darkSpyro

Maverick didn't interrupted the group, and for what he could see, they were very concentrated on whatever they were doing. He didn't want the sight of food or smell get in the way either, so he suggested to his friend they should distribute the food the other way just in case. Thankfully, the wind was facing the other direction, so the smell wasn't going to be distracting. When they moved away, Maverick could see Ilasi.
"Hola mi amor. Been busy I see. Look what I... what we made." he said, looking at his new friend. He couldn't take all the credit.

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"It appears we're ready," Sere indicated. "Continue on, please." He and Latnok prepared to mutually channel power once the spell had started.

Raclaw offered a nod and allow his energy to flow freely, via both himself and Latnok. Risar and Chester stood by on the sidelines.

Mischief gently sprinkled the herbs and oils over the golem's body and began the incantation. Energy began to subtly swirl around the golem, as Mana filtered into it. Upon the seventh repeat of the spell a slight flash of energy illuminated the creature's eyes.
The golem shuddered. Mischief held her breath, watching as the creature began to move, completed.
Darkheart broke Mischief's silence. "Is it finished?"
Mischief nodded, eyes turning back to their normal soft blue. "Y... Yes..." She felt both drained and revitalized. The others donated the Mana to raise the golem, but she'd had to cast several spells without breaking her chanting. And yet, it was a success. She admired the titanic clay and stone man. "Should we name it?"
The creature slowly rose to its feet, then stood, slightly hunched. It was massive, and bulky. The hands slowly flex, as if the creature was learning to move. Which, in a way, it was. Mischief smiled. "Sere, meet your newest crew member. I think I'll call him... Rocky."

"The creation of a golem-- intriguing. Welcome Rocky to this crew of misfits, both embodied and disembodied.," Damon spoke accidentally triggering Raclaw's telepathy to speak to all those involved and those in the local area. Raclaw appeared to want to say something, but would've appeared speechless. Or rather obviously, the act of Damon quickly overrode his own thoughts. The Fur Dragon didn't mind in this particular instance, 'allowing' the collar entity its thoughts. Risar, for his part, offered a nod and was rather impressed by the newly named creation. "Impressive-- very impressive.," the minotaur spoke looking at Rocky. Perhaps a new sparring partner after all.," his thoughts noted as he looked up and down at the Golem's features.

While Maverick was looking at his girlfriend, he was still too curious as to how the golem project was going. He was left with his mouth open wide when he saw that the statue that was circled among the companions was moving. It was morning, like he moved. Like anything alive or moved by the wind moved. But there was no way the wind was strong enough to move it like that... especially not in such an articulated matter. Maverick almost let out some drool with how wide his mouth was opened...

Latnok and Sere marveled at the collaborative creation. Though they certainly knew of golems, they were very uncommon, with the resources needed to make one - and yet, here they were, having made one. If Mischief hadn't proven her value to the team with her combat skills already, this certainly sealed the deal.
"Excellent work, Mischief," Sere complimented, as Latnok gave a few claps. The stony creature certainly moved as if it were alive. This was excellent. Assaulting the fortress would actually be doable without massive casualties now. The assault could be prepared - except one thing remained to be demonstrated.
"Welcome, Rocky," Sere gave in greeting, before setting his sights on some trees in the distance. "Let's see what you can do against the trees there."

"Hello, dear," Ilasi said warmly, as the anticipation of more cooking tantalized her the whole morning. The sight and smell of Maverick's food made Ilasi's mouth water as she took in the sight of the golem construction for a moment. "We learn something new every day..."
The smell of food helped pull her attention back to her immediate surroundings, however. "Oh, 'we'? Do you have an apprentice now?" she asked jokingly, as she took one of the dishes. Some fish and vegetables - the fish was relatively fresh, with fishing being a hobby Leoquin regularly indulged in.

Maverick's awe was broken just in time by the voice of Ilasi. He would be too embarrassed if he had known he was drooling in front of his girlfriend and new friend.
"Wha... oh, heh. No, nothing of the sort." Maverick stated, looking at his friend.
"Just helping." he assured, looking at Ilasi and finding Maverick so lucky to have managed to catch himself a mermaid of all races as his soulmate. He turned his attention to the golem, as did Maverick.
"Muy bien Mischief! Dang! I may not have any magic at all, but I wonder if I can learn it. Some humans can after all, and... well not sure about fauns, but for what I've researched about them, they were great alchemists! That's sort of like magic, right?" Maverick said, though more to himself, though truth be told, he didn't even know how alchemy worked.

While something truly miraculous was going on just above her, Angora was still stuck inside the mighty wyvern's jaws, keeping the shield together as he munched it to his heart's delight. As she saw nothing but teeth and a little of the light that was in the enclosure, she began to realize that she was doing the exact same opposite of what she had promised herself to do, which was spending less time with Veris. Sure, he needed his exercise, but this? He could've easily done this with a toy or something similar, but once again, this still kinda counted like bonding. She wanted to say something to the wyvern, and even though she couldn't look at his face, the gnawing had lasted for quite a while, which had to mean he was enjoying it. At this rate, Veris was never going to let her go when the voyage was over...

As calming as gnawing on the shield bubble was, Veris eventually settled down, letting Angora fall out of his mouth before laying down. "Thank you," he said with a pleased smile as he curled up. The faint smell of food somewhere would bring him back to full alertness, however, and he stood up and began to salivate.

"Learn magic? I wouldn't know," Ilasi admitted. "Magic comes more naturally to us merfolk, but humans have developed ways of harnessing magic despite not being innately magical. I'm sure it's something doable with enough time and effort." As far as Ilasi could recall, all of the human mages she had known had been nobles, military officers, hermits, and the Ardent Guardians - which suggested to her that a lot of time, effort, and knowledge was needed.

After Veris spat her out, Angora deactivated her shield, getting out of the way as soon as it vanished to avoid the drool stuck on top from falling on her, though still some of it splashed on her feet. She would clean it later though. The smell of food also invaded her nostrils as soon as she was free. It was much stronger than breakfast. Having travelled with Maverick for months made her know it was his work.
"Hmm, smells delicious, doesn't it Veris? Looks like Maverick is making lunches now too." she said, and couldn't be happier with the news. It almost made her forget about the Ishulgite message from earlier. She had to keep her distance from him to avoid the salivating mouth.
"I... could grab some of it and mix it with your own food if you want." Angora suggested to Veris before biting her own tongue. There it was again. She was spoiling him. Why did she kept doing that? She just couldn't help it. Months taking care of him during the voyage made her too used to it.

Maverick shrank his shoulders, never having been really interested in learning it, but after watching how helpful and impressive it could be, he was willing to try.
"Well, could be fun, and if it can help people, then better." he replied rather awkwardly, not thinking too much through it. Perhaps his unique mixture could help him learn fast? If he couldn't learn magic, then alchemy would probably do the trick.

The golem looked at the trees, raised a great earthen fist, and punched one with the force needed to break it in half. Mischief's delight couldn't be hidden. "I can't believe it! We have a golem now!" Her excitement led to bouncing as she briefly forgot the situation and her appearance. Evolved or not, she was still childlike in many ways. "I'm so happy my research paid off!" She made a brief series of excited squeaks before regaining her composure. Blushing about her overexcited outburst, she smiled as she beheld her creation. "To think, creatures famous for having such strength are also known to have the necessary control to cradle an infant and save them from a landslide. Then again, considering the company I'm in, I shouldn't exactly be surprised. The strong must learn control so they don't hurt the ones they care about." She continued to muse on strength for a bit.
Darkheart was stunned by the golem. "To knock down a tree with blunt force alone requires great strength. We might not need a battering ram after all. Holy smokes. Say, Mischief... Are golems sentient?"
Mischief tilted her head. "Well... Such knowledge is lost to time, but according to my research the golem is animated by a minor earth Spirit to give it life. Either way, without a voice it's hard to tell, though I'd like to think it is. Say, isn't there a legend about man being molded from the earth?"
Darkheart shrugged. "Eh, I think so. Though, they certainly are more adaptable. They can choose a path for themselves, if they put the work in..." The dark dragoness continued quietly philosophizing for a bit.
Meanwhile the golem knocked a couple more trees down before turning to face Risar again. It seemed... Quizzical, perhaps? Was it awaiting a response? Its "face" didn't show emotion well.

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The dark dragoness continued quietly philosophizing for a bit.
Meanwhile the golem knocked a couple more trees down before turning to face Risar again. It seemed... Quizzical, perhaps? Was it awaiting a response? Its "face" didn't show emotion well.

"Hmm--," Risar grunted staring into the golem's face as if he were staring into another's soul. "Risar sees you recognize strength; that is good. I.. I am a Minotaur and I am sure that we can both serve to inspire the other. I am pleased to meet another warrior such as yourself.," he then said seemingly offering respect to the newly created and perhaps sentient being. They also shared common ground, as both were either originally born or created to serve another; one a (ex)slave and the other a contruct created for war. The key difference was that much less was known about the Golem.

Raclaw, meanwhile, attempted to scan Rocky for active thought, sentient or otherwise. It was even possible that Rocky had thought, but that such things would be blocked or otherwise unreadable to one whom was used to reading the usual flesh and blood kind of creatures. There was only way to find out; one way to sate his growing curiosity. Nearby, Chester was just glad that Rocky was on their side and not that of their numorious enemy. The little Beagle otherwise watched the golem with curiosity.

Sere and Latnok looked on in satisfaction as the golem made short work of the trees. "This is perfect. We'll ready the assault, then," he announced. "The islanders will form the main attacking force on the fortress. With the golem operational, we can have it attack the gate. Cannons will be used to strike at holes in the walls where enemy archers may fire through. Our ship and crew will keep the seas secure in the event of any attempt by the enemy to reinforce from the shore. We will be given some cannons from the islanders for this purpose. A few of us will need to be with the islander force, to support the golem in the case of anything unexpected happening. That would ideally be those of us who assisted in its creation. I'll brief the crew; wait for me here." With the basic plan laid out, Sere headed back up the gangplank of the ship, preparing to give the briefing.

Veris gave a devilish grin as he licked his snout. "Yes, please!" he eagerly said. Angora always knew just what to say and do to keep his mood up - and she always made him feel so proud of himself. When this was all over, there would be so much more they could do, when they weren't in such a restricted environment and had more tools at their disposal.

As he and his new friend distributed the cart with the lunches, Maverick looked at Mischief and gave a quiet, giddy applause from the distance, with a big grin on his face. He was feeling so proud of her. She told him once she knew about magic, or magik as she called it, but never imagined she would be so good at it. This was through a whole new level. The man looked at him the entire time.
"Heh, what's the deal fluffy? You're friends with a dragon, a troll, have a mermaid for a girlfriend, and now you're friends with the weird, wolf thingy? You have quite the taste, don't you?" he said, though it was hard to tell if he was teasing or actually giving Maverick a compliment.
"I think she's more of a fox, but yeah. I guess when you're part faun, you can have many kinds of friends." he replied, but the man believed Maverick was simply too modest, or underestimating himself.

After Veris' reply, Angora turned around to leave, rolling her eyes and disappointed in herself for spoiling the wyvern way too much. Before leaving though, she decided to put him to the test.
"I'll go get your food. But after that, I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon with Maverick, Mischief, and a little bit with Icestorm. He needs it the poor guy. I'll return at night with your dinner." she said, intending to keep that promise. She already spent most of the morning with Veris, so he wasn't suppose to have any objections. However, Angora waited patiently for his reply. He was already jealous enough of Shade, which she knew he tried to hide, but she wanted to know how he felt about the rest of her non dragon friends.

Rocky responded to Risar with a nodding motion. Then again, it was mute like most golems. If it did have a mind of its own, it clearly had a calm personality. Seeing as how golems were originally created as protectors this made sense. Under the surface, it did indeed think on its own. But being mute, it could never express its thoughts unless Raclaw could find a way to connect with its mysterious elemental spirit.
Mischief turned to look at Maverick and waved as she approached. She managed not to drool as she looked at the meals he'd prepared. She'd always loved food, and Maverick had a knack for cooking like no other. Putting her orb and notebook away, she finally looked up at him with her head tilted. "Err, is one specifically for me or do I just grab one? I'm still not entirely used to how things work around here... I just know I'm famished..." She noticed the man with Maverick and felt he seemed vaguely familiar but couldn't say from where. She did feel like he was somebody she should know. Returning her attention to Maverick, she added "Nervousness makes me hungry fast. Then again, I usually eat roughly twice as often as most of the others do anyway. My metabolism is really fast. But I was actually really scared I'd mess up the ritual... I suppose a more accurate wording is that my nervousness made me hungrier, hehe..."

Veris gave a slight frown, but made no protest. "Okay," he said resignedly. [b]"I will wait here. Maverick - is the furry human better to be with for you?"[/i] If there was some deficiency he had, he had to know...

Once Sere was on the ship, he rang the meeting bell, calling forth the usual assembly. He waited around a while before he was satisfied with the number of people present.
"Greetings, sailors!" he cried out. "Right to the point. Today, we assault a stronghold - but don't worry, I haven't lost my faculties yet. The islanders will be comprising the main force on the ground. A few of us who have worked on our newest weapon - a golem - will be there with them. You here on the ship will defend the seas and keep an escape route secured for us in the event of any surprises. The islanders will grant us some of their cannons to supplement such a task."
Sere went on for a while to explain some more minute details of his plan, before concluding.
"I'm counting on you all. We have succeeded at every turn - we will not stop now. The enemy has been especially defensive, and their forces will be thinner than before - but keep your guard up nevertheless. You are all dismissed "
The sailors scattered, having relatively high morale. With the meeting concluded, Ilasi sought out Maverick once again. She had finished her tasks, and it looked like they would be on the ship while some of the others were with the golem.

Maverick listened to Mischief patiently as she talked everything out. Everything has gone so well, yet the poor thing was still so nervous.
"You can choose whatever plate you want. You have to hurry though, cause more sailors will come this way and the more they pick, the less options you'll have." Maverick explained, letting Mischief choose whatever plate she wanted before the others took the best ones. This would come sooner than expected, since when Sere rang the announcement bell, more sailors gathered, picking up platters along the way, those who could anyway. Mischief had to choose fast.

Maverick listened to the captain's announcement, and became very uneasy. No more waiting for the Ishulgites to come to them and attack. They were going to make the first move this time. Sere was over a hundred years old though, so he wanted to trust he knew what he was doing. Entering enemy territory, a land they knew better, was always risky, but if the golem was as powerful as everyone made it out to be, then they would likely be fine. Maverick only hoped they didn't have beasts as humongous as the one they have faced before, but probably their biggest concern was going to be the flesh eating bugs. The Ishulgites seemed to have a lot of those. After Sere's speech was over, Maverick looked for Angora, but she seemed to have missed it. Poor troll. He then spotted Ilasi, and waved at her to let her know where he was...

Quote: A Guy

Veris gave a slight frown, but made no protest. "Okay," he said resignedly. "I will wait here. Maverick - is the furry human better to be with for you?" If there was some deficiency he had, he had to know...

Angora was about to leave after Veris said okay, hearing the announcement bell from the distance. She was about to head there to hear what Sere had to say, which no doubt had to do with the Ishulgite message earlier, but came to a halt when she heard the other thing Veris had to say. Being jealous of Shade was understandable since he was another dragon. But now her biggest fear was confirmed. He was also jealous of Maverick.
"Come on Veris. Didn't we talked about this before? It's not a matter of who is better. Maverick is also my friend, almost a childhood friend you could say, so obviously, I like spending time with him too." Angora explained calmly, though also a bit nervously. She noticed Veris' little frown. He didn't look angry, but looked nevertheless annoyed. Angora was afraid that if she kept spending time with him, there would be a moment where he wasn't going to like her spending time with others that weren't him.

Mischief nodded and grabbed the platter that most appealed to her. Listening to Sere's announcement, she nodded. She'd be fighting alongside her creation, which made sense. Choco stepped out on deck as the announcement was made and cheerfully nosed Mischief. Mischief paused in eating to stroke the giant bird. As she finished her meal she grinned a bit. Today the Ishulgites would be brought down. In just a short time, presumably. She started to climb onto Choco before realizing she was now taller than him. She decided she'd deal with that soon. She pet her loyal chocobo. Then she drew her orb and stared into it. "The Ishulgites are going to fall!"
Choco enthusiastically called out "Kweh!" Yes! Let's stop the bad people!
Darkheart displayed a vicious smirk, and admired her razor sharp claws.
Rocky nodded again and flexed his massive stony hands.

Maverick cringed when Choco made an appearance.
"Oof, still can't get used to that bird." he said in a rather funny way, still not adapted to the presence. Choco roamed around the ship, and while it was impressive and scary at first, the bird really never bothered anyone, so the sailors learned to just ignore it. Maverick then saw how fired up Mischief and Darkheart were, and sighed.
"I really wish there wasn't the need for bloodshed, but... these people, they won't give us a choice." he said sadly, knowing he had to prepare his heart and mind to fight. The Ishulgites have attacked them more than once, with different kinds of creatures, and that was enough for Maverick to know that talking and searching for a peaceful solution was something they weren't about to consider anytime soon.

Mischief looked up at Maverick, eyes displaying a hint of sadness. "I often wish I was talented at the healing arts. My Mana just tends to backfire when I cast a healing spell. I don't like hurting anyone... But the cruelty of the Ishulgites means not fighting them just means more suffering for others. The faster we stop them, the fewer people to be hurt. Of course, you already realize that. It's why you're helping, isn't it?"

"I have to." Maverick replied, knowing he had to put up with all the fighting skills he aquired during his pirate days.
"And no te preocupes about the healing. The Guardians know about that. Mi Ilasi knows how to heal too, and Angorita is lately getting so good at it." he said happily, feeling so proud of his girls.

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Darkheart displayed a vicious smirk, and admired her razor sharp claws.
Rocky nodded again and flexed his massive stony hands.

Raclaw offered his own display-- lifting his tail into the air and expanding his tail spikes in an epic Arceus-like fashion, accidentally imitating the unfamiliar Pokémon. The new tail band form was seemingly a mix between its usual form and and the previous experimental pick form. Risar, for his part, offered a hearty grin and an confidant looking first. The former was no doubt inspired somewhat by his fellow crewmates. And indeed-- they and the crew would be as ready as they would ever be for the pending fight.

Chester watched Raclaw's display in awe, always impressed by what his dragon friend could do with his golden-braced tail. Who knew one could do so much with a tail band?

Ilasi smiled. "We all do our part," she assured Mischief. "Don't worry about it. No one person can do everything - even if they feel like they can." Though Ilasi worried about those who would be leaving, there was little she could do, having to stay on the ship. Sere was not one for risking people he didn't have to.

Veris was about to settle for the answer - but a flash of inspiration gave him a seemingly clever idea. "You and the human can come here! We can stay here!" He seemed to pick up after coming up with the thought, very satisfied with himself. Why didn't he think about that before?

Angora raised an eyebrow, quite shocked at his suggestion.
"Here? With Maverick!?" she repeated, wanting to make sure she heard right.
"Um... it's... an idea but, well, I don't think he would be too comfortable here. We could hang around the main deck I suppose, but you know, Ishulgites..." Angora said as she pointed above her, figuring it wasn't such a good idea to remind the wyvern about them, but they were in quite a predicament already. They already invited the, to fight, and she knew that could happen as soon as today. She was very worried about what the end of the voyage would bring her, but first, they had to deal with the Ishulgites to get to that part in the first place...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi smiled. "We all do our part," she assured Mischief. "Don't worry about it. No one person can do everything - even if they feel like they can." Though Ilasi worried about those who would be leaving, there was little she could do, having to stay on the ship. Sere was not one for risking people he didn't have to.

"Por supuesto. With that... golem helping us, we'll do a great job." Maverick assured, very glad that Mischief could finally do something that pleased the Guardian. Such a feat was bound to get their respect already. He looked at their direction and could see Sere was getting ready to set off, and correctly figured that as the creator of the golem, Mischief was going with them.

"Looks like el capitán is waiting for you. Buena suerte Mischief. I'll see you later, alright?" Maverick said with a smile to hide how extremely worried he truly was. He didn't know if Angora or Veris would go on this trip, but even if they were not, he was terrified. The Ishulgites were a powerful race, not to mention crazy. Such combination was deadly. He called one father for such a long time.

Upon hearing of the infeasibility of his plan, Veris slouched down again. Angora was, once again, right - he didn't know why Maverick still had an aversion to him, but the others would likely be busy right now, with the Ishulgites.
This time, though, he remained subdued. "Okay. The human Maverick can stay with us next time, though! I will wait here." With that, Veris curled up, waiting for some food before a nap.

Angora nodded, immediately heading into the kitchen once the door was locked. The good thing was that Veris looked more insterested in spending time with Maverick than keeping her away from him. Although she estimated it was to keep spending time with her specifically, she was aware Maverick won Veris over with his food like she did before him, and no doubt would he look forward for another one of his cooked meals.

Once Angora reached the kitchen, she realized she has completely missed Sere's announcement. No doubt it was about the Ishulgites, but she would have to find out the exact details later. For now, she focused on filling up Veris' tray with all kinds of meats. If there was a fight later, he would need all the nutrients he could get. As she gathered the meats, she still couldn't stop being angry at herself for still spoiling Veris.
"Way to go Angora. Now he'll never let you leave." she said to herself, certain Veris won't take no for an answer if Sere or her refused to her being into Guardian base to be with him. Instead of trying to bond with him less, she was sinking in deeper.

After the tray was full, Angora proceeded to take it to the hungry wyvern, still tortured by her thoughts. Maverick would have to find out about her predicament sooner or later. If she didn't tell him, Ilasi will now that she knew. Reaching the enclosure, she entered.
"Here you go Veris. A lot this time so it can prepare you for whatever battle lies ahead." she said, leaving the tray and leaving immediately. She wasn't going to wait for the disappearing act to happen, so she instead left before the wyvern could drag her in for more company. How she hated the situation. If the Ishulgites didn't capture or kill her, Veris would likely keep her afterwards, especially if he was used to having things done his way. Whatever angle she looked at, she was trapped...

Mischief nodded to Maverick and approached the Captain. "Reporting for duty, Captain Sere. I'm ready to stop the Ishulgites." Choco followed her, and made a nodding motion to show his own readiness. Mischief glanced at the chocobo before looking back to Sere. "I'm willing to do what it takes to stop this cruel cult."
Rocky stood on standby, awaiting orders to begin. The golem was focused mostly on Mischief for orders, since she was his creator.
Darkheart returned her attention to Sere, although she moved a little closer to Raclaw. "It's time to end this once and for all." A bit quieter she noted with a hint of amusement "I bet the Ishulgites are saying something similar." Returning to her normal volume, she added "This has gone on long enough. We've already lost too many lives to this group."
Digi remained on standby, gathering data. If he felt it'd be useful, he'd speak up. Otherwise... He'd stay silent unless asked for advice.

Sere shook his head. "Oh, I'm afraid we have much bigger problems after this..." he stated. Rigel still had his plans, after all - though the Void Locator could be destroyed, there wasn't anything to suggest it couldn't be rebuilt or repaired by the Ishulgites. "One day at a time. Let's get moving."

Sere led the group through the foliage, and they eventually reached the camp the islanders had set up. Though they were on high alert, they welcomed the reinforcements, and looked at the golem in awe.
Martus was completely encased in thick plate from head to toe, as were most of those who expected to be within striking range at the walls. "This is wonderful - we can send the golem forward, and provide it with support from a safer range. Once the gates are broken, we can come rushing in. Let's finish this and hopefully put an end to this damned storm keeping us in here."
Latnok's blood started pumping at the thought of combat. They would be victorious. They had to be.

Veris rushed at his food before it could escape, leaving the tray clean - but Angora had disappeared in the short time it took him to do so. Oh, well - he would nap and wait for her arrival.

Maverick waved goodbye to the group as they disappeared into the foliage, pale as a sheet of paper.
"Don't worry dude. They'll be fine." his few friend assured, seeing his uneasiness. Angora soon after made her way to the main deck, Maverick cheering up immediately, giving her a hug.
"Angorita! Hola! Haven't seen you in a while! Veris, right?" he correctly guessed.
"You know it." she replied, feeling a bit guilty for leaving the wyvern like that, but she needed a little time off.

"Let's do this-- once and for all!," Raclaw said as he expanded his basic spikes; the spike was probably his favorite form for his much beloved tail band. And why wouldn't it be, considering just how effective it was as such a weapon?

Elsewhere-- Chester was safe aboard the ship, reassured but still concerned about the others' safety. The little Beagle began to approach Icestorm, who seemed lonely and would soon have a new opportunity to be less so. Sadly, such an opportunity would have to wait 'till one of the others could directly talk to the little dragon. But they could perhaps keep each other company before the pending battle? He would like it at least. Risar watched over the crew, directing them as needed and preparing himself for anything.

Angora looked around, and the main deck felt different. The sailors scattered around indicated she missed the announcement by a long mile.
"Soooo... what did I miss?" she asked, with Maverick giving her the update.
"Well, el capitán told us about the Ishulgite threat and how they planned to stop it. And then Mischief created this giant, statue thing that came to life. You should've seen it Angorita!" Maverick said exitedly, Angora feeling bad to have missed it.
"It was called a golem I think." the man accompanying him said.
"Oh yeah. That was it." Maverick replied.
"Well, sounds like she's finally done something that impresses the Guardians." Angora said, actually proud of her, and now curious as to what the golem was like. She was worried about Mischief and the group, but not as much as Maverick.

Despite the group going to what was no doubt a dangerous battle, and one that would probably reach them eventually, Maverick decided to just enjoy this moment. He let Angora choose a lunch before he spotted Chester and Icestorm.
"Hey guys! Come on! Want some food?" he invited, not sure if Icestorm took some food from the cart earlier. Angora heard the word food and remembered Veris and his proposition. She would tell him later, since she just wanted to eat and not be bothered by anyone. If there was a battle coming their way eventually, she wanted to have the energy to fight.

"You.. you seem lonely.," Chester attempted to say as he got closer-- his barks coming out in a curious and caring tone. He approached in a gentle manner and showed no obvious signs of fear or aggression; instead the little Beagle seemed.. curious? The little Beagle looked up at the not-much-taller Icestorm and offered an soulful look. His ears perked when Maverick called them, although he initially decided to wait for Icestorm's reaction.

Chester barked a confirmative/exited bark, allowing the Dwarf Kaiju to lead the way. He was no Veris, but he wasn't one to say no to food.

Maverick gladly gave Chester his lunch, already having the bowl ready. Angora watched and smiled, so glad that dear Maverick was so beloved by many. He has earned everyone's respect and care, and he deserved it. Speaking of which, she p,Anne on telling him what Veris wanted to do. While she was glad the wyvern was so welcoming of his company, she was also in part worried. She didn't know if he wanted Maverick's company because of the food, or if he genuinely liked him. Or worse still, if it was to prevent him from taking her attention away from him...

Chester offered a simple bark-- no doubt a "Thank-you!" --and happily settled next to Icestorm to eat. It was a shame that even though Icestorm was nearly his size, they would still be limited by the language barrier whereas he and Raclaw could talk freely without issue. 'An inevitable fact of life.,' he briefly thought as he began to chow down. Latnok could also fully communicate with him, but only as a side effect of the Guardian's bond/ownership of Raclaw.

He couldn't have been happier for Raclaw when they formed that final and lifelong bridge, but also knew that some other dragons might not be so accepting of seeing another of their kind having willingly submitted to ownership. He wondered how Icestorm would accept that fact if and when he was ever officially told. From what he was told, Icestorm was a wild a free spirited dragon who had even managed to avoid simple registration for flight; an area where Raclaw failed. Icestorm had also managed to avoid a collar, an area where both Raclaw and Shade 'failed.' Of course, failure was irrelevant when Raclaw was clearly happy with his life... collar and all.

Mischief suddenly felt vaguely uncomfortable around the camp. She felt out of place, and went as silent as her golem. Choco remained close to her side to give some emotional support as the young vixen crossed her arms and awaited further instructions without making eye contact with the islanders.
Darkheart looked around quietly before looking to her beloved. She gently gave him a quick nuzzle.

After being certain everyone had their food, Maverick began to eat. If there was anyone missing, they would just have to get it from the cart directly. He waved at Ilasi and invited her to sit besides him and the rest of their current companions. While he wanted to enjoy this moment to the max, he couldn't stop being worried about their friends. They could be attacking the Ishulgites in their own homes at this very moment. With the golem, he hoped it would increase their chances of success. But as he ate, he noticed Sere didn't bring Shade or his beloved mount to the battle. Shade especially, could've done great damage with his fire. There was still Raclaw of course, but wondered if it was enough...

Angora was having her lunch in peace, glancing at Shade from time to time. The moment would've been perfect if he could be there joining them. It would've been just like old times, except they had more friends with them. She still deep inside despised Sere for the rule he set about not talking to him. She has barely seen the dragolet being trained to keep his powers under control, which led her to believe he has done that mostly for himself. As much as she cared for Veris, she enjoyed Shade's company more, although she knew if the wyvern knew, it would devastate him, so she was going to keep it a secret forever. As she continued glancing at Shade, she started to wonder how her life on the ship would've been if she had been allowed to talk to her large friend from the very beginning. She wouldn't have spoiled and bonded with Veris as much as she did most likely, and maybe the wyvern wouldn't have wanted her to accompany him even once the voyage was over.

Laszur was one of the last to get a plate. He had been concluding an earlier investigation - and though he was pretty sure he knew who was responsible for vandalizing Angora's door, the matter could cause significant ramifications to any future dealings with outsiders. He would have to talk to Sere later - they would have to be tactful about the matter.
Finding a spot to settle down somewhere, Laszur sat and began eating his food. Shade was in his usual state; it was something he would have to get used to as a prisoner. Not even a life of servitude would bring back those he killed, or heal their families, but it would be a start.

With the attacking force fully prepared, they set out. Sere directed the golem along the path, taking advantage of its ability to remove some of the denser vegetation which would otherwise impede progress. The main body of the attacking force was not too far away. Latnok held his bow tight, staying sharply on the alert and taking full advantage of his shared senses with Raclaw.
There was no sign of anything yet. Even the mastermind presence seemed to withdraw.
Finally, the attackers reached a clearing. A great stone structure with heavy iron doors stood before them. There were no Ishulgites manning the turrets or walls.
Such a thing did not go unnoticed by Sere. He waited for Martus to catch up before bringing that up to him. "You think we would've seen any enemy presence by now..." Sere mentioned.
"Possible they all just retreated after losing so many in the attack," Martus suggested with a shrug. "Also possible they don't want to fight out in the open with dragolets potentially involved, especially after what happened to their weapon. Of course, that is rather hopeful. Who knows what they have? We don't have the option of backing down now - we have to strike before they are prepared."
"Agreed." Sere looked over at the fortress once again. "Have your men set up a perimeter. We'll send the golem forward." With that, he issued the command to the golem to begin beating down the fortress door.

Ilasi gladly took Maverick's cue, giving him a peck on the cheek as she did. "Hello, dear. How is everyone doing today?" she asked politely. "Remember, if you're not feeling well, I'm here to help. Besides that, the best we can hope is that things go as planned for us." She was no tactician, but she had faith that the experienced fighters knew what they were doing.

"Everyone's fine...you know, even with the circumstances. Angorita taking great care of Veris as always. Icestorm making new friends..." he said glancing at the two little friends before continuing.
"... Oscurito is calm, with no incidents in such a long time, I'm hopeful he will earn his freedom soon." Maverick replied, ever optimistic about the matter. He knew that what Shade did was horrible, but like the man said, what's done is done, and it was an accident, not the results of a cruel, mindless animal.

Angora was almost done with her food, noticing Ilasi and Maverick together but having no hints of jealousy or any similar feelings. She couldn't help eavesdropping on them though, especially since she was so near, ant it was cute, yet quite depressing how optimistic Maverick was with Shade's predicament. She wanted nothing more than to have him have his freedom too, but Aelinonians were quite the unforgiving people. After the behemoth battle, she believed that what motivated the people to spare her was not the fact that she was innocent from the crime she wrongfully confessed, but her size. Shade would've been killed as well if it wasn't for the king's interest in him. They had a crazy society out to kill them, but also a biased kingdom that punished for almost anything, but unlike with the former, Sere and his Guardians were allied with them. Things weren't looking so well for them, even if the Ishulgites managed to be stopped...

Quote:

Icestorm looked at Chester and gently patted him on the head. “You know you seem more caring than most. Thank you boy.”

Chester offered a brief nuzzle in response, a non-verbal 'You're welcome' perhaps. Icestorm seemed nice at least-- and wouldn't make a bad roommate so long as he didn't the 'doggy'-style amenities offered via the beds and his own bowl of drinking water. Risar directed the crew to keep following the plan, taking a break to briefly sit down and grab one of the last plates.

Elsewhere, Raclaw watched in awe as the golem (presumably) did it's thing. He returned Darkheart's nuzzle with one of his own-- although he worried what exactly the enemy had waiting for them behind those massive doors...

OOC: No defenders? After the Ishulgites said they'd be waiting? That's a red flag.

Rocky began working to bash down the door. While he was only formed from rock and clay, his body was more durable than metal thanks to the magic strengthening him. Bit by bit he smashed the door down. If one could read him, they'd find him bracing himself for whatever lay on the other side.
Mischief stood behind him as he worked to break the doors open, orb out as Mana swirled around her. Choco eagerly readied himself to peck and kick whoever lay on the other side, but Mischief found the lack of defenses rather suspicious. "Captain Sere? They said they were waiting for us... But we haven't seen any defenders? I suspect a trap, and a nasty one. We'd best be ready for a surprise ourselves..."
Darkheart tilted her head before nodding. "She has a point... It's strange to not see any defenders after the Ishulgites claimed to be waiting... Are they planning an ambush? Or will they try to sneak by... And go after the ship while our strongest forces are away?" She wondered aloud. Then she shook her head. "Either way, we must be cautious yet swift. Just in case."

The thought hadn't escaped Sere - the lack of defenders seemed rather suspicious. Just what were they planning? "Little more we can do here except stay on high alert, and press forward," he admitted. This didn't make sense. Wouldn't the defenses be the most effective at the walls?
Finally, there was an answer - arrows from peepholes in the walls, which futilely struck the golem. The arrows didn't feel particularly well-aimed - intended effect, or deliberate?

Angora cleaned her platter, wanting to empty her mind and stop thinking about so much. She was already starting to get a headache with so much pondering. But even if her mind was in blanc, her senses were still there. She had a bad feeling. It felt awful. Maverick and Ilasi seemed none the wiser, focusing too much on each other. She wasn't certain about the others though. She took the empty platter back to the cart, looking at the island. Something was up, she wa certain of it...

As Angora suspected, Maverick was too focused spending time with his girlfriend, though the few glances he gave to the island indicated that he couldn't enjoy the moment as much as he would've wished, being too worried about their companions...

Rocky continued smashing the door. The arrows weren't even an irritation or distraction, his hide was far too tough.
Mischief, however, winced slightly. "What the... Yes, there's definitely something going on we don't see yet... What could they be up to?" She started looking around for other traps waiting for the group. The Ishulgites have some trump card, that's for certain. Be careful. Insane cults like this usually have not only some nasty trick up their sleeves, but are rarely scared to be killed... Let's be careful. Um... Thanks? The vixen grew more nervous each second.

With the seemingly token resistance effort failing to stop it, the golem's relentless battering wore down the gates more and more, with the cracking being audible from afar. The attacks on the golem stopped shortly before the door finally gave, the golem's last blow sundering the wood as the gates fell in.
With the gates down, Martus and his forces began their mad blitz towards the fortification from their waiting point; though dust initially blocked the way, it soon became shockingly apparent what barrier stood between them and the Void Locator inside the fortress.
"HALT!" Martus ordered his men, as the cultists stood at the entrance, in a defensive formation, looking somewhat shaken but determined nonetheless. The oldest of them could not have possibly been more than a middle teen; and there were evidently many who were not even completely past childhood yet. And yet, they stood, uncompromising in the face of more powerful adversaries.
"...what kind of twisted monster..." Sere muttered - being prepared to support the golem, but highly hesitant now. He knew what the more pragmatic thing to do would be... but was there no other solution?
Latnok looked on at the huddled defenders - equipped with spears, axes, and the like, and the most basic of armor. In them, he saw something familiar, yet new to him - he saw himself as a child reflected in them. The turmoil he had to endure, the times he had to risk his life, not having anyone to support...
"Surely this isn't it, right? I mean... there has to be some other trick here. Because... there's no way they would just leave the young to defend a key artifact. It doesn't make sense... there has to be something else we're not seeing... right?" As the others consulted, the defenders stood steadfastly, seemingly unsure of doing anything else but standing their ground.

As the sounds of the battle got to them, Ilasi could vaguely guess what was happening. "Cracking wood... it sounds like a barricade breaking, maybe? But I can't hear anything else indicating a big fight. Hmm..." Maybe a scrying spell would be in order.