darkSpyro

Sere did not give much thought into Angora's predicament. "I'll watch over Veris while you do whatever Latnok is requesting," he said, somewhat distracted. "It's past midnight, so come see me tomorrow." The more pressing matter to him was the reunion of Raclaw and Darkheart - the couple he had no idea was mated. With Latnok's mental connection to Raclaw, just how would he manage with a young dragon being introduced to all these new feelings?

Angora was offended and disappointed that Sere didn't noticed the predicament she was in.
"Sir?" Angora started to say, about to explain her predicament herself if Sere didn't noticed it... but Angora didn't want pity, and she didn't want to risk Sere being angry at her for trying to skip his protege's punishment.
"Never mind. I'll see you later." Angora said respectfully, looking at Mischief and ordering her forcefully with a glare to stay there and not follow her. Afterwards, she left the scene immediately before Sere could have the chance to do or say anything else. Whatever punishment Latnok had for her, she hoped Sere would notice the abuse and put him in his place, even if she believed the chances of it were low. She wanted to witness the scene between Raclaw and Darkheart, but she didn't want to keep Latnok waiting, fearing it would make things worse if she did.

As she walked towards the main deck, a tear almost fell, but she wiped it out before it could fall.
"No Angora! NO! You shed too many tears already because of him! No more! Don't give in to his sadism! You're a troll! You should be used to this! Demonstrate you can lick this!" Angora said to herself, wanting to keep a stoic disposition. She grabbed the orb, wanting to say something to Shepherd... but no words came. She didn't know if he was powerful enough to sense what she was feeling right now through the orb, but even before the sphere was used as a communicator, it always brought her comfort.

At last, Angora reached the main deck, and Latnok was there where she last saw him. Seeing him was worse than seeing a demon.
"I'm here sir." she said calmly, facing him with dignity. Whatever he had in store for her, she wasn't willing to show him how much he was hurting her with his overwhelming obsession with respect and his constant punishments.

With Raclaw's reunion with Darkheart, the shared feelings were enough to tell Latnok what was happening, and he was somewhat distracted by them. When Angora came to him, he gave her a blank, disinterested look.
"Go bother Maverick or whatever you do at this time of night," he ordered dismissively. "Don't make that 'mistake' again." With what was happening, Angora was the least of his concerns right now.

From the dock, a creature remained cloaked in the shadows...

When Angora heard that, she pinched herself to make sure she wasn't dreaming. The weirdness continued. She was allowed to talk to Shade, was somewhat admired by Mischief, was vehemently defended by Darkheart, Raclaw reunited with her, and now she was going to escape Latnok's punishment? Was this another dimension?
"Um... ok sir. Good night." she said, making sure she was at her most polite this time. If Latnok still scolded her for such a comment, there was definetly something wrong with him. She turned around to leave, almost falling face first into the floor in her shock.

Maverick was still on the main deck, drinking some grape juice that one of the sailors offered. The sailor in question was none other than the one who was swallowed by the tonguean that pursued Maverick that one time, and who was quite famous after surviving such event with barely a scratch. It was truly an amazing story, though one that terrified Maverick, cause he knew that could've been him, and he could've been eaten on the island he was on at that moment, where nobody would've been able to rescue him. He and this sailor were truly lucky.

Quote:

Darkheart lifted her head slightly at Raclaw's arrival, and her tired eyes lit up in a more metaphorical way. She practically pounced on the fur dragon, wrapping her forelegs and wings around him affectionately. "R... Raclaw... I'm sorry..." She couldn't force any more out through a suddenly tightened throat.

"Darkheart. I.. You.. I'm just glad you're here.," Raclaw responded though an equally tightened throat as a surge of emotions went though the Fur Dragon's mind. Meanwhile-- Risar kept an eye on things on deck and Chester wondered what Raclaw was going though.

Mischief only managed a blank look when Angora nonverbally ordered her to stay. It's not like she'd intended to leave anyway. Although it might've been a good idea. She twitched violently as she tried to control herself.
Darkheart tried to hold back tears. She'd never been one to cry, feeling it showed weakness and all. Overwhelmed by a swirling vortex of emotions, she broke down crying. Some of it was delight, but mixed in with it was a guilt, feeling like she abandoned her beloved, no matter the reasoning.

Angora went to find Maverick, and didn't took long to spot him. He seemed to be having a great time, and without Ilasi for a change, it was good for him that he managed to befriend so many people here. She knew Latnok tarnishing his image wasn't going to last very long. She was still more on less in the same position. Not that she cared though. She still had people who cared for her, such as Shade, Maverick obviously, Mischief, Veris, Darkheart so far, and even her three former cellmates. Speaking of which, she should pay them a visit sometime. She was starting to miss the silly trio. But it was late, so another time. For now, Angora in a quick pace headed to the storage again, willing to witness the reunion between Raclaw and Darkheart, or at least hoping she could still catch some of it. She wondered if Veris was still awake. She still owed him an exercise, but for now, she just wanted to see the two lovebirds...

It took her a few minutes, but Angora finally reached her destination. When she opened the storage, she was relieved to see everyone still there. Seems like it was going to be a long and pleasant reunion. She looked at Sere... and smiled. It was a wide, happy smile, like one of a giddy little girl. Angora was in a very pleasant mood. By some miracle, Latnok stepped down and didn't give her the punishment. Of course, things could be different tomorrow, but right now, she was happy.

Quote:

Darkheart tried to hold back tears. She'd never been one to cry, feeling it showed weakness and all. Overwhelmed by a swirling vortex of emotions, she broke down crying. Some of it was delight, but mixed in with it was a guilt, feeling like she abandoned her beloved, no matter the reasoning.

"It's-- it's alright. You only did what you thought you had to do. You didn't know, but that's not important. What's important.. is that you're here now and that we can be together once again.," Raclaw began to say again wrapping his forelegs around Darkheart and looking the black dragoness straight in the eyes. As he spoke, he tried but failed to hold back tears. The furred dragon used his own muzzle to catch Darkheart's tears.

The strong cocktail of various emotions around Sere left him at a loss for how to respond. Despite all of the happiness, however - or perhaps, because of it - Sere remembered one very important thing. To bring peace to the world, dragons - the kinds like Darkheart, anyway - would be destroyed. They have brought much suffering throughout history - but also moments like these. As the influence of dragons waned throughout the world, so too did their ability to oppress others - was it worth taking that final step, crossing the line?
The more Sere thought about it, the more doubts he had. There had to be another way.

Angora got closer to Mischief after noticing how uneasy she was. Maybe her presence alone would calm her. As she did, the troll glanced silently at the two dragons, figuring that falling in love had to be such a pretty feeling. Maverick was going through it, and now Raclaw. Must be nice. She was already used to the idea of never falling in love, but she was pleased just seeing others that way.

Darkheart managed a weak smile and crooned lovingly.
Mischief vaguely noticed Angora's presence, but the pressure finally got to her. She suddenly stopped shaking and displayed a grin without mirth. As she raised her head her eyes were gold, not blue. Digi beeped nervously, detecting a change in how the pup held herself. Taking a couple of steps towards Raclaw, the Zorua stopped a ways away and looked at the mated pair of dragons. Her eyes flickered again. Later. I cannot afford to try and take the collar, not yet. A moment later she teetered and fell, eyes blue again. She looked around and rushed back, pressing against Angora in a slight fit of terror. She'd lost control, however briefly. The other personality would've torn the collar off Raclaw's neck by any means necessary, but only if she could avoid getting caught. The pup clung to Angora's leg. What would've happened... If she'd been alone with Raclaw? The fur dragon could've been hurt. She could've as well. Mana wasn't worth hurting others, no matter the quantity.

Listening to Digi and seeing Mischief's strange behavior, Angora was ready to intercept her, not wanting her to interrupt the dragon pair. She was seeing only her back, so Angora didn't noticed the eyes. She was about to grab the vixen when she returned on her own, relieving the troll. However, Angora was still uneasy. Something was wrong with Mischief, and after realizing it was past midnight, she knew it was time to sleep.
"Come on Mischief. Time to go to sleep. Want a snack first? The kitchen is near, but if you want, I can ask Maverick to give me a bottle of milk. He got it from one of the islands. Very good stuff." she assured, Maverick being further from the kitchen in this position, but the milk was very calming and soothing, and great to help sleeping, and with Mischief's own uneasiness, she would need something that would help the slumber. There was still a matter of Veris' excercise, but it was very late so it would have to wait tomorrow, or rather, later today.

Mischief nodded in a bit of a daze, still shaken by having lost control. "M... Milk. Yes. Please." She forced herself to stay upright. She'd have to let Angora know her little secret, so the troll could help deal with it. The thought of having a drink of milk, a favorite of hers, did elicit a few wags of that dark fluffy tail.
Digi noted "I'm not surprised Mischief likes milk. Most Pokemon enjoy the taste of milk. Moomoo Milk is considered a delicacy of sorts. Oh, you probably aren't familiar with it. It's the milk that a Miltank produces. Miltank is the Milk Cow Pokemon. It produces a lot of milk. Said milk is high in nutrients, and high in fat as well, so it should be drunk in moderation. Anyway, milk will likely soothe Mischief quite nicely." The machine displayed a "smiling" Porygon on screen.
Mischief readied to follow Angora, grabbing Digi as well.

Angora gave a small groan, Digi at it again. She didn't mind his knowledge, but when he talked too much, especially when she didn't ask for it.
"Good night sir." she said in a low voice to Sere, leaving the storage so that Raclaw and Darkheart could try recover the lost time. She continued walking, doubting a machine could get offended by her little action.

Soon, Angora lead both machine and vixen to the main deck, and Maverick was more than happy to see them.
"Hola amigos. Always nice to see you. Calm evening, huh? I'm not usually up this late, but I wanted to help for a little while longer. Ilasi is probably asleep by now. I'll sleep in her cabin and let you and Mischief have ours." he explained to Angora, immediately followed by a yawn. He was very tired. Angora then asked if he could have one bottle of the previous milk Alya's father gave her, which he kindly gave. He still had a little more than two dozens with him, and thanks to the hyperspace bag's time freeze ability, it never went to waste. Time ran only after the objects were taken out. Angora took the milk, thanking him and proceeded to head to the cabin again. She would ocasionally glance at Mischief, still worried about her behavior earlier. With a yawn of her own, Angora noticed her own tirelessness, so after Mischief had some milk, she was going to sleep herself. Yesterday was a very long day, and she could use a long time off.

Mischief was all too eager to drink the milk, but made a mental note to talk to Angora about her little incident a minute ago. It would have to be in the morning, since Angora was clearly exhausted, but in the morning she'd tell Angora about her other personality. She then resumed thinking about the milk. She practically felt like it was teasing herself to drink it slowly, but knew from past experience not to guzzle down too much at once, if only to avoid getting sick. So she sipped it, slowly settling down. Eventually she got to the end, to her genuine surprise. She hadn't meant to drink it so fast, but as she settled down next to the bed she lapped at the bottle's muzzle before putting it down with a noise somewhere between a contented sigh and a disappointed whine. Another sigh as she lay her head down and went to sleep.
Once again the figure showed up in her dreams. Now, however, the eyes were visible. Golden beautiful eyes, with a vicious feel fitting their owner. They seemed pleased about something. Most likely wrenching control from Mischief. They told her not to be so upset. That them taking full control was inevitable. Mischief naturally protested, but in a moment this dream was gone and forgotten, replaced with visions of flowery meadows where Mischief played despite a sense of foreboding in the back of her mind. Little yips indicated her emotional state. Currently quite happy in her peaceful dreamland.

Angora had wanted to bid Shade goodnight earlier, but given it was past midnight, she didn't want to risk retaliation from Latnok, especially now that she could slip to his punishment. She didn't complain, but she still wondered what was that all about. Was it... yeah, it had to be. It was at that moment that she remembered the link between Raclaw and Latnok, so it was convenient in more ways than one. She was happy for the break. She saw Mischief finishing up the milk and was quite surprised she had emptied the whole bottle. Angora was meaning to drink whatever was left behind, but at least she didn't need it. She was tired enough already. She felt a little bad for not visiting Veris, but she was exhausted. She made sure to sleep close to Mischief to make sure she didn't wander around, but after a midnight snack like that, Angora doubted she would have to worry, so in a short little while, she fell asleep herself.

Maverick was ready for some slumbering himself, so after a short visit to his beloved Dahlia, he headed to Ilasi's cabin. He didn't want to wake her, so he slept on the couch again. He was in a very pleasant mood, but also tired, so it wasn't long before Maverick's eyes closed by themselves.

As Angora soon left the storage once again-- Raclaw responded to Darkheart's loving croons in kind, his emotions both an mixture of known and unknown feelings. "So...," Raclaw said realizing that it was getting late. "Should we meet up with Latnok, perhaps get some of living arrangement set up with the captain here?," he then offered with a smile knowing that Sere would want to eventually get such details sorted out. He honestly wasn't sure of how exactly such an arrangement would work, seeing as how he was already sharing a cabin with his now human counterpart Latnok.

So much had changed since he and Darkheart had last been together. And although he and Latnok had only gotten closer, he wasn't entirely sure how his beloved black dragoness would take to the new changes. Darkheart had known about his companionship alongside Latnok, but hadn't known about specific details such as his ownership. And Raclaw had gone from having his own room to sharing one with a human and a dog. And he never did get a chance to fully explain his collar (and it's functions) ether. Meanwhile, Chester laid down alongside Latnok and Risar prepared to retire for the day.

Mischief rolled over in her sleep, her little legs twitching as she yipped in her sleep. Her dreams were usually simple ones, like this one of playing in a meadow, and rarely were anything more than met her eyes. She always favored her robe as a blanket, but this time she'd obsessed so much over the milk she forgot to undo her robe.
Darkheart nodded softly and shifted, allowing instinct to decide how she showed love due to inexperience. She was a couple thousand years old, but quite new to love. But she did know two things. She'd follow Raclaw to the ends of the Earth and would give her life to protect him. Speaking of following, she decided to let Raclaw lead. "I was in the shadows of the room you were with Latnok in. If I were shorter in length we'd all fit in there." She briefly leaned her surprisingly low weight on him. Her body had very little to it, and she seemed nearly skeletal when compared to most dragons. Her tail swung a bit, as she wondered to herself whether that would change. She shrugged off the irrelevant thought. "Where would we sleep?" There was a relevant question.

"You're likely sleeping in the pen with Veris," Sere immediately answered, not having any other particular contribution to the moment. "Latnok's room cannot realistically fit himself, Raclaw, you, and Chester all at once. Veris won't bite, so do try to be kind to him."
Sere seemed to be done for a moment, but soon had a small but important afterthought. "Oh - and don't intimidate the crew. That is not behavior that will be compatible with living among us."

Darkheart blinked before looking at Raclaw. " Latnok's room?" She questioned. Sere's other comment just got a mumbled agreement. "Yeah, of course. Why would I bother trying to intimidate the crew? ... Latnok's room? Is there some detail I missed?" She tilted her head in visible confusion.

Angora slept peacefully, still happy with the break. But soon in her subconscient, one of Maverick's concern soon became her own.
"What if he doesn't want to let you go?" the faun man words echoed, concerned about Veris' behavior when it was time to say goodbye. Angora didn't want to be concerned. There was already one time where she said goodbye to her without any problem... except that time, she wasn't his caretaker, nor was that close to him. Wherever she saw, there was Veris, glaring at her for 'abandoning' him.
"Come on boy. You knew this day was coming." Angora explained, but Veris was still very angry. He looked away, pouting.
"Oh come on. I don't want our last meeting to be like this. What can I do to make it up to you?" she asked, and that's when Veris presented her a contract, with Sere's writing. It dictated about being Veris' caretaker for as long as either one of them lived. It was preposterous! She was being offered abandoning Shade, her friend, and probably not seeing Maverick again, for the sake of taking care of Veris forever. Not only that, that would mean working with the Guardians, in a locked place likely and where one in particular, hated her. Veris wasn't amused when she refused the offer. Then, he started chasing her, much to her terror. This wasn't like him at all! She didn't know if he was going to kill or kidnap her, but his expression indicated either of them.

Veris was about to capture her when she suddenly woke up. It was still night.
"Oh boy. I need psychological help. I keep having these stupid dreams." Angora said to herself in a low voice to prevent waking up Mischief and activating Digi. He would start being talkative most likely if he rebooted. Angora glanced at the vixen, who looked uneasy. Perhaps she was having her own nightmare? It didn't matter. It was still bedtime, so Angora slept again, wanting to be calm. That was just her subconscient exaggerating. There was no way Veris would be that upset with her, especially not for a farewell. Only once was he angry with her in that ship, and it was when he mistakenly believed she was badmouthing his master, but the feeling didn't last very long and she wasn't hurtin the process. But just to have some peace of mind, she was going to have along talk with Veris when she gave him breakfast in a few hours, knowing both will miss each other terribly when it was time to part ways.

"Latnok and I...," Raclaw began to say carefully choosing his next words. "Well-- we've become closer and finally settled on a decision, that I would move in with him. We're now friends, companions, and roommates.," the fur dragon then said looking at the visibly confused Darkheart. He would let that news sink in before revealing anything else, such as his ownership under Latnok and the fact that he was now legally (albeit willingly) a claimed dragon 'pet.'

Mischief shifted a little in her sleep, yipped a couple of times, then rolled back upright. A little snuffle before she began snoring softly. She still needed a lot of sleep, and the incident earlier had scared her. Badly. A few glimpses in her dream showed her a world where her other side had taken over, and it wasn't pretty, although thankfully these visions were gone as quickly as they arrived and she was back in a field of flowers to play more.
Darkheart seemed mildly surprised by the news. However, after the initial mild surprise, she gave the dragon equivalent to a shrug. "That's fine. Just seeing you was actually pretty therapeutic... I feel better." She nuzzled him.

"As it was for me. As it was for me...," Raclaw said blushing somewhat and offering a gentle nuzzle in return. He briefly leaned against the black dragoness and allowed himself to fall upon the loving embrace. "Don't worry-- once we get your situation on the ship settled, I'm.. I'm sure we'll see each other plenty.," he then said soothingly as if to comfort the beloved Darkheart that he was so fortunate to call mate. He would explain the collar and ownership in due time...

Quote: Felines

Huntress was so mad right now. Ever since meeting Des, she got into this mess. She made sure not to let go of the crook while the Aelinonian soldiers did their job. She then addressed to the dwarf.
"You got some explaining to do." she said to him, almost threateningly. She was sick and tired of this pursuit, people always looking for her, either to ask for help, or in this case, kill her. She wanted... no, NEEDED answers right away...

”Try to remember that we are the ones who helped you. We are not your enemies ” The Dwarf said
”Those men trying to kill you were with the brotherhood. Their power has grown alot and now they are more like an army then anything else. They have started full attacks in many blackmarkets to take controll over them, also they are even trying to get some towns under their controll. But their power has also made them too overconfident, so in here their attack was easily countered because their power is not great here. So now you do know the basics, anything you might want to ask?” The Dwarf said with a very calm voice.

With the matter of Darkheart's living space settled, Sere was finally free to move out. Leaving the inner ship, he soon made his way to the gangplank which was rapidly set up by the crew, and stepped off - this time, alone. The guards over the wall watched Sere's approach carefully and diligently, though their stance did not become aggressive.
As Sere walked down the dock, he thought of the meeting ahead to come. What would he do with Jedde? He still hadn't decided. Unfortunately, the Ishulgites had the advantage here - they had leverage to force Jedde to be handed over.
Sere's thoughts were interrupted by the sudden, startling manifestation of some sort of... horror creature - hard to discern, though it appeared to be a wood golem of some sort? But it also had humanoid features - like skin on at least half of its body. Never before had he seen anything like it. Sere rapidly began focusing a spell, his right gauntlet lighting up, but the creature raised its humanoid hand before sending a telepathic message.
"Stop. I'm on your side," the creature insisted. Sere lowered his own hand, and his gauntlet dimmed.
Sere was unsure of how to proceed. "Who or what are you, and what do you need of me?" he pressed the creature.
"You may call me Banewood," the creature spoke - in a voice which, though strained, sounded distinctly like that of a living, sapient being. "I have... quite a bit of information on the Ishulgites. You are looking to meet them soon - I believe that my presence there will allow me to assist you in being fully informed before making a decision on the matter of the prisoner. As for how I know - the people here have, as of late, become familiar with me."
Sere sighed. Why did things have to be so complicated? Regardless, if the creature could indeed do what he professed to be able to do, he would be nothing but an asset. "Why should I trust you?" Sere asked.
"Oh, that you can learn from the Ishulgites themselves,' Banewood answered, a sly smile forming on the humanoid part of his face. "I am known as a seeker of truth - and I have done many things to find it. You will be able to see this all for yourself..."

Quote: cyndego

”Try to remember that we are the ones who helped you. We are not your enemies ” The Dwarf said
”Those men trying to kill you were with the brotherhood. Their power has grown alot and now they are more like an army then anything else. They have started full attacks in many blackmarkets to take controll over them, also they are even trying to get some towns under their controll. But their power has also made them too overconfident, so in here their attack was easily countered because their power is not great here. So now you do know the basics, anything you might want to ask?” The Dwarf said with a very calm voice.

Huntress grabbed her ears, not wanting to hear what the dwarf had to say.
"No! Nothing! Thank you for saving me and whatever, but just go! I wasted too much time of my life chasing their leader... this Blue dragon, if it even exists. Now please leave or I'll have you arrested as well." Huntress threatened, knowing she was sounding ungrateful with a warning like that, but her life took a turn for the worst when she got involved with Dex and his weird society. And now her very life was being threatened. Just what she could do? How was she able to return to the life she once had knowing there was a bounty on her head? She was used to being the bounty hunter, but now, she was a target...

Though Sere pressed Banewood, the creature would give no more information about himself - insisting that it was not relevant to what they were doing. With a name like his, however, Sere figured that Banewood was a dangerous creature.
With little interference, Sere arrived at the meeting hall - the council and Cernentium already waiting for him. As Sere came in, he realized something - Banewood wasn't with him, having went off somewhere else. The meeting could not afford to be delayed for his sake, however.
Sere took his seat at the table, at which point Cernentium immediately began to speak. "Have you come to a decision yet regarding Jedde?" he inquired, his insectoid mandibles faintly clacking as he spoke.
Sere looked around. All eyes were on him at the moment - he had an important decision to make. He had done this so many times before, though - he wasn't bothered by the pressure "I believe there will be an op-"
Sere's answer was cut short by the sudden manifestation of a shadow by his side, into the form he now recognized as Banewood. "That man is going nowhere," the creature vehemently insisted.
Cernentium, composed before, suddenly grew livid, and made no attempt to hide his emotion. "YOU! What are you doing here, you thing?" he said through gritted teeth. "You, of all...!"
"You told this man many things. But... how about you tell him everything?" Banewood said. "Like why Jedde's 'treason' is such a big problem... or how exactly you intend to control that god of yours."
Cernentium's expression remained enraged, and he had no immediate answer - which allowed Banewood to keep speaking. "I've done the research. Everything I could find indicates that this god, Ishulgu, banished himself in order to avoid interfering with the world. And here, you somehow draw some of his power, and say that he seeks to serve people, and create a utopia... Jedde learned this. I helped him. And you don't want that to come out. You declare it heresy. Tell me... what is the plan? Do you not have one? Or is it something you know that many will object to?"
Cernentium stood up. "You are an abomination," he seethed, pointing his staff at Banewood. "You speak of truth... but you haven't revealed your own truth, have you?" Cernentium, without bothering with a farewell, began to walk out. "Don't worry... we don't need to reveal that... not just yet, anyway. He'll find out, sooner or later. And though you've worked to sow doubt, we know he'll come around... once he gets more of a chance to think of things."

”Arrested?! You ungrateful.....” One of the men started to shout

”Silence! You seriously want to make more enemies at the time like this” The dwarf said clearly not happy how his companion had reacted. ”If you want us out of your life, thats what is going to happen. But I must warn you. Brotherhood is really strong right now, and they will for sure send more of their people here. We might have the controll now, but it might not be that way for long. And even with your strong connections, you just might want to think How hard your work would get if this citys underworld would fall in to brotherhood hands. You very well know that guards can help you often, but there are many cases where you need help...... lets say from the shadows. Think about it, we will be Atte blackmarket making sure the brotherhood is not getting back there. If you want to know more just come there. We will not be able to help you again, but I can promise that we are not a threat to you. And if you so choose we are out of your life, if you dont visit the blackmarket on other business ofcourse” The Dwarf said ”Now if you dont have anything else to say, we will get back to our work” he continued with a very calmn voice.

Darkheart pressed herself against Raclaw. He was the one creature she ever cuddled with. Her past flashed through her mind, remembering everything that happened to her. And yet this simple joy was sufficient to make everything feel worthwhile. She would've questioned it, but she remembered how others had felt about love. Even the sarcastic and moody Star had displayed something different when talking of his beloved. She wondered what had happened to him. He'd taken off in a storm. How far had he made it? Did he get to land, or had he perished in the vast storm? She shrugged it off as she'd shrugged off so many other things. It mattered little to her now. Today was its own day. She just needed to live in the moment. She shifted her position, moving to be simply at Raclaw's side, leaning against him. "Raclaw. It's... It's nice to be back."
Mischief found herself suffering another nightmare. The world was ruined, devastated by a storm of fire, ice, and lightning. Yet nobody was there, living or otherwise. She nervously approached the only structure for miles, a beautiful icy castle. There she saw two guards, but their presence was of little comfort. "Welcome, m'lady." Before Mischief could react someone else's voice came out, greeting the guards coldly. She wanted to run away, but now her body moved on its own. She found herself on an unwanted tour of an icy palace. Hers, somehow. Then she found herself in a throne room, where fire and electricity crackled amidst the ice. A moment later she was on the throne. Her now taloned hand pulled out her orb, now gleaming black and purple, and she watched as her body seemed to scry without her effort. Suddenly it hit her. Of course she wasn't in control. Her other personality was. Fighting to move, she watched as her claws twitched and finally dropped the orb. Her jaws twitched as she forced control. She stood and looked into the ice. The being in her reflection didn't look like her beyond fur color? She noticed cracks forming in the ice and traced them upward, realizing the castle was likely melting. Her eyes eventually met an icicle directly above her, which had just freed itself from the ceiling. She had enough time to yelp in fear before... Waking back up with that same terrified yelp. She looked around the cabin and placed a little red paw on her dark furred chest. Her heart was pounding. What had she just dreamed of? And what had she turned into? She shook herself with a whimper and looked up at Angora. Had her whimpering, struggling, and yelping woken the troll?

Angora was sound asleep, having become tired with the long day that was yesterday. The first rays of sunshine were already starting to show up, painting the sky a pretty orange. One of those rays reached the window of the cabin, illuminating her face and waking her up. It was at that moment that she noticed Mischief seemingly restless. It was almost as if she barely slept. Unable to sleep anymore, Angora grabbed her blanket and wrapped the vixen with it to increase the warmth. She wanted to get the day ahead already, and while she won't be there for Mischief right now, she was hoping the extra warmth plus scent would be enough to calm her.

Leaving and closing the door very quietly, she left towards the kitchen to prepare both Veris and Mischief's breakfasts. She started with the wyvern's, being the hardests. She remembered Mischief liking fruits, particularly strawberries, so she got a few with her platter, complimenting it with some fish to have some meat. As for Veris, she prepared pork and a large piece of ham. She looked for Maverick's gravy, but it looked like there was none left, so she had to wait until she made more. As the meals started to get ready, she hoped she didn't have to encounter Latnok or Leoquin along the way, not wanting to start the day lousily already.

At Ilasi's cabin, Maverick was still deeply asleep in that pleasant couch, in such a peaceful sleep he even drooled. If he found out, he would've been beyond embarrassed.

Quote: cyndego

”Arrested?! You ungrateful.....” One of the men started to shout.

”Silence! You seriously want to make more enemies at the time like this” The dwarf said clearly not happy how his companion had reacted. ”If you want us out of your life, thats what is going to happen. But I must warn you. Brotherhood is really strong right now, and they will for sure send more of their people here. We might have the controll now, but it might not be that way for long. And even with your strong connections, you just might want to think How hard your work would get if this citys underworld would fall in to brotherhood hands. You very well know that guards can help you often, but there are many cases where you need help...... lets say from the shadows. Think about it, we will be Atte blackmarket making sure the brotherhood is not getting back there. If you want to know more just come there. We will not be able to help you again, but I can promise that we are not a threat to you. And if you so choose we are out of your life, if you dont visit the blackmarket on other business ofcourse” The Dwarf said ”Now if you dont have anything else to say, we will get back to our work” he continued with a very calmn voice.

Huntress' affairs in the black market were something the guards weren't aware of, even though some of them used it themselves.
"How dare you suggest I frequent such unrefined place? Leave already! Your services are appreciated, but it's over now!" Huntress said, once again, not liking to sound ungrateful, but she was so angry with the whole affair that she was taking it out on her rescuers. And the fact that she needed rescuing like some damsel in distress frustrated her even further. She asked the guards not to arrest them, but to still be wary of them. For all she knew, the men that attacked her could've been working for them and this was simply a theatrics to make her believe they were on her side. It just seemed too much coincidence that they appeared at the exact same time she was attacked. Whatever was the truth, Huntress was going to find out. One thing that was certain is that she was being targeted. She had to watch her back. She hated Dex now more than ever for involving her in such a dastard situation...

Quote:

Darkheart pressed herself against Raclaw. He was the one creature she ever cuddled with. Her past flashed through her mind, remembering everything that happened to her. And yet this simple joy was sufficient to make everything feel worthwhile. She would've questioned it, but she remembered how others had felt about love. Even the sarcastic and moody Star had displayed something different when talking of his beloved. She wondered what had happened to him. He'd taken off in a storm. How far had he made it? Did he get to land, or had he perished in the vast storm? She shrugged it off as she'd shrugged off so many other things. It mattered little to her now. Today was its own day. She just needed to live in the moment. She shifted her position, moving to be simply at Raclaw's side, leaning against him. "Raclaw. It's... It's nice to be back."

"Darkheart. I'm.. I'm glad you're back. I missed you more than you will ever know.," Raclaw said as he prepared to lead the black dragoness out of storage and into Veris' pen. It was getting late after all and he knew that Latnok would be missing him, if the Guardian (and owner after a fashion) wasn't sleeping already. "Here we are-- I know it's not much and I know it's not ideal, but this is only temporary. Veris, treat her kindly. She's.. everything to me and she's finally returned.," he said knowing that the living situations would be a little awkward for the beloved dragoness for the time being.

He already had a room with Latnok/Chester and as much as he wished he could fit Darkheart into that same room, Godfather Sere was right. There simply wasn't space, at least not on this ship. As for Raclaw-- he would soon return to Latnok/Chester, explain what he could if they weren't already asleep, and soon wake up having pleasant dreams. He dreamt of soaring over an ocean, with Chester (and additional weight?) on his back and his mate flying alongside him. It was a peaceful moment and one that scared any possibility of nightmares away.

OOC: There we are. Two sequences, both with some cuteness.
Mischief allowed Angora to wrap her, relaxing slightly. With a nightmare like that, she had to tell Angora as soon as the troll returned. She pulled the warm blanket around her little body, the familiar scent indeed helped soothe her. Angora was the closest thing she had ever had to a mother. Maybe Angora knew how to deal with the situation. The troll had seemed worried, and had reason to be. Mischief gripped her staff, reassuring herself of the crystal's color. "G... Good... Still blue..."
Darkheart followed Raclaw calmly, although after settling down next to Veris she felt a bit of her usual disdain for wyverns. At least Veris was relatively quiet. She focused her attention on Raclaw. "I'll see you... In the morning, I suppose..." What time was it again? Oh, it mattered so little! Her heart was pounding as she lay her head down and practically passed out. Unlike Mischief or Raclaw, she didn't have a nightmare or a beautiful perfect dream. Instead she had an utterly dreamless sleep. Her dreams were rarely good anyway. She occasionally shifted in her sleep.

With both meals ready, Angora left the kitchen, with the platter, on in Veris' case, a tray, one on each hand, still hoping not to have any of those unpleasant encounters. The hallways were creepy whe nobody was around, but she still preferred that over having to see those two. Since her cabin was closer, she entered there first. Mischief was still wrapped with the blanket, and it seemed like she was still asleep. She left her meal on the small table besides her, right where Digi was, so she rest assure that the little vixen had a meal ready for her and Digi to provide her company and entertainment when she woke up.

With the matter settled, it was Veris' turn. After the wyvern's meal, she would check on Dahlia, although she knew Maverick took care of her. Still, the dirt buffalo sometimes felt abandoned with how busy Maverick was sometimes, either with work or his girlfriend, so Angora would check on her once in a while. For now, it was time to fill that black hole Veris had for a stomach. She couldn't play with him yesterday, so she was going to do a play session with him later today if flying was out of the question in that new island. Speaking of yesterday, she wondered how Darkheart and Raclaw's reunion went. She was sorry to have missed most of it, but their new relationship was certainly a welcoming addition to the ship. Maverick and Ilasi weren't going be the only lovebirds there.

Mischief woke with a slight start as Angora left, having dozed off. She unwrapped herself, frustrated she missed the troll... And was instantly distracted by the food on the table. Berries and fish were a wise choice. Angora had pretty much figured out Mischief's flavor preferences. Digging into the meal enthusiastically, Mischief paused briefly to tap Digi, who woke up. She managed to say something before resuming her meal. "Good morning Digi!"
Digi responded in kind before scanning the ship yet again. "Well, we're in a port I guess."
"Good guess." Mischief dryly noted between bites.
Darkheart shifted slightly, onto her side just a little as her body sprawled slight, then she moved again and curled up surprisingly tight.

As was the usual, Angora entered Veris' pen, quietly in case he was sleeping. It appeared that way. It was, after all, still very early. The sun still hasn't come out completely yet and Veris usually woke up much later than that. Angora just happened to wake up earlier than usual that day. She didn't see Darkheart immediately because the much larger Veris was blocking her with his body, so she got ready to leave, leaving the tray nearby. If Veris sniffed that, she knew she was going to have a half crazy wyvern mercilessly attacking the breakfast, so she got ready to leave before she could get caught in the crossfire. She would change his water later when he was awake...

Maverick continued sleeping, showing no signs of waking up anytime soon. He was quite the heavy sleeper, something Angora envied many times during their journeys together, though that meant he was also vulnerable to surprise attacks, so she and Shade had to protect him in those moments, though thankfully, such occasions back then were little to none.

Sere had quickly returned to the ship after the meeting. Despite all of his doubts, the recent meeting had assured his decision - if the Ishulgites really did not have a plan to control Ishulgu, or at least one they were comfortable with letting others know, then letting them follow through would be dangerous. But from what he knew, they were already making final preparations for the biggest part of their plan thus far - what could be done to stop it?
Banewood had given Sere a map to a relatively isolated island - from that island, according to Banewood, he had been moving to take action against the Ishulgites here and there, slowing them down as best he could - though there was only so much he could do. He would be waiting there - and he had a plan to slow the Ishulgites down enough to allow them to return to the mainland. As enigmatic as the individual remained, he had been helpful so far in exposing details Sere hadn't considered.

Though Ilasi's dreams started out pleasant, with fond memories on the ship with Maverick, they would eventually warp into that one dreadful night - the monstrous swarm of buzzing, voracious insects saturating the sky, effectively erasing any who happened to be in their way. Helpless to act, the last thing she could see was Maverick being picked up and whisked away...
Ilasi's eyes shot open, seeing Maverick on the couch, much to her immediate relief. She supposed he was still hesitant to get any closer than he already had; she would respect that. She had to get ready to perform her daily duties.

Maverick continued being pleasantly asleep, having no memory of the he was kidnapped by the large bugs. He did remember when Laszur did precisely that, but it looked like a distant memory now, and seeing him often as a fellow crew member made him get over whatever little trauma remained of that event. He didn't dream very often, not even about his former pirate life, however, he did have a small dream of Angora triumphing above a behemoth and a humongous crowd cheering her up. She had made history in that city. Redwater, a place he knew as unforgiving and harsh with his laws and many creatures, but she, a troll, was pardoned by both the people and the king. Not that it was strange though, since the crime she was sentenced for never happened in the first place. It was a false confession of her part to save Shade. And now Maverick had both of them, alive and well, and he regretted not seeing the moment for real.

With the meal ready, it was only a matter of waiting for Veris to wake up and swallow it as he always did. With her morning chores done, Angora still had time to spare. She went to Dahlia, who was not asleep but still dozing off, not even getting up to greet her. Angora cleaned her pen and brought her food and water, and tried to walk her around but the buffalo wasn't motivated. Angora couldn't force her, so she decided to let her be. With nothing else to do, Angora decided to return to her cabin to try and sleep more, not wanting to go to the main deck and risk seeing Latnok or Leoquin already there. As she walked, she wondered if she should speak to Shepherd, but she didn't want to disturb him, and things were going well so far, so she didn't find the need. She did have the comfort though that if things ever get too miserable, she could always take his offer and have the better life he promised.

Mischief had cleaned off the plate and had started browsing Digi when Angora arrived. After hurriedly tising to her four little paws and approaching, she briefly sat up on her haunches. A moment later she was standing upright on her hind legs. "Miss Angora, I... I need to tell you something. It's about what happened before... You know, when I was acting odd..." She shuffled a bit before returning to sit next to the bed. "I need to explain... Before I lose control again and someone ends up getting hurt..."
Digi whirred. He was surprised... And worried for Mischief.
Darkheart was still asleep.

Angora dropped her ears and resisted the urge to groan. First it was Shade and now this little creature was unstable too? Why was she always stuck with those who didn't have control? She hasn't seen Mischief use some special powers asides from the magic she taught her, but she knew better than to underestimate magical creatures. Mischief couldn't be worst than Shade in terms of damage, but she still didn't want to risk it.
"What is it?" Angora asked, sitting on the bed, certain that she wasn't going to like what she was going to hear.

Maverick started to wake up after sensing Ilasi getting up, opening his eyes just a few seconds after Ilasi did.
"Oh. Buenos dias mi reina. How did you sleep? You know, this couch is really comfortable. Sorry to have awaken after you again. But don't get up yet. I'll do us both a great breakfast and then we can start our chores." Maverick said kindly, with such a gentle spirit it was as if his very aura was visible to the naked eye. He loved sleeping, but he embarrased himself when Ilasi got up first. He always believed the man had to wake up first and attend his lady before really starting the day.

As Darkheart was asleep-- so too was Raclaw, the Fur Dragon's dreams only continuing. The companion and now mate's dreams shifted from that flying to something more 'grounded.' He was on a farm having just caught an flying disc. Just off in the distance, Darkheart and his two faithful companions awaited his throw. "Come on Raclaw-- I got you that frisbee you wanted.," Latnok called. "Come on my love-- I know you can do it.," Darkheart offered with a smile. "Yes yes-- throw it!," Chester barked with enthusiasm jumping up and down. Raclaq offered an signature smirk and proceeded to throw it...

Elsewhere, Risar was awaking and preparing for his usual duties. The minotaur didn't have any particularly memorable dreams and proceeded to head on deck. As per the usual-- he would keep the eye on the crew, on Shade, and on the relatively quiet Tyraika. At least the wild dragon wasn't misbehaving.

Though Ilasi had her job to attend to, she figured that waiting just a bit longer wouldn't hurt. "You know just how to brighten up my day, don't you?" Ilasi asked rhetorically, not quite wanting to answer Maverick's first question. That was a matter she didn't want to dwell on.
"I'd love to see what you have for us today."

Leoquin was already up, ready to move to the next destination. Though he hadn't really had the chance to meet them ever since he got a new lead on his brother, he resolved to speak with the Ishulgites the first chance he had. He couldn't let that get in the way of the job he was doing, however - many more people than his brother were relying on him doing his job well.

Latnok's own dreams were of simple matters, such as hunting or training in some capacity. One such dream, however, involving rabbit hunting, seemed to shift into a much more peaceful setting.
It took him a minute to make sense of the new setting. It was... a meadow? No. A farm of some sort. And there was Raclaw, and Chester, and... Darkheart. He had gotten Raclaw a throwing disc of some sort - except not the weaponized kind. A... frisbee, it was called? And he and the others were all waiting for Raclaw to throw the disc back.
Latnok woke up at this point, feeling somewhat at ease. In his typical manner, he immediately began to put on his equipment, soon to be ready to tackle the day.

Just as Latnok awoke-- so too did Raclaw, seemingly unaware that his and Latnok's dreams were only becoming more connected. As subconscious retracted and his consciousness came into the light, he practically rolled out of bed and opened his eyes to a Beagle practically ready to lick him. "Hey Raclaw, hey Latnok! Morning!," Chester barked briefly placing a paw on Raclaw before allowing the larger companion to get up proper. "Morning.," Raclaw responded with a smile.

Mischief sighed. "I... I have another personality. Normally I can hold them back... But they want Raclaw's collar. I try not to stress too much, since that makes it easier for them to seize control... My eyes change color when they take over. Normally they're blue, as you've no doubt noticed. But they turn gold when the other me is in control. My staff's gemstone also turns black and purple. The other personality is a psychopath... So if you can help me in any way, even if it includes something as simple and painful as a knock on the head when I start shifting personalities, I'd appreciate. The last thing I want is to hurt someone." She looked down, ashamed of the burden she placed on Angora. "I'm sorry for making so much extra work. I'd... I'd like to help you if there's any way to..."
Darkheart woke up rather suddenly, at the same time as Raclaw. Yawning, she rubbed her eyes before standing. Making her way outside, she stretched her long body. She looked around before yawning again.

Angora placed a hand over her eyes, knowing how troublesome it could be. Just hearing the word psychopath was enough to frustrate her. First an excess of power, not a double personality.
"And tell me, is there a way for this personally to never take over?" Angora asked, not in the mood to deal with such a thing on a daily basis. It was bad enough that this other persona was threatening one. The trouble was, whom it was targeting. Latnok's friend and constant companion. Latnok gave Mischief to Angora to take care of, and if she couldn't keep her in control, Angora had no doubt Latnok would use it as the perfect excuse to punish her. Yesterday she was lucky, but if Raclaw was hurt, she knew there was no escaping that one. She even started to wonder if Latnok knew about this already and stick her up with Mischief precisely because of this problem.

Quote: A Guy

Though Ilasi had her job to attend to, she figured that waiting just a bit longer wouldn't hurt. "You know just how to brighten up my day, don't you?" Ilasi asked rhetorically, not quite wanting to answer Maverick's first question. That was a matter she didn't want to dwell on.
"I'd love to see what you have for us today."

Maverick nodded giddily, heading to the door. On his way, he felt something below his cheek, and could tell it was saliva. It embarrased him to no end, and hoped Ilasi didn't noticed. He headed to the kitchen quickly, cleaning his mouth thoroughly. Nobody was at the kitchen, so he had it all to himself. He started to cook for Ilasi and himself, not in the mood to feed the entire crew, though he would have something for Shade and Anglra later. And of course, he couldn't forget his beloved Dahlia.

When Maverick was done, he had a beautiful omelet with many ingredients inside, decorated with spices and a small green apple. He had another green apple for himself, along with carrots, lettuce and half a tilapia. He opened the door with a foot, but took a while to enter, wanting Ilasi to smell the food first before properly entering.
"Here we are Ilasi. Buen provecho. Nothing like starting the day with a full stomach." Maverick said, giving her the omelet. He didn't know what the day had ahead of the, being on a strange new island, but he hoped he could explore it a little bit and deemed safe enough to give Dahlia a much needed walk.

Mischief looked down, avoiding Angora's eyes. Her ears drooped a little. "I... I really don't know. Losing control like that really scared me, to be honest. I've never lost control entirely until now. Thankfully, they're pragmatic, which was why they didn't go after the collar that time. Too many witnesses and all. I doubt they'd try anything with more than a couple of people watching. Or in public, in general. I barely know anything about them beyond how much they crave power. End goal is probably a cliche 'take over the world' thing." The pup stared into her gemstone. "They also seem to be more experienced with magick. Last night I had a nightmare, where they'd taken over my body. They'd razed the land and made a castle of ice. I don't want to let them take control a second time. Not ever." She gripped her staff, eyes showing determination. "I cannot just let them be in charge. That's why I'm asking your help. Should I lose control, do whatever you have to. I don't want to watch while my other personality does bad things. Even death is preferable, as a last resort." The pup shivers.

Maverick's attempt at stoking Ilasi's appetite was successful, and her outh was already watering by the time he brought the food in (though she managed to avoid drooling like Maverick had.) She gladly took the omelet, giving Maverick a quick "thank you" before she began eating. Regardless of what the day had in store, moments like this gave her the will to face it.

"Good morning," Latnok answered his two furry companions, as he thought of what he would have to do to start. The crew would likely be wanting to eat; he would see to preparing food, with no other pressing matters requiring his attention at the moment.
"I'm going to make food for everyone," Latnok said, as he headed to the door. "Do you guys have any particular requests?"

Meanwhile, on the deck, Sere was almost ready to give the order to move out; he had to wait for the crew to be accounted for first, and that typically involved the morning gathering. They had somewhere to be - and there was no telling what would happen along the way.

Maverick smiled, starting to eat himself. He took a small break shortly afterwards to do some little talking.
"I hope the island is safe. Haven't taken Dahlia to walk in such a long time. Don't want the poor dear to get depressed." he commented, knowing that, being a buffalo, Dahlia needed to roam. She had her chance to be free many times, and while Maverick appreciated the loyalty, he felt bad for being unable to cover all of her necessities.

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief looked down, avoiding Angora's eyes. Her ears drooped a little. "I... I really don't know. Losing control like that really scared me, to be honest. I've never lost control entirely until now. Thankfully, they're pragmatic, which was why they didn't go after the collar that time. Too many witnesses and all. I doubt they'd try anything with more than a couple of people watching. Or in public, in general. I barely know anything about them beyond how much they crave power. End goal is probably a cliche 'take over the world' thing." The pup stared into her gemstone. "They also seem to be more experienced with magick. Last night I had a nightmare, where they'd taken over my body. They'd razed the land and made a castle of ice. I don't want to let them take control a second time. Not ever." She gripped her staff, eyes showing determination. "I cannot just let them be in charge. That's why I'm asking your help. Should I lose control, do whatever you have to. I don't want to watch while my other personality does bad things. Even death is preferable, as a last resort." The pup shivers.

Angora rolled her eyes, really hating to be stuck in such predicament. But if that was really all, the solution was simple.
"Well, what can we do then? You said they wanted Raclaw's collar. Well all you can do is stay away from him. But if you do happen to see him, chances are Latnok is not far behind, and if they don't want to attack in public, they won't be able to with someone as powerful as Latnok constantly watching the fur dragon." Angora explained, though it was more to assure herself than Mischief, but also to make the other personality hear her so they would know Latnok was not someone to mess with. She didn't know if Latnok knew about Mischief's condition, but perhaps Sere didn't. She wondered if she should tell him. He was overworked enough as it was being the captain of the ship, but if she couldn't help her, maybe there was someone else who could. Angora already had too many responsibilities of her own, and dealing with someone that could lose control was too much for her. She already got in too much trouble in the past because of Shade to have another one like him under her wing.