darkSpyro

Quote: A Guy

"What I recommend? Well, Ilasi herself makes some decent souvenirs," Gria said, without relinquishing her grip. "But I don't know if she has any of them right now. Ooh... I could make you something! A necklace made of clams! So you'll always have a clam to remember-"
"I think I can handle it," Ilasi said. "Or maybewe should leave Maverick to do some browsing!"
"Oh, of course," Gria said, as she finally released her grip. "Sorry."
"So... how have my parents been doing, anyway?"
"Grump as always," Gria said dryly, as she rolled her eyes. "'Should've raised her better' or something like that. They think you should've stayed here with them."
Ilasi was neither disappointed nor surprised. The real irony was them wanting her to stay despite how much they have voiced disapproval of her.

Maverick didn't know how to intercept the matter. As soon as he heard of Ilasi's parents, he immediately became curious about meeting them, but after hearing what Gria was saying, he was beginning to understand why Ilasi wanted to avoid this place.
"Well now, it was very nice meeting you señorita. I'll be looking for a little souvenir now. I want to see as much as I can without getting late. Hard to know the time from down here, for a foreigner of course, heh. Hmm... a water clock. Now there's an idea for a souvenir." Maverick commented, awkwardly trying to change the subject again, although he liked the idea of a watch. Even merpeople needed to tell time, right? Whatever he decided to do, he just wished he could keep sightseeing without attracting too much attention. He could already sense Ilasi's jealousy, and was making him quite uneasy.

Quote: A Guy

Once everyone was settled, Latnok began to lead the way to one of the many taverns in the city. Taking a slightly different route (if only for the sake of exploring), Latnok entered the first tavern he found. It, just like all of the others, was a frenetic environment of drinking and merriment. A group of troubadours was currently playing a song with singing and various musical instruments, and a brawl was happening in one of the fight pits as many people cheered.

Once the 'trio turned small army' entered the bar-- it wouldn't take long for Latnok and company to find the nearest job board. As Raclaw began to glance at it, Chester jumped up on top of the Fur Dragon's head as if also taking a look. The job board had many notices with some promising greater rewards than others. "Wolf cubs in training loose. Will pay for safe return.," read one notice. "Rats in basement. Easy money!," read another notice seemingly a common concern in the city. "Gryphon hunting cattle. Will pay for head.," read what appeared to be a newly posted notice-- the new paper seemingly gleaming in front of several older notices. "Gryphon mount loose. Will pay for safe return." read another notice seemingly contrasting the previous notice. 'Same gryphon?,' Raclaw's thoughts wonders audible to Latnok. The job board listed numerous other listing, including some previous seen notices that hadn't yet been fulfilled and other less edible jobs concerning caravans. As Raclaw read over the other notices-- his thoughts kept returning to the two about the gryphon. He eyes glanced over another concerning notice -- "Strange plant turned dog wild. Will pay dead or alive." Could it be possible that something was turning these creatures wild? These were certainly strange times...

Gria gave Maverick a quick hug. "Well, if you ever want to come here again, you could always ask for a ride, and I'll be right here. There are a lot more fun things we can do on the surface once I've bee above long enough for my legs to kick in..."
"That'll be just fine," Ilasi said. "He'll be spending the rest of his time with me."
Gria's look changed to one of uncertainty. "You mean you're not just a tour guide for him?"
"Most definitely not," Ilasi asserted.
"Oh. Is he your boyfriend, then?" Gria asked without hesitation.
"Well... yes," Ilasi said, her voice not sounding as self-assured as before, as she looked away slightly.
"...oh. Well, that's a bit awkward," Gria said, realizing what her actions may have come off as to Ilasi. Despite the realization, however, things were most definitely not likely to get less awkward.
"How long have you two been together?" Gria soon asked.
"Well... since this morning," Ilasi said. "Unless you mean how long we've known each other. Which will have been... several months, I think."
"Oh. You ever think of the important stuff in all that time? Like where you'll live together? Or how your babies will-"
"Okay, Gria, that's enough, please! Just... not right now," Ilasi said, looking away as her face turned deep red with a mix of fury and deep embarrassment, only somewhat assuaged by the fact that Gria wasn't trying to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh... I'm sorry! I just got a bit carried away... well, I'm really happy for you!" Gria said.
Now, what would Ilasi do next? She didn't exactly like her parents, but maybe she would pay them a visit, just so they could see how she was getting along without them...

On the noticeboard was yet another interesting job to catch Latnok's attention. Aggressive, unusual creatures spotted. Known creatures include giant armored beetles, lithe creatures shooting bony spikes, and floating creatures composed of many eyes. Last spotted in a cavern by gryphon roost. Will pay for removal.
"That description... does that look familiar to you at all?" Latnok asked Raclaw, as he pointed out the job on the board. If he was right, he was wielding a spear made of one of those very creatures...

"The only chance you deserve to redeem yourself is as behemoth food," the captain said disdainfully. "Now get out of my sight. The wyvern riders are here to take you." On cue, the wyvern riders began to fly above Shade, beckoning for him to follow them.

Quote:

On the noticeboard was yet another interesting job to catch Latnok's attention. Aggressive, unusual creatures spotted. Known creatures include giant armored beetles, lithe creatures shooting bony spikes, and floating creatures composed of many eyes. Last spotted in a cavern by gryphon roost. Will pay for removal.
"That description... does that look familiar to you at all?" Latnok asked Raclaw, as he pointed out the job on the board. If he was right, he was wielding a spear made of one of those very creatures...

"It does--," Raclaw started to say hesitating before finishing his sentence. Those things might have once caused a lot of trouble in his and Latnok's ongoing bond and relations. "Yes, I remember. We fought those things in the mines and one of them kept watching the ship from afar. It tried to hide it, but I could sense it presence up to the point when we had left again.," the Fur Dragon then said implying also briefly explaining for those unfamiliar with their past journeys. Chester eyed the gleaming spear proudly sitting on Latnok's back. "And that was when you returned with the new spear. We.. we found you in the middle of nowhere.," Chester added in dogspeak-- understandable to Latnok, Raclaw, and presumably Helen.

As Angora watched the clouds, she soon encountered one that resembled a dragon with many paws. It seems like no matter what she did or what she saw, something always happened that made her miss Shade and Maverick. She was beginning to think she should've taken Maverick offer about having fun with him, even if Ilasi didn't like it. She already had him for an awfully long time when she was with Shade, so it made the little troll upset that she didn't accept Maverick's offer. She was being too nice to that mermaid. Angora was even staring to think about going back and leave this insane mission behind, but she doubted the carriage will be back, especially since this was a no tourist zone. But what the heck now? She has come so far, so she would remain there until talking to that beast. Chances are it was still as unreasonable as ever, just like the rest of the guards in Aelinon, but even if she didn't succeed in improving her image, she would still help herself getting rid of the fear she still had for the monster, and hopefully stop those unsettling nightmares.

Quote: A Guy

Gria gave Maverick a quick hug. "Well, if you ever want to come here again, you could always ask for a ride, and I'll be right here. There are a lot more fun things we can do on the surface once I've bee above long enough for my legs to kick in..."
"That'll be just fine," Ilasi said. "He'll be spending the rest of his time with me."
Gria's look changed to one of uncertainty. "You mean you're not just a tour guide for him?"
"Most definitely not," Ilasi asserted.
"Oh. Is he your boyfriend, then?" Gria asked without hesitation.
"Well... yes," Ilasi said, her voice not sounding as self-assured as before, as she looked away slightly.
"...oh. Well, that's a bit awkward," Gria said, realizing what her actions may have come off as to Ilasi. Despite the realization, however, things were most definitely not likely to get less awkward.
"How long have you two been together?" Gria soon asked.
"Well... since this morning," Ilasi said. "Unless you mean how long we've known each other. Which will have been... several months, I think."
"Oh. You ever think of the important stuff in all that time? Like where you'll live together? Or how your babies will-"
"Okay, Gria, that's enough, please! Just... not right now," Ilasi said, looking away as her face turned deep red with a mix of fury and deep embarrassment, only somewhat assuaged by the fact that Gria wasn't trying to make her feel uncomfortable.
"Oh... I'm sorry! I just got a bit carried away... well, I'm really happy for you!" Gria said.
Now, what would Ilasi do next? She didn't exactly like her parents, but maybe she would pay them a visit, just so they could see how she was getting along without them...

This was a conversation there was no way Maverick was getting into. He scratched between his eyes to pretend he had an itch, when he was just actually trying to cover his face. If he had soil below him, he would bury his face in it. He was expecting to be liked, just not this much. Gria had been so keen on flirting with him that if it wasn't for him and Ilasi's relationship, he was almost certain Gria would've gone for it. One thing was certain now. Ilasi was making it official. The kiss that morning sealed the deal. They had a relationship upgrade. While he was happy, he was also very uneasy. He has seen many women in his life, but this was the first time he had an actual girlfriend. Now what was he suppose to do? He really wanted to explore this new territory, but now there was more at stake. He still attracted women, and Ilasi was clearly prone to jealousy, so this was going to be no easy road. Maverick was so nervous, he even stopped looking at the stands...

"Well," Latnok said, "apparently the job lister intends to communicate with us telepathically when we're at the site. It's near tbe roost, which means we should be able to handle at least one of these gryphon jobs, depending on its disposition. And there will be plenty of combat, so maybe Helen can get to sink her teeth into something. Sound like a plan?" Latnok always made sure to ask Raclaw about their ppans nowadays - seeing Raclaw more as a peer than as someone to lead.

"Well, thanks," Ilasi said. "It's good to see you again, though I wish you were a bit more, uh, tactful."
Gria soon parted, leaving Ilasi and Maverick alone (or rather, without anyone else bothering them at the moment). Ilasi was still blushing almost incandescently from what Gria had said, being too embarrassed to look at Maverick directly. "Well, uh... that could've gone a bit better..." she nervously commented.

"Sounds like a plan.," Raclaw said with a nod. "Agreed!" Chester barked.

Quote: A Guy

"Well, thanks," Ilasi said. "It's good to see you again, though I wish you were a bit more, uh, tactful."
Gria soon parted, leaving Ilasi and Maverick alone (or rather, without anyone else bothering them at the moment). Ilasi was still blushing almost incandescently from what Gria had said, being too embarrassed to look at Maverick directly. "Well, uh... that could've gone a bit better..." she nervously commented.

Maverick remained silent for a long while, not certain on how to answer. He started to wonder if there was a stand nearby that sold masks so he could cover his face to hide his embarrassment. That certainly could've gone better. Maverick was quite the ladies' man in the past, and it looked like he still was.
"Well, at least this is a nice atmosphere. It was great to meet one of your friends, even if the moment wasn't the most ideal one." he finally managed to say after a while, quite nervous about how Ilasi was feeling.
"I guess I could shave once in a while to avoid getting too much attention... though I would have to do it constantly. It grows too fast..." Maverick then said, knowing he was changing subjects again but going along with it anyway. He did attracted women even without the hair, but it at least minimized the possibilities. He wondered what he should do to avoid getting too much attention right now. Gria was thankfully Ilasi's friend, so things didn't go so bad, but what if another mermaid approached him that Ilasi didn't know? Maverick couldn't even begin to imagine the mess that could lead to. He even pondered about whether visiting the underground would've been the better idea...

"Please, don't do that..." Ilasi said insistently. "It's just something we're going to have to learn to deal with. I think things would go better if you just politely declined them." Ilasi much preferred Maverick with his hair, and wouldn't want him to remove it for her sake. She couldn't help but feel that he somewhat enjoyed the attention he had received too much to turn it away, though she was certain that was just a paranoid thought.
"While we're down here, we might as well see my parents. Just to give you an idea of what they're like. Who knows, they might like you more than me." Ilasi gave a forced chuckle at the proposition.

OOC: Dear Arceus! I go to sleep, and the posts exploded!

Helen perused the job board. Well, this looks vaguely familiar. She nodded in agreement with Latnok, all too willing to cooperate if it meant a fight was in store. Spike, however, seemed concerned. "I've hear of normally-sane creatures losing their minds, and it's usually because of a great catastrophe for all that's coming." He landed on Helen's back, a favored roost of his as long as he stayed in front of her wings.

Quote: A Guy

"Please, don't do that..." Ilasi said insistently. "It's just something we're going to have to learn to deal with. I think things would go better if you just politely declined them." Ilasi much preferred Maverick with his hair, and wouldn't want him to remove it for her sake. She couldn't help but feel that he somewhat enjoyed the attention he had received too much to turn it away, though she was certain that was just a paranoid thought.
"While we're down here, we might as well see my parents. Just to give you an idea of what they're like. Who knows, they might like you more than me." Ilasi gave a forced chuckle at the proposition.

Although Maverick wanted to keep seeing the stands, he was now more interested to meet Ilasi's parents, and know why this seemingly heavy strain between them.
"We can do that right now. The souvenirs can wait. If you're really not looking so forward to seeing them, we can visit them right now to be out of that step. If you haven't seen them for a while, who knows? Maybe they changed. Maybe they know how far you've gone and are finally proud of you. But we'll never know until we see them." Maverick encouraged, wanting to give Ilasi the valor to go for it. She did have a lot more confidence in herself than before, and she worked for the highly respected Guardians and now even had a boyfriend of her own. That should be enough, shouldn't it? Strains between parents and their children were quite common, and Maverick knew it. Perhaps if he could see where and why it all began in case they haven't changed, he could help doing something about it. At least Ilasi had both of her parents, which is much more than he had. While he didn't miss his father at all, the same couldn't be said for his loving, angelic mother, whom despite losing her at such a young age, Maverick remembered her vividly.

With the matter of jobs settled, Latnok directed the rest of the group as they left. Though Leoquin would've loved to swim to their destination, he figured that his legs would probably be necessary for the task at hand. The journey was going to take several hours...
"So yeah, Star was a pretty cool guy," Latnok said, starting some chat to pass the time. "Had some fancy tools that came in handy. Think he had a heart attack once when one of our hexsmiths swung a hammer at one of his things to remove the corrosion - magic being involved of course, so he didn't smash the thing to bits. I really wonder how he's doing right now. His dragon friend too... I think the name was Darkheart? A lot more friendly than that giant black dragon Godfather Sere fought long ago, that's for sure. Oh, he's the leader of the Ardent Guardians, if I didn't tell you."

"Okay, then," Ilasi said. "They're not too far from here, actually..."
Ilasi led the way, as they passed by many merfolk and their homes. Maverick did get quite the attention just by virtue of being rather unusual, though no one had since come as forward as Gria had.
They eventually came to the door of a limestone dwelling, completely inconspicuous compared to all of the others. Ilasi didn't need a second guess, however, Reaching forward, she grabbed the bell that was mounted on the side of the door and rang it a few times. The acoustics were designed to allow the bell to be audible even in the water.
A few moments. Seemingly nothing. Then, the door opened. Out popped a mermaid, with some resemblances to Ilasi, most notably the long hair and tail coloration, though noticeably older. The mermaid soon had a surprised look on her face.
"Oh, Ilasi... Oh! Welcome back. I didn't expect you to come back to us..."
"No, Mother, I'm not coming back," Ilasi said. "I was just in the area, so stopped by to say hello."
"Oh... well, please feel free to come in," Ilasi's mother said. "Oh, didn't even notice you there! Who is this man?" she asked. Ilasi chose to let Maverick answer for himself for now.

Maverick didn't understand why Ilasi was so against visiting her folks. Her mother looked like a very nice lady, and she didn't treated her rudely.
"Hola señora. The name's Maverick. It's very nice to meet you. Your city is very pretty." the hybrid greeted, though nervous about addressing himself as Ilasi's boyfriend. He would leave that to her, since he didn't want to come as too straightforward or give too much information out of the blue. But he didn't know if Ilasi would be offended at him for not telling her mother, so he looked at her meekly as if asking if he should indeed tell him or give it away later. So many things happening in just one day. Meeting Ilasi's parents and his first kiss on the same day? Everything was happening too fast...

OOC: By the way, if there wasn't already a character named Maverick, I'd bring in an Absol character of mine. He's based on the first Pokémon I ever Mega Evolved in a main-series game.

Spike 'shrugged' at Latnok. "Eh... Star has a lot of issues too, and almost everyone's seen his psycho side. Any number of things trigger his flashbacks, and he tends to get violent during them. He had an Absol friend named Kira Blade, and a Golurk friend named Stone." He used magic to project the images telepathically for the others, knowing they'd never seen either species. "Together, they're known as the Noctus Guardians, for the place they protect: The Noctus Woods. It's said the place is cursed, but the truth is that Nightmare keeps targeting it. Star's a member of the SECOND Clan to dwell there, and the only survivor. The original Noctus Clan was entirely wiped out by one of their own, Shadow, after he was possessed by a Spiritomb under Nightmare's orders. The worst part, aside from Shadow only being an infant, is that his sister Shade was possessed by Nightmare himself! And she saw every bit of it... Nightmare MADE her watch as he controlled her body..."
Helen noticed Spike's distress. "Hey, Spike, tell them about that ultra-lucky Absol you met."
Spike perked up again. "Oh, yeah! He was a gambler, and nobody beat him. His special Ability, of course, was Super Luck, so that was unsurprising. What WAS surprising, however, was that he relied on flipping a coin to make decisions! What was his name, again? Maverick? Anyway, he once told me how he won a lottery without entering it. He said he picked the ticket up off the sidewalk, and it turned out to be the winning ticket. A real nice guy, though."

Ilasi was just a bit disappointed. This was the second time. Was Maverick afraid to announce their relationship? It was something to think about...
"He is my boyfriend," Ilasi said blankly. "If you're wondering, he's a human-fawn hybrid."
"Oh, fawns? Those poor creatures... killed by a lack of preparedness," Ilasi's mother said with a twinge of sympathy. "It just goes to show the importance of not repeating history. When I see history, there are so many past failures... I can't help but hope you'll do much better. Tell me, my daughter. What is it that you do now? And what about your boyfriend? Is he a successful man?" "Well, I'm currently being hired for an expedition," Ilasi said, deciding it was best not to mention where to. "I serve multiple tasks, primarily water purification and medicine." As Ilasi finished, she simply gave Maverick an 'I told you so' look.

"Possession? Sounds like a ghost problem," Latnok suggested. "We have several spells for enabling us to damage their less corporeal forms, and we find that hellhounds typically do a good job of destroying them. Poltergeists, especially - those can be quite deadly if they get angry enough. We wrote a book on how to deal with poltergeists, and it went flying off the shelves."
Latnok gave a short chuckle at his own joke. As the hours passed, the group began to near their destination. It was quite a trip on foot, but nothing Latnok wasn't used to by now. Perhaps he could see about acquiring a horse from the Guardians before leaving - if it was really necessary.

Spike shook his head. "I'm afraid Nightmare is more than a ghost. He's best described as the leader of a bunch of demons." Helen twitched. Spike shivered and continued. "Nightmare prefers to possess the most innocent creature he can, torturing them with what he does using their bodies. However, if he doesn't try to hide it, it's obvious they're possessed by him. That horrid, viscous black liquid that burns and melts what it touches... It leaks from the EYES! And the possessed is still conscious, trapped in their own mind, forced to watch..." Spike trailed off entirely.
Helen shuddered. Suddenly she howled to the sky. "AROOOOOOOOOO!" It was a wordless call, as eerie as any Houndoom's cry. Humans once mistook it for the call of the grim reaper. Once she had it out of her system, she picked up where Spike left off. "Magic cannot harm Nightmare normally, and normal weapons can't even touch him. Only a special artifact, the Daydream Orb, can grant the needed power. Of course, there's also a Nightmare Orb, but that's another subject. Thankfully, dealing with Nightmare is a moot point. He was sent back to his home dimension, and he's apparently never been to THIS world anyway. He can't get here without signing an interdimensional contract."
Spike gave her an odd look. "Since when was Nightmare sent back? Mind explaining how you know?"
Helen snapped "I don't have to explain myself to you, or anyone else!!!" She started walking a little faster. "C'mon, let's leave this topic behind. I've got more important things to worry about than da- Nightmare."

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was just a bit disappointed. This was the second time. Was Maverick afraid to announce their relationship? It was something to think about...
"He is my boyfriend," Ilasi said blankly. "If you're wondering, he's a human-fawn hybrid."
"Oh, fawns? Those poor creatures... killed by a lack of preparedness," Ilasi's mother said with a twinge of sympathy. "It just goes to show the importance of not repeating history. When I see history, there are so many past failures... I can't help but hope you'll do much better. Tell me, my daughter. What is it that you do now? And what about your boyfriend? Is he a successful man?" "Well, I'm currently being hired for an expedition," Ilasi said, deciding it was best not to mention where to. "I serve multiple tasks, primarily water purification and medicine." As Ilasi finished, she simply gave Maverick an 'I told you so' look.

Maverick could see on Ilasi's face the disappointment about his lack of information. He felt like such a pathetic coward for leaving that to her. To make it up to her, he himself would make the announcement to her father to avoid any more displeasure from her part.
"We're currently working for the Ardent Guardians ma'am. Nothing so dangerous, so don't worry. Ilasi works with water and health and I with the navigation. My full time job though is being a traveling merchant. I win very good money and I see many places and cultures, though this is the first time I've seen a society underwater." Maverick explained from his part, trying very hard to make a good first impression. Ilasi's mother didn't seem like a mean person, but it was becoming clear to him from the way she talked that she was a mermaid that expected much from people. He felt a little bad from how she expressed herself about fawns, but that was a subject he was going to leave for later. For now, he just wanted to be liked by his recent girlfriend's folks, though it was quite hard considering the relationship upgrade happened as early as that very morning. Maverick had much on his plate today...

"You know-- I once knew this hawk named Tannus.," Raclaw began to say attempting to break up the sour mood. "That poor bird had been struck by lighting more times than anyone in the could count. And yet.. he still spoke to me clearer than any other animal in the village. He and I used to fly together after my... visits. He always thought I was some kind of gryphon and kept trying to prove that I was.," he then said as he went on to describe a flight that had gone terribly wrong. As he spoke-- emotions related to the memory could be felt by Latnok. "And fortunately, he had the senses to find his way home. But that storm-- it wasn't until I had meant Latnok and later Leoquin that I got over that fear.," he concluded revealing why he had at least been partly afraid of the water for the longest time. He shuddered slightly at the memory, although the fear no longer affected him. Chester listened to their tales while resting on the Fur Dragon's back.

Helen shrugged. Then Spike commented "You know, many Fire type Pokémon fear water, for reasons that should be obvious. Isn't that right, Helen?" Helen turned an interesting color, a sort of pinkish reddish orange, and one could feel the warmth. Spike took to the air rather suddenly, the Houndoom's body becoming dangerous warm for a second before cooling again, though smoke continued pouring from her nostrils. "YOWCH! HOT!"
Helen managed a weak growl. "Sh... Shut up..." She was embarrassed beyond ANYTHING Spike had ever said before. How could he?! The nerve of it all, letting them know I'm aquaphobic!!! "Just... Shut up... Or I'll tell them YOUR little secret!"
Spike went pale. "Y-y-you wouldn't DARE!"
Helen bared her numerous razor-sharp teeth. "I would, and worse! You've embarrassed me enough for today!" She started mumbling something to herself, almost like she was reciting a mantra.

As Helen's anger quite litterially heated up-- Raclaw once again felt the familiar anger. "We.. we all have our fears. They're nothing to be ashamed of.," he then said in a gentle tone. As he spoke, his own senses (or perhaps Damon) instinctively tried to counter the negative emotions with his own positive emotions. He gave a gentle smile trying to reassure the Hell Hound-like Pokemon.

Helen simply grumbled in response. She felt something intruding on her mind, and pushed back. Not realizing it was just Raclaw trying to calm her, she fed back her own rage and frustration. GET OUT OF MY HEAD!!! Any empath familiar with Dark type Pokémon would know better than to poke around in their minds, as they reacted unpleasantly towards psychic prodding. Meanwhile, a darker force hidden deeper in her subconscious stirred slightly, sensing a battle approaching where it would be unleashed, if briefly.
Spike, meanwhile, could feel what Raclaw was doing. In an effort to prevent trouble, he prepared a emotion-calming spell mentally. Listening to him, one could hear snatches of quiet, soft prayer from him to... Whatever deity he got his power from. Another sound could be heard as well. It was quiet, but quite clear to any psychics nearby: A strange but pleasant humming like an otherworldly choir.

"Oh, if you dislike that, then you'd have a lot of fun on our journey," Latnok said sarcastically. "An archipelago known as Falcon's Beak. Surrounded by what we call the "Danger Zone" or, less frequently, the "Ring of Death." Rife with storms, almost endless downpours of rain and lightning. Fun times to be had all around."
As the group approached their destination, they were all interrupted by an indistinct telepathic voice. "You are approaching the targets," it said. "They dwell in the wooded forest a mile away from here. Seek them out, and destroy them. I will be able to identify when the last one is dead. Do this, and you will be rewarded amply."
Latnok didn't bother looking for the voice, being all too familiar with telepathy - especially since it seemed like whoever was sending the request was trying to hide aspects that would make them easier to identify. "Well," he said, "it's about time we got started, don't you think?" He brabbed his bow, preparing to engage any potential enemies, as Leoquin grabbed one of several javelins he had brought in addition to his main polearm.

"Oh, those folk! I've heard many good things about them," she said. "Between you and me... there have also been some nasty rumors. Some say that they had the Scourge of Redwater unleashed on the city in a ploy to force the king into submission on various policies. I don't believe it myself, but... ever since that day, people have been a bit more wary... Anyway, I trust they won't be having any of you involved in that!
"My daughter, I'm so glad you found a handsome, successful man! Your father will be very pleased!"
"That would be something new," Ilasi said dryly. "Where is he, anyway?"
"He's currently gone shopping above ground, though he should be home soon," Ilasi's mother said. "He wants to get one of those phoenix steel weapons the Guardians produce. I think maybe a glaive of some kind. A while ago, a human friend of his was attacked by a spider summoned by those despicable elves, and needed an amputation. He's going to be a cripple for the rest of his life. Ever since then, he's been determined to cut the limbs off of some elves himself."
The thought of the matter only frustrated Ilasi. These elves were brazenly attacking innocent people - but they wouldn't get away from it for long.

Maverick knew too well she was talking about Shade, but he decided the wisest move was not to elaborate on that, especially his involvement with the infamous Scourge of Redwater.
"Well rumor or not, it's just a job. And they have very good weapons and magic for whatever little danger we face." Maverick assured, this being the first he heard of such a rumor. He had believed him, Angora, or even Shade himself were being the only ones blamed for the destruction that happened, so it was quite shocking to learn people were trying to find ways to blame the Guardians as well.
"I look forward to meeting your husband señora. And don't worry about your daughter. I can protect her. I know fawns had the reputation of being weak for what happened, but I researched their history very thoroughly, and it wasn't the lack of preparation. They were simply too trusting and gentle to fight for their lives... but it doesn't matter now. Their ancestry isn't completely lost, and I look forward to learn about their abilities. I've heard it was quite useful and helpful back in the day." Maverick commented, using this opportunity to somewhat change the older mermaid's perspective about fawns. After the comment, he wanted to say something about the spiders, but he didn't know what was happening, so he decided not to say anything about that particular matter.

As Latnok and friends armed themselves-- Raclaw did the same and expanded his tail spikes. And whereas the golden tail band was once seamless; four spikes now intruded out of it and Raclaw prepared to defend himself/friends. "I'm.. I'm sorry.," He said as Spike calmed the two empaths down.

OOC: Entertaining the thought of bringing another character in, perhaps even bringing back Star and maybe even Darkheart. What do you guys think? Maybe Star could surprise everyone by showing up as a Zoroark or something? Maybe fly in on Darkheart's back? I dunno, heh.

Helen touched her Mega Stone, eager to display her full power. She tried to ignore the sudden urge to slay those near her, to burn down the whole forest without a trace, to destroy everything here and then some. Spike nodded at Raclaw and advised "Don't try to work mentally with Dark type Pokémon unless they fully trust you. They're normally immune to psychic prodding, so they don't react well to such 'intrusions', no matter how well-intentioned." He began readying his best healing spells, praying audibly to an assortment of beings, some named, others not. The name 'Daydream' popped up repeatedly.
Helen, however, seemed less and less stable as time went on. She mumbled incomprehensibly, and if one listened close they would hear her refer to 'daddy' a couple of times.

OOC: I'm not stopping you.

Latnok activated his future sight as he approached the boundary of the wooded area. Thick vegetation of all kinds grew about, though the bigger fauna was notably absent. Soon, those looking for such a thing would be able to feel a faint, psychic presence - and though it was concealed much more effectively than last time, one might be able to surmise what it was based on the context.
Soon, Latnok suddenly jumped to Leoquin, deflecting several bony projectiles as they whistled through the air. "Over there!" he pointed - the foe was not immediately visible, however, and their telepathic presence was subdued. If these were the same kind of foe as last time, they had gotten better at concealing themselves, both visually and mentally.

"It looks like you've chosen a wonderful man," Ilasi's mother told her. "Now, Maverick, you make sure to take good care of my daughter, you hear? Maybe we'll get to see our grandkids one day, even!"
Ilasi simply groaned as her mother ushered Maverick in - finding a resting spot wasn't quite necessary, on account of him being able to lean against the bubble. As promised, her father came in before too long, with a glaive made out of phoenix-steel, with its distinct light, silver-blue tinge. Despite being a bit of an older gentleman, it was very clear he was still in fighting shape. He immediately noticed the new guests, and skipped the greeting with his wife.
"Ilasi?! You're back! And... who's this with you?" he asked, almost as if in disbelief.

OOC: I look forward to their return. I actually miss them. Remember how Star had a Rotom Dex?

Maverick scratched the back of his head, blushing like a tomato ready for harvesting.
"Well... it's a little too soon for that... but... we shall see..." he said to the mother, not wanting to dismiss the idea and surprised at how open she was with him, and even how ready she seemed to be a grandmother. It got him thinking if he and Ilasi would ever went that far. First time relationships weren't usually very successful, but they could happen indeed. It got him wondering how would their kids looked like anyway. Merpeople with much hair? Would they have the transformation biology? Would they have goat legs?

Maverick's deep yet embarrassing train of though was suddenly interrupted by the father's arrival, and deep inside, he was glad that he stopped the thoughts, but immediately got all nervous when he saw whom he was dealing it. The merman wasn't exactly a giant, but he was nevertheless very intimidating and quite sturdy looking.
"Eh, hola señor. My name's Maverick. Pleased to meet you. I'm... her boyfriend..." Maverick introduced himself with a trembling lip, managing to say those words but unable to avoid stammering a little. He did promised himself he would tell the truth to the father, and since he didn't want to disappoint Ilasi again, he managed to be brave enough to say the word, even if barely.

OOC: I would welcome them back.

Quote:

Latnok activated his future sight as he approached the boundary of the wooded area. Thick vegetation of all kinds grew about, though the bigger fauna was notably absent. Soon, those looking for such a thing would be able to feel a faint, psychic presence - and though it was concealed much more effectively than last time, one might be able to surmise what it was based on the context.
Soon, Latnok suddenly jumped to Leoquin, deflecting several bony projectiles as they whistled through the air. "Over there!" he pointed - the foe was not immediately visible, however, and their telepathic presence was subdued. If these were the same kind of foe as last time, they had gotten better at concealing themselves, both visually and mentally.

As soon as Latnok activated his future sight-- Raclaw would respond in kind and activate the full 'sight,' the result of the former's future sight and the latter's telepathy merging to fulfill a greater purpose. 'Not you again-- your ability to block me has only gotten stronger.,' Raclaw's thoughts exclaimed as he scanned the immediate environment and only faintly picked up what could be the creatures. 'I'll.. just have... to puuush harder.,' he thought as he started to increase his telepathy and began to pick up on had to be the outline of one of the creatures. Suddenly-- his senses picked up something else, something coming fast *towards* Latnok. "Latnok-- watch out!," he quickly exclaimed as he jumped in front of the Guardian and attempted to trigger the artifact armor effect. And as the spikes briefly restracted... what looked like a plate of shiny new armor could be seen protecting and reflecting an arrow off his side torso area. 'It-- it worked!,' his thoughts shouted as he landed and he immediately prepared to do the same -- or get an good strike in given the opportunity. Chester instinctively gave Raclaw some space just prior to the move, suspecting that the beloved fur dragon was going to do something.

OOC: Wow. Star and Darkheart are POPULAR around here. I'll bring 'em back then!

Helen launched a fireball in the indicated direction, her fire lighting the forest up around the group. "WHAT THE HECK ARE THEY?!" she shouted at Latnok. Loudly, likely drawing more attention. She readied for Mega Evolution, half hoping she'd need it, half hoping she wouldn't.
Spike squeaked in surprise, before using air magic to fan Helen's flames.

OOC: THEY'RE BACK! OUT OF ABSOLUTELY FREAKING NOWHERE, THEY'RE BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND!

Name: Star N30Noctus
Age: Still vaguely young
Species: Zoroark
Good or evil: Good
Appearance: A youthful Zoroark with a nasty scar over his right eye, and a pair of headphones he never removes. Wears a ceremonial robe to show his rank as King of the Noctus Woods.
Personality: While still harsh and sarcastic, Star has lightened considerably, having dealt with much of the horror he's been through.
Weapons: Natural weapons and a buttload of cybernetic upgrades, among his gadgets and ninja weaponry
Elements: Darkness, technology
History: A wanderer throughout time and space, Star has entered this world before. After dealing with Nightmare back home, he oversaw repairs on the village and then left Kira and Stone in charge of protecting it, while Shade, who he freed from Nightmare's influence, takes care of the newly re-founded Noctus Clan. He came to this world to check back up on old friends.

Name: Darkheart
Age: I literally don't remember LOL
Species: Dragon
Good or evil: Formerly Evil, now Good
Appearance: A pitch-black dragon with white skull markings on her forehead, chest, and front paws.
Personality: Cynical and moody as ever, she's still comparable to a moody teenager.
Weapons: Usual dragon weaponry.
Elements: Darkness
History: Since leaving the group, Darkheart has been working on building a proper life for herself. Nothing special yet, but she's doing okay.

A shadow covers the entire group, and looking up they would see a vaguely dragon-y shape. A distinctly skinny one at that. From astride the dark dragoness watched a cloaked being, a long mane of red hair flowing behind them as they beheld the spectacle. The dragoness flew down cautiously, not sure the group would recognize her. Her rider, however, had no such concerns, and leaped from her the moment she started descending.
"Icarus Wings ACTIVATE!" A pair of metal rods sprouted from his back, unfolding into a pair of large feathery wings as his cloak slowly floated to the ground, catching Spike underneath on the way.
The anthropomorphic fox landed, then rose to his feet. A single blue eye scanned the group, noting Latnok and Raclaw, ignoring the others.
"Hello Latnok, Raclaw. It's been a while... I think. Spacetime travel is imprecise at best." He nodded to them before grinning.
Spike struggled out from underneath the cloak, while Helen shouted "Can't you see we're in the middle of something?!"
Spike looked up at the newcomer, recognized him, and told Helen "Show some respect! He's of noble blood! Don't you recognize him?!"
Helen finally recognized the Zoroark. "Star?! Star NeoNoctus?!"

EDIT: Post changed.

A faint silhouette of one of the creatures could be seen - highlighted by the light from the flames. It was a whistler, one of the creatures Latnok and Raclaw had fought before - except this time, it seemed to have adapted the ability to camouflage itself. It scattered from the incoming fire, as if such an action was predicted.
"These creatures are called ishiuds," Latnok said. "I don't know quite how I know that... but that's what they are, I think. Last we faced them, they came in three varieties - the soldiers, beetle-like creatures with adaptable armor; the whistlers; lithe creatures capable of shooting bony spikes; and the masterminds; creatures with powerful telepathic abilities that use those abilities to read minds and direct their allies."
As Latnok spoke, he took aim at the shifting silhouette, before firing an arrow; it caught in the creature before detonating, blowing its arm off. However, a telekinetic force seemed to draw the remains to the creature; the pieces returned to the whistler, before seemingly reattaching through extremely quick regeneration. "These things are tougher than before..." The soldiers were as of yet unaccounted for; were they camouflaged too? And what of the mastermind (if there was just one)? Where was it?
The thought would soon be interrupted by the most spectacular appearance of some vaguely familiar creatures. The dragon was a large, black dragon most likely female from the body shape. Latnok had known one personally, but had no immediate reason to assume they were the same one.
All doubts changed when the other creature greeted them by their names. This was...
"Star?" Latnok could hardly believe it. It looked like Star... but just vaguely.
"Okay, okay, someone mind telling me who the hell are these guys?!" Leoquin said, feeling rather frustrated at being left out of something seemingly very important.
"We'll have time to talk more when we're all done here," Latnok said. "Back to the battle for now."

"You don't sound too impressive," Ilasi's father said, less than enthused. "Must be one of those pacifist types... please tell me you at least know how to wield a spear or something..."
"He can wield a sword just fine," Ilasi said, somewhat indignant.
"A sword? Well, I can tell he's no army man, that's for sure. Would probably be using a better weapon for the battlefield otherwise."
"Honey, he's a rich, traveling merchant!" Ilasi's mother interjected.
Ilasi's father immediately stopped his more doubtful disposition. "Hmm... so a successful businessman, then? Honestly surprised that my daughter..." He cut himself short, immediately changing the subject.
"So, Ilasi, how'd you two meet, anyway? Did you become a traveling merchant? Or did this man just visit your tchotchke stand one day and sweet-talk you, promising you a lot?"
"I actually met him by one of the lakes outside of the Orcford border," Ilasi said "He and his friends offered to help me clean up the lake. They were actually very helpful despite not being amphibious." Ilasi waited for any further input from Maverick.

Helen launched another fireball, while panels in Star's back opened to reveal mechanical limbs. "Not finished with the testing phase yet, but considering the circumstances, a field test will do." The tentacle-like limbs, four in total, shifted, revealing weapons hidden within. He opened fire, using the brief glimpse he got from the fireball to aim. Spike murmured a quiet prayer before casting a spell to improve his allies' aim. Darkheart simply vanished among the shadows, grabbing the ishuids with dark tendrils, hoping to rip them apart with her dark powers.
Star asked Latnok "Doesn't this feel vaguely familiar?"
Darkheart shouted to Star, "Why don't you focus on KILLING these things... Whatever they are!"
Helen snarled more viciously than usual. "Why... Won't... They... Just... DIE?!"

Quote: A Guy

"You don't sound too impressive," Ilasi's father said, less than enthused. "Must be one of those pacifist types... please tell me you at least know how to wield a spear or something..."
"He can wield a sword just fine," Ilasi said, somewhat indignant.
"A sword? Well, I can tell he's no army man, that's for sure. Would probably be using a better weapon for the battlefield otherwise."
"Honey, he's a rich, traveling merchant!" Ilasi's mother interjected.
Ilasi's father immediately stopped his more doubtful disposition. "Hmm... so a successful businessman, then? Honestly surprised that my daughter..." He cut himself short, immediately changing the subject.
"So, Ilasi, how'd you two meet, anyway? Did you become a traveling merchant? Or did this man just visit your tchotchke stand one day and sweet-talk you, promising you a lot?"
"I actually met him by one of the lakes outside of the Orcford border," Ilasi said "He and his friends offered to help me clean up the lake. They were actually very helpful despite not being amphibious." Ilasi waited for any further input from Maverick.

Maverick was feeling pressured and stressed with the conversation. As he had suspected, Ilasi's father was even more strict than her mother, and he indeed proved that he was hard to please. What was worse, her mother confused him for a rich man. While he wasn't anywhere near poor, he wasn't that wealthy either.
"It wasn't so all of the sudden señor. Ilasi was cleaning the lake and I wanted to be a gentleman by offering my aid. We parted ways afterwards, but as fate would have it, we met again when we applied for a job in the same place, and... well, here we are." Maverick explained patiently, trying very hard to contain the lump on his throat. He felt like his heart was rising out of his chest and threatening to burst out at any minute. Ilasi already mentioned friends, and he was afraid the parents would ask about it, but he only hoped they had already forgotten about it or that they were simply more interested in their relationship than anything else. Maverick went from looking forward to meeting the couple, to wanting desperately to get out of there. Just how hard convincing Ilasi's parents was going to be? At that rate, it seemed like visiting a dark tunnel full of galuds and behemoths was less scary than this.

Ilasi's father paused for just a few moments to consider what Maverick told him. "And just what would this job be?"
"We're going to be working on a ship together," Ilasi said. "I'll be handling water purification and medicine. Maverick actually has a lot of sea knowledge, and will be serving as a navigator."
Ilasi's father once again stopped for a few moments to come to a conclusion. "So... a 'traveling merchant' with plenty of experience on the sea, and a practiced with the sword to boot... tell me, Maverick, exactly what was it that you've been doing on the sea?"
Ilasi gulped, as if she was swallowing molten lead. She could only hope that Maverick would have a suitable answer.

Though the whistler in Darkheart's grasp fell apart, there were plenty more to replace it - as more whistlers revealed themselves, shooting envenomed spines through the high-pressure gas buildup under their skin. As Star opened fire, a giant, beetle-like creature revealed itself to intercept the shots, its carapace adapting on the fly to a form that was able to cause the shots to glance off. More of the soldiers soon appeared to support the whistlers.
"We should find the mastermind," Latnok urged. "They coordinate much less effectively once we get rid of it." Leoquin, meanwhile, had thrown a javelin at the soldier, only to have his projectile be rendered as irrelevant as Star's.
"The soldiers can adapt their form to defend against incoming attacks," Latnok said. "They're not as good at it once the mastermind is dead." He would use the resonating chime to restrict their adaptive capabilities, but there was at least one member of the group who had some form of shapeshifting - they would have to find another solution.

Sere himself had been sitting on the deck of the Enduring Legacy at this point, reading a book. As he expected, Shade eventually arrived, escorted by wyvern riders.
After a quick briefing on Shade's status at the time, Sere accepted Shade, dismissing the riders. They flew off, to return to wherever they were needed.
"Shade... I believe you know why you're here," Sere said. "You've been given one last chance. By a majority of votes from the crew, including Latnok and Risar, we have decided to accept you. Do not make us regret this decision. Do I make myself clear?"

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi's father paused for just a few moments to consider what Maverick told him. "And just what would this job be?"
"We're going to be working on a ship together," Ilasi said. "I'll be handling water purification and medicine. Maverick actually has a lot of sea knowledge, and will be serving as a navigator."
Ilasi's father once again stopped for a few moments to come to a conclusion. "So... a 'traveling merchant' with plenty of experience on the sea, and a practiced with the sword to boot... tell me, Maverick, exactly what was it that you've been doing on the sea?"
Ilasi gulped, as if she was swallowing molten lead. She could only hope that Maverick would have a suitable answer.

Maverick knew he had to be very careful with what he answered. Ilasi may know the truth about his previous life, and even though it wasn't a life he chose or accepted, he was afraid her parents wouldn't see it that way, so he pondered very hard on what to say next.
"I spent much time at sea, learning to be a sailor. My parents' wish you see. I was also taught sword fighting and some archery to know how to defend myself if the occasion called for it. I learned many things at sea, but it wasn't the life I wanted, so I decided to give land a try and became a traveling merchant." Maverick explained calmly, very thankful that his voice didn't crack despite the lump in his throat. Maverick hated lying, but he managed to tell the truth in a way, even if he was ommiting a very influential part of his history. He wanted to avoid saying that dreadful word, fearing that Ilasi's parents wouldn't be ready for it. Perhaps someday he would gather the courage to tell them the entire story, but strongly believed this wasn't the time for it. Surely someday he hoped...

Helen snarled, and opened the compartment hiding her Mega Stone. "It's high time I surpass my natural limits! MEGA EVOLUTION!!!" As a blue glow enveloped her, she started shifting, her body transforming, and the heat was unbearable. When the glow faded, her eyes were closed, and she rubbed a black goop away from them before opening them. Pitch-black voids with red pupils glared out, the expression that of uncontrolled rage. "GRAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" she screamed as she charged. Her claws and the tip of her tail had melted noticeably from her own body heat, and her wings had grown large enough to easily support her weight. As if she'd bother with strategy anymore. All she wanted to do was summed up as 'burn and destroy anything that registers as a foe'. Which approximately translated to 'burn and destroy everything except Spike'.
Spike's prayers became more fervent, a solemn silence suddenly overtaking the usual choral notes as it became a quiet chanting in an unknown language.
Star made note, before Helen practically exploded past him. Those eyes... I've seen them before... Nightmare... He shouted at Latnok "We've got a lot of those whatchamallits to take out! Think we should pull out all the stops? Or is that a stupid question?"
Darkheart growled and continued, using every attack at her disposal. "How many are there?! It's a small army!"
Star murmured something and suddenly his mechanical arms switched out the guns for adamantine daggers. He leaped into melee, as despite his relative frailty he was fond of getting up close and personal with foes. "All right, well, I guess I'll just have to cut them down to size!" He snickered at the quip, while Darkheart just groaned.
"Some things never change..." Darkheart snapped another creature in half. "Hey, Latnok! How will we know the mastermind from the rest?"

EDIT: Give me some time to edit this to address your response, darknessdawn...

Ilasi's father, as before, stopped for a while to consider everything Maverick had said. In the end, he seemed to be placated.
"Okay, then," he said. "I suppose that's not the worst upbringing. I just hope you're as good a man as you seem to be."
Ilasi was still unhappy. "Father, was this interrogation necessary? Why can't you just accept the decisions I make? I love him, and he loves me, and that should be what matters!"
"My daughter, you are naive if you think some fairy tale love story is all it takes to have a good relationship," her father said. "There is so much that it takes to have a good life... and that's what I want of you. You are a reflection of me. If you are a failure, then I am a failure. Part of being successful is having a partner who won't drag you down and use you."
Ilasi gave a frustrated sigh. Arguing with her father about things like this was never productive. "Okay, then," she said. "I think we've had enough here. Maverick, let's get going."

"If that is the case," Sere said, "I know just the person to report it to. I will be meeting him soon enough, and he'll have the right people look into the matter. As long as you understand the importance of staying in control, we'll have an okay time here - as long as you don't give the sailors any reason to hate you." Sere wasn't at all surprised by the abuse of power - especially given the situation. He himself would not opt to use the Rack command except when strictly necessary - especially not just because someone stated their positive feelings about something.

As Star struck with his new weapons, only the very first blow caused any sort of damage - the carapace of the soldiers would soon adapt once again, causing the others to glance off. It was a similar case for Helen; the whistlers stayed well out of her way, with the soldiers quickly adapting after their first wound from her.
"The mastermind is a floating blob covered in eyes," Latnok informed Darkheart. "Highly intelligent and with telepathic and telekinetic abilities. I'm guessing it's rendered itself invisible or camouflaged somehow - it'll most likely be somewhere that gives it reasonable oversight of the battlefield." As Latnok spoke, he thought of how to deal with the situation without using the resonating chime... and seeing the results of the fight so far, came up with a solution.
"We will all have to focus our attacks on one soldier," Latnok said. "It shouldn't be able to adapt to us all." As Latnok spoke, suddenly the ground immediately below Helen burst open, with soldiers flying to tackle her and bite her with their toxic mandibles. In addition, there appeared to be a cold, almost freezing mist beginning to condense around her. It would appear that the mastermind was reading the situation, and currently coordinating the group's efforts to stopping her. One would see the beginnings of a water asphyxiation spell Latnok had practiced, except on a larger scale.

As Angora continued waiting for someone to tell her about the visit, she could feel the earth trembling. Did Gregor returned? Or was that just another behemoth? She looked at the distance to see if she spotted one of the beasts, but there was nothing st the distance. The beast was either still too far or the trembling was happening underground where they usually stayed. Angora was getting all jumpy about seeing that particular behemoth again, and even feared he wasn't going to be too happy to see her. But this was hopefully a step forward to her, and turning back now would meant she had an enormous waste of time coming there. If it wasn't improve her image, then at least this would probably help her get over her fear and finally stop the nightmares she usually had. It was quite hard given what she went through, especially knowing what behemoth were capable about. As she looked around, she even started to wonder if the lack of trees and big fauna was a results of their presence. Behemoths were after all, complete omnivores, so it wouldn't surprise her if it turned out that this area was consumed by them...

Quote: A Guy

EDIT: Give me some time to edit this to address your response, darknessdawn...

Ilasi's father, as before, stopped for a while to consider everything Maverick had said. In the end, he seemed to be placated.
"Okay, then," he said. "I suppose that's not the worst upbringing. I just hope you're as good a man as you seem to be."
Ilasi was still unhappy. "Father, was this interrogation necessary? Why can't you just accept the decisions I make? I love him, and he loves me, and that should be what matters!"
"My daughter, you are naive if you think some fairy tale love story is all it takes to have a good relationship," her father said. "There is so much that it takes to have a good life... and that's what I want of you. You are a reflection of me. If you are a failure, then I am a failure. Part of being successful is having a partner who won't drag you down and use you."
Ilasi gave a frustrated sigh. Arguing with her father about things like this was never productive. "Okay, then," she said. "I think we've had enough here. Maverick, let's get going."

Maverick decided to just listen to Ilasi before she would start to drag him away.
"I'll take great care of your daughter señor. No se preocupe. I'll help her. I'll protect her. I'll give her a great life." Maverick assured as he swam away, wanting her parents to have a good impression of him but at the same time desiring to get out of there quickly as he could like Ilasi wanted. He was already feeling faint, and believed that if it wasn't for the fact that he was underwater, gravity would've made his body collapse...

Star backflipped away from the fray. "Alright, now this just is fundamentally unfair. I can't do anything to these... THINGS.'
Darkheart nodded... Then Helen snarled, her every breath including flames, her expression becoming even more maddened by frustration. She screamed something incomprehensible, and dark energy surrounded her, before combining with her flames to create black fire. She attacked unthinkingly, and only became angrier when the creatures adapted. Spike called "Helen! ENOUGH!" His voice echoed over the battlefield, and she suddenly stopped, staring at him. She growled a bit. "Helen, focus your efforts! Pick one, and we'll all attack, TOGETHER!" She obeyed his commands willingly, unable to think clearly on her own. This made it clear why they worked so well together. Spike imbued his chanting with gentle telepathic nudges to Helen, ensuring she would be able to go with Latnok's strategy.
Meanwhile, Star changed the way he moved, a flowing, spinning, utterly smooth combat style like a dance of sorts, if dancing included blades that could decapitate someone with every spin. He couldn't resist the urge to start humming to the music on his headphones.
Darkheart materialized from the shadows, claws covered in scythelike blades of dark energy. "Careful Star. You could lop someone's head off like that."
Star grinned. "I'm always careful!"
"What a load of bull." Darkheart tried to restrain the soldiers with her shadows.

"GUYS--," Raclaw began to say as he used the artifact tail spike to carefully reflect an incoming projectile. He attempted to flame the whistler only to see it adapt and avoid the attack. "Remember what Latnok said-- we need to pick a target and we all need to attack. Only then..," another projectile went towards his head. The fur dragon quickly ducked and a careful swing of Latnok's axe was able to deflect it. "Only then can we get though. And THEN we can go for the mastermind.," he said picking a target and telepathically projecting that image into everyone's mind including Helen. "Guys-- this is our target. Give it everything you have and ATTACK!," he said rushing towards the target and preparing an offensive. With both flame and spikes at his disposal, maybe just one of them would go through. Chester stayed back; the little Beagle knew that this wasn't his fight.

Ilasi's mother waved the two off as they exited, with the door closing behind them shortly after. Ilasi soon let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, you see why they can be so hard to deal with now..." she said. "I thought that it would go a bit better than that. Big mistake. I'm sorry. That's the last time I ever intend to see them again." The reunion proved to be nothing more than a reminder of why Ilasi left in the first place, and it was an experience she had no intention of hazarding agian.

As Raclaw worked to coordinate the efforts of the group, Latnok gave a quick, firm axe swing at the marked soldier, as Leoquin rushed in with his glaive. The creature could not adapt to both fire and kinetic attacks; it suffered a burn, though it kept fighting by biting with its mandibles.
As the fight continued, the mist around Helen continued to thicken - it was beginning to form into a solid bubble of water. As some water boiled away, it was soon replaced.

"I can promise nothing," Sere said. "Whatever he did, it is Aelinon's decision on how to punish him. Considering his station, abuse of power is likely to be met with a rather harsh punishment."
"That is true," a familiar voice said - before the speaker rendered themselves visible shortly after. Those who had been in the trials Shade was involved in would know him as Laszur.
"Someone o his position committing such an act is subject to very harsh punishment," he said. "Officers are to lead by example, and breaking the law in a fragrant manner requires the rest of us to set an example of such behavior not being tolerated. However... the captain is no longer a concern..."

Helen's screams of fury suddenly changed to something different. The water was dousing her flames, and it hurt as bad as melting, since it hadn't brought her body temperature down... Yet. Soon she was gasping for air after each spout of flame... And less air was available as she did so. C-c-can't... BREATH... How much longer... Can I... Fight?
Star coordinated with the others, slashing in smooth, flowing movements calculated to leave no room for the target. Of course, it came startlingly close to hitting allies; He was more experienced at group fighting, but no less reckless. "Ugh... Why won't these things die? How are they so... Adaptable?" He then said, more quietly, "I must discover their secrets. Perhaps I can... Replicate these powers." He wasn't sure the others would approve, so he kept such ideas to himself. How I'd love to dissect these creatures and learn their secrets...
Spike was unable to focus now, as Helen was in legitimate danger. He guessed she wouldn't have long before a blue glow signaled her Mega Evolution was over, and he feared what would happen. His chanting became faster, more hurried... And prone to slight mispronunciations, which ruined the spells he mispronounced.
Darkheart restrained the target, which her shadowy grasp was perfect for. She hid in their shadow, stretching it up and around to grasp it.

Night was taking over the horizon. Angora was as nervous as ever. That fateful day in the arena changed so much about herself. While she miraculously survived the behemoth battle, it still left a severe trauma. First her parents' awful betrayal, then the manticore encounter, Darkmatter's battle, and countless other events she faced during her life, not to mention the prejudices she has had to tolerate. But what else could she do but have faith in that everything will be alright? Every terrible thing that has happened... and yet there she was, still standing. Still alive. Still living. And she wasn't alone. She had friends. She had Shade, and Maverick, who taught her to always have faith, and that no matter how horrible life can be, there was always bound to be something better ahead. Even a complete stranger was willing to help her in her time of need, just as he has done in the past. Having faith was all she could do now...

The road ahead is paved with uncertainty. Huntress is still in the black market, having no idea what was in store for her. Blue was still out there, his agenda being complete mystery. Latnok has found new friends, as well as old ones, and the group continues growing. Shade will finally be reunited with his friends and escape the awful Aelinonian captivity, even if it may only be temporary, but now with the knowledge that he isn't the last of his kind after all, and that he was a prince no less, it was impossible to tell what will happen next. There is also the matter of Risar and Raclaw's family, whom are still on the quest of searching, as well as Leoquin's secret mission. The Enduring Legacy will depart again, to the same destination as before, but despite the repeated journey, nobody knew what to expect. Will there be success in everyone's missions? Will Shade finally gain control? Will Sere be able to help him? And what about Aelinon? Will they be successful in keeping their citizens safe? Or is there a war waiting to happen?

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi's mother waved the two off as they exited, with the door closing behind them shortly after. Ilasi soon let out a sigh of relief.
"Well, you see why they can be so hard to deal with now..." she said. "I thought that it would go a bit better than that. Big mistake. I'm sorry. That's the last time I ever intend to see them again." The reunion proved to be nothing more than a reminder of why Ilasi left in the first place, and it was an experience she had no intention of hazarding again.

Maverick simply shook his head and smiled at her warmly.
"Well, they're just doing what parents do best. You can't blame them. Remember Alya? That sweet little girl we met on that island? Her parents were very cautious around me. It's only natural. I suppose parents can be a bit much of course, but it's better that way. How I wished my father could've cared that much..." Maverick said gloomily, but he didn't want to turn this into a sad, unpleasant conversation, so he immediately changed the conversation.

"But hey. I met your parents. You saw them again. We're out of that step. Vamos. Let's go back to the plaza. I want to see more of the sights and buy a few souvenirs while the day is still young... at least I think it is. Buying a watch. Probably my first step. Not sure if I have waterproof watches here, but better not take the risk. So then, let's move on." Maverick said happily, really glad to be out of there. While he was glad he managed to meet Ilasi's parents, he was super relieved to be out of there.

As they walked, he still couldn't believe it was official now. They were a couple. And he had already met the parents. It was all happening so fast. Still, despite having a great time, he really missed his friends, but at least he'll be seeing them again tomorrow... but he couldn't stop wondering, how will they take the news? Especially Angora? His two girls still had long ways to go before coming to a mutual understanding, but being the ever optimistic, Maverick had hopes for the future. Not only his, but everyone else's too.

Meanwhile, a soft rumbling sound could be heard back at the pen - it soon grew louder and louder, with vibrations in the ground becoming tangible. There was no mistaking it - a behemoth was coming.
After passing a bend, he became visible in the distance. It was the one. His back was loaded with soldiers and cargo being moved from the front lines.
"Gregor!" one of the sentries called out. "Get his food ready. Hey, you, troll! Your friend is here, if you want to see him!"
Gregor just looked forward as he moved - Angora being too small to even register to him. A creature like her was the last one he was expecting to come to visit him again... why would she do such a thing, anyway? She was so interesting, for a mere appetizer that rolled off the tray... maybe there was a bit more to her than that.

Laszur gave Shade a blank look. "I have been sent by the king because many members of this crew are already familiar with me," he said. "I am here in part to monitor you, and your obedience training and control. More importantly, to answer the matter at hand prosecuting the captain for his abuse of power will not be possible.
"Shortly after your departure, he left on a wyvern himself and was absent from a role call. No trace of him could be found. His wyvern eventually brought itself to an outpost not far from Redwater - alone.
"It urgently tried to get someone to follow him - which someone did. The captain was found by his son's grave. He apparently left flowers before he hanged himself on a nearby tree."
Laszur stopped for a moment, to give the others a chance to absorb what he said, before continuing. "It seems that meeting you reawakened intense anger and grief that had overtaken him in the past. He was very popular with his troops, and this death will no doubt have drastic effects on their morale."
Sere could only imagine the sort of grief the man had experienced to cause such a thing. Even if Shade was pardoned, would the people ever forgive him? It seemed the best they could hope for at this point was being barred from Aelinon afterward. What Shade did would never be forgotten. But would it ever be forgiven? Sere couldn't even forgive himself for his own negligence, allowing Shade to go free and causing such an event to happen. Even now, there were those who blamed the Guardians. Perhaps out of sight, out of mind would be best for everyone.
They would be moving out soon. There was bound to be much strife on the mainland - Sere wondered what the world would be like on his return. For now, his concern was allowing Shade to function in the modern world - with or without the help of his "family."

Back at the Silvianesti capital, the angry cacophony of a crowd in protest could be heard. Glaveilio had issued an edict, to have every man and woman of fighting age conscripted. Silvianesti had never, in its history, needed to go to such lengths.
"What's a few heads of those wrongdoers to all of the rest of us?!"
"I'm not sending my son to fight this!"
"No one gives a damn about your pride, our king! Don't be stupid! "
"If the king won't give Aelinon their heads, we should do it for him!"
The protests were growing more and more rowdy - until bricks and other projectiles started to be thrown. Suddenly, a conflagration had started nearby, letting out smoke that was blocking out the sky. The protest had grown into a riot.
This wasn't something Glaveilio could ignore anymore. He couldn't execute his men for following his orders. Neither did he know for certain that Aelinon wouldn't just be provoked by a third party again. Seraos seemed hell-bent on pinning the blame on Silvianesti. And unfortunately, he had nothing to counter the mounds of evidence against him.
The only hope for the people was to stay strong. Yet there were those who refused to stand with Silvianesti.
Those people were a danger to their very existence.
"Martial law is effective beginning immediately," he told one of his advisors. "Have the soldiers maintain order by any means necessary."
As the king's orders were relayed, several armed elves came out of the castle, ordering the crowd to return to their homes. The crowd refused, demanding to speak to Glaveilio himself. The soldiers had their orders, however.
They drew their weapons, attempting to arrest several citizens. Though the citizens backed off immediately, someone rallied them. "They can't stop us all!" someone cried out. "Let us in!" The crowd resumed their efforts to try to enter the castle, attempting to push the soldiers aside and overrun them.
They did, indeed, succeed - one soldier, in his attempts to stop them, was pushed down, and carelessly trampled to death as the crowd overran them. At this point, the others couldn't afford to remain peaceful.
Elves on the walls drew arrows, and fired into the crowd, as those on the ground made a small living wall. Members of the crowd began to fall. The fighting grew more intense, with some elves, armed themselves or knowing magic, attacking by any means necessary.
The melee would continue for several minutes - eventually, at least half of the crowd, and some of the soldiers, were dead, with the rest fleeing. The fire still raged - but it would be put out.
Glaveilio eventually stood on top of one of the castle walls, surveying the chaos. "So... this is what it will take to keep us together... this is what it will take to survive."
Overnight, he had gone from a benevolent leader to a ruthless dictator. But if that was how he would end the war, then so be it.

As the fight went on, the water pressure around Helen began to increase - whatever was creating the water, it was trying to make her suffocate.
"Quick! We need to find the mastermind!" Latnok said. "It'll be somewhere it can see the fight. It's probably invisible. Someone! Do we have anything that can spot it?" Latnok could reveal the creature, but such a thing was useless if he couldn't locate it to begin with. "Raclaw! You... you have to try something! It's fighting to hide itself - I need you to give it your all! Find it!"
Despite the best efforts, none of the ishiuds immediately died. Leoquin, not having the luxury of Latnok and Raclaw's shared enhanced senses, ended up taking a spine to the leg. He knelt as he suppressed a cry of pain. He immediately pulled the spine out - they didn't appear particularly designed to stick. The projectile was out, but Leoquin felt weaker - some of the venom undoubtedly had an impact.
He wasn't going to let that stop him, however. He had somewhere to be. An archipelago to get to. And maybe, just maybe, he would be able to find what he was looking for... nothing would stop him, whether it be this little scrape or lightning pouring from the floodgates of heaven.
The creatures seemed to have learned some new tactics from their previous fight. Who knew how deadly they would be the fight after this one...
That didn't matter, though. Latnok would just become deadlier, and he would make his allies deadlier as well. Whether that be Raclaw, who he shared a bond with like no other, or someone like Leoquin, a mutual comrade-in-arms - they would have each others' backs, regardless of any sort of mental bond. As much as he wanted to avoid it, at the end of the day, it was his responsibility to keep his allies safe, and their success was, in part, riding on his ability to remain competent.
He couldn't afford to back down. Not anymore. Regardless of any past leadership failures, all he could do was get better.