letters, as long as I remain in the city where they can reach me... I... I can't ask you to stay here in Redwater with me if you don't want to. I know that the ship will be on the move again soon and that you may want to go, and if that's the case... well, the letters can wait I guess. I don't want to leave you alone, so whatever you decide, I'll accept it." Maverick said respectfully, hoping that Ilasi would make the decision of staying in Redwater so that Maverick could stay with her, but at the same time write and receive letters from his friends. However was willing to accept her decision to go at sea again if that's what she desired.

The king gave a nod, and his men - and Laszur - complied, giving Shade ample room to use his powers. "Well, we're waiting!" the king called out. He felt as if the testing had been delayed long enough - he didn't have much time to lose with the events happening.
Once he called out, he signalled Laszur to step off to the side, meeting him a bit away from the others.
"My king," Laszur said simply. He didn't bow - King Seraos was apparently not one for that sort of thing.
"I've heard very good things about you, Laszur," the king said. "Which is why I have an important task for you. I need you to lead a team into Silvianesti and capture the princess in any way you can."

Angora was quite surprised. It was rare to see Shade's power in action, but even more so seeing him in control. She could feel the heat, but it was bearable from that distance. Most of Shade's power surges in the past had almost always been through nightmares, which she always managed to control until much later when they got worse and harder to contain the nearer the blood moon. Shade almost never used his powers in his travels with her and Maverick, not even with prey, since he never had the need. This was quite the spectacle, but one that also displeased her given poor Shade was being lractically force to get his powers into light.

Before the display, Angora couldn't help overhearing the king's conversation with Laszur, especially when she recognized the galud as the same one that kidnapped Maverick near Orcford and that captured her in the Redwater border shortly after Shade caused the destruction. She found it despicable how the king would go as far as to abduct a monarch of another land just cause his precious dictatorship was being challenged. Even so, this was an issue she wasn't going to get into, so she left matters alone, though deeply desiring Laszur would fail. She didn't like him after everything he has done to them.

"They think they can just attack our people so brazenly and then deny those attacks? They think we're stupid," King Seraos continued. "We won't let them attack our people with impunity. The princess will be in her capital - from what we know, she doesn't have a large escort. Take her and kill whoever stops you. Don't even bother hiding who did it - you only need stealth insofar as completing your mission is concerned. When we have her, their king will come to the negotiation table - from there, we will ensure that these attacks stop, or else his daughter will be executed."
Laszur nodded along as the king spoke. He had no questions - he didn't even care much as to why he had his mission, as long as he was fulfilling the will of Aelinon. He soon stepped off to get his wyvern.
The king turned his attention back towards Shade. "No, no, no!" he berated. "Did you burn our city? No! Where are the shockwaves you used to collapse homes and kill innocent children? You will show me."

Ilasi, upon hearing Maverick's offer, was torn, and it showed. "I wish I could, but... I'm under contract," she said. "I'm bound to the ship until the job is done. I... can't just leave..." If Sere wanted to, he would br able to hold her accountable via the signed documents. "I have to go. Please... understand. Come with me." Ilasi's voice held a tinge of guilt - she knew there was little she could do in the situation, but felt bad nonetheless.

The king's childish tantrum repulsed Angora. Not only was he berating Shade for not using the power he wanted, he was going as far as to consider excecution the monarch of another land just because they were challenging his authority. She had no doubts that the nation that attacked Redwater were merely getting even and defending themselves from them. If king Seraos already said that he wanted to conquer everything, then it wasn't strange to think the elven community was attacked first. Elves were powerful, but generally peaceful.

But Shade was her only responsibility. As much as Angora wanted to say something about the developing situation, she was afraid her opinion would be taken the wrong way and would face a severe punishment, maybe even an excecution. Instead, she focused on just helping Shade.
"Your magesty! You have seen the damage of that power. Shockwaves can hurt us no matter the protection we have. I know Shade. I know his powers. We shouldn't pressure such kind of magic." Angora recommended, using a gentle tone of voice so that her comment would be taken as a friendly advice rather than a firm warning.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi, upon hearing Maverick's offer, was torn, and it showed. "I wish I could, but... I'm under contract," she said. "I'm bound to the ship until the job is done. I... can't just leave..." If Sere wanted to, he would br able to hold her accountable via the signed documents. "I have to go. Please... understand. Come with me." Ilasi's voice held a tinge of guilt - she knew there was little she could do in the situation, but felt bad nonetheless.

Maverick lowered his head, ashamed that he didn't consider the possibility of a contract involved. So typical of the Guardians to demand such control. He wanted to believe the journey had been under Ilasi's own will and that she wasn't bound to anything, but now he had to face reality.
"Well, it's alright. Entiendo. Should've known. It's not your fault. Sere left with the king, so we have some time. Time I will use to send a letter and explain the situation to Angora and Shade. I'm sure they'll understand. Angorita herself told me I should stay with you regardless of what happens. Oscurito may be a little bit hurt at first, but at least he'll have her. They'll have each other. I know those two. They'll be fine." Maverick said, very comprehensive of Ilasi's situation. His usual optimism was slowly and finally returning.

He got up, rubbed his face again to try to erase whatever traces were left of his previous sorrow, and finally looked at Ilasi, with a normal colored face but eyes still swollen.
"Come on Ilasi. Let's write a letter. Both of us. And then afterwards, you can show me where they send the mail. Or maybe you have a friend that can make the delivery faster? Only if you want of course." Maverick asked, feeling a little bad for asking Ilasi a favor, but she knew Redwater and how everything worked far better than him, so he needed her help on the matter.

"Who were you protecting when you killed innocent people, including children?!" the king demanded, clearly irate at Shade. "You better learn to love the people of Aelinon, or you are worth no more than behemoth food to me - and I will make a spectacle out of such a thing."
King Seraos did, however, heed Angora's advice. As Sere worked to temporarily override the collar to allow him control, he would eventually cease the power drain on it, though he did not remove it. "We'll all get on wyvernback. You will proceed when we're high enough in the air," the king said, and he and his men began to do just that.

Angora glared at the retreating Guardian, not surprised to see that he was leaving to the safety of the skies and leaving her behind, but she would make up her own safety. She didn't need them. However, before the king could leave as well, Angora decided to tell him one more thing, being very skeptical and nervous about what she was about to say.

"Your majesty, believe me when I say I mean no offense with this, but as you heard, Shade's most powerful magic comes mostly as self defense. Before the destruction, I witnessed some of your men in the sky attacking something, which I later learned was Shade. I received some of the blast. I have experienced these surges before, but none of them were never so severe. I could only come to the conclusion that he was already struggling with his powers before they soldiers appeared. I think Shade was scared when they came and his self defense acted up, resulting in the blast. Please, I don't meant to disrespect your men. I'm just saying it was mere self defense. A defense that got out of control." Angora said gently, believing that the airborne soldiers attacking Shade out of nowhere made it impossible for him to keep the struggle. She had no way of knowing if the destruction could've been prevented if they hadn't appeared, but she was certain that whatever damage was meant to happen, it wouldn't have been as bad as it was if only the soilders had decided to analyze the situation first instead of attacking Shade the first instance they got.

King Seraos had very little tolerance for Angora trying to make excuses. "You're telling me that we should've just kept allowing that thing to kill my people?!" he asked irately. "Pray tell me, what do you think my men should do when some creature is murdering my citizens? Would you have me allow it to happen and hope it has a change of heart?!"

Angora didn't take kindly to the king's ignorance, but did nothing to show it. She maintained her composure.
"You misunderstood sire. I'm saying the destruction happened AFTER the soldiers attacked. I saw them from the sky. They were attacking something, and that's when the blast appeared. Shade's power acted in self defense as a respond to the attack from above..." Angora explained calmly, not using a tone of voice that would displease the already angry king. She was so upset with herself as well for not having reached a Shade in time and calm him down before those stupid soldiers appeared.

"My citizens were already dying before my troops went out!" the king said. "Were you not at the trial?! Did you not see the memory for yourself?! Are you trying to justify what this monster did? No - we will have none of that." The king's patience was running extremely thin - he couldn't even trust what this creature had to say anymore.

Angora reflected upon what the king just said. She had wanted to forget so badly about that trial that she wasn't aware of everything that had happened. She only remembered vividly the verdict. If that was the case, she knew what to say now.
"I shamefully admit your majesty that most of my memories from the trial are a blur. I did witness some of the attack, but... I guess I didn't witness ALL of it and mistook the order of events. In that case, I have nothing more to say." Angora serenely commented, falling into an eerie silence. She still believed it was too much coincidence that Shade lose the most control in a o,ace like Redwater, but she wasn't going to dwell on the matter. In her mind, there was the image of the behemoth from her nightmare, still waiting for her. She knew she had pushed her luck enough as it was, so she was hoping that final comment would satisfy the king...

The king didn't push the matter any further. "Pray you don't forget such a thing again," he said simply, before heading back to his wyvern. He would have to keep an eye on the troll, to see if she was really worth keeping around. For now, however, they would test the limits of Shade's current abilities. With tensions increasing, and elves already attacking deep into Aelinon territory, he didn't have much time.

"If you want to fly here, you can fly above the surface of the water," Latnok said, "as long as you don't fly too high." Indeed, the water surface would also be convenient, should the passenger fall off. "Basically, stay no higher than twice the length of a man at your lowest point."

Angora was left behind on the ground, nobody inviting her to climb on of their wyverns so that she could be safe on the skies as well. Not even Veris had the initiative to grab her and lead her to safety, believing him to be too wimpy to go against his master. It wouldn't surprise her if they were doing it to see if Shade' blast would hurt her, or maybe even kill her so that they didn't have to bother with her again. She looked at the dragolet and nodded, assuring him she will be fine. She took shelter behind a rock, but she knew it wouldn't be enough, so she was ready to use her own magic, and show off to all those miserable men above her she wasn't someone to be taken for granted. Once Shade was ready to show more of his power, she was going to ready her own, wanting all of them to see what they missed in the arena for giving her that disgusting hexphage...

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"If you want to fly here, you can fly above the surface of the water," Latnok said, "as long as you don't fly too high." Indeed, the water surface would also be convenient, should the passenger fall off. "Basically, stay no higher than twice the length of a man at your lowest point."

Raclaw turned his glance towards the water, as Chester's eye's lit up. "Hmm-- perhaps I'll do that so long as you don't mind.," he said with a smile as he motioned for the little Beagle to come aboard. Chester happily jumped onto him as he had done many times before; the beloved companion positioned himself between the two attachments. "Would you mind helping me secure him please? I believe the leads require.. a human touch.," he then asked motioning towards the double-loop system. Indeed, the two leads appeared to be tightly retracted into the approviate attachments and were much too delicate for the fur dragon's dog-like paws to handle. The same could be said for any possibility of removing or adjusting the attachments themselves as well.

Angora rolled her eyes and did a small facepalm, knowing she should've suspected Shade would make a request like that. She communicated with him through telepathy.
"Shade! Don't be an idiot! They don't care about me! They don't care about you. Stop being so overprotective! I told you I'd be fine!" she scolded, finding it insulting how overprotective Shade still was, a nature that has gotten them into trouble more than once. She didn't want Shade to be so attentive to her or she had no doubt the king would use that loyalty against him. As she finished her message, making sure nobody intercepted it, she couldn't help giving a glance to Veris, wondering if that wyvern still cared about her...

At this point, both Sere's and the king's tolerance for Angora's presence was beginning to wane - she was proving to be more trouble than she was worth. Nevertheless, they would go back for Angora for now. At the king's direction, one of his riders went back, making a low pass in order to grab Angora with its rear paws.

At Raclaw's behest, Latnok carefully began to secure the components of the double loop system. Before long, they were as secure as he could make it without making Chester uncomfortable.
"There we go," Latnok said. "Give it a try now. Start nice and slow, and see how it goes."

The king looked on at the display of power - and he was pleased by it. "Wonderful," he said, as he and his men flew closer. "You have passed, for now. Be ready for what may come next. You will be receiving orders from my men soon."
With the king's business wrapped up for now, Sere commanded the collar to resume its power deain, and it acted as directed. With the collar draining Shade's power once again, Sere passed one of several unusual hand devices to some of the men present.
"He's your problem now," Sere said to the king. "I would much prefer if I didn't have to intervene to stop him from killing any more innocent people."
"Don't worry," said the king. "I will keep my citizens safe."

Angora only looked at it indifferently, finding it insulting how nobody considered worthy enough to see Shade's display from a wyvern's back, instead watching the whole thing grasped like a piece of meat. Even more infuriating is how the king wanted Shade as a likely weapon, being way too insistent in making him show the power that accidentally destroyed part of his sick city. But as she kept her hatred and frustration buried deep inside, she wondered how Maverick was doing. Ilasi better take good care of him. Although she was certain it was going to be the other way around. As much of a fool Maverick was, he was a terrific fighter, having years of pirate training, although he never wanted to show it.