darkSpyro

Angora was still looking for Maverick, but the face that she was too high and too far away didn't let her spot him. If part of her powers were having hawk vision, it wasn't manifesting itself yet. The behemoth was focusing more on the pillar, and Angora couldn't possibly ask him to turn back to search for Maverick. She knew those pillars were priority in order to stop the third deity. But while she was unable to spot Maverick, she managed to recognize the flying Raclaw in the distance. She knew Latnok went to the same group Maverick was in, so he had to be somewhere there. Not wanting to stay there and do nothing, Angora took advantage of the great view she had from the behemoth's head and started to attack airborne Ishulgites, knowing that the force bolts, being more able to reach their mark on their own, would make the attacks much easier. Like Maverick, she felt bad for the wyverns giving rides to the enemy, so she tried to focus on the riders, although their movements along with the more explosive force bolts hit the wyverns as well many times, though whenever one hit the riders and left the wyvern intact, Angora cheered.
"Take that you bastards!" she would say with firery passion as the Ishulgites fell from their wyverns. She didn't know if their steeds would come rescue the, or take the chance to be free, but even if it was the former, Angora hoped the force bolts alone were enough to cause deadly damage.

Maverick continued battling, having some usual close calls, but Julien's injuries were impossible to ignore.
"Señor Julien! Come with us! We can help you!" Maverick urged, knowing he was hurt, though it was quite admirable how hard he was trying to ignore it...

Julian kept pushing on, disregarding the advice. "This is my mistake. I'll finish this or die trying," he insisted. As calm and collected as he may seem on a regular basis, the struggle with his own guilt over his own contributions to Ishulgite research had long tormented him - and he would not waste the opportunity to do all he could to put an end to it. Once the chains were gone, from his understanding, the avatar would no longer be transcendent, and would be vulnerable to a physical attack - and he intended to end things as soon as that happened.

As the behemoth pushed forward, he fell under attack, with enemy mages slinging various spells at the creature in an attempt to hurt it through its armor. Allied mages also mounting the behemoth did their best to protect against such spells; the enemy ground forces currently outnumbered them, however, and more would keep coming, so some inevitably made their way. The spells were designed to circumvent armor; some hit their mark, but the behemoth, being a tough creature, continued to push on for now.
The avatar suddenly reared up. Preceded by what appeared to be a deep breath, it suddenly let out what could best be described as an awful, imposing, disorienting psychic shriek directed at all nearby sapient non-Ishulgites, the likes of which made the cacophony of a mass of banshees sound tolerable. Short-lived as it was, the effect was profound, and the behemoth - and the troops on and around it - were completely stunned, to be attacked by spells and arrows. Many of the loyalists would fall in this brief opportunity.

Ilasi tried to cover her ears, to no avail; the attack was psychic. Such a thing left her dazed and unable to make sense of things for at least a small time. Leoquin, elsewhere in the formation, was brought back to another mental nightmare after escaping the apparent haunting by his family. Was there any hope of him ever seeing them again? If the messages were true, and they were all with the Ishulgites, who's to say they would still be around after this battle? How would he even find them?
Jacturis, itself technically not having a brain to receive such an effect, was able to identify what was happening. "THE AVATAR IS DRAWING GREAT POWER FROM THE ENVIRONMENT. USED IT TO DIRECT POWERFUL PSYCHIC ATTACK. LIKELY WILL NOT BE ABLE TO DO SO AGAIN IMMEDIATELY. WE MUST PUSH WHILE WE HAVE THE CHANCE." Unfortunately, even the Guardians' training didn't allow them to fully resist such an attack, even if they could foresee it; they themselves were stunned briefly, and some fell to projectiles being launched by the enemy.

"Children! This is the hour! We must stand firm against those who would destroy our hope!" the avatar bellowed telepathically to those around. "Today will be the dawn of a new era! An era of peace! An era of hope! An era of unity! We will NOT let those who endorse a world of suffering and decadence take this from us!"

Having sensible hearing and the attack seemingly being mostly directed at the behemoth, Angora received much of the impact. She immediately covered her ears, trembling and salivating as if she was having a seizure. The feeling lasted only a few seconds, but after she managed to regain some conscience, she couldn't hear anything, just an intense, zooming sound that wouldn't stop. It was like having a whole colony of bees in her eardrums. Knowing she would be exposed this way, she tried to create the shield around her... but to no avail. She still had her armor, but didn't know how long was it going to last with such a blast, though thankfully, it as as if the armor controlled itself rather than needing the focus herself. Remembering she was still on the behemoth's head, she went in front of his eyes.
"Hey! HEY! Are you ok?" she asked, looking upside down from that spot, although she wasn't certain if the behemoth heard or saw her or if he was unconscious. Without her shield, she knew she was exposed, so she wanted the behemoth to react and keep moving for both of their sakes. They were powerful creatures, but she figured they weren't invincible, especially if the opponent in question was a deity.

Maverick needed to kneel and place his hands in his ears. Although it wasn't as painful as with the others, it still hurt. The first thing he did when he removed his hand was touch Ilasi.
"Ilasi! Mi amor! Are you alright?" he asked, using his other hand in the air to lift his sword to provide some protection for them, even if it was just a little bit. He moved it around to make sure the light reflected upon it and blind any incoming attackers, a trick he used many times in his pirate days.

While the sound wasn't painful from there, it could still be clearly heard. For a moment Huntress thought it happened just outside the cabin.
"What the hell was that!?" she demanded to know, almost going outside to investigate before Sand Dune stopped her.
"No miss! Don't go out there! Whatever it was, it didn't sound friendly!" he warned, though Huntress had a stubbornness that could rival Angora's. She almost went outside anyway when Random interfered, shaking his head and then begging her with his face to stay. That seemed to do the trick.
"You men are so ninny! And you look so strong and mighty, yet look at you!" she said, not going outside but looking out the window to see if she spotted something, but there was nothing but dead plants out there. The trio were scared for a moment, but at least Huntress was convinced about not leaving the cabin.

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"I also want a world where we can live as friends with dragons. Even if we must fight them sometimes... there are times when we must fight other humans, or elves, or whatever other species threatens peace. In the world you seek to create, the only dragons you would allow are those who bend the knee - and that, in the end, is no better than the very situation that spurred the revolution that created Aelinon. I demand those two things - after what I have seen and experienced, I will settle for no less. We will break those chains you would use to bind the world, and work on making the world we should have. It will never be perfect - but the day we stop trying is the day our existence becomes meaningless."
The avatar faced Latnok for a brief moment after his message. "Bold words... if naive and foolish. You always were a practical one - look at how the Guardians and Orion have turned you into nothing more than a tool. If your mind has been so far tainted, and this is the cause you've decided to be worth dying for, then so be it. We will say a prayer for you, along with all the other lost souls."
"Damn right," Latnok responded confidently. "Except for one little detail. I won't be the one dying today."

Raclaw's eyes lit up at Latnok's rather inspiring words. A world where one can live at peace with dragons-- such a world would, naturally, be very agreeable with him *and* his current circumstances. ""Listen here Avatar--," Raclaw began to telepathically 'speak' intercepting and joining into Latnok's active 'conversation.' "Latnok and I-- we're a team, a family even. Yes, he may support me in ways I otherwise cannot and I know this. Believe me, I am well aware of my own limitations and limitations bought onto me via my own upbringing. That being said-- that's not why I joined up with him; or even why I allow him to ride or own me. We are together, call us whatever you may, because we both *want* to be together. We support each other both mentally and physically; we both help each other in our own ways. And we are both stronger together than we otherwise would've been. I.. I could've chosen anyone; someone like me could've found a friend or owner in anyone. But I chose him and I chose him for a reason. I know that, he knows that, as do our closest friends. We know what we are to each other, regardless of what it may look like to you or to the world at large.," the Fur Dragon then 'said' looking up with a look of true compassion. Some might compare the look to that a cat might give to an owner it truly loves.

Meanwhile on the ground, Risar hacked and slashed as he usually did. The Minotaur was blissfully unaware of any such telecommunications. And elsewhere, Chester remained safe (albeit worried) onboard the Enduring Legacy.

The behemoth was temporarily disoriented, as magic bolts continued to sink into its thick hide. it eventually recuperated, however, and pushed forward in a fury. The loyalist forces pushing were declining in number, but they were nearing the objective - and there were reinforcements coming from the other destroyed pillar.

Seraos and his wyvern formation were severely shaken up by the attack; however, the wyverns themselves seemed to have suffered little, and were able to keep their riders alive. The ground forces in the area were overwhelming; however, there were only so many archers and mages that could be brought to bear. With free reign of the sky, it was on them to figure out a way to destroy the pillar.

"You fight contrary to what would benefit you," the avatar responded to Raclaw. "Our world would be one in which you could peacefully coexist with others like your human and have your needs taken care of, without the struggle of having to vie for survival against other dragons or worry about being feared or hunted like them. Can you not see? Your kind is special - a dragon for a new age of peaceful coexistence! Yet you would discard that potential in favor of the status quo. Revel in your hollow victory, for now; but we are united by a desire for a truly better world, and we will continue to bring more of us here. From there, it is only a matter of time until you surrender to our vision, or have the life drained from you."

Ilasi reeled from what she just experienced, and her head hurt pretty badly. "A little shaken, but I'll manage, dear," she assured Maverick. "I just feel like I'm getting more tired just standing around... that thing is responsible. We have to finish this, quickly now..."

"Just a little more mi amor. Reinforcements are arriving. We have Orion, the Guardian's the king's men and... Jac... Jac... the other deity helping us. And... oh, look, a behemoth?" Maverick said, just noticing the new giant and unable to pronounce Jacturis' name. Angora was too high and hidden by the behemoth's snout from that distance, so he couldn't see her. While Maverick wanted to believe they had the advantage and that they would soon win the war, the sea of Ishulgites didn't seem to stop. He was getting tired, but knew he couldn't afford such luxury. The deity on the side of the Ishulgites could use that attack again at any time, so they had to hurry. He had to keep battling, otherwise it would mean capture or death...

Quote: A Guy

The behemoth was temporarily disoriented, as magic bolts continued to sink into its thick hide. it eventually recuperated, however, and pushed forward in a fury. The loyalist forces pushing were declining in number, but they were nearing the objective - and there were reinforcements coming from the other destroyed pillar.

Angora had to hold on to his head to avoid falling. Wasn't easy to injure a behemoth, but they were a force to be recogned with when angry. Once she managed to return to the top of it's head, Angora continued to attacked airborne wyverns the same way as before. Everything was going well until one of them attacked from behind, grabbing her with it's talons and likely intending to throw her from that high. Angora managed to react on time though, and attacked the wyvern holding her until it forced it to drop her. She landed on the behemoth snout, just inches away from the ground. A little more and she would've missed his snout. She didn't think anyone would dare get that close to the behemoth.
"Whew, close call, right?" she said to the behemoth, though she doubted he listened or even noticed her considering how furious he was. She tried to make her way to the head again, but the behemoth was moving too much, so she had to continue attacking from her new spot, making sure she looked everywhere this time to avoid being surprised again.

The behemoth gave a short grunt as it continued pushing forward. "YOU ALMOST DIED," he said observantly. "NOT YET, THOUGH. YOU YET SURVIVE. IMPRESSIVE." The men on the behemoth - what was left of them - continued to provide whatever support they could.
Jacturis and Orion, as well as the rest of the loyalists, were joining the fray. The nearby pillar would probably fall soon.

Ilasi took a few deep breaths, feeling much more encouraged seeing the others joining the fray. "Yes, dear... we'll make it. Just a little more..." she said, mostly to encourage herself.

With the attack continuing as they made their way to the pillar, Maverick ran out of bolts, as was expected with so many enemies approaching. The crossbow was useless now, something that frustrated him. He had to rely on his sword now, but that meant letting the enemy closer if he wanted to strike.
"Is it me, or they seem to be targeting us the most?" Maverick asked, having watched the skies and while the wyverns and their Ishulgite riders were attacking everyone, the distribution wasn't even. They usually focused more on him and Ilasi. Or was it Julian the one they were after? Whatever the case, they seem to be picking up specific targets...

Quote: A Guy

The behemoth gave a short grunt as it continued pushing forward. "YOU ALMOST DIED," he said observantly. "NOT YET, THOUGH. YOU YET SURVIVE. IMPRESSIVE." The men on the behemoth - what was left of them - continued to provide whatever support they could.
Jacturis and Orion, as well as the rest of the loyalists, were joining the fray. The nearby pillar would probably fall soon.

Angora raised her head with pride, feeling both weird and awesome being praised by a behemoth. She only thought Gregor would do that, but this was a new one. She was probably nothing more than a flea on a large dog's snout in terms of perspective, yet there she was, being praised by an impossibly large creature that could've easily seen her as insignificantly or unworthy. It gave her more motivation. She continued using force bolts on the flying attackers, though it was getting easier by the minute, likely the decrease in Ishulgite numbers or because not many of them dared to fly above the behemoth's head where he could easily slap them away or eat them. As the time went by and the giant continued his assault, she didn't even show sign of fatigue, and was so full of adrenaline that she stopped feeling her still swollen leg...

At the old cabin, Huntress and the three men were eating food that Random had brought since there was none in the cabin and whatever the forest could've provided them was long dead. They could go for the horned bear carcass, but it was quite far away and the risk was too much. Being a big man, Random needed lots of food, so he always had some stored inside his multiple pockets, although he didn't mind whenever he needed to share, even if it was a complete stranger like Huntress. The young woman's stress however, was too noticeable, and the food wasn't helping.
"Please calm down miss. They'll be fine. There are many people fighting those... whatever they are. Your people look like a strong society, and we have seen the Guardians and our friends in action." Sand Dune commented, trying to reassure her. It was admirable the way she seemed so eager to fight and defend her country.

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"You fight contrary to what would benefit you," the avatar responded to Raclaw. "Our world would be one in which you could peacefully coexist with others like your human and have your needs taken care of, without the struggle of having to vie for survival against other dragons or worry about being feared or hunted like them. Can you not see? Your kind is special - a dragon for a new age of peaceful coexistence! Yet you would discard that potential in favor of the status quo. Revel in your hollow victory, for now; but we are united by a desire for a truly better world, and we will continue to bring more of us here. From there, it is only a matter of time until you surrender to our vision, or have the life drained from you."

"You misunderstand and I am sure you are right-- I'm sure I could 'peacefully' coexist in your world and even alongside Latnok, but at what cost? Latnok, the Guardians, our allies, even Damon.. they see me for who I am; you see me for *what* I am. My parents, my species-- the former experimented on, the latter artificially engineered to your specifications-- to bend to your will. This world isn't perfect; I'll admit as much. It may have been regular humans who collared me, but it was you who made me what I am today. It was you who did God knows what (I am sorry...) to my own parents, it was you who made my species so subservient to mankind, and.. and it was you who made all this necessary in the first place!.," Raclaw immediately responded letting out a lot of held back anger and placing a paw upon his collar. He quietly apologized at the possible insult to Orion. "Raclaw...," Julian could be heard saying as if trying to comfort the anguished Fur Dragon somehow. It didn't do much to prevent his tail spikes from briefly expanding upon the sudden release of emotion.

"I may be what I am today, but at least I can choose my own master. At least I can choose my own friend and owner; someone who truly cares and respects both the who and what I am. Under his eyes and perhaps eventually the world-- I can both a pet and a friend. I can be both an equal ally and riding companion. I can be seen as more, but under your world and shall I say thumb? I am just a thing to be ruled, a thing to be tamed, a thing to be used. I.. I am nothing to you, but at least I can be something in this world. Change takes time and change isn't always sudden, but things can still change. And things have already changed for the better for me.," he then said perhaps directing some of the anger he would've otherwise had at who/what he imagined Julian to be. But even Julian had treated him well in his youth and was now actively FIGHTING for their cause...

Angora continued attacking restlessly, hoping her new spot didn't distract the behemoth too much. She avoided attacking and looking below her, for that altitude was enough to give anyone vertigo, though it felt nice seeing the world from a behemoth's perspective. She could imagine how much pride they had because of their size and power... although of course they weren't above working for humans and other creatures if it was convenient for them. Comfort above pride. As she watched the Ishulgites fall, she remembered about telling Veris she would bring him some of the corpses to feast on... but that only if the behemoth didn't beat her to it. She wanted to look below her to see if she could spot Maverick, but it would be impossible from that position, so she just had to keep battling and hoping he was alright. In a very brief moment of calm, she thought she saw Shade's shilouette in the distance, but couldn't be. He was inside a machine. She really missed him, and could've been riding on his back and attacking more enemies than right now, but that would mean more danger and chasing. She was riding a behemoth, so that wasn't bad at all.

Maverick continued fighting, cutting wyvern talons and dodging incoming spears and arrows. The only advantage was that if they had any malicious magic, the medallion made sure it didn't reach him, and with Orion's power, he felt stronger than ever, even if his body said he was tired...

Suddenly, a thick layer of brambles would cover the pillar under assault by the wyverns. As they did, the ground rumbled and split in places is a sudden earthquake.
The battlefield became split in the chaos. The wyverns were unaffected, but the ground forces had to fight around the new event. The Ishulgites were not relenting just yet - not when they were so close to their aims, and just had to hold out a little longer for when the others could no longer fight.

"If that is what you truly believe, then it is a shame that you have become such a slave to your god and his ideals," the avatar responded to Raclaw. "The time of the current world order is running out. How long can you keep fighting? You will soon fall with every other reactionary who would keep us in the old, barbaric order shaped by greed and selfishness. Perhaps if we had the chance to shape your development, like your brothers and sisters..."

Ilasi fended where she could, doing her best to stay out of the way of enemies. "You're... you're right, dear," she agreed, as she caught a few breaths. "Then again, we are special, in a way, I guess. but that clearly comes with a price." It made sense that they were considered higher value targets - if that was the reason for it.

Angora lost her footing, though fortunately, she was closer to the behemoth's eyes than she was to the snout, so she avoided the deadly fall, though she had to grab his thick skin to avoid slipping.
"Just what the heck is going on down there?" she demanded to know, having felt the earthquake through her temporary escort, and she could tell it wasn't just his steps. While they had battled the Ishulgites before and always won, this battle felt far longer and harder. They certainly had their entire arsenal this time, and they weren't giving any sign of retreating. Their beast. It had to be. The shriek, those plant's dying, the battle was drifting more to their favor because of that thing, and even with Orion and Jacturis' help, the Ishulgites were implacable. But maybe if they could get their own deity out of rotation, they would have the advantage at last.

A trolls vision was slightly better than a human's, so Angora focused her view on the third deity, although she had to stop attacking to focus better. She could only hope that the behemoth and his riders took care of whatever came her way. Every creature had a weakness. She helped defeating Darkmatter, the White Shadow, and even that behemoth-like creature with the giant snout, though the last one she rather forget. This monster had to have a weakness somewhere. But where? She knew the pillar was the main focus, but since that didn't seem to be working, she was determined to have a plan B...

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi fended where she could, doing her best to stay out of the way of enemies. "You're... you're right, dear," she agreed, as she caught a few breaths. "Then again, we are special, in a way, I guess. but that clearly comes with a price." It made sense that they were considered higher value targets - if that was the reason for it.

Maverick's breathing became harder as exhaustion was slowly closing in. He fought many battles as a pirate, but most of those were against humans and similar people, and usually with clashing weapons rather than long range, though his father would usually have him stay on the ship to use the cannons or while on the docks for supplies. This battle was different though. Projectiles, wyvern talons, all was different. When the earthquake made him fall, a wyvern enemy immediately pinned him to the ground so that it's rider could strike him down. Fortunately, the dragon only grabbed his chest. Maverick's arms were still free, and that gave him mobility to use his sword around to avoid the incoming spear to his head. It was a success, but angry at the results, the rider order it's wyvern to finish the job. As it's jaws were ready to chomp down on Maverick's face, he swiped at the sword, and although the wyvern managed to dodge, it wasn't so lucky with what came next. From the sword came what was best described as a beam of light. A sword beam? Maverick didn't know just what in the world happened, but the beam was enough to make the wyvern back away and get it off of him.
"You... you... asesinos! Hipócritas! Presuming of peace yet all you're doing is destroying everything!" he said angrily with firery passion, refusing to give up to exhaustion. They were being targeted heavily. They wanted them dead. They were threatening their existence. Their future. The Ishulgites could've offered that... or so they claimed to others like his dear Angora, but if it meant so much death and destruction in exchange, Maverick wanted no part of it.

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"If that is what you truly believe, then it is a shame that you have become such a slave to your god and his ideals," the avatar responded to Raclaw. "The time of the current world order is running out. How long can you keep fighting? You will soon fall with every other reactionary who would keep us in the old, barbaric order shaped by greed and selfishness. Perhaps if we had the chance to shape your development, like your brothers and sisters..."

"My brothers, my sisters-- what do you know about them?," Raclaw asked although he knew that he probably wouldn't like the answer. For as long as he could remember, he had wanted to see more of his kind. That was *before* he knew what he knew now; chances were that his siblings no longer resembled anything like what they once were. The Fur Dragon as he knew it was already an broken species and he was perhaps fortunate to have been spared the pain, to have been spared any further forced 'evolutions' or so-called-development. He couldn't help but to ask, however..

The avatar didn't respond to Raclaw's request; he would have to settle with whatever he could deduce from the information he had. he and Latnok still had a battle to win. Though the ground split below them, they were unaffected while in the air.
Meanwhile, though the loyalist forces were split and were being surrounded, the b ehemoth finally drew close enough to the pillar to begin striking. It began by delivering a mighty blow - though the pillar stood firm for now, it would probably take a few more hits to bring down.

Angora had to hold on again as the behemoth attacked the pillar, clearly using all his force, but it didn't fall with the first hit. Just how strong was that darn thing? She wanted to help, but she couldn't hit the pillar from that spot, and she didn't want to get in the way if she left the body to get a better position, so she stayed on the snout, figuring she would be more useful if she attacked any possible incoming attacks from there, using one hand to grab his hard skin and the other one to attack. If the avatar found out, it was safe to assume it was going to try stopping him. Having failed to see a weak spot in the giant and not wanting to risk climbing it's body to try finding one, she believed it was better to attack it from afar. She had a great view from the behemoth's snout, plus it was likely one of the safest spots, so she stayed there and did what she was doing best. She was still tempted to climb down and find Maverick, but there were too many people down there. She could waste too much precious time if she did that...

Maverick was still around the same spot, using his newly found power to take down the enemies, sometimes helping Ilasi and Julian when they were about to get attacked themselves. It felt weird using magic, but also so awesome. It made things much easier. However, that didn't mean he intended to lower his guard. Magic or not, Maverick knew he had to remain alert. Thankfully, the exitement of having magic gave him an adrenaline boost that made his body forget about exhaustion, at least for a while. It wasn't going to last forever, so Maverick continued battling, not intending to give up...

Seraos remembered one tool he had yet at his disposal - the Scepter of Storms. he didn't know how Rigel used it... but how hard could it be to figure out? Grabbing it, he raised it high as his wyvern flew by, trying to focus on... a wind spell? that should do it.
what he felt was a presence so strong it made him lose his sense of self, as if he were having an out-of-body experience while still seeing through his own eyes. A rather daunting experience - which was also rather draining. Surely enough, however, a small but powerful tornado began to form around the pillar, as the king's own wyverns backed away. Perhaps this could work.

"Get that thing big guy! I believe in you!" Angora said to the pounding behemoth as she attacked airborne wyverns, still holding on to dear life. Even if she fell, she was certain that her shield could protect her from the impact, but it was an experiment she wasn't willing to do right now. Shortly after rooting for her new friend, she had to hold on with both hands this time, feeling a strong wing. The behemoth's snout was preventing her from seeing most of the ground below her, so she didn't know what was going on.
"Now what's the dirty trick up their sleeve?" Angora muttered to herself, knowing this wind wasn't natural. She assumed the spell was the Ishulgite's doing in an attempt to keep them away from the pillar.

As Maverick continued battling with all his might on the ground, Huntress killed some time in the cabin learning some basic sign language with Random after they were all done eating. At first she found it extremely boring, but to her surprise, it didn't take her much time to get used to it.
"So what's the big guy's story? Was he born this way or lost his voice at some point?" she asked. Sand Dune explained his backstory, as well as his and Opium. At first, Huntress was really taken aback to find out the men she was spending time with were once pirates, just like the dastard Maverick, but while she was far more cautious now, she didn't try hurting them or get away. They haven't tried anything nasty yet, but she was going to keep her eye on them. Sand Dune noticed her sudden change in behavior.

"Please don't hold it against us miss. We know the pirate life is a horrible, shameful one, but the Guardians gave us the chance to escape that life. Instead of executing us, they decided to lock us up. We spent much time in the brig, met that cute little troll, and we did a lot of thinking. We can assure you, it's not a life we intend to return to." he assured, knowing how hated pirates were. For good reason of course, so they had much to atone for. Huntress found Opium and Sand Dune's reasons to become pirates incredibly stupid, but Random t least had a noble reason behind it, so he could be forgiven after some time. The other two? It was hard to know how sincere they were being, especially after such ridiculous reasons behind their chosen life pursuit.

The behemoth slammed the pillar once again, and it cracked; encouraged by the development, it pounded once again, and it finally broke. That left the last pillar up.
That would not remain standing for long, however. The efforts against it were causing it to crack; eventually, it could not withstand the strain from the attacks, and it, too, would crumble.
As it did so, the avatar struggled; the destruction of the pillars had rendered its transcendent shackles irrelevant, and it was the will of the Ishulgites alone keeping it together. However, it no longer remained in limbo between being and not being a part of the physical world; it was fully corporeal.

Once the behemoth gave the final slam to the pillar and he stood still for a while, Angora took the brief moment of calmness to climb back to his head. She had a better view of the people below, and somewhere along that mess, Maverick had to be present. But not even with an eyesight slightly better than a human's could she identify him. She was a troll, not a falcon.
"Did you break it?" she asked the behemoth, wondering if the battle was finally close to victory.

When Maverick continued fighting, watching over both his girlfriend and Julian, he managed to spot in the sky Raclaw and Latnok, once again together as one. It was quite a sight to behold seeing the young Guardian riding the fur dragon again, and Raclaw appeared to be slightly better adapted with his weight than last time. No doubt those two had a strong friendship, and much like Angora, Maverick was hoping Latnok's friendship with the fluffy dragon would turn him into a kinder person. Latnok respected him quite a lot, but his relationship with Angora was still very distant and unkind, something Maverick was praying could change after this war.

"It's-- it's comporeal now. I wonder, I wonder...," Raclaw thought out loud. "Avatar-- if you can hear me, fight them! Fight the control! They only have power over you for as long as you let them!," the mounted Fur Dragon then attempted to communicate directly via telepathy between the pair's defensive/offensive maneuvers. He realised how ironic it was that he of all dragons was suggesting for another to break one's power over them, but his situation and the Avatar's situation were two very different beasts. Meanwhile, Risar and others continued to fight on ground level.

The avatar struggled as two different powers fought for its control. The chaos of the battlefield continued between them, with the Ishulgites refusing to back down even in light of what was happening.
Julian was far forward enough. He knew what had to be done.
With his good arm, he rushed forward. The soldiers around were few; he blasted some away with force magic in his rush forward. The avatar, struggling, was wide open.
There was no one to stop him. In an audacious sprint, he closed what gap was left between them - and was finally able to lunge at the target, the part of the avatar near the center of its body, resembling Apothis before the merge.
With a shriek, as Julian's dagger hit its mark, the avatar soon began to fade away; as iit did so, Apothis separated from Ishulgu, and the latter vanished into nothingness. Apothis was left to do nothing but clutch at the dagger wound.
He gathered what strength he could to stand up and speak as best he could. "So this... is what you've chosen. To keep this world... This world... I've seen it destined for nothing but... more suffering and hard... hardship. I pray... you live long enough to prove me wrong..."
With that, Apothis knelt before finally falling.

With Ishulgu having left the world once again upon being given the opportunity, and Apothis dead, the fighting went on for a short while, but the Ishulgites soon either surrendered or were routed. The group was now without direction; Seraos would later have men regroup to hunt down those who fled, but for now, there were other pressing matters.

Ishulgu disappeared, much to Angora's confusion. She was expecting a fall or something, but he just... faded away. Of course, he was a deity, so perhaps it wasn't so strange. As she looked below to see what happened, she could see Julian. He was quite easy to identify with his wooden body, even if he was quite far away. Was he responsible for the third deity's vanishing? If he was, that was incredible! Soon enough, the battle became less intense, to the point Angora had no more targets.
"Wait... is... is it over? This is it at last?" she asked the behemoth, although she was expecting anybody to answer that question, even the mighty beast's riders and Neo himself. She wanted to collapse in exhaustion, but she was too afraid something unexpected could happen if she lowered her guard. Perhaps it was pure paranoia, but she wasn't taking any chances.

Maverick didn't see the moment Ishulgu vanished, but he did see the aftermath. When the Ishulgites were getting killed or retreating, he took the moment to kneel and catch his breath. Everything hurt. This was clearly far worse than what they have faced on the archipelago. But as he looked around and tried to get up, he noticed something different.
"Espera, where is señor Julian?" he asked, expecting the worst. He was nearby the last time he checked, so he believed something horrible could've happened to him...

With the rest of the combatants dispersing, Jacturis ceased fighting himself. "ONCE AGAIN, AELINON HAS CHOSEN ITS OWN FATE - AND HAS FOUGHT TO SECURE IT," it said. "THIS WILL BE A MOMENT FOR OUR PEOPLE TO LOOK BACK ON, AND BE PROUD OF."
Seraos himself landed nearby on a wyvern. He had a few cut wounds from glancing blows, but nothing too severe. "So... it's over, then. We can finally put this dark chapter of our history behind us. We'll send out a mop-up operation to find any stragglers - but we stood together and overcame those who attempted to divide us. For that, I am truly grateful to everyone who gave everything they had in order to secure that for us."
Sere himself was soon among the others who were gathering. "We have overcome the enemy yet again. What will you do from here, King Seraos?"
"There will naturally be a focus on rebuilding from here. As for the traitors, the lower-ranking ones will be put in prison, while the officers among them will be executed. In the long term, there must be changes to prevent anything like this from ever happening again."

Julian knelt by the corpse of the fallen Apothis. His wooden arm had withered away and fallen off, leaving only a stump.
That was something very important, he realized. The hexwood - he couldn't feel it anymore. It was dead. It seemingly could not withstand the life draining force as well as he could. What was this Apothis said about hoping he lived long enough to prove him wrong? Perhaps there was something to that after all...

The behemoth didn't need to answer Angora, for as soon as Jacturis gave his message, she knew it was over. It took a while, but once again, they have triumphed. She lied down on the behemoth's head, breathing in the air.
"Finally! Curse those Ishulgites! But we beat them! Thanks for the lift my gigantic friend. Give my regards to Gregor." Angora said, very grateful that a behemoth, one that would've killed her on top of everything, had her in such high regards to the point of talking about her to his friends. But the relief didn't last long. She remembered that she still had Maverick to find, and while she was still very tired, she didn't dare to ask the behemoth to bring her to the ground, so she tried to do it herself. However, she needed to lie down for just a little while longer, since using so much magic in so little time took a toll in her.

While Maverick was really worried about Julian, Jacturis' announcement filled him with much joy. At long last, this horrible war was over. Despite his overwhelming exhaustion, he got up and gave Ilasi a surprising, passionate kiss. He was very gentle with the hug though in case she was injured.
"Lo logramos! We did it mi amor! We made it! And we're alive!" Maverick said happily, though also still worried. He only hoped Julian wasn't among the fallen.

Ilasi was surprised by the sudden display of emotion, but embraced it, and reciprocated gingerly as a few tears streamed down her face. "We're still here, dear... we've made it!" she said gleefully. The cost in life was titanic - but the future was secured, and people would be able to live as individuals.
"From here on out, we can make our own way in this world. You and I... we're truly free."

Julian, hearing Orion in the distance, gradually made his approach. He still had other injuries - but he would make it. though he struggled, he eventually stood before Orion. "What do you need of me?" he asked.
Sere considered all that had happened. The Guardians had suffered quite a few losses - losses that were not easily replaced. They would be gathered and given the appropriate cremation, and their names inscribed on the walls of the fallen. Besides that, there were still other matters to attend to - like the role of the Guardians from here on out. The battle made clear the potential costs of such a human-centric approach - perhaps the other Guardians would consider that, and be less opposed to some changes. And there was still the matter of giving the others their pay...

Leoquin remained alone on his spot on the battlefield, kneeling as he looked at the fallen. Loss. So much loss. So many dead - most, if not all, of them were his fellow countrymen, either fighting to keep the nation alive or blinded by the promise of an ideal world.
With all the fallen, the thought burned in the back of his mind - not only did he not find his brother, he didn't even know where his parents were now. Part of him preferred that he found them dead - at least that way, he would finally have some closure. For now, however, he was at a loss for what to do. He still had a very large sum to collect - but what would he do with all of the money?
He couldn't give up hope yet. Those messages he received in his mind - they suggested that the Ishulgites knew of his family. Perhaps something would turn up while everything was being settled.

The behemoth gave a short grunt. "WE WILL TELL GREGOR ABOUT OUR EXPERIENCE WITH YOU," he acknowledged. The battlefield was a smorgasbord of meat; he wasn't deeply attached to the humans, and had no qualms about doing his part to help clean up the mess. the troll was a rather interesting creature indeed; more so than the humans whom he was usually with, anyway. Gregor wasn't just going crazy...

Angora felt a sense of pride as the behemoth said that. She didn't know how exactly, but she always seemed to bring the admiration and care of gigantic creatures. The last thing she ever expected was for Gregor to talk about her with his friends, even if it was probably the cause of ridicule. It was also quite admirable how they were willing to acknowledge an overwhelmingly small creature such as herself.
"Perhaps I'll visit Gregor... and all of you someday." Angora said, not feeling much fear for the behemoths like she did before. One behemoth talking about her might not be enough to convince the rest, but two was more convincing.

As she looked below to see much of the corpses below and praying her friends, especially Maverick, weren't among them. She wanted to ask the behemoth to leave a few corpses alone so she could give them to Veris, but she wasn't going to drag a bunch of Ishulgite bodies all the way back to the ship. And even if Veris himself came here, it was going to take a while, and the corpses would probably be putrid by then. She doubted that gluttonous wyvern would care, but it was still too much work, so bringing him Ishulgites was a promise she would have to break.
"I'm getting down now. If... you can please hold still..." she said, as she started the the arduous task of climbing the behemoth's head and arm and still too embarrased to ask him to do it. The first part was easy, but it was going to take a while to get down from that skyscraper sized arm...

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Ilasi was surprised by the sudden display of emotion, but embraced it, and reciprocated gingerly as a few tears streamed down her face. "We're still here, dear... we've made it!" she said gleefully. The cost in life was titanic - but the future was secured, and people would be able to live as individuals.
"From here on out, we can make our own way in this world. You and I... we're truly free."

While Maverick was happy that both of them managed to survive and look forward to the future, he couldn't help feeling a sense of overwhelming dread as he looked around the battlefield. Human, Ishulgites, even wyverns have fallen. The dead bodies were so many. Why a society talking about peace felt the need to do a thing this horrible? He was terrified to think Julian was among the corpses, but the feeling soon vanished when he heard Orion speaking his name in the distance. So he was alive. That was good news, but it didn't change the fact the loss of life they were facing. It even made him feel guilty that he would be able to have a future with the woman he loved while so many others were denied that chance. Some of these men may even have families that were waiting for them, only to never return. He couldn't help sobbing quietly in sadness as all of those thoughts surrounded his mind.

"Is.. is it over?," Raclaw thought out loud as he and Latnok surveyed the battlefield before eventually landing. The Fur Dragon didn't immediately force Latnok off; the Guardian could get off at his leisure. "It's really dead-- they're really gone.," he then said somewhat relieved although another matter somewhat clouded his mind. Before 'departing', the Avatar (and by extension Ishulgu) mentioned his *brothers and sisters*.. that meant they were possibly out there somewhere in some form. They surely wouldn't be themselves anymore, but perhaps something or some part of them could be saved? He was reminded once again how fortunate he was to have been taken out of that situation and how becoming dependent on others was possibly the least of his species' concerns.

Latnok dismounted, as relieved as everyone else that everything seemed to finally be over. Their victory came at a huge price - but the cost of inaction would have been higher than they could have imagined. Was peace really worth it when individuals were reduced to nothing more than drones in a colony?
"You know, Raclaw... everyone deserves a chance to set a path in life," Latnok said, as he looked over the carnage. "Even if it's not exactly the one they want, they at least deserve the opportunity to steer themselves in the direction of their choosing. Many people will never get that opportunity... including many children who are born at the wrong place, at the wrong time, or to the wrong parents. I wasn't born under ideal conditions - but here I am, today able to do something. I feel that, going forward, we need to put in the work to give as many that opportunity as possible, going forward." Latnok had a few ideas in regard to that, that perhaps he would speak with Sere about later.

Julian carefully accepted the lantern, holding it delicately as he considered the offer. "What I would wish for most is the ability to further my research in regards to the coexistence between dragons and other species," he answered. He wasn't sure exactly how such a thing would manifest, but was certain he would know it when he saw it. In the end, knowledge was more pleasing to him than any amount of money; not that he would be short of the latter, working as a member of the Ardent Guardians.

Back at the old cabin, Huntress had been so distracted with learning sign language from Random that she didn't noticed how different the atmosphere outside felt. Sand Dune took notice though, and volunteered to go outside. Huntress' back was against the door, so he could sneak outside, Random giving him a nod without the woman noticing. He would distract her while his friend went outside to investigate with the necessary precautions. Without the woods drowning out sound or limiting visibility, part of the battlefield could be seen, at a considerable distance of course, but it was something. He had no idea what was going on, but no screaming or weapons clashing could be heard. Perhaps he was too far? He didn't know such a war would be over as soon as today. But he had to know what was going on. It was depressing to see the foliage in this state, but with the limited plants, animals couldn't hide and sneak up on him, and he knew exactly where to head, so walking was a breeze. As he did so,mho wondered how poor Angora was doing. The way she dashed away with that limp... she could've been an easy target.
"Keep it together Sand Dune. The little lady is stronger than that." he reassured himself, having grown quite fond of the small troll.

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"You know, Raclaw... everyone deserves a chance to set a path in life," Latnok said, as he looked over the carnage. "Even if it's not exactly the one they want, they at least deserve the opportunity to steer themselves in the direction of their choosing. Many people will never get that opportunity... including many children who are born at the wrong place, at the wrong time, or to the wrong parents. I wasn't born under ideal conditions - but here I am, today able to do something. I feel that, going forward, we need to put in the work to give as many that opportunity as possible, going forward." Latnok had a few ideas in regard to that, that perhaps he would speak with Sere about later.

"You're right and agreed. We need to do what is right.," Raclaw said with a somewhat solemn nod. As Orion soon spoke and concluded his speech, the Fur Dragon remained quiet allowing the others to speak first if they so desired. "In every battle-- a cost is paid. Over the years, Risar has learned that time may move on but that cost-- those lives --does not have to be forgotten. We move on, we live to fight other battles, but we do not forget.," the Minotaur then said pausing before continuing. "They will be remembered with honor.," he then said with his signature nod.

Julian looked at his reformed limb - but there was much on his limb. "Excuse me, Orion... but as odd as it may seem, I would prefer to keep the stump," he said. "It should forever be a reminder, both to me and to others, of what happened when I pursued knowledge at the cost of morality - and besides, I still have the means to operate." Though he would never know for certain, he could only imagine if this whole thing could've been stopped in its tracks - or at least at a lesser cost - had he withdrawn from the beginning.

Ilasi noted Maverick's tears, and knew the cost in life would never be understated. For now, they would take this moment to honor the fallen. Maverick was now grieving for the same people who had imprisoned him and Angora unjustly - something Ilasi herself didn't know if she would ever be capable of doing if she was in his position. But he was always a man of love - and that was why it was so easy to love him.

The soldiers of Aelinon would sort out the corpses on the battlefield. With the help of Jacturis, they would easily be able to identify those who fell in defense of Aelinon, and those who fought in order to bring it under the control of the Ishulgites. It was insane, to think that they had grown brazen enough to chain a god. Those who defended Aelinon would be given a suitable burial; those who fought against it would be turned into behemoth food.
Seraos still had the matter of the Silvianesti to worry about; Glaveilio was dead, but Nirsesh was still imprisoned. With the enemy that had been manipulating both countries into war now defeated, there was no reason to keep her anymore. She would be returned to the Silvianesti, and perhaps the two nations could work to assist each other in their rebuilding.

Sliding off the behemoth's arm very carefully, Angora finally touched the ground, focusing the force on her good leg to avoid making the swollen one worse. The giant was very gentle and careful as she slided, making sure to not do any sudden movements, something she was very grateful for. She gave a bow to the behemoth and bid him farewell, still feeling a sense of pride at how much respect she managed to earn from such mighty creatures. But as soon as she turned around, she could see the gravity of the situation. Corpses everywhere. Aelinonians, Ishulgites, wyverns. Even some Guardians despite how strong they were. In the past, Angora wouldn't have cared about the deaths of a bunch of strangers, especially after the misery every party has caused her each in their own way... but they were all just people, following orders and ideals, some misled very severely. And the poor wyverns. Just sad animals trained to obey and caught in the awful crossfire. While she wasn't as sad as Maverick for the deaths, she still felt some sorrow for the lost souls, and wished they could be honored somehow, even if most, if not all of the bodies would eventually end up in the behemoth's stomach after all was said and done.

Maverick managed to heard some of Orion's honor to Julian, and he was moved. He deserved whatever honor Orion could give him. While he wished all the good men could be brought back, he knew it would be just wrong for Orion to bring dead people back to life, if he had such power in the first place. As he looked around to see Sere and the others made it, he managed to spot a familiar face.
"Angorita?" he said in a loud voice, and the young troll heard him immediately. Limp and all, she ran to him, and before Maverick could even kneel down to her level, Angora jumped right to his neck, embracing him with both her arms and her legs.
"Angorita! Pero que... what are you doing here?" Maverick asked, doubting Angora could have come from the safety of the woods this fast.
"Seriously? Aren't you glad to see me? I came here to help! The plants were drained and I was ambushed by two of those stupid Ishulgites, but I managed to outsmart them! And afterwards, that kind individual gave me a lift here. Believe it or not, they can actually be very nice and polite, you know, when they don't want to eat you." Angora said jokingly, pointing directly at the behemoth. Maverick raised an eyebrow, unable to believe what she told him. A behemoth gave her a ride? For real? Now he regretted missing that, but instead of questioning her, Maverick continued hugging her, just glad to see her safe. Angora looked at Ilasi and nodded with a smile, having no doubts that these two lovebirds protected each other during the awful battle.

Seraos had an immediate answer ready for Shade. "For now, you're going to be working overtime to help us rebuild after all the destruction is done - to be determined, naturally, by the people who manage such affairs. From there, we will have to determine whether the people feel your actions have shown enough penitence and given enough recompense for you to be freed. Do not expect your crimes to be so easily forgiven - our people generally do not take the death of their fellow citizens lightly, unless they've been condemned."

Ilasi gave a slight smile despite the circumstances. Maverick and Angora deserved their moment of happiness after all they've been through. She would have plenty of time with him later, certainly. For now, it remained to be seen where Angora would choose to go with all of the matters settled.

"IF EVER AELINON NEEDS AID IN A MOMENT OF DIRE NEED, WE WILL BE THERE TO PROTECT OUR PEOPLE," Jacturis announced. "OUR DUTY HAS BEEN FULFILLED FOR NOW, HOWEVER - WE GO TO MEET THE SOULS OF ALL WHO HAVE SACRIFICED THEMSELVES HERE TODAY TO ENSURE THE CONTINUED SURVIVAL OF OUR NATION. PRAY CONTINUE YOUR EFFORTS, KING SERAOS AND FELLOW CITIZENS. TO THOSE WHO ARE NOT A PART OF AELINON - WE STILL HONOR YOUR DECISION TO ASSIST US IN THIS TIME OF GREAT NEED, EVEN IF IT WAS OUT OF MUTUAL INTEREST. FAREWELL." The giant elemental suddenly dispersed, with air and fire blowing away, water falling, and stone turning to dust.

Sand Dune arrived just in time to see the deity disappear. When he asked a loyalist, he explained everything, and Sand Dune was shocked. Once again, they prevailed... but... there were so many fatalities. Now that he was there, it was time to see if any of the friends he knew were among the fallen...

Maverick and Angora watched as the deity disappeared in quite a mesmerizing display, knowing that with his departure, it meant peace at last. But at such a terrible price. Angora looked around to see if somebody she knew was dead, but was quite happy when she saw Julian has also survived.
"You like Julian, don't you Angorita? Orion even granted him a wish. I didn't hear what he asked, but I bet it was awesome!" he excaimed, Angora feeling quite happy for Julian. She hoped the wish was to eliminate the disease he has been trying so hard to cure. But as Angora watched Julian, Maverick managed to spot Shade some distance away. He was quite far, but his shape was unmistakable. Was he... alright? He wanted to go there and check on him, but if he and Angora went there, he was afraid that it would once again bring them the pain of saying goodbye to him all over again.

Finally, the war was over. They survived. Angora hoped that the mind messages would finally stop. But... the ordeal wasn't over yet. There was a certain matter that needed to be settled. Once again, Maverick tried to convince Angora not to take Sere's job, but like before, the troll was having none of it.
"Will you leave it alone!? Come on Maverick! I already told you, I can take care of myself! Besides, Sere is not going to let anything happen to me, not if he wants to keep his mount happy." Angora assured, already sensing Maverick's stress on the matter. He just despised the idea of letting Angora work at a place full of biased Guardians and hungry wyverns.
"I'll be fine. Really. And if it gives you any peace, I'll write to you every week. Once you're settled someplace of course. And I'll even send you some of the money I earn to help you with your established life." she told him, and although Maverick didn't want to take anything from her, she insisted.

Before heading to Sere, Angora talked to Ilasi quietly. It pained her to see Maverick so sad over her, but she was certain he would get over it eventually, especially if he wanted to make his girlfriend happy. She imagined Sere was going to give her a nice pay for her services, and maybe even her own room in the headquarters so Veris could have her near. After instructing Ilasi to kneel, she spoke to her in a low voice so that only she would hear.
"Make him happy... alright?" she asked, being all she could ask from her. She didn't know if Ilasi would be happy that she would be out of the way and would have Maverick all to herself or if she was genuinely worried about her, but whatever the case, the important thing was that they were both alive and well, and had the chance to have a great future together. As for Shade, she believed he was in good hands. King Seraos was a rather decent guy, and was certain he was going to forgive the dragolet in the near future when he was done paying his debt. That way, he could return to his family and have his happiness too.

And for her, she didn't know what to expect. She imagined Guardian headquarters was a very dark, locked up place hidden from the world. She figured she was going to hate it there, but she didn't intend to make such employment last forever regardless of what Veris wanted, especially if she was going to be in constant danger from both men and animals, so when the time came, she would have to search for what to do next. Perhaps live near Maverick? There would be time to think about that. For now, it was time to move forward and leave the Ishulgites and this horrible war behind them.

Ilasi felt how much it pained Angora to leave her old friend; and part of her felt very guilty herself for essentially pushing Angora (albeit inadvertently) to make such a decision. Angora seemed beyond convincing at this point, however.
"We'll make each other happy - I know we will," she said confidently, not wanting to leave Angora with any doubts. She couldn't imagine what life staying with the Ardent Guardians would be like, but she didn't think it would be much better than life at a barracks in a rather out-of-the-way location.

After a few moments to honor the fallen and consider what had happened, Leoquin returned to the rest of the group. He really didn't have much of a purpose anymore - what had been driving him previously was no longer relevant. Still, that just meant he had to find one again... right? He could always hold out hope, though he had gotten rather tired of doing that.

After a few prayers to the fallen and spending a bit of time with Angora, Leoquin's quiet disdain didn't go unnoticed by Maverick, and always the helpful faun man, he approached the merman.
"Hey pal. Hola. Listen, if you ever need to talk, I'm here. We're all here." Maverick assured, looking specifically at Ilasi. He remembered the promise he made to her to help amend their friendship, but Leoquin's distancing made it too hard on the voyage back. He didn't know what the merman would do from now on, but there was no better moment for Maverick to stretch his helpful hand and at the same time, return to Ilasi the nice friendship she once had with him.

Once the honoring was over, Angora spotted Shade in the distance, but avoided approaching in fear that saying farewell to him all over again would be too painful. She only hoped he followed her advice in making the king know him better and motivate him to go easier on his sentence. He was out of the machine, so perhaps that was a good start? Either way, Shade's life was out of her hands now, so all she could do was try to think like Maverick and hope for the best. Having said a proper goodbye to her best friends, she approached Sere after the ceremony.
"Sir? I'm... ready to sign the contract..." she declared, although she was going to make sure to read it all carefully. She wanted to make sure Sere didn't make the deal last forever, since he knew now that's what Veris wanted. She hated the idea of disappointing the wyvern and make him sad, but she doubted she would be able to adapt to whatever life the Guardians and caretakers had in the headquarters. If he really cared for her, hopefully he'll understand.

Leoquin didn't pay Maverick much mind. He had other things to concern himself with. "What is there to talk about? Nothing really. You have your way to go... and I have mine. I just have to figure out what I'm going to do from here. A fresh start, if you will." It would be completely from scratch, indeed - Leoquin would have no place to anchor himself to, except where he chose. He would probably start back at Redwater. Maybe things would happen from there.

Angora caught Sere's attention. "Are we ready, then? Good - we'll need to head back to the ship at Redwater, so I can distribute everyone's pay. From there, we will draft up the contract, and we can travel to the base. Our base is quite a bit out of the way of Aelinon territory, so that should, at least, put you somewhat at ease." Sere didn't know how well Angora could adapt - it would probably be difficult for her - but he hoped for the best, and would do what he could to ease her transition.

Maverick sighed quietly, knowing he couldn't force Leoquin to express himself.
"Well, if we ever settle down someplace, I'll give you the address so you always have amigos to visit." Maverick said kindly, ignoring that, just moments earlier, he was almost manipulated into killing him and Angora. Maverick was just too kind and innocent to think a friend could do that though, so he was willing to keep helping Leoquin, even if not directly.

Angora nodded, ready to sign... or at least ready as she'll ever be with such a deal. She was worried that coming to Guardian's base for Veris would just make him believe he could get away with anything, and even though she already specified the deal was likely not going to be forever, he stubbornly believed she was going to change her mind eventually. Her only hope is that she won't regret this decision. Worst case scenario would be Veris refusing to bond with another caretaker once she left and be angry with her for the rest of their lives for leaving. She would need to have a few heart to heart talks with Veris during her stay, but for now, she would practically belong to him now. She didn't know about the rest, but she, Maverick, Ilasi, Shade and the Guardians already knew what to do next. She hoped Julian would come with them so that she would have at least one Guardian friend and someone to talk to. There was always Raclaw and Veris himself, though with the former's friend, it was doubtful.

Aware of her goal, Angora was both ready to receive her pay and sign the contract. The war was something to reminenced about, and she prayed there wasn't any more crazy societies out there ready to make another war. The Ishulgites gave them trouble after trouble, and even used her own sadness against her. Sere almost executed her because of them, and even though she still held a grudge, she was going to work for him now, so she couldn't let any strong emotions get in the way. She still owed Julian her life, and regardless of whether Orion cured his disease or not, she still intended to pay him the great favor.

"Thanks, Maverick. I appreciate it," Leoquin answered, accepting the invitation. Maverick had his life settled - Leoquin could only wonder if the same could ever be said for him. For now, he had nothing to direct any sort of fervor towards. Only time would tell what would happen from here.