darkSpyro

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Raclaw was right - speculation had a way of filling in the holes in the truth. "All right, then. The staff should have Sozen taken care of for the time we're away. Hopefully we won't be gone too long," Latnok said. "Anything else you two want to take care of here, or are you all ready to leave right now?" Things were a lot simpler for Chester - his species being widely known already, as opposed to Raclaw's enigmatic background, and he only really needed love and care, both of which were not in particularly good supply where he fled from.

"We're ready.," Raclaw said already having a pretty good idea of Chester's response before the dog could 'speak' it. Raclaw already knew that 'with haste' would mean flying if they wanted to get there in a timely matter; the world certainly wasn't small enough to walk on a daily basis...

Soon it was lunchtime, and the children were already starting to show up in the cafeteria, ready to have their meals to resume their lessons an hour later. Some were extremely curious about Angora, getting too close for comfort, while others were cautious enough to stay away from her. There were whispers among each other, and even though Angora had exceptional hearing, she couldn't pinpoint the words with all of them intertwining with each other. While some kids were too close, she focused on finding Tyrus, signaling with her hand to indicate where she was in that little sea of students. She even gave a small smile to him as he approached indicate to him she didn't feel bad anymore about what the kid said earlier.

General Lyon finally returned to Redwater, still at a loss on what to do. The dragon saved their life, but he had no doubts there was an ulterior motive to do so. Dragons didn't save others for the sake of it. All he ever heard about them was how they either enslaved or destroy, like the Scourge of Redwater demonstrated with the latter, and if that thing saved them, it was because it wanted something from them. One of the warriors excused himself, indicating to the general he had something to do in the city and that he'll reunite with them later. Lyon didn't have any reason to distrust his fellow mermen, so he let his companion did whatever he wanted to do.

The soldier was trying not to take long. He went to a quiet library with various pieces of empty paper... and started writing the same thing in all of them.

"Giant crimson dragon spotted in the Zandar Swamp near the sea border of Redwater. Three times the size of Scourge of Redwater. Please slay it and ensure the safety of the citizens."

the merman wrote, without giving his name, but indicating he might be found in the swamp investigating. He was making certain he wasn't being watched. He knew general Lyon didn't want to make this public, and if the dragon's existence had been known, the swamp would've been crowded with Aelinonian soldiers trying to find it.

With the papers ready, the merman put them in every bulletin board he could find. The Aelinonian soldiers usually didn't pay attention to the jobs there, since many of them were minor tasks that weren't worth their time, not to mention they left such tasks to people who partially made a living out of them to give them the chance for earnings. But news about a loose dragon much bigger than the one who destroyed part of their city was certainly going to draw attention if an Aelinonian soldier just happen to spot it, so the merman soldier made sure all the notes were partially hidden among the most boring of jobs so that it had less of a chance to be seen. Only the best and most dedicated bounty hunters would bother watching every bulletin job carefully, and if they wanted the earnings all to themselves, they weren't going to say anything to king Seraos or his men, at least, that's what the merman hoped. If the bounty hunter who spotted the job and keeps the secret manages to slay the dragon, they could put the ugly events that transpired hours ago behind them, and Aelinon would never have to know about it.

Despite Angora's short stature, Tyrus didn't have to spend too long looking for her, with her indicating her location to him. he came over - with some trepidation, owing to the experience that caused her to leave.
He soon had a seat right by her - he had food prepared by Maverick, so that wasn't something he had to worry about grabbing. "Oh, hey Angora... so... how did things... go?" he asked nervously. He wasn't aware of Angora's conversation with the principal, believing that she simply left to clear her head after what had happened. He hoped that they didn't leave a terrible first impression on her.

Latnok prepared Raclaw for flight, prioritizing the harness holding Chester in place. "Hoping this will be at least reasonably productive. Who knows what sort of 'knowledge' they might have right now," he sad as he worked. "Who knows - maybe some rumor or another they heard somewhere might actually be meaningful." Unfortunately, the trip to Falcon's Beak didn't reveal much - only that Raclaw's parents were on the island as prisoners at some point, and he had siblings. Their whereabouts, if they were still alive, were still unknown.

"Oh yes. All is fine now." Angora said with a smile, wanting Tyrus to be certain she was feeling good now.
"Don't worry about me. I'm better. I don't blame the kid. He lost a parent and Shady... that's how I call him by the way. I know he is is not the most popular creature right now, but you shouldn't be too quick to judge my dear Tyrus. I didn't know about dragons enslaving people and I don't know how true are those stories about dragons demanding sacrifices, but just like I'm different from other trolls, there are dragons that are different. And who knows? Most of them might be very different today than they were back then." Angora assured, though that last part was more wishful thinking than confirmed fact.

Angora did not want Tyrus to see Shade as a monster because of those stories and before even meeting him. Before mentioning her reunion with the principal, she brainstormed about how she could explain to Tyrus what happened five years ago.
"Anyway..." she started to say, looking around to see that some kids were eavesdropping. A few glares from her and they knew they were being rude. They left, but some remained rather close, so Angora just ignored them.
"As I was saying, I know what Shady did was beyond horrible and can't be undone. Changed many lives for the worst for sure, but I can assure you, he never meant it. Your father and I travelled with him for almost a year and he never dreamed about hurting us. His powers... well, think of them as a weapon, a weapon that means to act as self defense but is unstable, especially when emotions are involved. But all that has changed now. Shady was alone for many years, so he never had the proper training from his kind, but he has gotten much better. We haven't heard about any new incidents. Your friends aren't ready to meet him, but wait until you and Alana can see him in person. I can guarantee you he will be very happy with your letters, and once he sees you two at last, well, the only 'danger' you'll be facing from him is too many affectionate licks." Angora said with certainty, knowing it was going to do a world of wonders for Shade to see children, Maverick's children on top of that, and certain the dragolet was going to be as affectionate to them as he was with her and the father.

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Latnok prepared Raclaw for flight, prioritizing the harness holding Chester in place. "Hoping this will be at least reasonably productive. Who knows what sort of 'knowledge' they might have right now," he sad as he worked. "Who knows - maybe some rumor or another they heard somewhere might actually be meaningful." Unfortunately, the trip to Falcon's Beak didn't reveal much - only that Raclaw's parents were on the island as prisoners at some point, and he had siblings. Their whereabouts, if they were still alive, were still unknown.

"Agreed. Hopefully they have something for us; it would be nice to know that there's a least a glimmer of hope out there.," Raclaw responded with a somewhat solemn nod. Their whole purpose for setting out on sea in the first place was his parents-- and they still had naught a single clue as to their location or current status. For all intensive purposes, Raclaw was alone among his own kind; he had at least managed to find a new family in the form of Latnok and Chester. And although it wasn't their sole reason for being together, he had also managed to find purpose or a 'job' as some canines/canine owners called it. He was content with that, but it would at least be nice to know that some other Fur Dragon (even if not his parents) was out there.

Tyrus listened carefully to Angora's explanation, which naturally was more sympathetic than the explanations he had received from most others. He could understand what Angora was saying, but he was still somewhat cautious, given the thoughts of almost everyone else in the city. "I guess that wouldn't be too bad, if you're saying it's safe," he said. "I wonder if he would think I'm tasty if he licked me." A bit of an amusing - if unsettling - thought.

With Chester secured firmly in place, the only thing that remained was for Latnok to secure himself - which he did after a quick climb over. Riding Raclaw with a harness, despite the appearance it presented, was definitely a significant advantage for both rider and mount - keeping Latnok more stable, and thus reducing the unevenness of his weight on Raclaw, an especially important factor when flying.

"Heheh, perhaps. He might even joke about it, but rest assured. He wouldn't go through it even if that's the case. He's possibly the only dragon that would will let you get into his mouth and let you out alive." Angora said in a teasing matter, knowing Shade was more than capable of eating all of them in one gulp if he wanted, but he was more interested in friends than food. She herself could get into Veris' mouth, who was technically another dragon, but it wasn't something to encourage given what a big eater he was. Plus Veris cared about her too much that he went through whatever troll eating instinct he had to avoid killing her, which was something truly remarkable.

Angora was about to mention about her little talk with the principal when her stomach started grumbling, indicating her hunger. As good and filling as Maverick's breakfast was, it was time to eat again. But would they let her have food there? Fortunately, Angora didn't have to go through that. A little girl with auburn hair approached them shyly, almost the same height as Tyrus. She looked at the boy rather adoringly, and then at Angora in amazement. Noticing her hunger, she let her have some juice and part of her sandwich.
"Thank you." Angora said with gratitude, but the little girl said nothing and left, embarrased. Angora looked at the way she glanced at Tyrus, and was beginning to think she had a little crush on him. It was funny to think about, given how young they were, but also adorable. She didn't know if the girl gave her food out of kindness or to impress Tyrus, but whatever the case, she appreciated it.

Near noon, Huntress was in a small town just a couple of miles away from the main city of Redwater, a town close to the forest that delivered goods from there. Lately, they have been terrorized by a whole flock of harpys, who stole their goods and apparently tried to kidnap children, though nothing of the sort has happened yet. Huntress had already brought down three of them, and was paid a pretty penny for every corpse. Harpys were ugly and not very smart, but they were fast, so hunting them wasn't too easy. It was still the ideal game for Huntress, so it was just what she needed to get back into shape.

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With Chester secured firmly in place, the only thing that remained was for Latnok to secure himself - which he did after a quick climb over. Riding Raclaw with a harness, despite the appearance it presented, was definitely a significant advantage for both rider and mount - keeping Latnok more stable, and thus reducing the unevenness of his weight on Raclaw, an especially important factor when flying.

Indeed-- the harness was very much beneficial even from his own perspective; the feeling of knowing that neither Latnok or Chester would accidentally fall out was a comfort in it's own right. Lots of mounts wore 'tack' for very similar reasons, albeit usually with no choice given to the mount in question. Raclaw had long accepted that such tack would eventually come into play once his 'ownership' had become an thing; and yet his tack still represented what was different about them in a way. The harness did not include the bit or bridle, leaving Raclaw free to speak and leaving him free to fly without any direct physical influence to 'forcefully' guide him. It included all the benefits of a harness (appearances aside) with none of the usual bits to either restrict or control him; such was perhaps expected considering Latnok's views on such things.

With Latnok secured, Raclaw would soon take off and up into the air. With all passengers secured and any precious cargo secured-- the rest would be up to him. Redwater wasn't their usual route, but Raclaw knew enough from previous such trips checking in on the city's local branch of the Salvation House; it had been some time since they had showed up in person anyway. And Redwater was where some of their former shipmates were based out of if he recalled; he wondered if Risar's ship was still out at sea. The Minotaur was understandably busy, but perhaps they could visit if their old horned friend was in town. And Maverick was also based out of Redwater; he knew that Angora still stayed with him on a bi-weekly basis. Perhaps..

It was very convenient and kind of the girl to share her food when she did. "Don't you think she was really nice? I wonder what made her want to do that," he wondered. "Do you think she was scared of you? Maybe she should've stuck around and talked." Though Angora probably wasn't as intimidating as the infamous Scourge of Redwater, she was still rather unusual.
"Anyway, I guess I'll have to see Shade for myself to judge, right? He sounds a lot different when you talk about him like that. But I wonder if they'll even let me near him?"

The trip to Redwater would take some time still. Latnok thought about what else he could do once he arrived to the city. Checking up on the branch of the Salvation House that was there would probably be productive. Perhaps Raclaw would also find something else worth his attention? And Risar and the other shipmates on the Enduring Legacy - it was a small chance, but they might be able to meet up again.

Angora rolled her eyes, not surprised that Tyrus would be so clueless. He might be smart in school, but at his age, but he still had a lot to learn in other departments.
"Nah. If she had been afraid of me, she wouldn't have gotten close. Let's just stay with nice... and shy." she assured as she took a bite, deciding not to tell about what that was really about to let Tyrus figure it out. Plus it wasn't in her place to say it anyway.

Something that made Angora smile was how Tyrus just called Shade by his name instead of his unpleasant nickname.
"Don't worry about Shady. I'll take care of it. Your friends are not ready, but you and Alana are, I'm sure. You are the children of one of his best friends after all. Speaking of which, I talked to your principal a few minutes ago. Haha, confused me for a goblin. He was a very nice man actually, even after I told him what I really was. The school is not ready to meet him, but besides him and Veris, there is actually another dragon I know well. When you think of dragons, you think of the huge, toothy, scaly kind, but this one is horse sized, fluffy, huggable, and as kind as a puppy. He even has a dog for a friend. His name is Raclaw. I'm willing to bet Maverick already told you about him, huh? Your principal even agreed to let me bring him in for you and the rest of the school to start seeing dragons in a more positive light." Angora stated, knowing this was going to be one humongous step in changing the view about dragons and improving the educational system. The fact that she got the principal's approval and Tyrus seemingly starting to change his view about Shade was some good progress.

"Oh, Raclaw? Yeah, Dad told me about him, and I heard about him one day when I was at the Salvation House to play with the dogs," Tyrus said. I've never gotten to meet him, though. Apparently he's the owner's dragon? Do you know the owner? Would he just let you borrow him?" Tyrus knew the owner's name - Latnok - and knew that Maverick and Ilasi had him as a colleague on their journey to Falcon's Beak, but didn't know much more than that about him.
"He sounds like a really fun dragon, though. Very different from all the dragons I know about!"

"He is, and don't worry. Raclaw might be owned, but he can make his own decisions. Plus Latnok doesn't have a reason to say no. It's just a brief visit." Angora said, despising the idea of talking to Latnok. They haven't talked properly in years, just a few good mornings, good afternoon or simple hand waves. Plus she didn't know Raclaw and company would be going to Redwater, so she believed she would have to go to the dreadful Guardian base again just to fetch him. Nevertheless, she focused on this moment, bonding with Tyrus and really enjoying it. They ate together, had more casual talks, did some riddles to each other and sometimes they were interrupted by other children curious about Angora.

Angora had a marvelous time with the boy, but lunchtime was almost over and it was the sister's turn.
"Thanks for the time Tyrus. It really wasn't so bad. The children like me... most of them. And the principal was nice and gave me permission to bring in Raclaw. So the day has been good. Well, time to see your sister. Hopefully she doesn't get into too much trouble." Angora said, bidding Tyrus goodbye and very aware of Alana's reputation.

As much as Tyrus enjoyed his time with Angora, it did eventually have to come to an end. "Take care. And please stop her from doing anything dumb," he said. "Well, anything too dumb. I guess it'll be okay as long as you don't get into any trouble yourself." Tyrus liked to think that he had set the bar pretty high for Angora today; hopefully her experience with Alana wasn't a major disappointment following that. He wasn't sure if any sort of "show and tell" like they already had was the best idea, however, after the last student who had an issue with it.
It was time to get back to class. Some more on the topic of science - which was a subject that always interested Tyrus. Learning how the world works - perhaps he could help unlock some of its secrets one day...

Once Angora reached the building where Alana was, the girl already waiting for her with a couple of her friends.
"I don't get it. She's not so hideous." one of her friends said after learning about her being a troll. Angora not amused by her attempt as a compliment.
"I already told you. She's not. She's nice inside AND outside," Alana defended, not willing to allow her dear little friend to be insulted like that. Class was about to start, and while Alana and her friends wanted to play with Angora, it was time to head back. Alana was starting to think she had the worst time of the school day. The class was pleasant, no talk about dragons at all, just a bit of geometry and geology. The teacher, a woman Angora could swear came from a comic book, had a vibe of peace. She was concerned about Angora being there, especially if she was Alana's friends, but let things flow normally and didn't regret it. Alana was behaving great today, something the teacher attributed to Angora's presence. She let the troll introduce herself the same way as Mr. Fletcher, and while she hated some potential retialation like the kid before, no mention of Shade was ever made.

The classes continued for the rest of the afternoon, all with the same teacher. There was a twenty minutes break inside where the kids used assigned utensils and used their creativity to make something fun, though Alana's friends used it to improvise a dress for Angora, much to her annoyance. She managed to tolerate it though, and even managed to see some of the pranks Alana usually played on the teacher and some of the students, though they always knew who to blame. Her pranks were more gentle in nature though, so that was kinda good? Either way, although she had a more progressive day with Tyrus, the change of pace here was very welcoming. Angora talked about her job, her bites and Raclaw, though decided to leave Shade out of the subject to avoid any awkwardness. The day went by smoothly, and school was almost out already at last...

The rest of the day continued (relatively) uneventfully for Tyrus. No one made any further comment about the elephant in the living room that was the interaction between Angora and the other student. After doing his part in the end-day cleanup, he was ready to start heading home. He considered trying to find Angora, but figured that maybe Alana would keep her with some friends for some after-school activities - and he wasn't particularly interested in any of the girly stuff they would probably be getting into.

Leoquin assisted Maverick a little more, but eventually took Maverick up on his offer of leaving to visit Ilasi. It was a place he was familiar enough with to not need directions. Gently, he knocked on the door.
"Just a minute!" Ilasi called out, being in her room when she heard the knock. She was eventually thehre to open it, and was surprised to see who it was.
"Leoquin. It's been some time. Please, come in," Ilasi welcomed, and Leoquin did so.
"Hey, how's it going?" Leoquin asked politely. "Pretty nice day, isn't it? We have a bit to talk about, but I suppose that would be more fit for later."
"Of course. Pardon me, I wasn't expecting a visitor. Please wait right there, I'll have something ready for you," Ilasi said, as she headed into the kitchen. As rough as Leoquin had been to her on the journey, he had mellowed out considerably in the time. Ilasi knew there was much burdening him, and she didn't want to exacerbate that if she could avoid it.

Alana wasn't one to stay after school, but did it for her friend's sake. They played dress up with Angora and asked her many more question. A kid that looked far more nerdy than Tyrus even wondered how she avoided getting eaten by the wyverns she worked with since it was a known fact that trolls were prey to them, as her bite marks showed. Angora just answered much caution around the rest and bonding with the one in her care, and the fact Veris was more intelligent than the rest of his kind helped too. In all her time at school, Angora didn't show her magic, not wanting to startle the children, or worse still, getting more unwanted attention. She already drew enough of it with her size and species. Alana escorted her to where they waited for the carriages, knowing that all the attention was making Angora uncomfortable.
"Sorry about that. Nobody has ever seen a troll, only seeing them from afar or books." she explained, Angora not finding it strange.
"So, this was more fun than with Tyrus. Am I right?" she then asked, not forgetting their competition.
"They were very different experiences. Much progress, and had fun different ways." Angora assured as they waited for the carriage, not wanting to make their rivalry worse.

It was almost time for Maverick to close the shop. He always did it before dark to avoid being mugged, though chances were low given how horribly strict Aelinonians were with criminals. Leoquin's company was nice, but he preferred if he was with Ilasi. She felt so lonely many times, even if she had Dahlia. In the customer free time, Maverick wrote a notice indicating that the shop will be closed for two days straight. It would give him time to do many of the things pending.

At Draikon's laboratory, everything seemed dark from outside his house. It was a common occurrence. People wondered how the heck could he work in the dark all the time, unless that was simply the perspective? Sometimes Draikon's work could be heard from several houses down the block, but other times, everything was silent. Eerily. His laboratory and all he did inside was more mysterious than a haunted house. Despite his creepiness, Draikon has helped Aelinon over the years with his chemistry and recent interest in machinery. He has helped cure diseases, improved weapons and even helped with farming methods and food nutrition. Still, he wasn't liked by too many people despite his services, especially the behemoths. It was something that he didn't care about though, since he was paid well and was given much liberty to do almost whatever he wanted.

Tyrus finally arrived home, when Leoquin was settled in reasonably well. Tyrus did not remember him well; the last time he would've seen Leoquin was about a year ago, and besides his existence, he didn't recall much about Leoquin in his last visit.
"Hello, Mom! Hello... Mr. Leoquin" he greeted, as he floundered around a moment trying to recall the right name.
"Yes, that's me," Leoquin answered. "You've grown quite a bit since last time. Your parents have been feeding you well."
"Yep! They take good care of me!" Tyrus said proudly, which brought out a small smile from Ilasi. "Angora went with us to school today. She's probably still out there with Alana, either in detention or doing some girly activities or something. It was pretty fun. For the most part, anyway."
"I'm very happy you had a good time," Ilasi said, as she took out a portion of food for Tyrus. It was a portion of venison with vegetables - as much as Leoquin liked to fish, the ships he was often serving on tended not to have nearly as well-stocked a galley as the Enduring Legacy, so something else was appreciated when he was ashore. The three would catch up on old times while they patiently waited for Maverick and Alana to return.

Before the carriage arrived, Alana's teacher appeared besides them, yanking a hair out of Angora's head.
"HEY! What gives woman?" she scolded, not very pleased with the act, especially without permission.
"My apologies miss Angora, but I'd be a fool if I didn't take this chance. Trolls are not something Aelinon usually allows to study or accept, so this is an opportunity I can't miss." she explained, assuring her it was just that one hair. Angora was quite upset, but let her satisfy her curiosity. It was just hair. Afterwards, she and Alana went to the after school carriage, the girl being surprised with her usually meek teacher being that bold.

After some conversation along the way, both with Alana and the children onboard, the two friends finally arrived near the house, and walked the rest of the way. They were quite surprised with the visit.
"Oh, hey mother! Tyrus! And..." she started to say, recalling the name before Angora beat her to it.
"Hey Leoquin. It's been... quite a while. Hello." she greeted in a rather quiet tone of voice, not forgetting how mean he was to her and Maverick in the past. Still, between Leoquin and Latnok, she preferred the merman's company by a long mile. He was still mysterious loner, but wasn't the same jerk he was before, so that was very good.

Maverick still hadn't arrived home yet. Although the shop was closed by now, he took about an hour to navigate through the city, asking questions about both Huntress and Leoquin's potential family. He didn't have much success with the latter, but he did encountered someone that took Huntress' services some time ago. Unfortunately, he didn't know much about the woman except what she looked like and that her fees weren't too cheap. It wasn't a total loss. Now Maverick knew that Huntress was likely a bounty hunter. It would certainly explain the nickname. It was better than nothing. But not wanting to be caught after dark, Maverick decided to stop his search there and head home. The city was heavily guarded, especially after dark, but still, he didn't deem it wise to linger there more than necessary. Even if there were guards around, especially the nocturnal galuds, a mugger could still do some serious damage before any of them could notice in time, and after what happened to his neck, he wasn't taking too many risks.

Meanwhile-- Latnok and Raclaw were well on their way, as well as 'precious cargo' Chester whom was loved/adorned by the both of them. The dog, dragon, and human trio showed a great amount of trust each and every time they flew. From Raclaw's perspective, he had to quite literally carry the 'burdens' of his beloved friends and companions. From Latnok's perspective, he had to trust that Raclaw wouldn't drop him or otherwise let anything happen to him. Sure.. an harness was involved, but said harness or 'tact' intentionally excluded any controlling features such as the bit and bridle. The human Guardian and passenger couldn't directly control or influence Raclaw's movements in flight, at least not by any physical means. And sure.. legal 'ownership' was involved, but such ownership was voluntary on Raclaw's part and no paper would protect the human from an unfortunate fate or accident.

And as for Chester, there was a reason why they went out of their way to buy a very expensive and very specialized harness system for the dog's own sake. Otherwise, he could fall off or even become prey to some large bird of prey. Such was a possible fear on land and such was still a possible fear in the air; the Beagle had to rely on and trust on those whom had lovingly adopted (and collared him) so long ago. He and Raclaw may had been both 'pets' under Latnok, but he and Latnok had to rely on and trust Raclaw while in the air. The journey so far was uneventful. Just a lot of time to think and to talk.

While on his way, Maverick had been thinking of visiting the Salvation House to see what was new there. But the sun was setting and he didn't want to keep delaying his arrival. He greeted the eager Dahlia when he arrived, petting her for a while before finally going to the front door. The sky was orange, arriving just before it could turn black.
"Hola hola! Familia y amigos!" he greeted loudly, with Alana immediately running to hug her father.
"You were with Dahlia' weren't you?" Angora stated after briefly smelling the air, with Alana needing to be extra close to Maverick to notice herself. Those were quite the strong senses.

Back at Draikon's laboratory, everything was quiet. Some neighborhood kids were wondering why. Before a couple of siblings tried to look at the window, their mother stopped them, reminding them what happened last time. The elderly man had several bells inside the lab that served as alarms, and while they could turn off manually, most of the time they turned off by themselves after a few minutes, and everyone believed Draikon did it on purpose in order to annoy them with the sound and teach them a lesson about getting into his business and home. Little did they know it was because there was a small door on the floor whose room that was soundproof. And in the secret place below, there was a tunnel. Nobody knew of it's existence. The soldiers were aware of the soundproof room, but not the tunnel, which was very well hidden. Nobody but Draikon knew where it lead, but it seemed to be a work in progress. Expanding his laboratory, perhaps? Only Draikon knew.

With dusk setting in, Latnok could see the outline of the large port city of Redwater. He and Raclaw would have to land somewhere near the walls - Aelinon generally didn't approve of large creatures flying high above, with the exception of those affiliated with hits own military, or designated areas such as parks. Flight was possible within the city limits, but they had to be somewhat close to the ground - "just close enough for them to shoot you down," as some would say.
"Well, we're almost there, guys. Just a check-in with the guards, and we'll soon all have a nice, hot meal in our bellies," Latnok said. Raclaw, especially, could use the food - even with the breaks and meals granted in between.

"Hey, everyone," Leoquin answered as the others greeted him. "You all look as lovely as ever - and some of you are definitely a bit bigger than last time. So, children, how was school today?"
"Oh, school was fun. Angora came today. Everyone had so many questions for her!" Tyrus said. "I think we all learned a lot. Plus, she even has a plan for more things to do later!" Tyrus, once again, declined to mention the incident with the boy who was upset by Angora's claims about Shade.

"Hah! Well Angora had more fun with me! The teacher gave us many things to do, we dressed her up, played a bit of tag, and she became popular with everybody, even the teacher..." Alana said, stopping the when Angora signaled her to stop. Either she couldn't stand her unique praise or she didn't want Alana to take the moment as a competition yet again. Maverick chuckled at the thought of Angora playing dress up with anybody. Someone like her in a dress had to be funny.
"Well I'm glad everything went so well. Angorita did won the people in the arena and helped in the Ishulgite war, so no wonder she is so popular. You have to tell me more later." he told his troll friend, eager to know what else Angora did. She wanted to hear it from her specifically. She was planning to tell him what she planned eventually, so they had quite the conversation pending.

As Maverick took some of his wife's food, he decided to tell the family about the shop and a few other things.
"By the way familia, I'll be closing the shop for at least two days. I have a few errands to run around the city. We have enough money to last us for a while." Maverick explained, knowing Ilasi would know what was one of those errands. He then turned to Leoquin.
"It's great to have you here señor Leoquin. Too bad you weren't here yesterday. We had Sand Dune, Random and Opium visiting. You remember them, right? I really missed that trio loco. The kids really liked them, and Angorita was delighted! A doctor's assistant, a vet, and a pharmacist. Not bad, huh? They really managed to turn their life around." he commented, feeling very proud of them. As a former pirate himself, it was so refreshing to see he wasn't the only one with such a life that managed to turn it for the better.

Tyrus had to restrain himself from answering back. Angora probably wasn't too interested in that back and forth right now. He would, instead, wait for another topic to make itself available.
Leoquin had some rather interesting memories of those three former pirates. He still remembered that battle clear as day - he had used a special compound in the armory of the Guardians to set a ship alight.
"Those three? Good to see they're making something of themselves. Not something you can say of many pirates," he said. "Had our fair share of scraps with them this last adventure, but they were nothing to write home about - or maybe it is, but I don't care enough to do so. Things sure are working out a hell of a lot better for them than... well, that's something we'll eventually fix, won't we?"

Maverick nodded, wondering if Leoquin told Ilasi about his little mission already. But if he hasn't, she was bound to find out eventually.
"Indeed we will. And tomorrow and the day after, I'll be free of work so we can do all the errands we can señor Leoquin. For now, let's just rest and enjoy the moment. Angorita is here, so there is no extra room. But that sofa can turn into a bed, so you can..." Maverick started to say before Angora interrupted.
"It's alright Maverick. Let him have my room. The bed is bigger. The sofa is comfortable and I don't occupy much space, so it's no problem." Angora offered, knowing that Leoquin would do better in a room for himself. She would be fine in the living room, plus the fridge was closer in case she got a midnight craving. Maverick would rather have her sleep in the comfortable room he so carefully prepared just for her, but if she wanted to offer it, he would let her. It was such a sweet gesture. It made Maverick feel very proud.

The faun man was really adoring this week. He had Angora with them and apparently made a very good impression in school, the three former pirates visited, and now dear Leoquin was there too. It was great, and was hoping it could be even better with the passing days.
"Well, time to play with Dahlia. Unless you kids want to do homework first?" Angora asked, and Alana naturally chose the former, but knowing Tyrus, he would probably want to do his homework first. It was already night, but Angora wasn't sleepy, so she wanted to do other things, particularly bond with the kids and prevent them from getting into one of their pesky rivalries. Throughout the years, Angora has tried to communicate with Dahlia, but still no luck. Maybe her animal talking powers were only limited to predators, or just wyverns, which was a great bummer.

Leoquin was expecting to have to head back to his underwater dwelling in the city; he was pleasantly surprised by the offer. "Thanks, much appreciated!" he answered, both in regard to the offer of shelter and Angora's suggestion. "Not too sure what I can do here tomorrow - I can try to find out more, but it's a wild goose chase, honestly - always has been. Besides that, I need to start sorting out the details of my next con- actually, maybe I'll hold off on that until we see if this lead goes anywhere."
"Lead?" Ilasi questioned. Leoquin remembered that he didn't speak to her about the matter.
"Yeah, I heard of a society of merfolk that was created after the whole Ishulgite conflict. Apparently has pretty strong isolationist ideals, rejecting all other sapient species. After what they were inevitably subjected to, I wouldn't blame them one bit. Anyway, the last lead I had on my brother before all that suggested he was with the Ishulgites, and my parents vanished after the uprising - if they're still around, they may be caught up in such a society."
Ilasi didn't know what to say... but this was a potentially very valuable development. Leoquin was always reaching for something which kept slipping out of his grasp - would it be different this time?

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With dusk setting in, Latnok could see the outline of the large port city of Redwater. He and Raclaw would have to land somewhere near the walls - Aelinon generally didn't approve of large creatures flying high above, with the exception of those affiliated with hits own military, or designated areas such as parks. Flight was possible within the city limits, but they had to be somewhat close to the ground - "just close enough for them to shoot you down," as some would say.
"Well, we're almost there, guys. Just a check-in with the guards, and we'll soon all have a nice, hot meal in our bellies," Latnok said. Raclaw, especially, could use the food - even with the breaks and meals granted in between.

"Well Chester-- ready to see the city again?," Raclaw said looking 'back' at the canine passenger. The Beagle's days of formerly being owned by an abusive owner were long behind him; years had passed since they had long seen the only hint of him. Chances are that he ultimately starved to death alone and with no means of supporting himself. And honestly.. no-one was sad about that fact in the slightest. It wouldn't be long until the city would soon come into focus and good landing spot would become evident. "Well, Redwater here we come.," Raclaw commented with a smile as he let his feet touch the ground. If any dragon or rider were ever stupid enough to land directly in the city-- well, said dragon wouldn't remain alive or free enough to ever tell of the tale. And as for the rider, a dragon would legally be their owner's responsibility and they would face harsh legal consequences if not death itself.

Angora lowered her ears, remembering how much misery the Ishulgites caused, and still cause, to so many people, and how she was manipulated and almost a victim of them. Maverick detected her sadness and sat besides her.
"No we preocupe señor Leoquin. The Ishulgites have lost all their influence and are disbanded. Wherever your family is, we are bound to find them sooner or later." Maverick said faithfully, firmly believing that if they were still alive, they had to be somewhere, hopefully looking for their home and family too, and if that was the case, they had a chance. Angora admired the way Maverick was always willing to help everybody, even people who were jerk to him in the past. She wished she could have the patience and kindness he had.

After the kids decided to do homework and play with Dahlia, he would take her out for a walk, using a map he had of Redwater to trace his step and places he was going to visit tomorrow to search more about Leoquin's family and the identity of the mysterious Huntress.

Nobody had seen the note general Lyon's warrior had put on the bulletin board yet, and while the merman wished the dragon would just leave and have the peace back, it was not going to be the last time anyone heard from it. That night, two illegal hunters were out in the thick woods near the Redwater border searching for endangered dire wolves. Due to the soldiers being too focused on catching Ishulgites, there was less risk of hunters like them getting caught. But tonight, the luck would run out. Suddenly, one of them fell down a hole, but didn't come back up.
"Zendu?" his companion called, but still no answer. When he went to investigate the hole, a humongous dragon a dark red color like blood came from below. It's eyes glowing yellow as mini suns that seem to penetrate the very soul. It didn't take long for the hunter to realize what happened to his friend. With many insults and swears, he shot the dragon... but none of his weapons worked. It was as if the dragon's skin was made of metal.

The dragon surrounded the man, and without warning, it coiled him with his tail like a giant snake.
"You like this life, don't you? You humans don't hunt for survival anymore. You do it for sadism, greed. All for a quick buck. Out of all the ways of life you could've chosen, you choose this blasphemy activity. Redwater is expanding territory, killing everything beautiful about the world. How about you think it over in your last minutes of life?" the dragon said menacingly, starting to throw him to the ground, slapping him around and scratching him until he was bloody mess, moaning. The torture lasted for almost half an hour. But the hunter wasn't dead yet. He just wanted the suffering to stop... but the dragon didn't allow him that. The great beast devoured him alive to prolong the suffering, cementing it's deep hatred for the race. The wingless reptile then retreated into the hole it came from, leaving no trace of the two hunter's existence. Just how did a beast three times bigger than the Scourge of Redwater have managed to avoid detection? Has it arrived recently? Only general Lyon, his men and the centaur knew about the dragon roaming around the big city of Redwater, but nobody dared to tell anything...

The guards gave the trio little hassle as they passed through the gates, the armor of the Ardent Guardians being easily recognizable - and the combination of Latnok and Raclaw was very familiar by now, with there not being any other dragon like Raclaw around.
As soon as they were in the walls, Latnok considered what to do next - before deciding that they would head to a nearby tavern to have a meal. He wanted Raclaw to have a good meal as soon as possible, and the Salvation House was far enough away that he reconsidered heading there immediately.
"Well, let's head on down to the watering hole," he decided as he changed heading appropriately. "The Frolicking Bull. We'll worry about getting home later." As they headed there, Latnok considered potentially perusing the job board - the skill set he and Raclaw had honed over time had proven itself a perfect combination of persuasiveness and threat to resolve potentially violent encounters without having to kill anyone. And failing that, honing his combat skills out in the field every now and then was always useful.

"Agreed-- been awhile since we've out here. We might as well enjoy the city for what it has. Right Chester?," Raclaw said looking down at the nearby Chester. "Right!," the little Beagle barked as they soon approached their watering hole of choice. Latok was right; food sounded good and even more so after all that flying. It also felt good to be back on land and out of harness again, like a soldier taking off their uniform after a long day. He probably could wear the riding harness on a 24/7 basis if he had to, but he knew that Latnok would never 'subject' him to such a fate. Such a fate would make him an mount more than a free thinking individual or even just a pet; and that just wouldn't do for the Guardian. Raclaw though he sensed someone familiar as they entered the tavern.. Risar? The Fur Dragon could've sworn he recognized the presence of the Minotaur to whom they once fought alongside with.

Indeed, a rather large Minotaur and a couple smaller ones appeared to enjoying a few drinks at a corner table. Could it really be..?

Maverick's faith in the matter was contagious, and Leoquin felt his own hopes rising up as well. "Yes - I've been working most of my life to find my family. We will succeed," he declared. "My family... they were all I had. On that fateful day, my foolishness swept my brother away... I've been working too hard to fix this mistake and restore my family. They're all I have." There was a part of Leoquin which considered cutting his losses and accepting his family as dead; but he couldn't do that yet. The guilt, already clawing at him, would never release him fro its dreadful grasp.

Latnok took a quick look around at the patrons and surroundings as he entered. The job board had quite a few tasks on it; he would have to check that later. But one patron in particular caught his eye - a minotaur. Though ore of them and other "fringe" species had been showing up recently, they were still far from common - and this one was especially familiar. Risar. That was a certainty.
There would be plenty of time for greetings, though. He had to order things for his companions. He stepped up to the counter, where a bouncy, slightly smaller young maiden approached him. "Good evening, Latnok! What are you feeling today?" she asked.
"Hello. I'll be having a venison steak and a pitcher of your signature ale."
"Excellent... and what can I get you and the dog... Raclaw, was it?" she asked. Latnok had always gotten food for the three of them whenever they came; he preferred Raclaw give his own order (as well as speak on Chester's behalf), however.

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Latnok took a quick look around at the patrons and surroundings as he entered. The job board had quite a few tasks on it; he would have to check that later. But one patron in particular caught his eye - a minotaur. Though ore of them and other "fringe" species had been showing up recently, they were still far from common - and this one was especially familiar. Risar. That was a certainty.
There would be plenty of time for greetings, though. He had to order things for his companions. He stepped up to the counter, where a bouncy, slightly smaller young maiden approached him. "Good evening, Latnok! What are you feeling today?" she asked.
"Hello. I'll be having a venison steak and a pitcher of your signature ale."
"Excellent... and what can I get you and the dog... Raclaw, was it?" she asked. Latnok had always gotten food for the three of them whenever they came; he preferred Raclaw give his own order (as well as speak on Chester's behalf), however.

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When Icestorm overhead the name Latnok he turned to see Raclaw, Latnok and Chester. “Well, well, we’ll look who it is! My old friends Latnok and Raclaw. Come over here and tell us how ya been old friends!”

"Yes-- it's Raclaw. And I would like the same please, ale in bowl please.," Raclaw began to respond before imitating the human gesture of 'one moment' to Icestorm. He briefly conversed with Chester before looking up at the maiden again. "As for my canine companion here, he would like the Salmon please. Boneless if possible and a bowl of water.," he then said using both the dog's desires and his knowledge of what was/wasn't safe for dogs to eat. There were naturally some things that they couldn't give Chester, such as extremely spicy foods or overly salted food items that could upset a dog's stomach if eaten in excess. Tree nuts were limited for instance and grapes were also best avoided lest they wished to make the poor 'pup' sick. By now-- Chester himself also had a decent idea of what he could or could not eat, having 'placed' his own orders through Raclaw for some time now. Despite this, he could still be tempted to go for the wrong thing if said thing sounded appealing enough even if his own canine limitations forbade it.

Risar offered a nod to the trio, opting not to immediately interrupt them. He then said something in private to one of the two nearby Minotaurs and motioned for them to pull up a nearby chair. They followed through with the suggestion-- moving a chair over so that the familiar party could sit.

Maverick lead Leoquin to what would be his room now, holding him by the shoulder like a great friend.
"There, that's the spirit mi amigo. It likely won't be a one day task, but we'll progress, little by little if necessary." he assured as they walked into the room.
"Now then, here is where you'll be staying. Over that corner is the restroom. And that is our room." he said, referring to his and Ilasi's room.
"There's plenty of food in the fridge. Take whatever you want. It's your home too." he assured, letting Leoquin do whatever he wanted right now. If he wanted to sleep, continue talking about the matter, talk to Ilasi or do anything else, he could. Angora looked at them and was quite envious how Maverick could manage to improve the mood of people so easily. Leoquin felt quite miserable earlier, and now even he felt hopeful. She wished she could be the same way, but she didn't have the same effect on people for obvious reasons. And of course, she didn't want to be too kind given how fauns were likely extinct precisely for that reason. No doubt Maverick had their genetics.

Since Maverick would take Dahlia away for a walk soon, Angora suggested the kids to do their homework first so that they could get out of that step already and just have fun once Maverick and Dahlia returned. Alana wasn't too thrilled with the idea, but luckily, she didn't have that much homework pending. Plus Angora did have a point. She really loved it when the troll was here, and if she liked their school, she and Tyrus could bring her along occasionally, although she would take the morning next time.

In Ilasi's city, in an underwater hotel near where her parents lived, General Lyon and his men were staying for the night. There was a base several miles from there, but with many of them injured, the comfortable hotel beds would give them a better rest. In his room, the general was very conflicted. His centaur friend already left the infirmary, almost fully recovered, but that wasn't enough to completely set him mind at ease. The dragon... that infernal dragon really left him wondering what he should do. As a general, Lyon was good at making quick decisions that would benefit both his warriors and Aelinon, but this time, he didn't know what to do. The dragon saved their lives. It wasn't a random attack. The dragon purposely targeted the men attacking them, and it showed no interest in attacking them until his merman shot it. And even after that, he focused his anger on the merman that attacked him, and left them all alone afterwards. Any proper military man would've targeted the beast regardless of it's actions. Dragons were dangerous and almost always killed on sight, but Lyon is a merman of honor. The dragon killed some men and severely injured one of his own, but he doubted the beast intended to do that if it hadn't been attacked. What should he do? If king Seraos knew about it, he would clearly send a large army after the beast to be hunted down... but would that make him ungrateful like the dragon said? What was he suppose to do with something like this?

Icestorm, being smaller in stature, was much harder to notice than Risar - but Latnok recognized him all the same, as he was a rather distinct creature. "Hey, Icestorm. It's been awhile." Latnok hadn't forgotten what Icestorm had been through - as a direct result of his decision to kick Icestorm from the crew. Looking back, the situation had him and Sere enforcing rather draconian policies - just what sort of monsters did they degenerate to back then, after what had happened to the crew with the striplings?
Latnok had changed quite a bit since then - he couldn't imagine ever making a decision like that again, put in the same situation as before. It was well-known that Guardians lost much of their capacity for empathy when they underwent the ritual which granted them their superhuman capabilities - but perhaps his bond with someone much more emotionally sensitive helped mend such a thing.
Still, Icestorm didn't seem to resent him, so he wouldn't overthink things. "Hey, Icestorm. How have you been?" Latnok asked politely. "I've just been pretty busy myself... though I might still take a job on the board if I find one that needs doing enough." The maiden had the drinks brought out first - the pitcher for Latnok's order, and the bowl of ale for Raclaw - such a thing still felt incredibly odd for her to serve, even now, but if that's what the customer wanted, then that's what the customer got. "I'll bring the food to you guys when it's ready," she kindly notified the guests, as Latnok noted the extra seat Risar had brought over - taking that as a cue to come over.
Latnok set the pitcher and glasses down
He soon helped himself to a seat, setting the pitcher down as the maiden brought over a stack of drinking glasses to facilitate sharing (as she noted Latnok's hands would be full carrying both his and Raclaw's drinks), before pouring out the first drink for himself while offering some to any who would share. "Damn... Risar, I never thought I'd see you again. How have things been? Any major changes?" Today would involve a lot more catching up than Latnok had originally intended.

As Tyrus diligently headed back to his room to complete his homework, Leoquin noted all the amenities Maverick had showed him. He decided it'd be best if he got out of the way for awhile, opting to retire to the room provided at least for the time being, though he wouldn't immediately fall asleep. He had some cartography to work on, with what he had learned.
With everyone seemingly heading in for now, Ilasi decided that she would probably do the same. After ensuring that all of the dishes were clean, she decided to head back to the master bedroom. Perhaps a little violin practice would be a good way to pass the time, until Maverick got back at least...

Since Tyrus decided to do homework away from distractions, Alana instead stayed with Angora. Even if she couldn't help much, her company was refreshing. She did the tasks well except for one that still confused her. It was about identifying poisons. Since Angora was a troll, her stomach could survive poisons that would otherwise be deadly for the delicate human stomach, so she couldn't help from experience, so instead helped Alana with the research. After it was done, the girl was very sleepy. She wanted to play with Dahlia and Angora, but sleep was beating her.
"You better get some rest Alana. It's not good resisting sleep, especially if there is school tomorrow. I'll be here for a week, so there are still things we can do." Angora suggested, and Alana decided to listen to her. Leaving her in the living room, she kissed her head and bid her goodnight, already planning on her head what other things she and Angora could do together. Once she entered her and Tyrus' room, she figured her brother was likely done with his homework, given what a brainiac he was.

Angora had a warm feeling inside her. This child, this family, they loved her. It was real love. Nobody in her clan except her own brother ever loved her. It would sure be nice if she could find true love and have a family of her own like Maverick did, but she knew it was next to impossible with her condition, so she was just happy to be adopted into this family.

Now it was not the time to get distracted. She grabbed the list she made of things to do, scratching the first two. Now, whom should she visit tomorrow? Shade or Gregor? She would think about it more tomorrow when she gets a good shuteye. The part that really worried her was finding a new job, and that meant breaking the heart of one of the few that truly cared about her.
"Oh Neo. Should I really find a new job? Veris isn't going to like it. I don't want to hurt him, but what else should I do? Taking care of him is stressful, and avoiding wyvern bites every single time is getting too overwhelming!" Angora vented, wanting to believe Veris would understand, but he could be so annoyingly stubborn. The next wyvern bite could make her bleed to death, or maybe injure her too badly that she won't be able to use her powers to save herself from the devouring. If only he could see it that way, but it has been five years of caring and pampering. Whatever her reason, he wasn't going to like her quitting and adapting to other caretakers.

Leoquin pulled out a personal map he had been updating with all of the information he had found on his excursion. As he reviewed it, he considered: where would merfolk go out to hide from society? Though the vast expanse of the ocean was most certainly possible to hide in if one were dedicated enough, there were several key considerations - merfolk preferred to have at least occasional access to the sun, for mood and health, and land, for resources water alone could not offer; a place without sufficient landmarks would not only be difficult to find, but would be easy to get lost from if one were to get caught in a current, like his brother Audax; the larger predators found deeper in the ocean posed a risk to the weak and infirm; merfolk banding together would have likely agreed on a common destination; the enthralled humans they escaped from would have naturally been on land, so any journey would have started from there, likely using a landmark visible from shore as the first guide.
Based on all of this information, Leoquin deduced that, if such a society existed, they would likely live somewhere a few days out from the shore at most, near land which supported wildlife, hidden away in (relatively) shallow water nearby shielded from currents. He began looking for places on the map (which also included his knowledge from exploration of the underlying waters) which could potentially be eligible spots.

Not sure if Neo would answer her since he was dormant most of the time, Angora waited for Maverick to return to try communicating with Dahlia, although chances were it was going to end in failure again. Her powers came from a deity, but perhaps Orion avoided giving her too much to make sure it didn't overwhelm her. Or maybe because he didn't want the power to get over her head? Whatever the case, she didn't mind. She could survive all of her childhood without magic, so it was just a bonus in her life. As she continued thinking about whom should she visit first, she decided that Shade was the better option. She hasn't seen him in such a long time, and she needed to make sure the guards would let the kids see him. Gregor was much easier to visit, so she decided to start with the hardest task. With that settled, Angora lied down on the couch, waiting for Maverick to arrive.

At the particular inn, Huntress was arriving, exhausted but looking satisfied. From the three tasks she did today, she succeeded with two. She wasn't as rusty as she thought, though she still wished she could've done them all. She wanted to take a look at the bulletin board again, but it was late. She more than anyone knew that a body without rest was bound for harm. She wondered what that idiot Maverick did today, but probably nothing out of the ordinary considering the heavy routine he had. If only there was something she could use to catch him in the act. With no evidence tying him to Armon Blakes, she couldn't speak to king Seraos about this goofy looking criminal.

Draikon left the secret room and returned to the laboratory, feeling very tired and dirty. Did Maverick arrived while he was there and he missed him? Tomorrow, he was going to make sure he would stay there all day. Despite all his failed attempts, Draikon wanted to believe Maverick's good nature would win him over and let him experiment on him. His rare genetics was just too precious to leave it without studying.

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The maiden had the drinks brought out first - the pitcher for Latnok's order, and the bowl of ale for Raclaw - such a thing still felt incredibly odd for her to serve, even now, but if that's what the customer wanted, then that's what the customer got. "I'll bring the food to you guys when it's ready," she kindly notified the guests, as Latnok noted the extra seat Risar had brought over - taking that as a cue to come over.
Latnok set the pitcher and glasses down
He soon helped himself to a seat, setting the pitcher down as the maiden brought over a stack of drinking glasses to facilitate sharing (as she noted Latnok's hands would be full carrying both his and Raclaw's drinks), before pouring out the first drink for himself while offering some to any who would share. "Damn... Risar, I never thought I'd see you again. How have things been? Any major changes?" Today would involve a lot more catching up than Latnok had originally intended.

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“I’ve been well. Been keeping an eye on things and keeping the peace.” Icestorm smile. He then sa.t down next to Latnok and Risar. He looked to Risar when Latnok asked for any interesting news. He wondered about the egg he had brought but left that for Risar to answer.

"Thank-you.," Raclaw noted with an acomplying nod; he knew how unusual his request for a bowl must've sounded in any circumstance. While some dragons such as Icestorm may have adapted to cups and more 'normal' humanoid eating/drinking habits, either his upbringing or his having a canine companion throughout most of his life left some of his ways strictly in the 'feral/canine' camp such a dependence on bowls for most of his eating and drinking. The odd quirk hadn't presented too many problems with those such as his own Latnok quickly adapting to such and even sometimes eating on his level. As Latnok sat down, Raclaw and Chester took their places nearby. Raclaw kept the bowl of ale closer to himself, although obviously no-one was going to touch it anyway. Chester knew better in any case and politely awaited his own bowl of water.

"Ah-- good to see you again, old friend. And you too.," Risar said raising a drink to both Latnok and Raclaw's direction. "Risar has been good, Risar has been well. I have my own ship now and my own crew.. the Raging Serpent. Bought it from an old retired trader some time ago and continued the trade; we've been quite successful in our voyages and it has allowed Risar to offer other Minotaurs such as Teeza and Barrus here to have comfortable existences if I do say so myself.," the minotaur responding taking a sip of the ale. The other two minotaurs, younger and smaller in appearance, took a sip as well. He then paused before continuing. If the Fur Dragon-accompanied Guardian himself was here, then perhaps he could be of even further assistance. It was worth noting that Risar's speech had seemed to improved over time, even incorporating the use of 'I've'.. something which would never been used before.

It didn't seem right to immediately bring up either the museum or the egg (both sensitive subjects), so Risar instead looked to Raclaw. "And you look well, my Fur Dragon friend. Risar sees that Latnok seems to be treating you well. The bandana looks good on you!," the minotaur then said. "Thanks!," Raclaw said between a couple sips of his own ale. Risar didn't immediately ask any obvious questions, leaving things such as mount status, etc to be answered on their own terms. He already knew that Raclaw was technically owned and that 'said status' would've likely never changed if there was never any reason to.

The server soon returned with a suitable bowl of water for Chester, leaving it near Raclaw's ale, before heading off again. The food would hopefully be ready soon.
Latnok noticed that Raclaw talked somewhat differently than he used to. More complete, naturally flowing sentences. His use of the third person hadn't quite gone away, though he did seem to be using "I" more.
"Raclaw and I have been working hard. We set up the New Chance and Salvation House - a place for the lost children and stray dogs of the world, although we've had a rather unusual guest as of yesterday. A creature known as an ice eagle. Still many things we haven't yet documented about this world - even for every creature we already have thoroughly studied and analyzed. Anyway, the first location was a few miles away from our base, but now we have a few bases elsewhere - a few here in Aelinon, including this city, and one in Silvianesti, though that's not exactly been the easiest partnership to extend. Helping people out any way we can - which reminds me..."
After downing some more ale, Latnok stood up to begin looking at the nearby job board - the table was close enough to allow the conversation to continue while he did so. As he did, he considered - Risar, probably more than anyone else, was able to best understand the dynamic in his relationship with Raclaw. Despite the appearances they presented, Risar had no trouble understanding that, in the end, the two just served two different roles in a mutual partnership. It wasn't about subservience - it was about coexistence.

Many hundreds of miles away, in a small continent that was once being exploited by the Ishulgites, there was a place that made you believe you just went back in time. A valley full of the most magnificent creatures, many which haven't been seen by humans in decades, called this place home. Centaurs, satyrs, sirens, nymphs, gargoyles and even lesser known creatures like onocentaurs, were some of the creatures that inhabited the valley. Pegasuses roamed the area freely, some used by the smaller communities whenever they needed transport. In another part of the valley, farms focused on breeding the critically endangered griffins and hippogriffs were in constant surveillance, with centaurs taking the day shifts while gargoyles took the night one, being the strongest creatures of the valley and thus able to control the wild beasts. Sergeant Farlo called this place home. The waters were protected by magnetic fields and strong currents that made it near impossible to navigate with ship. Only sirens, which were stronger and usually more aggressive than merfolks and didn't associated with humans, could handle these waters. Northern merfolks might be able to navigate them, but they have never tried. Rumors of a kraken living nearby made them think twice, though apparently, sirens could keep the beast under control.

All of these creatures, once persecuted by humans, and then Ishulgites, were safe here. Not only did the near impenetrable waters protected them, but on the island, there was a strong chain of thick foliage and mountains so high, flying over them made the lack of oxygen take over. The continent had small humans villages on the other side, but even if they had wyverns, they couldn't overfly the mountains, nor they could surround the continent. Sergeant Farlo had faith that one day, they would be able to make peace with humans and feel safe around them, but today was not that day. After the attack, it was obvious that greedy humans still posed a severe threat to them, and the valley community, while they were only limited to that place, were happy. Fauns were extinct as far as they knew, and they weren't going to let the same thing happen to them.

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Humm...that is a hard question. Perhaps you could visit Veris every once and awhile? I’m sure he’ll understand.” Neo said. “But conserding Shade he’ll be very happy to see you and Maverick.”

"Yeah. I was thinking about that. Visit him and take him out of the cage from time to time, even if it's not with the same frequency as before. I don't think he's going to like it anyway, but he will have to understand. I mean, I have taken care of him for five years. He can't complain." Angora expressed, having thought about him and others for a long time. Was it wrong to think about herself for once? Latnok would probably call her selfish if he found out, but she didn't care what he thought about anymore.
"And Shady... yeah, he'll be happy alright. He'll squeeze me hard, I know it. I just hope he doesn't disintegrate me with so many licks." Angora said jokingly, after all these years still unable to believe she had two giant dragons caring about her so much, but with Beris, she was willing to bet he would be horribly jealous if he found out about her visit, even though he had no reason to be.

Just then, Angora could hear the gallop of Dahlia's hooves, indicating her and her master's arrival.
"Buenas noches mi querida Dahlia. I will be very busy tomorrow and the day after, and maybe more days after that, but I will still find the time to do this. I know you don't like being among people, but if you want, want me to help me travel around the city?" Maverick asked, with Dahlia mooing quietly in response. She hated roaming around the city, but she made Maverick's trips faster, so she learned to tolerate it for his sake, not to mention she could be with him during those times.

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"Raclaw and I have been working hard. We set up the New Chance and Salvation House - a place for the lost children and stray dogs of the world, although we've had a rather unusual guest as of yesterday. A creature known as an ice eagle. Still many things we haven't yet documented about this world - even for every creature we already have thoroughly studied and analyzed. Anyway, the first location was a few miles away from our base, but now we have a few bases elsewhere - a few here in Aelinon, including this city, and one in Silvianesti, though that's not exactly been the easiest partnership to extend. Helping people out any way we can - which reminds me..."
After downing some more ale, Latnok stood up to begin looking at the nearby job board - the table was close enough to allow the conversation to continue while he did so. As he did, he considered - Risar, probably more than anyone else, was able to best understand the dynamic in his relationship with Raclaw. Despite the appearances they presented, Risar had no trouble understanding that, in the end, the two just served two different roles in a mutual partnership. It wasn't about subservience - it was about coexistence.

"That last one wasn't the easiest to get going, but we try.," Raclaw said offering a thankful nod as Chester was brought his water. He briefly turned to look at the job board alongside Latnok. The job board would present a variety of jobs to choose from of various degrees of difficulty and various options as how they wanted the jobs to be done. Naturally, some wanted X person or creature dead with proof. Others, meanwhile, were more flexible and some jobs even wanted to avoid killing at any cost-- there was even a job about helping getting cats of trees. It seemed almost more like a joke than a actual job and the 'pay' left a lot to be desired. As the two looked.. there were a few interesting options.

"Ah-- Risar is familiar with the local Salvation House here. You may be interesting to know that we found an egg in our last travels; someone didn't want it leaving the previously Ishulgie-occupied area in which the unfortunate trader found it. Your Guardians there should be studying it as we speak.," Risar then responded considering that time a tad more opportune to bring it up. "From what we and them have gathered so far, it's not that of a scaled dragon but rather something else. Although we don't know what yet.," he added with Raclaw immediately responding. "You mean..?," the Fur Dragon said in a perhaps desperate tone. "They-- they don't know yet. It could be or it could be something else entirely. I wish I could tell you more.," Risar immediately responded in a somewhat saddened tone. He knew what it was like to be on the search for more of his own kind; he still had his brothers out there just waiting to be found. He hadn't been successful yet, but had at least managed to help other Minotaurs along the way even formally freeing one from previous ownership.

"Gods, I wonder what you've stumbled across now... well, looks like we have another stop to make tomorrow," Latnok replied in curiosity, as he continued to browse the job board. Many of the most visible, recently posted tasks were relatively simple matters that someone had just not gotten around to doing; sometimes there was something worth his time, but Latnok generally preferred leaving those for other people. He would dig a bit deeper than that.
Many tasks ended up sitting on the board, somewhat buried, for one reason or another; sometimes it was because the task itself wasn't clear; other times, it was because it was too difficult for most people who would consider taking it; and other times, it was because the pay didn't match the difficulty. For someone with Latnok's capabilities, these were often worth looking into, especially considering that many of these tasks involved things that could be a serious danger to others if left unchecked.
Most of the tasks ended up being things people simply did not offer enough pay for; no one in their right mind was going to clear out a grotto taken over by basilisks for 100 scales. There was one task, however, that managed to catch his interest.
"Giant crimson dragon spotted in the Zandar Swamp near the sea border of Redwater. Three times the size of Scourge of Redwater. Please slay it and ensure the safety of the citizens." It did seem like a rather difficult task - but the paper and ink looked relatively new. Did someone shift this to make room for their own job? No - they would have moved many others as well. Very odd...
It seemed rather unlikely that so big a dragon could exist without Aelinon having sent an army to hunt it down already. Latnok's immediate assumption was that either the job poster was exaggerating, or an illusion was involved somehow. Still, it was worth checking out... probably tomorrow, however.

As Ilasi started winding down, she could faintly hear the hooves of Dahlia as she approached - which meant Maverick was also coming. Good - he would need to rest for his excursion. He truly was a good man, and a loving husband and father - which made Ilasi all the more happy that he was hers. Despite the past some sought to dredge up, he was nothing short of a paragon, always there for those who needed him, and yet his caring nature did nothing to take away from his virility...

"Giant crimson dragon spotted in the Zandar Swamp near the sea border of Redwater. Three times the size of Scourge of Redwater. Please slay it and ensure the safety of the citizens.," Raclaw read the notice again in his mind. It sounded promising and if it were true, it would ideally be something to nip in the bud sooner rather than later. Another 'Scourge' (an unfortunate nickname) was best to be avoided at any cost. Latnok would no doubt sense Raclaw's agreement; not everything had to be said out loud. Although it did naturally help ground their relationship and better represent their relationship as they (and Risar?) saw it to others. "Latnok and I have continued to search for years; we've.. we've found nothing. We've found rare creatures sure, but nothing like myself. We've.. we've actually come here following a possible lead ourselves.," Raclaw then said to the others inferring to but not immediately explaining the letter from the museum. Chester remained relatively quiet, but follow the conversation between sips of water.

Once Maverick arrived, he bid goodnight to Angora, wondering if she would be fine sleeping in the living room.
"For the last time Maverick, I'm fine. This couch is comfortable. And like I said, I'm near the food." she assured, knowing too well what a worrywart he could be. Maverick was convinced at last and left after a brief hug, heading to the master bedroom to reunite with Ilasi while Angora headed to the stable to meet Dahlia. The dirt buffalo grew fond of the troll over the years, and even greeted her with a lick even if she didn't like it. Angora's annoyance was rather fun to watch, which would explain why the behemoths teased her, so she never really stopped. Angora stayed there, bonding with the buffalo for a while, but sadly once again, no words came of her. Dahlia did talked, but it was a language Angora's powers couldn't help understand, so she was slowly starting to accept the herbivore language was a barrier she probably will never cross. But maybe someday though. Slowly but surely, Angora's powers grew the more she aged, even though she rarely used them.

Maverick entered the bedroom, greeting Ilasi with a kiss.
"Hola mi amor. I'm back. Dahlia was on her best behavior as always. Seems like the kids are asleep already, huh? Must've been a very fun time at school with Angorita there. Alana in particular, seemed in such high spirits." Maverick noticed, Alana being the most passionate of the two when it came to emotions. Tyrus also loved Angora, but he had a more mellowed way to show it. Angora didn't seem particularly uncomfortable about the experience either, so Maverick believed all went well, and if that was the case, he trusted that Angora would be even more accepted into society if the school had a positive experience with her too.

Latnok took the posting to hold on to; he would meet up with the assigner probably some time after his visit to the Salvation House tomorrow. For now, he headed back to sit at the table, where the server soon had the dishes they requested on a large platter. Latnok took his own food to set on the table, and left Raclaw's and Chester's meals on the floor nearby.
"Yeah, we have a busy day ahead of us. We have a few details to sort out with a... 'historian', if you can say that. We'll stop by the Salvation House to check out the info you provided us... and then a potential job to check out, if we have the opportunity." Latnok began eating his food, washing it down with more ale.

Leoquin looked at all of the spots he had marked on his map - and there were way too many, even taking into account only the most likely criteria that he restricted himself to. More information would definitely be needed to narrow things down. Hopefully Maverick was onto something...

Ilasi responded to the kiss with a brief embrace. "It went as well as we hoped - and the children had such a good time! They're happy, and our guests are satisfied... you'll be so busy soon, though. i appreciate you doing what you can to help our friends out. Just... don't be gone too long, okay? At least have a good night before you set off tomorrow." Maverick's helpfulness was sometimes a double-edged sword; and though Ilasi had accepted that such things were for the best, part of her still disliked having Maverick be gone for long, though she knew it was selfish to feel that way.

Maverick started to read a book... a time to be precise, that it helped him sleep. It was the creature tome Sere had gifted him. He has read it a couple of times before bed in the nearly six years he has had it to make sure he could memorize the information it had about all kinds of creatures, big and small. You never knew when such info could come in handy, although he hated reaching the wyvern part. Trolls were a heavy part of their diet in the wild, which made him worried about Angora even further. She knew how to take care of herself if she managed to survive her job all these years, so he knew he was overreacting.
"By the way Ilasi, I'm taking Dahlia tomorrow around the city. It will do her good to walk around and I can navigate the city faster. I hope you don't mind if you're left alone for a few hours. I left you some money in the drawer in case you want to go shopping." Maverick explained apologetically, Dahlia always being the only company Ilasi had when the children were at school and he at work. Leoquin was likely going to leave tomorrow as well to do his own research, so she was going to be all alone tomorrow. Maybe some shopping could distract her until he, Leoquin or the children returned. Maverick liked when she satisfied a few whims once in a while to make herself happy, though she always tried not to overdo it even though they had plenty of money.

Feeling tired, Angora left Dahlia after a yawn, making herself comfortable in the couch, which could slightly extend to resemble a bed. It was spacious and soft, so she didn't mind lending Leoquin her room for the time being. Although she should be happy about the progress she made at school today, she couldn't help feeling sad and worried about many things. For one thing, Shade was still quite hated, even by children, which was truly worrisome and depressing. And then there was Veris. How could she explain to him that she didn't want to work there anymore? What if he became depressed after she left? Or renounce their friendship and start hating her? It was too much to think about. Angora wanted to believe the wyvern would be understanding, but he was stubborn, and even if he tried, chances were he was still going to be depressed. After all, it has been five years of constantly seeing her and being pampered like no other caretaker ever did, so the sudden change was likely going to take a toll on him.

Though it still made her feel a bit funny, Ilasi knew that it was okay to accept the money by now; it was just Maverick making sure she was taken care of. "Thank you, dear," she said gratefully. "I hope everything works out as well as it can. If it works, we will be closing a large hole in Leoquin's poor heart. Who knows, some other good things may come if we find other merfolk."
There would be no one to keep her company for most of the day, so Ilasi considered where she could go tomorrow. The whole deal with Huntress still made her feel uneasy sometimes - perhaps finding a nice place to relax would help.