darkSpyro

Latnok wasn't comfortable with the concept of putting the beagle in danger. Others he was typically with, he was okay with; they were trained for danger and combat. Chester never asked for any of that, however.
He knew that Chester had a reasonable idea of what he was doing, considering his supposed history with the dogs; in the end, Latnok nodded in agreement. "I'll be watching them," he said. "They get an arrow as soon as I see that they're going to jump on you." Latnok began to make his way to the corner, where he would wait with an arrow nocked in his bow.

The sentries were reluctant to accept her request; they deferred to the escort, who gave their approval. Huntress was passed off to a member of the king's royal guard, who escorted her further; the king was in the process of talking with a legate, responsible for the general garrison of Orcford and surrounding areas, about potential troop movements in the wake of recent events, with another war being a possibility; Shade was in the background.
The royal guardsman presented Huntress to Seraos; though it had been awhile, he was able to identify her. "Welcome, Huntress - is that still the name you go by?" he asked as he greeted her. "It's been a long time. I'm not just some prince anymore. Have quite a lot to do. What brings you here?" Some of the royal guard was visibly surprised to see the king make such casual conversation with her.
Elsewhere in Orcford, the arena, having confirmed the king's presence, began making final preparations; decorations were being set up even during yet another round of archery dodgeball, and the troop presence around the arena and at the head seat was increasing, with some mages channeling various detection and ward spells.

"It's a bit odd..." Ilasi thought out loud. "Here I'm worried about making it back alive, and many of the sailors acknowledge the danger of the trip - Leoquin always seems like he's having a field day with the whole thing, however, no matter what happens. He told me that there's something there he's looking for - but even then, I would think he would be more concerned. I don't know whether he doesn't care, or the danger just doesn't register to him... and then you have Latnok. It's like danger is the least of his concerns - in fact, from what I can tell, he enjoys combat. Maybe a little too much. I really don't know... I can't even describe them as careless - they both came prepared for this whole thing.
"I just can't fathom looking forward to the dangers of the trip. Tolerating them? Sure - but how do they thrive like that? How do you feel about the whole thing? I really hope you take care of yourself a lot better than they do..."

The king knew Huntress' real name, just like many of the guards, but Huntress was the name she wanted to go by now. She gave a big smile to her young friend.
"My king, it's always so nice to see you. I hope you're doing fine." she greeted warmly before she went straight to the point.
"Just here to see the infamous Scourge of Redwater. Need to see for myself what the fuzz is about you see. If he's this mighty black dragon that really caused so much destruction. Oh, and also to inform you about a society called something along the lines of Leagues of Assasins. Don't remember the name exactly, but it did have that last word. Met this peculiar being that told me all about them. I'm not sure if they have anything to do with the Silvianesti, but I do believe they may be these bandits of the outskirts of Aelinon that has been giving trouble to our soldiers for several years now. According to this new acolyte, they have a blue dragon as their leader. Not sure if it's true, but I watched this individual for a long while, and he was quite nervous the whole time, running away from this society he said." Huntress informed, killing two birds with one stone. She wanted to see Shade, but at the same time share the information she got from Dex so that her beloved king could be prepared for any kind of danger, not just the high ranked elves.

Quote: A Guy

"It's a bit odd..." Ilasi thought out loud. "Here I'm worried about making it back alive, and many of the sailors acknowledge the danger of the trip - Leoquin always seems like he's having a field day with the whole thing, however, no matter what happens. He told me that there's something there he's looking for - but even then, I would think he would be more concerned. I don't know whether he doesn't care, or the danger just doesn't register to him... and then you have Latnok. It's like danger is the least of his concerns - in fact, from what I can tell, he enjoys combat. Maybe a little too much. I really don't know... I can't even describe them as careless - they both came prepared for this whole thing.
"I just can't fathom looking forward to the dangers of the trip. Tolerating them? Sure - but how do they thrive like that? How do you feel about the whole thing? I really hope you take care of yourself a lot better than they do..."

Maverick didn't pretend too much that he was interested in any of them, especially Leoquin, but he still listened to Ilasi attentively.
"Well, I may not know exactly what their goal is, but everyone always has some sort of task in their lives. The advantage is we navigated those waters already. We know most of the danger. Heck, we even confronted this enormous water dragon, and we're still alive. I may look weak, but I still have my pirate technique. I'm not a fan of it of course, but I can use it as self defense if there's no other choice. I can also use it to defend you. The skills and circumstances don't matter as long as you use them for gold I always say. And hopefully, once we're back here in Redwater, our friends will finally be free. You can choose to fly on Oscurito, or run with Dahlia. You can do anything. And we'll find this scepter and many more treasures. Adventures on every corner. Or we could just settle someplace. So many possibilities..." Maverick commented exitedly, looking forward to return to the life he previously had with Shade and Angora, only this time, he would also have Ilasi and Dahlia with him. He was even starting to refer to troll and dragolet as Ilasi's friends as well, looking very forward to have them interacting once more so they can be a great, nomadic family. It would be like his previous life, but better.

Huntress didn't scare easily, but she was startled by Shade's sudden approach, but calmed down when she heard him talking. A talking creature meant intelligence and some reasoning, but that didn't mellow down the deep hatred she had for dragons. She hadn't noticed Shade on her first approach, having been too focused on greeting and warning an old friend, but now she had him right there, the infamous Scourge of Redwater himself in the flesh, and he was addressing to her.
"So... It's you. I thought you'd be more impressive to look at." Huntress said indifferently, before proceeding to answer his question.
"Interested in another dragon I see. Afraid he may take away your territory? Not that you have much of a territory now. Blue... yeah, I remember. He's a blue dragon, and named after it's color. That's what my new acolyte said. Not a very creative name I must say. Don't know about it's powers, but it seems that you may know about this... other dragon." she then said rather scornfully, dropping her cute innocence when addressing to Shade. Having lost her home and family to a dragon at a very early age, every single soldier in that room as well as the king knew Huntress' deep hatred for the flying reptiles.

Though he would normally not be too concerned about such an act from Shade while the dragon was under their control and his royal guard was around, the king knew of Huntress' intense dislike for dragons - and would have none of what Shade was doing. "Is that the proper way to greet someone? I don't think so," he said. Pulling out a device that could best be described as a luminescent baton, the king pointed it at Shade's collar. "Paralyze," he commanded, and the collar obeyed, sending out the same impulses it would if Latnok were to use the command.
"While you are with us, you will show self-control, or we will instill it in you," he said sternly. "You have committed your crime, and will be kept in line like any other criminal." Though Seraos was sympathetic to Shade in regards to what he experienced, he had little tolerance for the dragon becoming unruly.

Huntress was skeptical to believe that. She believed Shade was just trying to pin the blame on someone else so that the punishment will be over.
"The destruction came from you, not him, though thanks for telling us about the existence of another dragon. And a water dragon no less." Huntress replied sarcastically, knowing that water dragons were far more difficult to detect than flying ones. She looked at Shade coldly, and then left him, already fulfilling her whim to see him. She was more than disappointed to see that Shade wasn't the dragon she was expecting. She had seen them bigger, and far more ugly.

Leaving Shade behind, she approached king Seraos and whispered to him.
"Don't worry my king. I'll keep an eye out for this Blue dragon and report to you if I find anything. But I do hope you know what you're doing with this one, especially after what he has done. Asides wyverns, I don't think dragons are worth domesticating." Huntress expressed in a low voice, trying to give her friend of many years some friendly advice, though it came more out of her deep hatred rather than a genuine warning. If it had been up to her, Shade would've been digested by a behemoth a long time ago.

"That sounds similar to an uncorroborated story reported by the Silent Spear..." Seraos said. "I'll be wary. And don't you worry about the dragon."
Seraos was not going to change his opinion of Shade all of a sudden, however. "Don't feed me your pathetic excuses," Seraos chided Shade. "Nothing you say will justify what you did to my people. Only your actions will redeem you now. You will remain here until I have further orders for you."
He began to talk briefly with his royal guard about his plans. "I'm going to stop by the arena for a little while to make myself known. From there, we will head past the Orcford border, and I will stay at an outpost. Tomorrow comes the negotiations - we will see what happens from there."

"Well, you don't just have to help me," Ilasi said, a little embarrassed. "There are things I can offer you, too... I have enough knowledge in medicine and the lke to take care of you, and the others too. Of course, it's not perfect... but I'm always improving. I think I am, anyway." Though Ilasi much appreciated Maverick's generosity, she didn't want to appear to be a load.

Huntress was about to leave, ignoring Shade completely. But then she heard about the arena.
"You're going to the arena king Seraos? In that case, can I accompany you? It's not like the one in Redwater, but it can still be fun. Haven't seen a show in a very long time." she said, enjoying the spectacles. She and Saraos used to watch it as kids, though they never managed to sit together or close by.

[quote=A Guy"Well, you don't just have to help me," Ilasi said, a little embarrassed. "There are things I can offer you, too... I have enough knowledge in medicine and the lke to take care of you, and the others too. Of course, it's not perfect... but I'm always improving. I think I am, anyway." Though Ilasi much appreciated Maverick's generosity, she didn't want to appear to be a load.[/quote]

"And don't forget you also have the book I gave you. You can still perform those spells on me." Maverick invited, further cementing his kindess. He then challenged Ilasi to a sport in the garden, suddenly feeling very playful.

Dex had read the cubes information and send it to the guardians base. Because the answer had took pretty long he knew that there was nothing too big for them either.... but maybe after sometime they would figure something out.

Dex had send a latter to the city of Cross North, and the response telling everything was fine made it easier for him to be.

It did not take long untill one man he Well knew came to his table. ”Come with me... you know we will not do anything to you in blackmarkets atleast” The man said. The man was with the brotherhood, but Dex wanted this weird friendly way of talking figured out so he did went with the man to a room inside the blackmarket.

In the room there was just one barrel and nothing else.... nothing else unsual atleast.

” So what is this all about! I already know you have survived the hit you took, and I have no interest to talk with you after you killed so many of my companions.” Dex said. But the man did not answer and just showed Dex to get closer to the barrel. It was Full of water.

As Dex jumped to a table and saw what was inside the barrel he said ”Blue........ you are in there right”

”Well Yes ofcourse, you dont know How much trouble it was to get my men to bring me here unnoticed, and I just came here to talk with you” Blues voice said with the usual cold way he usually spoke.

”I dont get it. Why you are here in a barrel talking with me. And not planing to kill me” Dex said still pretty much not knowing How to react to the situation.


”I have started to see that the best way for us to survive is to start coworking. I know about your guild new ways and Thats something my men can never accept, but the fact is I dont want to be your enemy anymore.... I want to be your friend. And before you say that can not happen because what I have done, remember How many died when our Castle was destroyed. And before that by the league members. But I know this will not be enough. So I have something that might make you think otherwise. A very small flying lizard came close to the barrel. These guys are not as usefull anymore as they where with the Wizard. But they still make good spy. After the women left you, I made sure these guys kept close eye on her. And atleast we know that She has talked with a king.... probably making sure he knows who you are now.... which will make things much harder for you. Now somebody might in fact start to think a fox could be behind a lot of stuff. And another information, we could not get close enough but there was a talk about ” the scourge of Redwater” The woman was last seen in Ocford Thats all I have to offer for now. If you want to check whats happening go. After you return here I will be back and then we can talk some more.... when you see I am not trying anything.” Blue said and started to wait Dexes answer.


Dex did not know Why but somehow Blue made him think that his information might be True...... and it could mean big trouble if it really was the worst case scenario. But Why would he tell him...... that did not make any sense. ” I will go there and see. Remember I have guild members here, so your men will not be able to take me down. And if you show yourself.... Well you will be hunted.” Dex said and started to leave.

”Remember if you tell about me being here..... it will mean end of this blackmarket and also the end of all your blackmarket connections you so hard put back together for your guild” Blue said with unnormally friendly voice, MOre just making sure Dex did not do any stupid moves


So Dex started to make his way to Ocford ” This situation is nothing else then very bad in so many ways.... I feel like I can not count anybody..... for sure not Blue.... but it starts to seem like my new ”friend” was not so great either..... maybe this is just another plot by Blue...... but what if It is not.” Dex tought

"I don't see any reason why you couldn't," Seraos answered. "We can get there on horseback." Though he would've preferred his wyvern, he knew Huntress detested the creatures, so he would settle for a horse instead. One of his royal guardsmen obliged, heading to the stables to bring horses for him and Huntress - they would be fine in the sky themselves.

Huntress knew she was causing too much problem with her no-wyvern policy, so for an old friend, she was willing to make a sacrifice for him.
"A wyvern will be faster. And knowing you, I know it's the preferable option. Don't worry about me. Just... let me get the blindfold." Huntress said, getting a handkerchief she used for many different things, and a belt she could use as a harness.

At the inn, Ilasi didn't decide the game, so Maverick instead chose a game of his own. He asked in the lobby for a hollow ball, but the only thing similar they had was a small sphere with a little hole on it that was used as a flowerpot. He then put a bell similar to the one inside Chester's own ball and once it was ready, he headed to the garden with Ilasi again.
"Say Ilasi, got an idea. Let's play Goal Ball. It's one of my favorite games. I don't remember the name of the town they played it in, but it's very fun. It was created for the blind children and veterans of there. You just need to cover your eyes, and you just throw it to me as if you were throwing a bowling ball, and vice versa. The objective is to use sound alone to catch the ball and prevent it from touching the goal behind you." Maverick explained exitedly, using the soccer goals of the garden, which was the only field empty. He then set the timer, and give Ilasi and himself a blindfold and getting ready to play. He made sure there was plenty of space between them and the goal so that they wouldn't crash into anything in their attempts to catch the ball.

King Seraos called back the royal guardsman as he accepted Huntress' proposal. "Very well, then. We'll be there before too long. Just hang tight." The king and his royal guardsmen began to make their way to the wyverns, with Seraos indicating for Huntress to come along on his wyvern.

Back at the arena, the staff had been notified of the king's imminent arrival. In preparation, they were releasing many gladiators into the arena at once; as they took their position, it could be seen that there was enough to fill the whole arena (though such a thing wasn't as big a feat as it would be at Redwater), and they each brought themselves to a distance about two arms' length apart from all the others.
They would remain like that for a few minutes - they would not be kept waiting long, however, as soon Seraos stepped out onto the balcony, with his royal guard and Huntress, to the wild applause of the crowd.
"Ladies and gentlemen," an announcer called out to the crowd. "King Seraos himself is here to spectate this match today! In this next match, we will have a free-for-all - every warrior for himself! Who will be the last one standing - if any at all? Gladiators, steel yourselves!"
Some of the gladiators were visibly surprised; they had not been told of what the event would be beforehand. Indeed, this wasn't common at all - though some would probably suspect that the less impressive Orcford arena would go all out with the king present, presenting him with a bloodbath. All of the fighters present were considered the less "desirable" prisoners.
"Commence!" the announcer called. And the fight began just like expected; soon devolving into a vicious, disorienting melee.

The game was novel and exciting to Ilasi; such a game wouldn't really be feasible underwater, with both the physics and the sound being an issue. She was more than ready to try it, not being worried about losing; simply playing the game was fun enough. With the blindfold donned and the ball in her hands, Ilasi focused for a few seconds, trying to line up what she hoped would be a perfect throw, before tossing the ball with her right arm. The ball moved relatively straight; there was little arcing.

Huntress had been quite exited to know she was going with Seraos himself. She believed he was going to pin her to another rider, but he was kind enough to let her ride with him. He didn't forget about their previous friendship after all. They barely saw each other in their childhood, but they still interacted from time to time, and now they could again. When they arrived to the arena, she remained close to him, though still distant enough to avoid taking too much of his space.

Angora was quite surprised to see that Seraos made himself present for a seemingly simple event as this one. She never imagined he would come all the way from Redwater to this tiny arena. She tried desperately to spot Shade, wanting to see him again, but he was nowhere to be found. The melee commenced, bringing so many bad memories. These warriors resembled those she fought with against the behemoth, remembering also that none of them made it. It was in part, thanks to them, that she was still alive, at least that's how she viewed it. If the behemoth hand't targeted them first, she wouldn't have stood a chance. But all was in the past now, and the present was what mattere for now. The king was there right now, and this was probably going to be her only chance to speak with him. And getting depressed with all the brutality of the arena, Angora placed some sticky food in her seat so everybody would be skeptical to take it, and headed to where king Seraos was sitting right now. The crowd had grown since she entered, but it was easy for her to pass under the multitude with her size. This was it. She had to reach the king and beg him to let her return to Shade. She didn't know if that decision was his or the soldiers, but she wanted to find a way to be there with him. She didn't want to imagine how mistreated he was being,me specially with her not around...

At the inn, Maverick managed to catch the first throw with his leg.
"Got it Ilasi. It's my turn now..." he started saying, but then he remembered something important.
"Uh oh. I forgot to keep scores..." he said, but it was going to be thedious to have one of them take off the blindfold over and over again to write them down. Luckily, there was a kid watching the two of them play, having grown curious of their unique game. His parents were out playing tennis further away, and was left alone. He didn't seemed too bothered though.
"Hey kid. Niño. Like the game? Can you do us a favor and keep the scores? We can let you play later if you want" Maverick asked politely, handing him a piece of paper and pen. The child nodded shyly, seemingly glad to be noticed. Even if he wasn't be part of the game right now, he likewise looked happy to be part of something. With his obliging, Maverick continued the game, throwing the ball a little to the left of Ilasi. The child would take care of the scores and the game could go on without interruptions...

Seraos was indeed happy to have somewhat of a friend wiht him; most of his life, he was always surrounded by people who were with him out of duty, loyalty, or both - he rarely, if ever, had the chance to interact with someone without any pretenses.
As the brutal melee continued - with so many things happening that the crowd would not stop cheering - one of his guardsmen called for his attention.
"My king," he said, "you have someone who wishes to see you. The troll that survived the behemoth."
"Send her in," he said. The guardsman obliged, calling for another, and he came with Angora in his charge.
"Ah, Angora," the king said. "I believe I know what you're here for - I have an idea, at least. Is this about Shade?"

Ilasi was still not quite comfortable with the game, but, with a lunge, was just barely able to deflect the ball. Indeed, many of the jobs she had to do had improved her agility quite a bit. "This is going to be tricky..." she said, as she attempted to locate the ball. After finally finding it, she gave it a steady toss yet again - aiming a little lower this time.

Angora was glad that the king received her. She was starting to believe Seraos was growing a little fond of her, something that she was going to take advantage of, but nevertheless, she wasn't going to overdo it.
"King Seraos. My apologies for the intrusion. I know you want to enjoy the fight, so I'll try to keep it brief. As you just said, yes. I am predictable that way. It's indeed about him. When we arrived in Orcford, we were forced to separate. Nobody told me that was going to happen. I was under the impression I was going to stay with him at all times. I know you believe I'll get in the way, but I promised I won't. Shade needs a companion. Someone that understands him and his powers. I've been with him long enough to understand his behavior, so please allow me to be with him." Angora begged, showing no trace of sass or anger in her voice. She was being polite and calm despite the tension and shouting of the crowd, and even her own feelings.

Despite being focused in the battle, Huntress turned to look at her dear friend, seeing that he was distracted with something that wasn't the fight. It was a very tiny creature. A goblin? No. Couldn''t be. The appearance was too different. Could it be? But what were the chances? Huntress couldn't hear the conversation due to the yelling of the people, so she tried to approach discretely to listen to what Seraos was saying to this strange creature, wanting to know why he would use some of his valuable time to talk to someone like Angora.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was still not quite comfortable with the game, but, with a lunge, was just barely able to deflect the ball. Indeed, many of the jobs she had to do had improved her agility quite a bit. "This is going to be tricky..." she said, as she attempted to locate the ball. After finally finding it, she gave it a steady toss yet again - aiming a little lower this time.

"Score for the lady." the child said in a low voice, the ball having passed between Maverick's legs. He was quite embarrassed.
"Nice job Ilasi. You're just trying this game and you already had the first score." he complimented, glad that her eyes were covered so that she wouldn't see how embarrased he was that she got the game so quickly. This was a game about hearing, and that sense was proving to be top notch on her.

Seraos' previously somewhat content visage disappeared, and he gave a slight frown. "Yes... that makes sense. Right now, the creature probably needs someone with him; you will hear more about what happened straight from the horse's mouth, undoubtedly, but I will inform you of recent events.
"The dragon was to be employed in what we know as a 'show of force', as per the suggestion my more experienced advisors. A means of intimidation - showing your capabilities to potential enemies, to dissuade them from any further aggression. We had chosen a seemingly vacant spot in the Silvianesti forest; scouting confirmed that it was clear. Our scouts, however, did an inadequate job; there was a glamor effect about, and the area the dragon was used in ended up having a small elven population, which was killed in the attack.
"I can blame poor scouting, or faulty advice; but in the end, it was my own decision, regardless of who suggested it to me, and I have to accept responsibility for any consequences. In my effort to use the new power at my disposal to halt an impending war, I have instead drastically increased the chances of such a war.
"That being said, having murdered many civilians, the dragon seems to be very distraught; it is important now more than ever that you are with him. He will not be deployed again until I have a much better understanding of the situation. I would offer you an apology, but after everything you've seen, experienced, and know, it would be worthless at this point; instead, I will simply let my troops know that you are free to see your dragon friend as you please." Though Seraos was upfront and sincere, his voice still had the usual tone, and was not overtly regretful; even in the face of his own mistakes, he had to keep up his appearance.

Ilasi was greatly surprised that she scored the first goal; she was a neophyte, and was completely expecting Maverick to crush her. Was he letting her win? Regardless of whether he did or not, it made her rather happy. "Why, thank you, Maverick," she said, facing the direction of his voice. "Your move!"

Quote: A Guy

Latnok wasn't comfortable with the concept of putting the beagle in danger. Others he was typically with, he was okay with; they were trained for danger and combat. Chester never asked for any of that, however.
He knew that Chester had a reasonable idea of what he was doing, considering his supposed history with the dogs; in the end, Latnok nodded in agreement. "I'll be watching them," he said. "They get an arrow as soon as I see that they're going to jump on you." Latnok began to make his way to the corner, where he would wait with an arrow nocked in his bow.

Chester offered a nod, while Raclaw and Latnok stepped back assumed position. The little Beagle couldn't believe he was doing it and yet here he was. Raclaw, for his part, kept his senses fully active and kept an 'eye' on the living presence watching Chester-- presumily the scout. And as Raclaw picked up on any changes.. so too would Latnok. And as soon as his two beloved companions stepped out of view, Chester sat in front of the cooked beef and waited. The little Beagle first wanted to see if his presence alone would at least draw the scout out; it was possible that he might even know the scout depending. At first there was nothing... followed by more nothing. 'Was it not working?,' thought Raclaw whose concerned thoughts were very audible to Latnok.

It was then, however, that Chester did something very deliberate and that could potentially draw more attention than *just* the scout. He began to howl two or three notes of what of now obvious to both Raclaw and Latnok as a pattern; a very distinct song or signal. Chester was quickly cut short, however, when another voice interrupted him. "CHESTER! Stop! You'll draw unwanted attention to yourself.," the voice (clearly that of canine origin) said before revealing itself. The source was revealed to be that of a 'fawn'-colored Corgi-- an mixture of very light reds and whites. "What are you doing here anyway and how did you find us? We never told you our location before you got caught again.," the corgi said now eying the new collar around Chester's neck. "Speaking of getting caught-- I take it you found a new master? How did you manage that and since when did dogs have wings? Don't think I didn't notice your new friends back there. You know how the pack feels about two-legs!," the scout said spitting off questions rapid-fire.

"Listen--," Chester said being very careful with his next words. "My new friends.. they're special. They can understand us and they aren't here to harm the pack. We need to speak to Titan. We have news that concerns the safety of the pack-- it is very important that we speak to him at once.," Chester said in a serious tone. "Maybe, but I would have to speak to the others and they won't like that you brought a human here. Tell your friends to come out unarmed and let me see this newfound ability to 'understand us.' Let me hear this news first, but be warned... you know how Titan feels about his territory. They'll notice if I'm gone too long.," the scout said again clearly audible to Latnok just as Chester would be. Raclaw looked at Latnok and knew that the Guardian wouldn't like the request. Raclaw didn't visually process any such weapons at surface level, but Latnok was a different story. The fur dragon looked at the tense Guardian and briefly activated his tail spike, indicating that they wouldn't be entirely unarmed.

Angora was red with fury, feeling like slapping someone for such stupidity. She didn't even want to imagine how awful Shade was feeling for killing more innocent people yet again. How stupid were the Aelinonians? They were punishing Shade for killing so much of their people, yet they were pressuring him into using the powers that did precisely that, and look what happened. Even so, Angora knew it wasn't wise to lose her composure right here, especially not with the king, so she proceeded to use the same, calm voice she used before, although she used it rather loud so that she could be heard among the crowd.
"Your magesty, if Shade is indeed feeling very lousy, then that just proves to you he's not the monster everyone thinks he is. What happened in Redwater was a terrible mistake, one that I'm partially to blame for not being there with him at the moment, but right now, he needs me more than ever. I don't know why you want him to use his powers, but you have seen for yourself what are the consecuences of that. Please, if you want intimidation, isn't his appearance enough? You already have those powerful behemoths at your disposal..." Angora said politely, trying to comprehend why king Seraos wanted Shade so much. One thing was to make him redeem himself for what he did, but none of that applied with what was being done with him.

Huntress wanted to interrupt to know who Angora was, but she waited for Seraos to be done with Angora before asking the many questions she had at the moment...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was greatly surprised that she scored the first goal; she was a neophyte, and was completely expecting Maverick to crush her. Was he letting her win? Regardless of whether he did or not, it made her rather happy. "Why, thank you, Maverick," she said, facing the direction of his voice. "Your move!"

"I will slay you Ilasi!" Maverick yelled playfully, throwing the ball gently through a curve. While he could throw harder, he didn't want to accidentally injure her. The game was more about hearing and strategy than strength anyway, so he was gentle with his throws.

"Regardless of whether or not he is a monster, he committed a grievous crime, and must pay the price for that," Seraos said sternly. "Now, I have been generous enough with you. Unless you want me to change my mind, shut up and get out of my presence." Seraos wasn't going to tolerate any form of berating or "advice" from someone who has made her dislike of the nation and its modus operandi very clear.

Latnok was reluctant to discard his weapons, but in the end, he left his bow and axe behind the corner - though he was still prepared to use magic if need be. The spear, being a more unwieldy weapon, was not currently on his person, instead being kept in his bag.
"Well, aren't you a rather pushy one," Latnok said condescendingly to the scout dog. "Are you trying to threaten us? I'll tell you now - we're not scared of any of you. Bring your leader here, and let's have a little talk."

Ilasi was paying close attention to the sound of the ball as it moved through the air. She ended up deflecting it up into the air in her attempts to catch it - picking it up once it landed on the ground. She wasn't quite sure how long she could keep catching the ball, but she would try her hardest. She returned the ball with a similar throw as last time.

Angora was upset with her overconfidence. Everything was going so well with the king, but once again, her attempts to reason with him in such regard were in vain.
"I'll go now. Just please let me stay with Shade. I won't bother you again." she said meekly, just wanting to make sure she could stay with him for as long as she liked.

Unlike her, Maverick was having a great time. He and Ilasi played the game for about half an hour, and when it finally end, Maverick had won, by ONE point.
"Good job kid. Guess I win Ilasi. But it was just by one point. You got this game really fast." he complimented, really proud of her. After a little while, he felt bad for having fun while Shade and Angora were probably being bullied by some Aelinonian soldiers, but he knew worrying wasn't going to get him nowhere.

Quote: A Guy

Latnok was reluctant to discard his weapons, but in the end, he left his bow and axe behind the corner - though he was still prepared to use magic if need be. The spear, being a more unwieldy weapon, was not currently on his person, instead being kept in his bag.
"Well, aren't you a rather pushy one," Latnok said condescendingly to the scout dog. "Are you trying to threaten us? I'll tell you now - we're not scared of any of you. Bring your leader here, and let's have a little talk."

"So you can understand us?," the scout Corgi said now eyeing both Latnok and Raclaw. "Your winged friend there-- I take it he is yours as well? You humans and your need to obtain everything. Does he follow you by choice or does that collar force him to obey you? You know-- I once belonged to another; I once experienced the collar. I never could leave until I tricked them to take it off. The pack is always open to new recruits. That includes you too Chester.," the scout said in a equally condescending tone clearly not liking Latnok's presence. And indeed, burn marks could seen around the Corgi's neck as if he had experienced some kind of repeated localized 'shock' akin to Raclaw's own TEACH command. He awaited a response from Latnok before Raclaw instead stepped forward in his place.

"I follow him because I choose to; the collar does not force me. I consider him to be a dear friend, just as I consider Chester to be one such friend. Call us what you will, but we are together-- a pack if you will. I have no regrets.," Raclaw then said wrapping a tail around the beloved Guardian. The fur dragon spoke in his canine tongue, as if to further illustrate that they could understand one another. "Raclaw is right-- not all humans are bad! My old master was a very bad person, but Raclaw and Latnok... they saved me. They gave me a new life when I otherwise wouldn't have had one. Not every owner is bad and not every owner is abusive. I'm sorry about what happened to you, but please... get Titan. Let him hear us out and let him decide what is or isn't best.," Chester pleaded. "Fine-- wait here and don't move. And we will be watching you.," the scout said before howling an distinct set of notes and taking off. It wasn't long before several presences could be felt just watching the trio from several nearby rooftops. Chester looked somewhat relieved although not entirely. They still had to meet up with Titan. Raclaw looked at Latnok with a slight smile, having meant what he said about having no regrets.

The king dismissed Angora with a hand wave, returning his attention to the fight at hand. Ironically, it wasn't close to finishing yet; though some had fallen, there was still very much a chaotic skirmish. As he watched, however, the upcoming diplomacy maintained a very firm position in his mind.

With the game ending, Ilasi removed her blindfold, and a look of satisfied elation marked her face. Though she had lost, it was a very fun, unique experience, especially since she was playing such a game for the first time.
"I'm just glad I wasn't a complete pushover," Ilasi said. "It was quite wonderful. I can't remember the last time I played any sport with someone else..."

With all of the canines approaching, Latnok remained vigilant as ever - he was concerned not for himself, but for his companions. Latnok reciprocated Raclaw's hugging gesture with some slight petting. "Just another day for us, eh?" he commented. "This looks somewhat promising - I would hate to have to make an example out of any of them."

"We can play games like this one even on the ship. It won't be work all the time..." Maverick said enthusiastically, not looking forward to be on the ship, but likewise looking forward to spending time with her likewise and teach her to ride.
"Which reminds me, Dahlia is still in that pen. I'm sure she's being well taken care of, but she's probably missing us. What do you say? Should we go look for her or enjoy a few more activities here?" Maverick asked, wanting to keep enjoying the inn's activities but feeling a little bad for leaving Dahlia alone for too long.

Quote: A Guy

The king dismissed Angora with a hand wave, returning his attention to the fight at hand. Ironically, it wasn't close to finishing yet; though some had fallen, there was still very much a chaotic skirmish. As he watched, however, the upcoming diplomacy maintained a very firm position in his mind.

Angora returned to her seat, grunting but still hopeful that the king wouldn't change his mind, and that next time she sees Shade, they'll let her stay with him. She knew how awful he must've been feeling for killing all those people. She even went as far as to think that was no mistake, and that he was lead to that village on purpose to fool him into eradicating that poor village, which happened to be elves. It was too much coincidence. There had to be a way for Shade to be free and finally rid themselves of the wretched Aelinonian custody, but she knew that any act will just result in her being imprisoned and most likely put to death, maybe even have that infernal hexphage once more. Was there no way to counter the fungus' effects? Was there really nothing to do? As Angora sat back to watch the last of the massacre, her thoughts still tormented her. For now, all she could do was to look for Shade after the spectacle was over and hope for the better, and that somehow, everything will be solved and none of them would have to keep enduring such awful ordeal.

Dex had made his way to Ocford. He did not know where to start looking for Any information about what Blue had told. So he had made his way close to the arena, atleast something should give some information in there. Like always he made sure to stay in the shadows.... especially now when there was a chance that the Huntress could have told anything to the king about him. He still was very unsure about the information Blue gave..... it was Blue after all. But nothing he could have thought would make it usefull for Blue to make him come to Ocford.... There was not any Brotherhood members around..... so atleast it was not any kind of ambush..... or if it was they had not seen him yet.....
Anyway he knew he should be extra carefull now.

Ilasi just recalled that Dahlia was being held by someone else, having been rather absorbed in the time at the inn. "Perhaps we should go check on her," she decided. Maybe she would even get the chance to do some more riding on Dahlia's back. At the very least, feeding her was an enjoyable experience.

At long last, the chaotic melee in the arena was over. Out of all of the combatants, the last one standing was none other than an armored... humanoid of some sort. The armor covered up too many details to make him identifiable.
The crowd was in an uproar, having enjoyed every last bit of the bloody spectacle. As the warrior finally finished processing what had happened, he raised his arms up in triumph, gladius and buckler in hand. All of the gladiators had been given swords - the fight would have been much too quick were they given more practical anti-armor weapons.
"You there," Seraos called out to the warrior. "Remove your helmet." The warrior did as he was commanded - revealing himself to be a somewhat older orc. The crowd didn't seem too concerned - though Aelinon had been at war with orcs and other so-called blighters for awhile now, they were not incapable of tolerating them in the nation, even if there were always suspicions.
"Are you a prisoner of war?" the king called out.
"Yes," the warrior responded gruffly.
"So it would appear to be. Well, for all of your effort today, you are a prisoner of war no longer. Leave this place, take what you have earned, and go to the city hall, where you are to be made an honorary citizen."
The warrior was dumbfounded. Was the king freeing him? For all the barbarianism Aelinon had shown in the war, from his perspective, he had no expectation of ever being released before his death. His best hope was to last long enough to form some sort of rebellion... but with what he was just granted, such thoughts suddenly disappeared almost completely, with nothing but perhaps a memory. He bowed before Seraos, before leaving the arena as ordered, to even more uproarious applause from the crowd. Arena staff, meanwhile, came in to remove the corpses - and to see if anyone was still alive but incapacitated. With the amount of combatants, it was likely going to take awhile.

"Huh, an orc. Guess that's no surprise." Huntress commented casually, getting bored as soon as the fight was over. She had wanted to see more, but that was it. But now that king Seraos had concluded his speech and the crowd mellowed out, there was something she desperately wanted to know.
"So my king, that little creature that talked to you earlier... is that who I think it is?" she asked, having heard many tales about the tiny troll that survived a mighty behemoth long enough for Seraos to pardon her, and that he even managed to make her say that her confession about her involvement in the crime was false.

Angora watched with some indifference when the warrior removed his helmet. Orcs and trolls were similar in behavior, appearance and even society, but they were almost always at odds. There was, however, ocassions where they could band together to defeat a common enemy, which she believed was the case with Aelinon. At least this orc was lucky. She applauded him gently as he left the arena, feeling a little happy for him. He reminded her of herself when the king pardoned her life, only she had to go all the way and face a monstrous behemoth. She had it harder, yet she managed to triumph, even if it was just out of pure luck. While feeling happy for him, she was also angry and jealous that he didn't have to face one of those humongous beasts to win his freedom.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi just recalled that Dahlia was being held by someone else, having been rather absorbed in the time at the inn. "Perhaps we should go check on her," she decided. Maybe she would even get the chance to do some more riding on Dahlia's back. At the very least, feeding her was an enjoyable experience.

Maverick nodded, having expected Ilasi to stay. She had grown fond of the dirt buffalo after all.
"Right then. We should check out. We can't go to our room if we leave, but maybe the clerk would allow us to return to this garden if we decide to come back." Maverick said, not certain if such a thing was allowed, but he would try. But then he noticed the kid that had been keeping scores, looking sad.
"Oh... oh, sorry niño. I know you wanted to play, but there's someone waiting for us. Here, you can have the ball if you like." Maverick said, gifting him the toy he just made, but he still looked sad. His parents weren't paying any attention to him, and the other kids were teenager. He was the youngest person in that large inn. Maverick looked at Ilasi with his hand behind his head, almost as if expecting her to have a better idea. He wanted to ask his parents if they could leave the boy with him for a little while and maybe help him have some fun while they're busy, but he doubted they would let him go with strangers.

Quote: A Guy

With all of the canines approaching, Latnok remained vigilant as ever - he was concerned not for himself, but for his companions. Latnok reciprocated Raclaw's hugging gesture with some slight petting. "Just another day for us, eh?" he commented. "This looks somewhat promising - I would hate to have to make an example out of any of them."

"Just another day.," Raclaw said with a smile as they waited; the fur dragon companion keeping track of the approaching canines via his senses. He was prepared to defend himself-- and that of Chester --if he had to, although he wouldn't force it. The little Beagle stood his ground, standing slightly in front of his two beloved friends and showing that he wasn't afraid. The collar and his size wouldn't do him any favors in front of the stray pack, but it mattered not. He was proud to be collared and he was proud to be owned. And if he had managed to join up-- he would've never found Raclaw and Latnok.

It wouldn't be too much longer of a wait. Soon, an unfamiliar canine voice could be heard-- and several howls could be heard penetrating the air. The watching canines jumped down from their rooftops and soon surrounded the the trio. The dogs presented themselves as a mixture of breeds, some large and some small. Several of them had what looked like battle scars and some even still had their collars. Some collars looked as if the dog had tried (and failed) to tear it off, while other collars had spikes or even 'shock collar' like attachments. "Titan is approaching! Show respect for your leader and saver!," one dog announced; slight 'sparks' continuously coming off his collar and his head twitching ever so slightly. "Titan! Titan! TITAN! TITAN!," the pack said in unison as the Rottweiler himself approached. As he did so, the crowd separated and cleared a pathway-- before quickly closing the gap yet again. The without-a-doubt leader was nearly 2½ feet tall -- taller than your average Rottweiler and over two times tallers than Chester himself.

And as TITAN approached, his features became more clear. Titan appeared to be an mid-aged Rottweiler (perhaps 3-5 years old) and had at some point been fitted with a pink spiked collar. The collar appeared to secure from the backside a few links of chain could be seen hanging off it. The massive dog soon stood in front of them and eyed each of the three companions. "So this is new MASTER that Chester has chosen for himself. You know-- some of MY SCOUTS have been watching you. Speak and for your sake Chester-- let's hope your new friends have something good to say. If they can even understand us.," Titan than said eyeing Latnok and expecting an immediate response. Chester stepped back slightly, so as to himself easier to protect. The part was surrounded at all sides, with several dogs between Latnok and his dropped weapons.

"If you are thinking about the survivor of the battle with the behemoth, that is indeed who she is," Seraos said. "She is a friend of the dragon - so she is useful to have around. And I think she knows by now that if she violates the law again, I will make a spectacle out of her execution - so I trust her not to do anything incredibly rash.
"Though she is friends with the creature, he is ultimately under our command - the devices we have received from the Ardent Guardians make sure of that. We technically can't force him to act - but we can definitely stop him from acting, and bring him a world of hurt if he doesn't obey us. After the devastation of Redwater, he will definitely know that we have little patience for any form of bad behavior.
With the clearing of the arena still going on, Seraos got up out of his seat. "I best get a move-on. I have preparations to make for negotiations tomorrow, so I will be headed to Tal Rogas. From what I hear, you will be taking a ride on a behemoth to Redwater?"

The leader's aggressive demeanor encouraged Latnok to return the attitude. "I see you don't really speak hospitality. I get it. But I'll tell you - You might not want to threaten Chester. I kill hellhounds on a regular basis, and I'll be more than happy to show you how," he threatened. "But I will give you this proposition: you are to leave this area. Find somewhere else to stay. You do that, and no one gets hurt. You choose not to, and I'll make an example of you. Are we clear?" Latnok's future vision, with Raclaw's enhanced battlefield awareness (or "The Sight" as they called it) prepared him for every move the dogs could possibly make. But he had something up his sleeve...
On his belt, he had reserved a special instrument for the occasion - the resonating chime. When he didn't channel magic through it, it created an incredibly harsh ring. He realized, however, that Raclaw and Chester would likely be affected as well - so much for that idea. Violence would be the only answer if he had to defend the others.

The sad, disappointed child made Ilasi herself feel bad. She really wish they could take the child with them to have fun, but highly doubted the parents would approve of it. If only there was some way to leave him with something interesting...
"If you want, I can show you a cool trick," Ilasi said. "Have you ever wanted to glow in the dark? I can make you glow for a bit, if you really want to." Nothing else immediately came to mind for Ilasi - she was determined to find some way to help the boy, however.

Maverick glanced at Ilasi, not certain such a trick was a good idea. His parents could freak out, or the boy himself, but he looked rather neutral with the offer.
"Are you a witch lady?" the boy asked innocently, with Maverick face palming himself.
"No no no niño! Ilasi is a mermaid. Merfolks have magic you know." he answered for Ilasi, wanting to save her the embarrassment of replying. But the kid had the same, neutral expression. It was almost as if nothing mattered to him, or perhaps he was just hard to impress.
"If she's a mermaid, where's her tail? I wanna see her tail." the boy said, his demeanor changing a bit. Maverick groaned quietly, feeling bad for putting Ilasi in such an uncomfortable position. He knew she could turn into a mermaid when having contact with the water. There was a large fountain in the middle of the garden, he didn't want Ilasi to be a demonstration. Chances were that the boy wasn't going to be the only one curious. Maverick started regretting beginning the conversation in the first place.

Quote: A Guy

"If you are thinking about the survivor of the battle with the behemoth, that is indeed who she is," Seraos said. "She is a friend of the dragon - so she is useful to have around. And I think she knows by now that if she violates the law again, I will make a spectacle out of her execution - so I trust her not to do anything incredibly rash.
"Though she is friends with the creature, he is ultimately under our command - the devices we have received from the Ardent Guardians make sure of that. We technically can't force him to act - but we can definitely stop him from acting, and bring him a world of hurt if he doesn't obey us. After the devastation of Redwater, he will definitely know that we have little patience for any form of bad behavior.
With the clearing of the arena still going on, Seraos got up out of his seat. "I best get a move-on. I have preparations to make for negotiations tomorrow, so I will be headed to Tal Rogas. From what I hear, you will be taking a ride on a behemoth to Redwater?

"That is indeed correct. I still have some business in Redwater you see. And for what I've heard, that Blue dragon may be around there. Don't worry though. I'll keep you updated as best as I can." Huntress assured, barely seeing the king anymore, but loving the few times he could be with him. As he prepared to leave, Huntress still had a few things on her mind.
"A troll that thing? She looks more like a goblin who just got thrown into a volcano. And friends with that beast? A troll and a dragon... sound like an idea for some twisted children's book." she chuckled before preparing to leave herself.
"Anyway, sorry to keep stalling you. I had a great time today my king. This arena is not as fun as Redwater, but it was still refreshing. Let's do it again sometimes." Huntress concluded, finally turning around to leave, even though she didn't want to. She could hardly see Seraos when he was a prince, and now that he was king, the ocassions were even rarer, so she wanted to enjoy his company as much as she could.

Angora was rising from her seat, imagining the spectacle was over. She was relieved that no behemoth was summoned to the arena to get rid of the corpses, but then again, that arena was small. Still, she imagined the bodies were being transported away to feed them specifically. It still disgust her how many being were humiliatedly sacrificed daily to both entertain the croud and keep those ugly beasts well fed.

Quote: A Guy

The leader's aggressive demeanor encouraged Latnok to return the attitude. "I see you don't really speak hospitality. I get it. But I'll tell you - You might not want to threaten Chester. I kill hellhounds on a regular basis, and I'll be more than happy to show you how," he threatened. "But I will give you this proposition: you are to leave this area. Find somewhere else to stay. You do that, and no one gets hurt. You choose not to, and I'll make an example of you. Are we clear?" Latnok's future vision, with Raclaw's enhanced battlefield awareness (or "The Sight" as they called it) prepared him for every move the dogs could possibly make. But he had something up his sleeve...
On his belt, he had reserved a special instrument for the occasion - the resonating chime. When he didn't channel magic through it, it created an incredibly harsh ring. He realized, however, that Raclaw and Chester would likely be affected as well - so much for that idea. Violence would be the only answer if he had to defend the others.

"You are clear, but that does not mean that we have to listen. We have earned this territory fair and square-- I have earned this territory fair and square.," Titan immediately responded very much showing his territorial side. As spoke, the surrounding crowd inched closer to the trio. "Each and every one of us has suffered under the HUMAN condition. Many of us have gone under years of abuse and some of us continue to suffer as a result of that human condition. This neighborhood was abandoned long before I came to town and the few stragglers were happy to relocate. And now.. and now you expect us to do the same?!," the Rottweiler said sounded even less diplomatic than before.

"But wait!," Chester said speaking up. "Those humans couldn't understand you, while this human can. Just think Titan-- perhaps they can help you! Perhaps they can help all of you!," the little Beagle said trying not to sound afraid. He quickly scanned the crowd looking for *something.* "Perhaps we can help.. move you where you wouldn't be disturbed.," the brave pupper said as Titan began to growl. "Perhaps my friends can help RESOLVE you of your suffering. I'm sure some of your members wouldn't say no to getting their collars removed... or their chains... or their muzzles! And I'm sure my friends wouldn't mind say no to helping you relocate. Perhaps even out of the city! Just... just think about it!," Chester then said suggesting more than they had originally intended to do. This actually gave Titan some pause before the Rottweiler responded.

"Hmm... perhaps. But what Guarantee do I have that you won't turn on us?! That you won't just take us back to the pound or do something to cause our suffering to worsen?," Titan than said this time looking at Latnok. Perhaps he would be willing to listen after all...

Ilasi was a little annoyed at the concept of having to slither around for awhile - she could transform into fish form quickly, but humanoid form took much longer. Still, they did promise to play with the kid - and Ilasi wanted to at least give him something.
"Sure thing," she said to the boy with feigned enthusiasm. She quickly walked over to the fountain, and after a second of contemplation, climbed into and stood in it. Soon after, ther legs began to shift, lengthening, merging, becoming scaly - until finally, there was a tail in its place. Completely transformed, Ilasi climbed out of the fountain, and began slithering back.
"Voila!" Ilasi flapped her tail around a bit, shaking off a bit of water. Well, he got what he wanted - but riding Dahlia would now be out of the question for the foreseeable future.

With the one event concluded, Seraos and his royal guard began to leave the arena. The next destination was Tal Rogas. Though duty was on his mind, Seraos couldn't help but reminisce on his time as a prince - he had to take on his current role much more quickly. Even as a prince, he was always so busy in various studies - from history, to diplomacy, to magic. Now, he could feel the burden of caring for so many people, especially with how young he was - he had to earn their trust. If only he had something like the Storm Scepter - he would have no doubt that people everywhere recognized his power. Though he feared no rebellion, what he did fear was dissension.

His own, more aggressive brand of diplomacy didn't seem to shake the Rottweiler - Chester's plea, however, did. Now, they were willing to listen. But Latnok needed some means of being able to assuage their concerns.
"I'm on a job... and the job requires me to remove you from the area. However, there's someone out there - someone who wants to see you again, no doubt. They would prefer that we relocate you instead of removing you forcibly. No doubt that it would be easier for them to find you again if we help you get to a good place, as opposed to sending you to the pound, where you could be shipped off somewhere, put down, or sold to some old man who can't throw a ball without breaking his shoulder. If I wanted to make things worse for you... it is well within my power to do that. But I won't. Let us help you - it will be a win for all of us." Latnok wasn't exactly the most kind person in existence, but he did hope that his more reasonable speech would cause the Rottweiler to accept their offer.

Angora left the arena early to avoid the crowd of leaving people getting in the way, though she still caught some traffic. When she was finally free of the mountain of feet and legs, Angora immediately headed to the inn she was staying in, talking with the clerk being the first thing she did.
"Hey. I just wanted to thank you for all of your hospitality. It's not every day somebody is this kind to me, especially not after learning who and what I am." she said with genuine gratitude, feeling like she owed him. One look at her eyes and anyone could tell she really meant it.
"I'm going to leave for a while again, so if it's not too much of a bother, I'd like you to save my room. If I don't return, feel free to rent it." Angora finally stated, getting ready to leave. She had everything with her, money, the orb and even her poisonous knife, which she almost forgot she had. There was nothing in that room for her now, but she was willing to return if the soldiers didn't let her stay with Shade.

After the battle was over, Huntress was escorted to the behemoth pen, where she waited for one of the animals that were to escort her back to Redwater. Upon her request, some reached the place through horseback, not wanting to mount another wyvern.
"Until we meet again old friend..." Huntress whispered into the distance, already missing Seraos. But as she waited, she put her hand in her pocket... and that's when she was reminded she still had Maverick's wanted poster. She had forgotten to ask Seraos about that man, but it was too late now. She would have to wait...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was a little annoyed at the concept of having to slither around for awhile - she could transform into fish form quickly, but humanoid form took much longer. Still, they did promise to play with the kid - and Ilasi wanted to at least give him something.
"Sure thing," she said to the boy with feigned enthusiasm. She quickly walked over to the fountain, and after a second of contemplation, climbed into and stood in it. Soon after, ther legs began to shift, lengthening, merging, becoming scaly - until finally, there was a tail in its place. Completely transformed, Ilasi climbed out of the fountain, and began slithering back.
"Voila!" Ilasi flapped her tail around a bit, shaking off a bit of water. Well, he got what he wanted - but riding Dahlia would now be out of the question for the foreseeable future.

Pleased, the boy finally smiled, glad to be able to see a mermaid so up close. Merfolks were common in Redwater, but they were usually either busy or hard to identify them when they were walking among humans. Knowing that the transformation would take a while to complete, Maverick gently picked Ilasi.
"There. You got what you wanted child. I'm really sorry we can't stay, but we have to leave. Keep the ball as a memento, alright?" Maverick began to say, when the kid took him off guard.
"Is she your girlfriend mister?" he asked, prompting Maverick to be as red as a tomato.
"My, she, girl... of course not niño! We're just friends having a good time. Now we really have to leave!" Maverick stammered, turning around to leave the garden and enter to the hotel. Some spectators were curious of the scene, but it was more of Maverick's hairy and embarrased state rather than Ilasi's predicament. Mermaids were common there, so not exactly something impressive to look at.

Maverick sat Ilasi in a chair inside one of the empty balconies of the inn to give her time to transform, which had some view of the garden, though not the best. Not only his face was red. His ears, arms and hands were as well. He even began to sweat.
"I'm so sorry about that Ilasi. Lo siento. That boy didn't strike me as the curious type. Never imagined he would request something like that from you. Should've kept my mouth shut." he apologized, trying to forget about his own embarrassment by avoiding direct eye contact with her.

Titan initially said nothing-- looking at the pack members below him as if to judge their reactions at the proposal. Some seemed optimistic, while others looked as if they wanted to eat Latnok alive. There had no doubt been some lost trust between the strays and their former owners. "Perhaps.," the large Rottweiler paused. "But first-- a test. A public demonstration of your good will if you will. Sparky-- come here.," he then said as a very familiar looking Chihuahua stepped forward. It was the same dog who had announced Titan's presence. The average sized dog Chihuahua had at one point been fitted with a collar that continuously emitted what could best be described as a much tamer version of Raclaw's own TEACH command. "Sparky, explain your story and DON'T leave out any details.," Titan commanded to which the poor little guy obeyed.

What followed was a life story that started out with abuse and ended up with the so-called 'Sparky' getting fitted with his collar shortly before running. It was explained that he had tried to remove it, but had only damaged the internal mechanisms and caused its TEACH-like function to go off continuously. "Remove his collar. Free him from his suffering-- and I will consider your request.," Titan than said maintaining his leader-like tone.

If Maverick was trying to avoid eye contact, Ilasi couldn't tell; she was too embarrassed herself to look directly at him. The boy's question made her realize - though they had been spending a lot of time together, they never "officially" declared any new relationship. "Th-thank you for... helping me out," she said shyly, being deliberately vague with what exactly she was referring to. "I guess we'll be here for a bit..." Perhaps there would be a little more talking not too long from now, but for the moment, it would appear that both parties were still recovering from the shock of what happened.

Latnok had one very key advantage in this scenario - opposable thumbs. Slowly moving towards the collared dog, to avoid coming off as threatening, he knelt by him - grabbing his collar with one hand, his gloves protecting him from the electricity. Though it was sturdy, a combination of his own natural strength and force magic allowed Latnok to slowly crush it within his grip - once the metal had been weakened enough, it was simply a matter of twisting it until it broke. Latnok removed the collar from the dog's neck, raising it up for all of the dogs to see.
"We will right the wrongs your owners have inflicted on you. Come with us."

When Angora approached the outpost, the sentries made no attempt to stop her, instead making space - a gesture of allowing her to pass, even if she was small enough to not need it. Shade was still around the same area he had been kept in the entire time. He was currently receiving double rations to help him recover, after a brief examination by an officer showed him to be extremely exhausted.

As Latnok lifted up the now broken collar, several of the dogs 'cheered' while a few were still doubtful. It matter not what they thought, however, as Titan would be the deciding factor. "Very well-- we shall come with you, but only because you have proven yourself worthy of your claim. Pack, we are leaving this area and we are to never to return! Is that understood?!," Titan said making sure that every member could hear him. They may have been leaving their now former territory, but he wouldn't so quickly abandon his pride. "YES TITAN!," the members shouted in unison-- even those that still didn't appear entirely pleased. "Take anything you value dear and if you wish to have a burden removed, make it known before they leave us.," the Rottweiler then said knowing that they would never again get such a chance. He looked at Chester and gave a solemn nod-- a sign of respect for the little Beagle's decisions and for having brought the collar-breaker as Latnok would than be known throughout the pack. "Good job Chester.," Raclaw said looking at the proud little guy. They had actually done it and in the process; bettered the lives of many of the city's stray population.

Maverick just did a little nod in response, looking at the garden while waiting for the transformation to take place. Even though he was still embarrased with what happened, the boy's comment got him thinking very long and hard.
"You know... Ilasi... I've... never had a relationship before. My father... he always shoo away every woman I ever talked to. Some left me by themselves when they found out I was a pirate... or rather, the son of one. He never even let me have any friends. The rest of his crew were too scary or brutal to want friends. The only first, true friendship I ever had was Angorita, and that was only because she worked for my father. Even then, he didn't like seeing us interacting together. The only chance we got was at night and in a lonely cabin when most of them were asleep." Maverick confessed, feeling like he had to take that one off his chest. He wanted to feel bad for his father, his own flesh and blood dying, but he didn't. He actually felt good about it, something that made him feel guilty, but his father made him too miserable to allow him to feel any remorse for his demise.

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Shade saw Angora and hid his face in shame with his wing. He was ashamed by what he did. He slightly curled up and cryed softly. He never would hurt anyone let alone kill someone out of pleasure.

Angora entered the outpost without looking at anybody, breathing in a sigh of relief when they allowed her entry. Looked like the king have word to them after all. At least he was fast. But she wasn't going to praise him. Instead, she focused on finding Shade, who was lying around and being fed. He didn't look mistreated, just very tired.
"Hey dummy. Aren't I entitled to some affection?" she said, trying to lift his wing to see him. She knew he was feeling lousy, so she wanted to make him feel better as best as she could, maybe even cheer him up with her hopefully permanent visit. She didn't care if he gave her one of his signature nuzzlings or a big lick, deciding not to mind the latter for once.

All was settled for the behemoth to return to Redwater. Huntress was hoping she could see him feed, being that an event she enjoyed greatly after one of them devoured the very dragon that killed her entire family and destroyed her village.

Angora approached him and lied on his snout, knowing that making him feel better was going to be hard.
"It's not your fault Shade. It's... theirs. Their stupidity and mediocrity did this. Not you." Angora assured in a very low voice to make sure nobody but them heard her, forcing herself to look at Shade directly in the eyes. She wanted to let him know that she was finally going to stay with him. She didn't know if the king told her the truth and that the village's presence was an oversight of his scout's part, or if it had just been a trick to make Shade do the dirty work for them, but she wasn't going to told the dragolet anything. For now, her only goal was to be with Shade, and prevent any more mistakes from happening.

Ilasi was shy and embarrassed as ever - she moved her head to face Maverick just a bit more, not yet giving him a direct look. "You know, I've never been in a relationship myself..." she said. "I've never had the time, never been able to settle down, or even get to know people for any extended period of time. Was never really special enough for anyone to care. Sometimes I... I've thought about it..." Ilasi wanted to say more - so much more - but was much too nervous to proceed. The die had been cast already, however; all that was left was to see what happened.

Angora didn't know what to say on the matter, so she chose to just keep comforting it. She was very welcoming of the hug.
"I'm here now Shady. And I'm allowed to stay this time. I'll help you. Somehow, we'll get through this, as we have always done.." Angora guaranteed, willing to make sure no more innocent lives were lost. Shade had already proven he had full control of his powers, yet he was practically forced to use them again and murder innocent people, with nobody but him getting punished for such brutality when the mistake was someone else's.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was shy and embarrassed as ever - she moved her head to face Maverick just a bit more, not yet giving him a direct look. "You know, I've never been in a relationship myself..." she said. "I've never had the time, never been able to settle down, or even get to know people for any extended period of time. Was never really special enough for anyone to care. Sometimes I... I've thought about it..." Ilasi wanted to say more - so much more - but was much too nervous to proceed. The die had been cast already, however; all that was left was to see what happened.

Maverick didn't want her to proceed, feeling like she was relieving too many bad memories.
"Well, guess you never met the right people. Or perhaps you were working too hard. But that's all in the past now. Financially speaking, I can help you with that, and we can use my experience as a... treasure hunter to find this scepter. If it exists, we WILL find it. And whatever we don't have, nature provides. There's much, so much that we can do." Maverick said exitedly, his blush finally starting to disappear and looking at Ilasi more directly now, though still not in the eyes.

By now, Huntress was on her way to back to Redwater, once again making herself comfortable on the behemoth's back while the beast transported her and others to their destination. She really enjoyed the rides. It was like riding a moving mountain. Sometimes she wished she could ride on a behemoth's snout to look at their world from their point of view, but due to safety precautions, that was strictly forbidden.

Just then, the orb started to give a soft, red glow. [i]"We feel you - and we answer. Would you not want to see a world with no more war? A world where all are equal? A world with no more despair? We will guide you to that world. All you have to do is want for it, and be willing to make it happen... be willing to be born anew." The orb shortly returned to its dormant state, becoming as unresponsive as it was before.

Ilasi tried to look at Maverick directly, but still couldn't bring herself to do so. "Financial support? Uh... I don't... that's not what I'm... that's not what I... I mean... I wish you could... support me in a... a bit of a different way, you know? Like..." It took every bit of nerve Ilasi had to get that out - she was struggling to be forward, and was hoping it didn't backfire horribly or make her come off as too needy.