darkSpyro

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Five years after the Ishulgite attack on Aelinonian soil, everybody is still trying to cope with the tragedy that befell their various homelands. New changes were made, Aelinon is reinforced and gradually decentralizing its power, while the Silvianesti still undergo construction after a major blow. In the meantime, Ishulgite fugitives are being slowly detained, lowering the chances of revenge. Orion is pleased. Peace finally seems to be coming, and at long last, most of the travelers that were once crew members of the giant ship the Enduring Legacy finally have a chance of happiness. Jobs, families, all seemed well. But even if one threat was over, the world was still big. A certain woman still has a score to settle with one of the former crew members... and she's not the only one. Some are still searching for lost family members, while others are still trying to make the most of the life they had now. But Aelinon is not the only one looking for peace. Somewhere, there were still the lost and forgotten, waiting for the perfect moment to greet the world, but how will it affect the friends that once traveled to the treacherous Falcon's Beak with the Ishulgite threat at every corner? How long will peace last?

Rules
We have the typical common sense rules. No godmoding, be decent to one another, that sort of thing. We're here to have fun, and one person's fun shouldn't come at the expense of other players. Basically, if your roleplaying is shutting other players out of the story or preventing them from doing anything meaningful, or single-handedly derails the story as others are forced to accommodate your characters, that will probably be a problem.
Though you won't need one for one-off characters or villains, any character who is going to appear somewhat regularly in the story should have a character sheet.

The basic character sheet will look something like this.

Name:
Age:
Species (and any relevant variations):
Appearance:
Personality: (Personalities are naturally complex and based on many factors, and liable to change with character development - this is just a general idea.)
Weapons/equipment/etc.: (If applicable. This is naturally more volatile than other elements of the character sheet, so this is more of a general idea.)
Magic/abilities/etc.:
Background:

Besides that, please communicate any absences as best you can so we may work around them as the situation calls for.

Links to some illustrations by Felines:
Sere and Veris
Raclaw, Latnok, and Chester
Maverick and Ilasi
Shade and friends

Name: Ilasi
Age: 29
Species: Merfolk
Appearance: Ilasi is somewhat smaller in stature; however, the hard work she frequently does has definitely left her, at the very least, not looking scrawny. She can adapt between a tail form and a bipedal form; the latter takes longer to get into than the former. She has long, black hair, which she typically keeps bundled up when working. Illustration: https://i.redd.it/gdtawovh6mu31.png
Personality: Ilasi is generally patient and kind. She often doesn't voice her true feelings about things, or, if she does, does it as nonconfrontationally as possible. This can, in some instances, lead to some resentment, though she is generally good at not showing it. She is rather compliant, willing to go along with what she's told to do, and seeks to justify her own value. Despite all this, she is somewhat ambitious, looking to improve herself. She is somewhat more confident after entering a relationship with Maverick.
Weapons/equipment: Ilasi, for the most part, is not a trained fighter, but has experience with bows. She posted
Magic/abilities: Ilasi wields water magic which she can use in a variety of ways, as well as divination spells. Most usefully, she has a repertoire of enchantment spells she can used to supplement her medicine in order to allow for greater means of healing.
Background: Ilasi was always inadequate, as far as her parents were concerned. She spent much of her life trying to better herself in various ways, most notably through apprenticeships, and she left her parents as soon as she had the opportunity to. She met Maverick shortly before their journey on the Enduring Legacy, and the two had settled down and had twins since then.

Name: Julian
Age: 80
Species: Human ("Ascended")
Appearance: Julian's skin features the traditional discoloration and burn marks that all members of the Ardent Guardians possess after undergoing the Draconic Ascension ritual. His right arm, which was amputated about a decade ago, has been replaced by a wooden prosthesis which allows him to, for the most part, perform the same functions he could before. He is around the size of a typical human man and keeps his head shaved. His dragonhide armor is red.
Personality: Julian has a nigh insatiable thirst for knowledge and often gets lost in his research. For much of his career, he was willing to sacrifice morality in the pursuit of things to better humanity - his most recent experiences with the Ishulgites, however, have made him reconsider such extreme views.
Weapons/equipment: Julian's job, usually being at the base, does not typically require him to carry him a weapon, though he is capable of wielding most any weapon. Like most of the members of the Ardent Guardians, he possesses a hyperspace bag.
Magic/abilities: Julian had learned and adopted light and dark magic during his guerilla campaign against the Ishulgites in order to maximize his ability to move around undetected; however, his primary magic abilities lie in the ability to manipulate plant life to some degree (most notably the Tree of Vitality) as well as the ability to analyze and deconstruct the nature of spells and other complex things.
Background: Julian has served in the Ardent Guardians for over half a century, and servs. As part of a series of experiments to identify ways to better create human/dragon coexistence, he gave the egg containing Raclaw, pulled from his family by the Ishulgites, to a human family, to be raised alongside the pet dog. Learning of the true nature of the Ishulgites, Julian attempted to kill their leader, but failed and suffered severe wounds in the attempt which required him to use hexwood to patch up the amputation. Though he could weaponize the parasitic wood to some extent, it was slowly killing him. The hexwood died when, in the final battle against the avatar of Ishulgu, it had its life drained by the avatar - leaving Julian with a stump he replaced with an advanced wooden prosthesis of his own making.

Name: Laszur
Age: 32
Species: Galud
Appearance: Laszur is around the size of the typical galud, with light beige skin and scaling. He is typically wearing blue wyvernhide armor, and what would appear to be a veil over his eyes in the day.
Personality: Highly analytical and focused, Laszur is more concerned with doing his job than receiving any sort of praise for it. He follows orders without question, and does not like to share his personal thoughts. He is merciless when it comes to delivering justice based on Aelinon's laws, and will spare no effort to have violators face penalties, regardless of their rank or standing.
Weapons: A pike, tail barb, machete, and several lighter spears suited for throwing.
Magic/abilities: Laszur uses light and dark magic as tools to facilitate overt operations. Outside of that, he is able to identify "signatures" in spells which allows him to identify who uses them.
Background: Laszur grew up in Aelinon, and has always been interested in the military on account of all of the recruiting attempts and other propaganda related to it. Having a natural gift for magic, he focused his pursuit on abilities which would maximize his stealthiness. This has given him a position as a member of the Silent Spear. He has been working around the clock to help with legal matters during Aelinon's restructuring, in addition to his work rooting out remnants of the Ishulgites who haven't surrendered themselves.

Name: Latnok
Age: 38
Species: Human ("Ascended")
Appearance: A little over 6 feet tall, his skin has turned brownish-black, as a result of the Draconic Ascension ritual performed to grant him more power. This also left two burn scars around his eyes, like it did for others who have performed it. His body is covered in many scars as a result of his confidence in his combat abilities and willingness to cut it close. Generally, most of his features cannot be seen while he's under his green dragonhide armor, which covers him from head to toe and leaves him faceless.
Personality: Though historically pragmatic to the point of ruthlessness, Latnok has developed more idealistic tendencies in his time partnering with Raclaw and Chester. He believes that though the world is a brutal place, the good that exists in it is worth fighting to extract. He delights in seeing those he is responsible for achieve their full potential.
Weapons: Latnok's primary weapons are his bow, made of living wood from the Tree of Vitality, and his axe, made of phoenix steel. He has more recently gained a spear, made out of the bones of an ishiud creature known as a whistler - the spear enhances his magic capabilities while he wields it. He is proficient in most other weapons usable by humans, however, and can fight effectively at close range without a weapon by using strikes amplified by force magic.
Magic/abilities: Like most members of the Ardent Guardians, Latnok is highly adept at using force magic to lethal effect. He can use many other elements to some utility, though none to the level of effectiveness as force magic.
Background: Latnok ran away from home at a young age to spare his mother the burden of having to care for him. He moved to a city where he lived as a street urchin, mainly surviving by hunting and doing odd jobs. At one point, someone attempted to kidnap him, but he ended up killing the kidnapper with a hunting knife on his person. Hunting was Latnok's most significant skill, and a chance encounter led to him joining the Ardent Guardians. His unwillingness to kill led to the deaths of two fellow Guardians, a fact which drives his complete lack of mercy or sympathy to enemies. He left the Ardent Guardians briefly due to differences in preferred methodology, but rejoined after learning of a dire threat following his encounter with Shade.
During his time in that mission, he had begun to grow somewhat of a bond with the fur dragon Raclaw - a former pet, a project of the Ardent Guardians in facilitating the coexistence of humans and dragons, now turned free dragon. Following that and the rescue of the beagle Chester, Latnok has become more empathetic, and now works as an Adjudicator in the Ardent Guardians, maintaining a safe haven for the abandoned children, dragons, and dogs of the world which encourages them to develop their potential.

Name: Leoquin
Age: 30
Species: Merfolk
Appearance: Leoquin is about the height of an average man, with a lithe build. Depending on his environment, he can adapt between a tail form and a bipedal form, though it's far quicker to transform to the former than the latter.
Personality: Leoquin's previously more friendly (depending on who you ask), outgoing, enthusiastic personality has generally been replaced by something more disinterested and blasé to his own situation, as he has invested more time trying to follow possible leads on his family. As a consequence, he also tends not to bother expressing his dislike of others, preferring not to deal with them. He tends to be somewhat aloof and generally doesn't care to stay in any one particular place for too long, though he always ends up coming back home.
Weapons: Leoquin is most comfortable with spear-type weapons, as they are relatively easy to use underwater, though he has some knowledge of other kinds of weapons.
Magic/abilities: Leoquin has knowledge of many
Background: Having honed his knowledge of seaman skills, Leoquin had been trying to find the brother who was swept away by a current as a result of what he felt was his own irresponsibility. His tour aboard the Enduring Legacy, while providing another lead to follow, ended up in a dead end, and his parents went missing during the turmoil involving the Ishulgites. He now does what he can in hopes of finding another lead. Though he has given up hopes of finding any of his family alive, he hopes for, at the very least, closure.

Name: Nirsesh
Age: 30
Species: Elf
Appearance: Nirsesh stands a little shorter than the average human man. She possesses fair skin and long, light, blonde hair. Her outfit is of traditional elven royalty.
Personality: Nirsesh is generally reserved, and her time in a dungeon in Aelinon has made her rather wary of outsiders. Nevertheless, she realizes that xenophobic attitudes were some of the things responsible for fueling the conflict between Silvianesti and Aelinon, so does her best to avoid manifesting that wariness.
Weapons: Nirsesh does not typically carry weapons.
Magic/abilities: Nirsesh has some experience in many typical facets of elven magic, such as the manipulation of nature to some degree.
Background: Nirsesh was born to King Glaveilio, who was deposed and killed during a rebellion instigated by the Ishulgites. Before then, she was captured by a special operations team led by Laszur as Aelinon sought a means to secure a bargain with Silvianesti. She was freed after the fall of the Ishulgites, left to pick up the pieces of a nation brought to ruin.

Name: Seraos
Age: 32
Species: Human
Appearance: Seraos stands at 5'11''. He has black hair, which he constantly cuts off due to not wanting to spend the time to maintain it. His clothing nowadays is something formal, rather than regal, as he tries to distance himself from the crown, the existence of which he felt facilitated the most recent upheaval.
Personality: Seraos considers himself a servant of the people. He is thoroughly dedicated to the survival of Aelinon. Having fought to keep his nation whole, he gives everything he can in that regard.
Weapons/abilities: Seraos typically carries a small blade of some sort for self-defense, and knows some magic. He is usually accompanied by guards to protect him, however, so he doesn't need to rely on just his own fighting strength.
Background: Seraos had a rather sheltered life as a prince, most of his time being invested in various studies. He assumed the throne at a young age, as a result of his father's life being taken by disease. Since then, he has worked hard to learn what he can of leadership.

Name: Sere
Age: 129
Species: Human ("Ascended"
Appearance: Sere stand at about 7 feet tall. His skin and eyes show the typical discoloration and burn scars of the Ardent Guardians. He shows signs of his old age, but lacks any of the frailty typically associated with it. He has scars from his many battles, but not nearly as many as Latnok, on account of being a much more conservative fighter. He is generally seen in his armor composed of red dragonhide, which covers him from head to toe, and leaves him faceless.
Personality: Sere is a man who, though he has strong ideals, recognizes that hard, unpleasant choices often have to be made to achieve them. Nevertheless, he does not stop striving for them, even when other Guardians disagree with him. He has unshakable faith in humanity, and looks to better his fellow men whenever he has the opportunity to. As Godfather of the Ardent Guardians, he is in charge of the general direction of the group - but always emphasizes the need to leave no one behind, and personally attends to the death of every Guardian.
Weapons/equipment: Sere can wield a wide variety of weapons, though (at least nowadays) he isn't often personally involved in combat. Though he once wielded Grimbane, the sword was lost to a giant wave in the journey to Falcon's Beak.
Magic/abilities: Sere knows many spells of most basic elements - he uses light and dark magic in combat to deadly effect, with them complimenting each other and allowing him to strike at opponents from almost every angle. Like most trained Guardians, he can use combat prescience to predict offensive and defensive maneuvers by his foes.
Background: Sere joined the Ardent Guardians over a century ago. After a horrific battle with the massive black dragon Shiavara, Sere realized how horrific it was to keep losing people to ill planning, and vowed to find a way to protect as many people as possible. His research into several forms of defensive magic have not only kept him alive, but have allowed him to outlive other Guardians who he would be in competition for in rank. Such tenacity eventually led him to his position today, where he has been able to enact many sweeping policies which have drastically extended the life expectancy of a Guardian. He now works to make the Ardent Guardians a more general force for good, in contrast to the human-centric origins.

Name: Tyrus
Age: 5
Species: Merfolk/human hybrid with faun ancestry
Appearance: Tyrus looks like most his age, despite quicker than normal development in some aspects. He grows relatively more hair than his sister Alana but doesn't make a major effort to cut it - when he does trim it, it's usually by demand of his mother, who feels that it might appear unsightly until it's fully developed. He is unable to transform like his mother - whether it is a permanent or temporary limitation remains to be seen.
Personality: Tyrus is generally more reserved, though not to the point of seclusion. He takes a liking to animals, and will often go to one of the stray shelters established by Latnok to play with the dogs. He is not always a fan of the pranks his sister plays on him, but tolerates them. He often likes to ask his father about stories from when he was younger, (currently) unaware of just how brutal his past was.
Weapons/equipment: Tyrus does not typically carry weapons, nor is he old enough to be compelled by law to train in one.
Magic/abilities: Tyrus is currently not trained in the use of magic, though he has shown some natural potential in water manipulation like his sister.
Background: Tyrus was born to loving parents. Books are something he rather enjoys, and he has an easier time in his classes than his peers. He generally gets annoyed when his sister gets in trouble, because it often means that he will end up getting involved in some way or another, but maintains an amicable relationship with her nonetheless.

Name: Veris
Age: 25
Species: Wyvern
Appearance: Veris is a large wyvern, covered in a mix of black and dark blue scales. His tail has calcification at the end which allows him to use it as a weapon.
Personality: Veris is highly obedient to most Guardians, especially Sere, as a result of his training. He is highly gluttonous, a vestige of his wild nature. He is especially attached to Angora, his personal caretaker, and is less happy when she isn't around.
Weapons: Veris wields his claws, fangs, and tail as weapons, and is often supplemented by whatever his rider wields.
Magic/abilities: None
History: Veris is considered a shining example of wyvern breeding, having an ideal mix of strength, stamina, size, intelligence, and coloration. For this reason, he is the Godfather's personal mount.

Name: Raclaw
Age: 24 (in human years)
Species: Fur Dragon

Appearance: Raclaw has brown feathered wings and a tan furred body. A green bandana can be seen around his neck and beneath that-- a thick seamless leather collar void of any obvious buckle or other method of removal. This collar, when not hidden from view, would reveal itself to be composed of a silver D-ring and an emerald green gem embedded just to the right of said D-ring. To those familiar with the Argent Guardians, this collar (albeit "locked") marks him as "trusted" and indicates that he is a friend to the Guardians. Additionally-- an leather harness ring can be seen on the base of his tail, while a gold tail band capable of changing 'forms' to suit its wearer's needs can be seen towards the tip of his striped tail. Both items are considered magical and can be 'seen' as much by those capable of detecting such things. A partial riding harness (no bridle!) may also be seen depending on the circumstances.

[APPEARANCE WITH ADDITIONAL RIDING HARNESS] . [APPEARANCE WITHOUT HARNESS]
(Official reference drawn by shorty with additional RP-specific details added as needed.)

Personality: Raclaw is a curious dragon and a tad timid. Still somewhat tame after his time with humans-- he chooses to be a little gentler, but can be serious when he needs to be. Part of him still seeks to discover his past; having yet to see or confirm the fate of his true parents. Having long been collar claimed (and technically owned) by the Guardian known as Latnok, he has continued to incorporate certain aspects of the Guardian's personality into that of his own including some pragmatism and now more idealistic tendencies. He is comfortable with his circumstances, but believes in bettering others and in offering choice to those who would otherwise lack such options in life. Raclaw and Latnok are very much bonded creatures and thus; this alongside certain mental links (Shade, Veris) can continue to alter and influence his personality over time.

Weapons/equipment/etc: Raclaw's natural weapons include the use of his CLAWS and TEETH. In addition-- he may also use the collar's included "TEACH" command (similar to that of a shock collar), but only as a last resort and only where outside magic is allowed. As far as "gear" goes, Raclaw's gear is as described above but can also sometimes include a riding harness for situations where he must carry both Latnok and an canine companion/co-pet named Chester. This harness can be both worn and removed with some effort, although he usually isn't too far from someone who can assist him.

Magic/abilities/etc.: Raclaw's elements include the use of FIRE and an advanced form of TELEPATHY. His abilities concerning fire are someone primitive on his own, but have turned into much more advanced techniques when paired with his loyal friend/partner/rider Latnok.

Background: Raclaw originally lived with a human family, first as a pet and later as a sort of protector. As a young pup—he was found alone and with no sign of his parents in sight. He soon found himself dropped off at a nearby farm where he was discovered to have an irremovable collar with a tag that simply read "RACLAW." As he developed and grew; he was never mistreated and often played alongside the family dog. It was the family’s hope that he may eventually develop his abilities and they grow concerned when he couldn’t even muster a puff of smoke. In addition, there was the still irremovable collar and so—they took his to a "specialist" in the nearby village.

It was there that Raclaw was recognized and Julian had told them how he had found Raclaw; and had been the very same “bystander” who dropped him off at their nearby farm. The family explained what they had observed as Julian "inspected" the collar-- its seamless appearance, the two irremovable gems to the left and right of the D-ring, and how it had adjusted itself overtime never growing too small or too tight as Raclaw grew. It was revealed that the two gems found on the collar were in fact responsible for blocking Raclaw’s elements and Julian agreed to study the matter further as they continued to give Raclaw a quality life. Before they left, Julian had been also been able to remove the claw-shaped tag (which had made quite a bit of noise) and allowing Raclaw to eventually hunt on his own without fear of scaring away the prey.

As time passed and the "research" continued—Raclaw became more aware of his own restrictions and they soon visited Julian’s lab once again to find out what progress had been made on the collar. It was still that Julian explained how he had come across an ancient Drow manual in his travels and how an "intelligent presence within the collar" allowed it to accept commands and enable or disable certain functions. He explained how anyone with physical contact to the collar would "just know" the commands and be able to act upon them. In addition, this person could also bond with the collar and act up certain commands ether by touch, verbal component, or mental thought—effectually owning Raclaw. Julian agreed to study the commands further and would later meet the family at their farm.

After allowing some time to pass, the day eventually came and they were able to make quick work in "disabling" the collar. Upon triggering the voices inside and acting upon certain commands—the two colored gems just seemed to fall out leaving a seamless leather surface behind and a previously unseen buckle had appeared. Raclaw stopped the family from removing the collar, however, and telepathically spoke to them for the very first time. He had thanked them, but expressed how he had wanted to keep the collar—both a sign of his yet unknown past and also to remember the family by. Julian explained how there was away and how Raclaw could potentially influence his own collar. The family, although confused at first, reluctantly agreed to let Raclaw try.

Upon speaking a carefully worked string of Drow commands—there was nothing at first, followed by feelings of confusion, and then one singular voice. “Your commands are accepted, collared one. As long as I am with you and remain unclaimed by another—only you may command my actions for as long as you are able. Any command asked of me will be followed including any that may negatively impact yourself. And if you wish to truly belong to another… you may do so. But be warned that doing do forfeits some of your own control until the day they release you.,” the collar spoke seeming to reluctantly accept that the rules had changed. A new command also came to mind... one that he dare not speak unless he truly meant it.

From that day one-- Raclaw was truly free for the first time and able to access his abilities for the first time in years. Now able to fend for himself and wanting more out of life, he would soon leave the farm and the humans to whom he had come to know and love. They weren't just owners or former owners to him-- they were something more. They were family and people that he deeply cared for. At first... he kept close by but soon went further and further out on his own. His visits became less often and his family wished him well on whatever future journeys may lie ahead for him. Eventually-- the humans became worried about the massive smoke coming from a nearby mountain and he volunteered to check it out on their behalf.

It was doing this journey where he had met Latnok and Sere—two "Guardians" who were part of a human organization responsible for his collaring and partly responsible for losing him. It was revealed that his collar was a modified Restraining Collar designed to help control the abilities of young dragon hatchlings who were given up by their parents—and placed with humans in hopes of bettering human/dragon relations. It was also revealed how these young dragons were meant to be guided by a Guardian, that Raclaw’s Guardian had somehow perished, and that Julian was in fact a Guardian. It was inferred that Julian, an Adjudicator in the ranks and head of magical research, had in fact placed the intelligent presence in his collar—presumably to make some sort of magical artifact. Despite this, a bond between him and Latnok (a Guardian) formed-- and only grew with time.

It was only during the aftermath of this journey that the intelligent presence had fully awoken-- revealing itself as "Damon" and explaining some of its backstory. Damon had once been an actual person who specialized in embedding magical properties into otherwise originary items; and having had the unfortunate luck of soul trapping himself into an amulet. Having been chosen to partake in an experiment, Damon had been unknowingly placed into Raclaw's collar where he would remain mostly dormant until the Guardians eventually officially "unlocked" the collar and inadvertently unleashed Damon's full capabilities. While Damon merely once moderated Raclaw's abilities via the collar-- he now shared a mental presence with Raclaw including access to all of Raclaw's thoughts, memories, and senses. In stark contrast to Damon's level of access, however, Raclaw himself is unable to access the formally alive entity's memories nor can he completely override Damon. The two currently have a mutual relationship, with Damon both advising Raclaw and maintaining various background tasks for his hosts-- such as the mental links he shared with certain other individuals.

And it was further along this journey that Raclaw would make the choice-- and allow Latnok the Guardian to claim him via his collar. With the new collar claim in place, Latnok would would effectively act as his 'owner' and have command priority over that of Damon -- although the two best friends would not immediately see each other as owner/pet. Latnok would continue to treat him just as he had before and only sparsely acting on the reinforced commands. The two had sense worked on combined magic and an combined goal; maintaining a safe haven for the abandoned children, dragons, and dogs of the world which encourages them to develop their potential.

---

Name: Chester
Age: 8 (in human "dog" years)
Species: Beagle

Appearance: Chester is 1½ feet of your typical beagle features, but now in a sturdy leather collar and a more "grizzled" face. The words "Man and dragon's best friend" can be seen hand-engraved into the collar itself; the engraving and it's description having been requested by Chester himself.

Personality: Chester remains somewhat excitable and continues to love shiny things.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Chester's only "weapons" include the use of his natural CLAWS and TEETH.
Magic/abilities/etc.: Chester is a dog and has no extraordinary abilities, unless you include the cuteness factor.

Background: Chester was presumily born in and found in a shelter. While visiting Redwater-- Raclaw and Latnok found found him and saved him from his then current owners, who had planned to cook and eat him. Upon letting him stay the night with them in the Easy Eyrie Inn, they and Godfather Sere agreed to officially adopt him and take him with them. Due to a upbringing with a German Shepard, Raclaw is physically able to "speak" with him via dogspeak and the two have a formed a close bond. Chester almost always follows Raclaw and would do anything for his furry friend-- and the friends of his furry friend. He had sense received a collar of his own choosing courtesy of Latnok-- its green metal accents having reminded him of Raclaw's eyes. And he would happily accompany his two larger companions anywhere, only now as a properly collared and somewhat older Beagle.

---

Name: Risar
Age: 44 (in human years)
Species: Minotaur

Appearance: At a little over 7 feet tall, Risar displays your typical Minotaur features-- including a golden nose ring and 1½ links of attached chain (not of his choosing). Beyond that-- he wears modified and reinforced leather armor vaguely similar to gladiator armor, containing custom forged weapon 'slots' on his backside. In addition.. he wears a belt which holds several useful pouches and sheathes useful for holding additional weapons as needed.

[Image created via Hero Forge®]

Personally: Risar has a blunt personality at times, partly because of his inability to fully speak the common tongue. However, he has a fighting spirit and is not at all unintelligent-- having also gained new confidence and purpose of his own choosing. Due to his history and upbringing, he has rather advanced tastebuds for someone of his race and former status (see history)-- and can accurately describe the flavor of many wines and other fine drinks. He looks back upon his history (and old master) fondly. However, he also looks forward and has personally vowed to himself to never be owned by another again.

Weapons/equipment/etc.: Two greataxes adorn his back, weighed in at 8 pounds each and sized appropriately for someone of Risar's strength. In addition-- he processes a sword granted to him by Orion and an dagger useful for more delicate situations or an alternative backup weapon.
Magic/abilities/etc.: Risar processes no magical abilities or elements whatsoever and is likely entirely incapable of such things.

History: At a young age and after a great house fire-- Risar was separated from his two other brothers (triplets) and sold off to a wealthy buyer. Upon being sold, he was implanted with the prominent golden nose ring that would only become harder to remove (if not impossible) as he developed. After many years of being used as a taste tester, bodyguard, and source of entertainment (read fighter)-- he eventually escaped with help of a merchant ship and eventually found himself being recruited in Redwater. He knows very little of his brothers; only that they were each implanted with a nose ring of different material. One was said to be implanted with a copper nose ring, while the other received a silver nose ring-- each material representing the "quality" and "usefulness" of the livestock. Risar also carries the lingering "mark" of a once great house and serves as a living reminder of what once was.

After having spent time commanding (as second in command) and fighting alongside his fellow traveling companions-- he has since started a crew of his own, using the money he earned to buy a ship of his own. He would use his wits and his experience to command a trading vessel.. transferring both goods and sometimes passengers safely to and from well known ports. In addition, he would hire a crew mostly composed of fellow free Minotaurs while also continuing the search for his own likely still enslaved brethren. He could never properly return to the land from which he came from (having an possibly questionable legal status), but could perhaps find either them or someone who knew of them within the free waters of Aelinon where he/his people were considered free. Meanwhile, he sometimes wondered what exactly became of his old traveling companions. He had already gained a well trusted second-in-command and had been rather successful in his trades, so perhaps he would get a chance to find out...

Name: Angora
Age: 27 (human years)
Species: Troll
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: Stands only 2'5 feet tall due to a genetic anomaly, having grown just two inches in five years. She's also skinnier as the result of her hard job and greenish brown skin. Most of her kind are five to seven feet tall. Unlike most of them, she has hair on her head and caretaker robes. Recently has two wyvern bite marks, one mostly noticeable on her right shoulder and another one on her left leg, which were made during her job.
Personality: Once bitter and rather mean, Angora has changed considerably, being more patient and calm, although she still has some sass and spunkiness left. She lack the bloodlust of most of her kind, and prefers to solve matters peacefully, although she's not afraid to get violent when defending herself or her friends. Loyal to friends almost to a fault. Children and certain animals tend to like her. Is willing to help those in need as long as she believes they deserve it. Despite her more gentle demeanor, she still has the tendency to hold grudges easily, and has the habit of being angry or depressed around those she feels wronged her.
Weapons/equipment/etc: Armor, Sword, Shield (when Neo activates them), a once poisonous dagger and a red orb that May or may not have magic left.
Magic/abilities/etc.: Whatever her magic can conjure.
Background: A former thief that successfully destroyed the Darkmatter that was threatening to end the world. Has the spirit Neo permanently inside her, helping her with her magic and counseling her. Has a history at sea before the Enduring Legacy voyage, but remembers little about it. She encountered her past friend Maverick, with whom she restored her friendship and together with Shade travelled for a while until the fateful day his powers grew out of control. Was forced to fight in the Redwater arena after being detained, but both she and a Shade survived. Was once kidnapped by the evil dragon Blue, until rescued by Shade. She helped defeat the White Shadow and participated in the Ishulgite war after much manipulation and pain from their part, earning the respect of most of the Guardians, including the leader Sere, and some people in Aelinon. Currently has a stable job as a wyvern caretaker after a failed attempt at a seasonal job, her only responsibility being Veris, the Guardian leader's beloved mount. Despite having been five years, only two major incidents ever occurred that resulted in bite marks (see appearance). Despite the danger, Angora continues working for the Guardians and keeping Veris as happy as she can. Due to the severe pressure and danger of her job, she's allowed to have one entire week free from every three weeks of normal work, staying at Maverick and Ilasi's place whenever the time comes.

Name: Maverick "Malo" Blakes
Age: 34
Species: Human with faun ancestry
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: A slender, handsome, muscular young man with reddish brown hair, slightly tan skin and dark brown eyes. Due to his faun heritage, his arms and legs have more hair than a normal human. He doesn't have goat like legs like some of his ancestors, instead, are perfectly human shaped. Wears a black shirt with torn sleeves and a small skull in it's chest, dark brown pants, leather boots and a small, gold medallion he keeps hidden under his shirt, which protects him from hurtful magic. He also possesses a hyperspace bag where he can store almost anything no matter the size, except living things. He speaks with a Spanish accent and often uses Spanish words too. Has a slightly bigger built after becoming a beloved father.
Personality: An optimistic, childish man that's easily impressed, and no matter how ugly things get, he always tries his best to look at the positive side. He's aware how dangerous the world can be, he still moves forward. He also likes to see the good in everyone, whether human or otherwise. He loves animals, being half vegetarian, fish being the only meat in his diet, and tends to be very afraid of large predators. He also attracts women, though he never managed to be in a stable relationship until Ilasi, whom he married and had children with.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: A single metal shield plus a variety of weapons kept in his hyperspace bag that belonged to the mugger that almost killed him in Orcford. He doesn't want to hurt anybody unless given no other choice. His gold medallion protects him from harmful magic.
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: A former pirate whose father, Captain Armon Blakes, terrorized the sea, stealing every treasure he could find and mercilessly killing anybody who opposed him. He raised Maverick in a very cruel way. As a teenager, he met Angora when his father requested a new buccaneer, and had to defend her often. Despite the differences, the two formed a near sibling type of relationship, which slowly changed Angora for the better. Despite parting ways and being saved by a mermaid named Lydia after his father's ship was sunk, killing everybody but him, Maverick encountered Angora again after so many years, rekindling their friendship, which they have today despite their constant arguments about her dangerous job. Intends to help Shade regain his freedom as well as help Leoquin find his family. Has no idea he is being watched.
Other: His faun ancestry takes back more than five hundred years ago, in a time where human conquistadores took faun territory and nearly draw them to extinction until a small group took pity on them and helped the faun fight back, eventually winning the battle and creating a society of their own, having both pure and hybrid offsprings. Maverick's mother was one of such hybrids, while his father Armon was pure human. Was once kidnapped by some mysterious bugs, though he was rescued, with no memory of the experience. He helped in the war against the Ishulgites, managing to build a house with five rooms that is a bit further away from the urban part of Redwater, having a job as a local merchant and succeeding to transfer his beloved Dahlia to a pen built nearby.

Name: Dahlia
Age: 9
Species: Dirt Buffalo
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: Has the hair and form of a musk ox, but the head and horns of a bison. Her fur is a deep dark brown with a very hard skin and bluish black eyes.
Personality: A rash and short tempered animal who tends to be vengeful, but can thankfully be controlled by Maverick or when realizing that the situation is out of her control. She is deeply loyal to the faun man, though tends to be very annoyed by him. She's very loyal to Maverick as well as Ilasi, though she can lose her patience with their kids. She has also warmed up to Angora, whom she often sees now. Has tremendous empathy for others, even if she's afraid of wary of them. She can also have very severe panic when exposed to mayor predators like wyverns or dragons, but can thankfully be controlled by Maverick or sometimes Ilasi when assured. She also expresses herself very quickly and can't think of one thought at a time.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Horns, hooves and hard skin
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: Lost a fight with a matriarch for territory, resulting in her banishment. She found an oasis, where Maverick dominated and tamed her when he found himself in the need of a mount while Angora and Shade were imprisoned in Redwater. He earned her loyalty with time, refusing his attempts to release her. The dirt buffalo is determined to keep him and his family protected, courtesy sometimes extended to their friends.

Name: Huntress (real name unknown)
Age: 32
Species: Human
Good or evil: Neutral
Appearance: Honey colored hair reaching below the knees, usually kept in a ponytail. Emerald green eyes and light skin. Leathered dark brown boots with spikes on their sides and front that can be activated. Heat and cold resistant gloves. Cape with reinforced cotton shirt and necklace in the form of a wolf. Protecting vest behind her shirt. Considered extremely beautiful by many men.
Personality: Acts very naive an innocent, but is actually very manipulative. Works only with those who pay best, though she has a code of honor when morale gets the best of her. Would do almost anything for money and riches. Can be ruthless and merciless when crossed. She's very proud but not usually impulsive, ready to back away from a clearly losing battle. What she lacks in strength makes it up for intelligence, stealth, stamina, agility, great reflexes and a killer aim. However, she has a hidden soft spot for children and small, fluffy animals. Her biggest flaw is how arrogant and obsessive she can be with her goals, especially concerning dragons, for whom she has an intense, deep hatred. She also has it against Maverick, having a complex past with him.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Whip, Crossbow, Katana, Fireproof cape, Boomerang, Curved knife and Shurikens. All small and concealed.
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: Lost her home to a rampaging dragon when she was very young. Was adopted by an Aelinonian soilder who taught her everything he knew. Went solo afterwards to help him make money, but when he went to war, it made her train even more, roaming the Aelinonian lands as a successful bounty hunter. Claims herself to do a better job than the Guardians, whom she considers a bunch of overpaid show-offs. Has a hidden fortune somewhere in the land that nobody but her knows about. Works very well with merpeople and wishes she could be one. For some reason, she wants revenge on Maverick, but after he became a father, has halted any attempts on him to avoid hurting Ilasi and the children, though she is still trying to find a subtle way to get him. She also befriended the three former pirates Sand Dune, Opium and Random, learning sign language from the latter.

Name: Sand Dune
Age: 38
Species: Human
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: Man with dirty blond hair, small yet well built arms, strong legs and brown eyes. Has a silver pocket watch around his neck. Usually wears a doctor's outfit as part of his job, but his preferred clothing are dark brown pants and a grey shirt with a white dune image at the front.
Personality: Goofy and lovable, Sand Dune always knows how to make anyone smile, although he's no shy to violence whenever he needs to get ruthless. Doesn't like to remember his pirate days, but is willing to use their dirty tactics if he needs to save his own life. Is very loyal to friends. Acts as the de facto leader of the trio composing him, Opium and Random.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Has a pirate sword kept as a memento and official weapon when needed. Also smoke bombs that he barely uses but carries around in case of emergencies.
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: Son of a mayor in a remote desert town. Gave himself the nickname Sand Dune in honor of his home. Parted ways to become a man on his own, but was tricked into joining a pirate ship, which was later captured by the Guardians. He along with his friends were imprisoned by Godfather Sere where they met and befriended Angora, eventually all of them earning their freedom. Helped in the battle against the Ishulgites and is currently working at a clinic and living in a rented room nearby.

Name: Opium
Age: 37
Species: Human
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: Slightly less muscular than Sand Dune but with more body hair, especially on the legs and arms. Has thick sideburns and deep dark black hair, which contrast his light, blue eyes. Usually wears black pants with a red, sleeveless shirt and a choker with spikes to appear more intimidating, as well as a scorpion buckle belt.
Personality: Is very suave and flirty, sometimes giving an air of obnoxiousness with his casanova attitude and giving people the wrong impression. He's actually a very decent person at heart, though he can't help pranking people on ocassion. He wishes to be a well known hero, sometimes trying too hard and messing things up. He's very knowledgable about medicine, and despite his flaws, is usually the most intelligent and resourceful of the trio.
Weapon/equipment/etc.: Sword longer than Sand Dune, as well as various knives that he can throw with deadly aim.
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: His father was a drug dealer (hence his nickname), so Opium ran away and became a pirate in order to mimic his favorite book hero, though sadly, he found out the hard way reality was very different. After being captured by the Guardians and helping in stopping the Ishulgites, he became a pharmacist, living in Random's basement.

Name: Random
Age: 40
Species: Human
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: Standing at 6'5, he could easily be mistaken for a small giant or a minotaur if they were human. Has black hair with a few grey ones, particularly above his ears. He regularly combs it. Has wide arms and is exceptionally strong, able to carry five, heavy maces in one hand. His legs are almost as equally wide. Has brown eyes slightly darker than Sand Dune's. Bears a scar on the center of his neck, hinting his muteness. Usually wears green, military like pants and a heavy brown coat, though he changes it into a more gentle looking shirt when dealing with animals.
Personality: He is the most intimidating and gruff of the trio, though is also usually the most gentle. He uses his strength more for tasks than fighting, though when he does battle, he is a force to be recogned with. He could even take on an orc with his bare hands and give the beast a good battle.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Tranquilizer darts from his jobs as well as animal medicine. Has a long sword he barely uses nowadays.
Magic/abilities/etc.: n/a
Background: Left behind his parents when they didn't agree on his matrimony. Sadly, he lost both his wife and child after a very short time, and joined a pirate crew in order to make money faster to save them, but it was too late. He continued with this life for a while, having nothing else to lose, meeting Sand Dune and Opium eventually and having a second chance when the ship was captured by the Guardians. Aiding them from then on after earning his freedom and helping in the Ishulgite war, Random currently resides on a small house near Sand Dune's clinic with Opium as a roommate and teaching Huntress sign language, eventually falling in love with her but being unable to confess.

Name: Alana
Age: 5
Species: Merfolk/human with faun ancestry
Good or Evil: Good
Appearance: She looks like a normal five years old girl, but with the mentality double her age and an eloquent speech when she wants to. Looks like a miniature version of her mother, but with her father's eyes and hair color. Usually wears short pants and a tank top, but uses thicker dark green clothes whenever she goes exploring the wilds around Redwater. Unlike her mother, she can't transform into a mermaid, but hopes she might someday. She grows hair on her elbows as part of her faun heritage, which she usually shaves on account of not being very lady like and to avoid potential bullying.
Personality: Ever adventurous, Alana causes all kinds of worries to her parents by disappearing to go exploring. She loves practical jokes, with Maverick and her brother being the usual targets. She is quite proud of her unique heritage, but is embarrased by the hair on her elbows, which saddens her father. She loves all kinds of animals, although tends to get injured for not giving them too much space. Finds Angora cool for her dangerous job, and admirable that she is able to befriend dangerous creatures like dragons and behemoths, not to mention her ability to do magic and survive many injuries. Also has a fondness for the macabre and sinister.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Slingshot, and emergency whistle
Magic/abilities/ etc.: Can create water from hands (only a little of it)
Background: Born shortly after her parents were married. She matured quite quickly and adapted very well to Redwater, though she would prefer a more countryside life. She has lived all her life in Redwater, meeting a few of her father's friends and knowing he is also friends with the dragon they called the Scourge of Redwater, which she hasn't been able to meet on account of children being unable to visit him. She always gets caught whenever she tries to sneak in on his prison. Gets called to the principal's office of her school quite often, whether because she played a rather mean prank on somebody or formed some sort of riot.

Name: Draikon
Age: 65
Species: Human...
Good or Evil: Undecided
Appearance: Despite his old age, he doesn't have any white hair. Is mostly dark blue in color. Has a five o' clock shadow that he keeps obsessively trimmed. Has green eyes and a rather scrawny appearance. Has an amulet in the form of a bottle, where he actually keeps his liquids, whether is water or anything else to keep himself from dehydrating and interrupting himself when doing some work. Is mostly seen in a lab coat, but uses a cerulean blue shirt and dark blue pants whenever he goes outside.
Personality: Despite his mostly calm demeanor, he can be extremely stubborn and insistent when he wants something. He's a man shrouded in mystery. Despite living in a crowded part of Redwater, he might as well be a hermit due to his awfully long time in the laboratory he calls home, only coming out when shopping. He's obsessed with mythical creatures like dragons and gryphons, but mostly the ancient ones, like fauns, centaurs and nymphs, hence his obsession with studying Maverick.
Weapons/equipment/etc.: Lab heavily guarded. Has some biochemical weapons stored safely.
Magic/abilities/etc.: Only his chemistry, some which he could use as weapons but doesn't.
Background: Aelinonian guards found him on the brink of death outside the border, apparently suffering from amnesia when he recovered. He settled in a nice place he transformed into a laboratory, doing all kinds of chemistry experiment and studying many creature's samples. Despite some people calling him crazy due to his unorthodox methods, he hasn't hurt anybody, and doesn't care what people call him as long as he can work in peace. Has been sending invitations to Maverick to study him, being rejected all the time. But he hasn't given up yet.

OOC: I'll start this time now that every main character is up.

Morning came in the land devastated by the dastard Ishulgites half a decade ago. Everyone has moved along with their lives. Some still tried. Shade was still imprisoned and in service of Aelinon, but hopefully, he will earn his freedom very soon. It has been five years already. Time surely flies. His friend, Angora the troll, had been hoping his sentence could've been much shorter than that, but those humans just had to be that cruel. Maybe they just love Shade's servitude so much they are extending their sentence. But as always, there wasn't much she could do. Besides, there was another dragon the one she had to take care of. Today was the last day of work before her one week's rest, something the wyvern she took care of wasn't so fond of, but was at the very least comprehensible about the matter, especially after the attacks she suffered. They were just two attacks, which was a very little number considering the time she has worked there. Nevertheless, at least one of them almost resulted in certain death. She had hit the wyvern that grabbed her by the leg in the snout, releasing her before she could get dragged further into the cage. The one who bit her shoulder however, was more successful, managing to get her inside it's enclosure and almost devouring her in a single gulp when she used her magic sphere shield to prevent the beast from ending her. One of the caretakers called the Guardians, who had to interfere. The only change made was the wyvern's relocation to another part of the barns, and all Angora could do was to be more careful next time, since changing the entire system for the sake of one caretaker was too much work no matter who she was.

The last incident was partially witnessed by Veris, but Angora didn't want her friend to hate the rest of his companions for something they are practically doing out of instinct. Thankfully in the aftermath, the attempted attacks were far less frequent than before now that the wyverns that witnessed the event knew that not only was she not the easy prey they thought, but the Guardians would come to her rescue if she was ever attacked. They didn't stop altogether though, but it was still progress. The bite marks were a constant reminder of the dangers she had to face almost every day with such job, but the advantage was that Veris could now see how much she goes through for his sake, and was far more understanding of her situation than before, not to mention the scars made her look more gruff, which was always a plus to compensate her small stature.

It was all in the past now. The present, it was all that mattered. Shade was still a slave, but Angora was planning to visit him sometime in the week and see for how much longer the king planned to have him. Not all was bad though. Her dear, sweet Maverick was having a wonderful life. He has his wife. And now, he also has children. The troll was still in shock. She was practically an auntie now. If there was somebody who deserved happiness, it was that man. They could be quite the handful, especially the girl, but the twins have exceptional parents. Everything was going to be alright. And they were born after the Ishulgite war, so they were spared of that horror. As the little troll had her breakfast, she almost couldn't wait to finish her shift to come see them...

Nowadays, Adjudicator Latnok spent much of his days overseeing the administration of the New Chance and Salvation House, or the NCSH (or simply SH) as it was often known nowadays. He went on flights with his dear companion Raclaw or on hunting trips with the aging Chester some days - but general combat training took a back seat to his new endeavor. It was an ambitious project - but one which gave him great satisfaction accomplishing.
The SH had outlets in both Aelinon and Silvianesti nowadays, though the initial place was near neutral territory near the Ardent Guardian base. Latnok couldn't be as personally involved in matters as he would have liked to be nowadays, but it was a satisfying project nonetheless. He remembered his origins as a runaway child - and where he was nowadays. It only happened because he had a chance at the Ardent Guardians. Perhaps most children didn't need a lifetime of combat training to reach their potential - they just needed the right guidance to enable them in whatever path they sought.
The SH not only took care of forsaken children - it also cared for stray animals, particularly dogs. Their incorporation allowed children to grow up with a companion to love and care for, and gave many lost dogs the opportunity to thrive where they would not have been able to before. Overall, the integration - inspired by Latnok's companion Chester, who was saved from a starving family which was pondering eating him - was mutually beneficial.
Latnok sometimes wondered how his former traveling companions were doing - the ones he journeyed on the Enduring Legacy with. He had a general idea where they were now, but not much more than that. Perhaps that would be something he had time to check on later...

After her breakfast and much pondering, Angora headed to the wyvern's food storage, getting a large piece of ham and some sausages for Veris. The wyvern has grown in the five years she has been working there... and so has his appetite. He could likely devour an entire cow in a matter of seconds if given the chance. Once she reached his pen, being on high alert as she got there as always. Once she reached the enclosure's she opened it without a care in the world.
"Top of the morning my ginormous friend. Appetizer is here... and is bringing you breakfast." Angora joked, wanting to start the morning with a bit of humor to make her week long departure a bit easier. Despite Veris being bigger, he hasn't lost any of his agility, which she always found out whenever he exercised and hunted. Much progress was made with him throughout the years. He was more muscular, his scales shined, and what was even better, he has learned to share his food... at least with her. Plus she could also feed him directly without needing to be worried about being bitten. Veris had great control and a bit more patience than before.

At a house quite far from there, Maverick finished his job at the market earlier. Despite his stand's popularity, there wasn't as many people as other days. Was the king going to give a speech? Was there some sort of activity in the arena? Maverick didn't know if behemoths being fed prisoners was still something being practiced in Redwater, but he heard around that it was one of the many changes that were planned. Such news would clearly be a riot given how many people seemed to enjoy the cruel spectacle, not to mention the money it brought to the city, so perhaps such activity was going to take a while to eliminate. He felt so helpless being unable to do anything for those poor people, especially when he reminisced how he almost lost Angora in that dastard arena, but he had to convince himself that the only prisoners being sentenced there nowadays to such dreaded demise were the ones as evil and unredeemable as his father so that his guilt wouldn't be so great.

Veris delightfully ate the food presented to him, being very careful not to hurt Angora in the process. Angora had more than one injury from the wyverns present, and Veris did not want to add to that. Though she needed frequent time off, Veris understood - or, at the very least, did his best to understand - why such a thing was necessary.
Once he was done, he gave her an excited grin. He eagerly awaited what she had planned for the day.

It was always a delight to see Veris with such a healthy appetite. In the years she has worked there, she has never seen him sick. A bit of a cold here and there, but no big deal.
"Today is the last day before my week long rest Veris. We can do anything you want today. Anything." Angora promised, always taking the last day before her weekly rest to do anything Veris wanted, no matter how exhausting, annoying or even scary it could be. It was to make her quarter of the month absence a bit easier for him. He already had a caretaker filling the missing shifts, but he treated him the same as the rest of the wyverns. The rest of Angora's working days with Veris was quite routinely, with a few changes occasionally to prevent things from being boring.

Elsewhere, in a nice house a bit further away from the urban part of Redwater, a little girl was trying to fill a glass of water out of her own hands. She had returned from school without getting into trouble for once, and was in the mood to practice her abilities. She would fill up her hands with water to have thirsty animals drink from it, but they were barely enough. On the table, she had various objects too, as if she wanted to prepare something. A trap. However, the moment was ruined with the early arrival of Maverick.
"Daddy? What... are you doing here already?" the girl asked, surprised to see him there so soon.
"This shift was dull, so closed the shop earlier. Why? Did I ruin one of your pranks?" Maverick asked after taking a look at the table, already knowing his daughter too well. She pouted.
"You'll get me next time Alana. No te preocupes." he assured, as he got to the fridge to get something to eat. He didn't see Ilasi or Tyrus anywhere, so if they were in their rooms, he wasn't going to interrupt them. Instead he would remain there quietly and give them the surprise.

Meanwhile-- another dragon was waking; that of Raclaw the Fur Dragon. It had been five years and within that time, he and Latnok had achieved many great things with the NCSH or New Chance and Salvation House or simply SH. They had saved many lost souls.. both human and canine alike. Chester had even managed to find someone, even while his own luck with keeping a dragon close had been not entirely successful. And when Latnok had gotten him that bandana, it didn't take much for him to realise that neither it or the collar (and consequently Latnok) were going anywhere anytime soon. He had decided to lock his collar not long after; he never removed it anyway and now neither could anyone else unless he desired so. He and Latnok would be forever. That much would never change regardless of what happened with him/Darkheart and whatever future the two dragons may or may not have together. And the combination of both an seamless band of (fire-proof, cut-proof) leather and an bandana well represented what that stood for.

As Raclaw awoke, so too did the now aging Chester. The little dog was getting older and was getting more grey in the face; he still had some years left in him of course. Raclaw had seen and lived through the life of a dog though and knew what would come one eventual day. He tried not to think of it too much-- losing one canine sibling wasn't easy and Chester had become just that; a brother and a friend under their shared ownership under Latnok. As the two brother awoke, they opened their eyes to what had become Latnok's new expanded quarters. The new quarters were just as open as before, but only bigger. More room meant different nooks for different functions and there was even some room for them to play if they were ever (but rarely) cooped inside. The two had their own nook complete with a familiar bed and a water bowl for Chester. Latnok had his own nook with it's usual bed/related human furniture, but both canine and human alike still had eye sight of each other. And in another nook, rested Latnok's desk where he more often than not spent his time filling out paperwork and managing the papertrail related to the Salvation House. They didn't do much fighting now days or even training, but Latnok still flew him from time to time and the Guardian only continued to take of both his and Chester's needs on a day-to-day basis. It was enough.

"Morning.," Chester greeted rolling over from his side and looking up at Raclaw; he did look rather snazzy in that bandana. "Morning.," Raclaw responded with that same gentle heartwarming smile. Chester was a simple dog, sticking with his leather collar.. the same collar that Latnok had so lovingly secured around his neck as a symbol of both compassion and security. The words "Man and dragon's best friend" were subtly engraved into the material as per the Beagle's request; he considered himself fortunate that he could befriend both man and fur DRAGON alike. For a lifetime...

Tyrus hadn't yet gotten home; he had stopped by the library to read a book on dog behavior. On his occasional trips to the SH branch in Redwater, he always wondered what the dogs he met were thinking; some insight into their behavior was something he believed would go a long way to deciphering that.
He came home soon after Maverick, entering with the key made for him. His father was back early - which probably meant his sister wouldn't be able to pull off any pranks, or at least not any especially audacious ones. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Alana," he greeted. He had some homework to do; it was reasonably manageable, however. He wondered what would be for dinner today...
Ilasi, now hearing that the rest of her family was home, stepped out. "Maverick, Alana, Tyrus... it's always good to see you back home!" she said, delighted. Ilasi mostly worked from home nowadays, producing various medicines on order, or to otherwise be sold by Maverick - raising children didn't give her the freedom of leaving like it did before. Yet, she wouldn't trade the experience for the world - her life with Maverick had been nothing short of thoroughly, emotionally satisfying.

Latnok was donning his green dragonhide armor in the typical manner - it was just as much a uniform as it was practical combat attire. He was a thoroughly changed person from 10 years ago - his biggest concerns had changed from killing whatever threats were out there to watching over those who couldn't help themselves. Raclaw and Chester were ever staunch companions at his side - they had helped deeply changed him and developed the empathy he used to, for the most part, lack.
"Well, boys, looks like another fun day lies ahead of us, doesn't it? Let's see who we can help today."

"Agreed!," both Raclaw and Chester said in unison-- something they had become quite proficient at doing; some say that siblings think almost on the same brainwave and they wouldn't be entirely inaccurate when it came to the two 'canine' companions. Who was to say that they were wrong? Despite all the time that had passed, Raclaw had only purposely continued to keep Chester free from Damon and the occasional headaches that his telepathic powers gave him. Chester was not part of his telepathic web and yet.. the two often acted and sometimes even thought alike.

And Damon-- at least Damon was more behaved than he once was many years ago. The two (three?, four? five?) were at peace and the collar entity even complimented Raclaw on his bandana/consequently decision. "Will we be taking the birds-eye view again?," Chester asked referring to Raclaw's wings and the harness that now allowed both him and Latnok to ride together. "Maybe-- we'll see.," Raclaw said with a smile knowing that Latnok wasn't one to overly use the harness. Even after all this time having been properly owned by the Guardian, he still saw him as a person and the idea of having been seen in harness all the time went against that. At least the harness had been made by the best craftsmen they could find and wasn't even that uncomfortable.

Somewhere in Redwater, Huntress had her own place. An apartment where many rooms had the appearance of a towers. They building itself resembled a castle to attract tourists. Below it was a restaurant with a show similar to the one Maverick went to some years ago. Above was off limits save for a balcony in the last floor where tourists could take a look in the city. The rooms were actual apartments where citizens could stay for a monthly rent. Due to it's tourism and convenient place in the city, living there was quite expensive, but it was nothing Huntress couldn't afford. She still had her fortune plus the money she earned from bounty hunts. Her place gave the appearance of a tower, and it was one of the highest places of the unique building. From there, she could take a look at Maverick's house from the distance, sometimes using biloculars when she needed a better look. It's been almost half a decade already. Maverick had his own family. The fiend truly looked like he wouldn't hurt a fly. Could it be that she was wrong about him? Sand Dune, Opium and Random were also former pirates, and despite the years they have been living there, they haven't commited any crimes. Not even a broken dish. Was it truly possible that men that practiced the dreadful activity of piracy could reform on their own?

Huntress refused to believe it. If they were such good men, why, of all the activities they could've practiced, chose piracy? She was going to let the trio alone for now, but Maverick... considering who was his father, she wasn't going to let him off the hook easily. Huntress didn't want to hurt Ilasi or the children, but how could she get him without hurting them? Thinking of how is what has taken Huntress so many years to trap him. Maverick couldn't be the good man he always looked like. Perhaps he had a scheme against the city that was taking years to come up with? One way or another, she was going to find out...

Quote: A Guy

Tyrus hadn't yet gotten home; he had stopped by the library to read a book on dog behavior. On his occasional trips to the SH branch in Redwater, he always wondered what the dogs he met were thinking; some insight into their behavior was something he believed would go a long way to deciphering that.
He came home soon after Maverick, entering with the key made for him. His father was back early - which probably meant his sister wouldn't be able to pull off any pranks, or at least not any especially audacious ones. "Hi, Dad. Hi, Alana," he greeted. He had some homework to do; it was reasonably manageable, however. He wondered what would be for dinner today...
Ilasi, now hearing that the rest of her family was home, stepped out. "Maverick, Alana, Tyrus... it's always good to see you back home!" she said, delighted. Ilasi mostly worked from home nowadays, producing various medicines on order, or to otherwise be sold by Maverick - raising children didn't give her the freedom of leaving like it did before. Yet, she wouldn't trade the experience for the world - her life with Maverick had been nothing short of thoroughly, emotionally satisfying.

"Yep. The boys are back." Alana replied, knowing what a happy woman her mother was. She was aware of the Ishulgite war that happened a few months before they were born, but the parents never dwelled on the moment, wanting to instead focus on the happy life they had, which was earned after so many hard times.
"Mi amor." Maverick greeted, giving her a kiss, an action Alana was not very thrilled about each time, though she never acted disgusted about it. How a mermaid and a man with the likely extinct faun ancestry could've gotten together was a mystery to marvel about. Alana felt special and cool with the genes she had, though she wished she didn't have the hairy part of fauns. It was thankfully only the elbows, but it was quite annoying to shave it off so often.

"Hi, Mom," Tyrus happily greeted. Tyrus also didn't really enjoy seeing his parents kiss, though he supposed that it was something he would understand when he was older. For now, he had some schoolwork to take care of. He retired to his room with his books and materials.
Education for young children was compulsory in Aelinon, where working towards the future was always a top concern; it was also seen as a means to minimize the amount of crime, by lowering the number of people who simply did not know enough to make an honest living, and thus a way to increase unity among the population. This was not always the case however; such laws were slowly implemented starting approximately half a decade ago, as increased stability allowed for such measures.

Back at Shade's cell, one of the guards brought him a large bucket of fish rations. "You put in some good work," the guard said as he presented it. "A bit of extra here. Maybe one day people will forgive you..."
Shade was a contentious topic. His crimes were great, and had grave consequences. However, he had put in a most honest effort to atone for them. Some in the Royal Council felt he had earned a pardon; some felt his sentence could be commuted; still, the majority were not yet ready to forgive him.

While Veris pondered about what he would want to do today before she had to leave for her weekly rest, Angora showed him a list of ideas, knowing too well how Veris was always stuck on wanting to do many things at the same time that he was usually undecided on what to do first. She suggested from hunting more speedy prey to test his agility, to belly rubs, to some activities she didn't like too much, like cleaning his teeth or sharpening his spikes. Veris was always extra careful when she handled him, something she was very grateful for, although she knew how uncomfortable some moments made him feel. Veris probably still didn't know he was a predator of her kind, unless some of his companions told him, which is why he also didn't like when she had to get into his mouth to clean it, although he did like the final results. Nevertheless, despite the instinct, in the five years Angora has been there, Veris has never tried hunting her like the rest of the wyverns. It was quite ironic since he was Godfather Sere's personal mount precisely because how lethal and accurate he was with his attacks, not to mention anyone would think his enormous appetite would make him even more dangerous.

Quote: A Guy

"Hi, Mom," Tyrus happily greeted. Tyrus also didn't really enjoy seeing his parents kiss, though he supposed that it was something he would understand when he was older. For now, he had some schoolwork to take care of. He retired to his room with his books and materials.
Education for young children was compulsory in Aelinon, where working towards the future was always a top concern; it was also seen as a means to minimize the amount of crime, by lowering the number of people who simply did not know enough to make an honest living, and thus a way to increase unity among the population. This was not always the case however; such laws were slowly implemented starting approximately half a decade ago, as increased stability allowed for such measures.

"Siempre soy feliz seeing you all again. The market was so dead today. Barely any people. But the good thing is I am here early, so I have time to cook." Maverick suggested, not cooking as much as he used to due to his job, but still not losing his touch when he did. Ilasi was the usual cook on account of being home often, and while Alana liked her recipes, she loved her dad's even better.
"Smoked salmon!" Alana yelled, already deciding on what she wanted to eat. It was not her favorite food, but that was what she was craving.
"The princesa already decided, huh? What about el príncipe and la reina? Or do you like my queen better?" Maverick said playfully with a raised eyebrow, knowing Ilasi sometimes still didn't understand some Spanish words. Alana took an optional Spanish class in order to learn her father's original language, as well as spending time in the library to try and learn more about fauns, even though there was very little information about them. It made her sad the possibility of such fascinating species whom she shared genetics with being extinct, at least in it's pure form.

Though Ilasi still didn't have a full grasp on Maverick's native language, she was familiar with the key phrases, and it was part of what gave Maverick his charm. "Oh, I think I'll be joining our dear young lady in her decision here," she decided. Despite her efforts, Maverick was still a much better cook than she was.
"I'll have beef, please!" Tyrus shouted from his room, as he began to commit himself to his schoolwork.

Veris was more than ready to do something. "Let's hunt something!" he decided. "Then we can come back here and relax." There was nothing quite like getting a good grooming while recovering from a good bit of exertion - and Angora's size made her perfect for the task. Veris always made sure to be careful with her - the last thing he wanted was to accidentally hurt her.

"Simple this time. I respect that." Angora replied, having expected Veris to do something a bit more out of the ordinary, but he was going to settle with something more on par to the routine. She climbed his back and lead him outside the pens, knowing very well the other wyverns wouldn't dare to attack her when she was with one of their own.

Once outside, Angora knew how hard Veris always tried to not hurt her.
"You know Veris, I'm glad you are being so careful with me, but you don't have to overdo it so much, you know. I'm not that delicate. You have seen how many things I have survived. I don't want you to be uncomfortable just because you are trying so hard not to hurt me. You can still be careful... just not so much." Angora assured, having been aware of his caution for a while. Through the time working there, the only time Veris ever injured her was when he turned around for a moment and cut her arm with his sharp tail. It was an accident of course, though thankfully, the wound was so small and superficial it healed in very little time, to the point where no scar was left behind.

Quote: A Guy

Though Ilasi still didn't have a full grasp on Maverick's native language, she was familiar with the key phrases, and it was part of what gave Maverick his charm. "Oh, I think I'll be joining our dear young lady in her decision here," she decided. Despite her efforts, Maverick was still a much better cook than she was.
"I'll have beef, please!" Tyrus shouted from his room, as he began to commit himself to his schoolwork.

"Muy bien. Coming right up." Maverick replied, being alright with his children being quite the carnivores, although he still only added fish in his diet and never considered red meat or poultry. He got the food and started to cook, the hair on his harms being very sturdy, so there was no worry about any of it getting in. While Tyrus did his homework, Alana was reading about a critically endangered animal that was endemic right there where they lived. The Redwater rhino. She has tried hard to spot it in the woods nearby, but no results yet. It was no homework, yet she distracted herself easily. She wasn't very studious like her brother, but she still managed to get relatively good grades.

Finally, the family's food was done. Everyone but Tyrus had smoked salmon, which were all complimented with mashed potatoes with lettuce and tomatoes to the side. Alana didn't like vegetables so much, but knew her parents would make them eat it.
"Buen provecho mi familia. Now dig in. Need to take Dahlia up for a ride to keep her in shape." he commented, feeling so happy that they could finally have the dirt buffalo so close by. She entered a state of depression a coup,e of years ago in the barn where she stayed, which made Maverick speed up the process of a house of their own, and with good results.

Veris gave a confused grunt. "You are so small! I have to be careful," he answered. "You take care of me. I have to make sure you are safe. I have to!" Though Veris had never told Angora about it, the incident he had many years ago where he thought he had eaten her by mistake still remained in his mind. Of course he was going to make sure nothing bad happened to her - even if he had to walk on eggshells to do so.

Tyrus didn't need to be prompted. He happily dug into his meal, though he attempted to at least show some semblance of manners. Ilasi, naturally, ate more slowly, both to avoid looking boorish and to savor the food. Though she would occasionally criticize the children for bad table manners, she didn't want to overdo it, as it was a learning process and she didn't want to come off as someone who constantly nagged for every little thing.

After everybody was done, Maverick took away the dishes, willing to wash them later. As he did, he gave a side glance to the calendar kept on the wall, in it marked some important events... including the times Angora had her weekly rest.
"Oh! Angorita's three weeks of work comes to an end tomorrow. Almost forgot!" Maverick exclaimed, really wanting to see her again.
"Yes! Yes! Angora! She's so cool! Has it been three weeks already? Felt like longer! I bet she has a new, cool bite mark!" Alana rejoiced, but Maverick glared at her.
"Alana por favor! That is NOTHING to be exited about! Angorita is in constant danger because of that job! Those injuries just show how close she was to dying!" he scolded, but Alana just shook her head and grinned.
"Always with the same thing daddy. Hasn't she demonstrated many times she can defend herself?" she asked, with Maverick putting the dishes away angrily and saying nothing else, knowing he could never win such arguments. Alana couldn't understand why he worried so much. Despite her size, Angora was a troll with magic. Nothing could get cooler than that. The girl has read many books about trolls, and while some did say about a few of them having magic, there were no pictures of trolls her size, nor did they say they could speak so well. Not to mention every single one of them describing them as exceedingly violent, which Angora was not. She was beginning to think everything researched about them was wrong.

Quote: A Guy

Veris gave a confused grunt. "You are so small! I have to be careful," he answered. "You take care of me. I have to make sure you are safe. I have to!" Though Veris had never told Angora about it, the incident he had many years ago where he thought he had eaten her by mistake still remained in his mind. Of course he was going to make sure nothing bad happened to her - even if he had to walk on eggshells to do so.

Although she has mostly gotten over it, her size was still a sensible subject for Angora. Not only did it made her seem delicate and weak, but those who cared about her felt the need to protect her. It got Maverick and Shade in trouble in the past, and was afraid Veris was going to be next someday. He already had a sour relationship with most of the other wyverns, and she only wished he and her other friends could understand she didn't need such overbearing protection. She has survived many attempts on her life, even long before she had magic... or friends. If only they could remember that. She was still greatly unaware of the big anguish she caused Veris almost six years ago.
"Alright Veris. Alright. If it'll bring you some peace, do what you want to do." she replied after a while, not wanting to argue about the matter any further. Instead, she decided to let the day proceed normally.

Veris didn't want to hurt her, but the same couldn't be said about the creatures that roamed around that valley. She lost count on how many of them have died via Veris' inescapable jaws. It was a scenario too familiar with her already, and after he hunts, they would relax as he suggested. She was ready to succumb to his demands and whims afterwards, wanting the day to be over already so she could finally be free and go to Maverick's place. She felt guilty for feeling that way, but as much as she loved Veris, after three weeks of exhausting work and constant danger, there was nothing else she wanted more than to have her weekly rest whenever it came.

Despite having a steady supply of food, exercise by hunting was still a necessity for Veris. Once his sight was on a target, very few prey managed to escape him, so fast was he despite his size.
This time, Veris was content with the killing of a large buck, which he helped himself to (after Angora took any share she might have wanted.) Such a creature didn't even try to put up a fight against him.

The guard shrugged his shoulders. "You're asking the wrong person," he answered. "Up to them to decide to see you, and only if the Royal Council permits it." The guards, after all, only took care of the day-to-day tasks of managing Shade.

"Angora is so weird, Tyrus chimed in. He knew enough about history to know that trolls were generally big, brutal, and antagonistic towards the species that dwelt in Aelinon. "Like... what kind of a troll is-"
"Tyrus, that's a very impolite thing to say about someone," Ilasi corrected sharply. "We are very happy about her differences. They should be respected, not criticized."
The quick scolding stung, but Tyrus didn't let it bother him too much. "I'm sorry, Mom... she's just... interesting, that's all."

Maverick didn't scold Tyrus for his views, and was aware of the troll reputation.
"I am aware of how trolls are viewed, and it seems the vast majority of them are indeed very violent. I have talked with Angora about the matter and done my own research. Apparently troll brutality is the way they believe they'll survive, and they kill any member of their species that looks too different or if they believe they are a threat to their reputation. Angora's being so small definitely didn't help her. Mi pobre Angorita, rejected even by her own parents. I'm glad I could meet her, and help her. I know trolls are still disliked by many people, but Angorita is different. You can't stereotype an entire species." Maverick declared, wanting his children to learn and love every creature they shared the planet with, no matter the reputation. Alana was at least fascinated with Angora, but knew Tyrus was still rather confused. Angora was quite the exception among her kind.

Quote: A Guy

Despite having a steady supply of food, exercise by hunting was still a necessity for Veris. Once his sight was on a target, very few prey managed to escape him, so fast was he despite his size.
This time, Veris was content with the killing of a large buck, which he helped himself to (after Angora took any share she might have wanted.) Such a creature didn't even try to put up a fight against him.

Angora was still feeling very offended about her size being called again, but didn't say anything to Veris. After the kill, she took just a leg this time, feeling proud that she taught the very gluttonous Veris to share his precious food. As they sat and rest to digest their food, the time went by, with the unlikely friends dozing off and just being lazy.

The grooming session would come later, but right now, it was time to do nothing. But as they contemplated the sky, Angora grew curious about something.
"Sooo... Veris, what about your wyvern friends? Do they talk to you? Have they... said anything about me? About... you? Our friendship? I have tried talking to them, from a distance of course, but... I never get a response." Angora explained, not knowing if she couldn't understand them due to being less advanced than Veris and her powers being unable to understand them or if they were simply ignoring her deliberately. Despite her attempts to befriend most of them and showing them how good she was to Veris, none seemed interested in approaching her, unless it was to hunt her.

Years passed since the Ishulgite war, and so did a certain individual's patience. In a rather crowded suburb a few miles away from a soldier's camp, a lonely and rather messy house stood. An old man with unkept hair lived, but despite the hair's appearance, it was never white. And while he didn't keep it trimmed, he took exceptional care of his five o' clock beard. Dull Draikon is how some of the neighbor's children called him, finding him boring and too mysterious for their taste. While Draikon didn't care for nicknames and was never mean to them, he nevertheless made sure the kids were punished when they tried breaking into his laboratory to see what he was doing. He could tolerate anything, except his work being interrupted and his home invaded. While nobody never actually knew what he worked on, he gave a severe air of mad scientist, and he didn't have any friends. He shoved off any attempts to friendship, thinking he didn't have the time for such nonsense and that he was going to be interrupted from the work he considered sacred.

Draikon studied anything, from organic material to chemistry, particles, pretty much anything. He even recently started to dwell on magic, although his passion was around mythical creatures. The soldiers weren't fond of his work, but Seraos would sometimes seek him out whenever he needed some of very unique brain. He was an individual shrouded in mystery, but was considered harmless.

Right now, he had a goal, and that was to seek Maverick. The faun man has rejected his offers way too many times, and despite trying very hard to convince him to take one simple blood sample, the letters have stopped. He tried other methods, to no avail. It was time to meet Maverick... in person. He already did his research and knew where he lived. So with his goal set in mind, Draikon left the solitude of his home, his departure always being a sight to behold. His home had a very tight security to make sure nobody too curious about his work broke in. Draikon believed he was in the middle of a major breakthrough, to the point where he left the comfort of his own home to seek the hybrid he has set his eyes on for so long. He was outside, and this time, it wasn't to do any grocery shopping...

Meanwhile-- a ship was docking into Redwater, one with a very distinctive caption. The ship was one that had docked often and it's captain was a certain individual (familiar to some) known as Risar, a former slave turned free Minotaur upon his exiting of his homeland. Over the years-- he and his crew had carried/transfers many goods both inanimate and some animate; he was no pirate but someone trusted to get one's goods to and from fully intact. Risar himself had remained mostly the same appearance-wise aside from some 'upgrades' such as now spiked gauntlets, as if the Minotaur needed anymore offense capabilities. Indeed... few dared messed with him and those who did immediately regretted it afterwards. He had grown fiercely independent, his previous adventures inspiring him to further separate himself from depending on or relying on others, aside from those under his command of course.

As the ship docked-- a rather mighty looking vessel, made to appear somewhat intimidating by a former owner --orders could be heard being shouted and consequently followed. Most of the crew appeared to be Minotaur as well, with only some exceptions where other races were better suited such as medical. "Captain, Captain Risar! What do we do with the specimen?," one of the men asked looking for an immediate answer. "Leave it on deck for now-- I'll take it there myself.," Risar responded eyeing the crate and an large oval-shaped object barely visible though its cracks. The specimen was something intended for a scientific vessel that had been arranged to be delivered and partly paid for (having been paid half in advance) at a neutral location between Aelinon and a well known port some distance away. At the intended meet-up spot, the ship had appeared to have been sunken and intended target nowhere in sight. The specimen was better off in someone else's capable hands and Risar knew of at least one place that might be able to help it...

While Maverick's house was quite far from the port, the place itself was somewhat visible from the spot. Standing on the right side and the house could be seen. Draikon arrived just in time to see the ship docking.
"Minotaurs... ah, so I see the gossips were true. Draikon said, with his neighbor's talking sometimes slipping to his ears, but that's what happens when you live so close to people. Unlike many other species, minotaurs were still relatively common, although not many were seen in Redwater until now. Plus the fact that most of them were kept as slaves. They weren't part of his plans, but he would think of himself as a fool if he didn't take this time to at least sketch them for the time being. Whatever the Ishulgites did, or maybe the fact that they were stopped, it seemed to have caused some very unique creatures to come into the light. Minotaurs, a furry dragon rumored to be living with the Guardians, and now even a man with the faun gene. A pure one hasn't been seen for hundreds of years, and hybrids were rare and very hard to detect due to having little to no physical resemblance. Maverick was the target, but for now, the minotaurs would do. Draikon felt quite proud that he decided to take this day to go outside.

Veris made a sound that could most closely be approximated to a chuckle. "The others, they say you would make a good snack," he said. "They ask me to share you. They think you are odd, entering my mouth. There are some that are more curious about how such things might happen - and they believe there may be a reason I do not eat you. Maybe they are right!" that made Veris think - perhaps it was simply lack of knowledge that caused his fellow wyverns to act the way they do.

Tyrus shrugged. "Well, I'm happy she has been a good friend," he said. "I think I'm going to finish my homework now."
"Good job - now keep up the good work," Ilasi answered, allowing Tyrus to leave. He had put quite a lot of effort into his studies, being a rather curious individual, and it showed. She considered herself most blessed to have children who wanted to learn as fervently as she had tried to all of her life.

Latnok opened the door to their room, as he let the others out. "Looks like we'll be on the usual stomping grounds," he said. Though his job didn't mandate it, he knew that dragons needed their exercise every now and again in order to remain sufficiently healthy. Sometimes he got involved i these flights himself, just to stay sharp; other times, he allowed Raclaw to fly with Chester while he remained busy on the ground.

Raclaw and Chester happily followed, leaving their enlarged room and the cozy bed that it contained. "Another day, another lost soul to help.," Raclaw responded proud of Latnok's job and his own 'job' within that job. He would never be an official Guardian (being neither human nor antro), but he was happy to help in whatever way he could. Some of the base still internally compared him to that of a 'mere' dog albeit a working dog now-- and perhaps they weren't entirely wrong, as insulting as it may be. Others saw him as an extension of Latnok (a living tool to use), while others yet recognized him as being his own 'person' and choosing to help the Guardian by his own free will. It was progress at the very least and at least most of the Guardians in the base had grown used to his presence over the years. The harness-- Raclaw having been seen on/off in it --only reinforced the idea of Raclaw being 'lesser' to some, while his having a choice in the matter reinforced that he was 'more' to others. It was an contradiction and yet... it almost wasn't unexpected.

Meanwhile at the docks of Redwater-- an minotaur crew member turned as if to spot Icestorm, but was instead reaching for another nearby crate. "Do you really think they'll be able to help it?," a more slender-looking Minotaur asked speaking in a more 'normal' tone/way than most of his kind did. "Risar doesn't entirely know, but Risar does know that they'll the best ones to try.," 'Captain' Risar responded speaking in a manner similar to but perhaps slightly evolved from when his old travel companions knew him. "I.. I knew them or at least some of them. The Guardians, Latnok, Raclaw-- they'll have to help. This egg. It isn't of the scaled variety and they'll be more help than just some dragon tamer.," Risar responded eying the crate once again. "You mean, it's not a dragon?," the slender Minotaur asked. "We don't know know yet, but I suppose we'll find out. If it is, than perhaps it may be of further interest to the Guardians.," Risar responded once again remembering the old times and the 'old crew.' He never actually did go to the Guardian base, but was well aware of their Salvation Houses by now. And that Latnok was ultimately responsible for overseeing the whole operation. Well-- not just Latnok.

Maverick put the dishes away after everybody was done, wishing Tyrus luck.
"Well, I'm off to give Dahlia some exercise. And Alana... make sure you do your homework too." Maverick suggested, knowing how easily she could get distracted from her studies. She never got bad grades, but Alana was very smart, and Maverick knew it was lack of concentration, not intelligence, that didn't allow her to get even better grades.
"I will daddy. Don't worry. I mean, no te preocupes." Alana said, mimicking one of his Spanish catchphrases. She then headed to her room as Maverick rolled his eyes, almost certain she just mocked him. She was a mischievous one.

"Well, going now mi amor. Leave the dishes alone. I will do them this time. I'll be back in less than an hour." Maverick promised, ready to saddle up Dahlia and give her a good run. He couldn't complain about anything. After so many harsh trials, he finally had happiness. It would be perfect if his friends and the rest of the good people could feel the same way as him, but for now, he did his best to help those in need. But... how long was it going to last? He wanted to believe it would be forever. The same he thought when he travelled with Angora and Shade and look how that turned out. But that lasted months. This has lasted years, and hopefully, it was going to remain that way, and be even better with time.

However, as positive as Maverick wanted to think, not one, but two people had their sights set on him. Huntress could see part of his house with binoculars, and whenever he walked Dahlia, she had a near perfect view of the beach where the duo exercised. Despite the years that has passed, she was still suspicious of him. Draikon's attention was still on the minotaurs, having failed to notice the small Icestorm. Maverick was still the main target, but he wasn't going to pass such an opportunity. The elderly man was even close to the ship in hopes of talking to one of the horned bipeds...

Quote: A Guy

Veris made a sound that could most closely be approximated to a chuckle. "The others, they say you would make a good snack," he said. "They ask me to share you. They think you are odd, entering my mouth. There are some that are more curious about how such things might happen - and they believe there may be a reason I do not eat you. Maybe they are right!" that made Veris think - perhaps it was simply lack of knowledge that caused his fellow wyverns to act the way they do.

Angora scoffed, not surprised by his answer.
"Heh. All these years and they still don't get it. If only they could see me the way you do." she complained, although slowly coming to accept the possibility that Veris was going to be the only wyvern friend she would have. Despite her attempts to befriend them and make them understand why Veris didn't see her as food, it has all been mostly in vain. The attacks weren't as frequent as before, but they still happened. Maybe they weren't just as advanced as Veris was. Perhaps their animal instincts was just too strong for them to look beyond?

"Oh well, their loss. At least nobody can say I never tried." Angora finally said after a while, seeing what time it was. They could still remain outside for a couple of hours more, and she looked forward for another lazy moment. She had many plans for the week. She was going to try visiting Shade again. It was getting less hard to see him the more of his sentence he completed. And maybe, just maybe, his freedom was near. She was also planning on visiting Gregor. Last time she did, she only had one bite mark. Unlike the wyverns, none of the behemoths ever tried eating her. Maybe because they were more advanced? They respected Gregor's friendship with her? Or her size wasn't worth the effort? Whatever the case, she was glad no attempts on her life were ever made, although some of the beasts liked poking her whenever she visited just to see her annoyed face.

Quote:

“A dragon egg?!” Icestorm thought to himself. “And a rare one at best. Maybe I should follow this egg just to make sure no one besides Risar touches it.” He thought again. He then slowly poked his head out. “Good to see an old friend again.” Icestorm smiled. “I’m sorry if I was over hearing but that egg there isn’t an ordinary egg? Isn’t it?” Icestorm said. “Listen if that’s what I think it is then this will have a target on it. I’ll help protect it from anyone except yourself. Orion himself is interested in this egg and I cannot help myself into not protecting it.”

"Icestorm? Risar sees you're doing well-- and stealthy as ever.," Risar said somewhat surprised to see the familiar Dwarf Kaiju again. Some of the other Minotaurs onboard began to approach, but Risar quickly motioned for his men to stand down. "Relax. This is Icestorm, a old friend and at times traveling companion.," he then said with a smile as the the horned bipedal crew began to relax their stance. The slender Minotaur who had been previously speaking looked at Icestorm with a look of curiosity, never having seen a 'dragon' so small before. Was it a child? It didn't seem to speak like a child and yet seemed almost dwarf sized as compared to its usual counterparts ala the Scourge as some still called it. Or even the rumored inferred Fur Dragon among Guardian company. One minor notable thing among the crew was that the nose ring 'feature' wasn't a 100% common one, implying that different Minotaurs came from different backgrounds and possibly different places. Risar's status as former slave was clear enough, but some even lacked nose rings entirely.

"Risar does not know if it is a dragon or not; we only know that it is not a creature of scales and that it may be a dragon. This egg, from what we have divulged, was found in an area formerly occupied by the Ishulgites and was of some interest to a scientist whom outbid a competitor exotic 'creature' tamer and arranged for pick-up in a neutral location. This location turned out to be trap and and we unfortunately couldn't see who did or didn't sink the vessel. A great shame on our part.," Risar then responded briefly clutching his sword. "After that-- after that, I figured I would take it to the Guardians or the very least their Salvation Houses. I do believe Latnok is in charge of that endeavor and our old friend Raclaw if the rumors are still correct.," he added recalling the Fur Dragon and his unique situation. A 'free' dragon whom willingly surrendered himself into ownership under someone whom he had grown to call best friend over the course of their year+ long adventure. Latnok would've paid a pretty penny had a exotic seller gotten to him first.

A yawn and the sun getting dim, both indicated a time for departure. There had been several times where Angora had fallen asleep while having Veris outside, although thankfully, he was not one to wander off or run away, and has always stayed with her. She barely got in trouble for such occurrences, more so because Veris always ended up so happy or because they assumed ear delay was for something else. So before sleep could kick in, the little troll mounted the giant wyvern and headed back home without delay. And after arriving in the enclosure, Angora brought him some food and clean water.
"Well... good night Veris. I will sleep at my room here, but tomorrow, I will leave. I'll make sure to say goodbye to you in the morning. And be good to your weekly caretaker." Angora said in farewell, leaving him alone to eat. While she has remained there for years, most caretakers didn't last too long with him, either because they were promoted or left for other jobs. What never changed was that they treated him just like they would any other wyverns, something she wished the rest of his companions could understand.

No attacks were attempted as she exited the wyvern barns, but one of the dragons did looked at her with begging eyes and opened it's mouth wide while lying down, almost as if inviting her in.
"Well now... that's new. You really think I'm stupid, don't you?" she said frustratingly, believing the wyvern was simply mimicking what Veris did whenever she cleaned his teeth, possibly thinking she would do the same for any of them. It could just be begging for food, but she wasn't going to find out. Only Veris she trusted. Not only was her size brought up again, by Veris no less, but now she felt like her very intelligence was being insulted. What was it with these beasts? They had a pleasant enough lives, and ate very well. Why did they want her? Were their instincts just that insanely strong? Or did they have some competition to see who would get her first? Whatever the case, it was very annoying.

Quote: redwes

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“A dragon egg?!” Icestorm thought to himself. “And a rare one at best. Maybe I should follow this egg just to make sure no one besides Risar touches it.” He thought again. He then slowly poked his head out. “Good to see an old friend again.” Icestorm smiled. “I’m sorry if I was over hearing but that egg there isn’t an ordinary egg? Isn’t it?” Icestorm said. “Listen if that’s what I think it is then this will have a target on it. I’ll help protect it from anyone except yourself. Orion himself is interested in this egg and I cannot help myself into not protecting it.”

"Risar does not know if it is a dragon or not; we only know that it is not a creature of scales and that it may be a dragon. This egg, from what we have divulged, was found in an area formerly occupied by the Ishulgites and was of some interest to a scientist whom outbid a competitor exotic 'creature' tamer and arranged for pick-up in a neutral location. This location turned out to be trap and and we unfortunately couldn't see who did or didn't sink the vessel. A great shame on our part.," Risar then responded briefly clutching his sword. "After that-- after that, I figured I would take it to the Guardians or the very least their Salvation Houses. I do believe Latnok is in charge of that endeavor and our old friend Raclaw if the rumors are still correct.," he added recalling the Fur Dragon and his unique situation. A 'free' dragon whom willingly surrendered himself into ownership under someone whom he had grown to call best friend over the course of their year+ long adventure. Latnok would've paid a pretty penny had a exotic seller gotten to him first.

Draikon couldn't spot Icestorm from where he was standing, also being too distracted with the sketches he was making of the minotaurs. Since he didn't want to be pushy and after so many rejections from Maverick, he has learned to draw with careful detail and have the sketches as blueprints for whatever creature he wanted to study. Unlike Maverick though, there were several of the minotaurs right here, and this was a chance to learn.
"Excuse me? May I have a word wi you?" he said to the closest minotaur, figuring there was no harm in approaching them. They were interacting with the people of Aelinon, and that alone was an indication they could be reasoned with.

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"Excuse me? May I have a word wi you?" he said to the closest minotaur, figuring there was no harm in approaching them. They were interacting with the people of Aelinon, and that alone was an indication they could be reasoned with.

"Sure, why not? What is it?.," the Minotaur-- whom appeared younger and smaller than most of the others --said with a look of curiosity. A nearby larger and older Minotaur gave a nod, as if to approve. Each appeared to have a nose ring albeit with a small segment cut out just wide enough to prevent any chain/similar from being attached. The younger one 'wore' a bronze nose ring, while the older one processed a silver nose ring.

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“Do you mind if I come along? If it is what you say it is then I want it to make sure it makes it there safely. Plus Orion is curious about the egg.” Icestorm said as he hoped up on top of the creat.

"Sure-- come along.," Risar said as he lifted the crate and prepared to carry it over his shoulder. The Salvation House was practically in the heart of the city and that meant quite the walk from the docks. He had no way of getting in remote contact with the Guardians and he wouldn't trust another to take 'it' there in his stead.. so 'they' would walk. Risar offered some last minute orders before departing from the ship; the crew would continue to unload and even begin to sell/transfer some goods to some who had been anticipating their arrival. Risar wondered what Icestorm knew of their previous traveling companions' whereabouts.

Draikon on used the same sketchbook, but with a new page to write.
"Greetings. I am a scientist in work for the better life of the non human community of Aelinon." Draikon introduced himself, believing a proper greeting was everything.
"I see you are accompanied by many other minotaurs. Tell me about that. Do you hang together often? How do you get along with non minotaurs? How are the people of Aelinon treating you? And those horns, do you use them to defend yourselves or are they simply vestigial by now?" Draikon asked, almost continuing but realizing he was asking too much at the same time without waiting for the previous answers. Maverick was still his top priority, but he had a home, so he was going nowhere. He could wait.

But while Draikon wasn't spying him right now, Huntress was. She saw Maverick from her tower returning home after giving a thorough exercise to Dahlia. Domesticating a dirt buffalo was no trivial task. In a way, they were much harder than wyverns. They were preyed upon often, especially dragons themselves, so dirt buffalos were defensively dangerous. The fact that Maverick had one as a mount made even Huntress even more suspicious of him, even if it made no sense to feel that way. Not even Sand Dune, Opium and Random knew about her obsession, and she still had the post office keeping an eye on him, often paying them to keep them working for her.

Once Hintress was done spying for today and entered her room, the door was being knocked.
"Ma'am! I know you're there! Open the door please. There is a gentleman here to see you." the voice called. It was the busboy, and if he was the one calling, she already knew who the visitor was. She opened the door, and there was the busboy with Random, who had a bouquet with some candy, along with a new book of sign language.
"That's nice..." Huntress said dryly, wing smart enough to know this was a crush, although Random made it quite obvious. She invited him to sit and have a conversation the only way he knew. He was a big, scary man, and what's worse, he was a pirate before, but he, along with his friends, haven't commited a single crime in the five years they have been there, although Huntress wasn't as suspicious of them as she was of Maverick, and Random was almost like a big teddy bear at best.

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Draikon on used the same sketchbook, but with a new page to write.
"Greetings. I am a scientist in work for the better life of the non human community of Aelinon." Draikon introduced himself, believing a proper greeting was everything.
"I see you are accompanied by many other minotaurs. Tell me about that. Do you hang together often? How do you get along with non minotaurs? How are the people of Aelinon treating you? And those horns, do you use them to defend yourselves or are they simply vestigial by now?" Draikon asked, almost continuing but realizing he was asking too much at the same time without waiting for the previous answers. Maverick was still his top priority, but he had a home, so he was going nowhere. He could wait.

"We.. we are a crew, a family even. We may not be all blood, but my father and I--," the minotaur began to speak clearly not entirely comfortable with speaking in a interview-like setting. The older/larger minotaur, clearly the father, gave an encouraging nod. "We are each paid to live and work onboard this vessel, but we chose this life and we chose this ship. We, at least my father and I, get.. get along with others fine so long as certain terms aren't used against us. The horns.. the horns are weapons and we can use them, but we generally don't have to. It's an option nonetheless. I.. I haven't ever had to use mine, but my father once did when he got-- caught off guard. It was rather impressive actually.," he then said running through the answers in one continuous albeit nervous season. He looked somewhat shy, as if he hadn't expected to be asked so many questions at once.

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Icestorm hopped off the crate before Risar picked it up. “May I ask how you have been these years? Well I hope.” He said.

"Aye-- Risar has been well. Got my own ship, got my own crew, and the venture has been.. profitable.," the minotaur said with a rather satisfied nod. He proceeded to walk and talk, making conversation and slowly making his way towards their intended destination.

At this time, Angora has finally returned to her room after a quick trip to the cafeteria for a bite to eat, sighing as she tried to conceal some sleep.
"Five years Neo. Can you believe it has been five years!? Maverick has a family at least. But Shady... he is still in the same, stupid place! When will they finally let him go!? I mean, enough is enough! Hasn't he paid enough? And just look at me! Doing the same thing over and over again! I tried the seasonal job. I was those six months without a job. Told Veris I would still visit him, yet he still got angry!" Angora said, remembering those six months of absence. Veris threw quite the tantrum, and visits weren't enough for him. Thankfully, he never grew violent with her like she had feared and let her go. She returned to work with the then bitter Veris, to rekindle their friendship but also because she was in need of money. The few jobs where they accepted her didn't pay too well, and she suspected she was given a lower salary due to her species. Taking care of Veris was the only place where she was paid her well, maybe even more than the others due to the particular danger.

After the brief reminiscing, she spoke again.
"I can't do anything for Shady. All these powers, after all I have done, and still nothing. I am still treated like some insignificant thing! Latnok hasn't visited me once. Not even Raclaw has been enough to get through to him. He still hates me after all this time! The only one I can make happy is Veris, and he's surrounded by a bunch of companions that want to kill me! I mean, what's the deal!? They eat well, and it's not like I'm that valuable as food, so why? Why can't they understand!? Why are they such idiots? I'd be in the stomach of one if it weren't for you! For Orion's powers!" Angora expressed, putting her hands in front of her face to avoid sobbing too had. She didn't know if Neo would answer, or even if he was active right now, but she had to let it all out. It was clear she had kept that buried for a very long time. Shade was still a slave, every wyvern but Veris saw her as a snack to be consumed at all costs, and for all she knew, Latnok still hated her. Her only spark of true happiness she had was Maverick's own happiness. He had a wife, he had children, a job, a house, even Dahlia. Things couldn't be better for him, and it made Angora happy for all he has accomplished. He truly deserved it the most.

Quote: redwes

"We.. we are a crew, a family even. We may not be all blood, but my father and I--," the minotaur began to speak clearly not entirely comfortable with speaking in a interview-like setting. The older/larger minotaur, clearly the father, gave an encouraging nod. "We are each paid to live and work onboard this vessel, but we chose this life and we chose this ship. We, at least my father and I, get.. get along with others fine so long as certain terms aren't used against us. The horns.. the horns are weapons and we can use them, but we generally don't have to. It's an option nonetheless. I.. I haven't ever had to use mine, but my father once did when he got-- caught off guard. It was rather impressive actually.," he then said running through the answers in one continuous albeit nervous season. He looked somewhat shy, as if he hadn't expected to be asked so many questions at once.

Draikon took careful notes, finding it interesting how similar minotaurs were to humans. Having jobs, taking care of each other (although not all humans did that), demanding respect, and using all the arsenal they could. Minotaurs had natural weapons on top of their heads, so that was an advantage for them.
"I see. So then, your jobs, are you sort of like bounty hunters? And who pays you? I see you have some cargo." Draikon said as he continued writing, his face looking young but his visible hands being wrinkled to the point where they almost looked like scales. He tried looking over the ship, seeing Risar talking to... someone. But he couldn't see well who it was. Had to be very small for not being well seen over the ship...

"Risar's not sure. Never seen him before-- he's not one of our usual patrons.," the minotaur responded looking at the man with a cautious-but-curious tone. It wasn't entirely unusual for people to come to them and ask questions, but this man seemed more curious than most. Risar kept slowly walking

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Draikon took careful notes, finding it interesting how similar minotaurs were to humans. Having jobs, taking care of each other (although not all humans did that), demanding respect, and using all the arsenal they could. Minotaurs had natural weapons on top of their heads, so that was an advantage for them.
"I see. So then, your jobs, are you sort of like bounty hunters? And who pays you? I see you have some cargo." Draikon said as he continued writing, his face looking young but his visible hands being wrinkled to the point where they almost looked like scales. He tried looking over the ship, seeing Risar talking to... someone. But he couldn't see well who it was. Had to be very small for not being well seen over the ship...

"We-- we aren't bounty hunters, but we do do what we must in order to protect our cargo. Many trust us to get their valuables from point A to point B without said valuables getting sunken or otherwise stolen. And when it comes to that sort of thing.. we minotaurs know what we are doing.," the son began to respond clearly proud of what he was doing or at least what his father was doing. The father watched and listened carefully as the spoke, making sure that neither crossed any lines. The father then offered a fake 'cough' as if to remind the son of something. "Oh, and it is Risar who pays us. Our captain-- this is his ship and he chose to run it with his fellow breathon. Something about a merchant once giving him a chance at freedom or something along those lines.," he then said pausing at the mention of 'freedom.' It was as if he was remembering or recalling something himself with the father offering a similar look. Of course-- Minotaurs were free in Aelinon, but were well known to be slaves elsewhere. Freedom was likely a powerful word.