darkSpyro

"And I would love to teach you, if it's possible.," Raclaw responded nestling his head against Darkheart's. He didn't know if it was-- the canine tongue was an complex one, even if he knew it by heart. Or perhaps a well maintained mental link could suffice as a alternative.

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief was on the verge of lashing out with how stressed she was. "Maverick, it's not that... Angora's in trouble, I can feel it, but she won't let us - I mean, me - help her. I feel like I'm the only being NOBODY trusts... Worse, though, I sense magick afoot, and I suspect a connection... What can I do to help one who won't accept help?!" She was in tears now. Her eyes began flickering again. "What's the point in our presence... If we can't protect the ones we love?!" Strained beyond belief, she struggled not to lash out or run away. She had to confront Latnok, and she needed to try to protect Angora, whether the troll accepted it or not. "I'm not going to let her be alone in whatever she's trying to do... I'll protect her... I have to or I'll finally break." The vixen's mind was already under enough strain.

Maverick could understand her concern, and was very happy to see someone so concerned about his dear Angorita.
"Calm down Mischief. Calma. Angorita didn't have an easy day yesterday, and she's likely very stressed right now, and tired. I'll talk to her later. No te preocupes. And you can come with me." Maverick assured, trying not to be too worried about Angora, but the way Mischied was expressing herself seemed like the troll was indeed in some kind of trouble. Maybe just overprotectiveness? Still, Maverick was going to check on her later just to dismiss whatever issue might be going on.

Quote: A Guy

Banewood would have no problem following along with Angora. Sere would be situated in his office at that moment, drafting possible scenarios and how to deal with them.

Angora tried to be as calm as possible with Neo's assurance, but she was still very worried. If she left the ship, she was going to be captured and imprisoned. And if she told Sere about her supposed betrayal, the same might happen, or something worse. She wanted to believe in his mercy, but considering their past, she was doubtful. He always treated her slightly better than Latnok ever did, so perhaps there was a chance?

Once she reached the main deck, Sere was nowhere to be seen, so she assumed he had to be back at his office by now. Once she reached the front of the door, she hesitated tremendously, but then, she finally noticed that Banewood had followed her. That gave her some courage to finally knock on the door.
"Sere? Captain? I... need to speak to you. It's... quite urgent." she called meekly, the door usually being locked when Sere was there. She didn't know what to expect, but she had to tell him the truth about these people, and what they wanted from her, and she wanted to believe things would go better with Banewood there, as her witness.

Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching the door, and it opened soon afterwards to reveal Sere. The Guardian noted both Angora and Banewood; he motioned the two of them in.
"Good morning," he greeted wearily, as he got back to his desk. "Something tells me we're not just here to talk about the weather is." Banewood had been concerned about one thing - the Ishulgites. Why was he with Angora?

Angora's hand were trembling, and she was sweating again. But she was already inside, and she couldn't chicken out now. She took a seat.
"Well... s...sir. The reason I... I'm here... is... is for this." she said, shaking and stammering as she put the orb on his desk. She was afraid that the stranger from the orb would talk and somehow convince Sere of her betrayal, but she didn't think he would talk just yet with Sere and Banewood being there, so she continued.
"I... I know I said I lost it... but the truth is..." then Angora proceeded to tell everything. How this stranger helped Shade being restrained during that special moon, and how the stranger demanded the orb for the favor, and how the sphere came back to her in Redwater and how he was using it to communicate with her.

Although she stammered less the more she talked, Angora was still very nervous and shaky.
"He... he promised me happiness. A better life. A way to help Shady. I... I know now I was naive. I know it was all a lie. But I was desperate to... be happy again, like when I travelled with Shady and Maverick, and he took advantage of it. I... I believed him. I was so desperate, and... I'm sorry." she said sincerely but unable to look at him in the eyes anymore with shame. But an apology may not be enough for Sere. She crossed the bridge now. She came through and gathered enough courage to tell him the truth, and even though it was with someone she didn't know, she was glad not to be alone. It was all a matter of waiting to see what the decision would be. She shook violently at the possibilities...

Sere listened patiently and intently as Angora explained her story, maintaining a neutral expression as he spoke. Behind all that, however, he was seething - Angora violated his trust once again, and this time it cost the lives of his men. How many times would she betray him before he learned his lesson?
As Angora finished, Sere gradually brought his right hand to his chin, as it trembled ever so slightly in his efforts to maintain his composure.
After a few minutes of silence, Sere finally managed to find words to say. "...Angora... let me ask you one thing," he said. "Why is it only now that you are telling me this? Did you not feel it was important enough?" As Sere spoke, Banewood remained silent for the moment, not wanting to speak on Angora's behalf.

Angora knew Sere was tense. She could sense it. As she feared, all the respect she has earned from him was vanishing.
"Because he has promised me nobody would get hurt. And... I believed him. I didn't know he would be capable of these... monstrosities. I know now what he's capable of. And why... he wanted me. And... I... I always seemed to disappoint you no matter what I did. And he... he was comprehensible. Kind. He listened. I could vent with him without being reprimanded in some way. I was used. I know that now. But now, I wanted to do the right thing this time, even if it means... losing your trust...' Angora said gloomily, suspecting that all her work on the ship, the healing, Veris' care, wouldn't matter. Even if the orb was right and Sere would turn on her, she wasn't going to allow the loss of more lives, especially her friends. She lowered her head, believing Sere would be disgusted just looking at her. Her only hope now was to see if Banewood would somehow defend her. Part of her wanted to blame the Guardians for everything that have happened. If they hadn't been mean to her in the first weeks on the ship, if they hadn't talked so bad about her to the rest of the crew and destroyed the chance to make friends the first day, she wouldn't have resorted to a complete stranger in order to remain hopeful in her happiness.

Sere remained silent for several more minutes, his hands still quivering in pent-up rage. As he waited, Banewood gently stepped forward and grabbed the orb with his wooden arm, and his fingers warped to eventually cover the whole orb before he broke that piece off from the rest of his body. "Just blocking their scrying," he explained.
After a seeming eternity, Sere was able to speak his thoughts once again. "So I can't trust you to follow my orders... I can't trust you to be frank with me... and now, once again, I can't even trust you to avoid endangering our mission and everyone on the ship. I can't just toss you out, as the Ishulgites will just capture you... and throwing you in the brig is pointless, seeing as how, no matter how much leniency I show you compared to anyone else in your position, you will never care about anyone but yourself and those friends of yours. Tell me, Angora, what should I do? TELL ME," Sere demanded forcefully as he stood up. Banewood remained silent at the moment, the only indication of any sort of reaction being the drumming of the fingers of his humanoid hand...

Darkheart snuggled in, before sighing. "I've heard of those who learned the language of animals. So it's probably possible."
Mischief shuddered, gripping her arms until her claws drew blood. "I... I need to speak to Latnok and confront him. I need to know if there's even a point... In trying to prove to him... I'm good..." She took a shuddering breath and with visible effort stopped shaking. Suddenly she looked at Maverick. "AM I good?" She couldn't tell anymore, her head hurt and she was literally sick with stress. The confusion, frustration, fear... Her eyes showed it all, as usual.

Maverick didn't like the idea at all. He pulled Mischief closer to stop her.
"Wait! Espera! You can't talk rudely to Latnok about anything. He's a high officer here, and he is quite strict. You'll only get in trouble. Listen. I'll talk to Angorita soon and then later talk to Latnok. You tell me what is it you want to tell him and let me do the talking." Maverick suggested, knowing that speaking to Latnok with a temper was asking for humongous trouble. Latnok could rub some the wrong way, but maybe if he talked to him, he could solve whatever issues were present at the moment.

Quote: A Guy

Sere remained silent for several more minutes, his hands still quivering in pent-up rage. As he waited, Banewood gently stepped forward and grabbed the orb with his wooden arm, and his fingers warped to eventually cover the whole orb before he broke that piece off from the rest of his body. "Just blocking their scrying," he explained.
After a seeming eternity, Sere was able to speak his thoughts once again. "So I can't trust you to follow my orders... I can't trust you to be frank with me... and now, once again, I can't even trust you to avoid endangering our mission and everyone on the ship. I can't just toss you out, as the Ishulgites will just capture you... and throwing you in the brig is pointless, seeing as how, no matter how much leniency I show you compared to anyone else in your position, you will never care about anyone but yourself and those friends of yours. Tell me, Angora, what should I do? TELL ME," Sere demanded forcefully as he stood up. Banewood remained silent at the moment, the only indication of any sort of reaction being the drumming of the fingers of his humanoid hand...

Angora didn't budge or flinched at his reaction, given that it was expected. But she still trembled. She wanted to find the right words, but all she could think of was the feelings inside, that she had been surpressing for so long.
"What did you expected me to do? Maverick has a girlfriend! I couldn't interfere with his life! And you forbade me from talking to Shady! I couldn't make any friends in the ship cause you and Latnok talked so badly about me when I first got here and nobody wanted anything to do with me! What did you want me to do!? Go into a corner to vent with myself like in the past!? I was tricked! This... man from the orb, he promised me happiness! He promised happiness to Maverick, who deserves it! And who doesn't want that? And all the other promises he made were kept! He was kind to me! He didn't insult me and made me feel like a useless burden! He used the despair you and Latnok caused me to manipulate me! To make me believe everything was going to be alright! You think I wanted all of this to happen? I defeated Darkmatter! I saved you and Veris when you were brought down by that giant water deity! I was imprisoned many times and almost died in the Redwater arena for a crime I didn't commit! Something you knew... yet didn't even care! Aelinon is causing deaths every day, and yet I am the one having it hard! You think this was on purpose? The man from the orb warned me of your reaction, and even so, I went to you today cause I wanted to do things right! But of course, nothing was enough. Nothing was ever enough for you! I was only useful to take care of Veris, nothing else. Plus so many times you saw Latnok being so mean to me... and once again, you did nothing." Angora said with a strained voice, wanting Sere to feel as guilty as she felt right now.

What now? She wondered. Banewood didn't seem capable enough to defend her the way she wished. Sere couldn't banish her, and he already dismissed throwing her into the brig. Only one thing left, something that terrified her, but even if her venting didn't work, whatever happened next, she wanted to have the courage to face it. She has made many awful mistakes, but she has also done many good deeds in her young life, many things that no troll in their hundreds of years of lifetime has ever done, and nothing was going to take that away...

This time, Sere immediately had a response. As he spoke, the sound of footsteps could be heard approaching the door, stopping for a while before heading back the other way. "So, you were content to just rest on your laurels, then? You thought that, because you were one of the many involved in taking down that monster, your actions should no longer have consequences? Were you expecting everyone to bow at your feet? My Guardians suffer worse treatment than you on a regular basis, sometimes from the very people they help. I don't see them betraying my orders. I don't see them helping the enemy find and kill us.
"When all is said and done, you are nothing but a selfish child, and any amicability you show is nothing but a means to an end. I had hope for you, I really did - but I have been fooled one too many times. Latnok had the right idea. You are a problem I should have ended long ago - but I didn't, and look what it's cost us. But enough is enough - I'm going to do what I should have done a long time ago."
Suddenly, Banewood had something to say. *We need not be hasty, Godfather Sere " he said neutrally. "We have lost people, but we were bound to lose some to the Ishulgites and their trickery once they set their sights on us. I have a plan - something we can do to save lives, and take advantage of a bad situation."
Sere, somewhat surprised if not startled, turned and gave Banewood a curious look. "Really? Pray tell me...*

Angora knew what to respond as well.
"I didn't expect people to bow and treat me like a queen for my good actions! I just wanted to be treated kindly. Be treated politely when being talked to! Not like a monster who doesn't deserve love and respect! Was that too much to ask!?" Angora asked, though she felt that no matter what she did, Sere was going to see nothing but selfish. When he spoke again, her biggest fears were confirmed. What he should've done? There was no doubt. It was what she suspected. She was going to be put to death. She dreaded on how she would do it, when Banewood finally talked. What did he had in mind. Will it be enough for Sere to reconsider?

One thing was for certain; she couldn't run away. She couldn't just throw herself overboard and escape. If Sere didn't intercepted her with Veris, then the society would, and that would be even worse. She was trapped no matter where she went, or what she did. Neo was likely seeing all of this, and she didn't doubt he was also disappointed at Sere's reaction. Deep inside, Angora had been praying that Sere would be more comprehensible. More understanding on why she did what she did. She didn't know the man from the orb was a dangerous enemy until recently. But all she did was give him the perfect excuse to get rid of her. She wondered what Banewood would say right now, and feeling scared, she involuntary got off the chair and hid behind him, the strange wood man being the only thing close to a protector she had. She heard something behind the door, and wondered if someone was eavesdropping on them. She doubted it would be someone that would help her, so Banewood was all she had...

Banewood didn't show any sort of reaction to Angora's relocation, seemingly focused on his thoughts. "So we know that the Ishulgites have been using the orb as a locator," Banewood recounted, as Sere nodded along. "We know they feel they are approaching their goal. We also know that they are now being more forceful. We know that the land on Mercenary Island is valuable to them - I suspect it might have residual energy of their god, though that is just a hypothesis.
"From this, we can strongly infer that an attack is imminent, and that such an attack, if successful, would likely kill most of the population, and bring them closer to their goals. As tough as the islanders are, they will fall if enough ishiuds are thrown at them. The Ishulgites have likely used data from the last battle to adapt their creations, and we are likely to either see new monsters, or modifications to the existing army to hamstring the effectiveness of dragolets in the fight. This is a hopeless battle should we take it right now."
"And what does that have to do with Angora?" Sere interrupted to ask.
"We may be able to get a significant upper hand, and buy enough time to inflict a more decisive blow... should we find a way to preempt such an attack and destroy a significant portion of the army. We know the Ishulgites consider Angora a priority target, and they will use force to take her now that their attempts to entice her have been foiled. They know she is with us... so they would likely bring overbearing force."
"I see..." Sere said, as he nodded along. He had a feeling he knew where this was going...
"Back to the orb. Its communication is based on a somewhat complicated divination spell. If we were to alter this spell, we might be able to control when they can actually detect the orb. From there, we need Angora in the right place... and then we can wipe the enemy out. So let me explain how we'll do that..." Sere patiently followed along as Banewood explained his plan.

Mischief whimpered in frustration. "I just wanted to know if I'm anything but a monster to him." Why do I hurt so much NOW? It doesn't usually hurt this bad... She wiped watery eyes, squeezing them shut as she shook. Finally opening her eyes, she looked at Maverick. Her expression showed how close to fully breaking she was.

Angora heart was beating so hardly. Somehow, this felt even worse than the time she faced Darkmatter. Worse than when she was being chewed by a manticore. And even worse than when she entered that arena the first time as a false criminal. Banewood looked like he was convincing Sere, but no matter her play in the battle, his mercy seems to have run out anyway. Still, she was determined to do things right this time.
"I will do whatever it's needed. They have to be stopped. I'll do anything..." she stated, briefly interrupting before letting Banewood continue. This society was crazy. They have to be halted at any cost. She wasn't going to let them wipe out whoever they wanted for the sake of this perfect world of theirs. How she wished Orion could help them, but he couldn't come. He was defeated by Darkmatter that time. He wasn't invincible or invulnerable, and if the society had the means necessary to unleash his sacred powers, then they would likely be unstoppable. She was going to do whatever was needed, but she had to make sure Maverick, Shade or even Mischief found out about this, or the fate that may befall her for her mistake...

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief whimpered in frustration. "I just wanted to know if I'm anything but a monster to him." Why do I hurt so much NOW? It doesn't usually hurt this bad... She wiped watery eyes, squeezing them shut as she shook. Finally opening her eyes, she looked at Maverick. Her expression showed how close to fully breaking she was.

Maverick wrapped his arm around her, wanting to give her some comfort.
"Latnok is just being human. He's being cautious. He can be a little hard on what and he doesn't understand. You're new here, so don't let that get to you. I'll talk to him. No te preocupes." Maverick assured, wanting to be as comforting to him as he was to Angora. His poor little troll had it so hard sometimes, he just wished he could make her happy. He didn't know how far that was now, so he comforted the one nearest to him at the moment...

Mischief snuggled in at the first hint of physical contact, craving the chance to cuddle. "It's always been like this... They always fear me, hate me for some aspect of what I am... I don't know why and as of late it's more tempting than ever to give them a reason for it! But I don't WANT to be a monster to them. I dreamed of being a hero. I always imagined myself arriving at a battle just in time to save the day... You know what's funny? I always idolized the Ardent Guardians." She giggled a little at the irony. The physical contact had helped a bit, soothing her a little. "Now I'm with them, and it turns out they're just as flawed as everyone else. Obvious in hindsight, I suppose. And I really can't claim perfection myself, considering how often my magick goes haywire. All I really want is to be loved. I don't particularly care about details. But it hurts to be rejected so thoroughly and so often... Thanks for the hug... I needed one, I guess..." She wondered about her fragile mood. She went from rage to misery to calm and occasionally joyous almost at random.

"...so as you're well aware by now, there are many cave networks around this place," Banewood continued. "From what I know, many have been here for a long time, and have, for the most part, just been expanded on by the Ishulgites. Now, if we were to bait many enemies into one of these sets of caves... we could collapse the network and destroy everything inside."
"And how do you plan to do that?" Sere asked.
"As you know, Mercenary has an abundant supply of a particularly rare commodity - black powder. If we line up enough barrels of the stuff, we can create a chain reaction by lighting a fuse. The masterminds will likely not be keeping up with all of the other ishiuds on account of the tight spaces - they will only have the sight of the other ishiuds to rely on, and won't have their other senses, meaning that we can get something going if we camouflage the barrels." Banewood stayed silent for a few moments, allowing Sere to continue.
"Ah, I see. Give them a high-priority target, one they will try very hard to secure, bait them in, and blow them all to pieces." Sere's expression lightened up just slightly as the feasibility of the plan became apparent. "Sounds doable - provided we can correctly modify the tracking spell. See if Ilasi can manage something; such a task would likely take at least an hour, likely more, and I have precious little time to spare right now."
"We will have to prepare the trap - I and the islanders can get that done quickly enough once we reach the island. I estimate we have about a day to prepare. The Ishulgites will be looking to recreate the troops they have lost, and will likely be testing new adaptations. I'll be keeping an eye on them to confirm this. Once they're ready to move out, I can alert us, and we can put the plan into action. Should this be successful, and should we be able to execute the follow-up I have in mind, we will be saving thousands of lives."
"That's all well and good," Sere said. "But Angora... provided this plan succeeds, and she makes it out... what, then, should I do with her?"
Banewood didn't have an answer - not immediately, at least.

Angora listened to the plan carefully, and as soon as she heard the word bait, she had a pretty good idea what he meant. She didn't like the idea of being in the middle of it all, but if that was the only plan to put a stop to the Ishulgites' horrid plans, then so be it. She could use her trusty shield to protect herself... but what if she got trapped? Not that it mattered. Sere just pointed it out clearly. No matter how big of a play she had in destroying this dastard enemy, he was never going to give her another chance. The possibilities of it seemed too low. Whatever fondness he was growing for her, it seemed to be all gone.
"I will go along with the plan. Whatever needs to be done to stop these demented monsters. I'll do my part." Angora assured, doing it mostly for the few people that cared for her. What hurt Angora the most about these ordeal was that, even after everything that has happened, Sere still treated her like a child wasting his time. She was still technically a child in troll years, but she was forced to act differently with her upbringing.

Banewood seemed to be awfully quiet all of the sudden. Wasn't he going to do anything to help her? Wasn't he going to at least try to suggest sparing her? Sere didn't seem so sure on exactly what to do with her, but every road seemed to lead to the same direction.
"I... I am sorry. Sir. I know I have made many mistakes... and I hope I can make things right this time..." Angora thought long and hard about what he would do to her. If she was sent to Aelinon, her punishment was likely going to be being send to the arena before, and she didn't want to go through that ever again. How could she get out of this one? He wasn't going to forgive her, was he? Never another chance. Neo has severely overestimated his mercy and comprehension.

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief snuggled in at the first hint of physical contact, craving the chance to cuddle. "It's always been like this... They always fear me, hate me for some aspect of what I am... I don't know why and as of late it's more tempting than ever to give them a reason for it! But I don't WANT to be a monster to them. I dreamed of being a hero. I always imagined myself arriving at a battle just in time to save the day... You know what's funny? I always idolized the Ardent Guardians." She giggled a little at the irony. The physical contact had helped a bit, soothing her a little. "Now I'm with them, and it turns out they're just as flawed as everyone else. Obvious in hindsight, I suppose. And I really can't claim perfection myself, considering how often my magick goes haywire. All I really want is to be loved. I don't particularly care about details. But it hurts to be rejected so thoroughly and so often... Thanks for the hug... I needed one, I guess..." She wondered about her fragile mood. She went from rage to misery to calm and occasionally joyous almost at random.

Maverick gave a short gasp as to how Mischief was not only so much like Angora, but also like him. He too once admired the Ardent Guardians, and he has found for himself the disappointment they were. They were flawed human beings just like everyone else, but they swell too much on the military side, and their punishment for relatively simple offenses could be too much.
"I understand missy. The Guardians, they are harsh and judgemental, but I suppose it's because they don't know any other ways. Most of them had a harsh childhood, so you know, being strict is the way they know." Maverick said, trying to find a way with the words that would make sense to their behavior.
"It's alright. Don't let it discourage you. You can't please every single being in the world, no matter the way you are. You just learn to live with it." he then concluded, knowing that detail from both his experience and Angora's.

Sere, though his tone was calmer, was not mollified. "How many times do you think I will let you betray me before deciding that it isn't worth it?" he asked, in a somewhat softer tone. "I had so much faith in you, and I thought you were changing... but at every turn, every single time I have given you a chance, you have made me regret doing so. I am tired of your betrayal, Angora. Tired of believing you can reform, only to be shown the opposite. I... have been foolish. I must take action to put a stop to it. I see no way to do so in a suitable manner without your death."
Suddenly, Banewood raised a hand. "If you're going to kill her for betrayal, Godfather Sere, then you will have to kill me to."
Sere gave Banewood an intrigued, somewhat confused look. "Why would I do that?"
"I have betrayed all of my ideals in the name of progress. I have let these people use me, much like Angora here has, in pursuit of my goals. The people I used to know... I told myself I could never face them again after what I had done. I've spent every moment since then trying to atone for my mistake... trying to right the wrong. I have been told that I am cold and unable to empathize... but I see someone I can relate to. Someone who is in the same spot that I have been, who now realizes what has happened and wants to correct that. You... you must give her that chance."
Sere could not conceal a harsh scowl, his disapproval being readily apparent. "You don't know how many chances I've given Angora... and you have not betrayed me, to my knowledge."
Banewood gave a very slow nod. "Is that so, Godfather Sere? Is that so? I was hoping I would never have to do this... but it's time I share the whole truth."
"What do you-"
Banewood balled his humanoid hand, his wooden arm still needing to regenerate. As he did so, the sound of creaking wood could be heard coming from him. After a second, he opened his hand - and the wooden mask snapped in two equal pieces, dropping to the floor.


Sere's eyes opened wide, and he couldn't suppress his surprise. The face... the scars... the burn marks around the eyes.
"Julian..."
"So you recognize me. I have failed in my duties as a Guardian by tunneling purely on my idea of progression. I have done things I shouldn't have... but I always told myself it was for the greater good. In the end, though, no amount of good intentions will fix what has been done. So... will you now strike me down for betraying you?"
"I..." Sere was at a complete loss for words. His response would take some time...

The dreadful word Angora had wanted to avoid was finally mentioned. It was just as she suspected. He wanted to put her to death. This was it. The end of the road for her. What could she say to make him change his mind? She was ready to give up, unable to help sobbing when she heard what Sere wanted to do to her... until... Banewood came with a revelation she never in a million years would see coming. Julian... where she has heard that name before? Maybe from one of the conversation she overheard from the Guardians? Perhaps, but she was certain she has heard it somewhere else.

Angora waited for Sere's response, but he seemed to be at a loss for words. That was a new one. He almost always seemed to have a response for everything, but today seemed like an exception. No surprise about it. Angora has heard Julian's name before, and even though she didn't remember where exactly, she remembered the name enough to understand it was important. As she waited for the silent Sere to finally process everything that was going on, she gave one tender, almost involuntary look to Banewood, now Julien. Just when she had lost all hope, this weird man came to defend her. He came to his aid. He did more in a few minutes than what Sere has ever done for her in the months she has known him. She felt like hugging him, but she didn't want to ruin the moment. She wasn't certain this turn would be enough for Sere to spare her, but she was glad to have someone supporting her, even if he was still a stranger to her at this point...

Sere's silence would linger a little more until he was ready to speak again. Ever so slightly, Julian was trembling, though one would have to be looking closely to notice it.
"You've already been punished enough for what you've done. Even if you have been overzealous in your research, you have done what you did not for yourself, but for humanity as a whole. I can't fault that. Angora's motives have remained purely selfish, but if you truly do think you understand her, and have faith in her, then I will, at the very least, give her this opportunity you suggest. A chance to show that she can work towards the same goals as everyone else, to put an end to this danger - that she will do so regardless of whether or not she may find pleasure in doing so."
Julian gave a quick nod. "That is all I ask - the chance. Do what you will if she doesn't meet these expectations - but I have a strong feeling she will be determined to do so. This mutual enemy of ours has manipulated enough people to fulfill their ends - we need to put an end to them, and I do not believe we can do that by further dividing ourselves."
"Very well. When we reach our destination, we'll begin setting up as you have explained, provided we are able to manipulate the divination spell on the orb. As mentioned previously, go find Ilasi - she should have both the knowledge and the time to be doing such a thing. Besides that, you are dismissed. Get back to your usual work... both of you."

Back at Angora's cabin, someone had spent a few moments marking the door. Before anyone had returned, the word "MURDERER" had been garishly painted in bright yellow. Some were not as enthusiastic about Angora, it would seem...

Angora was very glad that Banewood came to her defense. Or Julien to be precise. She had to remember that. However, something Sere said still triggered her. After all this time, he still believed her as selfish. Why? Has she really been that self centered?
"I'm nothing but selfish to you, am I? Since when wanting happiness for yourself and your friends selfish? And also, you have always treated me like a child. If I am such a child, isn't a child suppose to be educated? To be shown patience? Comprehension? My own parents didn't love me. They didn't educated me. I have to do it all by myself. I would've gone mad if Maverick hand't come into my life. He believed in me. Orion himself believed in me. They didn't have such great expectations. All they needed of me was to be brave, to be myself, to be someone I never knew I was. But not you. Not you. Why not YOU? I could never meet your expectations. And after all of this is done, I'm certain there will be something that will disappoint you again." Angora said, shedding one single tear, which she wiped immediately.

But Angora didn't wait for him to answer. If he really thought of her as selfish, then perhaps this was going to make him happy. It was something she had thought about when he suggested death. It was going to be so hard, but if this is what it took to make him happy, then so be it.
"After this mission... then... throw me to your wyvern. At least it'll likely be quick and painless, and he won't hesitate once he learns what a disappointment I am, and if you are the one giving the order! Better him than one of those... behemoths." Angora stated, though it was mostly because she didn't want Sere or Latnok be the one to strike her down.
"All I will ask in return is not letting anyone know, especially Maverick. I know he'll miss me... but... he has a marvelous life ahead of him. Will that make you happy? I'm certain it'll make Latnok happy! You two have always hated me! Will this FINALLY make you happy!? Will that finally stop me from being selfish!?" Angora asked furiously, starting to leave. Once she opened the door though, she collapsed right there in the hallway, unable to hold her tears any longer. She thought she was done crying because of the Guardians, but how wrong she was. She wanted to stop, but couldn't. She barely believed what she just said. Julian managed to make Sere give her a chance, but being called selfish was the last straw for her. She didn't actually mean her suggestion, but she wanted to know if that was what Sere truly wanted...

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Darkheart snuggled in, before sighing. "I've heard of those who learned the language of animals. So it's probably possible."

"I.. I don't know how transferable my natural talents are to such a teaching, but if anyone can teach you-- it's me.," Raclaw said thinking of the possibilities although he still wasn't sure exactly *how* to go about it. "I would be willing to try at least, for your sake and for ours. I will admit-- if we, all of us, are to be together, it would be nice for each of us to fully understand the others. Chester included.," he then said with a smile looking at Darkheart, Latnok, and Chester who responded with what could be interpreted as a happy-curious bark. Was it actually possible to teach Darkheart? He supposed he would soon find out...

Sere, once again, wasn't immediately sure of how to respond, though he did have words sooner than he did before. "Angora... please. You have this chance. Julian risked himself to give you this chance. Please, at least respect him enough to follow through. And... you know I could never feed you to Veris. Such a thing would ruin him, perhaps permanently. He would never be able to bond with a caretaker ever again. So... please, get up. Take this chance." Sere, unsure of any physical response that would be appropriate and not willing to force his voice over Angora's sobbing, resorted to telepathy to get his point across as clearly, professionally, and neutrally as he could.

Latnok gave a shrug and a grunt. "Learning how to speak canine? Doesn't seem possible, at least for a human like myself... but it might work better for another dragon. Worth a shot, at least."

Angora was disappointed that Sere resorted to telepathy instead of facing her like a man. Although he was right. This Julien fellow, he stood up for her. He managed to have Sere give her a chance she never thought could've existed. If it wasn't for him, Sere would've likely put her to death by now. She would take this chance... her only hope being that she left this ship before she did something that would disappoint Sere again. Her sobbing continued echoing in the hallway for a while, but nobody that knew her appearance could easily confuse her crying for that of a little human girl who has lost her way. Perhaps Sere was right. She has been selfish, but has that really been her fault? Almost all her life she had to fend for herself. She had herself and nobody else. Perhaps if Maverick had appeared in her life much sooner, teaching her well, none of this would've happened.

After her eyes released all of the tears that could possibly be there, Angora rubbed her eyes... and left the hallways, without saying anything to Sere. Not through telepathy, nor even her voice. She just wanted to leave. Veris was likely hungry by now, so she headed to the kitchen to get his food, trying to hide from everyone she came across when she went to the main deck. She went to do the only thing she seemed to get right, the only thing that didn't disappoint Sere. Was really being the caretaker of an animal all she was ever good at? The only thing that never disappointed him? The one thing she never messed up? It was rather depressing to think about. And what he said about Veris. He was doing it for him, not her...

Mischief nuzzled Maverick before yawning. "Tired..." Finally pulling away with another wide yawn, she sleepily looked at Maverick. She'd burnt off all her energy on stress... Again... "Thank you, Mister Maverick... I need a nap... I'll see you after it, Mister Maverick." As she sleepily made her way back to Angora's cabin, she was visibly tired. She arrived at the defaced door and blinked repeatedly, hoping what she saw was imagined. "MURDERER" written in yellow. "What the... Who wrote this?!" She placed several slashes through the yellow paint, growling angrily. Being so tired, she couldn't work up as much rage as she normally would've. Which was a good thing, as she would've normally destroyed the door altogether in a fit of rage. She'd have to find the perpetrator. She hoped she could get justice over this... "Whoever did this, they just wait until I catch them... They'll pay a price in BLOOD!" She collapsed on the door, still trying to claw the lie off of it.
Darkheart tilted her head. "I've heard stories of it. I'd like to learn for myself... And you, love, are the perfect teacher for it." More nuzzling ensued.

Maverick headed to the door, extremely unaware on how unwell things were on many parts of the ship. He was about to do the dishes, but wasn't in the mood right now. If nobody did it by the time he returned, he shall do it. Just as he was about to leave, Angora entered the kitchen, who tried to avoid him but he spotted her.
"Hola Angorita... is... is something the matter?" he said after seeing her, her face looking quite terrible. Her eyes were swollen. He doubted anyone had beaten her, so that meant another thing.
"All fine Maverick. Just had a rough morning. Here to feed Veris, you know. Everyone with their job." she expressed rather rashly, but Maverick knew her too well.
"Well something is going on. I just saw Mischief earlier and she's worried sick about you. I think we need to talk. After you're done with Veris, meet me in our cabin." Maverick suggested, knowing something was very wrong. He wanted to believe it was just the effect of yesterday's healing still taking a toll on her, but he couldn't help thinking there was something else there.

Maverick helped Angora with the food, trying to draw at least something on what was bothering so much, but Angora wanted to avoid the subject. After Veris' meal was done, adding a little of his touch, he left, deciding to give Angora some space and time to calm down and be ready to tell him whatever was going on. In the usual tray, Angora went to Veris' enclosure.
"Eat..." she instructed, not giving him the usual greeting or smile she usually had for him. She felt so tired. So sad. Seeing Veris usually improved her mood, but this time, it just wasn't enough...

Mischief had burnt up every scrap of energy, even as she tried to force more out her legs gave out entirely. "Why? Why do they hate us? Why can't they give us a chance?" She broke down into sobbing against the door. Her eyes were flickering constantly now as she struggled with emotions she was too exhausted to express, and she passed out still leaning on the door. Her dreams were uncomfortably short and utterly disconnected, the chaotic blend of emotions and thoughts causing odd results. She couldn't even identify which were dreams and which were nightmares.

Veris obediently devoured the food in short order - but it didn't take him very long to realize something wasn't quite right. After the few seconds it took to consume his meal, he softly approached Angora, bringing himself down as low as he can. He tilted his head and gave a confused grunt, being unable to identify what was disheartening his friend so much.

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Darkheart tilted her head. "I've heard stories of it. I'd like to learn for myself... And you, love, are the perfect teacher for it." More nuzzling ensued.

"Then it's settled-- I'll teach you.," Raclaw said nuzzling Darkheart. "Can I help?," Chester barked. "Of course.. the idea is to understand you after all.," the fur dragon then responded with a smile.

At the time, Maverick went to the main deck for a moment to see where his girlfriend was. She was still with her purifying water duties, and he already did his cooking job, and the ship was in an island, so he was certain nobody would mind if he took a little break to have that talk with Angora.

When he got there however, he was shocked and terrified of the scene before him.
"Pero que...!" he exclaimed, watching nothing but a ruined door and a collapsed Mischief. He was too busy helping her get on the bed to notice what the words read, or what used to read. Fortunately, Mischief wasn't as heavy as she seemed.
"Mischief! Hola? Hey!" he said, shaking her up gently to try to wake up. No sign of Angora yet, so he would talk to Mischief again first.

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Veris obediently devoured the food in short order - but it didn't take him very long to realize something wasn't quite right. After the few seconds it took to consume his meal, he softly approached Angora, bringing himself down as low as he can. He tilted his head and gave a confused grunt, being unable to identify what was disheartening his friend so much.

Angora wasn't in the mood to vent this time. She had that small meeting with Maverick, but not even him was enough to improve her mood.
"What is it Veris? You're not going to get more if that's what you're asking. Looks like you're healing well after yesterday's battle. Let me help you get rid of the dead skin." Angora offered, climbing his snout since his head was already on the ground. She went to his neck, starting with that. Everything was different about her, even her voice. She knew she should be grateful to Julien for standing up to her (she remembered she hadn't thanked him yet), but it wasn't the first time Sere thought he had high hopes for her, only to be disappointed somehow. Just as she suspected. It was just like what happened with Latnok. Kind to her one minute, and then belittling her the next. When will it stop? She wanted the mission and the journey to end already so that she wouldn't have to see them ever again. That would mean not seeing Veris too, but what was really worse?

Tyraika curled up on the main deck and laid her head down with a heavy sigh. She had been so close to regaining her freedom, so close to being able to fly again. However, it was all lost. She was right back at square one again, all because of those dang insectoid things that just had to attack the ship. Tyraika had tried her best to stay out of the fight as much as she could, but those bugs targeted her in her vulnerable state. She had managed to fight them off well enough, but not without sustaining injury. Tyraika's wings were close to being fully healed, close to being strong enough to allow for flight again, but now she was right back where she started. At this rate, she felt that she would never get off this ship and return to her old life.


Meanwhile, Kasidra had been spending a lot of time in her room lately. Anytime she wasn't needed or otherwise busy, she was most likely in her room. Kasidra had always been the introverted sort, someone who was used to being alone and was content with being by herself. So she didn't really feel the need to socialize with the rest of the crew, instead preferring the quiet solitude of her room. Kasidra spent her free time studying the magic books she had bought and practicing her magic. She still trained her combat capabilities, but typically at night, when fewer people would be around.

Tyraika raised her head and met his gaze with a small, half-hearted smile. "Hey, Shade," she greeted quietly. Tyraika sighed, "I've been better." She glanced briefly at the fresh injuries on her wing. "I was so close, Shade. I could almost taste freedom, but now..." She trailed off with another sigh.

Darkheart nodded at Raclaw and looked at Chester. "So, ummm... What should we start with?" She had no idea how to learn dog-speak... Was there a name for the language?
Mischief's eyes snapped open, mismatched between blue and gold, in a glare. Then she recognized Maverick and her gaze softened. "Mister Maverick!" She sat up, and looked at her paws. "I... Right..." It had taken a moment to remember what happened. "Maverick, Angora and I have a major problem... Somebody painted the word 'murderer' on the door! We say they're as yellow as the paint they used!" She coughed and rubbed her head. "Uh, we need to deal with this... And quickly..." She stood, shakily, and willed herself not to fall over. Not exactly successful, she fell back onto the bed. She grumbled unhappily, but couldn't stand again...

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Darkheart nodded at Raclaw and looked at Chester. "So, ummm... What should we start with?" She had no idea how to learn dog-speak... Was there a name for the language?

'Canine, Animalize?,' Raclaw's thought instinctively reading his mate's thoughts. "I-- I suspose we should start with the basics. What do you think the difference between a bark, a howl, and a whine is?," the Fur Dragon then asked trying to get a basis of where to even begin. Chester briefly demonstrated each as he spoke.

At this, Tyraika perked up, a newfound hope shining in her eyes. Of course, the other dragolets! Why hadn't she thought of that? Maybe they could help her out, maybe even take her away from this ship. It was certainly worth a shot. "Oh, would you? Do you really think it could work?"

Though Veris suspected something wasn't quite right, there was little he could do for now, besides try to get Angora to say something. For now, he laid down and submitted to the cleaning, attempting to relax - though he would continue with his efforts as soon as Angora was on the ground again.

Darkheart paused a moment. "A bark is short and sharp and gets to the point, howl is long and carries, and whine is sad. Um... Aside from that? I couldn't say."

"Yes and no-- but you're on track.," Raclaw began to explain. "To begin, think of the three forms as an emotional shift. You are correct in your interpretation of the whine; a whine is to be sad or distressed. A minor example may be needing to go outside, while a more drastic example may be accidently injuring oneself.. or another.," he said slightly lowering his ears at the mention of injuring another. Chester offered a whine-- not as an example, but as a concerned question. "You.. you don't know how sharp a claw is until you try it. I was young at the time.," Raclaw then said in a lowered tone.

Darkheart nodded, glancing at her own razor-sharp claws. "I can understand that... What about howling and barking? What do THOSE mean?" She shifted and glanced at Chester. Dogs are kinda cute, now that I actually look... She looked back up at Raclaw.

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Mischief's eyes snapped open, mismatched between blue and gold, in a glare. Then she recognized Maverick and her gaze softened. "Mister Maverick!" She sat up, and looked at her paws. "I... Right..." It had taken a moment to remember what happened. "Maverick, Angora and I have a major problem... Somebody painted the word 'murderer' on the door! We say they're as yellow as the paint they used!" She coughed and rubbed her head. "Uh, we need to deal with this... And quickly..." She stood, shakily, and willed herself not to fall over. Not exactly successful, she fell back onto the bed. She grumbled unhappily, but couldn't stand again...

Maverick forced her back to bed again.
"Oh oh oh, don't get up he. Look at you! Por favor, just don't get up. Don't try anything. I will talk to el capitán about this. Just don't get up." Maverick pleaded, not wanting Mischief to do or say anything dumb because of the situation. The situation puzzled him deeply. Why would anyone write murderer on the door? And how was Mischief certain it was meant for Angora? Maverick has killed people in the past, even if he didn't meant to. Was it possible there was someone of his past out for revenge? It could be for Mischief as far as he knew, but she has lived on an island most of her life and not many knew her well. But how could it be for Angora? Regardless of whom it was addressed to, he figured it was something Sere had to know...

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Though Veris suspected something wasn't quite right, there was little he could do for now, besides try to get Angora to say something. For now, he laid down and submitted to the cleaning, attempting to relax - though he would continue with his efforts as soon as Angora was on the ground again.

Angora continued grooming him, though with almost robotic movement. It was clear that she was doing it just to distract her mind, not to do a favor to Veris. She made her way from the neck to his snout again.
"You know this isn't forever, right? Once this journey is over and we return to Redwater, we'll have to say our goodbyes, probably forever. I'll probably need a job afterwards to survive. Maverick got his girl, and Shade found his family. Why would they want me for? I could continue doing this... but I'm not getting paid. And... your master and Latnok, they hate me. They will forever hate me. How can I work for people that hate me so much? All I do for you, for others, not just my friends, yet I'm still considered... selfish." Angora said, finally venting after a while. The word has affected her so much, though she didn't cry. Her eyes were too dry from the last sobbing.

"I am going to miss you, you know, but... you won't have to worry. You'll find a caretaker that loves you too, and is even more professional than I am." she then said depressingly after a brief pause, certain that whoever took care of it will probably won't pamper and spoil him like she does, but will likely give him better nutrition and exercise.

With the thoughts expressed by Angora, Veris turned from being relaxed to being distraught and restless. He began trembling and whining in protest, showing his vehement opposition to such a suggestion. Angora, abandon him? Why would she do that? Surely his human would want to keep her? He couldn't imagine going back to the impersonal caretaking back at the base. That's not what he wanted now. He wanted someone who loved him.

Raclaw offered a somewhat thankful nod before understanding. "Howls-- you can think of them like a song, like an drawn out expression of emotions or feelings. A dog may howl when they're lonely or just have a lot on their mind. A howl may just be a single emotion or it may have many meanings to, like words to a song. It can also act as an last resort.. in case your human doesn't hear you.," he then tried to explain. "Impressive-- you explain it well.," Chester commented via the Canine tongue.

"And as for barking, you can think of it just like talking. Sometimes it can mean a lot, sometimes it can mean just a little, and sometimes we do so in an excited manner.," the Fur Dragon then said. "Er.. I mean sometimes dogs do so in an excited manner." he quickly added.

Reaching the main deck, Maverick immediately headed to Sere's office. He saw someone with Ilasi, but didn't have the matter much importance for now. Sere was nowhere to be seen on the main deck, so his office is where he had to be. Once he reached the door, he knocked it gently.
"Señor sere? Capitán? There is something I have to tell you. Something that happened. If you could just give me a couple of minutes of your time?" Maverick asked, seeing one part of the hallway rather humid. He wondered why, but believed it wasn't important.

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With the thoughts expressed by Angora, Veris turned from being relaxed to being distraught and restless. He began trembling and whining in protest, showing his vehement opposition to such a suggestion. Angora, abandon him? Why would she do that? Surely his human would want to keep her? He couldn't imagine going back to the impersonal caretaking back at the base. That's not what he wanted now. He wanted someone who loved him.

Angora almost fell off his snout when he became restless. She expected him a little sad and melancholic, not this uneasy. He almost looked angry. Her depressed expression turned into concern.
"Take it... take it easy Veris. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Please." Angora said, now realizing she passed on some of her depression to poor Veris. She thought he would take it slightly better than that, since she believed he had to know about their eventual separation. He took it rather well the last time, but of course, they didn't bonded as much back then. But even if Sere allowed her to go with them as the wyvern's permanent caretaker, she just couldn't see herself taking care of him forever, especially under an atmosphere where there were Guardians everywhere. But with his reaction, she feared he may never let her go now...

Sere's distinctive footsteps grew in volume as he approached the door, until he reached and opened it. "Hello, Maverick. What is the matter?" he asked, concerned. He wondered if it was in regards to Angora - was the troll okay? Looking back, he might have been just slightly too harsh at that moment...

Veris calmed down just slightly, though he remained in lower spirits than before. Why would Angora say such a thing? Did she want to leave? After all the time they had spent? She couldn't leave. She wouldn't... would she?

Latnok followed along as Raclaw conducted his tutoring session on the Canine tongue. He was certainly glad he never had to do anything like this to understand Chester - learning a second language would be difficult enough for him, and learning the language of an animal who didn't speak like regular people would be even harder. Maybe Darkheart would have more luck, however...

Maverick proceeded to go straight to the point, ignoring the fact that Sere looked very concerned about something. It had to be yesterday's attack that got him so concerned.
"Sorry to bother you señor, but our cabin... it has been vandalized. Someone wrote the word 'murderer' with bright yellow paint. I... don't know to whom it was addressed to, but it looks recent." Maverick explained, doubting the culprit had the wrong cabin. That cabin was quite remote and unique, and not many sailors were staying in that part of the ship. It could even be addressed to him, since nobody knew yet he has moved with Ilasi.

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Veris calmed down just slightly, though he remained in lower spirits than before. Why would Angora say such a thing? Did she want to leave? After all the time they had spent? She couldn't leave. She wouldn't... would she?

Angora didn't know what to say to him anymore. She didn't expect him to take it this badly. Perhaps she has pampered him way too much?
"Well, what do you suggest boy? What do you want? What... what would really make you happy?" Angora asked, looking at him straight in the eyes. They looked so big and majestic this up close. He was looking at her firmly, almost as if he was trapping her with the glance. She was quite nervous of the answer, so she was kinda grateful she couldn't understand him, or at least thought so. Her powers were slowly growing, but she didn't know yet.

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“Of course. But I’ll have to ask Sere first. I don’t want to get into trouble. “ shade said. “Come on you should come too.”

Tyraika's hopeful expression turned to a more nervous and concerned one. "Talk? To the captain?" she asked quietly. While she understood the reasoning, the idea still left her a bit unsettled. What if the humans decided not to let her go? Although the situation wasn't quite as horrible as she initially thought, Tyraika still had some lingering doubt about getting her freedom back. Still, she did want to be fully healed again. "Well... If you think that's best..." she muttered nervously.