darkSpyro

Raclaw quickly took his usual spot alongside Latnok; Chester followed and took his place near Raclaw. Friend or otherwise-- the three clearly had a bind with each other. Risar soon took his usual place near the Guardian and companions, although he didn't completely take his eye off Tyraika.

Kasidra nodded and assembled with the rest of the crew. She kept Latnok's words about the new dragon in mind. She would have to relay them to Maverick and Ilasi later. Perhaps after the assembly, if she had nothing else to do, she could give them the update.

Tyraika listened intently to Latnok's words. At least it still seemed that the humanoids intended to keep up their end of the deal. She couldn't agree more with getting it over with as quickly as possible. The dragon couldn't wait to get out of here. Getting her life back was the only motivation for even obeying these people. Although, Tyraika disagreed with the accusation that she had killed innocent people. She felt that no one who came to her island was innocent. They were all either pirates looking for treasure, or hunters looking for beasts to capture or kill. Some were both. Tyraika killed them because they were threats. She couldn't recall ever meeting someone who simply stopped to ask for directions.

When the assembly bell rang, Tyraika shook her head at the sudden noise. She noticed the crowd that was forming on the main deck and started to back away. Tyraika didn't turn her back on the crew, she watched them warily, while she put distance between herself and them. As uncomfortable as it made her to still be on deck with this crowd, she knew she didn't have much of a choice in the matter. She still vividly remembered what happened the last time she tried to give a simple warning.

Tyraika flinched at the touch, but relaxed when she saw it was only Shade. At least she had one friend here. She nodded slowly at his words and took a deep breath. Tyraika wasn't sure how much she believed that things would turn out okay, but all she could do was hope and try to trust in her friend's advice.

With the crew fully assembled, Sere felt at freedom to begin his announcement.
"Good morning, sailors!" he greeted. "We are headed to the next island and are due to land there some time in the evening. Let's take care of the elephant in the room; the new dragon. We are all aware of the accident that happened. Let it be known that your safety is a priority, and I will not needlessly put you at risk. The dragon is being very closely monitored, 24 hours a day, by either myself or Latnok - and we are prepared to apply the same collar that we applied to Shade, if the situation calls for it. Failing that, we will remove it - but the dragon is a key to one of the objectives of our mission, so you will have to bear with us for a while as we attempt to habilitate it to this environment.
"Besides that, we will hopefully have a hospitable environment to stay at the ship's next destination. As usual, you will be given some time to rest if the opportunity presents itself. Latnok will be preparing breakfast soon, while I take watch of the dragon. I will be on the deck for some time. Continue the good work, and remember to stay away from the dragon until it has been deemed safe. You are dismissed."
With the dismissal, the crew began to scatter, either to their various tasks or back to rest.

Ilasi couldn't think of what to do for the moment. Perhaps some magic would be in order? But Maverick did mention a board game...
"What would you have in mind for board games?" Ilasi asked Maverick. The only board game she had ever played was chess - she rarely had an opportunity to play anything with anyone else. To think that there would be so many things she would be able to do with Maverick that she couldn't do before...

"Well, I do have a few collectible ones, but they can be played as well." Maverick said as he searched his bag.
"Let's see... I have checkers, go, and chess... there's also this game that I'm not sure about though." he said, showing a game with many tiles and what looked like Chinese symbols. The chess was made entirely out of crystal, while go and checkers was made with stone, wood and other materials.

Maverick was waiting for Ilasi to choose when he heard what sounded like a loose floorboard outside, somewhere in the hallways. He left the board games on the small table besides Ilasi's bed to investigate, when he saw Angora in the dark.
"Angorita? Hola. What are you doing here?" he asked, very glad to see her.
"Oh, I was just... passing by." she said, though Maverick knew her well enough to know she was lying. Why would she be hanging around that particular place if it wasn't to see them?
"Well come in. We were about to play a game." Maverick invited, but Angora didn't enter, knowing that wasn't his call. This was Ilasi's cabin, so only her permission mattered, so she stayed in the hallway.
"It's alright. I'll stay here." she said, staying outside the cabin but looking at Ilasi from the door.
"Hey. How you've been?" she asked shyly to the mermaid, expecting her to answer and dismiss her quickly afterwards. Angora didn't believe the mermaid was fond of her even after their good last conversation, and knowing how much she hated having her moments with Maverick interrupted, she was ready to leave once she said so. She was already hated enough as it was, so the troll didn't want more people hating her, especially her dear friend's girlfriend.

While Kasidra did want to check on Maverick and Ilasi, and give them the latest news, she also wanted to eat. Unlike them, she hadn't had breakfast yet. So she figured giving them the report could at least wait until after she ate.

"Thanks, Shade," Tyraika sighed. She wasn't sure if she could get through this on her own. The dragon surely would have been collared by now, if not for her friend's advice. "I see..." she muttered. "How do you handle it? Being collared, I mean. Does it not bother you to be controlled by these humans?" she asked.

Tyraika blinked and stared wide-eyed at Shade. "Glad?" she asked. "You're being controlled and held captive against your will. If another dragon had taught you to control your powers, you wouldn't even need their help." She sighed. "Do you really think they would free you?"

Latnok headed to the kitchen, to prepare a suitable meal. He remembered Raclaw's request - as well as Chester's. So a surprise with bacon... it might not be feasible for everyone, but he could certainly make something for them. He got some meat out of the storage room, then got to thinking. And then he had an idea...

When Latnok came back up to the deck, he brought with him a cart full of dishes with bacon and various different types of produce. As per usual, he didn't spend the time to decorate them, like Maverick did. He rang the bell to indicate that the food was ready.
Latnok had set apart some food for Raclaw and Chester. This had a different meal - fish stuffed with bacon, with both the fish and the bacon being seasoned. He wasn't quite sure how it would taste, but figured that, if he did everything right, it should be fine.

Ilasi looked at all of the games Maverick had available. Chess was the one she knew how to play; however, she was very inexperienced at it, so figured that she wouldn't really give Maverick a challenge. Instead, she was more interested by the unusual game he had taken out.
That was interrupted by Angora's arrival. Ilasi heard enough to have an idea of what had happened. "Oh, good morning, Angora," Ilasi said calmly. She wasn't in a particularly cheery mood, but didn't mind the troll's presence - for a little while, at least.

Tyraika was quiet for a moment. She didn't fully believe the humans would ever let either of them go free, especially if they were already collared. Tyraika could only hope that her stay here wasn't permanent, so long as she didn't have a collar. However, she still didn't trust the humans or like her odds of actually leaving. She glanced at her injured wing briefly and wished she could fly again period.

Although, Shade's mention of his adoptive family got Tyraika curious about them, specifically why they had decided to approach her at all. "Is that why they had approached yesterday? Because I was sitting next to you, and they're your... Adopted family?" She just wanted to know why they did that, when no one had previously mentioned them being healers. Tyraika didn't expect anyone other than Ilasi to approach.

Tyraika's stomach growled upon the smell of food. She glanced over at the cart. She hadn't eaten dinner yesterday evening and her hunger had only grown worse as a result. She still didn't like the idea of not hunting for her own meals, but going completely without food wasn't exactly an option.

Kasidra heard the bell and headed over to the food cart to get her breakfast.

Angora felt slightly offended by her not mentioning her part in healing her, but perhaps Maverick forgot to mention it to her? Couldn't be, but whatever the case, she decided not to mention it.
"Morning." she greeted back, but then Maverick spoke, already noticing a bit of awkwardness between them.
"Come play with us Angorita. Look, we were just choosing the board games we want to play." Maverick said enthusiastically, but she already took a look to those games.
"Thanks Maverick, but those board games are for two people only. It's alright though. I just came by to see how Ilasi was doing. I still have to find the three men that were with me on the brig. Very kind men those three. Haven't seen them since Latnok released them and I want to make sure they know I'm out as well." Angora assured, not wanting to worry Maverick and wanting him to know she had things to do, and that she won't be bored or lonely.
"There's also Veris. He's taking a nap right now, but been spending so much time with him, he's starting to hate being lonely for too long. Oh, that reminds me, you think you can prepare him a little lunch today? I think he misses that last meal." Angora asked, deciding to keep a secret that she talked to him. Maverick didn't question why she suspected that, so he let it slip.
"Sure, of course. I can do something quick. I won't decorate it though, since I know he won't bother to look at it." Maverick expressed, already aware of the wyvern's gluttonous reputation.
"Thank you Maverick. See you later. Perhaps in the afternoon?" Angora said, in part to see Ilasi's reaction.
"Sure thing Angorita. Take care." Maverick answered, bidding her goodbye as she disappeared in the hallways.

With the troll gone, Maverick closed the door and sat besides Ilasi again.
"Pobre Angorita. Hope she'll be alright." he expressed, though almost more to himself and Ilasi.
"Anyway, have you chosen yet Ilasi?" he then asked, though wondering if she chose that time to find a game or if she paid attention to their conversation.

As Kasidra approached, Latnok greeted her like he did many. "Good morning. Make sure you stay in good form," he said. "A little spar some time after the meal will do us both some good." Latnok still recalled his last spar - despite being a female, Kasidra had put up a better fight than most of the men on board would be able to manage. There was ome good training to be goten out of testing himself against her agility. Meanwhile, he wondered how long Tyraika would abstain from food. The dragon had to eat sometime, after all.

Ilasi was listening to the conversation, though she decided not to interrupt. "Oh, uh... why don't we try out the more unusual game you have?" Ilasi figured that, since it wasn't too familiar to Maverick either, such a game would at least allow her to give him a slight challenge.

Angora left that section of the ship, heading to the infirmary. According to some rumors, that's where the three former pirates hung out after their release, something she confirmed to be true after seeing through the windows. Opium, who had some little knowledge in medicine, was rearranging some jars in a way for the, to be easily accessible and in alphabetical order. Sand Dune was cleaning the floor while Random was attending a sailor with a hand wound that seemed to be infected. Sand Dune was the first to notice and greet her.
"Angora! Yo! How are you girl? We heard you were released as well, but she couldn't find you. We want to avoid much of the ship you know. I don't think people are ready for us yet, so we decided to do our part here." Sand Dune explained, believing that the infirmary was one of the best places to make a good impression. Random and Sand Dune greeted Angora with a small hand wave since they were busy at the moment.
"Well, this is a nice place to work with at least. Plenty of space, and you can be very helpful." Angora complimented, noticing what Sand Dune was doing.
"I don't have anything to do, so I can help." she then said, with the three men welcoming her aid. Not only would she bond more with them, but perhaps being in an environment like this would help her healing magic develop better. After all, talking with animals wasn't the only ability she intended to master.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi was listening to the conversation, though she decided not to interrupt. "Oh, uh... why don't we try out the more unusual game you have?" Ilasi figured that, since it wasn't too familiar to Maverick either, such a game would at least allow her to give him a slight challenge.

"How about checkers? It's easier than chess, and I haven't played Go yet even though I have the instructions." Maverick suggested, knowing chess but in the mood for something else. They could try Go later on and learn, just in case Ilasi didn't know either.

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Latnok had set apart some food for Raclaw and Chester. This had a different meal - fish stuffed with bacon, with both the fish and the bacon being seasoned. He wasn't quite sure how it would taste, but figured that, if he did everything right, it should be fine.

It wouldn't take long for the two furry companions to show up-- the scent of the fish not escaping ether dragon nor canine nose. "Mmm... Smells good!," Chester barked as Risar and others retrieved their own meals. Raclaw and Chester took a bit from the unusual bacon-filled meal. 'Something different with bacon.,' the fur dragon thought pleased that Latnok had delivered on just that. The Guardian had always delivered on their requests no matter how odd or delicate.

The taste was.. interesting, but actually quite good! The slight tartness of the fish blended surprisingly well with the crispy bacon and the usual-but-never-disappointing sweetness of the magic-enhanced flavoring. "This is good Latnok-- thank you!," Raclaw said complimenting the meal.

Tyraika tilted her head. "But they aren't healers? So why would they come near me? Especially if they aren't allowed to be near you." It didn't make much sense to her. It seemed like the two had no business approaching at all. Tyraika didn't understand being happy to see them either, or any humanoid for that matter. She still wasn't used to the idea that humanoids could be anything other than a problem. However, she was stuck dealing with them and relying on them for survival for the time being. Tyraika glanced at the food cart and looked back at Shade. "You want to get food?" she asked.

Kasidra smiled. "Good morning. Thanks for breakfast," she said. She had already sampled a bite of the delicious food. The tiefling nodded. "I agree. Staying in good form is important. That shouldn't be too hard if I keep sparring with you. Although, I still have to check on Maverick and Ilasi later." While Kasidra was looking forward to sparring with Latnok again, she still had a message to deliver to Maverick and Ilasi. She figured she should probably do that first, as it shouldn't take as long, but Latnok may want to spar sooner than that.

Latnok smiled as his friends enjoyed their unique meal. I'm really glad you guys like it," he said. "Let me know if there's anything else I can get for you."
"You can go ahead and do that," Latnok said. Knowing that Maverick and Ilasi were likely to not come out onto the deck, he was fine with Kasidra relaying the events on the main deck between them. After she was done, they would have their sparring session, before they went to sleep.

Ilasi was on board with checkers. She knew the rules, though she couldn't remember the last time she had seen a checkerboard. "That sounds good," she said, as she moved to make space for Maverick on the bed. "Oh, yeah, none of the furniture here is the most suitable for hosting board games..."

"It's alright. These tables are more for eating anyway." he commented, getting on the other side of the bed and moving the board in the middle between the two of them. Ilasi's bed was so soft. It even smelled nice. It made him rather nervous being there, but he decided not to show it, so as he put everything on the bed, he made some conversation.
"I really hope Angorita will be alright. She looks better in appearance, but I'm not sure. At least those three men can keep her company. Perhaps her trip on the brig was meant to be a good thing after all." he said, as usual, trying to look the good in everything.

Angora was still in the infirmary, helping her three friends with anything they needed. It was a great way to kill time, but at the same time feel useful. Chances were Latnok and Sere weren't going to find out about her work there, but it didn't matter to her. She believed that seeking their approval was impossible now, so whatever she did she was going to do it to satisfy herself and help people, not to expect some approval of the two people that hated her the most as far as she thought.

Tyraika sighed. "Well, no one mentioned them to me. How was I supposed to know what they would or wouldn't do?" She supposed the question was pointless, as she wouldn't have trusted them then anyway. In fact, she still didn't. Tyraika hadn't seen a reason yet to trust these people.

The dragon took a deep breath. "Let's just... Get this over with..." she muttered. Tyraika started to walk slowly towards the food cart and occasionally glanced back at Shade to make sure he was beside her. When they reached the cart, she sighed. "Uh... What's on the... Menu?" she asked. There was a bit of confusion in her tone. Tyraika still didn't quite grasp the concept of a menu, or why it mattered in getting food. Although, she figured that if asking about it worked for Shade, then it should work for her, too.

Kasidra nodded. "Alright. I'll do that once I'm finished eating," she said. The tiefling noticed the new dragon come over and ask for food. It seemed the dragon finally got hungry enough to show some manners. Kasidra would have to mention this in her report as well.

Raclaw looked up as Tyraika approached the cart-- very much interested in how Latnok would react to the fur-like dragon's attempt at politeness. She was still clearly very new to the concept and would've only been further limited had Latnok not shared his ability to understand draconic. It was progress at least... and progress was a very good thing.

Raclaw wondered what he would've been like had he grown up under her same circumstances. Would he had been just as wild or would he have been the same gentle fur dragon that Latnok had eventually learned to know and love? He had many years of training, socialization, and general interaction with humans and the occasional non-human humanoid. Tyraika had none of that and had only her base instincts and limited knowledge to base her interactions off. 'Hence the needed training.,' the very much tame fur dragon thought to himself. Chester watched the new interaction with curiosity.

Latnok gave Tyraika a neutral look as she pulled his attention. "The menu this morning is cooked pig's meat and food from various plants," he answered. He figured that her question was most likely a result of following Shade's lead, since she wouldn't have had any experience herself asking.

"Those men seemed to be very helpful, when I worked with them," Ilasi said. "I wonder what had changed about them - they were the last few prisoners to actually be released, after all. I wonder if it had anything to do with that other nightmarish prisoner." Henry was, no doubt, at least some sort of influence on the prisoners he was with - judging by how they responded to Latnok. Perhaps, with him out of the way, they would grow to be much better people.

Back at the infirmary, Angora continued helping her three new friends, watching closely as Random attended the arm of the sailor. He didn't know about medicine like Opium, but he was very knowledgable about bandages and wounds. When nothing else was left to do, Angora approached the sailor and tried to make her healing magic work without Neo's help... there was a glow, but it was so dim it did nothing.
"What are you doing Angora?" Sand Dune asked, not noticing the glow.
"I was just... trying something." she answered, not wanting to go into details. Sand Dune didn't pressure her and neither his friends.
"Ok then. Say Angora, is it not too much to ask, can you get us some food? We lost track of time and we didn't get any breakfast. It doesn't have to be anything special. Not even anything cooked." Sand Dune asked kindly, asking it as a favor, not an order or anything. Since Angora didn't have anything else to do and these men were so friendly to her, she obliged.
"Sure. I'll be back..." She said, leaving the infirmary immediately.

As she walked, she found herself in the same hallways as Dahlia's enclosure and decided to pay her a visit. The dirt buffalo got up in anticipation, having expected Maverick, but she lied down submissively after seeing who it was.
"Well sorry to dissapoint you. Maverick is quite busy today, so I'll take care of you if you allow me." Angora said, knowing the dirt buffalo well enough to understand her mood. She knew she was expecting Maverick. The buffalo was well where she was, having a large supply of hay to eat whenever she wanted. Unlike Veris, she didn't need to be constantly fed and watched. The company she usually accepted was Maverick's. When Angora saw her water, she could see it was still full (Maverick filled it last night and fed her some oats before going with Ilasi), but Angora brought her new water given this one was dirty with hay. She imagined the dirt buffalo missed walking, but since there was no land and the main deck was currently occupied with dragons, including a new one, so it was a bad idea, and Dahlia didn't like to roam the hallways.

After attending to the dirt buffalo's needs, Angora headed to the kitchen, seeing that it was almost Veris' lunch time. But that could wait a little while. She wanted to make her three friends something special. So she started to cook them meals. They weren't as delicious as Maverick's food, but Angora had the knowledge, given that was one of the jobs she had to learn while on Armon's ship.

Quote: A Guy

"Those men seemed to be very helpful, when I worked with them," Ilasi said. "I wonder what had changed about them - they were the last few prisoners to actually be released, after all. I wonder if it had anything to do with that other nightmarish prisoner." Henry was, no doubt, at least some sort of influence on the prisoners he was with - judging by how they responded to Latnok. Perhaps, with him out of the way, they would grow to be much better people.

"Perhaps he forced them to do his nasty bidding." Maverick answered, knowing how often that happened.

He then remembered what Angora told him about the fat prisoner.
"Angorita told me he was finally caught and excecuted... and then fed to Veris. Oof, that was hard to hear. I know the wyvern eats anything, but I never imagined he was fed humans as well, even if they're executed." he commented, becoming as pale as an albino. He was afraid of Veris before, but knowing that he ate humans, whether it was just an order and only limited to bad people, it still made him more nervous around the captain's mount.

Ilasi didn't think too much of the infamous prisoner's punishment - people were fed to behemoths as punishment regularly in Aelinon. Nevertheless, she could see how perturbed Maverick was by the idea, so declined to offer any sort of immediate comment on the manner of execution.
"If that's the type of man he was, then I don't think it's a bad thing that he's finally gone," she said. "Everyone was given a chance... but he chose to squander his. If what I've heard about him was true, then we were left with little other choice in the matter." Ilasi only wished that the man had used the chance at a new life he had been given - instead, he had turned back to his old ways, if he had ever left them.

The board was finally finished, but Maverick still wanted some things to talk about. They could have their conversation while playing.
"You choose the color." he said before continuing.
"I guess... they just wanted to take advantage of the corpse. But... it's still a morbid thing to do." Maverick said, noticing Ilasi wasn't uneasy like him. That's when he remembered she was raised by a society that fed people to behemoths every day. Of course she wasn't feeling anything about it. She was used to such actions.
"I guess I'm just still too stupidly sensible. I suppose he did miss his chance, and el capitán wants to keep his mount fed after all." he said, not wanting to look like a wimp in front of his girlfriend, so he tried to be more accepting about what happened.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Angora was cooking three meals. She wasn't feeling very hungry, so she was only going to eat a raw chicken leg as a snack. After the meals were done, she was thinking of decorating the meals similar to Maverick, but she didn't have the talent or the patience, she she didn't bother. She grabbed the meals and headed to the infirmary, intending to stay with the trio just for a little while since she had to get Maverick and ask for Veris' meal. It was almost time to feed him again.

Tyraika nodded slowly, although she didn't understand why she wasn't being served. What went wrong? She asked the same thing Shade had yesterday, yet he got food and she didn't? How was that fair? It didn't make any sense. Did the rules change? Was breakfast different from dinner? What else did Latnok expect from her? Tyraika glanced at Shade briefly and hoped he had some sort of clue or answer. Then a thought occurred to the dragon. She looked back at Latnok and replied, "I understand?" However, it came out as more of a question this time, her confusion rather apparent. Tyraika really didn't understand what she did wrong.

Latnok gave Shade a harsh glare, not appreciating his interjection. "Did I ask for your help? Didn't I say that you shouldn't interfere in the training? How about you let me do the job I get paid to do, and stay out of the way?" he admonished the dragon.
With that out of the way, he returned his attention to Tyraika. "It's may I please have some food, sir," he corrected. Good job on trying with what you know, however."

Ilasi decided to change the subject, realizing how uncomfortable the subject was making her boyfriend. "Well... we better get set up, then," she said, as she grabbed the lighter pieces, starting to put them in her place. She only hoped that she could at least give Maverick some sort of entertainment value.

Tyraika glanced at Shade when he offered advice and nodded. She was about to try it out, when Latnok started scolding her friend. She didn't appreciate that, as she felt that Shade was being helpful. At least he had bothered to say what was expected of her, before expecting Tyraika to actually do it. Although, his advice apparently wasn't perfect, as Latnok had to correct him on a minor detail. Tyraika didn't understand the difference, or what any of it actually meant, but was too tired and hungry to waste time thinking about it right now.

Tyraika took a deep breath. "May I... Please... Have some food, sir?" she asked in monotone. She still didn't understand why someone couldn't just tell her that before she made an attempt, but she would at least get food now, hopefully.

Latnok gave Tyraika a short glance - she had finally managed, with some help, to properly ask for food. "Sure you may," he said, as he grabbed a dish with cooked bacon and some corn, and placed it at her feet. "Now what you say is 'thank you'. Then you can eat the food." Manners were an important first step - they showed that Tyraika could set her pride aside, which would make her more manageable.

Angora headed to the infirmary, surprising the three men.
"Aw Angora, you didn't need to do that." Sand Dune said, distributing the platters around his friends.
"This is very good. We didn't even know you could cook." Opium said, taking a bite of his lunch. Angora never ceased to surprise them. Not only was she a troll with a cute condition that had an excellent vocabulary. She could cook. Trolls never bothered to do anything like that. She did demonstrated to them however that just like any troll, she could and liked to eat raw meat when she took the chicken leg, but while they wondered why she didn't cook that one too, they decided to let her be.

Random tried to share some of his food with the sailor he was taking care of, but he refused, not wanting anything to do with anything that was made by the ugly little troll. It caused him a glare from Random, and disapproving looks from Opium and Sand Dune.
"Well, I have to leave now. I have a job on this ship and it's about time to do it. You guys keep up the good work here, and I'll... see you later. Maybe tonight." Angora said, having noticed the sailor refusing the food and the three men wondered if that was the reason, though she couldn't care less the reason why the sailor was in denial. She bid farewell to her trio of friends and headed to Ilasi's cabin to remind Maverick about Veris' food, knowing she didn't promise him that but not wanting to dissapoint him. If the wyvern was awake, she could see him now, drooling and daydreaming about swallowing his next meal. It was a funny thought.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi decided to change the subject, realizing how uncomfortable the subject was making her boyfriend. "Well... we better get set up, then," she said, as she grabbed the lighter pieces, starting to put them in her place. She only hoped that she could at least give Maverick some sort of entertainment value.

Ilasi and Maverick started their game, with him remaining silent for a little while. He appreciated his girlfriend's attempts to change the subject, but his face indicated he still got it on his head. After a few moves, he spoke again.
"You must think I'm such a wimp for not being more accepting of these... methods." he suddenly said, worried about what his girlfriend thought about him.
"I just... wish I didn't know that. I've already heard and experienced so many things that I wish I didn't. And... I know it's pathetic, but... I do fear that wyvern, especially now that Angorita is the one taking care of him. I mean, I've seen how much he loves her, but... I am afraid that... you know, he might... hurt her in some overexcitement or wild moment..." Maverick confessed, having kept that to himself for a while now, but believing there was no one better than his girlfriend to express such uneasiness. Veris did care about Angora, but Maverick was aware of the wyvern's gluttonous reputation, and the troll was so small he could devour her too easily. Maverick wanted to believe the wyvern would never go to that extreme, and that if it did, Angora would be able to defend herself, but Maverick was such a worrywart he couldn't stop thinking about it.

Tyraika lowered her head, already eager to take a bite due to her empty stomach, until she heard Latnok's voice again. She paused and glanced up at him. "Uh, thank you," she said, quickly. Afterwards, Tyraika immediately sank her teeth into the bacon. She only chewed for a moment before swallowing. It tasted different from any meat she was used to, and it was so crispy, but she didn't mind too much. It was satisfactory enough and she was too hungry to care about details right now.

After the bacon was gone, Tyraika sniffed the corn. She had never seen this odd yellow stuff before, but she was hungry enough to try it. She took a bite and scrunched up her nose a bit. It was bizarre and Tyraika wasn't sure if she liked it very much. Still, she was too hungry to really complain, so she ate the rest of it quickly. Once all the food was gone, she gave a curious glance to the remaining tray and sniffed it. So what was this supposed to be? Was this food? Some oddly flat rock? Tyraika pawed at it curiously. It didn't seem edible. Maybe it was treasure? Why would they give her this?

Ilasi was rather taken aback by Maverick's sudden revival of the topic of Veris. She knew the thought of him eating humans bothered Maverick; she never knew that her own perceived thoughts bothered Maverick as well. "I don't worry about what you think about the whole deal," she assured Maverick, as she put down the piece she was holding. "I know you had a different kind of upbringing. I believe that criminals deserve a chance at redemption... but if they flat-out refuse that chance, then they don't deserve any sort of honor. The man's actions hurt many people, and still hurt people even whilr he was in prison. He was rotten to the core."
She then smiled as she looked at Maverick directly. "You have a way of seeing the good in people. I wouldn't want you to abandon your compassion. Sometimes, that's what we need."
Ilasi would return to the subject of Veris, slightly turning her head to the side. "About Veris... I would like to believe that the Guardians have him trained well enough to avoid eating anyone that's not an enemy. We've all seen their... training methods. That wyvern has been around a while, and was raised from birth. Unlike that wild dragon..." The thought of seeing the wild dragon again still filled Ilasi with dread, but at least the Guardians were trying to rectify the problem.

Maverick smiled, being more than satisfied by Ilasi's response. As he had hoped, she made him feel better.
"It's a shame how so many people throw away their chances of redemption though. I know everyone deserve a chance, but... how can you forgive when they continue being bad people no matter what? I lived my entire life hoping my father would change his ways. No matter how far the possibility seemed, I still remained hopeful that he would become a good man eventually, but..." Maverick entire demeanor changed. He looked like a different man. No goofy smile. No optimism. His frown was terrifying. Talking about his father was one of the few things that irked him to the very soul... but then he changed again to the man he always was, almost in the blink of an eye. He didn't want Ilasi to see him that way.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. I suppose some people are simply beyond redemption and deserve what's coming to them. But I'm glad though that I can find the time and patience to find the good in those that have it and deserve the chance. Angorita was so different from now when I met her. She is still a little bitter of course, but she is still a nice troll. Heh, imagine that. Nice and troll in the same sentence. That wyvern really likes her you know... though of course, I still worry about her taking care of him. Hah hah, I guess I'm just a silly worrywart." Maverick said with a slight chuckle as he moved a piece, leaving behind the negative demeanor from earlier. He hated talking about his father, so he really regretted bringing him into the conversation in the first place.

Walking the hallways of the ship, Angora saw one of the stairs that leads to the main deck. She was tempted to eavesdrop and find out what was going on up there, but she didn't want to get caught. And given her bad luck sometimes, she didn't take the risk. As she continued heading to Ilasi's cabin, she grabbed the red orb in her pocket, wanting to ask about Icestorm, but Shepherd didn't answer about that the last time, so she decided to let the matter slip this time, not wanting any disappointments. She already contacted Shepherd too many times. She wanted him to be the one who contacts her for once. She didn't care how long she had to wait.

Latnok looked with curiosity at the drolly scene of Tyraika playing with the tray in front of him. "That's not part of the meal," he informed her after about half a minute. "That's there simply to carry the food on." With the tray having served its purpose, Latnok picked it up, to be thrown in the pile on the cart.

Back in the Ishulgite chambers, Crystal remained secured to a cage. An Ishulgite priest approached her, standing before her. A mastermind was visible in the room.
"Your god is not here to save you," the priest said. "He has forsaken you. He is powerless. Can you not see this folly? We only want what is best for everyone. Whoever your god is, he does not have your best interests at heart. Ishulgu is a god to serve the people - not the other way around. A god meant to help us thrive, not demand worship. Heed our words - you will learn their truth, one way or another."

Ilasi picked up her own piece, feeling unsure of where to take the conversation from there. She was a clear example of what could happen if wild animals were not trained well enough - but Veris had been trained for his entire life. The wyvern was known to be rather zealous when it came to his meals. "Well, as long as she's found her niche in the ship, I think she'll be just fine," Ilasi said. "Maybe they'll take it easier on her when they see that she's useful. As long as she doesn't disobey the captain again... most people would be dead or imprisoned for doing something like that. Angora is quite lucky in that regard."

Raclaw smiled at the interaction as he and Chester finished their meals-- both dragon and canine alike very much enjoying the unique combination. He never figured that someone wouldn't know what a tray was, but then again... he had been raised knowing what bowls and trays were his whole life. Tyraika was a wild dragon through and through; perhaps she would be interested in some games once she was trained enough to be trusted directly interacting with others? She seemed like the type to have to burn off energy and a part of him imagined what having a dragon-sized playmate would be like.

Seeing the new dragon experience things for the first time brought him back to his puppyhood and learning the ropes along a german shepard who hadn't been that much older than he was at least in human years. Raclaw and Chester briefly looked at each other, both recalling similar-but-different memories. Both furry companions briefly shared an internal laugh, although nether tried to show it in front of the new dragon. They had all been there at some point.

OOC: My mom borrowed my cellphone to listen to music. I won't be able to use Discord in a little while.

Maverick knew that most of Angora's luck was thanks to him, but even so, he wished the Guardians would stop being so harsh and sensible with their ideas of respect. But he didn't express it and decided to keep the feeling to himself. He then moved his own piece.
"Well, she looks in a far better mood now. While I do worry about her taking care of that wyvern, it seems to be doing wonders for her. If only his master could be as patient as appreciative as his scaly buddy." Maverick commented with some wishful thinking, knowing too well how different rider and mount acted around Angora.

As Maverick waited for Ilasi to make her next move, he looked at the time, and remembered something very important.
"Oh drat! I just remembered I said to Angorita I would cook for Veris. I also just realized I never gave her breakfast. I'm such a scatterbrain!" he complained, realizing he got too distracted.
"Would you mind if I leave for a little while after our game Ilasi? I won't take long. The wyvern doesn't care too much about meat texture, so it won't take me too long to cook." Maverick assured.

But before she could answer, there was a knock on the door. Maverick got up and opened it.
"Oh! Hola mi Angorita." he said as he picked her up and gave her a hug.
"I just remembered I had a breakfast for you, but I forgot to give it to you." he said apologetically, but Angora didn't mind one bit.
"It's alright Maverick. I ate very early. I can have that one as lunch instead. Oh, listen, if you're not too busy of course, I wanted to ask you..." but Maverick knew where she was going with the comment.
"Si, I know. The wyvern's food. No te preocupes. I can make him something quick. Oh, but Ilasi and I are in the middle of a game here. Mind if we finish it?" Maverick asked, with Angkra nodding gently.
"Take your time. I can wait. I've been giving him extra pounds of meat. He can wait too." Angora commented, willing to wait for the game to be done. She meant to stay in Ilasi's room and watch them play, but she was willing to respectfully leave and wait in the hallway if the mermaid wasn't comfortable with her presence. She waited for a cue...

Tyraika raised her head and looked at Latnok. "I understand," she said simply. Although, she was still somewhat confused on why they needed such a thing. What was wrong with eating off of the ground? Why couldn't the humans just carry the food in their mouths, or in the hands they conveniently had? The tray didn't seem that important. Tyraika simply sat down with a sigh. Normally, she would be much more active, but fatigue and pain from her injury left her more run down than usual.

Kasidra had finished her meal and handed her tray to Latnok. "Well, I'll go see how Maverick and Ilasi are doing now. I'll come back here after," she said. The tiefling left the main deck and made her way to Ilasi's room. She knocked on the door when she got there.

Latnok nodded, giving Kasidra the okay to fulfill the task. "Let me know if there's anything they need help with," he said. "I'll be back up here soon, I'm just going to put these trays away." Latnok went to do just that - with the last meal having been returned, he went to the kitchen to return the trays. He would be back up before long.

Ilasi didn't have any comment for Angora, feeling that Maverick had answered her satisfactorily. "Now where were we..." she muttered, as she picked up a piece, jumping it over Maverick's. That would leave her quite open, however.

The priest gave Crystal a head shake of sympathy. "You have been so misguided," he said. "If he cares for life, why is there war? Why is there disease? Why are there famines? We will create a world without those things. You can join us - be a part of the solution. Make way for a new era, instead of being rooted in the past."

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi didn't have any comment for Angora, feeling that Maverick had answered her satisfactorily. "Now where were we..." she muttered, as she picked up a piece, jumping it over Maverick's. That would leave her quite open, however.

Ilasi didn't seem to mind her presence, so Angora stayed, wanting to witness their game. She has played board games with Maverick before, but has never seen him play with anyone else. This was going to be interesting, particularly because this was his girlfriend. It was different than with her. It was a good thing that this was checkers, cause it it had been chess, Angora didn't think neither she or Veris would have the patience to wait for so long. The chicken leg had filled her up a little, but now that she knew Maverick had one of his delicious meals for her, she already wanted to eat again, but Veris was probably going to be upset if he found out she ate before him, so she decided it was better to wait.

Maverick thought of his next move, noticing how exposed Ilasi was with that last move. While he hated the idea of defeating her, he also didn't want to lose on purpose, feeling that Ilasi would take offense if he lets her win. So with the decision made, he made his next move, taking out two pieces.
"Lo siento." he said shyly, not certain how his girlfriend would react.
"Well that's not very gentlemanly..." Angora muttered, but Maverick heard her clearly. With a grin, she gave an aside look, not looking at any of the pair, but her smirk was a dead giveaway that she was trying to tease Maverick. Knowing the troll too well, Maverick simply shook his head, with a smirk of his own, and continued concentrating on the game, waiting for Ilasi's next move...

"World... domination?" The priest once again shook his head. "You poor, misguided creature. You don't seem to understand us. World domination is the exact opposite of what we want. For if one person or group has control, they will act to serve their own interests, rather than the interests of the many. What we want is world unity - perfect harmony between every individual. With everyone connected, everyone will understand each other - no one will seek to act purely for themselves, but for the good of all. And we will do it with a god who supports us - not your false god. Can you not see the madness of your insistence? You would choose to prolong the suffering of many in order to hold onto old traditions!"

The game would end eventually - Ilasi, unfortunately, was unable to put up too much of a fight, owing to her inexperience. Still, she was a graceful loser. "Well played, Maverick," she said, offering a handshake.

Maverick returned the handshake, very happy that Ilasi was handling losing so well.
"Good game Ilasi. Had tons of fun. Let's play again later. Checkers or another game." Maverick said, giving her a quick kiss on the lips and leaving the hyperspace bag besides her. He was about to leave with Angora when he heard a knock on the door.

"Oh, hey señorita Kasidra. You're just in time. I was about to do a little errand, so you caught me just in time. Any updates on the dragon?" he asked, imagining that was the reason why she came.