darkSpyro

With Lyon studying the base and all the possible exits, he realized that in every possible scenario, there was going to be at least one that would know they would leave. The only way out was through the rope, which meant someone had to pull it up, thus immediately knowing who would leave. There was no reason for them to suspect they would be up to something even if they read the bounty, especially if General Brinecrag already told everyone that he was on board with the plan. There was also the fact that Lyon was with Lydia, so possibly nobody would suspect he would expose his own daughter to the dangerous outside when they were outlaws, regardless of whether they were wanted alive or not.
“Alright Lydia. Listen well...” the former general said, whispering to his daughter’s ear his newly formulated plan once he made sure nobody was listening at the door. The base seemed darker than usual, which Lyon estimated it was because it was already evening. Probably the best moment to leave...

Huntress smiled at the presence of the bolts. She was used to having fancy weapons, but this was fancy AND magic. Guardians had both things, and it showed.
“Alright. Leave it to me.” she assured with some glimmer in her eyes, in a much better mood than this morning. The preparation took longer than she expected, but that didn’t make a difference. Maverick had avoided her for the rest of the day, she didn’t spot Icestorm anywhere, and she had a very pleasant meal about an hour ago. She didn’t even care if Latnok had come up with more of his rudeness, but since that wasn’t the case, her good mood wasn’t ruined in any way. She even looked happy. This was it. The moment of truth. It was almost time to put the plan into motion. She was going to play her part in killing an awful dragon, even if it meant she had to work with another one to pull it off... if Raclaw could be called a real dragon that is. Her mood was so good, she didn’t even mind that detail anymore. One thing was certain though. They had to do this right. Otherwise they’ll be ashes scattered in the wind, or meat about to be digested. Or stepped on corpses. Whatever the stupid Queen’s preferred method of killing was. Not that it mattered. She felt ready, and years of bounty hunting made Huntress aiming skills amazing, as her demonstration to Latnok earlier proved.

Latnok was all ready to go. Raclaw would soon have to leave, to head to the lair entrance with Huntress. As the crew prepared to move out, Latnok tensely eyed the dragon blood potion he had taken out of his pack. It afforded the Guardians a drastic power boost when they needed it... but power was never free. The effects racked one's body in ways that could not quickly heal, and brought intense pain. Though he never brought up the side effects when discussing its use, they always filled him with a sense of dread when he anticipated using it.
Unfortunately, this wouldn't be loose dirt they would have to dig through - it would be solid rock. Latnok didn't have the training of Earthbreakers - his magic was less sophisticated, and more forceful, akin to using a pickaxe or a drill. He needed the power. He could only hope that it would last him long enough to get in and out, once he started.
Once Risar was ready, the two of them would move ahead to meet with Alithe, while the rest of the crew moved into position. Soon, it would be time to move.

Back at the underground base, the men were already discussing the next part of the plan - a highly virulent hexphage strain unleashed on the waters of Tal Rogas, to infect large swathes of the merfolk population. Such an action was bound to create immense outrage. There was one major caveat, however - with the timetable of Brinecrag's operations moved up, the strain in question hadn't been perfected. There was no current antifungal that would work reliably enough to control it, and the effects caused by the extra virulence weren't fully understood yet. A biological weapon that went out of control could have long-lasting consequences. Certainly, Brinecrag would have to provide more time in order to implement the plan...

Huntress moved along with Raclaw, resisting any urge to talk to him and end up somewhat insulting him. Even if she didn’t mean it or just did some playful teasing, she can imagine him or Latnok getting offended for whatever she says. She would just focus on her part of the mission and nothing else. Maverick stayed with Chester, offering him some snacks and already feeling nervous despite him being out of the dangerous parts for once.

Lydia found her father’s plan quite insane, but one that made sense enough that it could work. The plan was already set in motion during the afternoon, when Lyon skipped most of his meal and gave it to Lydia. With everything settled, the father-daughter duo left their room, heading to the nearest rope leading to the surface, where there was one value on the watch.
“Excuse me? Can we by any chance get to the surface? Daddy doesn’t feel so well. The water here is not enough. He needs some fresh air and water.” Lydia expressed, with Lyon already playing the part well. He was a rather old merman already after all, and his appearance deteriorated much while in prison. Plus the mostly skipped meal from the afternoon was to play the part even further, but also to make sure Lydia would have the extra energy for what would be ahead. If there were so many mermen in that place, there had to be a river, or a creek somewhere, anything where they could hydrate and move around. Lyon would have little time to study the terrain from the surface if he didn’t recognize or has never visited it in order to have an escape route. That’s where the plan was risky and reckless, so caution and quick thinking was a must, something he hoped his decades of experience as a general could help...

Veris was unsettled by the idea of the scientist returning - but he would accept it if it was the last time the man would truly see Angora. "I hope we never have to see that man again," he said frankly, not hiding his dislike. "I can't eat people unless my human says I can... but I think he would be better as a snack."
Veris did, however, feel a bit happier, knowing that Angora cared that he protected her. Was that what he was doing wrong? Perhaps he should have been protecting her all this time. How could he have been so blind? He would make sure the other wyverns never even thought about touching her ever again.

The galud at the entrance, giving a salute to Lyon, did not seem particularly suspicious of the two. "A spring is about half a mile from here, General," he directed. "Turn right at the first fork, and head straight. You'll want a light source, since there aren't any that far from base, unless you have a lighting spell. A bit further past there is an opening you can get some air from, under a canopy so safe from air view. If you hear any sign of activity in the area, leave immediately and report it."
He took out the logbook as he continued explaining. "Make sure to get the rest and relaxation you need," he said. "Our hero is the face of the movement, after all. Just be careful, General. I'll need you two to fill out the logbook per policy. If you're gone too long, we'll know to start searching for you." Little did the sentry know about exactly why they would need to search for the two - after the stories of Lyon's daughter being tortured by the Masseur, they would certainly do everything they possibly could to avoid capture again.

Angora was grooming his back when Veris spoke, and flinched at the comment. Draikon hasn’t even hurt her. He simply offered her a job, and he already hated him that much?
“Woah there Veris, let’s not be hasty. The man is... a bit creepy, sure, but he hasn’t done anything to me. On the contrary, all he did was offer me a job that could apparently help my species. Not sure if he was telling the truth, but if he was, I don’t think he would’ve been successful anyway, although it’s still a nice intention, don’t you think?” Angora assured, very worried with how easy it was for Veris to hate somebody. With Cymbal, it was more understandable. But Draikon? Taking her away from was a much more serious threat to him than she imagined.

“Besides, he seemed to be interested in you too. I mean, for a scientist, you must be quite the impressive wyvern, so please don’t hurt him if he gets this far.” she pleaded, although if he did promise, she wouldn’t trust Veris alone with him in any moment. He was seconds away from straight up murder one of his own kind. An older man like Draikon he could devour in an instant, even without Sere’s permission, if his hatred was big enough.

Lyon still felt weird being called a general. It made him feel bad leaving all these kind yet understandably misled people. Lydia felt even worse. How could they do this to the people that rescued them, and that realized the king was becoming too cruel, even to his most loyal subjects? Like her father, she wished innocents didn’t have to pay the price for the sake of a greater good, but sometimes, it was the only way.
“Thank you so much my good comrade.” Lyon said politely, liking the galud. He seemed like a very nice lad despite the scary appearance. It pains him to leave that place, but he had to see for himself what Seraos’ intentions were with such a risky headline. He prayed he was doing the right thing. Before they left however, Lyon had to know something, something that has been bothering him ever since navigating the base.
“By the way, how did the plan with the Scourge of Redwater go?” he asked the galud, having overheard someone talking about the next plan through the echoes of one of the hallways. He didn’t stay to hear too many details to avoid being seen as if he was spying, even if it didn’t matter if he heard or not. Plus the echo wasn’t a very clear one. If there was already a second plan, either Brinecrag wanted the attacks to be constant or the plan with the Scourge failed.

The galud thought it odd that Lyon wasn't aware of the initial report - but he was still new to the base, after all, and not quite integrated into the routine. "Initial reports suggest that the Scourge broke out of his prison, as planned," he began reporting. "There was some property damage, and significant unrest - as of the initial reports, however, no casualties have been reported. The theory so far is that the Scourge attempted to limit his damage, in contrast to the hypothesis that he would use the opportunity to destroy as much as possible. More details will likely come later - that's just the report as far as we know right now, however. This news would travel quickly to major cities, but from there, it gets to us here as fast as someone can move on foot."
Given that Lyon was unaware of the report, he was likely not familiar with the discussions on what to do next. "General Brinecrag will likely inform you of what's to come when he gets here, either late tonight or early in the morning - but the next part of the plan involves a strain of hexphage, designed to be particularly virulent," the sentry continued. "Infecting the waterways of Tal Rogas, it would spread quickly among merfolk, rendering them feeling weaker and being unable to transform or perform magic. The idea is that this would show people how merfolk continue to suffer at the hands of the tyrant. Honestly... a concern that some of us have is that, from what we know, the hexphage strain was still being worked on. It's much more virulent - we don't know if it'll go out of control, and we don't have a reliable antifungal prepared for that particular strain. We don't even know if the extra virulence could potentially cause complications beyond restriction of magic. General Brinecrag said we have to move quickly... but a general like him needs to be flexible, certainly? He wouldn't risk things getting completely out of control, creating a potentially endemic disease... Oh, don't mind me. He hasn't gotten this far by not knowing what he's doing. He'll figure something out."
The sentry's accent was in line with what could typically be heard around Aelinon. Was that perhaps why he had reservations? Not everyone was as familiar with Brinecrag as his peers were...

While Lyon didn’t have a reaction, Lydia knew her father well enough to know he was burning up inside. She was glad that there were no casualties from the Scourge’s part, although the resulting damage could still achieve what General Brinecrag wanted to accomplish. And now this new plan... it involved merfolks. Their own kin. She didn’t even dared to imagine how horrible it must be to be unable to transform. She didn’t use much magic, so that in particular didn’t affected her. However, there were still some who relied on magic for very important tasks, but most importantly, being able to transform was the soul of what made a merfolk a merfolk. Taking that away from them was like taking away their very identities. What was the general thinking? He wasn’t thinking casualties this time. That was slow, painful torture.
“Thank you once again my dear friend. We’ll be taking our walk now.” Lyon said without changing his previous tone of voice, pretending he was not at all affected by the information. Lydia lead the way, with the evening being so quiet you could hear the wind and crickets to perfection. Lydia wanted to be the first one to talk, but decided it was better to just wait until they reached the spring to have all the privacy they’ll need to discuss the next part of their escape carefully...

The results of Shade’s rampage didn’t take long to reach Maverick’s household. Alana had already returned to the house, having managed to calm down Dahlia.
“See? I knew he was good! Not a single death!” she said excitedly, not that the news surprised her of course. She already met Shade in person, and knew what a gentle soul he was.
“I wouldn’t feel too relieved for him though. Even if there aren’t any deaths, he still caused plenty of damage.” Sand Dune observed, feeling very worried for the dragon.
“Of course he did! He’s a dragon! They’re big! They can destroy stuff without meaning it. Try entering a dollhouse without breaking anything! Same thing!” Alana said frustratedly, fearing Shade could be punished for whatever damaged he caused even if it was not his fault.
“Take it easy little lady. It was just an opinion. He could still have a break though. Now people will start to understand he doesn’t kill on purpose.” Sand Dune explained calmly, hoping this could be the break the space dragon needed.
“I just hope Angora and your father don’t find out about this. At least not until he’s out of the woods.” he added, knowing the two of them were the Scourge’s dearest friends. Maverick was far at sea, so at least he was safe from the information. Angora however, might find out. He didn’t know how things worked at the Guardian base, but if she didn’t find out from there, she was definitely going to once she took her weekly break.

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Latnok was all ready to go. Raclaw would soon have to leave, to head to the lair entrance with Huntress. As the crew prepared to move out, Latnok tensely eyed the dragon blood potion he had taken out of his pack. [...] Once Risar was ready, the two of them would move ahead to meet with Alithe, while the rest of the crew moved into position. Soon, it would be time to move.

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Huntress moved along with Raclaw, resisting any urge to talk to him and end up somewhat insulting him. Even if she didn’t mean it or just did some playful teasing, she can imagine him or Latnok getting offended for whatever she says. She would just focus on her part of the mission and nothing else. Maverick stayed with Chester, offering him some snacks and already feeling nervous despite him being out of the dangerous parts for once.

Risar offered a nod as did a few of 'the troops'-- the Minotaurs ensuring that they were ready. If Latnok was right, a simple show of force would be all that was needed; even an unarmed Minotaur was considered intimidating to most and most here hadn't even seen an Minotaur before. The aging Beagle know as Chester looked to Maverick and, in his own ways, attempted to reassure him as much as the other way around. From what he figured, a Hybrid like Maverick could've easily been seen as something fluffy to adopt, claim, or otherwise own had certain laws protecting humanoids not existed. The adorable goof was certainly fluffy enough...

Raclaw moved as soon as the others did; the Dragon (despite whatever the queen chose to call him) and the horned beast men all suddenly showing up onshore would certainly be quite the sight. 'Hopefully enough to avoid too much bloodshed.,' he thought as Latnok eyed the dragon blood. He and the Guardian were in many ways-- an irony. Dragon scale, dragon blood potions, and yet; Latnok was friends *with* a dragon. And Raclaw himself wasn't exactly blind to the fact that many dragons dispised him for the fact that he actively worked with such an organization. And on a mission to take down a dragon nonetheless. But it had to be done and so it would be. They would succeed...

The Minotaurs moving. The Guardian-and-dragon team moving. That mostly just left Maverick and Chester; the little dog just wished he had taken more opportunity to touch landfall before this whole thing had began. 'Maybe afterwards.,' he thought as Risar's men began to take their places. "So far so good.," he barked in a concerned-but-so-far-relieved tone. "Here's hoping nothing goes wrong.," he then added knowing that Maverick would only get the idea that he was worried. They always returned, but most Guardians didn't die of old age.

Veris settled down, realizing that Angora was not very pleased with the idea. "I will not eat him," he promised, taking a more relaxed, submissive posture. He hoped the man would go away - but Angora said that the man could be interested in Veris. Was that true? Did Angora really mean that?
"I will let the man come near me, if you are okay with it... I will not bother him," Veris said acquiescently. if Angora really wanted to stay for his sake... then he could trust her. Certainly he could, right? All this talk of eating was making him hungry, though - he gave his snout a quick lick.

Ilasi was wondering just what sort of blowback there would be from this incident. Shade didn't hurt anyone - but people were fearful, at least for the moment. There would be increased calls to see him executed. Would... would those people be right to want that? Was she the delusional one, for having sympathy for Shade?
No. The others just didn't know who he was. The incident wasn't his fault. Someone else instigated it. They had to understand that...
"Ilasi. Thinking about anything?" Grea asked her friend, seeing how pensive she was.
Ilasi snapped out of it, regaining her bearing. "Oh, just a lot to unpack, with how much has happened," she said. Alana was such a bold child, for defending Shade so fervently even when so many people rightfully despised him. Was Alana too naive? Or was Ilasi just too much of a coward? She was always the less confrontational type.
What would happen when Maverick, after so many days out at sea, came across a more aggressive woman? One who was much more bold with her feelings? Would he forget about her, in that moment? What if the woman was much prettier than she was? More alluring, more womanly? Would he-
No. She couldn't let herself think about that. Maverick was the only man who ever made her feel loved. He wouldn't just forget about her. He couldn't...

It was touching that Veris wanted to make the promise, but Angora didn’t trust him that much. Not that she had to worry though. If the scientist was smart and had an ounce of insight, he would know better than to approach an animal like Veris. She was about to say something in the matter when some stomach rumbling and snout licking became the obvious indicators of the wyvern’s next intention.
“Oh. Hungry already? Heh. Alright, alright, don’t swallow your tongue. I’ll get you something.” Angora said, sliding down his back and leaving the enclosure to get a meal. She wasn’t hungry, so all would be for Veris only. There wasn’t a single attempt on her life as she came and went. The rest of the wyverns still didn’t dare to come anywhere near her. They were absolutely terrified of Veris. An attack was all it took? Or did Veris went as far as to threaten the rest of them? While she was glad she didn’t have to be on such high guard all the time, she still felt sorry for both them and her friend. She really didn’t want Veris to hate his companions, even less for them to be afraid of him, but no matter how many times she explained, he wouldn’t listen.

It took Angora several minutes to return, with poultry and lots of rabbit meat. Beef and pork was Veris’ favorites, but so it was for many other of the wyverns. Since there was still an order of meat on the way, the supplies of them were limited for the time being. But it didn’t matter. Nearly everything with meat was fair game to him.
“Here you go Veris. Don’t eat it all in one go.” she said, having been a while since she has seen Veris this hungry. One comment of her staying forever, and his original appetite returned in no time.

Sand Dune could see Ilasi was bothered, but was it really for Shade? Did she really cared that much about him? Or was it for how her husband would feel if he found out?
“No worries mommy. No te pre-ocupes. Mr. Sand Dune is right. Since he didn’t kill anybody, people will see he’s not evil. But even if people are still too dumb dumb to see it, we can say something about it.” the ever confident Alana said, trying to imitate her father’s Spanish. She was convinced she could make people see how good Shade was, even if it meant admitting she managed to sneak into that apparently high security prison to see him in person. Neither she nor Sand Dune realized something else entirely was what was making Ilasi so uneasy.

Veris gleefully chomped down on the meat provided by Angora, not heeding her suggestion to take his time. He was still apprehensive, but Angora seemed sincere. After all, he did solve the issue of other wyverns attacking her, right? He knew he was on to something when he figured out that they were the reason she didn't want to stay. He would just have to remain vigilant.
Being satiated for the moment, Veris lied down, and gave a hearty yawn. A little nap would help him relax...

Ahead of the man group, Latnok and Risar headed to the village, in search of Alithe. at least from the outside, nothing seemed particularly unusual.
That all changed once they reached his home. The door was open, once again, Remembering what happened last time he encountered that - just a day ago - Latnok immediately rushed in. Upon entering, he saw that the place was ransacked, with four enforcers conducting a very rough search. Various documents were on the ground, and Alithe was on the ground, bruised and bleeding.
"They had to have given him some food or... something, for him to cover for them. Keep looking," one of them ordered.
"They gave me no such thing. Why would i need more food?" Alithe painfully groaned out in protest. "This is... a witch hunt. That's all this is. A damn witch hunt."
Activating his combat prescience, Latnok stepped forward and made his presence known. "That's enough of that. You're going to stop this right now," he demanded. "You're going to surrender calmly, or there will be a fight, and it isn't one you'll win."
"Oh, yeah? Let's see about that," the enforcer - the one who spoke previously - said. It seemed that Latnok and Risar would have to begin their show of force...

"Are you sure you want to do this?," Risar said in response to the enforcer, immediately drawing his two heavy great axes and offering a scowl. The Minotaur captain looked equal measures of both intimidating and eager; to fight alongside Latnok (a friend) again wouldn't be the worst outcome if show of force alone didn't do the trick. His old master long long ago hadn't provided him with the two custom weapons for nothing...

The old Veris was back. He left nothing behind. His appetite and the recklessness that came with it was the same as before she gave the news. He was happy at last. He got what he wanted.
“Good night Veris.” Angora said, giving a small pat to his full belly. She waited for him to be deeply asleep in order to leave the enclosure. She was not in the mood to spend the night there. Once again, she didn’t have to worry about any attacks. How long will this last? She wondered. She believed it was only a matter of time before the wyvern’s instinct overcame their fear for Veris and started hunting her again. Reaching the cafeteria, she grabbed a meal for herself and settled peacefully in her room.
“Well Neo, I think there will come a time where you’ll want to leave me, cause my life will become very boring and repetitive from now on. It was... a nice intention of the scientist wanting to help my species. I mean, I don’t know if that’s really his intention, but I was willing to give him a chance. But... if there are other good trolls out there, then, let them be the one to help him and carry the burden of making our species be seen in a better light. I’m... stuck here. I made a promise to Veris, and if I back down now, he’ll never trust me or anyone ever again. I do care much for him, but I wish he could’ve given me the chance to try. If only... he could’ve understood...” Angora said gloomily, Neo being the only one she could ever vent with. Maverick was very far away at the moment. Shade was imprisoned and Julian was often busy. Her spirit guide was the only closest confident she had.

Huntress remained close to Raclaw, ready to do he part and still not realizing that things were already turning violent nearby. She looked behind her to look at the ship... and something occurred to her.
“You know, I’m beginning to think we should’ve left a few minotaurs behind. What if some of the islanders decide to invade the ship in retaliation for what’s about to happen, and find our... very special friends there? Then the merman would not be our only captive... or dead.” Huntress observed, knowing that no matter how primitive the islanders were, a soft hybrid man and old dog were not going to be a match for them. True, the gangplank was pulled in order to avoid precisely that, and the ship was huge. Easily to be lost in, but who would guarantee there was really no other way the islanders could get there and find Maverick and Chester? She didn’t care about either of them, but it was something worth mentioning. Unless Latnok already had a solution to that? Or perhaps he did leave some minotaurs behind and none of them knew. Even so, it still didn’t stop the fact that Maverick had the easiest task.

"Don't worry-- they're not completely defenseless. And I'm sure the others thought of that.," Raclaw responded to the Huntress. The Fur Dragon kept an close eye on the Huntress; he knew his job and would make sure she did as well. Hopefully his being the 'guest of (dis?)honor' would at the very least buy them some time should things go wrong. He would do his job to the best of his ability and ensure the same of the Huntress.

Huntress shrank her shoulders, not sure if Raclaw was talking about Maverick or his master, but he seemed to have plenty of faith in those words. Still, she believed a few minotaurs should've stayed behind just in case.

Finally reaching the spring, Lyon and Lydia took a brief time to rest, knowing they couldn't afford the luxury of staying for too long or there would be galuds looking for them. When Lydia lead the way, Lyon had been studying the terrain. His compass was removed in prison, and none was provided for him at the base. They would have to rely on the natural, instinctual inner compass merfolks were born with that the barely used now, and of course, the terrain itself.
"The moss and the stars... they'll be our guide." Lyon said, although the former would be their bigger guide since they planned to escape through the thick trees, where the foliage would obstruct most of the sky.

With the plan in motion, the father and daughter duo disappeared through the trees after a brief rest and drink from the spring.
"You were right father. We... we have to stop General Brinecrag. This new plan of his... is just too cruel." Lydia said after a while, already starting to agree with the plan.
"Just... promise me you'll get back safely." she added.
"I have faith in king Seraos. And after we inform him about General Brinecrag, he will see that we're still loyal to him." Lyon commented, really wanting to believe in the young monarch. But he had his doubts. If he didn't, he would've taken Lydia with him. He wanted to stop General Brinecrag, but above everything, he wanted his daughter to be safe. If that was far from Aelinon, then so be it.

Two of the enforcers shrank back, but the apparent leader of the group wasn't having it. "There are four of us and two of them. Kill them," he ordered. Two enforcers each came at Latnok and Risar with their quarterstaves.
Latnok saw that bloodshed was inevitable. With a force bolt, he quickly struck out at one of the assailants as he took the axe off his belt and swung at another. The axe blow landing squarely in the ribs of its target, he fell as the other enforcer dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe. The die was now cast...

With all the free time he had, on account of the mermen who imprisoned him not keeping regular guard, Leoquin had taken advantage of the brine to work a rusting spell on the lock. It wasn't a quick process, but it took much less time than waiting for the iron to rust by itself, naturally. After sufficient progress, he grabbed a loose stone, and started to beat on the lock. This would take a good minute...

While Huntress wanted to remain quiet the entire time, curiosity was getting the best of her. Even if it earned more dislikes and scolds from Latnok, there was something she had to know.
“So then... you’re... a dragon. And not the big, scaly kind. No, you’re some kind of... bird, lion dragon. The pet and companion of a Guardian, notorious for being dragon slayers. You let him collar you, feed you instead of letting you hunt, possibly ride you, and... everything else that someone would do to a mere pet. And here you are now, aiding in the slaying of another one of your kind. Even if different, still another dragon. Doesn’t that bother you? At all?” Huntress asked, wondering if Raclaw had even an ounce of dignity. She always read and heard how dragons were mighty and proud, not willing to be tamed, even less domesticated, and they always hunted mercilessly, either to eat or for the trill. Yet Raclaw was... none of those things. She even started to think he was no dragon at all. Maybe a kind of griffin? But why would he be told he was a dragon of all creatures? Was it to feed what little ego he had?

Back at the ship, Maverick was doing his best to keep Chester entertained. He would throw him a bouncy ball, give him some belly rubs, play some tug o’ war with an old rope and toss him snacks for him to catch mid air or from a corner.
“I miss my familia and amigos so much Chester. My wife Ilasi, my children, Tyrus and Alana, Angorita, and, heh, those three loco men too. Sand Dune, Opium and Random. Haha, such funny names. I even miss Dahlia. You remember her, right? The big dirt buffalo? You two got along so great! You are so different, yet that didn’t stop you from being friends. If only señor Latnok and Angorita could get along that well. But both were so stubborn. I guess... not everyone is destined to be friends.” Maverick lamented. While he and Angora wanted to forget about that, Maverick was still unable to get over the fact that they could never set their differences asides and be friends, especially after they were both practically working in the same place. But Angora would soon leave that awful job and finally be safe...

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Two of the enforcers shrank back, but the apparent leader of the group wasn't having it. "There are four of us and two of them. Kill them," he ordered. Two enforcers each came at Latnok and Risar with their quarterstaves.
Latnok saw that bloodshed was inevitable. With a force bolt, he quickly struck out at one of the assailants as he took the axe off his belt and swung at another. The axe blow landing squarely in the ribs of its target, he fell as the other enforcer dropped to his knees, struggling to breathe. The die was now cast...

With the die cast-- Risar quickly played his role, swinging his two great axes and quickly dropped the remaining two. "You okay?," the minotaur captain then asked withdrawing his weapons and offering Alithe a hand. The move wasn't an ideal one, force alone would've ideally been enough. It should've been enough, except that even the most suppressed and subjected subjected remained loyal to the very last drop. Such was clearly the case with at least some of the enforcers here and hell.. he had seen it with some Minotaurs in homeland. He once recalled an Minotaur who had gotten dehorned and worse-- and yet had adored and defended his very much abusive master. Something his own then master had vowed never to do...

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While Huntress wanted to remain quiet the entire time, curiosity was getting the best of her. Even if it earned more dislikes and scolds from Latnok, there was something she had to know.
“So then... you’re... a dragon. And not the big, scaly kind. No, you’re some kind of... bird, lion dragon. The pet and companion of a Guardian, notorious for being dragon slayers. You let him collar you, feed you instead of letting you hunt, possibly ride you, and... everything else that someone would do to a mere pet. And here you are now, aiding in the slaying of another one of your kind. Even if different, still another dragon. Doesn’t that bother you? At all?” Huntress asked, wondering if Raclaw had even an ounce of dignity. She always read and heard how dragons were mighty and proud, not willing to be tamed, even less domesticated, and they always hunted mercilessly, either to eat or for the trill. Yet Raclaw was... none of those things. She even started to think he was no dragon at all. Maybe a kind of griffin? But why would he be told he was a dragon of all creatures? Was it to feed what little ego he had?

"I am a Fur Dragon-- its own dedicated species of the Dragon. While I may not grow as big or be as scaly as my dragon kin, I process the same the abilities and even some unique abilities. If you wish to know more, there is a museum in Redwater you may be interested in. They have their own section on my kind and its history.," Raclaw began to answer the Huntress' questions. "Latnok and I work together freely and willingly; he feeds me and rides me because I allow him to. Of my own free will. He would never force me to do anything I wasn't already willing to do. At first-- we were traveling companions then friends and then what we are now. Two best friends who work along one another and fulfill a role in the other's life that otherwise wouldn't be filled. He does not have wings nor can he do I can do, so I fulfill that role for him. And in turn, he provides for me and gives me things that I otherwise wouldn't have. It's an fair arrangement and neither one of us would have it any other way.," the collared dragon then spoke.

It was a practical explanation for what they provided for another; it certainly wasn't the only one either. The emotional support their bond provided could hardly be described in accurate words-- to be connected to another being, to know that other being and for them to know you inside and out.. it was an amazing feeling. And filled a hole would that would now feel empty without it. "Latnok and I-- are connected to one another. We are bonded and that is a feeling that you will never experience in your lifetime. The collar strengthens that bond and enhances it, allowing us to share abilities and to offer the other strength when they need it the most. It too is worn by choice. And as for the slaying of the Queen-- every species has its bad apples. There is good in every race, but there is also bad... those who won't listen to reason and sadly must be stopped. I am aware of this and I do recognize that she is my own kind; we are both dragon. However, I also recognize what must be done for the good of the many. And what she is doing is good for no-one, neither for my kind or.. for yours. And to that extent, I am willing to do what needs to be done.," the Fur Dragon then explained carefully choosing his words.

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Back at the ship, Maverick was doing his best to keep Chester entertained. He would throw him a bouncy ball, give him some belly rubs, play some tug o’ war with an old rope and toss him snacks for him to catch mid air or from a corner.
“I miss my familia and amigos so much Chester. My wife Ilasi, my children, Tyrus and Alana, Angorita, and, heh, those three loco men too. Sand Dune, Opium and Random. Haha, such funny names. I even miss Dahlia. You remember her, right? The big dirt buffalo? You two got along so great! You are so different, yet that didn’t stop you from being friends. If only señor Latnok and Angorita could get along that well. But both were so stubborn. I guess... not everyone is destined to be friends.” Maverick lamented. While he and Angora wanted to forget about that, Maverick was still unable to get over the fact that they could never set their differences asides and be friends, especially after they were both practically working in the same place. But Angora would soon leave that awful job and finally be safe...

Chester offered a happy bark at the mention of Dahlia-- indeed remembering the dirt buffalo fondly. What proceeded was a serious of sadder barks and a whine; the little-yet-aging dog wished that Latnok and Angora could get along as well. He would've preferred that everyone be friends and to get along, partly because of his own interests (friends, playmates) and partly because he knew that Raclaw wanted the very same thing deep down inside. The Fur Dragon knew he wanted it too and that was what made it all the worse. They both wanted it, but that wasn't enough; Angora would have to want it too and would have to work towards it. They both knew their master's feelings on the Troll and knew that Angora's actions had done more harm than good in the past. It would take everyone's efforts combined to amend that bridge...

Huntress listened carefully to Raclaw’s explanation with a raised eyebrow, processing everything like a sponge.
“Hmm... ok.” she replied, plain and simple. What else could she say about that anyway? Raclaw explained everything loud and clear, and it answered her simple question in complex words. Raclaw was a pet who had no dignity or sympathy for his own kind, and let a Guardian of all people use and pamper him, not that different from a dog, which ironically was another pet and a friend of Raclaw’s. She still didn’t believe he was a real dragon, lacking everything that was distinguishable from the abysmal reptiles. For now, she had no more questions, and kept focusing on the mission at hand, but feeling that something right now was... off.

Maverick continued taking care of Chester, hearing his voice with interest, as if the old dog was replying.
“It must be so cool being able to understand animals. Angorita can talk to Veris but for some reason, not Dahlia. Guess her powers are limited, or don’t work on every animal. Can you believe wyverns eat trolls? I almost had a heart attack when I read that in the tome señor Sere gave me. And yet Angorita managed to befriend one. Kinda like you actually, who are friends with a dragon too. Best of amigos, am I right?” Maverick said, knowing it must be quite ridiculous to some talking to an animal, but even if Chester couldn’t reply the same way, talking to him made him feel better. Plus it helped the time pass and vent a little.

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“Well I’m apart of you so you’re not getting rid of me that easily little missy.” Neo said. “Being with you has been an adventure in itself.”

Angora rolled her eyes, wondering if Neo meant it or was just messing with her.
“Come on, aren’t you going to admit my life has been pretty boring for the past five years? I wake up, feed Veris, exercise him, feed him, groom him, then feed him again, and so on. And the occasional attacks, most that would’ve killed me if I didn’t have my... your powers. The only break I have from that routine is on my weekly break. This was my chance to try something different. Something good for my kind for once, but... well you’ve seen how well that turned out. Heh, a depressed wyvern. Who would’ve thought? The only way to snap him out of it was with the promise that I was going to reject the job and stay forever. And now I have to honor that promise or Veris will hate me and never trust anybody ever again.” Angora lamented, still finding it hard that she would have to stay with a stubborn wyvern for the rest of her life if there was ever any chance to keep him happy.

As Alithe accepted the hand up, he looked at dazed horror at the bodies of the enforcers, fallen to the floor and bleeding out. "I... I'll never be able to cover this up..." he said, his own injuries not even registering to him at that moment.
"At this stage, we need you to do the exact opposite," Latnok said, as he put his axe away. "As it turns out, our hand has been forced in this matter - the Queen has taken one of us prisoner, and intends to keep the rest of us here forever. We have a plan..."
Latnok explained the essential details to Alithe over the next few minutes, as Alithe found things to patch up his wounds with. "So your crew will take over the area by force, giving me a platform to speak freely to the people. With that opportunity, I am to direct them towards these efforts. Do I understand you correctly?" Alithe asked.
"Yes, you do," Latnok confirmed.
Alithe took a deep breath. "This is the moment of truth, then. I've told myself I'd be prepared for this moment... but never saw it coming quite like this. Very well - I'll prepare everything, and I'll call for an emergency meeting once you have the place secure. I don't think the others will put up as much of a fight once they see what's become of these four here," he said, as he shifted his bed - the only thing the enforcers had yet to move. "I'll be here once you're done."
With the matter settled, it would be time to call in the rest of the crew to move in. The Queen would be sleeping very soon - which would enable them to commence the operation in the lair.

Ilasi gave her daughter a smile, with a hint of her own relief. "I dearly hope that things work out for everyone," she said apprehensively but optimistically. After all, she knew how much it would devastate Maverick to hear about anything unfortunate happening to 'Oscurito'.
Grea gave a yawn, a sign of how long she'd stayed. "Oh, nice shooting the breeze here awhile, but I should get back home now," she said. "Something tells me that tomorrow will be a very busy day. A lot to talk about, at the very least." Grea stood up, and headed to the door.
"You have a good one now, Grea!" Ilasi said in farewell. If anything, talking with Grea was, at the very least, a nice way to stay abreast of the latest news.

The Huntress' response didn't surprise Raclaw; of course she didn't understand...

"Right.," Chester barked knowing Mav would get the geist of the response.

--
"Aye-- the time is near. Apologies for the mess.," Risar said as he prepared to proceed.

Huntress was ready for some action. While Raclaw was... visually interesting, his life was nothing to interrogate much about. She was almost certain there were more layers of Raclaw and Latnok's relationship, but she wasn't interested in knowing them. Having someone like the fur dragon though, that could be a very interesting animal servant to her arsenal. A dragon that was not the scaly, big, ugly type, willing to be treated as a mere pet, and likely having none of the appetite real dragons had. Typical of Guardians to have it all. But for now, Raclaw was hers... in a way, and for the time being at least.

Keeping up with the conversation and Chester's unique support, Maverick kept talking.
"You and Angorita... are kinda alike. You're both cute and little, with both a dragon and a human as friends... well, haha, mostly human in my case." Maverick said jokingly, really enjoying Chester's company.
"Veris really cares about mi Angorita... but I'll be happy the day she leaves. She has those horrible bite marks. I'm so afraid that one of these days, she'll come home, with a missing limb, or... señor Sere coming to my house and saying..." Maverick stopped, unable to finish the sentence. He just loved that troll so much, and knew the children, and even Ilasi, did too. His wife and children were safe, with a relatively normal life, but Angora had everything but.

Sand Dune bid farewell to Grea.
"Good night miss. It was nice meeting you." he said politely, opening the door for her.
"I have to work early in the morning, so I better hit the sheets as well. Opium will come here tomorrow." Sand Dune said to Ilasi, suggesting to the children to do the same. Tomorrow was a school day. Despite everything going on in Aelinon, Sand Dune and his companions wanted to help Maverick's family lead a life as normal and peaceful as possible while he was away.

With the crew moving into position, the village takeover didn't take long. As Latnok had predicted, once their forces were in full view, there wasn't anyone brave enough to stand against them. As they rendezvoused with Alithe, Latnok dragged out one of the bloodied corpses in case some others got any ideas.
With dusk almost at an end, the environment was getting much darker. With the minotaurs out and about, many of the islanders were afraid to leave their homes. Once the meeting bell rang, however, fear was slowly overtaken by duty. Many of the islanders trepidatiously stepped outside their homes and appraised the situation. Seeing as the minotaurs were, for the moment, clear of the meeting spot, they slowly began to come to the appointed place. Alithe would need them, the scribes more than anyone else.

One of the islanders - an enforcer - wasn't quite as intent on joining the rest of the group, however. Using the darkness as cover, he moved through the rocks and vegetation, leaving the village. The Queen had to know about what was happening - this was a complete takeover. She would sort out the mess very quickly once she was made aware of it.

Huntress was ready with the crossbow, eager to try the enhanced bolts. What would be the difference? A little explosion upon contact? A blinding light? She hasn't seen much Guardian magic in action, but she knew enough about them to be aware that their magic was nothing to trifle with. While she wasn't too fond of Raclaw, she imagined the trill it would be riding him if the mission ever came to that. She couldn't tolerate wyverns due to their resemblance to the dragons she hated so much, but Raclaw didn't resemble either. As the sun hid, she knew the time for action was nearby...

After another visit to the satyr girl, Sergeant Farlo was lead to his room once more, knowing it was going to be hard sleeping in such a strange place. While he would rather sleep outside under the stars, it was a chilly night, so he had to stay indoors. He requested to sleep at the prison with Danya, but was denied. King Seraos was a busy human, and probably wouldn't receive his message until much later. The only thing that relieved him was the fact that Danya was being treated much better than before he arrived, and his people has been preparing for decades for the possibility of leaving if there was ever the need. Seraos seemed like a reasonable monarch though, so he hoped it never had to come to that...

Once there was a reasonably large group of islanders who were willing to leave their hopes, Alithe began, having many of the older documents in his possession. Good evening, people of New Shiavara," he opened. Some, in their heads, were questioning the injuries he had sustained. they listened attentively, however - for he would likely have answers for them soon enough.
"We are gathered here because I finally have the opportunity to share a secret that my family has been forced to keep for centuries," he continued. "This is something we have had to keep, on pain of death. This will have a drastic effect on our lives in the time to come..." Taking a quick look around to ascertain that Latnok and Risar were still around, he pressed on.
"Ultimately, however, it won't be enough for everyone to just take my word for things. Scribes! I will need you to come forward!" he ordered. "You will all verify that what I am sharing is really what is written, and is authentic." The scribes obeyed, coming up to the front with Alithe.

Were Huntress to use those particular bolts, she would perhaps be disappointed; per Latnok's instructions, the bolts would only detonate once he set them off himself. Until then, they were little different than any other bolt made from the same material. Not too far away, there was rustling in the vegetation; something was moving, and in a hurry.

Having hunted many dangerous game in her life, Huntress has enhanced her senses, particularly her ears. She has never hunted a dragon before though, so she had a nervous excitement on her, The rustling of leaves nearby was impossible to ignore.
“Yo, griffin! You hear that? Get ready! I think something’s or someone’s trying to sneak on us. Can you track?” Huntress asked, wanting to see how useful the fur dragon really was. As per Latnok’s plan, their job not only was to weaken the pillars of the lair, but to make sure nobody woke up the Queen while the plan was in motion. The foliage moving couldn’t be the dragon. If she was behemoth sized, she would overlap the trees by a lot of margin. If it was someone trying to wake the beast, Huntress would have Raclaw attack instead. She didn’t want to waste a bolt on a mere islander, and she already had her crossbow ready with one of the magical bolts. Changing it to a none magical one could take away precious seconds...

Maverick wanted to see the island and see for himself how well the plan was going, even if he wouldn’t be able to see anything with the distance and darkness against him. As he headed to the main deck with Chester, he could see a few minotaurs that stayed behind to protect them in case some islanders tried getting into the ship. Huntress forgot with everything going on, but Latnok did indeed ordered some of the crew to stay behind. Even though it relieved Maverick, he was still very worried for the group. The plan B involved leaving Leoquin behind, which no doubt would result in his death if it was the case. What’s even worse, if the dragon woke up, not only could she easily kill them, she could decide to go as far as to burn down their ship to trap them there. He still hated the idea of killing a dragon so old and mighty, but if it wasn’t her, it would be either their deaths or lifetime imprisonment.

The Minotaurs kept an close eye as events began to unfold...

Meanwhile, Raclaw raised an eyebrow as the Huntress mislabeled him. "Dragon, not gryphon. Gryphons do not have snouts-- they have beaks. Gryphons do not shoot fire-- dragons do. And yes, I can track. In more ways than you know.," the Fur Dragon spoke as he immediately focused his senses. It wouldn't take long for him to detect the mind/presence of the enforcer whom was broadcasting his thoughts and panic loud and clear. 'PAIN!,' he immediately sent the message into the human's mind with the intended effect of causing massive amounts of mental distress.. like a telepathic shock collar to the brain. He would then immediately proceed to attempt to ambush them as gold spike visibly extended from his tail, from a tail band? He would soon also pick up the scent of the intruder, although not as strongly as a full canine would. He had many options at his disposure.

“I didn’t say gryphon! I said griff... ah forget it! Let’s just focus on the job!” Huntress said annoyingly, Raclaw being easy to get on one’s nerves. But of course, he had a Guardian as an owner. She tried being polite, but Raclaw was easily offended. She figured it would be best to stop talking and let the fluff of a dragon focus. She spotted the gold spike extending from his tail, and was quite impressed. How useful it was to have a similar weapon. Maybe some boots or something. Even pets of the Guardians got nice things. But now it wasn’t the time to admire expensive trinkets. She had to be ready to attack whoever was making the ruckus. She had a crossbow in one hand and shurikens in the other, ready to do multitasking if necessary...

The would-be messenger stopped dead in his tracks, falling to his knees as he clutched his head. The sudden burst of unbearable pain was nothing like anything he had felt before, not least of all because it seemed to stem from no actual injury. Just what was happening to him? He struggled to pick himself up, in an effort to retreat, if only a little bit. Was it just something about that particular area?

Back at the resistance base, the sentry on duty nervously looked at the logbook once again, as he waited for Lyon and Lydia to return. They were still new here... were they perhaps lost? Or did they lose track of time? He'd give them a little longer - then he'd leave to check up on them, just to make sure everything was alright. Unbeknownst to him, what was actually happening was nothing like what he was currently suspecting.

The messenger felt the intense pain in his head and was blocked, but he could still try to make a run for it. To make sure that couldn’t happen, Huntress ran towards him, taking advantage of the pain Raclaw was inflicting and Crystal’s barricade to throw two shrunkens, one for each leg. It wasn’t enough to make him lose his legs or cause a very intense pain, but it would slow him down considerably. She didn’t know where Crystal came from, but her appearance was much more welcoming than Raclaw’s.

The father-daughter duo continued running right into the jaws of darkness, using the moss as their guide. Although Lyon was quite old, he could keep up with his much younger daughter. They were walking fast in order to cover as much distance as they could. It was only a matter of time before General Brinecrag’s followers went looking for them. And of course, there were also the king’s men. They were wanted on both sides. Lyon was planning to let himself be captured so the journey to Orcford could be shorter, but first, he had to make sure Lydia was nowhere near him when that happens. There was also the risk of whoever was capturing him could be sadist enough to torture or even kill him, but then the soldier(s) would be the one at risk of a very severe punishment. The order was clear. He and Lydia were wanted alive, and those who defied an order of the king risked death or worse.

Between the pain racking his mid and the cuts on his legs, the messenger was completely disabled, barely able to comprehend what was happening at that moment. What was this creature in front of him? Was he hallucinating? Why was this all happening to him right now? For now, he couldn't go anywhere.
Meanwhile, several of the scribes were reading aloud the documents provided by Alithe. "...On this day, as the resistance closed in on our position, we were forced onto one of several boats..." one read. "...Those who were discovered to have documented these events were taken away to the dragon Kesivara, where they were never seen again," another read.
As the scribes read the documents, many of the islanders looked about in disbelief. Several of the enforcers were clearly dissatisfied with this apparent revelation - but the presence of the minotaurs, and a corpse of one of their own, prevented them from taking any action for the moment. "For generations, we have been forced to spread these lies of th dragon Kesivara," Alithe elaborated. "We were forced to maintain the illusion of this place being a last bastion against a cruel world - when this place has been nothing more than a prison for a dragon who would do anything to secure her power forever. Today, however - today, that ends. Our allies here have a plan - and they will need our cooperation. Once we are done, we will never have to slave away for hours on end for food that does not feed those of us who work for it." There was one pressing matter that had to be taken care of right now, however.
"First order of business - round up all of the enforcers. They will remain in one spot while we proceed," Alithe ordered.

After waiting a little longer, Lyon and Lydia still hadn't returned. The sentry was getting rather nervous. Maybe he should check? No, that would require leaving his post - he would send someone else to do it. Taking a quick trip through the base, he spotted another galud who didn't seem too busy.
"You. Go out to the spring and let General Lyon and his daughter know that they are due back right now," the sentry ordered. "If they're not there, check outside. If you can't find them, let me know." The other galud nodded, as he began to leave the base to comply with the order.

With the messenger stopped, Huntress took the time to share a few words.
“You gutless fool! Don’t tell me you were going to warn the dragon about us? Can’t you see? It’s using you all. Making you believe it’s this mighty, omnipotent being out to protect you! But look at you all! All that sweat, blood and broken backs getting food, and for what? So it can have nearly all and leaving you with a miserable portion! It’s out there in the lair, increasing in size and being lazy, filling up it’s belly on account of all your hard work! And killing your own people if it doesn’t agree with something!” Huntress stated, finding it infuriating how blind and foolish these people were, and how easy it was to manipulate them for so many years. She couldn’t fathom the idea on how a beast that makes you work hard, making you starve, and considering you food if you don’t succumb to it’s whim could be considered a protector. How can people be that stupid with all those factors and more considered?

Lyon was getting tired, but didn’t stop, knowing that one second they halted meant one second more where General Brinecrag and his people could cover up more ground to find them.
“Father, you need to rest. It’s too dark and you barely ate.” Lydia urged, getting really worried. She had to use a dim light to avoid being spotted anywhere, and the sun had already gone away, with the darkness increasing even more thanks to the thick foliage. But Lyon refused to rest. They had to keep moving. Two sides of a potential war were looking for them, and they couldn’t afford to rest.
“I know. I can continue on my own. Find a soldier, or someone to take you to Tal Rogas. I’ll find the cabin on my own.” she said, wanting her father to rest already, but the former general didn’t want to leave her alone just yet. This place was unfamiliar to them, and they were both walking with the help of the moss in order to find a place they could finally recognize, a task that could take several hours of constant walking or even more. Lyon doubted the younger general would choose a hiding place close to any kind of civilization. But no matter how tired they were, they had to keep walking...

The galud took the trip to the spring per the order, in the effort to summon Lyon and his daughter back to the base. Upon reaching the spring, however, Lyon was not present. They could have possibly been outside to get some fresh air, so that was the next destination.
The time it took to travel outside proved fruitless - Lyon and Lydia were not there either. Not being a tracker, and not knowing how much such a thing should require him to fret, the galud immediately began returning to base to report the matter. Whatever, it would be someone else's problem - he wasn't even on duty right now, anyway.

The duo continued walking among the foliage, the winds rustling by the chilly wind that blew that night. The hideout was likely very far away from civilization, so Lyon was already accustomed to the idea that they might not find anything tonight. The walking continued, but soon both his hunger and exhaustion was getting the best of him.
“You have to rest father. This is absurd!” Lydia urged, unable to see her father this way.
“We’re not safe yet Lydia. We must keep going...” he started saying, before falling to his knees. Lydia couldn’t stand it anymore. She grabbed her father’s arm, placed it on her shoulders and helped him walk. But then came a time where they were both hungry. Against her father’s wishes, Lydia placed the former general in a hollow tree trunk to rest, and went to hunt. She hated land meat, preferring fish and some algae, but right now, it was either that or starvation. As she spotted a deer, she knew it was best to make traps, since she couldn’t see in the dark and having light meant alerting the animal. As she built the trap, she contemplated everything that was happening. All of this, everything, their predicament... it was all because her father couldn’t tell the king about Myth island. If it wasn’t because that centaur made Lyon keep the secret, preying on his honor, they’d be home right now, having a warm meal on their nice table, in their cozy, underwater home. Why did her father needed such a strong code of honor? But above all, if he really trusted the king, why couldn’t he tell Seraos about the centaur and his people from the very beginning instead of risk being caught and deemed a traitor? She wanted to find culprits, and right now, Sergeant Farlo was the source of her new anger...

Angora continued talking to Neo for most of the night, afraid that she’d be plagued by nightmares if she fell asleep, but her body was starting to tell her one thing; she needed the sleep.
“Not sure if you can keep away the bad dreams tonight Neo, but... I’m certain they’ll go away on their own eventually and you won’t have to spend too much trouble keeping them away. I... will understand if you want to go away in the future. If I want to keep Veris happy, I have to stay. He was literally starving himself cause I was going away. Good thing he understands about the weekly breaks. I’ll just have to make the most of them. Still, if you do leave, um, try to let some of my powers, especially the shield.” Angora pleaded, firmly believing that Neo would leave eventually once he gets bored of the same kind of life Angora will have from now on. The troll recalled the time she gave Neo away to Latnok for a very important mission, so the spirit did have the ability to leave her. However, he was connected to the magic, so Neo leaving would likely mean no more magic, thus leaving her at a great risk of death. She barely survived a manticore attack. Wyverns were much bigger and stronger, and a natural predator of her species on top of that, so if she was captured by one without magic, she’d be literal dead meat.

As the messenger was pinned down-- Raclaw kept his senses open just in case another messenger was brave enough to attempt the same thing. He reduced the pain slightly, while keeping his tail (spikes) pointed at the young man. "We've got an enforcer over here! Tell one of Risar's men to come collect him.," Raclaw telepathed to Latnok knowing that the one man wasn't their only duty. He appreciated the assistance of Crystal; it was good to have allies both old and new. As Alithe made his speech and made the order, Risar made a nod towards one of his own higher ups. They would do their part in theirs/the island's now goal for freedom and independence.

Chester watched along Maverick, confidant but always concerned for the others' safety. He knew his role well as an hunting dog, but still sometimes wished he could follow the others and do more to help them in dangerous situations. For every disadvantage Raclaw's genetics and circumstances presented him, he had one major advantage. Raclaw was the perfect companion to co-exist alongside their beloved master no matter what; no limitations on where the Fur Dragon could or could not go. From simple diplomatic missions to even the most dangerous life-threatening missions.

As the enforcer was lying on the ground, the pain in his head eased just enough for him to be able to somewhat comprehend what was around him. Was this all the power of those outsiders? He struggled to get up, but found it exceedingly difficult. But how... what could he do?
"What right do you... do you have to tell us how to live?" he retorted to Huntress. "This foolishness will all come to an end once the Queen wakes up. You're... you're all dead, mark my words. Mark my words!" Even now, he remained defiant, not willing to give this hussy and her allies the satisfaction of hearing him beg.

Per Alithe's orders, the enforcers were all corralled to the center. "Now, get rope and bind every one of them," he commanded. The enforcers looked around at the islanders indignantly.
"What the hell would you do that for?! You don't listen to this fool, you listen to us!" one of them said. His words, however, lost much of their significance with the presence of the minotaur army around, when the very person who spread word of the Queen's glory was now telling them that everything they had heard was a lie, with other scribes vouching for his claims.
Latnok was watching events unfold when he received Raclaw's telepathic message. "Understood," Latnok replied. "I'll let Risar know right now." He gave Risar a quick wave.
"Raclaw and co. found a runner. Need one of our guys to pick him up," he relayed to the minotaur. Everything was going pretty smoothly, so far... what came next would be the hard part.

Huntress rolled her eyes, not intimidated at all by the detained enforcer’s words, and knowing she wasted her breath trying to reason with this... drone. Still, she had the satisfaction that she at least tried, even if her attempt ended up being obviously futile.
“I knew I would waste my time on you. But don’t let it be known that I still didn’t try. But what’s the use? You brain is too much paste to recover anything from it.” she replied, finding it both pitiful and indignant how this man, along with likely many others on the island, refused to be swayed away from the giant beast’s spell.
“You two have the situation pretty under control. Watch him. I’ll go look if there’s another islanders stupid enough to try and warn the monster.” Huntress instructed, wanting to give a suggestion but her tone sounding more like an order. As annoyed as she was from the enforcers words, he was right. If the Queen woke up, they were as good as dead, and one single Guardian with a bunch of minotaurs and a few non magical humans were not going to be a match for her, even if she was just a lazy, overly fed fiend. If behemoths taught her something, it was that size did matter. No matter what, she had to make sure there was no other islanders around with the same intention as the enforcer...

While Maverick was aware that his task of watching Chester was as equally important, the more they waited, the more guilty he felt.
“I should be out there helping somehow, but... I can’t. I won’t leave you alone, plus... I have to make it, for my family.” Maverick stated, wishing he could do something else. He was a big part of the war that took place in Aelinon against the Ishulgites, and being stuck here for his sake and Chester’s was making him feel bad, even though he knew he didn’t have a reason to feel that way.

As the enforcers were being bound, one of them tried to make a sudden break for it. Latnok, being on high alert already with his combat prescience active, quickly sent a mild force bolt his way - not enough to cause death or permanent injury, but a heavy blow nonetheless, enough to subdue the target. The others had to reluctantly accept their fate.
With that matter settled, Alithe called the islanders back together - with many more coming out of their homes, as the minotaurs did not seem to be rampaging. Calling for the artisans, he began to communicate the next portion of the plan.
With that, it was time for Latnok to split. He had to make his way to the quarry with the shortest tunneling route to the pillar foundations. "Best of luck here," he said to Risar and Alithe. "I'll be in touch with you via Raclaw if need be. No word on anyone managing to make it past Raclaw - so we should have enough time to finish the job." With that, he took his leave, reluctantly anticipating the dragon blood potion he would have to use.

The impromptu scout sent out by the sentry returned, reporting that Lyon and his daughter could not be found. The sentry nervously looked down at the logbook - this was bad. However, was it in his place to know exactly where General Lyon and his daughter would be? Would a search be uncalled for? If they were captured, then there were much bigger problems to worry about, anyway - that would mean that Aelinon knew the location of the rebel base. That seemed somewhat unlikely.
General Brinecrag would know what to do. Hopefully it wouldn't take him too much longer to show up again.

"Hmm-- same to you, friend.," Risar said with a nod as he glanced at the now bound messenger that had attempted to make his way towards the queen. As predicted, Raclaw and co had done their jobs and one of his men had returned with the messenger over shoulder. And now they had a job to do...

Chester attempted to comfort Maverick as best he could-- two furry friends left behind while everyone else went out to make war.

Huntress searched the nearby area, staying near the flying pair in case she was needed, but also to be within earshot in case Raclaw called her to get ready for the next step of the plan. So far, no other islanders seemed to be walking their way. Just like with the enforcer, the rustling leaves would give them away, and unless there was a shortcut they didn’t know of, this area was the only way to reach the Queen...

The trap was successful. After almost getting away, the captured buck was given a swift kill by Lydia, who could be ruthless when needed. She wasn’t a huge fan of killing animals, but it was a necessity this time.
“Forgive me beautiful creature, for ending your life. Your meat will provide us with nourishment, your skin with protection. Your death will not be in vain.” Lydia said, giving a small prayer to the fallen animal. They finally had food. However, they couldn’t make a bonfire or they’d risk being spotted. Lydia knew a warming spell, but once again, it involved her hands, and too much heat burned them, so the meat had to be eaten mostly raw. Thankfully, merfolks had a stronger stomach than humans, and Lydia could still cook it as long as her hands allowed. While they ate, Lyon used the animal’s skin to make coats for the both of them. It had to be mostly improvised since they couldn’t linger there for too long.

“Thanks for the meal my sweet child. As soon as these coats are done, we must be on the move again. I fear that our absence is already being alerted.” Lyon urged, knowing that sleep was not going to be an option tonight. No matter what, they had to keep moving. Before proceeding, he instructed his daughter to cover themselves with mud and leaves, so that not only would they blend with nature, they would mask their scent. Lydia didn’t like the idea, but didn’t protested, knowing her father knew best. After being done, Lyon considered the possibility that if they didn’t find the cabin, Lydia would have to stay somewhere else while he headed to Tal Rogas. Hopefully, this forest would become the perfect hiding place in case it had to come to that...

The time that followed involved Alithe explaining the details of the job to the islanders, and coordinating with the architects and artisans of the island on the details of the work to be done. Once everything was settled, the islanders dispersed, returning with all of the tools and supplies they would need for the job. It was time for them to move out. Several minotaurs would have to move out before them per the plan, in order to physically block anyone who might get cold feet and feel sudden need to alert the Queen.

Once deep enough into the quarry, Latnok uncapped the dragon blood potion he had been anticipating. Giving it a few sips for now, he immediately felt the rush of blood and heat throughout his body, the telltale signs of the potion kicking in. He would probably have to drink more than the current dose he took, however...

Huntress was ready, reuniting with Raclaw again, but still on high alert in case somebody sneaked by. Maverick went to the main deck with Chester to look at the island, even if they couldn’t see much with the darkness that approached. The silhouette of the Queen could still be probably be seen in the distance if she woke up though, something Maverick hoped they never had to see. He wondered how the plan was doing...

Meanwhile, Angora was finally getting some sleep. She wanted to get up very early in the morning to tell Sere about her decision. She wasn’t sure how he would take the news, but if he wanted the best for his mount and keep him happy and healthy, he would have to renew her contract, even if it meant almost literally enslaving her. Veris has already demonstrated he wouldn’t have it any other way. Plus she made the promise already, so both she and Sere had to get used to the idea that her job as a caretaker would have to be permanent...

Soon enough, the minotaur vanguard was passing through, to secure the passage to the lower level of the lair. Not too far behind them were the islanders who were all a part of the operation to weaken the pillars. It was time. Huntress would e expected to plant one bolt near the top of each of the pillars to the lair.
Latnok, in the meantime, started his tunneling. The solid rock in the area took immense effort to cut through. He would need to take a higher dose of the potion.

With night firmly underway, Brinecrag finally arrived at the base. The sentry immediately stood up and saluted. "Good evening, General-'
"Where is General Lyon?" Brinecrag impatiently interrupted.
"Yes, General, that's what I wanted to report," the sentry said. "General Lyon and his daughter left a few hours ago because the General was feeling unwell and needed fresh air and water. However, he was supposed to have been back hours ago - yet we were unable to locate him in the immediate area."
It didn't take an empath to see how irate the news made Brinecrag. "How could you be-" he started, before stopping himself. Of course they wouldn't have any reason to believe that Lyon would try to escape, with what they knew about his tribulations. "Wake every single tracker up - if they're not already up - and get them on duty. Now. We have to find him. For his sake and ours."
Of course - this had to be for his daughter. Why didn't he think to order only one to be able to leave at a time? Lyon had made it exceedingly clear that he didn't care at all what happened to him, as long as he could help his daughter out. Seemingly, he didn't care about what happened to anyone else, either.

With everyone moving into position, Huntress proceeded to do the same, letting Crystal and Raclaw be the ones to check the terrain for any other potential snitches. As planned, she proceeded to shoot the bolts when the time arrived, aiming near the top of the pillars with perfect aim. It helped that the targets weren’t moving ones, though she didn’t let that stop her when she was doing her job. She was disappointed that the reaction was nothing out of the ordinary, unaware of the true nature of the bolts. But she already fulfilled her part. She placed herself a safe distance from the lair, remaining vigilante along with her temporary flying companions and sort of hoping the Queen could show her ugly, fat head so that she could be the one shooting it...

With a filling meal and improvised clothed, Lyon and Lydia continued walking with the air of the moss. Exhaustion and fatigue was becoming apparent to the merfolk duo after a very short time. It was getting harder for Lydia to keep the light on, and the mud was weighting them down.
“It’s no use father. We have to rest. We’ll collapse from exhaustion if we keep this up.” Lydia stated, and Lyon had no choice but to agree with her. If something serious happened, none of them would have the energy to defend themselves or run away.
“Alright my child. We will rest, but not here. Even if the trees bring protection, it won’t be enough. We must find shelter. A giant hollow tree. Or a cave.” he suggested, not wanting to rely on the trees alone to hide.

The two of them searched for a while, needing to catch their breath from time to time. Then as unexpected as a bolt of lightning, Lyon was swallowed by the earth. Lydia turned around to see the precise moment it happened.
“Father!? Father! DADDY!” she yelled alarmingly, soon suffering the same fate. Luckily, the fall wasn’t very deep. Not anything to cause major damage.
“Lydia! Over here.” her father called.
“Father? Wha... where are we? Is this... a tunnel? Do you think some giant animal made this?” Lydia asked as she looked around.
“I don’t think so. It looks more like... a mine. A very, very old mine. Why, I bet this has been here since before the day of the Great Reclamation.” Lyon stated upon closer inspection, the tunnel looking too well done to have been made by a mere animal. It was incredible that this mine was still standing after all these years. It was quite the discovery, but now it was not the time to contemplate on ancient wonders. While the fall hadn’t been very deep, the walls were too slippery, so returning from the way they came from was impossible.
“What now?” Lydia asked.
“We follow the tunnel. If there was a cave-in here, there must be others, one that if we’re lucky, has managed to accumulate water throughout the years. This isn’t exactly what I had in mind, but this place is perfect to hide. But before we rest, we need to find a body of water first.” Lyon said, trusting that there was an underground river or something similar where they could rest and remain hydrated while they thought on how to get out and put the next part of the plan in motion. The good thing was that they had already eaten and have new, protective clothes, so they’ll be good for a while...

Courtesy of Raclaw, Latnok was able to, form his position, identify that Huntress had seated the bolts appropriately, with them giving a slight glow where they were seated. "Let Huntress know that she's done her part," Latnok telepathed to Raclaw. Now, while the islanders worked on weakening the pillars on their own levels, he had to finish the job with the foundations.
Already feeling his skin burn under the stress of the potion, Latnok grabbed it again, taking a bigger swig - and then another. Sweating under the strain, he pushed harder and harder. In for a sliver...

With how long it took to get outside, it would take the tracking party awhile to even begin to pick up the trail - let alone catch up with the several hours of a head start the merfolk had. Things were complicated by a lack of dogs to follow the scent. Still, the trackers would be on the case, even if it took them awhile.

Getting cold outside, Maverick took Chester away from the main deck. He was biting his nails in anxiousness. What if they failed? What if they had to resort to the plan B and leave Leoquin behind to be imprisoned? Enslaved? Or maybe even killed? He came to this voyage for the merman’s sake. It was going to be too horrible if the journey to find his, and Raclaw’s family, ended up to be a journey to his doom. As Maverick thought of the worse case scenarios, he looked at a window, which provided some view of the island. It then occurred to him, what if some islanders or enforcers somehow managed to overpower the minotaurs that stayed? Or worse, what if the Queen woke up and decides to burn down the ship as revenge for the attack? They would have to be out of there fast, so Maverick was planning to jump through the window with Chester if such a dreadful event ended up happening...

Just as Angora was catching her sleep, hoping Neo would drive the bad dreams away, Alana was having another night of hard sleep. She missed her father so much. How she wished she could be there with him. Writing him a letter could’ve made her feel better, but she couldn’t even do that. Children truly had it the worst. They had to go to school instead of doing fun things and having adventures. How was her father doing? Was he having fun? In danger? Fighting an epic sword fight? When she grew up, she wanted to have adventures and help people and animals. And who knows? Maybe she could befriend a dragon or an equally awesome creature like her daddy and Angora. She already met Shade, and he was very friendly, but she wasn’t certain a single meeting was enough to consider someone a friend. The troll was not only friends with the extra legged dragon. She was also friends with a wyvern and a freaking behemoth! Like, how did she do it? Most animals usually attacked Alana, but Angora managed to befriend creatures that could easily kill her. She had to know her secret! All these thoughts surprisingly managed to partially distract Alana from the pain of missing her father.

"Huntress.," Raclaw spoke directed politely at the Fur Dragon's current companion. "Your part is done-- Latnok will take care of triggering the bolts on his end. To ensure perfect timing.," he then said as if to reassure her that is was nothing personal. He doubted she would take it that way though; his being the pet/mount of an Guardian clearly didn't do him any favors when it came to certain people. Risar and co continued to keep things running smoothly. One of the island residents began to show doubt (questioning if he was really doing the right thing), but a quick growl from a nearby Minotaur-- one missing a horn even --quickly answered that question. "Did anyone ever tell you.. uh look like a large cow, but with one horn?," the resident (poorly) attempted to joke to 'lighten' the mode. "Keep. Working. And don't ever say that to a Minotaur again.," the Minotaur responded in kind with a slightly louder growl.

Meanwhile-- Chester attempted to comfort Maverick by snugging against the hybrid's warm fuzzy body. "It'll be alright...," he attempted to rely via a soft bark. "They'll-- they'll be alright. They all will be. They have to be.," he barked in soft tones.

EDIT: Fixed typo.