darkSpyro

With Sozen asleep, Julian delicately began the process of setting the wing. The snow, oddly enough, did not feel cold; quite the opposite. Was it still water? It would probably be something worth analyzing further.
Latnok, in the meanwhile, stood by, ready for anything else that might be necessary He never would've imagined creatures like this being in his care, considering he had hunted phoenixes before. Raclaw and Chester, however, had quite the way of inspiring kindness and empathy in him Many children and dogs now fell under his care, and Sozen would be no different from them in that regard.

Ilasi herself didn't really like the idea of approaching such creatures. She knew they were intelligent, yet their rather brutish nature made her uncomfortable getting near one (though she would if she had to for any reason.) "Just be careful they don't lose sight of you," she cautioned, "or they might step on you without noticing."
Tyrus gave an intrigued smile "Oh, how good can they see things, anyway?" he asked, though he wasn't particularly expecting an answer. "Their eyesight must be very good. You never hear about them stepping on us!"

With heavy pupils, Draikon was soon sleep after a hefty meal. He only got glimpses of his past before the fateful day where he developed amnesia. He was in a cave. A cave full of treasures. And before him... a child. Maybe not ten years old yet. He was trembling. Draikon had taken a liking to this kid... but... there was something very sinister in all of this.

The dream always stopped at that point, and no matter how hard Draikon tried, he couldn't explain why he had that memory, even less why it kept vanishing like that.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi herself didn't really like the idea of approaching such creatures. She knew they were intelligent, yet their rather brutish nature made her uncomfortable getting near one (though she would if she had to for any reason.) "Just be careful they don't lose sight of you," she cautioned, "or they might step on you without noticing."
Tyrus gave an intrigued smile "Oh, how good can they see things, anyway?" he asked, though he wasn't particularly expecting an answer. "Their eyesight must be very good. You never hear about them stepping on us!"

"Not sure if it's good sight or anything else, but they are very careful where they step. They are usually surrounded by many humans, so they are likely very used to it." Angora imagined, not hearing about behemoths accidentally stepping on people, though if it did happen, she believed Aelinon was daring enough to hide such information. Maverick wondered why Angora would constantly expose herself to danger like that. As if the wyverns weren't enough. However, he still didn't say anything, but made his uncomfort noticeable. Alana seemed to be the only one happy about the matter, while the three guests didn't think much of it, believing in Angora.

Everybody enjoyed Maverick's cooking, Angora even licking the plate clean, but the trio stayed for more than they should've.
"This was one awesome day you guys. Thank you so much for the hospitality everyone. We really should make a habit of this, if you'll have us. We'll speak to our bosses to make sure we have more free times like this." Sand Dune assured, really having enjoyed himself, something Random and Opium agreed with. Angora hated to see them go, but really hoped they visited far more often in the future. Alana went as far as to hug them goodbye, really liking these men and not minding at all if they visited again.
"We enjoyed having you guys. Gracias. We should do this more often indeed. Safe travels mis amigos." Maverick bid them goodbye, grateful for such an awesome day. Not only did he have Angora for the week, but he had these amazing friends too. It was a pleasant deja vu.

Ilasi and Tyrus gave their goodbyes as the trio left, though they didn't get quite as close as Alana did. Once they were gone, it was time.
"Maverick, we have to talk about that thing from earlier..." Ilasi quietly said when she was near him. She didn't want to worry the kids, so she gently tugged on Maverick to indicate that he should follow her into their room.

Once the wing was appropriately set and all the medicine had been applied, Julian backed off. "Now it's just a matter of waiting for the medicine to wear off," he noted.
Latnok wasn't sure what Sozen would want from there. He could probably keep Sozen around, though he wasn't sure if forever keeping him away from the children was feasible.

At this time, Huntress was taking a bounty hunting job. It's been a while since she took a job, obsessing over Maverick and his father, not to mention the time Random took from her, so this time, she was working late to make sure she didn't lose her edge. The target this time was a creature only spotted at night that was killing small animals, including beloved pets. It didn't sound like a hard job, but could still be risky. Infected bites was not uncommon, so the danger was still real. But the pay was good and it was the perfect job to start over again.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi and Tyrus gave their goodbyes as the trio left, though they didn't get quite as close as Alana did. Once they were gone, it was time.
"Maverick, we have to talk about that thing from earlier..." Ilasi quietly said when she was near him. She didn't want to worry the kids, so she gently tugged on Maverick to indicate that he should follow her into their room.

"Oh..." Maverick exclaimed, remembering about it. He still believed it had something to do with her parents or similar. He followed his wife to the room, ready to hear what she had to say. She sounded quite distressed. Angora managed to hear what Ilasi said before they locked themselves in the room, realizing she forgot something important. What was the name of Random's love? Sand Dune was about to say the name before Alana came into the house. Could it be... nah. Couldn't be. Many women could have the same descriptions as Huntress, right? What were the chances of being the same person? They have to have a whole bunch of bad luck for them to be the one and the same.

Since the trio already left and not wanting to distress herself about the matter, she decided to stay with Alana and Tyrus now that they were all alone in the living room.
"So kids... your school, do you have, like, a show and tell or something like that? You could bring me for that. Besides, I want to observe what kind of... educational system they have there." Angora said, Tyrus' story motivating her to get to the school herself. It never occurred to her due to absolutely despising the possibility of children surrounding her and invading her personal space, but after hearing the kind of nasty things they were taught there, she believed a personal appearance would be far better than a simple letter.

Once the door was closed, Ilasi locked it behind them, wanting to make sure the kids didn't just walk in and inadvertently overhear anything. "Okay, so... there was a woman who came to visit me..." she began nervously.
"She called herself Huntress. She asked me if I knew about your... your background. She questioned how I could accept such a thing... and she suggested that the children would like to know more about their father and grandfather. I don't think she has any good intentions..."
The thought of it, once again, brought a worried frown to Ilasi's face. "She said she knew you a long time ago. Is she lying, or is she really that obsessed? What does she want? Why is she here to ruin things?"

Maverick groaned, now understanding Ilasi's concern. Will his father's terrible legacy ever cease to chase him?
"Huntress... I think I'd know a woman with such a peculiar nickname..." he said, trying to recall such a name. What if he knew her real name and was only calling herself that way to hide her identity?
"How can she know? I once went to the archives to see what Aelinon knew about my father, and they don't mention my name or even my relationship with him. Unless..." Maverick started pondering. There could only be one explanation;
"Mi amor, I... well, I can't lie to you. When I was young, I did meet a lot of women. I really wanted to fall in love and have a family, but... my father would always stand in the way, sometimes... hurting them. Not sure if this Huntress lady might be one of them, but... if she is, I will handle it. I want to spare the children of the knowledge of who their grandfather was, but even if... whoever she is, doesn't tell them, I guess they'll want to know eventually. I don't want the past to define our future, so I will do whatever I can to solve this. Anything. Lo prometo." Maverick assured, working hard to reach this point in his life to let it crumble just like that.
"First things first. How did she looked like?" he finally asked, hoping a physical description would jog his memory...

Alana was surprised Angora would offer herself for a show and tell, knowing how much she hated being around too many people. She was someone who could stand out, both for her size (ironically) and appearance.
"Well, we never had something like that in my classes, but I have told my friends about you and they are really impressed and interested to meet you." Alana assured, knowing this was the perfect opportunity to introduce Angora. She wasn't sure if Tyrus would agree to it, but knowing her brother, he was likely going to be skeptical about bringing a troll to school, even if this troll was quite famous and served Aelinon during the war.

Maverick's words were a welcome reassurance to Ilasi, and though she knew the problem wouldn't just go away on its own, much of the tension on her face eased. "Thank you, dear. As for how she looked... uh, she was a bit taller than me, and her hair was... blonde, I think it was? Something close to that. Oh, and she looked like she was dressed for a fight or something of that nature. Light armor, like the kind a soldier or hunter would wear, but with a cape as well. And she had a wolf necklace... and green eyes."
Come to think of it, there wouldn't be too many people matching that description. If they had to, they could probably find out more about the woman by asking around.

"That sounds like a fun idea!" Tyrus said in agreement - he wasn't without his qualms, however. "But... what if some of the others don't like you? Many people don't like trolls because of how mean they are. I think we can tell them you're a goblin, if they have a problem? They could believe that... they might not, though. Or maybe it won't be a problem." Tyrus, though he did agree, was naturally not as quick as his sister on the uptake of such an idea, always being relatively cautious.

"Hmm... I don't think I know someone... wait..." Maverick started to say, trying to recall everything he could from that description. He never wanted to say anything about that moment five years ago, but he wanted to be honest with his wife.
"I think there was a woman like that when we returned to Redwater. Remember when I took Angorita to the restaurant with the cookies? There was a woman there who insisted on paying our meals. I didn't want to tell you anything cause... well, we were dating, and I didn't want to cause you any trouble. I tried to ignore her as much as I could. She seemed like a nice enough lady." Maverick explained, knowing how prone to jealousy Ilasi was back then. She still was, but thankfully not as much as before.
"Lo siento if I never said anything mi amor. I just thought it was another woman flirting with me and I didn't want to inconvenience you. I don't remember if she told me her name, but her appearance is too similar with what you just described. If she is the same person... I will find and talk to her. Whatever happened to her, whatever misunderstanding is going on, I will solve it." Maverick assured, really praying he could have the solution. He wanted to leave his past way behind him. He refused to let it haunt him, or worse, his family.

Angora simply shook her head at Tyrus' concern. Pretending to be a goblin? That sure brought some memories.
"Don't worry about it kid. I'm used to being hated. As a matter of fact, I used to pretend I was just a deformed goblin so people could accept me... but not anymore. I'm a troll, and I'm not going to deny it anymore. If your companions hate trolls for being mean, well, let me prove them wrong." Angora said with confidence, wanting to believe all would be fine. Children usually liked her, but there were always exceptions. It helped a lot that she wasn't a big, intimidating or traditional troll in any sense. Plus the goblin excuse would probably not work anymore given most of Aelinon knew her by now.

Alana realized her brother made a good point, but quickly shook off any traces of concern.
"Come on Tyrus. It'll be fun like you say. We can always defend Angora if someone doesn't like her, although I doubt that will happen. Just imagine. We'll be the envy of our class if we show we have a troll as a a friend, and not just any troll either, a small and cute one, who can even use magic on top of that." Alana declared, Angora not being thrilled about being called cute. While her size was something she has learned to take advantage of, being called cute was quite offensive.

Maverick's revelation made Ilasi wonder - if that was the same woman, what was she doing back then? Was she working to win Maverick over in her time there? Would she have been more forward had the group stayed in Redwater longer? Was this whole ordeal potentially retaliation for him not accepting her?
Ilasi couldn't help but be slightly upset at the audacity of such a move... or of it being hidden from her. Were there other similar encounters he never told her about? The encounter with her friend Grea many years ago came to mind - Maverick just seemed to accept such advances...
Ilasi shook her head subconsciously. Those weren't the kinds of thoughts she should be having. Perhaps that sort of thing was exactly what Huntress wanted her to think. Maverick had always treated her and the children well and had been nothing short of devoted, even if he wasn't particularly pushy when it came to rejecting advances.
"Thank you, dear. I don't know what this woman is after, but she needs to realize that your father is dead and gone," Ilasi said. "She can't be too hard to find. Not many people would match that description. Besides... something tells me she will return." Ilasi only hoped that such a person didn't have murderous intentions...

Alana had a point - which Tyrus felt wasn't very common, but it did happen nonetheless. "You're right," Tyrus replied. "It can't be that bad. And maybe she can answer questions while she's there, and teach people more about her. I bet everyone wants to know how a troll learned magic! The really smart ones are rare, from what I hear. Ooh, maybe she will be very popular after all!" The more Tyrus thought about it, the more he liked the idea. The only question was how much the teacher would approve of such a thing, but the teachers tended to be rather flexible in their methods.

Maverick felt very guilty, knowing how sensible his beloved could be.
"Sorry if I didn't say anything mi amor. I remembered how uncomfortable you were with your friend back then, so I didn't want to distress you with such information. I realize now that I should've been honest. But I'm a married man now, and I want to make sure every other woman knows that. Whatever this Huntress lady wants, I will find her and solve the matter. What we have here is too beautiful to ruin." Maverick assured, willing to do whatever it takes to protect what they had.
"I know I should reject advances, but... I'm afraid to come off as rude." Maverick then explained after noticing his wife's discomfort, not wanting Ilasi to be upset with him. They were living a happy life now. They had a family, and he would hate for anything to happen to the life they worked so hard to have.

Angora understood Tyrus' concerns, so she wanted to make sure he was at ease.
"No worries kiddo. I'm not a big, scary troll, so that's a start. And I won't lie to you. Most trolls are jerks, so sad to say, most of our reputation is well deserved. But there are exceptions as you know, they are just too hard to find." Angora admitted, not wanting the children to grow up trusting every troll they met just because they were friends with one.
"Tomorrow after I send the letters, I will go to your school. In the morning with one of you, and then the afternoon with the other so you can both introduce me to your friends and teachers." Angora said, letting them agree on whom should have her for each moment. Angora felt this was going to be one busy week, but as long as she felt she will do something useful, it'll all be worth it.

"Welcome back.," Raclaw greeted with a nearby Chester raising his head from a relaxed posture.

---
Quote:

Meanwhile with Icestorm.

“Say Risar how long could that egg take to hatch? Perhaps it hatches with dragon fire like some dragon eggs do?”

"No way to know until it does, I'm afraid. And Risar suspects that some.. lesser ..species might not react well to your level of fire. What can heat up armor can also make an omelette-- and if it is a Fur Dragon in there or even something else. We can't risk it.. it's too much of a risk.," Risar responded with a somewhat solemn tone. The only thing worse than knowing that Raclaw was the last would be accidentally killing what would've been or could've been the second known member of an all but extinct species. Plus there were at least two known individuals who might have a problem with such an action.

Ilasi gave a soft sigh. Were her thoughts so easily betrayed? Or was Maverick just speaking on a concern he already had? "Well, dear, that was... a while ago," she answered. "I appreciate you keeping my own concerns in mind. Right now, we just have to make sure this woman leaves us alone. We've already been through so much - I'm sure we'll be able to manage her as well."

Tyrus raised his hand. "Oh! Me first!" he volunteered. "I'll show you how we do things in the school, so when Alana gets her turn, you'll know if she's doing anything wrong!" It was only partially a jest - Tyrus believed he would make a much more favorable impression than the troublemaker that was his sister, which could help Angora significantly.

Julian and Latnok were still around the area, Julian having set up some work equipment while now experimenting with something in a vial. He set the vial down before looking back at Sozen. "Good, you're awake now. Your wing is set and your wounds have been treated and bandaged," he said. "I don't know how quickly you types heal, but if it's like a typical organism, you're going to have to avoid flying or moving around a lot for a few weeks."
"You're welcome to stay here while you heal up," Latnok immediately offered. "We take care of many abandoned people and animals. You would fit right in with them - well, as far as being here. We'll try to keep you separated from them."

Quote:

“Understandable. Humm perhaps a nice warm spot for it hum?” Icestorm said.

"Perhaps, but the Guardians probably have it handled. If anyone can help it-- they can.," Risar said with a nod not wanting to risk anything. They were the same people or rather organization responsible for taking care of Raclaw; Latnok had perhaps been the best 'master' than the Fur Dragon could've ever chosen. It had been pretty obvious that Raclaw had been a major influence upon the founding of the first initial Salvation House and the branches that followed, such as their local Redwater branch. "We can check on it later if you'll like.," Risar then said as he checked on the ship and the day's progress. He knew that the Dwarf Kaiju also perhaps wanted to check in with Draikon, but he would leave that timing up to Icestorm himself. And rather the very much free individual wanted to go alone or with company would be entirely up to him.

Alana glared at him, almost punching him on the shoulder.
"Right, cause everybody wants to befriend the nerd. But hey, go ahead. Have Angora first. Once she gets bored, she'll have the chance to let the real fun begin." Alana stated, really not liking when Tyrus tried to make a fool out of her, even if he was kidding.

"Hey hey! Play nice kids. I will go with both of you. This is no competition. It's for education." Angora declared, not being the first time the siblings had this sort of arguments. They were mild but would often escalate. How could siblings be this different? She wished Tyrus and Alana could get along a bit better than this, like she and her brother did a long time ago.

Quote: A Guy

Ilasi gave a soft sigh. Were her thoughts so easily betrayed? Or was Maverick just speaking on a concern he already had? "Well, dear, that was... a while ago," she answered. "I appreciate you keeping my own concerns in mind. Right now, we just have to make sure this woman leaves us alone. We've already been through so much - I'm sure we'll be able to manage her as well."

"Hey, we are chosen by Orion, recuerdas? We've been through a dangerous voyage, faced monsters, giants, Ishulgites, we even went to a war and emerged victorious. This is nothing in comparison. We can face this. We make a great team. Whatever this woman wants, we'll solve it." Maverick promised as he touched her cheek affectionately, not wanting Ilasi to forget what they have been through and how despite everything, they were together, with their own family at last, and even dear friends. He could understand why she was so worried. All that hard work, only to someone come out of practically nowhere to threaten it. But after all they have triumphed over, one woman was hopefully no big deal. What his beloved needed was a good rest and much love.

"You're... you're right," Ilasi replied, before taking a seat on the bed after some consideration. "This is nothing - well, nothing compared to what we've already been through. I just need to relax a bit. I know you'll take care of things." After all, her husband had already taken such good care of her - why would this be any different? Whoever this woman was, they couldn't let her interfere with their happiness.

Tyrus gave a verbal shrug. "I guess so." Even if I'm right, he thought, but he knew better than to say those words right now after Angora asked them to play nice. He hoped Angora would have an easy time adapting to the class.

Julian raised up the vial for Sozen to see. "Some of the precipitation you've brought here," he answered. "By analyzing its properties, we gain a better understanding of you, which can help us better accommodate or find treatments for you - as well as expanding our general knowledge of living creatures." Latnok had his doubts as to how useful such information could actually be, but Julian was ever curious, and his research had produced many results - so Julian clearly knew what he was doing.

With Ilasi calmer now, Maverick headed to the kitchen to prepare her some tea that will help her sleep. He bid goodnight to Angora and the kids after he was done, loving to see them bond. He didn't ask what they were talking about, so he just entered the room to give the tea to his wife. It has been a long, pleasant day, not counting Huntress' visit of course, but Maverick believed that after all they have faced already, there was nothing they couldn't stand. His biggest concern though was if this Huntress lady told the king who he was. Aelinon punished crimes severely, and while he was never a criminal by choice, he could still be punished. His hopes were the support of Sere and the Guardians along with his friends, family and even the king's own comprehension. He suddenly remembered the time Sere confronted him about his identity. Could this woman... have been the one who told him? Not many people knew about his past life, so he was starting to believe it. Still, after his services to Aelinon and honest life in the present, he trusted in king Seraos' mercy if it ever came to that.

Angora bid goodnight to Maverick as well, resuming her conversation with the kids after he was gone.
"Right then kiddos. Tomorrow is a school day, yes? Remember, no fighting. If you don't have any homework pending, it's better if you go to sleep right now. Tomorrow is going to be a big day." Angora said, applying the recommendation to herself. She had to get up very early in the morning to catch the post office at it's opening hours to then return to the house in time to accompany Tyrus to school. She had many plans for the week, which she doubted could be completed, but it was worth a try.

Tyrus was planning to resist such a suggestion, but declined to do so after he almost immediately gave out a yawn. "Yeah... maybe we should get some sleep," he reluctantly conceded, before heading to his room. He had to be ready for tomorrow - after all, he was the one Angora would be counting on for the best introductory experience possible. He hoped Angora wouldn't be put off by their classmates being, on average, quite a bit older than they were, on account of their apparently more rapid mental development.

Ilasi, in the meantime, relaxed on her bed. Everything was going to be just fine. Orion was surely watching over them, Seraos knew about Maverick's contribution to the fight against the Ishulgites, and Maverick had always taken good care of her. Though she got to wondering... just how far could - or rather, would - Seraos go to protect Maverick if his history somehow got out to all of the citizens of the nation? Even more of an issue was that, with the council in play, most of whom were not thoroughly familiar with them, Seraos could have his hands tied barring some drastic measures, should they choose to condemn Maverick.
Surely this woman couldn't possibly go that far, though. She seemed a bit like a deranged stalker - there was no way she could have those sorts of connections while her focus was on a single person. Ilasi took a deep breath. She really had to stop having such pessimistic thoughts.

"I'll be sure to do that," Julian said as he continued to analyze the vial before running another spell over it. "There are just some things that need a little more thorough analysis which cannot be deduced just by asking questions. But while we're on the subject, where are the rest of your kind? How did you make your way here, and what drew the attention of hunters?"
Latnok was a bit curious himself. "Hunters, we can deal with - we can always enforce territorial claims where needed. Well, around here, anyway. No nation owns the land here, so we're free to keep passersby out. We will probably need to start planning for the future once you're all healed up, however. It's not something we have to worry about now - but something to consider."

After Tyrus went to her room, Angora proceeded to do the same. It was so clean and pretty, no doubt courtesy of Maverick, who always wanted to make her feel like she was in her own house too. Alana was still full of energy, so she followed her to the room.
"I have so many questions Angora. Like what the big guy told us. Random. How did you befriended a behemoth? I have seen them from far away and I know they are huge, but mom and dad don't want me to take a closer look even though they don't attack anyone... that is if they're not... an arena prisoner..." Alana expressed, bringing Angora some sour memories and making her rather sad that Alana was exposed to such reality. Although she didn't believe Maverick or Ilasi capable of bringing their beloved kids to such a horrible place, so Alana most likely researched about it.
"Anyway, how did you do it? I mean, you're friends with the wyvern you take care of. You're friends with the Shade dragon, and now a behemoth too? That's too amazing! That's not even mentioning that you and my parents are friends with Orion himself!" Alana exclaimed in awe, wondering if Angora's amazing feats will ever cease. How could anybody hate her? Her guess was either envy or blind prejudice.

Angora couldn't help but to chuckle a little bit at Alana's exitement.
"I know. Ironic, isn't it? Someone like me, whose probably almost microscopic in size, befriending such huge creatures. Dumb luck is all I can think of... though now that I remember, with Veris and the behemoth, it all started with a peace offering in the form of food. I just wanted to be on good terms with them and that's all, but they ended up liking me in the end. Shade was not the same case though. With him it was more out of gratitude for standing up for him." Angora explained, though that was a story she wanted to leave for another time. She was too tired to be in the mood. Alana had a noticeable shine on her eyes, and Angora was pretty sure she knew what she was thinking.
"Hey, HEY! Just because I have befriended creatures with food doesn't mean you should do the same, you know! Like I said, it was dumb luck. Don't you go feeding every creature you'd like to befriend. Doesn't always work. They might be grateful, or they'll just take the opportunity to have you as dessert." Angora warned, knowing how fond Alana was of animals, particularly dangerous ones.
"I know Angora. It's just that it's so cool that they like you so much! Once I meet Shade, I want to meet the behemoth too." Alana expressed, exited about the matter. Angora was certain Gregor wouldn't dream of hurting a child, but she would still need Maverick and Ilasi's permission.
"All in good time Alana. Now please go to sleep. You don't want to be sleepy and yawny for the special day tomorrow, do you?" the troll remarked, convincing Alana. She went to bed, reading so that she could fall asleep faster.

In the master bedroom, Maverick went to bed besides his wife, knowing busy days were ahead of him. Such a peaceful and happy life, only for some woman to come and threaten it. The very thought frustrated him, but he should've known that with a past like his, peace wasn't going to last forever. Still, he wanted to believe this was a matter that could easily be solved, so tomorrow at work, he was going to ask questions about the notorious Huntress and find her...

Though Latnok wasn't particularly pleased with the idea of this creature killing humans, he supposed it couldn't be helped in that instance, especially in these neutral lands. If Sozen was telling the truth - and Latnok believed he was - then the hunters knew what they were in for. "Well, as mentioned earlier, we'll keep hunters away from here," Latnok reminded Sozen. "The last thing we want is to have another engagement. Anyway, tell me what food you want, and I'll grab it for you before we head back to base for the night. We'll see you in the morning."
Julian, meanwhile, was diligently taking notes, both of his research findings and of the information Sozen relayed to him. After all, the Ardent Guardians always took every effort to expand and document their knowledge of the many creatures of the world, and this was no different.

Deliver the letter
Go to school
Visit Shade
Visit Gregor
Find new job

That was the list Angora had so far for the things she wanted to do in the week, knowing almost half the list would be completed tomorrow. Visiting Gregor was no trouble, the guards usually allowing her to enter the behemoth pens after seeing how much it amused the beasts, but also so that Gregor could see her. They didn't know how she did it, but it was interesting seeing creatures so different from each other getting along so well, especially since they faced each other in the arena and Gregor would've finished her off had the king not stopped the battle and proved Angora's innocence. What Angora was most worried about though was telling Veris about the last part. She still had three months of contract, so she couldn't find a new job right away, but she could still do some interviews. It was three months she had to tell Veris. She hated the idea of breaking his heart like that and changing his routine so drastically. He already missed her a lot during these weekly breaks, so she would have to try breaking the news to him gently. It was going to hurt if he went as far as to end the friendship because of her decision, but with time hopefully, he would understand. Right now, it was time to sleep...

After Sand Dune, Random and Opium agreed to what days they should get free together, Sand Dube headed his separate way while the two roommates reached their home, taking a shower and ready to sleep, talking about the great day they had. The same couldn't be said about Huntress though. While she managed to spot the nocturnal creature that was hunting pets, she couldn't catch it, which meant no pay. The beast was a serpentio, an anaconda like creature with vestigial arms and wings that worked only for a short distance and could get twice the size of humans. They could bury themselves quite quickly though, which is how this one escaped, most to her embarrassment. Serpentios weren't usually dangerous to people, and Huntress suspected this one was an escaped pet. Serpentios didn't make good pets, but that didn't stop certain people to have them illegally due to their exotic status, something that she would need to report as soon as she woke up tomorrow. The office was closed, so she had to wait until morning...

Late that night, a cargo ship approached the docks - with some of the usual goods from Falcon's Beak, most notably alcohol. Among their crew was Leoquin - a merman and highly skilled seaman. Today, he was feeling particularly satisfied - he had drawn what seemed to be a lead of sorts...
He would have to visit his old friend Maverick later. For now, however, he would return home and take a good rest. If he was correct, Maverick would be at his stall at the usual time.

Morning came. Angora was the first one up. She left the window curtain partially asides so that the first rays of the sun could wake her. She prepared herself, taking some money along the way. She didn't have time to cook, so she let the utensils accessible so that Maverick could do it when he woke up. She took a piece of ham and some bread and ate them along the way, once again facing the states of people as she headed to the post office. She never bothered with her hood anymore, nor she cared about the stares or pointing. Even after all these years, she was still an interesting sight... apparently so. The post office clerk gasped when seeing her.
"What's wrong? Never seen a pocket sized troll? Relax. I'm not here to cause trouble. I'm just here to deliver these letters." Angora assured, presenting Tyrus and Alana's letters and paying the fee. She was certain Shade was going to be very happy knowing that Maverick had kids now, and that he'll meet them soon. The clerk wasn't entirely pleased with Angora's sarcasm, but she was still a client. Plus she was the very same troll that was forgiven in the arena and helped in the Ishulgite war. She was almost a celebrity, but not one people seeked or overly respected. Not that Angora cared of course.

Concluding this business, she headed back to Maverick's house, where he was up and already cooking.
"Buenos Dias Angorita. You had me worried. It's not like you to get up this early. Gracias for leaving everything set." Maverick expressed, making his cooking a little bit faster. Since Angora was the only one gone and thus awake, he knew she was the one to do it.
"I had some business to attend to and wanted to make it soon. I'm going with Tyrus and Alana to school. Sort of for a show and tell." Angora explained. Maverick wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"Are you sure? I know you're not... particularly fond of children. Except Alana and Tyrus of course. Still, won't they a little bit curious? Or... rude?" Maverick asked, worried about what could happen.
"It's alright Maverick. I can handle it. I'll be patient and tolerant." she assured, with Maverick still worried but deciding to trust her.

Latnok had woken up relatively early that morning, to allow for time to check in on Sozen. He would be arriving soon, almost certainly with Raclaw and Chester in tow.
Julian, in the meanwhile, would not be joining them. He had other matters to attend to involving research. Latnok didn't think Sozen would mind - in fact, the bird would probably prefer as few people as possible. Someone had to bring him his breakfast, however, while he healed, as well as make sure the others were kept away.

Ilasi herself began to wake up. As usual, her husband had already beaten her to it - though she supposed that was to be expected with all he had to do. She could smell his delicious cooking already...
...as could Tyrus. Though he didn't dislike his mother's cooking by any means, his father was an absolute professional when it came to making meals. That wasn't the only thing he was eager about this morning, however - Angora would be accompanying him and Alana to school. There was so much he wanted to show his classmates about her - he had to remember that she was a person, though, and not a toy.

Whenever Maverick cooked, Alana got out of bed as fast as if someone was pulling her upwards with a rope. Today was going to be a special day, and it was starting great already.
"Morning family. Oh daddy, that smells great! As always. Can't wait for the show and tell with Angora. My friends are going to be so jealous!" Alana said exitedly as Maverick served the food to everyone. Although Angora already ate, she wasn't going to deny a meal from Maverick.
"She told me. Just make sure to take care of her well kids. School can be quite an overhelming place. Even after so many years, Angora stands out." Maverick expressed, making Angora a bit embarrased. She was family, and Maverick didn't want anything happening to her. With such a hard job, he wanted to make her stay as pleasant as possible.

Somewhere in Redwater, after years of not showing up again, General Lyon, Lydia's father, was back in Redwater again. Only this time... he wasn't alone. In a recluse part of the city, similar to a black market but a place where only the most elite soldiers were allowed, the general and a small handful of his soldiers was having a reunion with a creature nobody has seen for years. It was... a centaur.
"General Lyon. You know as well as I do we want nothing but peace. But how can we trust Aelinon after all that has happened? The Ishulgites have hunted many creatures like us for long, and while Aelinon is making sure their reign of terror is no more, we are certain is for their best interests, not ours. How can you ask me to sign a peace treaty when we know the horrors Aelinon has done for the sake of conquering?" the centaur discussed with the general, being part of an ancient race that many called Old Myths, which consisted of centaurs, satyrs, fauns, nymphs, pegasus, griffins and other creatures they are mostly just known from old history books, some that were believed to be extinct due to human conflict.

The general seemed rather annoyed.
"Sergeant Farlo, I can assure you, the young king may be as harsh as his parents to criminals, but he's more open to new societies and bariebility. The Scourge of Redwater was forgiven instead of sacrificed even after what he did. Anyone else in his position would've executed him after such heinous crimes and." Lyon pointed out, trying to convince him.
"Of course. Someone with the dragon's abilities is bound to be useful." the sergeant said, not convinced. Lyon then took another angle.
"Well... do you know about the troll that was forgiven in the arena? Any other king would've left it to die regardless of if it was innocent or not." he said, but the sergeant still wasn't convinced.
"Last thing I heard, it was an extremely small troll. Probably a baby. Even some humans don't want the death of an infant in their conscience. But the fact that they arrested a baby troll is despicable. Troll or not, is inexcusable." Sergeant Fargo expressed, believing it was such an abysmal action. Trolls weren't exactly the most popular race, but even they deserved a chance in life.
"Ok. Ok. It was bad, but it's not a baby troll. It's a midget one or something... I know. I'm confused too, but it's the truth. She lives somewhere in Redwater." the merfolk assured, but the centaur just raised an eyebrow.
"Oh really? Where does it live? Does it have a job? Being treated as an equal?" The centaur asked, though unfortunately, the general never bothered to research about the troll's life. He was running out of ideas to convince him...

Quote:

Latnok had woken up relatively early that morning, to allow for time to check in on Sozen. He would be arriving soon, almost certainly with Raclaw and Chester in tow.j
Julian, in the meanwhile, would not be joining them. He had other matters to attend to involving research. Latnok didn't think Sozen would mind - in fact, the bird would probably prefer as few people as possible. Someone had to bring him his breakfast, however, while he healed, as well as make sure the others were kept away.

Indeed-- Raclaw and Chester would wake up not long after Latnok himself; Raclaw sensing Latnok and Chester sensing Raclaw. The two canine-like companions, over the years, had only continued to show some sort of 'shared' connection via their own 'senses' separate of that of what Raclaw and Latnok shared. Before they would leave, however, a letter would be dropped off having seemingly been delivered from.. Redwater? "To Latnok, the Guardian of Raclaw--," the letter would begin read if Latnok opened it. The letter would go on to explain how it had been written by the 'head curator of knowledge' at Redwater's "History of Dragons" museum, a vaguely familiar building to which he and Raclaw would've once passed by. It was questionable how the sender would know exactly where to send such a letter, but perhaps not entirely impossible. With Guardians having a great deal of connections among the mail carriers, it would only take the most general request for a letter intended for 'the Guardian of Raclaw' to find its way.

"We here at the museum would like to offer an opportunity; one which may benefit both parties in question. We here at the museum of dragons have been working hard to gather all viable resources and knowledge obtaining to all dragons both past and present, the Fur Dragon included. We don't have all the answers, but we do have many and more importantly-- have been gathering information concerning both you and your pet Raclaw. We would like to meet in person; we would compensate you for your time and you may find out more about your companion than you may have previously known. Failing that, we could perhaps exchange a series of questions and answers via written form via letter as we are communicating now. You may or may not know this, but you likely 'process' or have 'befriended' (whichever term you prefer) the last living specimen of an all-but-extinct species. Please consider our offer; the world deserves to know a fully accurate truth about a species that once may not have crossed anyone's minds. Included is an accurate map of the city for your convenience. We look forward to seeing you. To knowledge; to peace among man and dragon; to preserve what is both lost and present. That is our goal.," the letter would than read.. the sender clearly not being fully aware of what exactly Raclaw was to Latnok. Redwater would also be a detour, but it seemed as if this museum would continue to acquire/presumingly display information concerning them regardless of their decision.

---
Meanwhile, Risar would be wake up once again in his own house. The Minotaur's ship and crew had a particularly large amount of trades to both negotiate and conclude; they would be in port for a couple days at least. And perhaps either him or Icestorm might find old friends once again...

Latnok had received the letter early that morning, as soon as he had stepped out of his room; he gave it a read on his way. The contents were interesting, to say the least, if a bit denigrating to Raclaw; that would be a discussion for later, to gauge the fur dragon's willingness to comply with such a request. The requester's intent seemed reasonable enough, though there were some misconceptions that Latnok felt were worth addressing if they chose to respond.
There were other things to handle right now, however; bothering Raclaw about such a thing, as the first thing in the morning, seemed a little out of place. Sozen needed attending to; once they had that matter settled, and figured out a way to have him taken care of while they were gone on their trip, then they could see about other things. They were approaching the shed Sozen had been stationed in right now; Latnok made sure to make his footsteps slightly more audible in order to avoid startling the eagle.

Though he would normally savor such a meal, Tyrus was wolfing his food down today; noticeably enough that Ilasi had to ask him to slow down. Ilasi herself wasn't going anywhere today, so she was in no rush to finish the food provided to her. She enjoyed taking the opportunity to appreciate her husband's food, and all of the love and care that went into it.
"Now, try not to get into any trouble today, you two," Ilasi cautioned in between bites, as she set her fork down. "The last thing you would want is to make a bad first impression." Though she didn't name either of her children, she instinctively gave a short glance at Alana, with her being the more habitual troublemaker.
Besides that, there was still the matter of Huntress to concern herself about. Would the woman attempt to do anything else to sabotage the relationship? Spread salacious rumors about either of them? Try to get the law involved? She needed to stop worrying - she and her husband had been through worse. This would be no different.

Alana took the time to savor the food, though she was still eating faster than her mother. Today was a big day, and she was going to have Angora all to herself in the afternoon. She was going to make sure she had more fun with her than with Tyurs. She noticed Ilasi's small glance.
"Yes mother." she replied, rolling her eyes. She knew her behavior caused a few problems, but that was just the way she had fun. Maverick gave another glance to her to reinforce Ilasi's position, though Alana still wasn't fazed. Angora was a little worried about what the day ahead had in store for her, but if she ever hoped to improve troll reputation as well as the educational system, it was a necessary step. She was happy that morning since she delivered those letters to Shade. She left a small note inside greeting him too, but now she believed she and Maverick should've sent a letter too. They have done it many times, so at least it wasn't a very huge deal.

After everybody had their breakfast, he helped Ilasi with the lunches. They also gave money to them in case they rather have something from the cafetera, so they could have variety.
"Well, out you go mis niños. Remember to take very good care of Angorita, and don't cause any mayhem." Maverick said, hugging them goodbye, though like Ilasi, the comment was mostly addressed to Alana.
"Better start leaving too. Mi amor, can you feed Dahlia today? I don't want to be late for work." he asked, though he knew she wouldn't have any problem with that.

"Oh, it's no problem, dear," Ilasi answered, as she began cleaning up the dishes. Dahlia was always rather calming, even if her fur was relatively rough compared to other similar animals. To think a creature like her willingly stuck around with them for so long, despite the difficulties she inevitably had...
"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Tyrus called out before leaving. Today was going to be fun - he just knew it. They just had to avoid getting Angora tangled up in any major trouble - which was easier for some folk than others. Was Angora as excited as he was? Or was she nervous? What scheme was Alana cooking up for the afternoon? She would have more time to think, after all...

With the general pondering what to say next, the centaur sergeant spoke again.
"My friend, it's nice that you want to work for the better of the Old Myth. But let's face facts. No matter what we do, Aelinon will either want to control or destroy us. That's how humanity has always been. You can't be hostile to them, yet you can't be too kind either. We already learned that the hard way with fauns. The few that remained got together with humans, dooming their kind even on a genetic level. Not only have humans drawn so many species to extinction, but they keep conquering other lands even as we speak. King Seraos may be a well intentioned monarch, but the fact remains that he still wants to expand his kingdom, no matter the cost. And after the defeat of the Ishulgites, they'll believe more in their power. Dragonkind, so mighty and noble most of them, yet if Aelinon can't truly tame them like their cousins the wyvern, they'll simply wipe them out. They even gave the means necessary to those ugly beasts to exterminate them, altering the course of nature itself." the centaur said, referring to the behemoths.

General Lyon knew he was making much sense, but that didn't mean he was ready to give up.
"Sergeant Farlo, I understand your concern, but I'm very certain things are changing. The Scourge of Redwater, even after what he has done, will be released soon and show king Seraos' mercy. He commited murder, but it has been proven that he didn't mean it. And the troll. King Seraos went out of his way to prove she was innocent. Regardless of her size, a troll is a troll, and if he could show mercy to such a creature, he'll be more than willing to make peace with the Old Myth, especially if that's all you want." General Lyon assured, desperate for the chance.

Sergeant Farlo did a brief pause, then chucked.
"I heard about the battle against the Ishulgites. The dragon was used as a weapon. I haven't seen the creature, but sources tell me he is something that nobody has ever seen before. So it's no wonder the king would rather use him. And his freedom... how do we know it's true and that they are not just prolonging it to keep him enslaved? And the troll, do you honestly think he would've shown the same mercy if it had been normal size? Some of my informants have seen those arena battles, and trolls are shown as much mercy as criminals or creatures that don't meet their standards. I have no doubts that the small size is the only thing that saved this particular troll's life." the centaur pointed out, doubting a normal sized troll would've been allowed into their society regardless of their behavior. General Lyon was running out of ideas... but he still had a couple of them up his sleeve...

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, it's no problem, dear," Ilasi answered, as she began cleaning up the dishes. Dahlia was always rather calming, even if her fur was relatively rough compared to other similar animals. To think a creature like her willingly stuck around with them for so long, despite the difficulties she inevitably had...
"Bye Mom! Bye Dad!" Tyrus called out before leaving. Today was going to be fun - he just knew it. They just had to avoid getting Angora tangled up in any major trouble - which was easier for some folk than others. Was Angora as excited as he was? Or was she nervous? What scheme was Alana cooking up for the afternoon? She would have more time to think, after all...

Angora went with the children, waiting for the carriage that would take them to school. Nobody else was around, which probably meant Tyrus and Alana were the only children that lived around these parts. The carriage was always puntual, and not wanting to make anybody uneasy, Angora hid her face under her hood, only willing to show it until after they arrived to school.
"A friend of ours. She's very shy." Alana said to the chauffeur after trying to look at her face, but made no more efforts after Alana's comment and took the twins along with a few other kids to the school, which was only half an hour away with the carriage.

After they arrived, Alana went to a different building, bidding her brother and Angora farewell while the troll, still hiding under her hood, went with the boy.
"Well... Let's hope your friends have an open mind. Just tell me when to show my face." Angora said, not wanting to startle anybody. She was small and hardly intimidating, but her face wasn't exactly pretty.

Tyrus and Angora arrived to a classroom half full, with a grizzled, bearded man in a relatively formal, long-sleeved outfit at the head desk. There was still a bit of time before class started, during which the rest of the students would most likely arrive. Those students who were present gave curious looks as Tyrus came in with his previously unseen companion. Regardless, Tyrus walked up to the front desk to introduce Angora.
"Good morning, Mr. Fletcher," Tyrus respectfully greeted.
"Good morning, Tyrus," Mr. Fletcher answered, as he took a quick look at the mysterious figure. "Who is this with you?"
"Oh, this is a friend of my family, Angora. You can remove the hood now," Tyrus answered while giving the indication to Angora.
Upon removal of the hood, Mr. Fletcher took a deeper look at Angora, and his eyes gave the faint glow of familiarity. "Oh... this wouldn't happen to be the troll who survived the face-off against a behemoth half a decade ago, would it? Oh, that's something that happened before you were born, I forgot... but considering who your parents are, the connection seems possible."
"My parents told me the story, and that would be her," Tyrus replied. "I'm sure she would be glad to introduce herself." The two looked at Angora expectantly.

Ilasi, in the meanwhile, arrived at Dahlia's pen with her food, providing it to the dirt buffalo in her cup to allow her to eat at her leisure. Once that was taken care of, Ilasi stood by awhile, softly running her fingers through Dahlia's thick fur, appreciating the warmth of her body.

"Good morning, Sozen," Latnok replied as he came in. "You seem to be feeling much better today. Are you ready for some food? We'll take good care of you, just like everyone else here." Sozen was going to be here awhile - though releasing him would be a consideration for later, the immediate priority was making this place a suitable home.

Angora felt quite proud that such event was still remembered even after all these years. But of curse, a troll being pardoned, along with her genetic condition, was bound to be remembered. She wished she could be remembered by the help she provided Aelinon instead though, but something was something.
"Good morning sir. Yes, it is I. It's a memory I wanted to forget, but now it's not so bad. I'm a good friend of the family, and I have come to the school in hopes of enlighten the children and give them a chance to learn something different. I'm hoping today's visit would be a great teaching experience." Angora explained kindly, wanting to show the teacher how incredibly different she was from other trolls, and not just in the physical sense.

Maverick bid a small farewell to Dahlia, making the buffalo sad that he couldn't stay longer, but the sadness vanished when Ilasi came. She was good company too. As she ate and delighted on the food, she accepted the petting without complain. Others of her species would think she is a fool for choosing captivity over roaming free, but she didn't need to fight for territory. Plus she had free food and love. She wouldn't change that for anything. The dragon Raclaw understood well.

"Interesting. You are very articulate and well-mannered for a troll," Mr. Fletcher commented. "Though that would be far from the only thing unusual about you. Anyway, don't make too much trouble here - you wouldn't be the first troll I've skewered!" The teacher gave a short chuckle before continuing. A careful look would reveal a stump where the ring finger on his right hand was, something he didn't go out of his way to bring attention to.
"That was a joke. Well, at least in regards to you. Besides that, we were going to continue learning where we left off on the Great Reclamation yesterday. Are you familiar with the subject at all?" The Great Reclamation - as Aelinon called it - was the long-term operation after the collapse of the Grand Dragon Empire on the continent to eliminate dragonkind and their influence where it could be found - an essential historic subject for every student.

Angora wasn't really liking the way Mr. Fletcher expressed himself, nor his sense of humor, but didn't make a big deal about it. She was ashamed of admitting it, but despite the years she has spent in Redwater... or mainly in Guardian base, she didn't know much about the city's history, particularly cause trolls didn't have anything to resemble a school. She never tried either way, and it was probably a good thing after what she heard Tyrus saying yesterday.
"I... don't know about it, but the name gives me an idea on what it could be." Angora replied in the same polite tone, though holding up some frustration. The first time she even heard the word Aelinon or Redwater was when they were intercepted at the lake where they met Ilasi, a place they were apparently conquering back then, so such a name was pretty self explanatory.

Back at the secret place, General Lyon wasn't done talking.
"Ever heard of a fur dragon? Well, I researched a bit about the creature, and apparently there's only one left alive. The Guardians are giving it a good life. Sadly, the species will likely go extinct after he dies if no other member is found, but both Aelinon and the Guardians are working to keep the species alive and try to save it. Don't you think that's some progress on their views?" the general pointed out, but surprisingly, Sergenat Farlo had an answer even to that.
"Fur dragon... that's a name I haven't heard in a long time. My grandfather told me about these creatures. Like griffins... but not quite. A small and cute creature, by dragon standards that is. Even though they breathe fire, they are pretty harmless. You think they would've put efforts in saving such a creature if it was a huge, scaly beast?" he asked, backing the merman general into a corner again. There was only one more thing the general had up his sleeve.
"Minotaurs... yeah, there are seafaring minotaurs that are working for Aelinon. They are not slaves. They get paid." he pointed out, making the sergeant pause and ponder. Finally he got it...

... except not. After thinking much about it, the sergeant had a pretty good idea why that was their job.
"Minotaurs were once considered part of the Old Myth, but now most are enslaved. It's cool of Aelinon lets them work and pay them... but do they have other jobs? One that doesn't involve being far away from civilization?" Sergeant Farlo asked, and Lyon knew where he was going with that line of questioning. Would they had been accepted into society, exposed to people and other humanoids?

With his friend's silence, the centaur knew there wasn't anything else to ask.
"I appreciate your efforts my old friend... but it's not worth the risk. There are so few of us now. We just can't risk it. Fauns are virtually extinct now. Dragons are being exterminated. And we haven't seen nymphs in decades, so they may be extinct too..." he said, though in their case, they could camouflage very well with nature, so they could just be hiding.
"Satyrs have been so depressed, they don't play their beautiful music anymore. That's what humanity has done to us. We want peace, but if we risk a betrayal, it could very well mean the end of us. We take care of each other. The Old Myth. We only have each other now, and the only way to survive is by keeping ourselves in the dark." Sergeant Farlo expressed gloomily, with the general understanding. He wasn't going to make his friend visit the king for a peace treaty if he still had doubts. Yet another failed reunion. It was time to go their separate ways again...

Tyrus sighed internally. He probably should've given Angora a quick explanation beforehand. "The Great Reclamation was the campaign Aelinon ran after the fall of the dragon empire," he interjected. "Dragons and their allies still posed a danger to everyone, so we had to drive out the remnants to make the continent safer for all of us and free whatever slaves they still had, and to make sure they would never come back for us."
"Good job, Tyrus," Mr. Fletcher commended. "I'm sure you can help your friend get up to speed on anything she doesn't understand. Now, class is about to begin. You may wish to introduce yourself, Angora. The floor is yours, if you plan to do so. You can stay up here with her, Tyrus, if you prefer." Tyrus nodded - he figured Angora would probably be more comfortable with him by her side. At least that's what made him feel comfortable when speaking to strangers - having people he knew close by.

Latnok opened the door wider to allow Sozen to get out. "Sure, we can do that," he suggested. "We'll stay by the less beaten path since nobody travels that way just walking about. We'll make sure you're well and taken care of."

Angora nodded at the explanation, acting like she was someone eager to learn, but deep inside, she was screaming. Typical of humans to teach about the extermination of a race and the dastard conquering of lands. She didn't know how true it was about dragons kidnapping or hunting humans, but with the few she knew, she wouldn't be surprised if that was the excuse humans used to justify their actions. She really needed to improve the education system somehow. Children were growing biased and afraid because of the despicable things that they were taught. She had to do something. She waited for the curious kids to settle before introducing herself.
"Good morning kids. I'm Angora. A troll with a genetic condition that prevents me from growing normally. I'm here on behalf of my friend Tyrus." Angora introduced herself in a polite matter, having taken a brief pause to calm herself.

School was about to start in Alana's building. While she wanted to keep Angora a secret, she couldn't contain the excitement. A troll in school? Was that really such a good idea? The children there were both scared and amazed. While Alana explained she was a small troll that didn't mean any harm, too many nasty things have been said about her kind. One of Alana's friends however, reacted in a very positive light, and wondered if Angora would be willing to play dress up. It was going to be exciting and fun seeing a troll dressed in little girl's clothes.

"GOOD MORNING, ANGORA," the class replied in orderly unison, with all of the students eyeing her with intrigue.
Mr. Fletcher preempted the next likely event. "You will all have time to ask her questions after we finish the current lesson. Now, Tyrus, please lead your friend to your desk so we can begin." Tyrus obeyed, moving to his desk before bringing over an extra seat, then beckoning Angora over.
"Now, let's begin. Last we left off, we were on the subject of the slaves which were still being held during the Great Reclamation. They almost exclusively consisted of humans or elves; merfolk were considered less suited for work on land, especially in inclement weather, and a greater escape hazard, while galuds were considered less effective at strenuous menial labor, especially in harsh sun or cold weather, and were also considered a greater escape hazard; those races were often killed on sight, and thus were forced into exile in the water or deep caves for a long time. Knowing this, it's also important to consider the horrors slaves were subjected to..."
The lesson would go on for some time, with the teacher occasionally stopping to ask questions about the material to ensure student comprehension, or go off on a brief tangent to tie things to the modern day. None of the grotesque details of the crimes of dragons and their allies were spared.

Angora has never seen a dragon during her alone times until meeting Shade and Veris, but the former was a space dragon and the other was a dome sting wyvern, so they didn't count. We're dragon truly that evil or was that the way history was written so that humans could be seen as the good guys? History books and even children's stories painted them as monsters. If only there was a way to know for sure. Angora felt weird listening to a class as if she was another student, but hearing out what they taught would give her a better insight on what she was dealing with. She waited for Mr. Fletcher to allow students to ask questions to come up with one herself.
"Mr. Fletcher? I assume that's when you form an allegiance with behemoths? And why would dragons need slaves? Aren't they big enough to do almost everything themselves?" she asked, knowing she probably sounded like a naive ignorant asking such a question. Technically they were two questions, but they likely associated with each other given how behemoths seemed to love preying on dragons.

Meanwhile, Sergeant Farlo was escorted by General Lyon's warriors. They were heading to a secret underwater tunnel that began in a swamp, where a waterproof orb would be waiting for him to bring him back to his birthplace. But as they ventured deeper into the swamp, the centaur was attacked with an arrow that pierced his chest. It barely missed the heart. The warriors soon got into position. But there was more than one culprit. There were at least five men hiding among the trees, all dressed what looked like mercenary or hunter garbs.
"Cover the Sergeant!" General Lyon ordered, everybody trying to dodge the rain of arrows that came their way. The merman tried protecting his friend at all cost, but soon his shoulder was caught by an arrow, though his armor prevented it from being serious. The centaur looked into his friend's eyes, with the general already knowing this attacked proved what he was saying earlier. No matter how badly they wanted peace, somebody was always going to obstruct it and look for nothing but destruction. The warriors used their own arrows, but the attackers were using the complicated swamp scenery to get the upper hand.
"Retreat! Retreat!" the general said, trying to carry his friend. The humidity of the swamp was starting to transform most of the soldiers back to merfolks...

General Lyon and his men were formidable opponents... but they were under a severe disadvantage. They were out of their element. How could they know they would be there? Just when it looked like this was a battle they would fail, an earthquake made their enemies lose their grip... only it wasn't an earthquake. As if out of nowhere, a humongous dragon came from behind them. It was at least three times the size of the Scourge of Redwater himself. It made short work of the mercenaries, slapping, clawing and even eating one of them. It didn't even use any fire. But there was something very peculiar about this dragon... it had no wings. After all the attackers were dead, the dragon looked at the centaur... and it even looked like it was smiling. But it wasn't a hungry or malicious smile. It was... a kind one. General Lyon wanted to order an attack on the beast... but it wasn't attacking, and on purpose or not, it just saved their lives, and it wasn't attacking them... yet.

Mr. Fletcher paused after hearing Angora's questions. "Behemoths had come into the fold several years ago at that point," he began to explain. "They were a key part in many of our military victories, most notably in the wintertime, as they were easily able to push through the blizzards which forced dragons into shelter and which most ground forces would not be able to withstand for long. This enabled many decisive pushes during the harsh winter months, as there was little action the enemy could take against them.
"As for why dragons needed slaves... the answer here is rather simple. Agriculture. Dragons simply lack the dexterity to perform farm labor, and would not be able to manage livestock in any meaningful way. As one could probably deduce, big dragons had a large demand for food. Slave labor enabled them to have access to a great amount of food they would not normally be able to access, which allowed them to sustain higher populations. When they started to lose that labor as a result of the many incursions against them, their food source was threatened; they had become fat and complacent off of the hard work of 'lesser' species. That ultimately ended up being their undoing." Mr. Fletcher paused to allow for any follow-up questions.

"Well," Latnok said, "we can arrange that. Though I think it would be best if we introduce you to a few at a time. You're rather unusual, and all the children here would likely swarm you if given the chance. But if you follow me to the front, I can arrange the introductions. From there, the staff here can take care of you. Raclaw and I might need to head out for a few days, so it's important we get all of your needs down so you'll be taken care of while we're gone." Latnok hadn't mentioned the letter to Raclaw yet, but Raclaw almost surely knew of it by now. Actually bringing it up was, at most, a formality.

Angora lowered her ears, having no more questions. She wanted to know more, but didn't know how to ask. There was no way for her to know if what the teacher was saying was true, and she couldn't dismiss it either since she had no evidence that could contradict written history. She then looked at her hand... and that's when she had the best counterargument.
"But what if there were dragons who were against such exploitation? What if... some wanted to live a peaceful life? I am a troll, but not the bloodthirsty kind. I'll admit most of my kind are that way, but not all. I had a brother was that as big and scary as a normal troll, but couldn't fathom the idea of killing another being and chose to eat carrion to avoid taking a life. He... saved my life many times when in our society, it was every troll for themselves. We were the exception, and I'm certain there are more like us out there. What if some dragons... were the same?" Angora asked, believing Mr. Fletcher's comment couldn't possibly be the entire truth. And even if it was, human were being the same, if not worse than the enslaving dragons right now. She had no doubts that her bother was at some point killed on sight only because he looked dangerous.

After a brief pause with the dragon staring at the centaur, a spear was suddenly thrown at the tall beast's face. It's scales were so incredibly thick though, that the weapon rebounds like a spring.
"Soldier! What do you think you're doing!?" General Lyon scolded at the attacking merman.
"It's a dragon sir! We have to kill it!" he excused, and even if the spear didn't hurt the dragon, it made him very angry.
"UNGRATEFUL BASTARDS!" the dragon yelled, slapping the merman with it's tail so hard, he slammed against a tree, breaking his back. The beast then ran away, with most of the soldiers giving chase. General Lyon ordered the ones who stayed to watch over his friends as he joined the others. The dragon took down some trees as it ran away, and it was so fast, the fallen trees was the only way to keep track of it, especially since some of the Warriors were partially transformed now. On the way, a thud was heard.

And then... as the soldiers continued to run, the fallen trees were no more. Not to the left. Not to the right. Not even ahead. The dragon's tracks stopped. It didn't have any wings, so there was no way it has flown away, and there wasn't any disturbance on the ground to indicate it has buried itself away. There was only a small snake burrow.
"It's... it's gone. It vanished!" one of the soldiers said.
"That's IMPOSSIBLE! How can something that big disappear out of nowhere? It doesn't make any sense!" General Lyon said angrily, trying to find clues of it's whereabouts... but they weren't any. It was impossible! Did the dragon used magic? There was no way it could vanish just like that. What was going on? As they surveyed the arena, the soldiers found a body. It was the mercenary that was eaten by the dragon earlier. The beast had regurgitated him. That must've been the thud they heard. But why? So that it could run faster? Just what in the world was happening? And above all... why did the dragon saved them?

Mr. Fletcher paused only a moment before he had his answer. "All of the dragons on the continent were benefiting from the exploitation and oppression of other species on the continent in some form or another - they were all complicit. There was no way around that. Those who did not want to exploit others would have inevitably found a way to avoid doing so and keep themselves far away rather than hold on to the vestiges of their empire and continue to menace others with their presence. Does that answer your question?" he asked calmly. Mr. Fletcher didn't seem annoyed by the question - working with children, he knew that many would not quite understand things that would be common knowledge for adults. Rather, he remained patient as ever.