darkSpyro

Veris gave Angora a slightly confused expression, though his face perked up with excitement. He hadn't seen the troll in a while; word of her stint in the brig never reached him. After a cursory glance, he gave a toothy grin, as he brought his head down to lick Angora. Soon, he would pick up the scent of food - he picked his head up and looked at Angora with eager anticipation.

Angora found it weird that Veris chose to lick her first before asking for food, but then she realized it was because he hadn't noticed until now. While she believed Veris loved her more for the food rather than her company, she still liked being with him.
"Alright. Alright you silly beast. Heh, go ahead. Catch!" she said as she threw the ham so hard it almost reached the enclosure's ceiling, meaning to make the wyvern catch it in mid air. As fond as she was of him, Angora didn't trust Veris enough to feed him personally like when she did with Shade when he was sick. Since she wasn't in anybody's way, and since the stranger from the orb refused to answer her, Angora had decided to remain here with the wyvern, to enjoy his company just like old times and to distract her mind from the whirlwind of painful paranoia she was feeling.

Veris had absolutely no problem complying, lunging with his head and neck and snapping up the meat with one gulp. He licked his maw as he swallowed the meat, looking back down at Angora.

Angora chucked at the display, Veris as predictable as always.
"Heh, I envy you Veris. You get free food... and Sere's care. I just wish I could know what I did that was so awful. I wasn't... disobeying. Not on purpose at least. I was just... trying to find a better solution to the problem, you know? I know he has more experience than me in terms of decision, but... I really believed avoiding violence was the better solution. Is obeying really more important than anything else to him? I'm not used to his kind of life... his kind of structure. And now... he wants to send me away..." Angora vented, as tears started to show up again.

Only this time, she rubbed them off very quickly, not even giving them the chance to reach the cheek. Then she forced herself to improve her mood.
"I'm sorry Veris. I'm sorry. It's not your problem. I shouldn't ramble on like this. I bet you don't even know what the heck I'm even talking about, eh? Never mind what I said. I should be happy that Maverick is alive. Nothing else matters. This is a you moment. Let me not waste your time with any of my ridiculous life. Tell me, what do you want? More food? I can head into the kitchen and get you more. Maybe a belly rub? Some grooming?" Angora asked, trying to feel better for the wyvern's sake, as well as her own. The wyvern was the best company she could have at the moment, and the same to him since Sere didn't seemed to be taking care of him as much as he used to. Overworked with the ship no doubt. How Angora wished Raclaw was there to help them have a real conversation, but for now, the little troll had to settle with the wyvern's body language to get his responses.

Veris let out several growls and shrieks - indiscernible without anyone available to translate. There was still body language, however - he brought himself low to the ground, rolling over with great care to avoid crushing Angora. He was now laying belly-up, as he relaxed and waited. His human had been very busy as of late - but at least there were others to take care of him. It wasn't too busy from the main Guardian base in that regard. Though he wished he could better empathize with Angora, he couldn't completely understand the situation Angora was referring to - something not helped by his lack of knowledge of things like imprisonment in general.

Veris was predictable at some points, but even this action surprised her. The wyvern was so gluttonous, she really thought he was going to want more food. But it looked like he was settling up for a simple belly rub. She started to climb him.
"Heh, it's like climbing a small mountain." Angora commented casually as she climbed to his belly, noticing that he has gotten slightly bigger. Shade was still the bigger dragon, but in some ways, Veris was larger. It was sort of like comparing an elephant with a girrafe.

Once there, Angora started rubbing him, managing to hear the soft stomach growls from there. She didn't know if it was hunger or just the way it always sounded, but it was a strangely soothing sound. Little did she know this was the final resting place of her prison bully.
"You know what's funny? I always seem to befriend big, dangerous creatures. Did I tell you I... sort of... befriended a behemoth at Redwater before we left? The same one I faced in the arena. It was hard to see him again. Not sure if that was a friendship per se, but he made it very clear that he meant no harm. He actually gave some advice. Heh, who would've known?" Angora commented to Veris, without stopping the belly rub. She had come to the realization that huge creatures always seem to be the only ones that liked her, like Shade, Veris, and in some part, that behemoth as well. Seems like only humans and humanoids hated her, with Maverick being the lone exception.

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The iguanameleon stopped circling and remained still. There was that word again. Friend. The other dragon used it as well. It seemed to be famous wherever it come from. But it didn't care for that word or whatever it meant. There was only one thing it wanted... or various things. But then again, perhaps there was an advantage to this.
"Bring... one that... looks... like... fluffier... and softier... him." the creature tried to say as quickly as possible, still wanting Chester as well, but almost tempted to spare him if he could have Maverick.

"Chester is not food-- but nether are the others aboard our vessal. My friends and I... We protect each other. We look after each other. And we don't sacrifice each other. We won't harm you as long as you don't give us reason to. And we don't want to. We only came for our ship and will be out of your hair before you even know it. If you need food-- we brought our own supply and I'm sure that some arrangement can be met." Raclaw began to say again retaining his defensive pose, but also hoping that he wouldn't have to defend himself or Chester. Sacrificing crew members was not an option and he hoped that the creature would understand that.

As Veris received his belly rub, he gave a soft hum, what could best be described as the wyvern equivalent of a purr, and closed his eyes in relaxation. He made various hisses in response to Angora's comments, but, having no means of communication with her, had to settle for simply showing that he was listening.

Ilasi saw that Maverick had a point. Both of these events happened within the area of these waters - she was sure they were connected, but there would be little way to find out how. "Well... I guess that's something we'll have to figure out as we go along. Hopefully, anyway," she suggested. "But what would you like to do now? The captain looked pretty exhausted when I saw him last - he's been moving like a man possessed as of late, very concerned about controlling every aspect of the ship. I don't know what he intends to do now... but I hope he at least gets some rest. You look like you could use some relaxation yourself..."

Maverick had also noticed Sere looked like an exhausted man as well. Sure, he was old, but he looked even more senile than the last time he saw him.
"Well, if el Capitán is not resting, I can suggest it to him. After all, he has señor Risar to help him. And señor Leoquin. And... well I'm not sure for long I've been gone, but I'm here now, and I can help him too... later of course. I figure el capitán is not the only one who has been overworked, so let's just take this moment to have some fun mi Ilasi." Maverick suggested, seeing that Ilasi looked rather tired as well, so he wanted to cheer her up...

Quote: A Guy

As Veris received his belly rub, he gave a soft hum, what could best be described as the wyvern equivalent of a purr, and closed his eyes in relaxation. He made various hisses in response to Angora's comments, but, having no means of communication with her, had to settle for simply showing that he was listening.

The wyvern's purr, if it could be called that, made Angora feel even more relaxed. It made her so happy to know Veris still liked her despite his owner's unpleasant view of her.
"Thanks Veris. I... Sere will always hate me, so you don't know how much it means to me knowing you still like me even after all this time." Angora commented, a little sad that she couldn't understand the wyvern's language. Yet she was certain the flying mount could understand her words perfectly.

Quote: redwes

"Chester is not food-- but nether are the others aboard our vessal. My friends and I... We protect each other. We look after each other. And we don't sacrifice each other. We won't harm you as long as you don't give us reason to. And we don't want to. We only came for our ship and will be out of your hair before you even know it. If you need food-- we brought our own supply and I'm sure that some arrangement can be met." Raclaw began to say again retaining his defensive pose, but also hoping that he wouldn't have to defend himself or Chester. Sacrificing crew members was not an option and he hoped that the creature would understand that.

Once Raclaw was done talking, the creature didn't reply. It only gave the fur dragon a scowl... or at least that's what it looked like. It was hard to tell with how peculiar the eyes were shaped. Tired of this conversation, the iguanameleon turned around to leave, accidentally slapping Raclaw's paws with it's tail when it turned. The creature noticed, but didn't bother to apologize. These irritating invaders thought they could do anything and order him around, forbidding him his 'rights' in it's own home. Just who do they think they are? As angry as the creature was, it was no fighter. It had a resisting and almost fire proof skin, and a few things that could be called weapons, and it was big enough to hold a fight on it's own, but even so, it wasn't an animal fond of confrontations. The only ones that ever happened were for mating and territory purposes, and always with members of their own species, but those fights were slow and always both parties suffered a loss of some kind, so even those confrontations were rare.

The giant seemed to disappear among the foliage, almost as if it was engulfed by the vegetation itself. It was nearly impossible to tell what was going on through it's head at the moment. Did Raclaw really convinced it? Or was it still stubborn? The creature left... didn't he? The changing weather made it even harder to know where the iguanameleon was at the moment, or even to tell if it was nearby or if it really left. The wind made the scent left everywhere, so that didn't help with the knowledge either...

The sunny day would eventually give way to dusk, followed by the first watch of the night. Though the crew was waiting for Sere, he had yet to appear. They dared not check on him, not immediately at the very least.
Laszur woke up at the crack of dusk - he would typically wake up earlier, but his efforts earlier had exhausted him. Using his magic, he warped light to render himself invisible, keeping a watchful eye on Shade and the happenings on deck - especially any potential mutinous speech. Some time later, he would have to see about talking to the captain - perhaps he could cause the captain to tone things down a little.

Throughout the day, Angora remained with Veris, feeding and grooming him, and overall keeping him company. She didn't want to interrupt Maverick's precious time with his girlfriend, and since she still didn't want to risk talking with Shade, Veris was the closest thing she had to his company. She felt bad for the dragolet being alone, but there was nothing she could do for now. In the entire day she was with Veris, Sere didn't show up even once to his enclosure. One would think he would care about his beloved wyvern wyvern a little more, but it was better for her since that meant she didn't have to see the captain's cruel face. He might've shown up when she took a brief nap there, but she couldn't know. It was heartwarming, and even adorable how careful Veris was not to hurt her when she was with him. And when dusk approached, Angora was even thinking of spending the night there.
"You know, it's amazing how you care for me this way... well, heh, when you're not thinking about food anyway. How I wish your master could have half the heart you have." Angora commented as she brushed his scales, tempted to find Raclaw to have a proper conversation with the wyvern... and then it was when it occurred to her...
"I wonder... Veris, you can understand me, right? I... I wonder if... I could understand your words too..." Angora said, focusing on the wyvern. Perhaps she had the ability and never tried it? She had magic that she was still discovering. She wasn't a heavy magic user, but maybe it was time to put her abilities to the test, as the cruel Sere suggested much time ago.

Maverick remained with Ilasi, doing most of their activities on the ship, taking Dahlia out from time to time. Whenever they went to the island, Maverick would always remain close to the ship. Whenever Ilasi wondered why he was being so cautious, he always avoided the question and pretended nothing was happening. He didn't want to worry the mermaid with his last experience on that island. Nothing has happened, and the beast didn't show up, yet still, Maverick always made sure to remain in the most public parts of the islands to prevent the creature from showing up.

The iguanameleon remained close to the ship, though avoiding the sand to prevent leaving footprints. It could be perfectly invisible, yet it could still be easily traceable if it wasn't careful. Throughout the whole day, it kept a close eye on the invaders, almost exited to see how much new meat there was. Chester wasn't a rabbit, yet it was still around the same size and something new. He was already a target, but the creature knew it had to be careful with these hunts. It's targets have hostile creatures watching over them, and since it didn't understand the concept of family and friendship, the iguanameleon believed these aggressive invaders were simply storing their meat, for the winter perhaps? Whatever the case, they were on it's island now, so they lost all their rights to their food. Several times the beast spotted Maverick, but he was in an uncomfortable position to hunt each time. But the beast knew patient. It's tongue grew stronger than before after Maverick sliced it. It would wait for the perfect opportunity to strike... and try the new meat...

After the close call with the now unseen (but clearly unfriendly) creature-- Raclaw spent the rest of his time alongside Latnok or on the ship. They would have to be more careful, should Chester choose to stray from ether him or Latnok. As the furry friends awoke the next day, he would keep Chester entertained onboard the Enduring Lagacy via their technically shared ball or via activities with Latnok. And if they did step off the decks.. he would keep a very close eye on the little Beagle.

Veris let out a soft growl and hum, as he listened to Angora - though he understood her, he was currently too distracted relaxing. Such relaxation would eventually cause him to fall asleep, without much of a warning. One could feel soft vibrations of his belly as he took deep breaths in and out.
Latnok, meanwhile, made sure to communicate to Chester the importance of sticking together on this unknown island. He wouldn't be using Chester to lead any tracking efforts - not until they had a better idea of every threat on the island, at least. He would retire to his own quarters soon, where his bed and those of his friends were prepared.

Sere was up by the time first light came out. He pondered taking Veris out for a flight - but decided it would best be done once they had surveyed the island. For now, he would focus on preparing for the scouting mission. He instinctively reached for Grimbane - only to recall how he had foolishly lost it. There was no helping it. He would keep moving on.

Angora didn't know if her attempts at communication have failed or if Veris was simply too tired to be interested in responding. She would try again later. For now, she let the wyvern sleep. She wanted to sleep alongside him, but then started thinking about the danger of that. If he was a heavy sleeper, he could accidentally crush her, or worse, dream about food. So Angora decided to leave the enclosure quietly, meaning to visit him again in a few hours so he won't be lonely.

That night, slept on her and Maverick's old cabin, not noticing whether her hybrid friend arrived to sleep there too or if he stayed in Ilasi's cabin. Once she woke up, she wondered on what she could do next. She could visit Veris again, but Sere would probably be there with him to give him breakfast or maybe a morning flight, so she avoided the enclosure for now. She could practice her magic on the island to avoid damaging the ship, but she was forbidden to leave the vessel. What could she do? All of the sudden, she missed the three prisoners that kept her company in such a dire moment, but if they were on the brig, she would need permission from either Sere, Latnok or Risar. Knowing who to choose, she went looking for the minotaur...

At the island, the creature was nearby again. It retreated far inland for a moment to hunt a few birds and rabbits, but now it was back. It was morning now, and it was hungry again, but it would be patient once more. It would study the invaders first before making another move. There were many other beasts like it on the island, but this one was the only one that ever chose to venture this close to the beach.

Somewhere on the ship, Sand Dune read the note Ilasi left to him. Due to the strong dosage of medicine that the healing mermaid gave him, it was right now that he was finally starting to wake up...

As first light came-- Chester would be the first to awake as he gently opened his eyes to see the familiar sight of his friends and technically masters. It wasn't long until he, Raclaw, and Latnok had agreed to move in together during their second stay aboard the enduring legacy. It had been an arrangement that worked well in the Easy Erie and it was an arrangement that would no doubt continue to work for the foreseeable future. He certainly had no complaints, Raclaw (who had willingly given himself) had no complaints, and Latnok seemed quite happy with his two companions and friends in life. As the little Beagle gently got up.. he watched as Raclaw briefly continued to sleep soundly. 'No nightmares today at least.,' he thought soundly hating to see his beloved friend and master in pain. And Raclaw hadn't experienced a nightmare quite like the one in the Easy Eyrie since. At least not yet anyway.

Once Sand Dune woke up, he was in a bed, but was still too dizzy to know where he was. He couldn't see his friends. Once he recovered some of his vision, he noticed Ilasi's message, knowing it was from her almost immediately. He followed the instructions fatefully despite already feeling better, but she was the nurse and she knew better, so he wasn't going to question anything.

Angora searched for Risar, firmly hoping she didn't encounter Sere along the way. Her presence may irritate him, and she didn't want to ruin this day, or at least this morning. She knew seeing him today would be unavoidable given he was the captain, but still, the more she avoided him the better. She didn't know if he was still thinking of letting her marooned on the island even after Maverick's return. The thought alone was torturing her. But she would try not to think about it and focused on her search. Fortunately, Risar wasn't too hard to find. As soon as she identified him, she meekly approached him.
"Excuse me... if... if you're not too busy, I would like to see my brig companions." she asked politely but nervously, really missing that trio. They helped her so much during captivity, but now, it was probably time to say goodbye. She still got Sand Dune's cards, and intended to return them to him.

Far away from there, Angora wasn't the only one anguished. In a behemoth pen, Huntress was helping, but she let other volunteers to finish what was left. She went to a corner to sob quietly. She has been hearing so many horrible things about the war, something that was getting even into her usually stoic self. Her dear Aelinon, the place that saved her from that dragon, the home where got a second chance, it seemed to be falling into complete despair. She was tempted to go to war herself and help end it, but many of the soldiers that were still there encouraged her to stay. Her abilities were more useful in the city than war, and she had a way with behemoths, something that was always welcomed.

Ilasi was up and active, currently conducting her daily water purification routine; she didn't know what the day had in store for her, but doubted that she would be selected for the scouting party. As soon as she was done with this, she wanted to head to the brig to check on the prisoners.

As Sere came on deck, Latnok and Leoquin both approached him, rightfully guessing that they would be selected for the scouring party. "Good morning. Good to see you two already prepared," Sere said. "We won't bring too many. Just us and Raclaw. Chester will stay here until we have a better idea of the dangers posed by the creatures and environment. We don't want to have too many, or we may seem like invaders to any locals - for that reason, we will be moving on foot, and I will not be flying Veris." Sere had weapons in his pack, though he would keep them put away for the moment.

For a moment, a seemingly loose board creaked near where the trio was standing, almost as if somebody stepped on it. The wind? It wasn't particularly strong that day, or maybe just a result of the ship's deterioration after being so brutally beaten by the last storm. Everything returned to normal after the brief sound... seemingly. It was hard to notice, but the trio weren't the only ones on that part of the ship. A ghost? No, it was a very much alive creature. The iguanameleon, after much pondering, decided to mount the lifeless giant after all, to explore and claim what was rightfully of it's property. This trio had potential, especially Leoquin, but their 'skin' looked too hard. The beast wanted something easier, so it kept looking. Most of the sailors were still asleep, and despite being a few on the main deck, none of them were the one it was after. After much sniffing, the creature made it's way below the stairs, and into the hallways of the cabins, as invisible as a shadow creeping through the corners, walking VERY slowly. This ship was in it's beach. It's shore. It's home. So it was going to explore this place to it's heart delight and claim anything and everyone that was to it's liking...

At Ilasi's cabin, Maverick was starting to wake up, with big bag under his eyes. He felt like he hasn't touched a pillow in a long time. He was still too sleepy. He wanted breakfast, but was feeling too lazy to cook anything. After his vision stopped being blurred, he could see that Ilasi wasn't there. In his opinion, it wasn't very gentlemanly to let the lady wake up first or not have her breakfast in bed, but Ilasi would have to forgive him this once. He was too exhausted to do anything. He took one bottle of milk, the ones from Alya's father's farm, and drank half of it, knowing it would kill some of his hunger. He then returned to sleep, knowing he would need the extra rest if he ever hoped to go through the day appropriately.

It wasn't long 'till Raclaw and Chester would make their way out of their now shared cabin-- and into the hallways heading up onto the deck. As they turned a corner, Chester himself would sense something although it was more a feeling than any specific reading. "Raclaw...," Chester said somewhat worryingly. Little did the little Beagle know that the *creature* had passed him, as well as an innocent crew member whose presence might excuse the strange feeling. "Don't worry Chester-- we won't let anything happen to you.," Raclaw said trying to reassure him. "No.. it's not that. I just got a strange feeling. Do.. do you think the creature could sneak aboard?," Chester then said looking up at the fur dragon. Raclaw quickly scanned the nearby area, but didn't immediately detect anything suspicious. "I won't lie-- it's possible, but you won't be alone. You'll have all of us. Just don't wonder off alone.," Raclaw warned as the two stepped aboard the main deck.

Meanwhile, Risar looked to Angora and gave a grunt followed by a nod. "Follow me.," the large minotaur than said allowing the little troll to follow him to the brig. Little did anyone know that the creature was somewhere in the lower decks...

Angora followed Risar patiently, very glad that the minotaur treated her far better than Sere ever hoped for. He didn't seemed exceptionally fond of her, but at least she was treated with respect. As she followed the large Risar, she quickly got a chill down her spine as soon as she headed to the hallways of the lower deck. For a moment she believed it was haunted. She didn't have this feeling before in the ship, and wondered why her own sudden change in behavior. Having been pursued by large animals before, Angora had developed very cautious instincts, something that otherwise never happens to her kind. But it couldn't be because of that. They were in a ship, and besides Veris and Shade, there weren't other humongous animals... couldn't be...

The creature followed the fluffy pair very quietly, and as they headed to the main deck, the beast spotted Angora, following a large, horned creature. What was it with this place anyway? It had a few, odd looking critters, and the small ones always seemed to be accompanied by larger ones that weren't eating them. From what kind of bizzare world they came from? Did they even eat? Did they ever eat? Or drink water? It was too much for the beast to ponder about. Angora looked promising, but those horns were no joke. That horned creature could threaten him like the winged one did, so what could it do? For a moment, the beast was tempted to follow Angora, but getting tired of the cramped space, it continued following Chester and Raclaw back to the sunny, open main deck. It wasn't to pursue them again. There was too many eyes around now, and the creature knew it wasn't going to have a peaceful hunt if it dared to attack anyone in public. What to do? It was then that... it started to have a devious idea...

Sere gathered the others around for a quick briefing. "So, here's what will happen," he said. "We will all leave here, heading approximately northeast. The terrain looks relatively rough, but there seems to be a river heading north, so we may find people living nearby. We will keep weapons on us but will not hold them unless we are fighting. We don't want to scare any locals."
Latnok nodded along. "Well, here's hoping things go nice and smoothly. Chester, I'd find Maverick or Risar and keep them company, or stay indoors if possible. Don't want some mutant albatross or something along those lines to take you away."

In a slow haste, the creature left the ship while Sere gave his instructions. While it's plans always worked, this instance may prove too different due to the amount of beings present. But it would try anyway. It left the ship, navigating the beach while being smart enough to cover it's tracks with it's tail to avoid being detected. It was something it learned when it learned the hermit that lived near it's territory could track it that way. And after some distance, it caught a seagull with it's slightly stronger tongue... but didn't eat it. The beast had other plans with this meal before it had the honor to be consumed. In it's slow pace, the beast made it's way to the ship...

At Ilasi's cabin, Maverick was soundly asleep. He was having a series of bizzare dreams, but as weird as they were, at least none of them were scary. And luckily, none involved the scaly monster that almost ended his life just yesterday. The slumber continued...

Raclaw listened carefully to the plan and nodded alongside Latnok. The advantage of being who and what he was-- was that his 'weapons' weren't immediately obvious and could be hidden at any time. Chester gave a nod and briefly glanced at the others currently on deck. "Don't worry about me-- I'll stay safe.," the little Beagle said offering a reensurring bark. Elsewhere, Risar would soon lead Angora to the brig where Sandune was being treated. "You may talk to them from here.," Risar said with his typical minotaur-like grunt. The troll would have to talk to her new friends from the outside of the bars, unless she wanted to try to ask for more.

Opium and Random saw her and immediately gave her a heartwarming greeting.
"Well look who it is Random! The little lass is out! Aren't you a lucky one?" Opium said with a handshake, not showing any hints of jealousy for her freedom. Angora couldn't explain how these men were still imprisoned. They have shown to be really good people despite their previous life, and judging by Random's arm cast, it looked like they helped the ship quite a lot.
"Hey... eh... where's Sand Dune?" she immediately asked, not seeing him anywhere and fearing the worst.
"He's at the brig infirmary. Don't worry lass. He's fine. Just a little tumble. There's a young lady here has been taking good care of him." Opium explained, with Angora knowing very well who he meant. Random started to talk in sign language with the on,y good arm he had, which Opium traduced.
"Random is very glad to see you too. Telling you that good luck, and hopes we can be free soon too so that we can hang out more." he said, with Angora nodding with a forced smile, not having the heart to tell them there was a possibility of her being left marooned on the island they were on.

Since they doubted Risar would prolong the visit too long, Opium decided to keep it short.
"Well little lass, hope we can see you later. Visit us again. Now go ahead and see Sand Dune. He'll be really glad to see you." Opium expressed, giving her a farewell through another handshake, which Random did as well. She waited for Risar to lead her to the infirmary. Although she wanted Sand Dune to be conscious and talk to him, there was always the possibility of him being asleep, so as soon as Risar lead her there to see him, she was going to leave him his treasured cards.

It wouldn't be long 'till Risar would lead Angora to the brig infirmary-- seemingly accomidating Angora's request for the time being at least.

Quote: redwes

It wouldn't be long 'till Risar would lead Angora to the brig infirmary-- seemingly accomidating Angora's request for the time being at least.

After following instructions, Sand Dune was in bed again, his body still hurting. But despite the pain, he lifted his head as soon as the door opened, letting out a wide smile.
"Angora! Hello little pretty. I've heard you're not in prison anymore. Great for you! I don't think I've done my time, but I'm still happy. They've been treating me well here." he assured, with Angora coming in as he talked, giving him a gentle hug when he finished. It surprised him quite a bit.
"You didn't strike me as the hugging type. Well well, you're certainly full of surprises." he said, offering her a small hug in return since he could barely move his own arms. Angora cut the contact fast when realizing the ache.
"I... yeah. I'm out now. And my friend was just found alive, so I'm happy too." she said, with Sand Dune nodding contently, very glad for her and wishing she could meet this friend of hers.
"I... I want to thank you for everything. Here. I won't need them anymore." Angora said, taking the cards, but Sand Dune wanted her to keep them.
"No. It's alight. It can entertain your friends in the brig. I don't need them as much as you do." Angora stated, finally convincing him.
"Well, don't say goodbye for too long. I'll be out of here soon. You'll see. And we'll earn our freedom. You can introduce me to your friend, and we can come up with many entertainments, not just cards." Sand Dune assured full of hope, lifting Angora's spirits.

Finally talking to the three former pirates, Angora was ready to leave, knowing Sand Dune needed his rest. While she waited for Risar to escort her out, she glanced at him warmingly, very grateful that he was so gentle and patient with her, and for allowing her to visit all three of her brig friends.

Sere pondered for a moment. "You may... but be very careful," he said. "Follow my lead, and don't do anything that may upset the locals. At least not until we confirm if they're hostile or not."
Sere, Latnok, and Leoquin stepped off the ship, leading the way for the scouting mission. Soon after leaving the shore, the group would come to a highly forested area. The sound of various birds and insects could be heard throughout the foliage, and there was the very pleasant aroma of various types of flora.

Raclaw followed alongside Latnok-- his increased bond with Latnok becoming quite obvious to Icestorm. Meanwhile, Risar would escort Angora back to the main deck, where the little Chester awaited the two. With Sere, Latnok, Leoquin, Raclaw, and even Icestorm gone... it was evident that some scouting mission had began and that Chester had been chosen to be left behind. The little Beagle barked upon seeing Risar and Angora, although the dog's words couldn't be understood without the help of ether Raclaw or Latnok.

Angora found it very strange how the dog was there without either Latnok or Raclaw. He never separated from them... except...
"Guess Raclaw and Latnok left the ship." she correctly assumed, remembering the time Maverick took care of him while they were gone. If they were going to explore the island, it was no surprise they decided to leave the beagle behind, especially with animals like the beast that attacked Maverick.

Speaking of the beast, in it's slow yet steady paste, finally arrived back to the ship... just in time to see that Sere and a selected group were leaving it. He saw the winged creature, and the other armored human... but no beagle. Could it really be this lucky? Was that it's moment? Angora was probably still protected by the horned fiend, but beagle, wherever he was, was alone, or at least not with the protection of his two friends. The captured seagull still flapped it's wings as best as it could, trying to escape the beast's clamped jaws, but it's tongue was wrapped all around it's throat and body, making escape impossible. The beast waited for the companions to leave before making any more. It didn't know what many other creatures was in that giant yet lifeless monster, but the iguanameleon already had some set targets. And it still hadn't forgotten about Maverick. Somewhere up there, he was there as well. He escaped once, and the beast hasn't forgiven that moment...

Laszur wasn't surprised that Shade asked to speak to Angora, but saw no good reason to permit it. "What is happening with her is none of your concern," he said matter-of-factly. "The sooner you realize that, the better it will be for you." Laszur would have preferred to be on the scouting mission - but someone had to keep control of Shade, who was definitely not going to be brought along, and Sere preferred having Latnok on account of greater familiarity.

Once again, the beast made it's way to the ship once more, studying the surrounding. The black dragon that threatened him yesterday had remained on the same spot where it saw him this morning for a reason, so the beast wasn't worried about him. Nobody else looked intimidating enough, so the beast waited... for Chester... for Maverick... or perhaps, even Angora if she left the protection of the horned creature...

The beast could notice Shade had just spotted it, and it was baffled. How could this black demon detect him even with it's perfect camouflage? This monster wasn't normal. However, it wasn't going to let Shade ruin it's plans. He was the only one who could 'see' through it's perfect disguise. While it hated the hallways, it was still better than the main deck. Shade was very big, and the beast could tell this black demon couldn't fit through there, unless of course it decided to destroy the vessel. But it looked like his home, and the hallways had many other people, so the creature doubted Shade would go that far. So with the full knowledge that it's camouflage wasn't enough for Shade, it disappeared below the stairs, still determined to get everything and everyone it was entitled to. While the others of it's kinds were cowards with a routine, this particular beast was always willing to try new things, trusting in it's strength and resilience to face whatever danger it could possibly face...

The beast navigated the hallways, keeping it's camouflage despite being able to use the darkness of that place to hide. It wasn't going to take any more risks. It walked for several minutes, with the cabin doors either being very locked up or empty. It could easily bring the doors down, but the beast didn't want to draw attention to itself, so it didn't destroy or disturb anything it saw. It went down a second step of stairs after a while, where smaller cabins were located. This place felt even more empty than the last one. Not a soul seemed to be there...

Laszur wasn't sure if Shade was just playing games, but it was better to be safe than sorry. "I'll look into it," he said. Entering the ship, he proceeded, spear in hand, as he rendered himself invisible. If this intruder could camouflage, then there was a way to deal with that. Laszur headed for the kitchen for some supplies.

As the iguanameleon continued walking, it started wonder if this was all worth it. There was plenty of food on it's island. Did it really need to try new meats if it was still going to be fed in it's own home? The preys on it's island were exceptionally easy to capture, and it rarely had to fight for it's Was it really necessary to try and capture a meal here when all the potential ones always seemed to be protected?

But the temptation proved to be too much. Soon enough, the beast found itself with a half open cabin door. These section of the hallways wasn't as empty as it originally seemed. It was... another sailor. He was shorter than Maverick, though slightly bulkier. He was in a little table writing something using a small window to let the sun enter and have some light. Since the man was alone and in a cramped space, the beast didn't need the seagull anymore. He would need it later, but it didn't have any other way to hide it. It could use another seagull later for it's plans, so for now, it swallowed the poor bird to have it's mouth free. Now it was time for the main course. Without warning, the large reptile used it's large tongue, the only thing quick about it, and wrapped it around the clueless man's mouth and throat, sqeezing him and rendering him unable to scream. He didn't understand what was happening, and entered a complete state of panic. He tried to reach the knife he kept under his pillow, but couldn't reach it, not even with his feet. He wasn't as lucky as Maverick. Loosening up some of it's camouflage, the man could now see what has captured him, and tried very hard to let himself free, but couldn't. The tongue was as strong as a boa constrictor's body. It could only watch helplessly as the creature continued dragging him directly into it's jaws, starting to swallow him head first. In that lonely hallway of the ship, the beast was already claiming it's first victim...

Quote: Felines

Angora found it very strange how the dog was there without either Latnok or Raclaw. He never separated from them... except...
"Guess Raclaw and Latnok left the ship." she correctly assumed, remembering the time Maverick took care of him while they were gone. If they were going to explore the island, it was no surprise they decided to leave the beagle behind, especially with animals like the beast that attacked Maverick.

"The captain is no doubt scouting the island-- and those two are your prime candidates for such an endeavor.," Risar all but confirmed having become well aware of the unique bond that the two companions shared. They were more useful together than apart and (tactically speaking) were effectively one unit. Ether one could function without the other, but their unique link made them stronger together-- and tactically more useful as a direct result. As Risar looked down at the little Beagle, the minotaur was aware of just how tempting a target the little guy would make as well as Angora herself; both being small creatures. "Come.," the large minotaur then said walking towards one of the railings and inviting both Angora and Chester to join him.

Meanwhile, Raclaw would keep his senses open as they began to scout the island. If the Fur Dragon listened hard enough-- he could almost understand some of the closer bird calls showing that his abilities were increasing. "Dededede... Oh new creatures... Dedede...," some sort of comment could almost be understood among the chirps. This new usage of Raclaw's ability to understand 'animals' (span still unknown) would be audible to both Raclaw himself as well as Latnok. Raclaw had spoken to a hawk once and had formed some kind of childhood friendship, but that was a larger and more intelligent bird.

With nothing else to do, Angora decided to simply stay with Risar for an indeterminate period of time. She couldn't hang with Shade, and Maverick was probably going to hang out with Ilasi again, so she couldn't count in them. The minotaur and the mongrel were the best thing she got right now. She had been expecting the stranger from the orb to contact her earlier, but since he didn't seemed interested in talking, Angora decided to do other things. It was still driving her crazy not knowing what Sere was planning with her. In one instance, he was ready to dump her on the island, but now she's forbidden from getting there, so what was the deal? Risar was practically second in command now, so perhaps he knew something.
"So... eh... I'm out of the brig. And... what now?" she asked awkwardly, wanting to know if Risar knew something about her fate.

Not very far from there, there was an empty cabin and a letter that couldn't be completed. There was nothing behind, not even clothes. The beast did it's first successful hunt in the ship, and it was satisfied... for now. Human's were much more filling than those annoying rabbits or skinny birds. It could never hunt down the hermit or it's pet, but the biped ones on the ship were the most easy, at least when they didn't have a large skin and were alone. Although there were still a few creatures the beast wanted to hunt, but for now, it knew that it was better to lay low. The black demon knew it was there, and while Shade couldn't go after it, it could still rat him away. It was time to leave and lay low while the heat was gone...

There would be very little opportunity for the creature to go far. Laszur, taking some flour from the kitchen, had been throwing it all around like petals at a ceremony. Even if the creature itself wasn't visible, any flour would be. Laszur himself was not going to be rendered visible, due to the nature of his magic, though those who were not using such magic would be. He just had to be very careful - he threw only to the spaces he passed from. Little did he know that he was nearing the creature's current resting spot.

As the scouting party continued to trudge through the foreign lands, one thing became very clear - lifeforms here were very, very unusual, even by Guardian standards. Though there were many life forms that were still recognizable, many others seemed like hybrids of some sort or another.
After pushing through some foliage, the group would begin to head up a hill. A bit of a trek later, they were at the top. Though it wasn't the highest hill, they could see what they were searching for - smoke in the distance and some buildings, signs of a settlement.

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With nothing else to do, Angora decided to simply stay with Risar for an indeterminate period of time. She couldn't hang with Shade, and Maverick was probably going to hang out with Ilasi again, so she couldn't count in them. The minotaur and the mongrel were the best thing she got right now. She had been expecting the stranger from the orb to contact her earlier, but since he didn't seemed interested in talking, Angora decided to do other things. It was still driving her crazy not knowing what Sere was planning with her. In one instance, he was ready to dump her on the island, but now she's forbidden from getting there, so what was the deal? Risar was practically second in command now, so perhaps he knew something.
"So... eh... I'm out of the brig. And... what now?" she asked awkwardly, wanting to know if Risar knew something about her fate.

"That is up to the captain to decide. If and when he does decide.," Risar said indicating that he knew little more than Angora herself. Sere would likely speak to him and Latnok whenever he came close to making a decision, but that day had not yet come. Chester remained between the two, accepting a light head petting from Risar as the large minotaur spoke. Chester's voice would, unfortunately, remain just a bark without the presence of Raclaw.

MEANWHILE...Quote:

As the scouting party continued to trudge through the foreign lands, one thing became very clear - lifeforms here were very, very unusual, even by Guardian standards. Though there were many life forms that were still recognizable, many others seemed like hybrids of some sort or another.
After pushing through some foliage, the group would begin to head up a hill. A bit of a trek later, they were at the top. Though it wasn't the highest hill, they could see what they were searching for - smoke in the distance and some buildings, signs of a settlement.

"Look!," Raclaw said as they reached the top of hill soon spotting the smoke in the distance. The surrounding buildings didn't look like much, but it was *something* and something meant an settlement. So far, they had only encountered strange hybrids and an dangerous creature whose location was currently unknown to most. Raclaw expanded his senses as he spoke, managing to pick up on at least a few lifesigns aside from any nearby wildlife.

The ship was big, yet the hallways were connected like a tunnel. Despite the confusing layout, the beast was intelligent enough to know how to retrace it's previous steps. It continued slowly to the exit, meaning to take a rest on it's beloved island... when it saw some white powder scattering. It had no idea what it was, but the white substance wasn't going to hinder it's memory. It couldn't see Laszur, yet it could sense him. However, the beast dismissed it's feelings as simply somebody else nearby. But whoever that was, he was lucky that it was satisfied enough to let everyone else alone. While the beast did have some degree of intelligence, it didn't know the objective of that powder, or even what it could do, so the scaly creature continued on it's merry way, having no idea how the new substance could severely compromise it's stealth...

Quote: A Guy

As the scouting party continued to trudge through the foreign lands, one thing became very clear - lifeforms here were very, very unusual, even by Guardian standards. Though there were many life forms that were still recognizable, many others seemed like hybrids of some sort or another.
After pushing through some foliage, the group would begin to head up a hill. A bit of a trek later, they were at the top. Though it wasn't the highest hill, they could see what they were searching for - smoke in the distance and some buildings, signs of a settlement.

At the peak, an iguanameleon was nearby and began staring at them. It didn't bother to camouflage. It was slightly smaller than the one that attacked Maverick, and also more opaque in color. It glanced at the group for a little while, but then it turned around and continued minding it's own business, having absolutely no intention of attacking them.

It appeared that Shade was correct. Laszur, with the help of the flour, finally had a target in sight. With a quick lunging motion, he sought to drive the phoenix steel spear firmly through the unwelcome guest. Whatever it was, it was knowingly trespassing, and had no business being here.

Sere was happy to find a settlement without too much effort. "Needless to say, that's where our next move is," he said. As he did, Latnok observed the immediate environment - spotting another one of those camouflaging creatures, though it seemed to have no interest in them. The main sight of interest was ahead of them. There would be some more hills and some foliage to go through, but they would hopefully be able to reach the settlement without too much effort.

Quote: redwes

"That is up to the captain to decide. If and when he does decide.," Risar said indicating that he knew little more than Angora herself. Sere would likely speak to him and Latnok whenever he came close to making a decision, but that day had not yet come. Chester remained between the two, accepting a light head petting from Risar as the large minotaur spoke. Chester's voice would, unfortunately, remain just a bark without the presence of Raclaw.

Angora could only sigh, not knowing if Risar was lying to her or if he genuinely didn't know. Sere was away now, so she had to continue with the dreadful wait. She was feeling so sad, she was even tempted to do a little Chester petting herself, but wanted to keep whatever little pride she had left, so desisted the action.

Quote: A Guy

It appeared that Shade was correct. Laszur, with the help of the flour, finally had a target in sight. With a quick lunging motion, he sought to drive the phoenix steel spear firmly through the unwelcome guest. Whatever it was, it was knowingly trespassing, and had no business being here.

The spear penetrated the iguanameleon with some difficulty, though it managed to somewhat stab it on the shoulder and make it bleed. It was enough to make the beast break it's concentration and drop it's camouflage. There was definetly someone there that attacked it. It knew Laszur was there, and even though it couldn't look at him directly, it still managed to stare somewhere in it's body, doing a raspy moaning sound as if complaining. The beast could regenerate rather quickly, but it could still feel pain. Limping, the beast continued to head to the exit, moaning and looking back at whoever was there. In it's state, the creature wasn't in the mood to fight. It just wanted to get out of there...