darkSpyro

Though it took the better part of the day, Leoquin and his friends, through hard work, managed to persuade enough of the council through their show of goodwill. With the vote on the matter settled, Sere was released from the prison, with apologies.

Sere stepped back on the deck, to the cheers and applause of the crew. "Thank you all," he announced simply. "I had faith that justice would see things right in the end. From here, I must prepare for our next move. You will all be updated when I have decided on a course of action."

Back in the settlement, some loose dirt near a remote corner broke away, as a root came out. The root opened itself to reveal an Ishulgite - none other than Cernentium. There was a chat he needed to have with the chieftains. With the root coming out, his presence was noted; he knew he would have his audience very quickly, likely with armed guards present.

Raclaw smiled at Sere's return-- they had worked hard to earn their captain's freedom, but it had been worth it. One had just wanted to talk, another had wanted to see an demonstration of the newcomers' abilities, and others had been successfully convinced with some effort. As the party returned, Raclaw's bond with Latnok had soon re-established itself and the fur dragon companion soon made his way to the beloved Guardian's side. Chester jumped off Raclaw and briefly ran around Sere before returning to Latnok and Raclaw's side. Risar offered a respectful nod, pleased to see the return of Sere.

Angora was relieved, but at the same time offended that the group didn't noticed her when talking to the cyclops and the other people. She wanted to be part of the conversation, but fearing for a harsh treatment, she decided to sightsee instead. She still had some of the strange sandwich with her, and that's when she got an idea; she was going to give the rest to Sere. But what if he thought she was doing it to receive something in exchange? Like talk to Shade again for example? Knowing him, he was going to draw the worse conclusions. But what if... he didn't know it was her? She cut the bitten pieces of the sandwich and gave it to one of the guards back then.
"Please give this to the captain of the ship. Just... don't tell him who's it from. Please." Angora begged, wanting to remain anonymous. If Sere knew it was from her, he would most likely believe she had an ulterior motive for this act of kindness. While she was still pleased for Sere's karmic predicament, she knew what it was like to be in prison too well, so she wanted him to have a tiny bit of relief. But just this once.

She returned to the ship, avoiding the temptation of hugging Shade. She missed the days she could be with him, even sleep on top of his belly. Missing the moments, she went to Veris. He wasn't the same, but she was very fond of him too, and knew the feeling was mutual. If only Sere could see what he saw. Right now, all that she was thinking was if the sandwich ever reached him. Did the guard ignore her request and told him the sender anyway? Or has he threw it away and never gave it to the Guardian? Or if he did received it, has Sere eaten the sandwich or did he threw it away fearing it was poisoned? Or hating to be pitied? She will probably never know, but she didn't care anymore. If he got the sandwich, she didn't even care if he never bothered to know why gave it to him. After a while, even from inside Veris' pen, she could hear the applauses up the main deck, and she immediately knew what the cause of celebration was.

By this time, Maverick has already returned to the ship, leaving Dahlia in her enclosure and coming to the main deck just in time to see the captain returning. He was among the applauses, though he didn't do it as enthusiastically as the others. Despite earning Sere's respect, Maverick still was slightly resentful of him for the way he and Latnok kept treating Angora, and the fact that even he was still forbidden from talking to his other dear friend Shade.

On his way back, Sere had indeed received some food, handed to him by oe of the guards. "To what do I owe the honor?" he had asked, on account of it not being the normal meal time.
"One of your shipmates wanted you to have it," the guard answered.
"Oh, really? What did they look like?" Sere asked, curious.
"He was some short goblin fellow, wearing some crappy rags. Now, are you going to eat the food?" the guard asked somewhat impatiently. "You're going to have to eat that in front of me. Answer quickly, before I change my mind."
After a brief look over the sandwich, Sere's answer was quick and confident. "Discard it, please," he requested. "When - if - I get back to the ship, I have some questions to ask this shipmate."

Sere recalled that exchange as he was coming back. What motive would Angora have to give him anything? Was she trying to poison him? That would've been as good an opportunity as any, and no one would blame her for his death. If so, where would she get the poison from? He doubted that Ilasi, Laszur, or Latnok - those he knew on the ship that were likely to carry such things - would hand them to her. Kasidra? She might - but he doubted she was the kind to give her supplies away for free. And, if there was any sort of poison, it wasn't obvious, so it would've had to have been mixed by an apothecary, or purchased from one - not just found on the island and thrown on.
That left one possible person, if any, that may know something.
Sere quickly accosted a sailor going about his business. "Hey, you. Call Maverick to me," Sere ordered, and the sailor went out to obey.

Maverick was on his way to check their unexpected patient when he was intercepted by the sailor. After being given the information, he headed to Sere's office immediately, though he wondered what he could possibly want now. A report? No, couldn't be. He would've asked Latnok or Risar for that. Was it perhaps to ask how Angora was taking care of his beloved mount? Given how much he disliked her, perhaps he'd rather ask him than stand his little friend's presence.
"Si capitán? You wanted to see me?" Maverick asked after a respectful knock at the door, being rather nervous about being summoned even though he didn't think it was anything serious.

Meanwhile, Angora was with Veris, dozing off. She was feeling extremely sad.
"Well Veris. I tried to do something good for your master, but chances are he will never find out. Or if he does, he wouldn't care. I'll just continue being hated, cause heaven knows no matter what I do, he will always hate me." she said to the wyvern in a very depressed tone, but she didn't want the kind reptile to see her cry, so she held it all. Veris appeared to be too relax to listen to her, but even if he didn't hear her, it still felt a bit nice to Angora to have someone to vent with, even if it was someone she couldn't understand or didn't always pay attention as far as she knew. Just doing the comment was enough to get some little relief.

"Yes, I caled you," Sere confirmed, as he stood upright, hiding his fatigue. "What kinds of poisons, if any, would you happen to have on you? Given your history, I figure you may have come across some." Sere did his best to hide the true intention behind his question, giving as little information as possible.

Despite Ilasi's strong warnings, the patient insisted on leaving for the town, at least for a while. He strongly insisted that there was something he needed to communicate with the people there - who were revealed to be his fellow citizens - even if he couldn't remember all of the details.
Knowing she couldn't deter him, and not wishing to request force to restrain him, Ilasi asquiesced. "Take it easy," she said, slowly noding. "If you ned more help, please come back here as soon as possible." The man simply nodded without a word, before leaving.

"Poisons?" Maverick repeated with a strange face, finding the question too weird and random. But knowing Sere, this random question had a reason behind it.
"I have come across many stuff in my journeys, and while I do sell weapons, I don't sell poisons. That's where I draw the line... although I do sell some medicine that I suppose could work as a poison if used certain ways. I don't have any of it at the moment though. The only thing I have are vitamin pills. And as for liquids, the only thing I got are the bottles of milk that I bought in one of the islands we were on." Maverick explained calmly, a bit nervous with the question. Just what was Sere going with this? Why such a specific question?

Sere didn't get the impression that Maverick was lying, given his personality and past behavior. "Very well, then," Sere said. "Thank you. Return to whatever it is you were doing before." Sere dismissed Maverick with a hand gesture.
So why did Angora bring food for him, anyways? Some attempt to gain favor? The guard didn't mention who she was until he asked. Perhaps he didn't care? What was the deal? Perhaps he would ask her later, during one of her many sessions with Veris.

Maverick was still very confused, and while he wanted to ask why the sudden question, he was afraid to ask. Did something happened in that prison that made him suddenly concerned about his profession?
"Alright then capitán. I'll see myself out." Maverick said, leaving the office without any questions from his part. He was surprised Sere didn't ask for his bag to see what he had, but other than that, he was glad to be out of there.

At Veris' pen, Angora started to think about the sandwich. It had a weird taste, but a very welcoming one. She started to crave for bread filled with vegetables and meat like that one, so she headed to the kitchen to get some.
"I'll be back soon boy. Suddenly got hungry. I'll bring you something, ok?" Angora said, knowing she would feel bad if she got food for herself and not Veris. As she promised, she came with a sandwich for herself and a platter of bacon for Veris. He has already eaten about an hour ago, but a few snacks didn't hurt anybody. She brought a platter rather than a tray cause she didn't want Veris to get chubby, especially after the exercise he got.

Back at the inn, Mischief adjusted her dark colored robes, avoiding the eyes of all out of shyness. She gazed at the crystal tipping her staff, as if she saw something in the clear blue surface. Of course, all that she was seeing was her own reflection. She wasn't exactly good at trying to read the future. She glanced around and hurriedly put her staff away. Her magicks were outlawed in some areas. Not here to her knowledge, but her sort of spellcaster was often looked down on anyway due to the most famous - or, rather, INfamous - members practicing horrid rituals. It generally left a bad taste in the public's mouth for those known as black mages. Even the morally upright ones were looked at with some suspicion, which needless to say made her uncomfortable with staying at any one place for long. Already she could feel suspicious eyes glaring at her, so she grabbed her bag and made herself scarce.
She called her Chocobo mount, climbed on, and noticed the ship in port. "Huh? Ships don't really ever come here... Come on Choco. Time to investigate."
The bird-like mount responded in an irritated tone. "Kweh!"
"Kweh yourself!" She rode the bird to where the ship was docked, and nervously stared at the crew before waving ashort limb at the nearest sailor. "Uh, hi? What's going on here? Ships rarely come to this island. And if you're readying to leave... Can... Can I come too?"
Meanwhile, two ancient eyes glared from the shadows, searching here and there before moving to another shadow. Anyone who could spot those eyes likely got chills from seeing them. Finally they paused, glaring at Sere from nearby shadows before moving on.
Then she took a break. Pulling away from her scrying, Darkheart sighed and looked at the sky through underbrush.

The nearest sailor was someone with good memory that usually stayed near the edge in order to see who came and who left, so that way, nobody was left behind with every departure. Everyone was accounted for, so he was rather surprised to see this strange creature waving and talking to him.
"Oh... OH. Hello there. Come? Not sure. Have to let the captain know, or his second in command. Just wait there." The sailor responded, searching for Risar. Sere just got released from prison, and chances were he didn't want to be disturbed so that he could breathe in some of that freedom. Latnok had his hands full with the wild dragon, whose wind was still healing, so he didn't want to disturb him either. His best chance right now was Risar, the captain's second in command, or at least most of the time when Latnok couldn't help.

The sailor in question was the very same that was eaten by the tonguean when the large reptile snuck inside the ship. He had become some sort of celebrity for surviving such terrifying ordeal, so as he searched for Risar, many of his companions waved and shook hands with him, with a few going as far as to do a high five. Risar wasn't very difficult to search, so the surviving sailor managed to spot him.
"Hey Risar, sir. Excuse me, one of the islanders is there. He's asking me if he can come to the ship." he explained to Risar, although he didn't think there would be any trouble. Kasidra was also from a previous island and she was welcomed to the ship, and ever since the massacre with the insect like creatures that attacked them, there was plenty of room for more.

Mischief made note of the sailor's popularity, wondering exactly what he'd done to become such a celebrity among the others. She quietly looked through her bag and found it suddenly filled with a Chocobo's beak. "Oi! Keep your beak outta my bag!"
The response was a defiant "Kweh!"
Mischief simply moved her bag out of the Chocobo's reach. Simple problem, simple solution. Her eyes scanned the bag's contents. Mostly common supplies any wanderer would have. What stood out was a bag full of weird cabbage-like vegetables that were magically sealed. Why? They stank! Of course she'd rather not have them stink up her bag! They tasted about as good as they smelled too, but she'd found that Choco liked them, and her research indicated Choco's fondness for them was practically universal among Chocobo.
She had yet to discover her own origins, or even documentation of her own species, however. Closing her bag, she resumed staring at her staff's gemstone. Clear aqua blue, it evoked thoughts of sea and sky, contrasting with the staff upon which it had been mounted. It would gleam if she focused her Mana. She knew the crystal had something to do with her origin. The mages who raised her had found it with her and Choco's eggs. Naturally when they presented her with her own staff the gemstone was added to it. It was perfectly attuned to her, helping her focus her magic.

Risar recognized the sailor and the deed for which he had now been known for-- and offered a nod. "He may board, but he will still require the captain's approval if he wishes to join the crew.," the large minotaur than said with a somewhat approving nod. Meanwhile, Raclaw and Chester stayed by Latnok's side. They accompanied the Guardian in whatever he would be doing, seemingly yet unaware of the familiar presence watching the ship.

"Alright. Understood sir. I'll let him know. I just don't want to disturb the captain after what he's been through." he quickly explained, figuring that captain Sere would want some alone time to contemplate his office and enjoy the freedom that was for a while denied to him for a crime he didn't commit. It was still unbelievable the way he was arrested out of the blue, with no proof of a crime except his mistaken appearance.
"Hey. Down there! You can board the ship. Though if you want to be part of the crew, you have to wait until the captain can spare some time for you." The sailor explained, always very welcoming of new crewmembers. This strange little lady didn't look dangerous, even if her appearance left a weird impression, but he was going to let the judging to the captain himself.

Back at Veris' pen, Angora ate her sandwich in peace, with the wyvern done with his snack far sooner than she did. Unlike him, Angora made sure to enjoy the food. Even though she wasn't very happy about Sere being released, she was likewise relieved that Veris didn't find out. He could've probably been upset with her for keeping something so big from him, but now that Sere was back, there was no need for the wyvern to know about his master's brief ordeal.

Mischief nodded shyly and climbed off Choco, dropping to all fours as she took Choco's reins in her mouth and led him aboard. She tied him safely to the side and sat to watch the crew. She was only familiar with boats from a distance, having never been on one. She reached into her bag and brought out a sandwich wrapped in paper. She went to take a bit and felt eyes burning into her. Sighing, she got out the bag holding Choco's favorite treats. Opening it, she tossed one of the strong smelling leafy vegetables up to the Chocobo before taking a bite of her sandwich. As she finished it she looked out over the side, tail swaying softly. A moment later she started becoming VERY aware of the way the boat was moving. She began to hang over the side. "Oof... Woah... Never moved... Like this..." She pushed away, feeling somewhat ill, and curled up at Choco's feet.

OOC: I know. Ship doesn't have to leave port to induce seasickness. Some people get seasick on the dock.

Mischief noticed the dragon-ish creature watching them and mentally recited her best spells to counter it, mostly ice magic. Many dragons disliked cold to her knowledge. Of course, she'd be at a major disadvantage until she got used to this strange, constant rolling or rocking... Hopefully that was soon, she felt ill. She peered back over at the dock and debated whether to stay on the ship and deal with seasickness or go back. She elected to stay on board. At least seasickness was temporary. People feared Black Mages, and her robes marked her clearly as such. She pondered the possibility of other outfits. She thought about anything but food or the roiling sensation in her stomach. Anything to keep her mind off it-
Choco squawked loudly. "Kweh!!!"
Mischief sighed. "Ah, shaddup..."

Escorted, Cernentium was brought to the grand meeting hall; the place was very spacious, with a high roof, and torches lined across the walls. In the center rested a large, wooden round table, made of yew. There was a counter for food and drinks; the place was not normally staffed, however, except when meetings like the current were being held.
Cernentium quickly took his seat, alongside the council members. There was no pretense of fellowship before the subject matter was brought up.
"You know why I am here," Cernentium began, his hands clasped as they rested on the table. "Well, you know I'm here for a reason, if not particularly what. I will tell you now - the man who has returned here, who we know as Jedde, is a fugitive, who has committed crimes against us. We demand his return."
"So, what are the nature... uh... well, what are these crimes about?" Dovic interjected, being unable to find the perfect words to ask his question.
"He has taken actions that put our organization and everything we stand for at risk," Cernentium answered. "This was while he owed us allegiance, being a member of our group - treason, as you may know it. We have tracked him down to this town; we know he is here. Return him to us."
"Wait just a second," Svalvard - newly appointed chieftain following Duessul's death - began. "That man is one of our own. He left us o join your organization - but in the end, he is still one of us. We do not betray our own."
"So you would have him avoid justice? The matter is clear - he has betrayed us and our trust, and has potential to cause us harm. This is a matter we will take very... seriously," Cernentium said, his tone becoming more firm.
"And what if we don't return him?" Levia asked Cernentium bluntly. "What do you plan to do?"
Cernentium paused for a few moments. "I am glad you ask me that. If he isn't returned to us... well, we will see him face justice. In one way or another. This is something that is non-negotiable. Though we will try to be precise when meting out punishment, we cannot guarantee that there will be no collateral damage when we do, should he still be among you."
"So, is that a threat?" Levia asked Cernentium.
"Threats are tools used by the strong to coerce the weak," Cernentium answered. "We have a problem, which we are seeking to rectify. We are attempting to do so in a mutually beneficial way. However, should that fail, then we will have to find a different plan. Consider this an attempt at cooperation - we have coexisted despite what you have - and what you continue - to withhold from us, something essential to our being. We have been empathetic so far - pray do not bring that to an end."
There was palpable silence from the council. Despite what Cernentium would call it, they were indeed in a situation where they had to comply to avoid negative consequences.
"...we will need to hold a vote," Martus said.
"We expect Jedde back by midnight," Cernentium said sternly. "Make your decision and have him where I came in by then. Failure to do so will require us to seek alternative solutions."

The door to the wyvern pen would soon open, Sere coming in shortly after. As much as he just wanted to stay and rest, checking up on Veris was of utmost importance to him, having not seen the wyvern in several days. With Sere's entrance, Veris perked up, giving Sere a toothy grin.
"Hello, Dear Veris. How are you doing?" Sere asked his mount. Veris rocked his head back and forth before giving a quick roll on the ground in a sign of contentedness.
"That's good to hear," Sere said, pleased. "Hmm... you look particularly clean today. Has Angora been taking good care of you?"
Veris gave Sere a nod.
"Excellent. I'll be sure to thank her, then." Sere had yet to see Angora, but he figured that she would turn up sooner or later.

As Mischief and Choco 'patiently' waited, the yellow feathered mount ever so hungry-- Risar kept an close eye on the new pair. The mount, although exotic, seemed to one of the less sentient kind. 'More of Veris and less of a Raclaw.,' the large Minotaur figured as he studied the two newcomers. Mischief, on the other hand, seemed almost familiar somehow; could she perhaps be a Zorua like the disgraced Star of old? At first-- the Pokémon seemed different wearing clothes, processing a staff, and even riding another perhaps-also-otherworldly creature. The very much sentient and intelligent beast man had many questions, but opted to merely observe for the time being. The crew would get their answers in due time once the captain was able to question them.

Elsewhere-- Raclaw and Chester were relaxing alongside Latnok, their beloved human companion and technically owner. It didn't take long for Raclaw's senses to detect the presence of two new beings on the deck, one more animal-like and one more.. Pokémon like? It wasn't Star nor any of the other known Pokémon of past adventures, but rather someone new. It was like Star, but not Star-- same species, different person. Raclaw's ears inadvertently lifted and his thoughts wandered back to someone of the name Darkheart. His.. mate? Darkheart had left him without notice, but now there was a Zorua aboard. Could she have returned, but with new friends? Or were these Pokémon (assuming that the more animal-like individual was also one) merely of the same world, but with no relation to the dragoness who had left him so suddenly and without even trying to convince the than angry Sere otherwise. Raclaw tried not to think of Darkheart after the fact, not even knowing if she would've ever even thought about returning to him-- but he couldn't help but wonder of the possibilities. And in ether case, it looked as if a new member was looking to join their crew...

Mischief shivered a little, nervous. And a little cold. Or maybe she just felt that way because she stopped moving. "I wonder which of them is the captain..."
Choco tilted his head. "Kweh?"
Mischief simply rolled her soft blue eyes. "Oh, you wouldn't understand. But you make a great confidante, if for no other reason than that you can't talk... If I can join the crew maybe, just maybe, I can find out who and what I am. Maybe even where I came from..." She hiccups as her stomach churns, reminding her about her sandwich a few minutes ago. "Ugh... Can't they reduce this rocking... Less like a cradle and more like a... Well it's like something that isn't comforting!" she complains to nobody in particular. "Maybe there's a spell to settle my stomach..." She leafs through a notebook from her bag, searching through curative magick. She wasn't really any good at it, but maybe there was a simple spell to soothe what plagued her now. Finally she put the book away, undoing her robe to serve as a makeshift blanket. She curled up, covering her nose with her tail like any other fox.
Choco settles down beside her protectively. He wasn't very bright but he cared about his master. It helped she was the only one who bothered collecting the special greens he so loved. He preened a bit before relaxing fully.
Darkheart continues scrying and locates Raclaw. Her eyes gleam briefly at the sight, her heartbeat suddenly picking up. "He's safe..." she murmurs softly.

Maverick went to the infirmary to see the man, and was quite shocked to see him gone.
"Yep. Feller just got up and left, just like that, even though your girlfriend warned him to take it easy. We did the best we could." Sand Dune explained, wishing the best for the man and offering Maverick a drink. His presence was always welcomed.

Quote: A Guy

The door to the wyvern pen would soon open, Sere coming in shortly after. As much as he just wanted to stay and rest, checking up on Veris was of utmost importance to him, having not seen the wyvern in several days. With Sere's entrance, Veris perked up, giving Sere a toothy grin.
"Hello, Dear Veris. How are you doing?" Sere asked his mount. Veris rocked his head back and forth before giving a quick roll on the ground in a sign of contentedness.
"That's good to hear," Sere said, pleased. "Hmm... you look particularly clean today. Has Angora been taking good care of you?"
Veris gave Sere a nod.
"Excellent. I'll be sure to thank her, then." Sere had yet to see Angora, but he figured that she would turn up sooner or later.

Angora was hiding in a corner, taking advantage of Veris' large body to further conceal herself. Was she sleeping and having a... nice dream? She just heard Sere talking about thanking her. He would NEVER do that... would he? He just hated her so much. Did something happened in that prison that made him have... empathy? Angora has never been more confused in her life. She was even started to believe Sere knew she was hiding there and was only saying that to taunt her. Deep inside, she wanted him to know she was there, but Angora was still too afraid of Sere to be at his presence. But perhaps Veris being there will make things different? She didn't want to be seen as if she was eavesdropping on him for not announcing her presence sooner. So she got an idea at that moment. She got out of her hiding place, yawning and stretching.

"Oh. Think I got a little sleepy there Veris. Do you..." and then she saw Sere, pretending she just took notice of his presence.
"Hello... um, captain. Welcome back." she said respectfully, but with a very noticeable air of fear. No matter how much she tried to hide how nervous Sere's presence made her, that was something she couldn't pretend no matter how much she tried. Even her heartbeat was faster. Sere was supposedly going to thank her, but she has gotten so many scolds and punishments from him she felt it was only a matter of time before he returned to be mean and harsh to her.

Mischief emitted a sound that could only be described as a squeak as her eyes snapped open. She'd only been drowsing, not quite sleeping. She looked up at Shade with big blue eyes, slightly intimidated by the... Dragon? Sure, that word worked. She waved her alerted companion down, trying to think about what the dragon had said. They mentioned the name "Star", and now Mischief felt obligated to ask. "Who... Who's Star? Why would we smell like him?"

Mischief's eyes widened. "You knew someone who looked like me?! Quick, tell me more!" She nervously shifts position. "Uh, I mean, please tell me about him, Mister Shade." A clue to who and what she was! The first in a long time! Her tail wagged, giving away her excitement. "Did he tell you what his species was? Where he was from?"
Choco tilted his head, uncomprehending.

Kasidra had eventually managed to find the marketplace she had been searching for, and had enough money to purchase a few books of interest. They technically were books she already owned, but her old copies had been lost during the shipwreck, so they needed to be replaced. Slowly but surely, the tiefling was determined to replace her entire collection someday. Kasidra had returned to the ship by the time the captain had been released, and was present on deck upon Sere's return. She was among the ones clapping, although not enthusiastically. While Kasidra was glad he was back, she wasn't particularly attached to anyone in the crew currently, and was less invested in the captain's predicament. She was still new, after all. However, Kasidra knew that Sere being back was a good thing. Afterwards, she simply headed to her cabin to check out the books she had just bought.


When Tyraika had woken up, she still felt drowsy and out of sorts. She wasn't sure how long she had been out, but it felt like a long time. Yet she also still felt tired, as if she had gotten no sleep at all. Her wing felt sore, and when Tyraika looked at it, she could tell that some work had been done. So the humanoids had kept up their end of the deal after all. Tyraika also noticed that the chains had been taken off, which sort of surprised her. She had expected to be trapped in the pen, but that apparently wasn't the case. By now, Tyraika had been allowed back up on the main deck. Still feeling weak and tired, however, she opted to choose a corner of the deck to rest in. Tyraika was out of the way of the busy crew and curled up in her spot. While she didn't intend to fall asleep, she ended up doing so. While she was resting, Tyraika was missing out on all the excitement happening around her.

As Latnok rested, he sensed something in his mind - from Raclaw. A sense of... regret? Longing? Something close to that, at the very least. It was pretty clear to the Guardian what this was about.
"Uh, Raclaw..." Latnok awkwardly started, not being accustomed to consoling others. He continued speaking as he gently ran his left hand through Raclaw's fur. "You know, she's a pretty big, powerful dragon. We will find her, and we will meet again. And if we don't... well, we will. I know we will."
Latnok also mentally prepared himself for the approach of these two strangers, should they decide to see him. With the captain currently occupied - so Latnok presumed - and the crew once again needing supervision - which Risar could do better with his superior seamanship - Latnok figured he may have to speak on behalf of the captain.

Sere was glad he didn't have to look for Angora, and figured that his conversation with Veris probably roused her from her sleep. "Hello, Angora," Sere responded, a very slight smile barely visible on his face. First things first - Veris. The more he saw how well Angora cared for his mount, the less suspicion Sere was having about her intentions.
"Veris is very happy, and seems to be in top shape. I take it you've been working hard to take care of him?" Sere asked, in a calm, pleasant tone. "I know he can be quite a handful."

Even though Sere's suspisions was diminishing, it was all the contrary for Angora. Why was he being kind to her all of the sudden? Did his time in prison was really what it took for him to finally be more gentle? This conversation was so bizzare Angora even started to think Sere was simply waiting for her to flinch and have an excuse to take his frustration about being wrongly imprisoned on her.
"Yes... I have." Angora said, answering his first question before proceeding to the next one.
"And... he hasn't. He has been gentle, and... very patient. I take care of him, and... we keep each other company occasionally. It's easy to take care of him. It's only... the size that can be tiresome. Is all." Angora replied meekly, with droopy ears and barely able to maintain eye contact. Sere has never thanked her for anything, not that she could remember, not even for Veris' careful care, so this was foreign territory for the little troll. She wasn't as nervous as other times, perhaps cause the wyvern was there, but Angora still felt very uneasy around the captain.

Since the patient wasn't there anymore, there wasn't much Maverick could do. The ship wasn't on the move yet, and a banquet was already made to celebrate the captain's release. He could look for either Ilasi and Angora and do something, but instead, he settled for some alone time in his cabin. Something was deeply disturbing him. Why did Sere asked about poisons? Did he see or heard something in his cell that made him concerned about such a matter? It was something that Maverick couldn't get out of his head. Unable to be calmed about the issue, Maverick started to investigate his hyperspace bag, a task that may take a while given everything he had. Did he really have something that could work as a poison? If Sere was so concerned about it, the hybrid was willing to give him everything he had that could work as a poison to give both of them some peace of mind...

"Know that your work is appreciated," Sere told Angora gently. "Both by Veris and myself. And as long as you keep up the great work, I will ensure that you have a place among us. You have my word."
Veris closed his eyes and grinned in contention with Sere's assurance. With that subject out of the way, it was time for Sere to move on.
"Now, you had a sandwich brought to me... was there any particular reason you would do that, after the trouble you've endured here?" At the mention of a sandwich - which Veris knew was food for the humanoids - the wyvern began to lick his lips.

Angora sighed and closed her eyes, disappointed. She should've known she couldn't trust that stupid guard to keep her a secret. Now Sere was going to think she was either trying to poison him or that she wanted something in exchange. Nevertheless, since the truth was already out, she might as well tell the rest. But before giving her explanation, she made sure to keep her distance from Veris in case he started to drool all over her.
"Because I know what it's like to be locked up to a crime you didn't commit. To be treated like a criminal for just your appearance. Be put away, cold and alone in a prison, with the world seemingly forgetting you exist. And be fed the most awful food. In those times, I wanted a sign. Something that would've told me I was being cared for somewhere. Something like... someone that could've brought me something delicious to remind me of the beauty of the outside world and avoid starving to death." Angora expressed, not even realizing she didn't stammer even once. If Sere wanted the truth, he could have it. She had no reason to lie to him...

While Maverick was checking through his bag, he soon found himself touching something metallic. It was cold and smooth.
"Wait, what's this?" he asked himself, not recalling having anything of this nature. When he took it out, he recognized it immediately. It was the small, talking little mirror that once belonged to the poor black fox that was banished. He had completely forgotten that Angora stored it away there. But has she used it? He has never seen her do that. How could you activate that thing? He wondered though, if he should sell it or if Angora intended to keep it...

Tyraika awoke with a yawn and opened her eyes to see Shade. "Oh, hey, morning." She smiled at her friend and nuzzled him back. It was nice to see a friendly face first thing upon waking up. Tyraika hadn't forgotten that Shade had kept her calm while chained up in the pen, even if he couldn't physically be there. Just thinking of him and remembering his words was enough.

Sere paused before giving a slightly more noticeable smile. "Ah... your time in Aelinon. I see that it has shaped you quite a bit. I do think that their 'reform' is somewhat heavy-handed, but there are some cases where it all works out"
Sere's smile went away and his tone became somewhat more somber. "To be honest... I initially suspected an attempt at poisoning. After looking into it, however, it seems unlikely for you to have had the means to do so. And the way you care for Veris - that speaks for itself. He is happy. It seems you may really have changed." Sere hadn't forgotten Angora's brazen disobedience - but he would take it slow, and was hoping that Angora's behavior was a sign of things to come.

Angora wasn't the least bit surprised that Sere suspected she was trying to poison him. Did he know him or what? However, she was extremely disappointed at the fact that he attributed her attempts to be better to her time in Aelinon rather than something else, mostly Maverick's influence.
"Well, if you really believe I would do something as cowardly as poisoning, where is the sandwish? Let me eat it. Let me prove to you I'd never sink so low." Angora demanded in a gentle yet clearly hurt tone, not only taking offense to Sere's reason behind her kindness, but also for him to think she would resort to something as stupid as poisoning. She felt so offended she didn't even want to look at Veris.

At the cabin, Maverick started to clean the strange device with a napkin. This looked like an interesting contraption. He wondered if Angora used it or has completely forgotten about it...

Sere wouldn't have accepted Angora's taste testing alone, on account of trolls generally being harder to poison; however, even then, the sandwich wasn't on him. "The guards took it from me since I wasn't going to eat it in front of them," Sere answered. "Either it's been discarded, or someone ate it. Either way, that won't be necessary." Sere was still a little disappointed that everything seemed to offend Angora, but hoped things would work out.

Angora lowered her ears, not only disappointed about the offering being discarded, but also because she hated perfectly consumable food being wasted like that. If she had known, she would've eaten it herself or save it for Veris. However, it seemed that the good intention was finally noticed by Sere, so perhaps not all was lost?
"Well, I hope somebody did enjoy it then. I sure did with my part. A woman gave it to me in town. I think it was more out of pity than kindness, but it was still... nice." Angora expressed, still remembering the taste.
"Nothing like Maverick's cooking of course." she quickly added, not wanting Maverick to feel betrayed in case Sere talked about their little conversation. She then took a look at Veris, who despite being in this enclosure, was heathy and happy. It made her feel happy herself, and also useful. She was also glad that finally Sere took notice on how well she was taking care of him, even with his teeth, although it had been risky.

Sere nodded along in acknowledgement, satisfied now that Angora seemed to have finally accepted things. "Very well, then. Keep up the good work I'll be in my office," Sere said, as he beckoned Veris over first. Veris moved offer a bit and brought himself down, allowing Sere to pet him.
"I'll see you later, Veris. Keep being a good wyver, and maybe we'll have something a little special for you." With that, Sere began to leave, with Veris returning to his original spot.

Angora waited for Sere to leave, starting to pace when he did. What just happened? No yell, no scold, no punishment? Was he possessed? She felt like she was talking to an entirely different person. Did that time in prison really changed him? She wante to believe he was finally changing for the better... but this wasn't the first time she would lower her guard and then have someone return to treating her badly again. She had tried to befriend Latnok, and just when she was lowering her guard and believeing she could finally befriend him, he returned to the same, if not worse person than he was before. She was too afraid it would happen again with Sere.
"Well Veris, what do you know? A surprise. I wonder what it is. You really are being loved today, aren't you boy?" Angora said with a playful pat, wanting to get all those negative thoughts out of her head. If Sere was really being serious, he would convince Latnok to be more gentle too.

Quote:

As Latnok rested, he sensed something in his mind - from Raclaw. A sense of... regret? Longing? Something close to that, at the very least. It was pretty clear to the Guardian what this was about.
"Uh, Raclaw..." Latnok awkwardly started, not being accustomed to consoling others. He continued speaking as he gently ran his left hand through Raclaw's fur. "You know, she's a pretty big, powerful dragon. We will find her, and we will meet again. And if we don't... well, we will. I know we will."
Latnok also mentally prepared himself for the approach of these two strangers, should they decide to see him. With the captain currently occupied - so Latnok presumed - and the crew once again needing supervision - which Risar could do better with his superior seamanship - Latnok figured he may have to speak on behalf of the captain.

"Thank you. I.. I know we will.," Raclaw said raising and leaning his head into the Guardian's hand. Before Darkheart-- he had never expected to actually fall for someone or for another dragon to just accept him as-in, owned dragon and all. And yet, Darkheart had accepted him without issue and had shown herself to be perfectly willing to work side-by-side along Latnok. That was untill she had left so suddenly, but.. there was still hope. And if a Zorua of all creatures could suddenly show up again, than perhaps so could the lovely dragoness that he was fortunate to be able to call mate.


Chester laid down alongside Raclaw rubbing his head against the larger companion comfortingly. Elsewhere-- Risar kept an eye on the both the crew and the two newcomers.

Mischief slowly stood, first on all fours before rearing upright while hurriedly putting her robe back on. She was still a bit seasick, but she had to figure out who to ask about joining. Her eyes skimmed the deck, as she tried to identify the captain from the crew. She nervously approached a sailor at random. "Uh, excuse me... I want to speak with the captain about joining... Could you point me his way?"
Darkheart's eyes gleamed again, recognizing Latnok and Chester. She prepared to teleport aboard when nobody was watching. After all, Sere wasn't exactly understanding of Angora. Darkheart knew she looked like an evil dragon. Once upon a time, she had been. Her skillset was uniquely suited for subterfuge and manipulation... And slaughter, but that was never her thing anyway. She could stay on that ship without notice, she was now certain. Just as she was certain she had a LOT of explaining to do for her poor beloved.

The sailor lead Michief to the captain's cabin, not exactly impressed about the new creature. If the ship didn't had it's fair share of strange critters already, perhaps he would've been more impressed. Once near the door, he stopped the little fox.
"Just hold it right there. The captain may not be in the mood for visitors, so let me go first." the sailor warned, somewhat worried about interrupting the captain's resting time. He saw him leave earlier, but he wasn't sure if he had returned.
"Captain? Sir? My apologies for interrupting, but there's an islander here interested in joining the crew." he explained from outside the door, ready to leave immediately if the captain said so.

Mischief almost cowered when stopped. She stammered out "Y-y-yes sir! I'll... I'll st-stay r-right here..." Her grip on her staff tightened visibly, and her eyes displayed her nervousness at interacting with the captain. Even so, one could tell with a glance she was planning. While some might find her behavior suspicious, the truth was that she was steeling herself and planning what to say. I should be polite... I'll also ask about that group... Um... Ardent Guardians. Them. So nervous... Any more strain and I might break... I hope the captain is nice, whoever he is. Or maybe she. I don't know... She nervously shifted checking her reflection in her gem, making sure she was presentable. As was typical, she was groomed fastidiously.
Choco was busying himself staring at the ocean. "KWEH!", he shouted at it. He seemed disappointed when no response came.

Sere gave a soft sigh, being rather tired - but he still had a job to do. "Send them in," he ordered, "then return to whatever you were doing before." The one islander recruit they had so far - Kasidra - proved to be an excellent addition, so perhaps there would be more skill to be found among the islanders.

Leoquin had reentered the town. Right now, he was on the search for the merman chieftain, Ray. Asking around here or there, he would occasionally get a lead. The mood in the town at the moment seemed to be rather... down? Was something bad happening? Whatever it was, it was likely not Leoquin's problem.

The sailor signaled Mischief to enter, opening the door to let her in. He then left quietly, returning to the main deck to do his job.

Meanwhile at Veris' pen, Angora was getting a headache from what happened with Sere. He was NEVER that kind to her, so what's the deal? Was he searching for something? Angora once lowered her guard with Latnok, and just when she thought she could speak freely to him, he reverted to his old ways, returning to the same, if not even worse person than he was before. She couldn't let that happen again. She has already taken so much. She couldn't think clearly inside there, so she decided it was better to leave.
"Going out for a while Veris. You wouldn't mind if I leave you alone, do you? We can play a game or something once I return. Or do whatever you want." she said, knowing that Veris didn't like being alone for a very long time unless he was dozing off or sleeping.

Mischief nods nervously, and enters Sere's room. When she sees him, she settles ever so slightly, recognizing Sere as a human. She bows, accidentally dropping her hat and scrambling to pick it up. Briefly pondering how to greet him, she goes with the time honored "Hello." She shifted her stance, putting her hat back on. "My name is..." She realized how bad an impression her name would likely leave but it was too late to stop. Her volume dropped like a rock. "Mischief..." She then went silent, nervously avoiding eye contact with the captain.

Though Sere wanted to raise an eyebrow, he decided it would be best to approach the matter professionally. This creature looked awfully similar to Star - only more flesh. And with a name like that...
"Mischief. What exactly are you looking for i joining this crew?" Sere asked. Might as well get a feel for what this creature was aiming for before making any decisions. "Our work is dangerous, and people have died - most notably from the impulsive behavior from other individuals, contrary to orders. Is this something you are willing to undertake?" Sere was eyeing the creature - it already seemed nervous enough, but how would it operate under stress?

Veris gave a nod before moving off to a corner, laying his head down. After a few minutes, he was gently dozing off, satisfied with how things had gone so far. He wondered what the others had in store for him later.

Leoquin eventually stumbled upon one of the larger homes in the town. He gave a quick knock on the door, which was son answered.
Ray opened the door, giving a smile as soon as he saw Leoquin. "Welcome back, brother!" Ray said. "What's happening?"
"Hey, Ray," Leoquin said. "I've come to ask you about... a particular merman. You say this place has been around a while... right?"