darkSpyro

Angora raised an eyebrow again, making good of her promise and grabbing the giant's forked tongue, leaving herself dangling from the air while forcing Shade's tongue to remain out.
"Hah, you look like an exhausted dog!" Angora mocked, tickling his chin with her feet as she hung around.
"The dastard troll against the mighty dragon! Who will win this mystifying battle?" she then said in a form of narration, continuing with the tickling, or at least as best as she could reach. If a Shade wanted to he that playful, she was going to tickle him and make him laugh until even his ribs hurt...

Angora believed he was exaggerating, but nevertheless continued tickling him
This time on the belly for a while until she got exhausted.
"You're such a wimp." she said, proceeding to lie on his tummy, and then realizing something was different.
"You know, your stomach feels... bigger. Hmm, you may have spent an awful time in that prison, but at least I'm glad they kept you well fed." she said as she poked his slightly bigger stomach, enjoying how warm it was. She wondered if Shade's mother was out there looking at them, and seeing how well she was doing her job. She imagined Sere and Laszur were looking as well, but she knew they wouldn't care about their bond.

Angora knew that was true,but then again, not many were stubborn and overpowered that threatened to burst at any second.
"Well, that's true. Even Maverick was afraid of you, and look how he is now. There's still time for that if you keep your word. Show them how docile and disciplined you can be... whatever that means to them." Angira said, whispering and almost muttering those last words.
"There's nothing more I want than for you to be free and have things the way they were before, after Darkmatter was defeated..." she then stated, starting to miss those moments get they were free and just the two of them. She lifted her head to see of Maverick was somewhere around there, but the sadistic Laszur and the cruel Sere were the only ones present at the moment, much to her annoyance.

Angira was, deep inside, still upset how Shade kept drowning himself with his stubborn behavior, leading to the same, annoying pattern of restrain and captivity and broken promises. She didn't know how the stranger intended to help her, or what this transformation was that he kept talking about, but it was the only option she had at the moment. Plus he did helped them before, so that was a good impression.
"Chilly night, huh? Too bad you don't have a pouch. I could get in and warm myself much better than this." Angora commented casually, in the mood for more talking. She was getting rather sleepy, but she would remain awake for a little while longer for Shade's sake.

Angora was about to answer his first question when he asked that deep, second one.
"Well, not sure about Raclaw, but if he was taken from the wild, then that must mean that there are others like him out there. Not certain about his parents, but there must be more of his kind out there..." Angora replied, though not certain how successful the fur dragon will be in his own mission. Unlike Shade, he was looking for his parents specifically, reducing the chances of success.

As she talked, she started thinking about Zera. How was she suppose to tell Shade that his mother was out there, alive, and not claiming him? Letting a little troll like her take care of her unstable, suffering son? Angora wanted to tell him the truth, but she knew it was better to withhold it for now to prevent causing him stress and sorrow and ruin his good mood. There was no telling how much he would fail in his training if he had that kind of information depressing him. There was one thing however, that she felt he needed to know and understand.
"Not sure about your kind, but if you were able to get here, then why not others? I... I know you don't want to leave us Shady, but... I think it's better that... if you find them, you should go live with them. Your kind are better suited to take care of you. They would know how to help you with your powers. Maverick and I... we aren't just suited to take care of you. Look at everything that has happened. All that we've suffered. All that we've tolerated and endure. We don't understand these rogue segments your powers have Shady. So what better than your own kind to help you?" Angora explained serenely, knowing that what Laszur said earlier was true. Shade has become too dependent on her. He had to learn that she wasn't always going to be there for him...

Quote: darknessdawn

Darkheart nodded in response. Star, meanwhile, shrugged sheepishly without leaving the comfort of his cloak. "Meh. I'm not mad, more embarrassed."
Darkheart intertwined her tail with Raclaw's, noting "You're right. On both counts." She released his tail, having turned a comical shade of pink.
Spike waved a wing before perching on Helen and beginning to hum.

Chester whined slightly as if to apologise, but didn't bark so as to not surprise Star again. Instead-- he slowly and gently approached the anthro fox, placing himself in a position where Star could ether ignore him or reach out to pet him if he so chose to. "It's alright-- it happens to all of us. You may pet him if you wish.. he really is quite friendly.," Raclaw said correctly interpreting the dog's actions. A small part of Raclaw wanted to ask about Star's almost total-body augmentations, but knew that this wasn't the right time for that. 'Perhaps later.,' the Fur Dragon thought to himself.

As Darkheart intertwined her tail with his-- Raclaw blushed and feelings of slight embarrassment could be felt by the bonded Latnok. He didn't know why the interaction was something to be embarrassed about... perhaps because such a interaction between him and another dragon were rare at best OR perhaps because of something more. As the dragoness released his tail, the two would briefly exchange glances. "T-thank you.," Raclaw said not regretting the interaction and pleased to get validation from another dragon. If Darkheart could see and approve of his/Latnok's now collar-claimed relationship, than perhaps certain others such as his parents would as well. As the dragon/dragoness/human trio would soon turn to depart-- Raclaw offered Chester one last reassuring nod. The tri colored Beagle offered a nod in return, once again avoiding a bark on the frightened Star's behalf.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Well if that day does come I want both of you to come with me. I know you may not be able to take care of me but at lease I’ll have my family with me.” Shade said as he looked up at her.

Angora simply shook her head, knowing that no matter how much persuasion she used, Shade would insistently want them to be with him.
"Fine fine, we'll be there. Gosh you're such a big baby." Angora commented, finding it quite annoying how extremely attached Shade was to them. There she was thinking at one point in the past that dragons were these vicious, independent creatures, yet there was one who couldn't stand the idea of being without a human hybrid and a ridiculously small troll.

Angora kept looking at the stars, resting on the practically infantile dragolet's head. She could hear Icestorm talking about something, but couldn't make up the words. She hasn't interacted that much to him, but he has proven to be on their side, which somewhat comfort her. At least she had crew members on their side, and if Maverick was good enough, he would convince Ilasi too not to be so against them. She was happy for her hairy friend, but at the same time wondered if that friendship was really worth it. Ilasi wasn't a bad person, but she seemed to have some questionable ideals, not to mention she got offended too easily. Angora knew Maverick was a really sensitive guy, and she didn't want him to suffer for whatever reason while he was with her.

Star quietly reached out and pet Chester. "Why are you dogs so CUTE? You remind me of my beloved when I first met her. We were both Zorua back then, and she wouldn't stop apologizing for what Nightmare used her body to do. Of course, it wasn't exactly her fault. Back home, I managed to beat Nightmare, with help from the other Noctus Guardians. Although, Nightmare DID punch a nasty hole in me." Star looked at Raclaw, correctly guessing that the furry dragon wanted to ask about the cybernetics, and reaching the same conclusion: Now was NOT the time.
Helen cuddled into Spike, snoring as she weakly gripped him in her sleep. Spike's response was a vivid blush. "Yes, Helen, I love you too." He squirmed a little, just to get comfy.
Darkheart smiled a little at Raclaw before standing by for Latnok's instructions.

Angora simply shook her head, knowing what that meant.
"So then, I guess we're stuck with you forever, huh?" she commented jokingly, not entirely dismissing the idea, but since Shsde's mother was alive and well, she feared she could reclaim him at one point, and if she was alive, that meant there was probably a whole bunch of dragolets somewhere out there in hiding, and she wasn't looking forward to meeting them. They may not be as sweet or welcoming to their presence as Shade, though if his mother was who she said she was, then Angora believed the queen wouldn't allow any harm to them, not after everything she and Maverick had done for her son, or at the very least tried to anyway.

Angora didn't get the response she was expecting, or even the way, but knew that after everything they have done for Shade, he wouldn't leave them, ever. But as they spoke about Maverick also, she remembered something very important.
"You know, Maverick is getting very close to Ilasi lately. She may be an addition to our group... but... there's also the possibility they'd want to go their separate ways..." Angora stated, knowing that the possibility existed. Maverick was too nice of a guy to go through all of this. He was kidnapped and imprisoned like a criminal once for what Shade had done, and Angora couldn't fathom the idea of that happening again, or the hybrid being bullied or slandered throughout his life for his friendship with the dragolet or a troll like her.

"There is so much we can do," Ilasi said cheerfully, in between bites of the oyster. "We could go around, traveling the world together... or maybe, we can settle down somewhere here if you're tired of that. Provided Redwater isn't too affected by the war." Ilasi wasn't sure Maverick would ever be open to the idea of staying in Aelinon, but he had indicated quite a few times that he disliked sea travel, and Aelinon was poised to take over much of the continent.

Latnok was somewhat disrupted by Raclaw's seemingly sudden feelings of embarrassment. Well, Darkheart is a female dragon, he thought after a bit of time to come to the conclusion. Not like he's seen many female dragons in his life. Regardless, he was ready to move out. "We'll need you to lead," he told Raclaw. "A dragon or an armed human, we might not give the best first impression." Latnok had well-founded faith that Raclaw would be able to begin some sort of negotiation.

As Angora and Shade had their fun, Laszur continued to patrol the deck, keeping a sharp ear out for any information about the two that may come in handy. It wasn't like he had anything else to do tonight. He wondered what exactly would happen with the prisoners onboard - on one hand, piracy was punishable by death - but on the other hand, they committed their crimes and were captured outside of Aelinon territory.
Not like it was his choice to make, anyway. He would leave that to the captain. His own thoughts on the matter were irrelevant.

Quote: A Guy

"There is so much we can do," Ilasi said cheerfully, in between bites of the oyster. "We could go around, traveling the world together... or maybe, we can settle down somewhere here if you're tired of that. Provided Redwater isn't too affected by the war." Ilasi wasn't sure Maverick would ever be open to the idea of staying in Aelinon, but he had indicated quite a few times that he disliked sea travel, and Aelinon was poised to take over much of the continent.

Maverick continued to enjoy his meal, taking another mouthful before talking again.
"Well, after our job in the Enduring Legacy, we'll be free of contract, and we will have plenty of time to think on what we can do. So much we can do indeed..." Maverick commented, contemplating the future. He didn't want to talk about the war or even Angkra or Shade, since he firmly believed Ilasi didn't like talking about his friends. He would simply wait until they're on the ship and hope that during that time, they'll finally get to know and like each other better.

Sere gave Icestorm a shrug. "I don't see why not," he said. "It might give him the inspiration to not get himself killed before he meets her." Anything that would encourage Shade to cooperate would be really helpful - Sere could not afford to take any more chances with Shade.

With Ilasi and Maverick finishing their meal, the bill was soon brought to them, to be paid in scales. Once that was settled, Ilasi began to lead the way out, with Maverick to follow behind. At least the waitress wasn't as lecherous as Gria, she thought. Though she knew Gria wouldn't have done such a thing if she knew of their relationship, Maverick's passive, nonchalant attitude still bothered her somewhat. Maybe I'm overreacting...
"So, do you want to head to the caves now?" Ilasi asked Maverick politely. "I think dusk is falling, so the galuds will be more active now." Ilasi would have to slither around for a bit, but she was used to that by now. Mounting Dahlia, however, would prove to be impossible.

"Of course. Want to make the most of this day before we leave overseas. Don't worry. I'll carry you. Let's go." Maverick said as Ilasi lead the both of them to the surface. He wasn't really enthusiastic about visiting the caves, but it would be a nice change of pace. Thankfully, his bubble didn't gave up until only after they were above the surface. He was quite surprised to see it was already night. He remember that he never purchased the watch he wanted, but it'll have to wait.

Dahlia was fine, but completely covered in sand. He would have to give him a bath... or maybe leave her in a stable where they could do that.
"Oh Dahlia. Now look how dirty you've gotten..." Maverick said as he untied her, carrying Ilasi. He didn't know how he would carry the mermaid and lead the dirt buffalo away, but thankfully, Dahlia was docile and loyal enough to follow them without the need to pull her from her reigns. After finding a stable of her liking, Maverick paid the owner in advance to take care of her, promising him that Dahlia was a good girl that won't give her any trouble.

With the dirt buffalo finally secured, Maverick was finally free of that worry, and now he could carry Ilasi while her legs appear. He didn't mind the few stares from the people, and remained calm and jovial, hoping he could transmit his good mood to Ilasi in case she was feeling uncomfortable.
"Well, that was surprisingly easy. Dahlia is such a good girl. Anyway, where to Ilasi? Just tell me where to head." Maverick asked, being Ilasi's legs for now and her the guide.

Ilasi complied, offering her guidance to Maverick, and rather touched by him carrying her. She definitely hoped he didn't think she was too heavy...
"One of the cave entrances isn't far from here," she said. "Just about ten miles ahead... Oh, no, nothing quite that far. Go down past that tavern over there..." If it wasn't for Ilasi's pointing, it may have been hard to find which tavern. Redwater was littered with them - all kinds, some in styles of other countries. The one thing ubiquitous about them was the alcohol and, with the exception of the more high-class taverns, the fight pits. They, along with the arena, served a very good job at keeping the people entertained and distracted, even in the worst of times.

They would soon come to the entrance, which wasn't specifically marked, any more than any road would have been. The lights, while somewhat dim on account of the galuds being highly photosensitive, were still bright enough to allow one to make their way around. After walking for a few minutes down, one would eventually come around a bend, where the chatter of many galuds and the occasional human could be heard. A group of galuds, being highly social, could be rather noisy when they weren't trying to get the jump on anyone.

Maverick continued carrying Ilasi gently, serving as a distraction for his uneasiness. His first introduction to a galud wasn't a very pleasant one, so he was wary of the species as a whole, although feeling like that made him feel lousy.
"You know, this city is very big. Much variety. As a traveling merchant, I never came across a city with even half of what Redwater has to offer. They were mostly small cities or villages." Maverick commented, trying to make up some conversation to drift away his nerves. Like with galuds, his first introduction to Redwater wasn't the best either. He went to that city for the first time to rescue Shade and Angora from imprisonment, only to find out he was a wanted man. But even with the awful experience, it wasn't all bad. His urgency to get to Redwater made him met the sweet, loyal Dahlia, which is something he would never change.

As Maverick continued walking, he made sure the galuds permitted them the entrance, feeling a chill down his spine. Carrying Ilasi was the only thing making him mostly calm, and he became so use to it that Ilasi barely weighted anything. The faun man wasn't exactly a Hercules, but he had his fair share of muscles thanks to his life as a pirate and handling the strong Dahlia. Even his eyes were getting used to the dim light, but he couldn't help looking below his feet to make sure he didn't trip with anything. With the obscurity of that place, he wondered if they would encounter a behemoth sooner or later. He had nothing against the beasts, but they were terrifying, even more so after seeing them in action. He couldn't imagine the fright it'll be seeing them at night, so he tried to prepare himself for when they encountered one, if they did...

Among the various stores and (as one might expect) taverns around the area, there were some more noticeable ones - a novelty store, selling many small, interesting items used by galuds, as well as glowing fungi; a restaurant, specializing in meat and fungi; and a book store. Ilasi, had seen these places before (albeit infrequently), so she was content with letting Maverick pick what he wanted.
"This city is a port city to a large, diverse, accepting nation," Ilasi pointed out. "It's bound to have many different things to keep your attention." As they passed, many of the galuds looked at Maverick with some curiosity, him not being anything they've seen before. They had no malice, however, and soon moved on.

Maverick was used to being stared nearly wherever he went, but it did make him feel uneasy that the spectators this time were a bunch of intimidating lizard men that could make you succumb to unconsciousness with just their tail. Nobody seemed to mean any harm though. Was it because of Ilasi? Or were they really just a peaceful race outside their military duties? Whatever the reason, Maverick tried to enjoy himself like he did on the merfolk city.
"Many interesting things here too. Galuds are quite fond of fungi, aren't they? Those glowing ones are amazing." Maverick expressed, the light of it being strangely soothing. He was still full from the meal at the Anemone, so he wasn't planning on visiting any restaurants.

"Maybe I'll purchase a thing or two. Those fungi look like they can get you out of a pickle at night, and my bag can keep them functioning for as long as it's needed. We have to cool it with the money though. Haven't sold anything in a while and my budget is not infinite. Angorita already gave me permission to use the money she won in the arena, but I'd rather not use it except for emergencies." Maverick commented, hoping Ilasi wouldn't take him mentioning the troll the wrong way. He knew his girls still had long ways to go before they could truly like each other, but maybe if Ilasi could know how generous she was by letting him use her own money, perhaps he could improve the image the mermaid probably still had about Angora.

Ilasi, having just gone along with things before, suddenly felt a deep sense of regret, shame, and embarrassment for letting Maverick spend so much on her thus far. "Oh, that's okay..." she let out bashfully. "I'll... Uh, we've done enough for today. It's already so dark. We should just call it a day and relax." Ilasi wasn't sure how Maverick would respond, but if he wanted to, he had an excuse to leave. Ilasi thought little of Maverick's mention of Angora sharing her money - they were extremely close, so of course she would trust him that much.

Maverick wasn't certain why Ilasi's sudden change of opinion. It was her suggestion to come here, yet she already wanted to leave.
"Come on Ilasi. We just got here. Let's enjoy it..." he started to say, but not wanting to displease her, and seeing that the galud's place wasn't as impressive or varied as the merfolk city, he decided it was probably for the best.
"... or if you're tired, then alright. We can leave right now, no problem. Not want to stay up too late for when we depart tomorrow, huh? Sí, wise decision. Let me just purchase a little souvenir and we'll be on our way..." Maverick said, deep inside glad that he didn't get the entire tour. He wasn't in the mood of seeing one of those giant behemoth if it turns out they were some around that huge cave.

Holding on to Ilasi with just arm, he took money from his bag to buy half a dozen of those glowing mushrooms, which were at a very good price. The galuds around there were surprisingly polite, even if it still creeped him out the way most stared at him with those nocturnal eyes. He shook it off rather easily though, so after putting the mushrooms away, he grabbed Ilasi again with both arms, occasionally looking at her adoringly. He was still getting use to having a girlfriend for the first time, but it was an amazing feeling. It didn't bothered him at all to carry her and do stuff for her, which fulfilled his gentle and good nature. It still surprised him how much his life has changed after his father's ship sunk, and despite this second chance's up and downs, he was still a happy man.

OOC: LOL. I didn't mean to ship Raclaw with Darkheart. I wonder, does anyone else think it would work?

Darkheart nodded and allowed herself to trail behind. With her long legs, a leisurely pace for her would be equivalent to a quick jog for a human. She wondered how easily they'd stay ahead. Am I going to fast for them?
Spike began to sing rather loudly, causing his perch (Helen) to groan and roll slightly, knocking him off. Star snickered. "I can't tell HOW the two of you get along, but it's fun to watch. It's like watching Kira, Stone, and myself interacting. Completely different, yet perfectly matched. Somehow." He began to daydream, wondering how his childhood friends were doing. He rolled onto his back, staring up at the bright sky. Back home, the moon rose and set, but the sun... In the Noctus Woods, it was ALWAYS night. The sun would rise and set outside the ancient, sacred forest, but within it's moonlit depths only the phase and position of the moon indicated the time. As such, things like meals were timed haphazardly. The residents ate when they were hungry, and slept when tired. Despite this being due to an ancient curse that affected the flow of time, it was actually quite pleasant.
Star smiled.

OOC: Even if you didn't mean to, it's a perfectly reasonable feeling for a young dragon who has lived most of his life without seeing other dragons to have. Just like getting a physical. Also, Felines will be going on vacation soon, so I might use that opportunity to take a break as well.

After Maverick's comments, Ilasi wasn't fully comfortable with him even buying the mushrooms - but she let him do so.
"You can let me down now. I can feel myself transforming soon," she indicated. "Thank you for... for helping me move about tonight." After Maverick's recent comment, she wasn't sure whether she was just being a burden to him. What if he was just keeping her around until someone less bothersome came along? Ilasi didn't say anything further on the matter, however. "We can go back and get sleep," she said. "Gods know that we'll probably be awoken by a large bell tomorrow as the workers gather up to be told the workload."

OOC: There's more shipping here than meets the eye darknessdawn. And like A Guy said, I'll be on vacation this week and won't be online for that time. I can still try to access once a day, but no promises with that.

"Good call. Yeah, better get a good night's sleep while we can. And don't worry Ilasi. I can carry you for as long as it's needed. Here, you can hold on..." Maverick said warmly, letting Ilasi walk but still leaving her to rest her arm around his neck so that her legs could adapt to the ground again. He could feel Ilasi's uneasiness yet again, and he wished to know why, but didn't dare to ask. He was being so kind and gentlemanly, yet he felt he was doing something wrong to make her feel that way. Did the time with her parents still bothered her? Was she for some reason offended by his praise? Ilasi was very hard to please, but they were just getting started, so Maverick had faith that he still have plenty of time to understand her and make her happy.

As soon as they left the entrance, Ilasi's tail was fully replaced by legs, and we're almost ready to walk on their own again. Next stop was the stable where Dahlia was. Maverick could barely wait to return to the Enduring Legacy to see Shade and Angora again. As soon as he escorted Ilasi to her cabin, he was planning on spending a few with them, if they were still awake. It was the last thing he needed to feel like he had a perfect day.

With the transformation complete, Ilasi mounted Dahlia (with a little help from Maverick) as she pointed out the way to the docks. The streets were somewhat packed, as if people were trying to get as much fun out as they could tonight before soldiers took control in the morning.
Regardless, the people would give Dahlia enough distance to move unimpeded. As Dahlia plodded along, a town crier could be heard enthusiastically calling out several scheduled arena fights.
The trio would eventually reach the dock, and the ship soon after. As they moved to board the gangplank, a figure suddenly appeared from seemingly nothing - a familiar galud.
"What business do you have on this ship?" he asked interrogatively.
"Oh, Laszur, was it? We've met before. I'm Ilasi, and this is Maverick," Ilasi answered gently. She couldn't help but wonder what business Laszur himself had on the ship. "We work in the crew. I perform medicine and water purification, and Maverick does navigation. Oh, and this is his mount, Dahlia."
Laszur gave Maverick a curious stare. "You may pass, Ilasi," he said. "But you, Maverick - last I heard of you, the captain accused you of calling him a traitor. What has happened since then, that makes you a part of the crew?" Sere wasn't present himself, having gone to sleep - it would be up to Maverick to answer the question.

Maverick got major goosebumps when he spotted Laszur. Many galuds looked the same to him, but his face was one he wouldn't forget. He wanted to avoid talking to him, but now that he asked him a question, he couldn't escape that one.
"That was a long while ago señor. It was my emotions talking back then, not my reason. But all is well and pardoned now, and I'm part of the crew." Maverick explained calmly, not letting his past experience with this bipedal reptile get the better of him, something he had plenty of experience with even though he sometimes faltered. He could see Shade's shilouette far behind Laszur, and wanted nothing else than to greet him, but this unprecedented issue was something he knew needed solving.

Laszur listened attentively to Maverick, as he rubbed his right chin with the back of the opposite hand. "You may board. I'll speak tomorrow morning with the captain and hear his side before I retire for the day." He removed himself from the path, motioning to indicate permission to pass.
Ilasi couldn't fathom why Laszur was there - until she finally realized. He was there to keep track of Shade's development on behalf of Aelinon. She moved onto the ship, not nearly as bothered by him as Maverick was.

Maverick smiled at him, getting off Dahlia. The dirt buffalo wasn't panicking, but there was some obvious tension. Maverick didn't want to make Dahlia approach if she wasn't ready, and wanting to greet Shade and Angora right away, he decided to ask Ilasi a favor.
"Ilasi? If it's not too much to ask, can you get Dahlia to her enclosure? She knows the way, but I want her to have company. Or you can get her to your cabin where there's enough space if you want her to keep her company while I'm there." Maverick asked politely, hoping Ilasi wasn't too offended by him asking her a favor. It wasn't a very difficult one, but given how tired she must be, he didn't like asking.

Before Ilasi could reply, Angora slides on Shade's neck, jumping from his shpolders and clinging to Maverick's legs like a frightened cat. She said nothing, nor looked at anyone. She didn't care who was present. She just wanted to touch him.
"I missed you too Angorita." Maverick commented as he patted her head, happy to be there at last. Angora wasn't one to show much affection, especially in public, so it rather pained him to see her this way. Angora felt so hated and unloved by so many people, it became clear to him that Angora's need for affection overpassed her pride. Why did so many people refused what a gentle soul existed underneath that hardcore facade? Angora was a troll, but that was no excuse. Maverick had tried so hard to defend and protect her, but felt like such a huge failure for being unable to stop all the pain Angora, and even Shade had endured.

Ilasi was willing to comply, having no issue with the request itself - until Angora jumped off and hugged Maverick. So that's why he wanted to dismiss her... Was Maverick serious when he said that there was space in his heart for two people? Or was it just to placate her?
Maintaining her docile demeanor, Ilasi grabbed Dahlia's reins, to lead her to the cabin. "Come on, Dahlia," she said. "We'll have a good night together."

Angora cut the hug long enough to see Ilasi's demeanor changing a bit when she hugged Maverick. She had her suspicions as to why.
"I think Ilasi's waiting for you." she said gloomily, but Maverick wanted to spend time with them.
"Don't worry. She can handle Dahlia really well. I'll go to her later. Come on, let's hang out for a while. I miss you guys." Maverick said eagerly as he carried Angora on his arms, not knowing how Ilasi was feeling. Angora didn't want to ruin anything, but she did miss Maverick, and he was already with Ilasi all day, so she wanted to enjoy his company as well as Shade's. It'll be just the three of them, just like old times.

Dahlia followed Ilasi calmly, feeling rather down. She was very susceptible to other people's emotions, and even though she couldn't understand what was going on, she was feeling sad for Ilasi, remaining close to her and being extra gentle and obedient.

Latnok and company began trekking towards the gryphon's roost, as the sun made its way down to the horizon. The feathers that had been shed from the creature littered the ground and trees, and showed that the group was getting closer. Though Latnok was instinctively inclined to draw his bow, there was the possibility of communication with the creature.
"Remember - try not to startle it," Latnok urged. "If it's hostile, or on my command, we can retaliate, but otherwise, we'll try to talk it out."
As the group began to approach the next, the makings of an eyrie, a giant mess of branches and bird saliva, could be seen, slightly vibrating as the creature within it could be heard seemingly crunching bone - besides this, however, the creature had not been visually identified.
"Okay, Raclaw," Latnok whispered. "See if you can get it to open up. I have your back."

As Ilasi made her way into the ship, she subconsciously petted Dahlia, running her palm and fingers down through her pleasant skin. The thoughts about the day still occupied her mind. "Dahlia... am I overreacting?" she asked the dirt buffalo, wishing that Dahlia could speak at least just now. "Maverick says he loves me, he gets me nice things, takes me out... but the moment Gria showed up, he seemed to have no problem with her. And then he tells me to just brush it off! And then he has me take you just to have me gone so he could play with Angora!" Ilasi was getting irritated, but she took a moment to calm down and take deep breaths. "Okay, maybe I'm just overthinking this sort of thing... but how will I know? Is it purely a coincidence that this is the first time I have a boyfriend? The others always saw me do some lowly job or other... and even if I wanted to, I was always busy moving around from place to place..." Was Ilasi getting a genuine experience? Or was she really going to be ignored yet again once Maverick found someone better?

Dahlia only gave a soft moo in response, knowing Ilasi was upset but not knowing why. Her rider may be stupid and dumb, but he was such a nice creature that deserved protection since he wouldn't hurt a fly. Was Ilasi upset because of him? Maverick couldn't have hurt her. Did he tripped on her and she was upset about that? The dirt buffalo didn't know, though she wished she could. If only Raclaw was there to translate for them and have a decent communication. She almost smothered Ilasi with her fur, wanting to give her the comfort she needed. It worked with Maverick, so she didn't see why not her...

”I am not sure what he wants. But right now the most I can get from this is that his after you now. Yea Thats about it, but he can make water out of his body. But something like a desert could make him weaker atleast.” Dex said and thought what to say next

”Three men you say. There is those who have run away from Blue, but I dont see Why they would be after me. Maybe they are trying to get close to me without Blue making a move on them..... or they are just with him playing part of his game. A wolfman does not say anything to me..... there is no guild member like that I am sure of it. It is a possibility that he is trying to make us work against eachother. That would sound like a order from Blue, if you dont work like he wants next he wants you dead, many experiences with that..... too many” Dex said, he was starting to have a picture of what was happening, but there was still the big question what Blue was after. If he wanted to kill him there was much more easier ways to do that. Then he said ” There is also the problem of his effective spy tactic. He seems to know everything we have done for the past days. I am sure if he was using normal ways even you or I would have noticed something” Dex was starting to really trust Huntress, not because he was sure She was not after him, but because She was clearly much more after Blue. And if he could make her get Blue and sneak away after that...... Well it would be a win win situation. Huntress with her big capture and him without the biggest problem which the guild and himself had.

Quote: darknessdawn

Star quietly reached out and pet Chester. "Why are you dogs so CUTE? You remind me of my beloved when I first met her. We were both Zorua back then, and she wouldn't stop apologizing for what Nightmare used her body to do. Of course, it wasn't exactly her fault. Back home, I managed to beat Nightmare, with help from the other Noctus Guardians. Although, Nightmare DID punch a nasty hole in me." Star looked at Raclaw, correctly guessing that the furry dragon wanted to ask about the cybernetics, and reaching the same conclusion: Now was NOT the time.

Chester happily allowed the petting-- a rather unique petting due to it coming from an anthro part-furry creature verses that of his beloved quadmaster or his other human master Latnok. As Star petted him, he moved his neck and silently directed the furred clawed hand to some of his more itchy spots.

---

Quote: A Guy

Latnok and company began trekking towards the gryphon's roost, as the sun made its way down to the horizon. The feathers that had been shed from the creature littered the ground and trees, and showed that the group was getting closer. Though Latnok was instinctively inclined to draw his bow, there was the possibility of communication with the creature.
"Remember - try not to startle it," Latnok urged. "If it's hostile, or on my command, we can retaliate, but otherwise, we'll try to talk it out."
As the group began to approach the next, the makings of an eyrie, a giant mess of branches and bird saliva, could be seen, slightly vibrating as the creature within it could be heard seemingly crunching bone - besides this, however, the creature had not been visually identified.
"Okay, Raclaw," Latnok whispered. "See if you can get it to open up. I have your back."

Raclaw nodded as he approached the eyrie ahead of the others-- hoping that his unique furred/feathered appearance would indeed make for a better first impression than that of a scaled dragon or an armed human. As he stepped forward, he so gently and would raise his senses so as to get an better idea of the situation at hand. And as he got closer to the noise; it was very clear that they were indeed dealing with a gryphon. If the branches and bird saliva didn't tell it already... Raclaw's own senses did. And as he turned the corner, the furry/feather beast itself could be seen munching on appeared to be the remains of a horse or similar steed. The gryphon-- a typically colored one albeit in lighter shades --hadn't yet noticed him and he remembered Latnok's words. "Remember-- don't startle them.," the voice of Damon could be actually be heard in his head. 'Damon?,' he thought recognizing that the collar entity hadn't spoken in some time at least not to his knowledge. It didn't matter... they had a job to do. He had a job to do.

As Latnok and now Damon's words echoed in his thoughts-- he briefly thought about how he would approach the furred/feathered beast. Gryphons, at least not most anyway, couldn't verbally speak common although they could no doubt understand the land's native language if they were anything like the Guardians' Wyverns or similar intelligent-but-lesser creatures. He couldn't 'speak' the native tongue of the gryphon although he could understand it. His thoughts briefly flashed back to Tannus the hawk; the avilon friend being the closest thing to a gryphon that he would have dealt with before this very moment. That left common, canine, or telepathy as his three options. And so he chose common-- opting not to immediately intrude into the gryphon's mind and opting to go with something they would BOTH at least understand. "Hello..?," he gently called out trying his best to startle the gryphon.

The gryphon would briefly continue to chew on its food, before looking up at the creature that dared approached it. As the creature stood up.. it appeared to stand at least one foot taller than him if not a little more at perhaps 7½ feet tall. He suddenly felt smaller and feared that he or rather they would have to defend themselves when the gryphon suddenly spoke in its own bird-like language. To Darkheart, the dragon wouldn't understand it unless she already understood the language herself. And to Latnok, his bond and collar claim with Latnok would of course make it as clear as day. "You know... you're the funniest looking dragon I've ever seen. You are some kind of dragon, right? I believe I once one of those Guardians mention about.. what was it called? A fur dragon? Do I have that right?," the now clearly female gryphon spoke as it partly stood over Raclaw and looked down upon the Fur Dragon-- seemingly inspecting the intruder and expecting an immediate response. She currently seemed more *curious* than anything as Raclaw provided a urgent nod. He knew of course that Latnok would be there the moment he needed the support, but he would play along so to hopefully avoid any unnecessary violence. The gryphon tilted her head as if somewhat satisfied and placed the edge of her talon although the ring of Raclaw's collar briefly lifting the collar ever so slightly. "And what did you come here for? To steal my egg? To convince me to find your lost master? You are owned, aren't you? Go ahead-- you can tell me.," she then said with a coy smile looking down upon Raclaw as if expecting an response.

Raclaw looked up at the gryphon (who apparently thought very little of him) and carefully chose his next response. "Actually-- wait.. did you say an egg?," he managed to say dropping anything else he was going to say about not needing to find 'his master' and about Latnok not just being some owner. "Yes-- an egg. I know what your kind can be capable of and I know you were reading me... did you not notice the extra body heat or the extra presence? Don't worry, I'm not telepathic but I'm not dumb ether.," the seemingly mated gryphon then said changing her tone from curious to more that of a cautious tone. "She has an egg!," Raclaw quickly telecommunicated with Latnok before speaking up again. "Actually-- we fur dragons can't detect body heat at least not to my knowledge. And uh-- I'm not here to take your egg, I swear. We just came to talk and to discuss something that concerns your safety. And possibly of your mate's safety if my assumptions are correct.," Raclaw spoke urgently as the gryphon actually placed a claw in between his collar and the bare fur that rested beneath it. "We-- you're not alone. Tell your master to come out and start talking.," she spoke as her claw started to dig slightly into his neck although it wasn't bleeding. Yet.

OOC: Who's being shipped with who?
Star continued to caress the beagle. "You know, back home in the Noctus Woods, it's always night. Moon rises and sets, but the sun never shows within our borders. But you have to see the full moon. We celebrate each and every full moon with a festival."
Darkheart tried to listen to the conversation. She knew just enough of the gryphon's language to get a feel for the meaning. At the mention of eggs, she tensed. Gryphons were as territorial as wild wyverns, but more intelligent. This translated to an even more protective mother. I hope Raclaw can convince her we're no threat to her offspring. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to fight.

OOC: Where's the fun in laying it all out?

Maverick is just... he just needs a bit of time with his sister. That's all, Ilasi kept thinking to herself. Maverick had done a lot to show his feelings - Ilasi couldn't quite ignore that. And yet, she still wasn't completely comfortable with seemingly being brushed aside as soon as Maverick saw Angora.
Despite the turmoil in her mind, Dahlia's efforts at comforting her were somewhat successful. Ilasi gave a pleasant smile as she petted the buffalo, slowly running her fingers through Dahlia's pleasingly soft fur. "Thank you for caring about me, Dahlia," Ilasi said gratefully. "I can always count on you."
The two would soon enter into Ilasi's cabin. It was only then that Ilasi realized how tired she was. She sat down on the floor, leaning against the presumably resting Dahlia.

Latnok had a bad feeling about where this was going. He knew that gryphons could be quite territorial, and this gryphon having her talons so close to Raclaw was much too dangerous. He had to be ready to answer. The gryphon had to know that they would be the ones leading the negotiations. "Show her that we mean business," Latnok ordered Darkstar.
Then, he activated his future sight, as he nocked a phoenix-fletched arrow into his living bow. Stepping out, he revealed himself with his bow aimed at the threatening gryphon.
"Let's make something clear!" he commanded. "I am the one who chose to try to speak with you instead of just sneaking up and killing you. I want this to end peacefully. We have a talk, sort this thing out, and no one gets hurt. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I promise you, if you even think about hurting my friend here, that will end really, really quickly. I'll turn your mate into fletchings and make an omelette out of your egg while you're bound and helpless to watch. You back up a bit, and we can continue talking. Do I make myself clear?" Latnok slowly began to draw the bowstring, preparing to launch an arrow the instant his future sight caught any further aggression.

Angora was really glad to see Maverick, but nevertheless felt sad.
"So Maverick... I guess things are going well?" she asked, wanting to have a brief conversation with him before their night was up, or Shade became overly affectionate again.
"It was great! Ilasi took me to her hometown. Those merfolks really know how to make a place lively..." he commented, wanting to tell Angora and Shade about his relationship upgrade, but felt they weren't ready for such news yet.
"So... how about you guys?" he asked awkwardly, really wanting to tell them.
"Just more of the same. Talking, playing, we might as well enjoy it while it lasts. Shady here is forbidden to talk to us when his training starts tomorrow." Angora explains calmly, not remembering if Laszur included Maverick as well but assuming he was part of the rule.

Dahlia remained with Ilasi all the way, remaining calm and not bothering the mermaid with requests of food or play. Everything went so well early. It eluded the buffalo why Ilasi was feeling this way all of the sudden. Did something happened underwater? Despite Dahlia's fear of dragons, she was killing to tolerate Raclaw's presence if it meant gaining his help in understanding Ilasi and Maverick.

Quote: cyndego

”I am not sure what he wants. But right now the most I can get from this is that his after you now. Yea Thats about it, but he can make water out of his body. But something like a desert could make him weaker atleast.” Dex said and thought what to say next

”Three men you say. There is those who have run away from Blue, but I dont see Why they would be after me. Maybe they are trying to get close to me without Blue making a move on them..... or they are just with him playing part of his game. A wolfman does not say anything to me..... there is no guild member like that I am sure of it. It is a possibility that he is trying to make us work against eachother. That would sound like a order from Blue, if you dont work like he wants next he wants you dead, many experiences with that..... too many” Dex said, he was starting to have a picture of what was happening, but there was still the big question what Blue was after. If he wanted to kill him there was much more easier ways to do that. Then he said ” There is also the problem of his effective spy tactic. He seems to know everything we have done for the past days. I am sure if he was using normal ways even you or I would have noticed something” Dex was starting to really trust Huntress, not because he was sure She was not after him, but because She was clearly much more after Blue. And if he could make her get Blue and sneak away after that...... Well it would be a win win situation. Huntress with her big capture and him without the biggest problem which the guild and himself had.

With everything Dex was saying, Huntress was pondering things really hard. If the fox was telling the truth, that meant the wolf man was indeed trying to make her and Dex enemies, but there was still the mystery of the three men. Neither of them knew whom they were working for, or if they were indeed rebels against both Blue and Dex, who was according to him a former brotherhood member. It was then than Huntress decided what their best course of action will be.
"Ok then, there's just one thing we can do to solve this mystery. We will play the dragon's game... or at least find out why he's after me. If he's after you too, then it's probably to make you work for him again, but why me? I haven't heard of Blue until recently, and I wasn't hunting him down either. And if he wanted me dead, he would've done so already. I must know what he wants with me..." Huntress contemplated, baffled by the lack of understanding of the dragon's interests. It wasn't the first time somebody was after her, whether alive or dead, but it was the first time a dragon was the one with the interest. As much as she despised the idea, she had to leave her hatred aside and get to know this dragon first before doing anything else, with the necessary precautions of course. While Huntress was worried they would be spied on, she trusted that being in a public place like that with the chattering of the people around would make the spy's listening much harder.

Angora looked at Shade, and even though it pained her to say what she was about to say, she felt it was necessary.
"Well Shady, that's the problem, isn't it? You're calm when you're around us, but become wild and temperamental when we aren't. That just won't do, will it? I know the ideal is for us to be together, but Aelinon doesn't feel the same. And even without them, we still have to consider the possibility of separation from time to time. Circumstances will not always keep us together. You need to learn to control yourself even when you're on your own. Look what happened to Redwater. You have to learn to control those powers of yours and use your head instead of your wild, protective instincts when the situation calls for it, and have more patience even if you find things unfair." Angora lectured calmly, wanting Shade to understand once and for all how his lack of control and poor decisions have lead to this mess.

Maverick listened to Angora, and knew she was making much sense. She was a troll, but a very smart, reasonable one, and she has been learning to control her own temper with much success. But as she finished, he pondered if he should say the news. They weren't going to have any contact with Shade after tomorrow, so it was now or never.
"Well, if it all goes well, we'll have a new addition to the group. I'm not just talking about Dahlia. It's... Ilasi. Nosotros... we... we became a couple this morning. It all felt so sudden... but... so good..." Maverick announcer awkwardly, hoping those were good enough news to lift his friend's spirit, but got rather nervous when Angora remained silent...

After what looked like minutes, Angora finally spoke.
"Well then, it was bound to happen. I'm surprised you waited so long though. But of course, you two can be so stupidly silly." she commented, not shocked by the news but not exactly happy either. Ilasi hurt his feelings once, and she didn't seem to accept Maverick's great heard and taste in friends, but even though she wanted to be glad for her friend, she was afraid Ilasi would hurt him again, or even become controlling if she decides to take advantage of his sweet, naive nature.

Quote:

Star continued to caress the beagle. "You know, back home in the Noctus Woods, it's always night. Moon rises and sets, but the sun never shows within our borders. But you have to see the full moon. We celebrate each and every full moon with a festival."

Chester listened as Star spoke, finding the subject at hand an interesting one. He would remain quiet, however, avoiding the barks that this strange anthro furry creature seemingly had instincts against. Instead-- he would quietly continue to enjoy the petting and the company in Raclaw/Latnok's absence.

---

Quote:

Latnok had a bad feeling about where this was going. He knew that gryphons could be quite territorial, and this gryphon having her talons so close to Raclaw was much too dangerous. He had to be ready to answer. The gryphon had to know that they would be the ones leading the negotiations. "Show her that we mean business," Latnok ordered Darkstar.
Then, he activated his future sight, as he nocked a phoenix-fletched arrow into his living bow. Stepping out, he revealed himself with his bow aimed at the threatening gryphon.
"Let's make something clear!" he commanded. "I am the one who chose to try to speak with you instead of just sneaking up and killing you. I want this to end peacefully. We have a talk, sort this thing out, and no one gets hurt. I don't know who the hell you think you are, but I promise you, if you even think about hurting my friend here, that will end really, really quickly. I'll turn your mate into fletchings and make an omelette out of your egg while you're bound and helpless to watch. You back up a bit, and we can continue talking. Do I make myself clear?" Latnok slowly began to draw the bowstring, preparing to launch an arrow the instant his future sight caught any further aggression.

The gryphon briefly considered aggression, but seemingly decided to hold off on any such action. "Fine.. you can have your dragon.," she said releasing her taloned grip on Raclaw's collar. She immediately backed up with a slight scowl and stood noticeably in front of what appeared to be a healthy gryphon egg. It was clear that *this* gryphon was showing territorial tendencies, no doubt because of the offspring to come. "Thank-you. And for the record.. we are friends and I choose to follow him.," Raclaw said slightly disgruntled as he picked himself back up. The gryphon seemingly had respect for him, his race, or the collar. Or rather-- what the collar implied. And while he was technically owned, he and Latnok were much closer than that. They were best friends and he had willingly given himself to him. He chose Latnok and had considered the Guardian to be *more* than just some master.

He also would've hoped that the first phase would've gone much better. The egg had been unexpected though and perhaps protective motherly instincts were now driving this gryphon at least in part. That would explain the territorial tendencies at least, although he wondered how a gryphon mount came to become a wild mate-- and with an egg no less! This job may have just gotten bigger if they still wished to ether return or slay the feathered creature.

"So tell me then Guardian--," the gryphon spoke seemingly completely ignoring Raclaw for the time being. "What have you come to.. discuss? Hmm...?," she then said eyeing Latnok and the living bow held in his hands. Her aggression seemed subdue ever do slightly, although her disregard and disrespect towards Raclaw didn't make the collared Fur Dragon any less uneasy. He briefly adjusted his collar and made sure that the Gryphon hadn't cut him. There was no bleeding at the very least.