darkSpyro

A root burst from the ground on the shore not too far from the docks. The root opened to enable the passengers inside to exit.
Julian was the first to step out. It took no time at all for him to identify the source of the rumbling everyone had been experiencing. "So they have finally deployed that thing..."
Latnok stepped out, still exhausted after drinking the dragon brew. "'That' thing? So you know it, then?"
Julian nodded. "Known as the Omniphage. 'The' because only one has been created, as far as I know - and hopefully it stays that way. So called because it can eat not only most things on the ground, but also other things - elemental energy, for example. Judging from the electricity arcing off its skin, I'd say it's one that with electricity so far. Likely deployed because the dragolets have no countermeasure against such a creature."
Latnok sighed, but steeled himself for another round of combat. "Well... that's what we're here for."

As the root got closer and eventually erupted from the ground-- Raclaw's suspicions were confirmed. "Electricity... I can vouge for its effectiveness.," Raclaw said from experience finally speaking in person after internally 'turning off' the same commands that (unknowingly to some) made him mute in the first place. The 'Hide' command had helped him stay hidden to a point, the 'Light' command had helped his fellow parties navigate the tunnel system that would have otherwise been void of light, and the 'Track' command had proved more than useful for both himself and for Latnok. But it mattered not now; he would keep his senses fully open as they soon stepped out onto the battlefield. Risar was already there, although not even his mighty battleaxes seemed to get through to it...

Darkheart stared up. "Omniphage. Roughly translates to eater of everything. Roughly. This thing is a bit over the top, isn't it? Heaven forbid they do anything resembling what they claim. Now I know what set off my danger sense... Ugh. How do we kill it?" She ran her claws over each other. "I doubt my typical attacks are going to work." Nevertheless, she sank partially into her shadow, ready to strike.

Mischief noticed the group's return and waved, between frantic and excited, eyes shifted to both being blue temporarily. She used Night Daze again to hit nearby Ishiuds before speaking to Maverick. "Look! They're back! Alive even!" If she still had a tail she'd be wagging it. Her eyes became mismatched again as she grabbed her orb and levitated it, using ice to extend her already long sharp claws. Fire and lightning again surrounded her arms as she rejoined the fray. The Ishiuds could only adapt to so much at once, and she had learned that well enough. Every time she was surrounded she'd solve that with Night Daze. But whenever she felt assured of victory she'd find herself looking up at the towering monster, a truly sobering sight.

"Going in!? Clearly you're not serious." Maverick commented at Mischief's suggestion, looking as if she was implying someone should get eaten to kill it, though the idea alone was pure madness. Although Mischief was right. The beast looked indestructible from the outside, so maybe attacking it from the inside was the only choice? Maybe if it swallow something that would kill it? As Maverick brainstormed ideas, he saw Mischief pointing exitedly at something. It was Angkra and the others, indeed alive and well. Even though he wanted nothing more to be happy about it, it was hardly the time. If their mission was a success, it would be nothing compared to this...

Quote: A Guy

A root burst from the ground on the shore not too far from the docks. The root opened to enable the passengers inside to exit.
Julian was the first to step out. It took no time at all for him to identify the source of the rumbling everyone had been experiencing. "So they have finally deployed that thing..."
Latnok stepped out, still exhausted after drinking the dragon brew. "'That' thing? So you know it, then?"
Julian nodded. "Known as the Omniphage. 'The' because only one has been created, as far as I know - and hopefully it stays that way. So called because it can eat not only most things on the ground, but also other things - elemental energy, for example. Judging from the electricity arcing off its skin, I'd say it's one that with electricity so far. Likely deployed because the dragolets have no countermeasure against such a creature."
Latnok sighed, but steeled himself for another round of combat. "Well... that's what we're here for."

Angora made a noise that sounded like a mix between a groan and a sigh, unable to believe their bad luck. How crazy was this society to create such a dastard monster? And was that, the White Shadow? Battling it? It didn't seem to be doing that much damage though.
"Omniphage... So how do we kill it?" she said, sounding casual to disguise her fear. She has faced a behemoth before, but she never really defeated it. And this looked like something worse. They were on the ground, relatively close to it, and it almost looked like the beast was heading to the ship...

"You're never going to crack through that skin," Julian cautioned. "Our best option is to strike at the beast from the inside, somehow. We must find a means of facilitating that. One thing's for certain - if it takes a bite out of a dragon or any similarly powerful creature, what we have now is the least of our worries." Julian and Latnok began running, Wanting to get to the scene as quickly as possible.

As Mischief and the others fought on, the number of soldiers and weavers seemed to be declining - the reinforcement seemed to have stopped. The deck of the ship, as well as the top of the walls, were a sticky mess of webbing and dead insects, however. The defenders had suffered casualties as well - but it seemed as if they would hold out at the current rate.
Before the Omniphage was accounted for, anyway.
Sere listened to Shade's suggestion as Veris flew on. Yes - he was thinking something along those lines as well. "We need to set ourselves up to hit the creature in such a way," Sere said. "It has eyes - which means it can be blinded, with an appropriate shadow spell." He just had to somehow get close enough to cast and maintain such a spell - and he knew just the thing. He undid his restraints, preparing to jump once Veris got close enough...

Risar briefly stood back to evaluate the fight-- he recalled how he was once shot out of an cannon although that info was little of use now. Raclaw rushed to the scene occasionally using brief flight to expedite the process, while Chester remained safe watching the battle from a safe distance. The little dog hadn't yet noticed Raclaw's safe return...

Now Angora was really concerned. Not only was this beast likely indestructible from the outside, but for what she could get from Julien's explanation, it could absorb magic from those it devoured. Although for now, it seemed more interested in destroying than feeding. She recalled the times she fought giant creatures, particularly the behemoth and the White Shadow, and that's when she had an idea. She was about to suggest something when she noticed Julien and Latnok were leaving. She started to run after them, but not before saying something to Raclaw.
"Raclaw! I'm going after them! Help the others if you can!" she said to prevent him from following her, although chances were he was going after Latnok anyway. She wanted to suggest mounting him on account on her limping, but she desisted.

Angora had to resort on running on all fours to compensate the limping, an action she still found humiliating and degrading, but she had to do it to catch up to the two men.
"Wait sir! Wait! What if I climb the beast? What if it has some weakness somewhere in it's skin? All I would need is for that electricity to be away from me while I do!" Angora suggested to Julien, believing that with the size differences, the creature wouldn't even feel her, nor even bother to notice her presence. It was very risky, but perhaps better than to try get close to it's mouth to attack it. Those jaws looked like no joke. They had to do something now, since in it's rampage, the beast looked it was heading right towards the Enduring Legacy, at a slow but steady pace...

Raclaw desisted the suggestion and would soon catch up with Latnok; he wasn't going to risk losing him again. It was then he had a suggestion of his own. "Wait-- if a weak point is required, then perhaps a powerful projectile is in order. Like an force bolt or an fire..," he said before realizing the potential complications. His fire was still mostly untrained and such aim would likely the high ground. Or the sky..

"Hmm..." Julian said as he considered their options. "The effects of it consuming an elemental creature or absorbing an attack, while powerful, are limited in their time frame. One of the main limitations in the creature's design. When the effects dissipate, such a thing may be possible, though it won't be particularly safe."
Latnok, on the other hand, wasn't as keen on entertaining the idea - not yet, anyway. "Sounds like a suicide mission," he cautioned. "There has to be a better way. Hmm... if I could get a ballista set up, and somehow fire an enchanted bolt into its mouth-"
Latnok's musings were interrupted by the sight of Sere slipping off Veris, landing on the Omniphage's head, right behind its eyes. He let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, this is incredibly stupid, if you ask me... but I'll roll with whatever we can come up with."

Sere's main priority now was distracting the Omniphage and buying some time. It ignored every attack thrown against it so far - but sensory deprivation was not something it could just block with its skin. Focusing his magic, Sere set up a shadow cloud around each of the creature's eyes. In its sudden confusion, the creature halted its advance as it shuffled around, trying to find the source of the sudden blindness.

Mischief looked up just in time to see Sere leap off Veris onto the Omniphage. Her jaw falls open briefly, then her mouth moves as if speaking but no sound comes out. Finally she shouts "Wow... THAT. WAS. AWESOME!" She covers her mouth, embarrassed by the outburst. We didn't just say that... You mean YOU didn't just say that. Don't deny that you feel the same way! ... Fair. She shakes herself, trying to pretend she hadn't spoken.

Darkheart stood there slackjawed for a few seconds. "What the... This is insane! ... Crazy enough to work, even!" Her tail thrashes slightly.

"Whatever we do-- we need to do it now while the creature is still blinded.," Raclaw began to urge thinking of the possibilities. "We need some kind of projectile lest someone wants to risk such a suicide mission. Latnok, how long would it take for you set up a ballista?," the Fur Dragon then asked knowing that otherwise either he or Shade would have to shoot their own projectile. And such a thing wouldn't be as simple in his case.

Angora dar the source of Latnok,s comment, and while far, she could see Sere on top of the beast's head, with Veris just a shorter distance away. They look so puny besides that thing. Now that was some true valor. Sere throwing himself like that, risking life and limb. But he was a Guardian. They were stubborn.
"I may not be able to do much, but I'm ready to follow orders." Angora said calmly, willing to obey Julien and even Latnok himself if necessary. Whatever it takes to stop that thing. Latnok still had some of her powers, and she was willing to let him borrow them for a little while longer since he was more experienced with magic.

Maverick could also see the spectacle from the ship, but he didn't know whether to be terrified or applaud.
"So much bravery. Valiente." he exclaimed, but imagined that the Guardians were used to risks like that.

The Omniphage remained sturdy, with its thick skin proving to be impenetrable to attempts to bite into it. As the creature tried to find the source of whatever was blinding it, it began to thrash around violently.
Sere struggled to keep himself secure as the creature thrashed. Well, better this than having it move forward... he thought. The bigger concern, however, would be the ishiud soldiers and weavers splitting from the main fight in order to attack him. Things would get pretty rough for him pretty soon, seemingly.

Between the waning reinforcements and some more enemies splitting, the fight on the ship and walls let up somewhat, with the ishiuds changing their strategy from attrition to a more defensive combative style. Ilasi hyperventilated, utterly exhausted from such an effort at fighting for her life. At least some - like the fox, Mischief if she recalled correctly - were absolutely deadly fighters, even in the face of such resilient and numerous enemies, as she was struggling.
"Yes... he is... brave... very brave..." she managed in between breaths. Whatever he was doing, it stopped the mad creature and pulled enemies from them.

Latnok thought briefly for a moment before shaking his head. "We don't have time for me to do that. I'd have to grab it from the ship, then find a spot to set it up, then actually put the thing together before I could have a chance to shoot it. Chances of having that much time aren't exactly great." If only there was a more effective means to get close enough to launch an attack...

As Sere tried to hold on-- Risar ordered the men to do their best to distract the incoming soldiers and weavers; with Risar himself taking out as many he could with his mighty greataxes. "Just come and get me you pesky bugs!," the minotaur roared as he purposely tempted and aggroed the enemy at large. Raclaw looked to Latnok and offered a confidant nod after internally making an important decision; he knew what he had to do and how to further serve the Guardians' cause. "Than it's obvious what we must do. Latnok.. you have to ride me. Together, my fireball and your magic can do what we currently cannot do from the ground. The target is wide and we only need a good opening.," the Fur Dragon than said sounding very much serious and very much aware about *what* exactly he was suggesting. He was ready for this, he was willing -- and it was bound to happen eventually giving their growing bond and friendship.

Angora pondered hard herself, and while she hated the idea of giving suggestions to Latnok, not to mention the likely retialation she would likely get in return, there was no time to hesitate. She was about to talk, when Raclaw beat her to it. His suggestion was very similar to the one she was about to suggest... but that's when she had a plan B.
"And what if... I can fly with Darkheart to make sure you have reinforcements should anything go wrong?" she asked meekly, though she knew she would have to ask Darkheart's permission first. She firmly believed Latnok would be against the idea, but there was no time to debate. Time was running short and Sere couldn't distract the beast for much longer. She wasn't certain that Raclaw would be able to carry the heavy Latnok, but she knew he would rather have him than anyone else...

Quote: A Guy

Between the waning reinforcements and some more enemies splitting, the fight on the ship and walls let up somewhat, with the ishiuds changing their strategy from attrition to a more defensive combative style. Ilasi hyperventilated, utterly exhausted from such an effort at fighting for her life. At least some - like the fox, Mischief if she recalled correctly - were absolutely deadly fighters, even in the face of such resilient and numerous enemies, as she was struggling.
"Yes... he is... brave... very brave..." she managed in between breaths. Whatever he was doing, it stopped the mad creature and pulled enemies from them.

Maverick didn't like how much his girlfriend was suffering, so he believed a certain course of action was in order.
"Ilasi! Mount Dahlia and get to safely. The islanders are going to a safe place, you should go too!" he suggested, not wanting Ilasi to keep being part of the struggle. The beast has stopped, but who knows for how long. And if Sere couldn't keep up his attack and the White Shadow couldn't stop it, it was only a matter of time before the monster reached the ship...

Darkheart was surprised by Angora's suggestion but seemed comfortable with it. "A clever idea, young one. If you're ready to be higher than ever, you may climb on." She lowered her body, practically laying down for the troll's sake.

Mischief continued to fight, but a sense of hopelessness pervaded. She was starting to worry they'd be defeated. Finally she began to shed tears, but her attacks became all the more furious in her desperation.

Angora was surprised, and strangely nervous that Darkheart accepted the suggestion. She was a wild dragon and didn't seem very friendly, but for some reason, she seemed to like her, to the point of even letting her mount. She climbed her head with little hesitation, not wanting to take too much precious time.
"We won't be in the way! We'll just be close in case you need a second option." Angora said to Latnok, suspecting he won't accept, but if he or Julien had a better idea, she would listen. Once she climbed the black dragoness head, she gave a brief and involuntary glare at Raclaw. She was still subconsciously upset about the way the fur dragon reacted when she mounted him, so she was glad that he could see that his girlfriend, a wild dragon, wasn't making a big deal about it, and was so accepting about having to give someone like her a ride.

Quote: darknessdawn

Mischief continued to fight, but a sense of hopelessness pervaded. She was starting to worry they'd be defeated. Finally she began to shed tears, but her attacks became all the more furious in her desperation.

When Maverick made the suggestion, he realized Mischief may have to go too. She has been fighting ferociously and with much courage, but he could see to his sadness event she was giving up.
"Mischief. You should go with Ilasi too. You have fought enough!" Maverick suggested, turning to his girlfriend again. He had a pretty good idea on how she would react, so he talked to her again.
"Now I won't hear any discussions Ilasi. You won't stay here! Take Dahlia and Mischief with you and leave. Oh, and take Chester too! We will try to do as much battle as we can from here." he said firmly, using a voice he rarely used. Ilasi was his girlfriend and Mischief was under his protection right now. And the beagle would have no defense here, so it was better if the three of them left while the rest of them tried to fight as best as they could, though like Mischief, Maverick feared this was a losing battle...

"I can't..." Ilasi began, but as she continued to breathe heavily, she had to acknowledge that Maverick was right. She would only be a liability in her current state, putting herself in danger for little gain, while Maverick and the others would have to protect her. Leaving would, at the very least, provide Maverick with a little peace of mind, if such a thing were possible right now.
"Okay... Dahlia and I will head out." Ilasi came up to Dahlia, giving a few pats so she could mount. As she waited for Dahlia, she reached down to allow Chester to jump into her arms, so she could bring him as well. "Please... make sure I see you again."

You have to ride me. Never had Latnok ever wanted to entertain such an idea. Raclaw, to him, was a person like anyone else - not a horse, to be used to travel from point A to point B. He didn't say anything immediately, being silent for a few seconds in his brooding - but they didn't have too much time to act. He had to make a choice.
"Thousands of innocent people are dead if we don't do anything. If that's what we have to do right at this moment, then so be it." Latnok wasn't even sure how he should go about the process. Should he wait for Raclaw? He didn't want to order Raclaw to carry him. There was no harness - but they didn't have time for him to find one. They would have to sort the matter out on the fly. "Well, then... let's do this, team. The thing is big, but slow, so we should have an advantage in regards to agility. Attacking it head-on is useless, but I'm sure that between the four of us, we can figure out some creative tactics. We're going to do this... and we're going to make it back to tell the story."

Though Sere was initially counting on Veris to catch him, he saw that the wyvern was currently occupied with two soldiers and a weaver trying to bind his wings. Quickly, Sere jumped off, to make as controlled a landing as he could on Shade. Naturally, he had to break his shadow spell. With its vision returned, the Omniphage ceased its thrashing, once again pushing forward. The electric charge it had built up was now dissipated.
"So we need to do three things - stall this thing, have it open its mouth, and attack when we get the opening. Provided the creature has internal organs - which it probably should - we should be able to hurt it that way." Now he just had to figure out how they were going to do those things.

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"Okay... Dahlia and I will head out." Ilasi came up to Dahlia, giving a few pats so she could mount. As she waited for Dahlia, she reached down to allow Chester to jump into her arms, so she could bring him as well. "Please... make sure I see you again."

Chester did so without hesitation; the little dog knew that he would be of little use in harm's way. He was a hunting dog-- not a fighting dog or wild wolf!

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You have to ride me. Never had Latnok ever wanted to entertain such an idea. Raclaw, to him, was a person like anyone else - not a horse, to be used to travel from point A to point B. He didn't say anything immediately, being silent for a few seconds in his brooding - but they didn't have too much time to act. He had to make a choice.
"Thousands of innocent people are dead if we don't do anything. If that's what we have to do right at this moment, then so be it." Latnok wasn't even sure how he should go about the process. Should he wait for Raclaw? He didn't want to order Raclaw to carry him. There was no harness - but they didn't have time for him to find one. They would have to sort the matter out on the fly. "Well, then... let's do this, team. The thing is big, but slow, so we should have an advantage in regards to agility. Attacking it head-on is useless, but I'm sure that between the four of us, we can figure out some creative tactics. We're going to do this... and we're going to make it back to tell the story."

Raclaw could sense Latnok's initial hesitation on the matter. This was clearly *not* want the Guardian wanted, but alas he wouldn't have even asked the beloved Latnok if it wasn't for the circumstances calling for no other option. He was very much aware of how his best friend felt about him or more specifically-- how Latnok felt about him as a person. With the matter settled and Latnok clearly not willing to order him, Raclaw imitated Darkheart's actions and lowered himself to the ground. "I.. I trust you, Latnok. Get on and hold onto my collar for now, but be prepared to cast your magic when the time comes.," the Fur Dragon then said as he (tried to) mentally prepare himself for what he was about to do. As domesticated as he may have been, never before has full grown normal-sized person ridden him before. And he didn't know exactly how he would handle Latnok's weight...

Angora was shocked, but in a pleasant way, that Latnok accepted their help. He said it. A team. This was a teamwork. If they survived, it was probably the only time they would ever work together like this, so Angora wanted to enjoy it. But she knew she couldn't afford distractions or feelings getting in the way. It was the time to focus.
"Alright then. Let's go Darkheart. Time to fly. Just remember to stay away from those jaws." she warned, just in case she was the reckless kind. This was it. They were going to face the beast, and she had to assist as best as she could. She had her poisonous dagger ready in case anything else failed. The poison once subdued the White Shadow himself, and while she didn't know if there was any of it left, it was worth a try. She looked above it, and was surprised yet again. Shade, he was up there, flying. And was that... Sere? Riding him? This event was certainly full of surprised, but then she could see the reason why. Veris... he was being attacked. Time was precious now. There wasn't a moment to haste...

Quote: A Guy

"I can't..." Ilasi began, but as she continued to breathe heavily, she had to acknowledge that Maverick was right. She would only be a liability in her current state, putting herself in danger for little gain, while Maverick and the others would have to protect her. Leaving would, at the very least, provide Maverick with a little peace of mind, if such a thing were possible right now.
"Okay... Dahlia and I will head out." Ilasi came up to Dahlia, giving a few pats so she could mount. As she waited for Dahlia, she reached down to allow Chester to jump into her arms, so she could bring him as well. "Please... make sure I see you again."

Once Chester was safely in Ilasi's arms, and Dahlia let them both on top of her, Maverick gave a small hug to his beloved dirt buffalo. Now only Mischief remained.
"Now Mischief. Mount Dahlia! She will take you to safety." he ordered firmly, not wanting her to take no for an answer. He then addressed to his beloved mount.
"Go Dahlia. Over there. That's where the islanders are being reunited. Por favor, go! Vete!" Maverick said sorrowfully, with Dahlia hesitating a lot. She didn't want to leave without him.

"No te preocupes Ilasi. I will continue helping here, but if the beast gets too close, I promise to leave. We have a great life ahead of us." Maverick said, wanting to make that promise, but he wasn't certain if he was going to be able to leave most of the wounded behind if it ever came to that. He saw to his horror that the beast was once again on the move. As he feared, Sere wasn't able to distract him for too long. It continued it's rampage. But he had to do something. He had to help, but above all, he had to make it, for his loved one's sake...

Trepidatiously, Latnok took a seat on Raclaw, trying his best to distribute his weight evenly. He wasn't quite sure how well Raclaw could carry him, but if the fur dragon was offering, then he was probably confident in his capabilities.
"Okay. Let's do this," Latnok said, as he lightly gripped Raclaw's collar. He would have to be careful to maintain his balance, but force magic and proper weight distribution would ideally help him with that. For now, their concern was engaging the Omniphage and finding an opening from there.
"While I'm not sure how much we can actually damage the eyes - not easily, if it's anything like a behemoth - we should at the very least be able to take advantage of spells to block them like Godfather Sere has done so far," Latnok suggested. "Seems quite a few of us will be in the air. Between us and the cannoneers on the wall, we should hopefully be able to get in a few good shots when the opportunity presents itself." Latnok braced himself as he awaited Raclaw's takeoff.

As Veris attempted to fight off his attackers, Sere tried to stabilize himself on Shade's back. "Yes, that's the general idea," he called out over the creature's roars. "Main issue is trying to do so when it's shown itself to pretty much ignore absolutely anything thrown against its body.
Though Veris bit into one of the soldiers, its adaptive armor soon stopped his fangs, leaving him impotent against the creature. Sere pointed up towards the engagement. "Get those things off Veris and we'll see what we can do from there."

Ilasi reluctantly rode away on Dahlia, looking back the whole time. The enemies, at least, seemed to be thinning out rather well - at the current rate, the docks would, at the very least, be able to perform an evacuation. Still - the Omniphage had to be destroyed, or the respite would likely not be for long, regardless of where everyone went. Still, she had confidence - or, at the very least, a strong hope - that Maverick would return to her. Ilasi kept Chester held securely as Dahlia trudged on, giving him a soft petting to pass the time.

Laszur had been striking where he could under the cloak of invisibility - with the huge battle happening, the masterminds would be very highly occupied, making focusing other senses on any one specific enemy infeasible. With the enemies thinning, however, the main concern loomed - and judging from the White Shadow's efforts, its skin was impenetrable. Still, perhaps some of his magic could assist the situation...
Remaining invisible, Laszur slunk away from the battle on the ship, headed towards the much more dangerous foe in the island city.

Angora stayed on the ground for a little while to listen to Latnok's plan of action. She also saw poor Raclaw struggling to hold him, and wondered if riding him was a good idea. She wanted to suggest exchanging dragons to even the weight, but she doubted Raclaw and Latnok would agree to that. She wanted to wait until they could get airborne, but could see Veris above her, being overwhelmed by some of those flying fiends.
"Sir? I'm going in now. The captain needs help with Veris. I'll wait for you up there." Angora said, instructing Darkheart to fly and assist the wyvern in his predicament.

As they headed there, Angora told the dragoness to attack the little monsters trying to incapacitate Veris, and while she headed there, she addressed to Sere.
"I'm here to help captain. Latnok will be here soon." she told him, feeling strange about everything. Not only was she riding Darkheart, someone she never mounted before, but it was also strange seeing Sere mounting Shade. She was so used to seeing him ride Veris only. But those were just trivial thoughts. They had to think of something. The best was hard enough to defeat, and it seemed the ishiuds were aiding it. As if things weren't hard enough already. Was this beast released because she didn't obey? Or was it planned to be released from the very beginning to cleanse the earth? No matter the reason, it had to be stopped at all costs. Since the giant didn't seem interested in attacking them directly yet, Angora did some thinking while Darkheart did her job. Could it work? It has worked before, but was it worth the attempt, especially without most of her magic?

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi reluctantly rode away on Dahlia, looking back the whole time. The enemies, at least, seemed to be thinning out rather well - at the current rate, the docks would, at the very least, be able to perform an evacuation. Still - the Omniphage had to be destroyed, or the respite would likely not be for long, regardless of where everyone went. Still, she had confidence - or, at the very least, a strong hope - that Maverick would return to her. Ilasi kept Chester held securely as Dahlia trudged on, giving him a soft petting to pass the time.

While reclutantly also, Maverick convinced Mischief to go with Ilasi. With all of them safe, Maverick felt better, and could focus more on the attack at hand. The ishiuds weren't attacking as much as earlier, although that could be because they were reorganizing or were targeting the weak. Whatever the case, Maverick tried to kill as many as he could. It wasn't in his nature to kill, but knew it was necessary. The beast continued to head their way, and without the captain there, he knew someone else could give an order.
"Risar! I think it's time to consider leaving the ship while we still have the time. The beast is heading here slowly, but if el capitán fails to stop him and it comes here, we won't be able to beat it." Maverick warned, wanting a retreat before the beast had a chance to get closer. One bite or punch from such giant, and the Enduring Legacy will be destroyed, along with everyone in it if they didn't evacuate in time...

Mischief, once out of the fight, allowed her exhaustion to show. "It seems hopeless... At least if we die here we go down fighting a horrid foe. Say, Ilasi... I've been meaning to return this. I know it's an odd time, but it remains yours." She fished the spellbook out of her bag once again, and offered it to Ilasi. "Here. Your spellbook. I've copied as much down in my notebook as I could. I tried to find you to return it earlier. I could only find Maverick, and got distracted helping him with breakfast." Finally she looked down, away from anything except the floor.

Darkheart focused less on attacking and more on making sure Angora could stay on. "I'll be honest Angora. You're a lot lighter than my last rider, but I never carried him in a fight. I don't know how to act as a combat mount."

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"Risar! I think it's time to consider leaving the ship while we still have the time. The beast is heading here slowly, but if el capitán fails to stop him and it comes here, we won't be able to beat it." Maverick warned, wanting a retreat before the beast had a chance to get closer. One bite or punch from such giant, and the Enduring Legacy will be destroyed, along with everyone in it if they didn't evacuate in time...

Risar noted Maverick's concern and watched with concern as the beast steadily got closer and closer. "Hmm--," the Minotaur said thinking outloud. The integrity of the ship would matter little if *it* got to it first. That being said, it was also their only ticket off the island. "Men... Split up! One half retreats and advances to the beast. And the other half, defend the ship and make sure we still have a ride out of here!," he then began issuing orders and dividing the crew with Maverick joining the side in retreat/advance.

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Trepidatiously, Latnok took a seat on Raclaw, trying his best to distribute his weight evenly. He wasn't quite sure how well Raclaw could carry him, but if the fur dragon was offering, then he was probably confident in his capabilities.
"Okay. Let's do this," Latnok said, as he lightly gripped Raclaw's collar

Raclaw wasn't sure exactly *what* to expect upon act of being mounted by someone who wasn't a lightweight dog or troll, but he would certainly put all he had in it-- for Latnok's sake, for future's sake, and for the island's sake. With Latnok as secure as he was ever going to be under the current circumstances, Raclaw gently began to lift himself as he attempted to adjust to the new weight. He had once carried cannon parts, but Latnok was no cannon and was putting his life between his wings. Slowly but surely, Raclaw began to ascend into the air; Latnok was heavier than he looked...

Maverick knew that for the evacuation plan to work, they would need the help of the dragolets to do that. All the riding dragons have left and Tyraika wasn't going to help being too wild, so they needed their help.
"Um, con permiso, will you help us carry the wounded?" he said to the nearest dragolet, knowing they wouldn't be able to do this alone even if the beast was coming their way slowly. Dahlia could help greatly if she returned, but he rather have her stay with Ilasi, Mischief and Chester.

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Darkheart focused less on attacking and more on making sure Angora could stay on. "I'll be honest Angora. You're a lot lighter than my last rider, but I never carried him in a fight. I don't know how to act as a combat mount."

"Last rider?" Angora exclaimed surprised.
"Wait, aren't you a wild dragon? Look out!" Angora started to say before helping her dodge a web from one of the bug's attacks. Was she referring to Latnok, or did Darkheart had an owner long belfry being reunited with Raclaw? It didn't matter for now. This was no time for casual conversation. Angora had a little plan of her own, one that she doubted would work, especially without most of her magic aiding her, but couldn't hurt to try...

Ilasi figured it a rather odd time to be concerned about returning the spellbook of all things, but was appreciative nonetheless. However, her hands were currently full, between holding Chester and keeping herself stable on Dahlia.
"Thank you for the consideration," she said. "I'll take it back when we have a bit more time to settle down. Don't worry, it's not a big deal." The spellbook was the very least of Ilasi's worries right now.

With Shade's assistance, Veris was able to become free of the attackers, and remained on standby in case Sere needed to return to him. Sere was not expecting reinforcements - nevertheless, he was happy to see some coming in. Was that Latnok... riding Raclaw?
Now wasn't the time to be too concerned about that There were things to do. "Good to have you all here," he telepathed to the incoming combatants. "Let's take this thing down, now."

Mischief sighed, frustrated by the situation. "Without a good dose of luck... We're pretty much doomed, it seems..." Returning the spellbook to her bag, she pulled out her gemstone, which now was full to overflowing with Mana. It glowed, the energy pulsating slightly. "If I could just get close enough, I could set off a spell that rips pretty much anything to pieces. But I'd need to fly or something. Attacking that beast's hide is fruitless. Even I can't find a weak point. So we have little choice. I'll keep you safe as long as I can though... Even if we are doomed, I'm not going down without a fight." The orb floated above one paw as Mana visibly swirls around it for a moment.

Darkheart nodded in midair. "I am, but when we finally came back, Star rode on my back. Oh, and thanks. I'm not used to riders in general. Sere, awaiting any plan you might have. At this point I'm willing to try just about anything, situation's a little desperate."

Angora never expected this kind of teamwork with Latnok and Sere. It felt rather nice actually. Working for the same cause rather than have her gaining up on her for some offense, some that weren't even on purpose. Hopefully, this new treatment will continue far long after the battle... if they survived. Everyone was ready, even Shade. She felt a slight sopot of sadness when Darkheart mentioned Star, but all she could do was pray that the storm back then lead her to an island with nice people and not controlled by the Ishulgies. It was way too much to hope for, but it was the best she got.

After Sere's message and Shade's comment, Angora thought of her plan... talk to the beast. But was it really good idea? She didn't even know if she had the power anymore, plus this thing didn't look sapient enough to even communicate. Was it worth a try? It worked with a sea beast that once attacked them, but not with others like the behemoth or the White Shadow, all for different reasons. Not to mention this thing wasn't natural. It never meant to exist. But that wasn't his fault. What should she do? For now, she settled on distracting it along with the rest. Those eyes... they were terrifying...

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Luckily for Maverick he talked to a medical Dragolet. “We will help to the best we can.” He said.

"Gracias. Th... thank you." he said, knowing that with these many dragons, they could evacuate everyone in no time.

The three former pirates were doing the best they could as well, curing the injured while the other sailors covered them. Random knew far before anyone else, that these efforts were pountless as long as the beast continued it's advance. They were as good as dead if they didn't get out of there...

"Find any possible means of assaulting it or interrupting it that doesn't involve trying to overpower it," Sere ordered. "Illusions and the like, possibly. We need to get a clear shot at its mouth, and something to goad it into opening its mouth."
That made Latnok wonder - the Omniphage would, according to Julian's instructions, gain great power by biting off part of a dragon or other elemental creature. Perhaps they'd have the opportunity if it tried to devour one?

Angora thought very hard on how to do that, but getting too close to it was a deadly move. It was quite slow, but the size was more than enough to compensate it. If Darkheart... or any other dragon for that matter got caught in those jaws, it would likely mean certain death. If only she could fly herself to avoid risking Darkheart or any of her dragon friends. It was then than she had an idea. It was ridiculously risky, but it was the only thing she could think of that may get the beast to open it's mouth like it was needed.
"Captain? What if I jumped... into... snout? I can hold... nostrils and make it... open it's jaws as it tries catching me!" Angora communicated telepathically, the message sounding a bit distorting due to her limited magic, but hoping enough of the message reached the old Guardian. She had been thinking of doing it immediately without saying anything, but Sere being more exper iced and Angora wanting to avoid being reckless for once, she decided to tell her plan first. It was quite a dangerous move. Not only did she risked being thrown away if the creature thrashed around it's head to get her off, but she also risked missing it's snout if it suddenly moved away in the middle of her jump. Not to mention of course risking the creature noticing her in the air and opening her jaws to catch her. It was a nasty gamble, but if it meant saving the island, her current and unlikely teammates, her friends back in the ship, all those men who likely had families waiting for the,, it had to be worth it...

Sere didn't have the luxury of immediately coming up with a safer plan. "If you think you can manage it, go for it. We need to find something to get an opening. I'll try to get back in as close as I can for another shadow spell." This creature had to have a weakness - and they would find and exploit it. This would not be the day he failed.

Leoquin had tossed one of his weighted nets in the air, catching a weaver with it as it came back down. The attack continued to slow down more and more as the defense remained steadfast. He never imagined finding his brother would involve dealing with a powerful, monstrous cult hell-bent on world assimilation - but here they were. It would be a shame if,after all of this, nothing came up in regards to Audax.

"This.. this could actually work!," Raclaw exclaimed as he managed to hold himself and Latnok steady alongside the others-- occasionally shooting fire at a intervening weaver. "Angora, Sere-- if your plan works.. Latnok and I *should* be able to get a good shot in. And then perhaps..," the fur dragon then added. Meanwhile, Risar's now split forces were now on their way to the battle at large. Elsewhere, Chester remained safe with Dahlia and the others.

Angora had kinda been expecting Sere to go against the idea, since deep inside, she didn't want to do it. But there was no time to waste. Slowly but surely, the beast was making it's way to the ship, and still destroying the poor islander's home. Seriously, that society was horribly crazy and sadistic to resort to such barbarity, and it made her terribly ashamed that she let herself be manipulated by them. But it wasn't the time to dwell in the past. With just one plan in mind and Sere's approval, she lead Darkheart just above the beast's head, far enough to avoid the monster from snapping it's jaws at her. She really didn't want to do this. The worse that could happen? The beast noticing her and opening her jaws to catch her. That would really be bad luck... and that when a casual hand in her pocket reminded her of something very important. She had two weapons that could be useful. Perhaps something could work out? For now, it was time to set the plan into motion.

"Alright Darkheart. This is important. I will try to land on it's head or snout. If I miss, you catch me, but DON'T get close to it's jaws, you got me?" Angora asked firmly, but she didn't wait for Darkheart to respond. Once the comment was done, Angora jumped, with the first weapon, Veris's fang, firmly at hand. Even if it couldn't penetrate the skin, the curve like form should still give her some slack port. The second weapon, the dagger, would be used as a last resort. If still had poison in it, there was no point in wasting it to a skin it couldn't penetrate, and if the beast did indeed catch her, the dagger could penetrate it's softer insides... assuming it still had poison in it. It was a dangerous gamble, but it was too late for her to turn back. She was falling....

As Angora took her jump, the Omniphage continued on without changing its behavior. Fortunately, Angora was beneath its notice; it made no effort to attempt to avoid something which didn't even register to it. Angora's landing would put her sligtly above the creature's eyes. She would have to work her way towards the nostrils from there.

Latnok, Raclaw, and Sere all waited on standby to see if Angora's plan would work. They had to be ready to seize the opportunity as soon as it presented itself...

Angora was quite disappointed to know she missed his snout by so much, but at least the beast didn't give any indications of spotting her, so it was a good sign. The skin wasn't smooth, so there was enough for her to support herself from without the need of Veris' fang. It was almost like scaling a mountain. With such a size difference, Angora was probably no bigger than a flea, and if the beast concentrated on it's assault, it likely that it won't even notice her. It was still a dangerous gamble, but she has come this far already.
"Alrighty then Angora. You can do this!" she said in her mind to motivate herself, remembering that she didn't have Neo with her anymore. Her mind made up, she slided down between the eyes and headed to the nostrils. Even if the monster didn't spotted her and tried to catch her like the original plan was, perhaps she could try to make it sneeze. Everyone opened their mouths when about to sneeze, right? She sure did, and believed the monster would be the same. Angora was nervous, but also exited. This was probably the craziest and boldest thing she has ever done...

"Come on Angora-- you can do this!," Raclaw encouraged as he worked to both maintain his current altitude and to keep up with the ongoing fight/distraction for the troll's sake. With his and Latnok's senses, they could keep a close eye on Angora's progress; she had made it albeit slightly off target. But she was actually *scaling* the beast-- impressive.

Meanwhile, Risar and advancing crew were almost in range-- ideal for an ongoing distraction once Angora's plan went into full fruition.

At the ship, Maverick was aiding the sailors in protecting the three healing men. When the assault turned a bit more mild, Maverick addressed to Sand Dune.
"We will evacuate in a moment señor Sand Dune. Make sure the injured are ready to be moved." he told, still feeling strange calling him that, but apparently, Sand Dune and his companions didn't like their real names. Likewise, Sand Dume found it strange and a little funny how he used the word señor, but did what he told and made sure the most wounded were bandaged and with a small dose of sedative so that the move wouldn't be painful for them...

The Omniphage continued on, ignorant to Angora's attempts to infiltrate its nostrils as the others continued their attempts to distract the creature. It would occasionally be held up by a blinding spell here or there, but was otherwise undeterred. Thus, as Angora made her way into its nostrils, it continued as if nothing was happening.

The ride on Raclaw was naturally rough, but Latnok was beginning to get the hang of it. "Well," he said, "looks like Angora is making her move now. We need to be ready when she does."
Sere was also attempting to reposition to allow a clear shot at the creature's mouth when they eventually had the chance. If this didn't work, then they would likely have to retreat - it would be a hopeless fight. This had to work. It absolutely had to.

Angora was surprised at her luck. It was as if the Omniphage didn't even know she existed. Was she really that small? Or his eyesight simply didn't work at a short distance? Whatever the reason, it was certainly working in her favor. The beast didn't seem to feel her touch either, but given it's very hard skin, it was no wonder.

The beast kept it's advance, still not noticing Angora, and once the little troll reached it, she approached it's left nostril. The idea was for the beast to notice her so that it would open it's mouth in an attempt to catch her, but if it couldn't see her, she would have to do the sneezing plan, an idea she despised greatly. Not only was it disgusting, if the creature sneezed, there was a good chance she was going to be catapulted very far. But if she went with the first plan and the creature lifted it's head violently instead of simply opening it's mouth like she expected... or used it's tongue instead, it would be bad too. All of her brief pondering was enough for her to notice something dangling from her pocket; the grappling hook. It almost got loose when she jumped to the beast's head. It was then that she had an idea. Both plans were risky, but a sneeze's force would catapult her too far for the dragons to catch her in time, and a fall like that could be deadly. So instead, she went with the first plan. But first, she communicated something to Darkheart.
"Dark...eart. Stay far, but be ready to catch .... grappling hook if... goes wrong." she communicated telepathically to the dragoness, once again distorting like Sere's message but hopefully clear enough.

With the plan settled now, Angora used Veris' fang to stab the creature's rock like snout. She didn't know if it would feel it, but the idea was to get it's attention. Once she made sure the fang was very stuck, she got a good grip on it and started waving her arm in case the stabbing didn't do the trick.
"Hey! You beast! Why are you doing this? What do you gain from all of those? Obeying some crazy humans? This is pathetic!" she taunted, doubtful that the creature understood a word she said, but the general idea was to get it to notice her. Her heart was raising violently. This was a ridiculously risky plan, and she couldn't believe she was doing it. She felt like fainting, but the adrenaline was making sure she was more alert than ever.

Presented with this new, curious distraction, the Omniphage stopped for a few moments as it attempted to make sense of whatever it was that was... attacking it? Harassing it? Its eyes turned inward in its attempts to identify the new "threat".
With some effort, it was able to get some idea of what it was - some miniscule creature that had wound up on its snout somehow. Looking rather unhappy, it gave a brief screeching sound as it shook its snout, attempting to dislodge the intruder.

At least Angora now knew that the beast didn't talk, or had no interest in doing so. Or perhaps he did and couldn't understand him with the limited magic? Whatever the reason, it didn't matter. Angora managed to make the monster stop it's assault for that moment, but still, it wasn't the reaction she was expecting. She was hoping it would try to open it's mouth in an attempt to catch her, but now she knew she was more of a nuisance to it than food. She held on to dear life as she grasped the stuck fang in one hand and a piece of it's rocky skin in the other, almost looking like a rag doll with the Omniphage shaking it's head like that.
"Careful! Careful!" she yelled to her battle companions as the beast thrashed around it's head, worried that it's snout could accidentally slap one of the dragons, and given it's size, it could cause great damage.

The plan wasn't going as expected, and Angora grasped the snout and the fang hardly to the point her hands were hurting. She was starting to believe the sneezing plan was the better one. This plan or that one, both had the risk of her being thrown far away anyway, but the latter could've been an open mouth guarantee. Now she had to hold on for her life... but as she started to get dizzy, she was hoping that the beast would get tired of thrashing around it's head like that. Shaking it in such a way for so long couldn't be too healthy for any creature, or at least she thought so. One of them had to give up soon.
"I'm not budging! Go ahead! What are you going to do now?" Angora yelled to the beast, her face's skin color changing, feeling like throwing up, but resisted. She wasn't going to give up. She couldn't. Too much was at stake, not only her own life. And if she was thrown too far, she doubted the dragons would be able to catch her in time, not even with the grappling hook...

As Angora struggled to keep her position, she would soon have additional problems - several soldiers, broken off from the engagement at the gate, would be incoming in an effort to dislodge her. Sere pointed them out as they approached.
"Intercept them!" he ordered. They had to buy Angora enough time for her plan to hopefully work out. The Omniphage, in the meantime, seemingly decided that Angora wasn't worth concerning itself with now, and it continued its march of destruction. Perhaps something more aggressive would be on order.