darkSpyro

Racaw had managed to squeeze himself out from under Darkheart-- his active mind wouldn't let him sleep anyway. He expanded his tail spikes and quickly looked towards the very much awake Beagle. "Chester, stay here and look after Darkheart if she doesn't awake.," he ordered before opening the doors to the pen and stepping out onto the deck. He immediately expanded his senses and felt the nearby presence of Latnok; the Guardian's foresight merging once with his own senses to form 'the sight.' The deck was utter Chaos-- Risar slicing several bugs as they swarmed him, Sere firing his light beam, and others fighting (and dieing!) all over the deck. "Latnok!," Raclaw called out alerting the the bonded Guardian to his presence as he prepared to fend off any number of creatures. "I'm here.," the voice of Damon spoke within his mind ensuring him that he would have the full backing of the collar entity.

Maverick was a nervous wreck, feeling so helpless to help his beloved girlfriend. After receiving the swarm's telepathic message, he fell to his knees.
"Please leave her alone. I... study me? Just... please let Ilasi go." Maverick begged, terrified about what they meant about studying, but he wanted to save Ilasi's life, and after seeing what the swarm could do, he knew this was a losing battle, at least from his end. He was hoping Sere could save them, but he looked distracted by another batch. Maverick was very afraid...

Quote: A Guy

The orb glowed and responded. "The weak on the deck are currently being culled," it spoke. "You are safe here. You must endure. We look forward to seeing you." The orb went dim once more.

Angora flinched at the orb's message.
"Culled? What do you mean culled?" she demanded to know in a form of whispering grunt, still wanting to keep the orb a secret, even from the nice trio. Perking her ears, she could hear a disturbance of some sort above.
"What is going on up there?" she asked the orb again, feeling extremely restless...

"WE ACCEPT." With the mastermind's telepathic confirmation, the swarm wrapped around Maverick - and picked him up. They would begin to whisk him away, out of the cove.
ANALYSIS COMPLETE. SPECIMENS GAUGED. WILL WAIT FOR ADAPTATIONS OF ENEMIES, TO FACILITATE OUR OWN ADAPTATION. With this complete, the mastermind and the rest of the swarm began to pull back, leaving a gory mess on the ship deck.

"There are those who would stand between you and a better life," the orb responded as it began to glow once more. "An unusual fox from the ship assaulted us as we tried to perform research. We have culled the weaker on the ship to deter any further interruption. The pilgrimage will proceed as planned." The orb became dormant once more.

In the end, all Sere could do was observe what could hardly be called bodies on the deck. The creatures weren't attacking them - until Star disobeyed yet another order.
He grabbed the bell calling for all hands on deck, ringing it loud enough to wake those who were sleeping. There would be changes. Drastic changes.

Raclaw and Risar came to attention alongside Latnok. Meanwhile, Chester began encouraging Darkheart to move.

Maverick closed his eyes very tight, terrified for his life. He could do nothing except accept this fate. What was going on right now? Was he eaten and was nothing but a pile of meat and bones right now? He couldn't feel the floor below him. Was that his spirit floating? But no, it couldn't be. He could still hear and feel the swarm. What was happening? He still didn't dare to open his eyes, and prayed that Ilasi and the rest of the people were spared. Angora was mostly safe below, or so he hoped...

Quote: A Guy

[i]"There are those who would stand between you and a better life," the orb responded as it began to glow once more. "An unusual fox from the ship assaulted us as we tried to perform research. We have culled the weaker on the ship to deter any further interruption. The pilgrimage will proceed as planned." The orb became dormant once more.

"Research!? Culled? Please explain yourself! What is happening out there? No no, please don't go! Hello? Hello?" Angora asked desperately, noticing that the orb went doormat again. She had a very bad feeling in her chest, and the screaming noise from above was replaced by Sere's wuiet sounding bell.

Removing her hood, she went to the brig door, wanting answers.
"Anybody out there? Risar? Anyone?" she called, a shaking wreck. The three men could feel the tension, and while their hearing wasn't as good as Angora's, they knew something was wrong. Everything asides Angora's screaming was quiet. Too quiet. There didn't even seem to be signs of Risar patrolling the brigs, something that only happened whether it was his lunch break or he was needed on the deck. It wasn't time for the former, so the fact that they couldn't see or even hear the minotaur's hooves walking around was really concerning...

Ilasi, in her panic, was desperately searching for Maverick, her eyes having been covered - but could not find anything but piles of flesh. She was... devastated beyond words.
"Maverick?! Maverick! Where are you... WHERE ARE YOU??? MAVERICK!" There was nothing to help it. She didn't know what happened, but he was gone. Completely defeated, she dropped prone on the deck, being able to do nothing but lament in her despair.

Sere shot Shade a death glare. "Of course they took Maverick!" he said, utterly irate. "Do you think I'm too stupid to realize? Are you aware of how many besides Maverick are dead right now?! NOW do you see the cost of disobedience?... Of course you don't. Your own disobedience caused hundreds to die at Redwater. Despite being warned time and time again, you persist. And now someone else's disobedience - right after insubordination an hour or so ago - has gotten my men killed. This will not be tolerated any more. There will be changes. This will never happen under my supervision again."

Djinn cast several spells at once, unleashing a furious explosion of every ordinary element but electricity.
Star readied and launched a Night Daze shockwave, aiming to ruin the mastermind's view by obscuring it with shadows.
Darkheart groaned and rolled over. Her eyes were still closed, but she responded. "Five more minutes..."
Then the bell rang, Star glaring down in response. Djinn realized the reason and shoved Star through a ring and went through himself, appearing on deck. Star glared harshly at Sere

Chester continued to bark-- trying to explain that the captain calling the crew was very serious and that she needed to wake up. It was evident that the little Beagle wouldn't give up in his 'quest' to awake the sleeping dragoness. The little dog was prepared to lead Darkheart out... once she opened the pen doors that is.

After realizing he was still alive, Maverick still feared the worse.
"Please, at least tell me where are you taking me..." Maverick asked shivering, still traumatized by the horrible fate of those sailors. Not even facing the White Shadow has been that scary. Ilasi, Shade, Angora, even Latnok, the captain and the newcomers, he was thinking of them, and wondering if many other sailors perished after he was taken away. Falcon's Beak was a dangerous place, but this second visit was proving to be even worse...

Sere had absolutely no problem returning Star's harsh gaze, shooting a harsh beam of light at a spot adjacent to him. "YOU. Get off my ship now, or your body will be less recognizable than that of all of the men you just killed. Go." The crew, with this new information, all began to focus their attention on Star.

The mastermind and the striplings continued moving steadily - the lightning seemingly having no desire to strike them. "YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO A RESEARCH STATION," it telepathed. "WE WILL STUDY YOU. WE WILL TAKE SAMPLES FROM YOU. YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO YOUR CREW AFTER THIS IS COMPLETE. YOU AND THE SMALL TROLL WILL BE DUE TO MEET US LATER."

Darkheart groaned and hugged Chester like a plushie. "Shhh..."
Star turned his attention away from Sere. He then went to the edge and let himself fall off, seemingly dropping into the sea, before allowing his Icarus wings to carry him up. He didn't look back as he went upward, following the swarm while hiding in shadows and his own Illusion.

Despite Star's best attempts, his stealth was rather ineffective - the mastermind, with its keen senses, was able to detect him by the very movement of the air. Such information was not immediately revealed, however - instead the mastermind would be communicating, planning to receive its new specimen - especially after having analyzed its combat capabilities, and preparing adaptations for such.

"Latnok," Sere called. "Get all of the prisoners here. Now."
Latnok ran off in a hurry to obey Sere's orders. It didn't take him long to get to the brig. He quickly opened it up, immediately rushing the prisoners out.
"All of you. Follow me, NOW. Hurry if you know what's good for you," he ordered.

At the brig, Angora paced severely, furious that she didn't know what was going on.
"That's it! I can take it anymore! Even if I get into worse trouble, I have to see what's going on up there!" Angora exclaimed, in her hand a ball of electricity appearing. She was ready to blast the door. Opium and Random were shocked beyond reason. This little creature... had magic!?!? While Sand Dune was surprised as well, he gathered enough courage and reason to grab Angora by the shoulders.
"Easy! Easy there little lassie! Don't do anything hasty! If you're in here, it means you're in enough hot water with the captain. Don't make thing worse." Sand Dune begged, fearing that Angora may take her anger on him and his friends, but fortunately, his words were enough to calm him down.
"You're right. You're right. Ugh, I feel so useless in here. I'm sorry! I'm just... so angry right now!" Angora said, excusing her behavior. It was clear that if the stranger from the orb was behind what was happening there, she wanted to trust that Shade and Maverick were alright, but... the others? Culled? They have all survived Falcon's Beak in the first journey. How was it possible that some were being killed? She was instructed to remain there, and she didn't want to escape the brig, but it terrified her to think what was happening up there...

She would soon get her answer when Latnok appeared to open the door from the brig.
"Latnok? Wha..." she started to say, but couldn't finish the sentence. Not in the mood to question anything, especially after what happened, the little troll followed the young Guardian, with the three men behind her...

Quote: A Guy

The mastermind and the striplings continued moving steadily - the lightning seemingly having no desire to strike them. "YOU WILL BE TAKEN TO A RESEARCH STATION," it telepathed. "WE WILL STUDY YOU. WE WILL TAKE SAMPLES FROM YOU. YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO YOUR CREW AFTER THIS IS COMPLETE. YOU AND THE SMALL TROLL WILL BE DUE TO MEET US LATER."

While Maverick was still scared, it still relieved him that the creature's intended to keep him alive. But the relief was little and short lived when he heard the last sentence.
"The troll? Please, por favor don't hurt Angora either. I'll give you all the samples you want." Maverick pleaded, willing to even sacrifice himself if necessary if it meant sparing his friends and girlfriend. He was so terrified, but also confused as to why he was kept alive. Was it because he was half faun? A half that was most probably extinct in it's pure form?

Latnok rushed the prisoners out to the deck, on Sere's orders - where the gore and carnage from the attack was plainly visible. He most certainly did not look happy. Latnok would bring the prisoners forward to him.
With them present, Sere began. "Before you now... there your fellow men are. Killed brutally. Maverick, a chef and navigator you all know and respect - captured, for gods know what to be done to him. All as a result of disobedience." Sere gave a stern expression to those below the impromptu platform he was on.
"Someone's stupid disobedience, engaging creatures against triggered these creatures to attack us where they were leaving us alone before. I have seen too many good people die because of this stupidity, this feeling of knowing better, this defiance. And that will end today.
"Starting today, any disobedience to me or any superior will not just get brig time - no. You will be made an example of. You will be executed for all of your fellow men to see. There is no place on this ship for those who cannot obey and work with the team. People who cannot do those things are a threat to us, as you can plainly see - and will be treated as such.
"Now, we will make arrangements to prevent that from ever happening again. If you are not Raclaw or a prisoner, and do not owe allegiance to me, get off my ship. Now. You are unpredictable and a danger to us, and we will not suffer your presence. Fly home in this storm, or teleport - I don't care. You have no place here."
There was a somber air on the deck, more gloomy than any storm, as Sere made his declaration. What would happen now?

Being said that the news hit Angora like a ton of bricks was an understatement. She felt like she just had been crushed by a mountain. Seeing these corpses (if they could be called as such), disturbed her to no end. As a troll, she has seen carnage before, but this was so sudden and so morbid, her stomach turned. She then heard the news, which added more salt to the wound.
"Maverick... captured?" she repeated, looking at Sere in complete sorrow. A chill ran down her spine, which was soon replaced by an intense heat. Her body, it was surrounded by an red orange magic, similar to what an aura looked like. Anguish. Despair. Sorrow. She didn't even know what to call it anymore. She looked at Sere in the eyes, saying only one thing to him.
"You... you'll find him, right? Right? I'll do anything you ask! Absolutely anything." she said telepathically, never looking at Sere this way. There was no fear. No hate. She was only a creature begging for help. Was this the stranger's doing? Or was it... something else?

OOC: This is more or less how Angora's body looks like.http://wkchome.blogspot.com/2013/03/dcuo-red-aura.html

Spike looked stunned at the carnage. Helen shivered. Djinn actually looked mad before using a ring to allow those who just got kicked off to leave. Most went through willingly. Grace paused and raised a finger, as if about to say something, before just going through. Darkheart looked back at Raclaw, still sleepy but visibly saddened, before sadly walking through. Like the others, she didn't actually count as part of the crew.
Djinn looked at Sere, then went through the ring himself. He wasn't interested in a fight, any more than Grace.
Meanwhile, Star realized he made a grave miscalculation. The Icarus Wings couldn't withstand the storm, and were about to fall apart. He hastily landed on a spire of stone and watched the swarm escape. His mind wandered back to the ship.
He suddenly realized what Sere was referring to. As much as he disliked the man, he was right. The swarm only attacked the crew when he attacked them. His outburst caused the death of many innocents. And his entire goal was to protect the innocent! And now, he couldn't even avenge them! He was stuck on this spire until he could repair the Icarus Wings. He felt a strain, a familiar one by now. He felt it when Digi died. He felt it when he thought Stone had been destroyed. He felt it when his mate was wounded. It was caused by being upset, especially grief or terror at losing those he cared about.
He'd ruined it all.
Then, Star, the Legendary Timetwister, curled up and cried as well as his cybernetic body would allow.

Sere was livid, in a murderous mood. He needed control. He could trust no one unless there was a contract of some sort. If he had to take drastic measures to control his crew, so be it.
"Maverick may as well be lost," Sere said for both Crystal and Angora. "Trying to search for him in this storm, against those creatures? That is a suicide mission. I won't lose any more men to any more 'heroes.' Do you see now, Angora? Do you see what your attitude causes? Do you?
"But you don't care about all those who just died. You only care about Maverick. Well, he's a lost cause. Go make yourself useful and bury all of the men that died because of attitudes like yours.
"And you, thunderbird. You led us into this death trap. Leave us, and never bother us again." Sere's faith had been completely broken - he would trust nobody with anything he was not personally involved in.

Angora wasn't there when the swarm attacked, yet it looked like Sere was blaming her. But whether it was her fault or not, she didn't care anymore. It was total despair... or at least almost total. She wanted to speak to the stranger of the orb, but she couldn't just yet, not while being in public. The stranger talked about the creatures that did this, and that some of the crew members were being culled. Could it be that... he sent them? Was Maverick captured instead of killed in order to spare him from the massacre? It was was just a few of the many questions Angora had in her head. But for now, what she did was obey Sere and bury the gory remains of the sailors that perished. What kind of creatures were these that were able to bring a being to such a morbid pile? It was so disturbing. Not even a normal sized troll was able to kill in such a brutal way. She looked at the devastated Ilasi, and was even tempted to go to her and give her a hug... but she desisted. Her fault or not, the mermaid probably hated her now more than ever. As Angora started the cleaning, she had so many questions to the stranger, but her mission now was to bury these unfortunate souls. The remains were so disgusting, Angora almost vomited a few times, but she managed to resist the urge each time. After each burial, she would say a small prayer and continue on. There was at least a couple of dozen remains that needed to be buried, perhaps even more. It was going to take her several hours to gather and bury them all, but she didn't care. She worked, and worked, praying for the deceased and the innocent Maverick, wherever he was...

Sere did not seem convinced at all by Crystal, as he pointed Grimbane at her. "I alone will decide what my crew should and should not do. Now leave us," he said threateningly. "My men might still be alive if you didn't lead us here. Go. Now." Unlike Latnok, Sere himself hadn't met the ishiuds yet, being unfamiliar with what this mastermind was. Latnok would corroborate Crystal's story, but decided that it would be risky for even him at this point to back her up if Sere was hell-bent on seeing her leave.

"THE TROLL SHALL COME WITH US WILLINGLY," the mastermind assured Maverick. "WE WILL IMPROVE HER, BY HER OWN DESIRE. GRANT HER POWER TO LIVE AS SHE CHOOSES. MULTIPLE SAMPLES FROM YOU WILL NOT BE NEEDED."
The ishiuds were finally beginning to approach the opening to a water tunnel. They began leading Maverick through. It was pitch black, but the mastermind's senses were able to keep the striplings on track.

Maverick opened his eyes, just slightly. Not that it made a huge difference though. He could as well kept his eyes close since one way or another, all he would see is pitch black. After the insects were done communicating with him, he decided to remain silent, not wanting to push his luck. He still had so many questions. He wanted to ask so badly why did they killed those men, but he was afraid of the answer. And also, what did they meant about Angora? Would she really come willingly? Despite the questions, Maverick said nothing, and let himself get carried off without any struggle. If they wanted him dead, they would've done so already. It would've been too easy for them.

On the ship, Angora got on and off, carrying the fleshy and bony remains of the sailors who didn't make it. She had no gloves. No protective gear, and the smell was awful, but she ignored it all. All she wanted now was to finish this work so that she could be thrown to the brig again and talk to the stranger from the orb in peace. Sere... he was serious this time. She knew he was dead set on executing whoever disobeyed again. This was the most angry she has seen him. This time, she had to make sure to obey his every word without question. She didn't care. She made a promise to herself not to defy him again. No matter how different and opinions were, she was going to obey and respect him, and put her damaging feelings aside. He was an old man, with way too much on his hands, and she wanted to be more comprehensive about it.

The next day and a half (if it could even be measured with no sunlight) would be very tense, despite Sere keeping the ship in the cove for a few days after the catastrophe. During this time, Sere would be up almost constantly - if there was some aspect to running or repairing the ship or maintaining the personnel, he oversaw it at least once during the day, likely more. In addition to this, he would often retire to his office - racking his brain to come up with a battle plan should they ever meet those creatures again, and for how to tackle the storm. The dragon brew he drank during that battle left him worn - yet he insisted on doing all of these things, getting two hours of sleep or fewer a night. Even by Guardian standards, that was sleep deprivation.
Leoquin, being highly loyal, could feel nothing but a burning hatred for whatever attacked them, and for Star, who triggered it. With Maverick gone, he would have to spend more time on duty - which he was okay with doing, though he appreciated having Maverick around anyway. Despite his initial attitude, there was absolutely no issue he could find with Maverick if he tried - and he did try - and he had grown an acceptance for the hybrid.
Ilasi was in complete despair - she was in no mood to even eat, let alone work, but dared not shirk the latter, lest she get put on the chopping block. She did the work she needed to do - often while being supervised - but had no appetite, and was gradually becoming weaker and weaker. Latnok could identify her distress, but could do nothing about it. Sere was willing to discard him without even a token effort to look for him - he was positive that he would be more than willing to have Latnok executed. Though he could probably fight then Guardian in his current state, he couldn't fight the whole crew, and would absolutely refuse to retaliate should Sere strike him. At the very least, Raclaw and Chester were effective at reducing his own tension. What he could do, however, was continue feeding Angora meat - when he could. There were times he had to hand her the same bread as everyone else, when Sere was monitoring either the inventory or the kitchen.
Laszur knew that Sere wouldn't dare to kill him - he had doubts about the current state of affairs, however. Aelinon would execute people for actions like Angora's or Star's - but Sere was willing to do a public execution for even the most minor of insubordinate acts, which was harsh even by Aelinon standards. Feeling no need to strain Shade any further with the current situation, he declined to issue the discipline he said he would.
This was going to be a long voyage.

Back in the cave, Maverick was eventually brought to a cavern - with some other odd, difficult to identify creatures. During his time there, he would be kept under wraps by the soldiers, and creatures that were identified as weavers would rip hair, or even skin off - before spitting on whatever wound they created, quickly regenerating it as if nothing happened, even down to restoring scars previously on those sections. There would be various sounds, both pleasant and harsh, to test his reactions to them. He would be fed meat of various land animals - by force if he refused. They would soon be ready to move him somewhere else...

During his time in captivity, Maverick remained silent, having so many questions but nevertheless choosing to speak only when asked questions or spoken to. When fed meat, he would insist he was vegetarian, or that he could have the ocassional fish, but they never listened and force fed him the land meat against his will, forcing him to swallow if he tried to spit it out. He grunted with some of the wounds, being very resistant to them after his father's discipline and a life of piracy, but the curing spit stung a lot despite despite not leaving any signs of a cut. He was hoping they could cure the wounds of his belly so that he wouldn't be too embarrased to show his tummy, but it looked like they had no remedy. As he remained in that place, being experimented on like a lab rat, he wondered how everybody was. It was clear that Sere had no intention of rescuing him. Chances were that not even he knew he was still alive after seeing what those bugs could do, so he was all alone now. He dreaded to think what his closest loved ones were thinking. Ilasi was probably devastated beyond consolation. He did this to spare her, and not even her magic was enough to save him. How he wished there was a way to tell her he was alive. And Angora... she probably knew by now. She was in such a delicate state of mind that it pained him to think what she was going through. She knew him for far longer than Ilasi, and they were practically siblings by now. And he didn't even want to think about Shade. He was there too, and probably felt the same or worse than his girlfriend. Little did he know that even Leoquin was missing him.

At the brig, Angora had lost any track of time. Every day since being thrown there was the same routine. It confused her so much why Latnok was still treating her with meat even after what they have been through. She still accepted it though, and didn't ask any questions. The light of her day was the high possibility of Maverick still being alive. While the stranger from the orb was as vague as always with his responses, he still hinted that Maverick was safe somewhere under his custody, and since it was known that the bugs took Maverick away instead of eating him like the rest of those poor sailors, that further indicated the possibility of him being alive somewhere out there. She was more worried about Shade, not knowing anything about how he felt or how his training was going since nobody kept her updated. How she wished she could console him, but she knew she was still forbidden from making contact with him. The only thing that relieved her was that he was still alive, cause if he had been excecuted, everybody would be gossiping about it. The only consolation she had inside that prison besides the added meat in her meals were the three men with her, who befriended her with ease. They were such a pleasant trio. They reminded her so much of Maverick, and that kept her in high spirits during this ordeal.

On the ship, many of the crew were talking amongst themselves about the recent change in events. Some full-heartedly supported Sere's decision - after seeing what had happened to fellow sailors, it was clear why complete obedience was being harshly enforced, and they believed it was the key to surviving the journey. Others believed the captain was going too far, but were hopeful that he would change. And there were many others who were completely apathetic - they had no intent to disobey, and they were getting paid, so it wasn't their problem.
Laszur was moving across the deck, seeking Shade for some training in discipline - but stopped when his sharp ears picked up something quite worrying.
"...and we can't keep doing this! The captain is a madman! We need to take over the ship! We need to get the hell out of here!"
Clear talk of mutiny. Regardless of Laszur's opinion on Sere's harshness, mutiny was a clear threat to the voyage and their survival. He cloaked himself, bending light to render him invisible, as he snuck up to find the source.
It was one sailor talking with four others - far from the cabin entrance, to avoid being spotted. Laszur listened more intently, to see who else agreed.
"Calm down, we'll be fine," one sailor said. "I've seen stuff like this happen, it'll probably pass after a while."
"Mutiny? Who leads then? The captain's personal lackey or the cow?" another sailor said. The others remained silent.
"The captain doesn't care about us!" that same sailor said. "He's just going to throw us out to meet his goals! We nee- UMPH!" All of a sudden, the sailor completely vanished - Laszur having choked him out and rendered him invisible and inaudible, like he did Maverick. If there was anyone who needed to be made an example of, it would be this man. Laszur moved to present him to the captain.

Angora was playing with the three sailors another game of cards, though not gin rummy like last time. She showed them different kinds of games, as well as statching them in forms of buildings, something they never really tried but liked. In almost any game of cards, Random would always win. She and Sand Dune only won once in different games, while poor Opium couldn't nail it even once. When Risar appeared to patrol the hallways, she would always go to the door to see him and see if he would talk to him, but he was always too busy with his job to initiate any conversation with her. He would say a brief hello, but nothing else...

Star had waited for the storm to pass, cursing his impulsiveness the entire time. When it finally passed, he repaired the Icarus Wings and took to the air. He'd never find the swarm now.
All he wanted to do was find a forest and build a temporary nest to relax in. Landing at the top of a tree, he moved down using acrobatics until he landed on the ground.
Djinn brought the others out at the safest bit of land he could find.
Darkheart went to a stream and stared at her reflection for a while, while Grace leaned against a tree and resumed writing in her notepad.

Laszur dragged the mutinous sailor to Sere's cabin (his current location), opening the door before dropping his invisibility. The sailor was firmly in his grasp, and was regaining consciousness. Where was he?
"Captain, I found this sailor trying to encourage others to mutiny," Laszur reported. "I became invisible to investigate further. The other sailors he was with did not agree with him, from what I've heard, and they would be able to corroborate my accusation."
Sere gave the sailor a death glare. The sailor was finally becoming aware of his situation, and began to struggle, at which point Laszu wrapped his legs with a tail.
"Captain, please!" The sailor begged. "I-I didn't mean it! I was just confused! I have a family back home!"
Sere was completely unmoved. "If that's even true - which I doubt, considering you went on a journey as dangerous as this - then your family will be more than glad to learn that you were a traitor willing to kill the hundreds on board in a fit of stupidity. You will have time to think on what you did before you will be 'encouraged' to volunteer yourself to educate your fellow men in the importance of unity."
"Cap-" Laszur moved a lanky hand to the sailor's mouth, gagging him.
"Further corroboration will not be necessary, Laszur," Sere said. "You have a long history of trustworthiness and integrity, from what I know, you are incredibly loyal to Aelinon, and it would be in your best interest to remove men only if they are a danger to everyone else. Let's take him to the brig."
Soon enough, he was dragged there, with Sere opening the door and literally tossing him in. "Make peace with your gods, traitor," he said slowly and menacingly. "You will die before we will."

Meanwhile, on the deck, news spread quickly about what happened to the sailor. What didn't spread was knowledge on how exactly it happened.
"And then, he just... vanished! No one was there!" one sailor explained. "I'm not kidding, he just vanished! No way the captain could've heard him!"
"So the captain can make you vanish just for mentioning mutiny? That's scary," another sailor said.
"I told that idiot that he was out of his goddamned mind! We need to stick together!" another said. "How the hell are we coming home without the captain? He's doing this because we LOST fellow sailors! He wants to protect us!"
"There's no way anyone is going to be dumb enough to speak like that again," another said. "The captain's no joke. Imagine what else he's caught us doing without even knowing about it..."
"Hell, I doubt you can even desert now without disappearing. We're stuck in this contract!"
The news would go around like wildfire. If people didn't fear the captain before, they definitely did now. Many thought it was a good thing - some were a threat to the stability of the crew, and needed to be removed. Those that disagreed dare not speak up now...

As the sun 'rose' and a new day came to be-- Raclaw had woken up in his old room, had followed the old routines alongside Latnok, and had tried not to think about what could've been. He had found a dragoness he was truly interested in, had worked up the courage to allow Latnok to set them up, and.. they had accepted on another as mates. And now they were separated-- him on the Enduring Legacy and Darkheart possibly worlds apart. Had Darkheart gone back to her own world or was she still here somewhere on this plane of existence? And Darkheart wasn't the only one gone ether-- Mav was missing (killed or kidnapped), the now cyborg Star had disappeared at some point during the battle, all of their new friends had been banished from the ship. And to top it off-- Sere was now considering execution for his own men. The crew's thoughts about the 'disappeared' crew member hadn't exactly gone unheard to him ether.

"Latnok-- do you think she is out there somewhere?," Raclaw asked Latnok as he stared out onto the cove entrance.

Latnok himself was unsure of how things would proceed from here - Sere was serious, to the point of paranoia. He needed to rest - even with their efficient sleep, two hours of sleep weren't going to be enough - yet he was up for all but two hours of the day, even after being worn out by the dragon brew. He just needed to have that much control of matters. Ironically, it would seem that Sere's care for the lives of his men was driving his newfound cruelty.
Latnok was brought back to awareness by Raclaw's question. That was right - the two had just become mates, and now they were gone. Maybe he should've told Sere about that when they were leaving? Regardless... what was done was done.
"I'm sure she's still out there," Latnok assured Raclaw. "Hell, I'm sure we'll find her when we look. Look at all the effort Sere is going through to help you find your parents." Of course, that wasn't the only reason Sere was going to Falcon's Beak, but it was a very important one.

Leoquin, preparing the ship for the approaching departure, couldn't help but notice Shade in his current state. Usually, the Scourge of Redwater moved at least somewhat - but today, he was completely immobile. He doubted the dragon was dead - or it would have been a very big deal - but what happened? Shade didn't seem to be injured, either. Or maybe... was Maverick's disappearance affecting him that badly?
Eh, why would he care. That thing was just as much of a danger as any traitor here, in his opinion, but he would keep that to himself. He still had a job to do.

"I'm.. I'm sure you're right.," Raclaw said briefly looking up at Latnok before lowering his into a position that seemed an ideal height for petting. It was true-- the Guardians were certainly determined when it came to finding something or someone that they were after. They had promised to find his own parents and they were still searching almost a year later. It was through that journey that he/Latnok had bonded and he would even find a mate. He had hope that they would meet again in his lifetime, rather it be them looking for her or vice versa. "We'll help you find her.," Chester barked showing his support for Raclaw.

Risar, meanwhile, was watching over the brig and the newly imprisoned *traitor.* Part of his duties would now include keeping order on the ship. Of course-- very few people would dare try something in front of the large Minotaur. His intimidating presence had no doubt been part of the reason Risar had chosen him as one of his seconds in command. He, like Leoquin, had at least some respect for Maverick. The hybrid had honestly tried, even if he hadn't been entirely successful in keeping his friends or himself out of trouble.

Angora played with the three men to distract her mind from the current predicament, startled when the new prisoners as thrown. She looked at her three companions with some concern, remembering what Sere had said about the new offenses just days ago. She couldn't even begin to imagine how terrified this man was, and she dreaded to think what was going to be done to him...

Maverick was still somewhere unknown, and he wasn't even sure if he was still in the same world. It pained him to think he was prisoner in some unknown place while Angora was likely still a prisoner of the ship. It was as if they were destined to be in captivity. But he didn't want that discouraging him. He couldn't see where the giant bugs had taken him, and nobody would explain it to him. In the few times he asked what they wanted with Angora, nobody answered, though he assumed they were going to experiment on her like they were doing him. Maverick didn't know how much time he has been kept there, but he figured some days have passed. He wasn't certain if it was as long as a week, but in a place as dark as that, it was impossible to tell the time. By now, he was already used to the bunch of bizzare creatures that passed his way, whether they were just passing through or collecting new samples of him. But with all said and done, there was a question that tortured his mind, that while he was afraid of asking, he had to know nevertheless.
"Will you set me free after you're done with me?" he asked one of the nearest creatures, not wanting to think he was going to be killed once these beings needed nothing else from him.

The new prisoner in the brig looked just as terrified as he was. He could only help but glance around at everyone else, before glancing back at the ground as he rocked back and forth while seated.
"I... I don't know what I was... what I was thinking... now I... I'll pay..." he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else around.

The soldier gave Maverick a quick look and a clacking of its mandibles with a buzzing of its wings before the mastermind - hearing through the soldier - took over.
"AS PER OUR PREVIOUS STATEMENT, YOU WILL BE RETURNED TO YOUR CREW AFTER WE ARE COMPLETE," it telepathed. "WE HAVE ALMOST COLLECTED ALL WE NEED. YOU WILL BE LEFT AT A SUITABLE SPOT FOR THEM TO LOCATE YOU. MOST OF YOUR MEMORIES OF US WILL BE ERASED. IT WILL BE AS IF NOTHING HAS HAPPENED TO YOU. YOU ARE MORE USEFUL TO US ALIVE. FEAR WILL NOT BE NECESSARY." The soldier went back to its usual routine - which was nothing but watching the area, and potentially securing escapees.

Latnok obliged Raclaw, petting his head slowly. "We've got your back," he assured Raclaw. "We've managed to make our way through many other scrapes - this will be a walk in the park by comparison. A dragon that big - pretty hard to miss, I'd imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if people know where she is right now."
Sere came walking up to Latnok almost immediately after. "Latnok, I need you to complete some preparations," he said. "I'm about to move the ship out, and it's important that this gets done before we leave. Follow me." Latnok complied, following along as Sere led him to provide details.

Maverick had by that time forgotten that the creatures did indeed told him before that he would be released afterwards. What he didn't know however was that his memory would be erased. Although thinking about it more carefully, perhaps it was for the better. Was it really worth it remembering being in this dark place, being tied and experimented on? It wasn't exactly a pleasant experience despite being treated rather decently asides from his captive state.
"Uh, gracias..." he said shyly, knowing he was one of the lucky ones.

He wondered though, if the erasing involved those men from the ship and their horrible fate. That reminded him of another thing that truly concerned him.
"You... you won't hurt any more people, will you?" he asked meekly, now unable to get the image out of his head. Why were those poor people killed while he was spared and experimented on? He still believed his faun heritage had something to do with it but he still wasn't completely certain. He was worried about the rest of the crew after what happened, and to make matters worse, these bug creatures seemed interested in Angora. But they didn't seem interested in killing her though, so he tried to remained calm about that particular matter.

Quote: A Guy

The new prisoner in the brig looked just as terrified as he was. He could only help but glance around at everyone else, before glancing back at the ground as he rocked back and forth while seated.
"I... I don't know what I was... what I was thinking... now I... I'll pay..." he mumbled, more to himself than to anyone else around.

Angora felt very bad for the poor man. She didn't know what he had done, but she was almost certain it didn't deserve a death penalty. Depriving someone of life was a horrible thing to do, especially if the person didn't deserve it or could be redeemed. She wanted to say something to console him, but she was lousy with words. Sand Dune took the lead and touched the nervous man's shoulder, trying to make him calm down.
"Easy there laddie. Just breathe. Come on, sit with us. Tell us all about it. Perhaps there's something we can do..." he said, though not making any promises. He was, after all, just another prisoner, and Sere was so unstable lately that the news reached even the brig. Although it hadn't been necessary since they all saw with their own eyes how furious the captain was when he gave the announcement shortly after the bug's attacked. Angora was very surprised by Sand Dune's compassion and heart, and wished she could do the same for those in most in need.

Quote:

Latnok obliged Raclaw, petting his head slowly. "We've got your back," he assured Raclaw. "We've managed to make our way through many other scrapes - this will be a walk in the park by comparison. A dragon that big - pretty hard to miss, I'd imagine. I wouldn't be surprised if people know where she is right now."
Sere came walking up to Latnok almost immediately after. "Latnok, I need you to complete some preparations," he said. "I'm about to move the ship out, and it's important that this gets done before we leave. Follow me." Latnok complied, following along as Sere led him to provide details.

Raclaw enjoyed the brief petting-- something that he would've at one time never asked for. Latnok was different, however, and the admittingly pet-like interaction could be a comforting one at times. As Latnok walked off with Sere, Raclaw stayed behind not wanting to interfere in the Godfather's business. Not less they didn't mind him tagging along of course. Chester rubbed up against Raclaw, further showing his support and perhaps asking for something himself. Raclaw gently began to 'pet' the little Beagle as he laid down in a comfortable position. Elsewhere, Risar watched but didn't interfere in the new prisoner's interactions from some feet away.

The mastermind was quick with a response. "PRIOR ENGAGEMENT WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO STOP THREAT AND DETER FUTURE INTERVENTION ATTEMPTS," it telepathed in an effort to explain their logic. "WE WOULD PREFER TO AVOID KILLING TRAVELERS. THE STORM IS THE TEST TO DETERMINE THE FITTEST. FURTHER INTERVENTION ON OUR PART WILL NOT BE NECESSARY IF WE ARE NOT ATTACKED AGAIN." As the mastermind telepathed him, it monitored several biometrics of his to gauge his reaction to such information.

The prisoner continued to rock back and forth without looking at anyone. "Uh... I think you know... but the captain's gone a bit... overboard lately. I don't want to... I don't know. I didn't know if he was the best man to be leading us. So I... I brought it up with some of the others... I just want us to be okay. I don't remember what happened, but the next thing I recall, I was in his office, captured, and thrown here. Now I'm going to be killed for instigation of mutiny..." The prisoner wouldn't give any further information - at least not without being pressed.

Badmouthing Sere... Angora has been on that same boat many times and faced some pretty harsh punishment for it, but she had never been threatened by Sere with excecution, although she did have a few close calls.
"I know Sere... the captain is very distressed now and is thinking of these terrible punishments. He... he'll never listen to me, but... perhaps I can talk to his immediate subordinate. He can be a very reasonable man if caught in the right mood, and he'll be more than willing to listen to him." Angora stated, suddenly determined to help this poor man escape a horrendous fate. She knew Latnok would probably not be in the mood to talk to her after their disastrous last conversation, but she had been practicing in controlling her emotions thanks to the three men, so if she could hold a calm and rational conversation with Latnok this time, perhaps he'll be willing to try to reason with Sere about this scared man's fate.

Quote: A Guy

The mastermind was quick with a response. "PRIOR ENGAGEMENT WAS NECESSARY IN ORDER TO STOP THREAT AND DETER FUTURE INTERVENTION ATTEMPTS," it telepathed in an effort to explain their logic. "WE WOULD PREFER TO AVOID KILLING TRAVELERS. THE STORM IS THE TEST TO DETERMINE THE FITTEST. FURTHER INTERVENTION ON OUR PART WILL NOT BE NECESSARY IF WE ARE NOT ATTACKED AGAIN." As the mastermind telepathed him, it monitored several biometrics of his to gauge his reaction to such information.

Maverick didn't know what happened with Star that time due to having been busy protecting Ilasi, but if it was true that they were attacked only due to provocation, he would have to warn them. But his memory would be erased, so he knew he wouldn't be able to do that, or even warn them about the storm's objective.
"Perdón if I'm speaking too much, but how will they know about not attacking you? If my memory is erased, I will have no way of warning them." Maverick asked, really wanting to prevent any more loss of lives. After what happened with the eel, and since he didn't know what happened with Star, he believed the captain will go as far as to attack any other creature that came their way. It was too horrifying the way those men died. He didn't want to see anything like that ever again. He was a very empathic man despite his previous life, and the last thing he wanted was innocent people losing their lives, especially in such a way.

As if on cue, Latnok came over to the brig, a rope being slung over his back as he forcefully opened the door. "It's time," he said to the mutinous sailor as he approached, not concerned with the others at the moment. The sailor shrunk back, scared but knowing that resisting would be pointless.

"PER OUR OBSERVATIONS, THE LEADER OF YOUR CREW DID NOT WANT TO INTERVENE," the mastermind informed Maverick. "HOWEVER, HIS CREW PROVED TO BE UNCONTROLLABLE, AND ONE OF THEIR MEMBERS ENGAGED US. WE WERE FORCED TO ACT TO DETER ANY FUTURE SUCH BEHAVIOR. PROVIDED OUR ACTIONS CONFIRM THE FEARS OF YOUR CAPTAIN, HE WILL NOT BE INTERVENING. WE WILL NOT BE IN THE SHIP'S WAY - FROM HERE ON, ONLY THE STORM WILL OPPOSE THEM, UNLESS WE FIND IT NECESSARY TO INTERVENE. WE DO NOT TAKE KINDLY TO THOSE WHO MEDDLE WITH OUR MAGIC, AND THE THUNDERBIRD WAS NO EXCEPTION."

Maverick was very surprised with what he was hearing. Someone engaged them? Even against Sere's orders? It couldn't have been Angora, since she was already in the brig by that time, and he saw Shade and he wasn't using his powers or swiping at them as far as he could see, so who else could've been? He didn't have a clue, but he believed there was one thing he could do.
"Ok. I... I understand. I won't questions your methods, but if my memory should be erased, can I at least have the last conversation intact? I want to make sure I can be able to warn them so that any of you don't have to fight them again." Maverick asked, once again demonstrating his extremely peaceful nature. He was so determined in preventing any more demises, it almost felt like a necessity.

Quote: A Guy

As if on cue, Latnok came over to the brig, a rope being slung over his back as he forcefully opened the door. "It's time," he said to the mutinous sailor as he approached, not concerned with the others at the moment. The sailor shrunk back, scared but knowing that resisting would be pointless.

Angora was baffled. She knew the sailor would be excecuted, but she never imagined it would be this fast. She could barely believe Sere would be this adamant in taking away the lives of those who were believed to be a threat. She was too nervous to talk, and she almost let Latnok take the man away before she finally gathered enough timely courage to speak.
"Latnok, wait! Before you take him away, a word with you? Please?" she said very respectfully, not caring if their conversation was in private or in front of everybody there. She knew it was too risky what she was doing, and couldn't believe she was doing this for a stranger. But she knew how he felt, having felt that same sense of doom many times in her life. She wanted to try to save this man's life. She wanted to try to do her best, even if the possibilities of failure were too high...

Star glared up from the forest, wishing he could rewind his mistakes. Suddenly he let out a short, sharp bark of laughter. He'd built the ChronoModifier for EXACTLY that purpose! He'd failed, of course. He forgot to account for the anti-paradox failsafe he built in. Which was why his kin were gone. He stared up at the sky, emotionally exhausted. He shoved emotions aside and stood, determined to find the swarm.
The others, meanwhile, finally approached Redwater. They went into town quietly, and in the grouping they'd been in before meeting.
Now Darkheart was alone. She hid herself away, able to make herself startlingly compact for her actual size, and quietly mourned the life she thought she'd have, with Raclaw.
Djinn and Grace went to the nearest job listings, and as usual started squabbling about what job to take.
Helen and Spike wandered to the inn and got a room before enjoying a meal.
Meanwhile, the spirit of the Prison Bottle stirred as he found himself irritated by what happened. What... HAPPENED? WHAT WENT WRONG HERE? You don't trust me, I understand why. But those THINGS... There's something malevolent behind them. I sense a foul presence here. He pushed slightly against Sere's mind, as if trying to actually enter. The situation is becoming desperate... I need to deal with this threat. Whatever was behind those things is in charge of this horrid storm! And it has a plan! Nobody does this much without an endgame of some kind. The spirit knew Sere would likely just think he was a paranoid hypocrite, but he didn't want unnecessary death, simply control. He and Sere had that in common, at least.

At Angora's request, Latnok halted, turning to her. "What is it?" he asked. The sailor continued to cower in a corner, dreading the upcoming punishment. He doubted that Angora would be able to help him, and had started to accept his fate.

"TELL YOUR FRIENDS THAT WE WILL WELCOME THEM ON THE ISLANDS," the mastermind telepathed. "WE WILL LEAVE YOU WITH THAT MUCH KNOWLEDGE. YOU WILL BE BROUGHT TO THE ISLANDS TO MEET THEM, PROVIDED THEY SURVIVE THE STORM." The mastermind continued its observation of various biometrics. "SELF-PRESERVATION INSTINCT APPEARS TO BE LESSER THAN IN OTHER CREATURES. HYBRID SPECIMEN CONCLUDED TO BE HUMAN AND FAWN. APPEARS HIGHLY COMPATIBLE WITH OTHER SPECIES. PACIFISTIC NATURE, SELFLESSNESS AND LACK OF CAUTION LIKELY CAUSES OF EXTINCTION OF ORIGINAL FAWN SPECIES."

Sere, meanwhile, began to turn the ship, for the movement out. He couldn't start leaving just yet, however; there was one thing which was very important to resolve before they left. Latnok would be bringing him the sailor soon - from there, he had some ideas...
...which were interrupted by the spirit in then prison bottle bothering him again. "We will deal with this threat in a way that doesn't involve creating a bigger problem," he said. "And please, stop trying to possess me. I've been in this business a while, and it gets really old." One thing the spirit was right about, though - there seemed to be some plan behind all of this. Could the cause of the storm and the fates of those they were trying to rescue at the island be related somehow?

The citizens of Redwater gave the new creatures maybe a very brief glance, before walking right on by like there was nothing interesting to see.. Soldiers were all over the streets, keeping vigil for enemies and maintaining order as production and movement was tightly controlled.
One that they did seem to get the attention of, however, was a humanoid creature with insectoid features - carrying a staff of some kind. He made a beeline for Darkheart as soon as she was nearby.
"Greetings, dragon," he said to Darkheart, to the exclusion of the others for now. "We sense your despair, and we answer. We know what ails you, and we have a solution. All we require is your faith."

Maverick was relieved, but at the same time concerned. The ship has survived the storm long enough, but what if it got worse? Or worse still, what if there was another creature attack? But that wasn't his only worry. Maverick listened to the results of his study and he went into very deep thought. Fauns... they were extinct, or at least almost extinct several centuries ago because they wanted to find peaceful solutions to face their attackers, which all failed, and if it wasn't for the fair share of conquistadores that took pity on them and helped with they defense, they could've been extinct that time, and Maverick wouldn't have been born. Was his faun ancestry what made him so different from his father? Did he had to be more ruthless in order to better protect himself and others? Was his extremely peaceful nature doing more harm than good? Maverick wanted to be peaceful, but was he overdoing it? What if someone got hurt because he didn't want to fight?

The hybrid was so confused. So many things were going through his head, but even while pondering, he took the time to reply to the mastermind.
"Gracias. Uh, thank you for telling me. I... hope I was helpful, and I'll... try to do my best." he said meekly, now thinking he sounded so pathetic. He could be easily killed by anyone here, and was aware that he was so lucky none of the creature's here intended any harm to him despite having seen them in action. He was practically a case of catch and release. But what about the others? What about... Angora? Would she willingly come to them like they said? If that was the truth, it gave Maverick a little peace of mind, since that meant they were going to let Angora make the decision on her own free will instead of capturing her like they did him.

Quote: A Guy

At Angora's request, Latnok halted, turning to her. "What is it?" he asked. The sailor continued to cower in a corner, dreading the upcoming punishment. He doubted that Angora would be able to help him, and had started to accept his fate.

Latnok didn't seem particularly hostile at the moment, and while Angora hated for the conversation to take place here of all places, and in public, but she had to speak soon. She doubted she would be able to save the sailor's life, but she at least wanted to try. She knew the humongous risk she was taking. And all for a stranger. She knew she had to choose her words carefully or he may not be the only one sacrificed.
"If I may... this is just an opinion. I'm not questioning and suggesting anything, I just... don't you think this is... a little too soon? I mean, this man got here not five minutes ago, and... he already getting excecuted? Don't get me wrong. I know mutiny is a very grave offense and I can understand why anybody would want to get rid of such a potential threat, but what if his desire for mutiny was simply a moment a fear? A comment from the mouth out? Many of us do and say things when they're scared without meaning harm to anybody... and... well, he didn't even got the chance to explain himself..." Angora said with an almost wimpering voice, not only fearing for the man, but for herself as well. Words alone were enough to condem this man, and it could do the same to her, but she found it very unfair that this poor sailor didn't even had the benefit of a trial before his fate could be chosen.

Why was Angora caring about this man? Was she really, honestly concerned? Or did she just want to oppose Sere at every turn? Regardless, there wasn't much that could be done.
"Considering it's attempted instigation of mutiny, Laszur himself caught it, and several other sailors were witness to it, a trial would just be a formality at this point," Latnok said neutrally. "Godfather Sere has been up for twenty-two hours a day, and has tried to maintain absolute control over every single aspect of the ship - I don't know if you're aware, but the dragon brew he drank already wore him out, and he's most definitely not in a condition to forgive people."
Latnok began to step towards the sailor once more, as the sailor pulled back as much as he could. However, Latnok suddenly stopped. "HOWEVER... there may be a way I can stop this, or at least delay it. Even if successful, there would be a good chance of him dying... but it would be better than nothing." The sailor suddenly looked up, a glint of hope in his eyes.

After several minutes, the mastermind seemed to be satisfied with all of the observations that had been made. "YOU ARE NO LONGER NEEDED HERE," it telepathed to him. "WE WILL PROCEED TO WIPE YOUR MEMORIES AND TRANSPORT YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY."

Like the sailor, Angora was losing all hope of saving this man's life... when Latnok threw that big, surprising however. Was that it? Did she really convinced him to reconsider, especially that fast? The man wasn't out of the woods yet, but at least he was still alive, and with slightly increase chances of surviving.

Opium, Random and Sand Dune were in a complete state of shock. As nice as they were, they never would've have the courage to talk to Latnok like that, even less try to convince him to reconsider an execution. Yet Angora did exactly that and more. She was brave enough to confront him even after their strained relationship. That little troll was one amazing creature.

Quote: A Guy

After several minutes, the mastermind seemed to be satisfied with all of the observations that had been made. "YOU ARE NO LONGER NEEDED HERE," it telepathed to him. "WE WILL PROCEED TO WIPE YOUR MEMORIES AND TRANSPORT YOU WHEN YOU ARE READY."

Maverick was very nervous about having his mind messed up like that, but these... creatures seemed to be advanced enough to pull it off. And Maverick didn't want to remember an experience like being cut and experimented on like a Guinea pig.
"I'm ready..." he answered, trying to disguise his concern. While he was scared, he wanted these creatures to remember him as someone nice but brave at least.

"Well, come with me," Latnok ordered the sailor. "Just play along. Like I said, I can't promise you anything, but this might work." Latnok grabbed the sailor, pulling him up. Leading him out, he shut the brig door behind them, leaving the other prisoners to wonder what would happen.

The mastermind pointed a tentacle in Maverick's direction. "WE WILL BEGIN THE PROCEDURE NOW," it telepathed. "YOU WILL BE PUT TO SLEEP DURING THIS PROCESS. ONCE IT IS COMPLETE, YOU WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO AN ISLAND SAFE FROM THE STORM, WHERE YOU WILL EVENTUALLY REGAIN CONSCIOUSNESS. YOU WILL BE SOMEWHERE LIVABLE ON THE ISLAND, AND WILL RETAIN THE KNOWLEDGE THAT YOUR ALLIES WILL BE ARRIVING, AS WELL AS THE KNOWLEDGE YOU REQUESTED EARLIER. LET US BEGIN." The mastermind began to prod Maverick's mind telepathically, in a process which would presumably render him drowsy.

Maverick tried to remain awake as long as he could so that he wouldn't be shown as weak if he succumbed to their magic right away, but it was in less than a minute when his eyes didn't feel like his own and closed them, almost as if gravity itself manifested and pulled his eyelashes down. He didn't like the idea of being abandoned on a lonely island, but he wanted to trust these mysterious beings. As he began to slumber, he had pleasant dreams about his friends. Angora and Shade playing in the distance, Sere and Latnok making peace with them, and even he and Ilasi getting married on a beautiful beach not so far from them. It all felt so real, and he smiled as he breathed peacefully...

Quote: A Guy

"Well, come with me," Latnok ordered the sailor. "Just play along. Like I said, I can't promise you anything, but this might work." Latnok grabbed the sailor, pulling him up. Leading him out, he shut the brig door behind them, leaving the other prisoners to wonder what would happen.

Angora had no idea what would happen. Even though she witnessed Latnok murder someone not so long ago, she didn't see the same expression on his face when addressing to the sailor. It was still a mystery to her why Latnok was so easily convinced of her words, but perhaps she would get her answer soon enough. Could it be possible that... Latnok himself was questioning his master? Was such a thing fathomable?

While she wanted some time to think, her brainstorming was suddenly interrupted when her feet left the floor.
"That was awesome little lassie! It took guts to suggest something like that to the Guardian! See? Even a troll can be altruistic. This world is not so bad. You little lady, are my idol." Sand Dune said happily as he lifted her up for Opium and Random to see, with Angora started at first by their reactions. She was so used to other people that weren't her friends being mean to her that this overwhelming display of affection was very strange to her. These men, they were praising her. It was an odd feeling, one that soon turned into warmth. Somebody was finally recognizing her attempts to do good, and that filled her heart with hope.