darkSpyro

The captain shook his head. "I don't have that power," he said. "The normal process is to go through one of the many administrative offices in the cities around Aelinon and submit your request, where it gets reviewed. If you need an audience sooner than that, you will likely need to know someone who reports to the king, or someone who reports to someone else who reports to the king. I report to a major here, who reports to a commander, who reports to a legate..."
The captain went on a rather lengthy speech about the chains of command and protocol involving it. The point was clear, though - he wasn't going to be able to grant that audience. "However," he said, "if your request is urgent enough, you meet him somewhere, and you can have his ear somehow just long enough for him to hear the subject matter, he may be willing to discuss it further."

"Collar, release," Latnok commanded. As desired, the collar released Shade from the paralyzing it had inflicted on him. Leoquin gave Shade a mean, disapproving look, but didn't otherwise say or do anything.
"We will give you the opportunity to say goodbye," Sere said. "We aren't in this to hurt you. We need you to learn control and restraint. Aelinon will execute you if you prove yourself unable to show those things. I would much rather prefer that it doesn't come to that. Now, don't act up like that again. Your wounds still need to recover, and trying to fight us will not end well for you."

Quote: A Guy

The captain shook his head. "I don't have that power," he said. "The normal process is to go through one of the many administrative offices in the cities around Aelinon and submit your request, where it gets reviewed. If you need an audience sooner than that, you will likely need to know someone who reports to the king, or someone who reports to someone else who reports to the king. I report to a major here, who reports to a commander, who reports to a legate..."
The captain went on a rather lengthy speech about the chains of command and protocol involving it. The point was clear, though - he wasn't going to be able to grant that audience. "However," he said, "if your request is urgent enough, you meet him somewhere, and you can have his ear somehow just long enough for him to hear the subject matter, he may be willing to discuss it further."

Angora quickly got bored of his explanation, but didn't show it. She didn't have the time to go thought such a lengthy process.
"Can we at least know where the king is right now? Please, he knows me. I'm quite sure he will be willing to listen to me just for a little while. Tell me where he is right now and I'll do the rest." Angora asked, as the nervous Maverick remained quiet behind her. He didn't want to meet the king, remembering their first, unpleasant meeting. He remembered too well how the king asked for his alliance and servitude should Angora came out of the arena alive. Even though the agreement never reached a verdict, being a monarch, Maverick felt that the king would want to have things his way no matter what.

"The king? I don't know for certain, but he may be discussing matters involving Talsius Day with the duke," the captain said. "His office is not too far from here..." The captain gave the two directions to the duke's office without further prompting - it was rather close by, on account of many matters involving the arena being handled by his administration.

Angora and Maverick followed the instructions faithfully, and then bowed to the captain in thanks. Following his directions, the duo found themselves in their place of destination, with a few guards roaming around.
"I think this is it. You think the king is behind this very door?" Angora said as Maverick shrank his shoulders. He then approached the door and called.p, giving it a few gentle knocks.
"Excuse me? Hello? Anyone inside? Pardon us if we interrupted something duke, but is the king there? We have an urgent matter to discuss." Maverick called from the door, hoping that whatever business they were having wasn't so important. Maverick knew that interruptions like that were always rude, so he made sure to apologize beforehand...

After a brief pause, the door was opened by a member of the king's royal guard. The king and duke could be seen at a table, across from each other, in rather plain seats. "What is so important that you must disturb the king for?" asked the guard. "Do you think he has time to waste with the likes of you when he has an entire nation to lead?"

"My apologies sir. We don't mean to intrude. We only need a couple of minutes with the king to straighten up a misunderstanding with the Ardent Guardians." Angora explained calmly, understanding the guard's frustration and not blaming him. But this was a very important matter to her and Maverick, and she was certain that only the king himself would be able to make Sere change his decision...

"The Ardent Guardians aren't our problem," the guard said. "Go find someone who gives a-"
"Who is there?" asked the king, curious.
"It's that man and his troll again," said the guard.
"Let them in."
The guard did as he was told, allowing Angora and Maverick entry. The king gave them a stern look as they came into the room - very tidy, but meagerly decorated for a government office. "Maverick and Angora. What is this regarding the Ardent Guardians?" the king asked. "Are you aware that they are not a part of Aelinon?"

"Your highness, I know very well that your time is very valuable and limited, but please, we only have one request. Because of a misunderstanding, Godfather Sere doesn't want us to accompany him on his voyage. He wants us to be separated from Sha... the dragon. So I ask that if you can find it in the bottom of your heart to convince him to let us come with him and his crew. Please. The dragon, as you know, is very rebellious and unstable, especially without us. He can't be without his family so much. He was already a week without us and Godfather Sere wants to separate us yet again. If you really want him to receive the help he needs, please don't make him be separated from his family again. All his suffering will only make it much harder for them to control his powers." Angora said in the kindest and most respectful way that has ever come from her, wanting to appeal to the king's humanity and convince him to do them this one last favor...

The king nodded as Angora spoke, showing that he was attentive. When she was done, he immediately had his answer. "Your friendship is all well and good," he said. "But answer me this - why should I trust you after the stunt you pulled in the arena? After the false confession?
"The truth is, we aren't acting in your dragon's best interest. Your dragon is going to atone for what he did. In order to do so, I need him to be trained to be compliant and controllable - regardless of whether you are present or not. I don't need to be 'nice' to him. He wasn't 'nice' to my people with his carelessness. I also do not need someone who will defy my authority for his sake.
"So, answer me - if Godfather Sere does not feel comfortable with you as he is attempting to render the dragon controllable, and you have shown me - in person - reasons as to why his concern is justifiable, what is it that you can offer us which, despite the risks you pose, is so desirable as to require you two specifically?"

Angora thought very hard on what to answer, realizing that the king could be as disagreeable as the old Guardian himself, so she chose her words carefully.
"Our presence makes the dragon calmer, and thus easier to control. He has always behaved around us. And it's true that I did the false confession, but it was to save his life. Anyone would do anything for family your magesty, wouldn't you?" Angora said, wanting the king to think long and hard about that, but before he could rebuff her for that comment, she spoke again, this time with a warning.
"Besides, no matter how hard you try to control him, I don't think it would make much of a difference. Shade caused destruction in Aelinon, but you should know he didn't do it out of malice. He himself already told you in the trial my king, he felt someone controlling him when he destroyed part of Redwater. And I know it's the truth, cause the dragon is indeed moody, but he has never been that deadly. It's too much coincidence that he lost control in that very spot. So the answers must be that someone out there, possibly a mage or a wizard, did indeed control him. Used him as a weapon against your people. And even if the dragon is gone oversea, whoever controlled him will simply manipulate another creature into doing the same. So answer me this your magesty, how many more innocents will have to die? How many other people and creatures will have to atone for crimes they were forced to commit before you finally realize there is someone out there pulling the strings?" Angora said in the most respectful but stern way possible, wanting the king to open both his mind and his heart. She knew Shade had power surges, but none of them have been deadly in all the time they have travelled together. It was after a Blue kidnapped them that his powers seemed to be getting worse.

As Angora mentioned the account of the mage, the king took great offense - was she insinuating that he was negligent? "So, you once again come to me with this story of a mage who never appeared. There has not been a shred of evidence of such a mage. We know that your dragon has had issues with his powers in the past. We KNOW that your dragon, against orders, flew into Aelinon. We KNOW that your dragon resisted my soldiers as they tried to apprehend him. We KNOW that your dragon was being belligerent and noncooperative while we had him.
"So even if your mage story is true, your dragon has done many things wrong - and those actions led to the death of my people in the end. Now if you're going to keep coming to me with this story, while ignoring your dragon's repeated defiance, you can walk right out, or my guards can escort you out. Your choice."

Angora simply lowered her head, ashamed that she didn't know any better. Her warnings were once again ignored, so she knew she had to up her game and once more appeal to the king's humanity and try to convince him to fulfill their original request.
"You're right your magesty. My humblest of apologies. I just love that silly dragon so much that I tend to lose myself and say things out of context. It won't happen again." Angora said in a very gentle and polite voice, knowing that she had to somehow remove her mistake. Maverick remained silent throughout her speech, and what he was afraid of happened. He knew there would be a retialation for that, so he simply held his tongue as Angora spoke again.

"Just grant us our original request. Please your highness. It's not for the dragon's sake alone. We do want to help him as well, and what better way to do so than he having the ones who have spend the most time with and the ones who better understand his behavior? Besides, Maverick here is a great sailor, possibly the best of his class despite his youth. He can help with the navigation." Angora quickly expressed, wanting to include Maverick's experience to try to further convince the king to let Sere let them come.

The king's facial expression lightened up as Angora offered her apology. He was seemingly mollified, at least somewhat. His tone lightened as he spoke again.
"I am not the expert on the subject of dragon taming," he said. "When I do not know something, I tend to request knowledge from experts in the relevant field, and trust their judgment. Those two Guardians are not only experts - they have worked with the dragon in the past, one apparently even sharing... some sort of mental bond.
"So I will not directly make a judgment against what the beast masters have to say in regards to controlling such a creature. I can, however, ask Godfather Sere to consider whether there are ways you can participate in the voyage which will not allow you to interfere with the dragon. Once again, to remind you - I do not need a happy dragon. I need an obedient dragon. One that is obedient to the very authorities he has defied. And that may involve doing things to him that he doesn't like. I need people who will not intervene when that happens."

Angora breathed out a quiet sigh of relief when the king finally calmed down.
"Thank you your magesty. That's all we need. We don't want to train him. We'll just help to keep him calm. We don't need anything else. What you just said, that was precisely the misunderstanding. Godfather Sere believes I will interfere with their training, when that's not it at all. I simply said that I would keep an eye on the training. I never said I would get in the way, but as usual, the information he received about me was erroneous." Angora assured, still holding a grudge to Ilasi for going to him like a little girl and make him mistake her actual words. Maverick knew this, and felt quite sad.

"Very well," said the king, and his guards took a more relaxed stance. "I will send a messenger to him as soon as I am done here, stating your intent. What he does after that, I will leave to him. Now please leave us to continue our work." To signal his ending of the conversation, he turned back to face the duke, who had been waiting patiently.

Pleased with the results, Angora passively left the office with Maverick, both of them giving a small bow to the young monarch as he left. With the help of a guard, they left the arena quite fast, and soon finally found themselves outside and quite far away from the awful surroundings.

"Well... that went well at least. Still, I was really worried when the king got upset." Maverick said, breathing a sigh of relief himself.
"Well I don't get why he even behaved that way! I just tried to give him a fair warning! But once again, I was ignored like a stray dog!" Angora said defiantly, very upset.
"But Angorita... it almost sounded like you were accusing him of not doing anything! I mean... that's how it sounded like." Maverick said.
"I only said it that way to make him take action! I didn't mean to accuse him of anything! I just wanted to make him think! But if that's the way he felt, then so be it! If my words are always going to be ignored and misinterpreted, then what's the point of even trying to do something good? I'm sick and tired of everybody always dismissing and insulting me for the things I say! What's the point of trying to help and do something good if you're going to be spat on the face like yesterday's trash? I gave him the warning already! If he chooses to ignore it, then it's his problem! I do hope I'm wrong about Shade being used, but if I am and many people have to die before he realizes I'm right, then let it happen that way! It will be his fault, not ours! I already did plenty giving him a fair warning, but if he decides not to investigate anything, then that's his decision!" Angora said, full of fury, prompting Maverick to stay a few feet away from her. She was terribly upset, and he wanted to give her space while she vented. He felt so awful for her. Angora was indeed a noble creature who genuinely meant good, but it was so hard to see among all that anger and bitterness. He wished he could do something, but knew that in some part, she was right. Even if the wizard that controlled Shade didn't exist, Maverick believed that it made sense to investigate just the same to make sure that was indeed a case. Laszur already took care of that, and even though Maverick assisted with the search, nothing came off it. Still, they didn't seem to be using all the available resources, and he feared that the search has stopped already. There couldn't be doubts about anything. The saddest part is that if the wizard did exist, then it's someone with a vendetta against Aelinon that will clearly keep doing the same if he isn't stopped...

Back at the cave, Sere was sitting around - he and Latnok would have to stay present. The others kept up minor chatting in the background. Sere was about to take a nap, when he heard the familiar clanking of boots. Who it was, however, was somewhat unexpected - a member of the king's royal guard.
"Godfather Sere, I take it?" he asked.
"Yes, I am. What is it?" Sere asked, as he stood up.
"A message from the king. He has spoken with the human Maverick and his troll, and has asked you to consider a position for them on your voyage which would make it impossible for them to interfere with Shade."
"...Of course they would do something like that. Tel the king his message has been received."
"I will do that," the guard said respectfully. As he left, Sere returned to sitting. Were they that hell-bent on opposing him? Angora had said she wouldn't let them get too rough on Shade. What did they intend to do? As he sat, he continued to think...

Maverick left some pacing space to Angora, and once she was finally calmed, they could finally think of their next destination.
"So... where to?" he asked, believing Angora had the better answer to that.
"Isn't it obvious? Since I know Sere won't let us enter into the chamber where they currently have Shady, then our next stop will be the port. We need to know what their ship is so we can be better prepared for their departure. I already said it before. I intend to go with them, and you shall come too. That fiend and the heartless band he recruited as crew think they have the right to separate us again just because they can. Heh, they have power and a complete arsenal and they automatically think they can have their every whim. It wasn't enough for them to Shade be separated from us for an entire week, and now they want to take him overseas for who knows how long without his family! Well then, they've had their way for way too long! I don't know when Sere and his Guardian buddies lose their hearts, but I don't intend them to go through with this merciless decision just because they have paranoia and a personal dislike for us!" Angora said, once again demonstrating her stubbornness. Maverick unfortunately knew her well, and knew she would try absolutely anything to have them go with Shade. He knew that she would move hell itself if she could. What she had in smallness, she had in extreme willpower.

The days went by seemingly uneventfully. Angora had not returned to the cavern, as Latnok, Sere, and Leoquin had hoped. Latnok was kept on watch with Shade throughout the night, to ensure that he wouldn't try to escape or do anything rash. The others slept where they had been previously. The days, being mostly waiting, allowed the others to explore the city, perhaps getting to know each other well.
Ilasi remembered what Angora had said to her - was any of it true? Or was she just making things up to hurt her? She only told Sere exactly what happened - Angora's remarks about the duo, her exact words on her plans with Shade, and her breakdown. How could that be misunderstood?
Sere inspected Shade's wounds one morning, as he did every morning. Finally, Shade seemed in a good enough condition to walk as he did before. It was time to leave.
"We can finally set out," Sere said to the others. "I will let you know now, this journey will not be easy - but we will make it through. We have a crew full of experience in combat and seafaring. It is time to do what we have all come here for - with the exception of Shade, but... the circumstances require it. I will be getting Veris. We will meet at the port."
Leoquin couldn't contain his excitement. "Yeah, we'll get there alright! I can't wait - it'd be pretty cool to explore, I bet. Maybe some treasure? Don't worry, though - I'm going to be doing what you're paying me for."
Latnok was happy that the journey could finally start - though he wished he didn't have to drag around the load that was Shade. All he wanted was for Shade to cooperate - but he knew that Shade was too proud and too infatuated with Angora to do such a thing. One way or another, though, he would have to learn. For now, the group left the cavern, to head for the port, while Sere left to retrieve Veris from his pen.

In the days that went by, Angora and Maverick got to know Redwater and it's port, navigating it's places, learning what the crew's ship would be, and sometimes visiting around the arena to see if Dex and Sapphire received Maverick's note. By this time, Angora has learned of the foxes' alliances and after a while, came to accept it. So far, neither of them knew where those two were, so Maverick eventually came to accept the possibility that they weren't in Redwater anymore and that they decided to get on with their lives. Once when he was in the arena, he left another note to one of the guards to let them know if Godfather Sere has finally accepted them into the voyage, but the lack of response indicated them that the stubborn old man still didn't want them on board, not even with the king's request. This prompted Angora to go through all of Redwater, talking to mages, soldiers and ship renters that would give them a possible solution as to how they could be part of Sere's crew, if not then at least follow him in that journey. Both Angora and Maverick refused to be away from their beloved friend Shade just because of an old man's whim, paranoia and personal dislike for them. Throughout this time, the fawn man has introduced Dahlia to Angora, and the dirt buffalo eventually got used to the troll's little but intimidating presence. As they got to know Redwater while avoiding the attention from Angora's fans, Maverick has assured her that there will be a miracle that will help them succeed in reuniting with Shade. The young man has talked about Orion's contacts with him, and also about the new deity, Ishulgu, whom also aided him in a time of need. Maverick was certain that both of them were on their side, and that they understood that what was happening to their family was cruel and unfair. Still, despite the faith Maverick tried to implant on Angora, the small troll still wasn't certain about their success. As they searched for solution, the small troll would always go to a solitary cave near the arena every night to train a certain spell that she had used in Blue's castle. The very same one that saved her life. Why? It was a last resort that she refused to tell Maverick, but nevertheless, she still tried to have the faith Maverick was having. For now, their future was uncertain...

As the days passed, Raclaw had the opportunity to explore the many sights and sounds of the city-- an opportunity he happily exploited along Latnok, Chester, and his new companions such as Risar. As they explored and talked, Risar gs bits and pieces of his past-- of previous things he had done, of things he had enjoyed while under the ownership of his old master, and other juicy bits of information for those who were curious to know. He would be a tad more reluctant to answer certain questions, but he wasn't ashamed of his past. In some ways, it was evident that the formerly enslaved Minotaur actually had looked up to his old master-- something that was probably due mental conditioning early on in his life.

Raclaw, himself, would have answered any such questions while Damon occasionally chimed in via the mental links. He wasn't afraid or ashamed of his past, although it was a very long tale for anyone interested in hearing the full story. It also presented an slight irony in that a fur dragon who had once been under restrictions and even still wore the same collar-- was now helping to tame another dragon via similar methods. As for Chester, who acted as Raclaw's furry sidekick, he was just happy to come along for the ride-- and to spend more time with the fur dragon who had saved him. Raclaw would translate for the little Beagle from time to time, allowing the little Beagle to give his thoughts and displaying his unique ability to speak the canine tongue. He was happy to finally start the journey, although his thoughts often lingered to Angora and what would become of Shade. Although he had been unsuccessful in convincing Godfather Sere, he hoped that Angora would somehow find a way...

The previous night...
As Angora and Maverick were traveling in the evening, they, in a poorer part of Redwater, came across many people huddling together, all loudly murmuring to each other. Soon, the sight became apparent - a humanoid insect figure. In front of the crowd, a child with smallpox was presented to him. With a wave, the pox began to shrink, until it was eventually no more. The child, excited, began running around, as the audience spoke to each other in wonder and amazement.
Approaching this figure, he sensed their thoughts, their emotions. "Come to me, children. I sense your worries," he would say. "Conflict improves us; you have experienced conflict in regards to a former ally, no? You are the better for it; you have the experience to deal with the situation in the future. Nevertheless, there are times we are unlucky, or we fall short, and we may need the assistance of others. By the power of Ishulgu, I offer you this knowledge.
"In the morning, be at the docks. By the ship. The man - he has a wyvern. Large, and dark blue to black. Observe. Wait for this man to appear with the wyvern. Then, you must reveal yourselves and make your appeal. Not before he appears; the others will immediately turn you away. Not after the wyvern is inside the ship; the appeal will fail then. You must appear, and make your appeal when he arrives with this wyvern. Ishulgu awaits you..."

"I will instruct the Aelinonians to find Maverick and Angora and tell them to meet us at the port to say your goodbyes," Sere said in passing. "We will be there soon." The others left for the docks; there was a rather large ship waiting for them, one which had replaced the previous ships intended. This ship would be large enough to hold both Veris and Shade.
"So... when do we get started?" Leoquin asked.
"As soon as Godfather Sere returns with Veris," Latnok said.
"I'm sorry, I've been meaning to ask, but... Veris?" Ilasi was not quite familiar with who he was, though she knew of everyone else.
"Veris is Godfather Sere's wyvern. Big, mean-looking creature, but he's pretty docile unless you show hostility. Or you're a certain species... no one here, though, so I think you're going to love him."

Sere had quite a ways to go to get out of the city. He found a riding service on one of the streets; paying the appropriate fee, he received a ride to the wyvern pens, where he had paid others to watch Veris in the interim. Veris being much larger than other wyverns, he made sure to leave enough money to accommodate the cost of food.
"Veris... I had missed you," Sere said. Veris gave a soft growl, and his face displayed his joyful mood. "I'm finally here again. Let's get moving."

"Don't worry-- Veris is like a big puppy. Even Chester should get along with him.," Raclaw said with a slight smile as they walked and waited. He looked down at his furry sidekick, who gave a happy bark in response. He looked up at the large ship, the replacement that had only grown in size in comparison to their previous ship. It no doubt had to be so large as to accommodate four different dragon variants, including himself and the massive Shade. "Impressive.," he thought out loud looking at the big ship. In comparison to anything else currently sitting on the docks, it was absolutely massive in comparison. "Impressive indeed-- larger than any ship previously served on.," Risar said looking up at the ship and agreeing with Raclaw. He and Chester, both newcomers to the sea, would soon find out what it was like to be out on sea. "Are you ready for this? Remember-- it may be scary at times, but we'll all be here.," he said looking down at Chester and speaking in dogspeak. "As long as I'm with you.," the little Beagle said looking up at Raclaw with a happy bark.

Maverick and Angora have listened to this mysterious creatures with the best of interests, and took his advice by heart. Maverick didn't know if he was the same one he found in that strange little town, but he wa very glad to see him. Angora on the other hand, was very creeped out by the individual, but nevertheless accepted his help. She was willing to do anything and listen to anybody if it meant reuniting with Shade. She still didn't understand the bug man's instructions, but she was still going to follow them.
"I don't know how that thing does what he does. Curing impossible diseases, knowing our relationship with Shade, and all about the wyvern, it's all quite creepy. He even knows that we will be rejected by the crew... but, I don't care what they say. I don't know why it's so important to be there when Sere arrives with Veris, but once again, I'm not going to question anything." Angora had said after leaving that poor place, very uncertain on what was to happen, and this onservation the bug man kept telling them about. That night, they have slept in the docks, close to a fishing spot. They still had plenty of money, but the closest inn was too far away, so they settled to sleep under the stars that once, using Dahlia's fluffy coat as both a pillow and a blanket. Angora, Maverick and Dahlia have travelled around Redwater so much that practically everybody knew who they were, and didn't questioned their appearance.

Once morning finally came, Angora and Maverick woke up, leaving the dirt buffalo to sleep a little while longer. Then it was time to find the crew, which wasn't hard thanks to Risar. The giant horns of the minotaur stand out in a crowd, so it made the duo's search easier. They found the crew, but Maverick and Angora kept their distance, and concentrated on simply observing them, just as the bug man instructed. They knew from the mysterious individual that they would be regected if they tried to appeal to them, so they instead focused on just staying there, waiting for Sere to appear with Veris. Angora still didn't understand anything, but with the bug man mentioning the wyvern so many times made her think the mount would have something to do with their success. As Angora waited, Maverick couldn't help but to look shyly but lovingly at Ilasi. Despite what Angora told him, he still had feelings for her, and firmly believed that she never meant any harm to them when she told Sere about Angora.

There was plenty of waiting to be had - the crew mainly talking amongst themselves or playing various games of sorts to pass the time. The weather that day was rather pleasant; skies mostly clear, with a trace of a cloud here or there, and the sea was relatively calm.
Soon, however, a dark creature in the sky could be seen approaching - Latnok, naturally, knew what it was, but Leoquin, Ilasi and most of the new crew haven't seen Veris yet. It came down softly, using its wings to slow its descent.
As Veris landed, Sere dismounted. "Has anything happened while I was gone?" he asked.
"Nothing at all," Leoquin said. "I ensured it was seaworthy last night, and made sure to double check this morning. The lightning rods have been installed. The supplies should accommodate us, though we won't be having banquets any time soon - I will gladly supplement our diet with fish, however. Maybe find a nice shark to cook..."
"...shark? Are you serious?!" Ilasi asked - ironically surprised at the concept.
"Yes, a shark. Why, you've never met one? Would you like to? I could show you."
"...I'd rather not... perhaps another time, though... thank you..." Ilasi sad. Sharks were nasty creatures; the more skilled mermen, however, were capable of killing them without a problem if they had their weapon, and some even trained sharks. Ilasi, still improving her magic, wanted nothing to do with something like that...

On par with the bug man's instructions, Angora and Maverick let their presence known. They approached Shade, ignoring everyone else. Maverick avoided contact with Ilasi, feeling too embarrassed.
"Godfather Sere..." Angora greeted in a calm yet stern tone, having a slight frown and not looking at him in the eyes. She was still too angry to look at him in the face.
"Good morning Godfather Sere. I hope your journey finds you well. We've come... to see Shade." Maverick said meekly, continuing the conversation that Angora started. He knew how upset the troll still was, so he decided to intercept her greeting to avoid her temper from getting the better of her. He wanted to beg Sere to reconsider and let them come with him, but he decided it was better if they didn't act too straightforward the first time around...

"Hey, idiot!" Latnok called out to Shade. "Don't touch them - they don't want to get hexphage from you!"
As expected, Angora and Maverick had shown up to say their final goodbyes to Shade. Before Sere could respond, Veris dashed to her, and gave her a solid lick.
His 'speaking', while indistinct to others, would be comprehensible to Raclaw, and by extension, Latnok. "Angora! It's good to see you again! Have you brought any food for me?"
"Get away, Veris," Latnok ordered. "We have enough food for you, so stick with us. Don't expect her to be here for long."
"Why not?" Veris asked innocently.
"Because this one despises us and would try to sabotage us if she came," Latnok said. "They're just here to say goodbye to Shade, nothing else."
Sere looked on intently as Shade approached the two. He wanted to ensure that they wouldn't attempt anything which could hurt the mission. Shade had to learn to follow orders... Sere was given a good amount of the hexphage cure, to use if Shade became tame enough and was not seen as a threat anymore, or if someone accidentally got too much of the hexphage on them. At the same time, he also had some of the hexphage - in case they made a mistake, or perhaps it could serve some other function...

Angora's demeanor changed completely. Whatever hatred and anger she had, it disappeared completely. It was as if she was another individual.
"Hey Shady." she greeted warmly, tolerating his ceaseless cuddle. She didn't even mind he had the hateful hexphage in him, or Veris' intense licking, although it made her sad that the wyvern seemed to care more about the food she could bring him rather than her in general.
"Hey Veris. I'm sorry, but I didn't brought any food." she said with some regret, not knowing if Maverick had some fish in him, but nevertheless, there was more important things to think about than the wyvern's greedy appetite.

From his side, Maverick pat Shade with a mix of happiness and sadness, not caring about the hexphage either, and knowing the dragolet has suffered the most from this entire ordeal and the possibility of things getting worse if Sere still insisted on their separation.

"Okay. You've had your opportunity. Now, we leave," Sere insisted. "Get on the boat, Shade."
"Oh, hello hairy human! You're Angora's friend, right? How are you doing today? Are you coming with us?" Veris asked.
"He's not coming either," Latnok told Veris. "Okay, Veris, long story short, these two have been nothing but ungrateful and hostile towards Godfather Sere despite how much he's tried to help them. He's finally fed up with their BS. Maybe they'll find someone else who cares about it."
"Veris? Yes, they are our enemy now," Sere said. "As you are well aware, they have opposed us ideologically every step of the way, and have always been less than savory - Angora more so than Maverick. They have accused me of treachery, on the very same day that I have gone through hell and back to sort out the diplomatic mess they made, and have Aelinon be more merciful to them than they intended to. And now I learn of a plot behind my back to interfere with Shade's training if Angora does not like it - and I can guarantee you that she will not like it. This, on the very same day she begs us to go on this voyage. I had known that they have despised me for quite a while - but to brazenly attempt to sabotage us like this?
"They will stay here, Veris. I have run out of kindness to show them. You will treat them as you would any enemy," Sere instructed. Veris couldn't do much except hang his head upon hearing such a thing. Ilasi had a look of incredible guilt - was this all going to go well before she came along? Did Maverick still care for her, while she had effectively tossed him away?
"Leave us the hell alone and go back to your celebrity life," Leoquin told Angora - her first impression still left him with the idea of someone who had let fame get to her head. "Funny how such a pathetic troll thinks she can look down on others."

Angora was so used to the insults that they ricocheted like a bulletproof vest. So used to them she was, that she was learning to accept this merciless life curse. However, she wanted Veris to have things clear.
"I'm sorry it has come to this Veris. I promise you, this is all part of a misunderstanding. My actions are always misinterpreted, and now unfortunately, they don't want me to come with Shade. My family. They are also forbidding the kind Maverick from going with him, and he hasn't even done anything wrong." Angora said, hoping that Veris, knowing the intelligent animal he was, would see and feel for himself just how unfairly antagonistic everyone was towards them, even his once noble owner. She was certain Veris remembered the unfair treatment she received from Latnok during the Darkmatter mission, so she hoped he understood the unfortunate injustice that was happening here.

While Angora spoke telepathically with Veris, Maverick proceeded to talk with Sere himself.
"Godfather Sere, I'm surprised you let things go this far. Whatever Ilasi told you, I'm certain you misinterpreted the facts. You know as well as I do that Angora may say things under anger that always sound wrong, but she has assured me that she never said she would interfere with the training and cause any mutiny. You understood facts wrong. I would've expected such a wise and respected man such as yourself to be more patient and comprehensible than this." Maverick said in a calm and polite tone, though not hiding the extreme disappointment. He would've expected this kind of antagonistic and unbecoming behavior from Latnok, not from his superior.

"You have the nerve to talk to me about misinterpreting the facts as you call me a traitor to my face when I had been working as hard as I have to salvage what I could of the disaster of Shade deliberately breaking laws, and people - whether directly or indirectly - dying because of what he did?[/i] Sere retorted harshly. "After Angora decides to throw my good name - and that of my entire organization, which, if I need remind you - serves many, many more people than just you? Do you know what I've had to do to make the best of this? Do you think I decided to go to the arena and fight in a life-or-death situation for fun? No - that was damage control. And now - tell me how I can possibly interpret a statement about 'not wanting to risk us making things worse with our methods' as anything other than a plan to interfere with us. And this is from someone who has made every attempt to cooperate as little as she possibly could with us in the past - I'm supposed to believe that she has suddenly had a massive change of heart, right after hearing that?
"Your business here is done. Now you ingrates can get out of my presence. Shade - get on the boat. Now."

Raclaw watched as the events unfolded; his head hung low. He had tried to convince Godfather Sere of Angora's good intentions, but had so at a time where the Guardian head was still very much angry with the troll's recent actions. He had seen many sides of Sere, but never that side-- and knew that the stress of it all was finally getting to him. Within the span of a month, they had gone two 'trials' and seen just how destructive Shade could be. And now they would be the ones responsible, in addition to himself, for training Shade and ensuring that such a thing never happened again. He didn't approach ether Angora or Maverick, knowing that nether would be happy to see him. For better or worse-- the old 'party' was split up and there was little he could do to fix that. Unless Mav was successful-- 'Or not.,' Raclaw thought with a sigh. Chester looked up at Raclaw and wished he could somewhere remedy the problem, seeing how much it hurt his furry friend. Risar stood by, not intending to interfere unless Angora caused more trouble.

Angora lowered her head, clearly not in the mood to fight or ave any rebuttal, fearing that once again, her words may come off as wrong and be misinterpreted again. Maverick looked at her... and then remembered something important she told him in the days that passed.
"You know señor Sere, Angorita told me that she had been happy. Happy that you were going to let her come to this voyage and be with Shade. She had spoken nice thing about you, and señor Latnok. She told me that you and Latnok did your bests to save her in the arena, and that she had been very grateful. She was really looking forward to this voyage, and hopefully, start from zero with you two. She really wanted to improve herself and hopefully be on better terms with you... until all of the sudden, you surprised her with that prohibition because of something that she supposedly said. Why the sudden antagonism señor Sere? Why do you insist of seeing her as this horrible creature? Why did you immediately assume she said such terrible words and would do such things when Ilasi gave you that report? She defeated Darkmatter and saved many lives. She was wrongfully imprisoned twice by Aelinon, kidnapped by a murderous dragon. That without even mentioning how awful her life had been before finding me and Shade. She was separated from us many times in these weeks that passed. And now that we finally have a chance to be together, you want to separate us as well. Why señor Sere? Why do you insist on prolonging her suffering so much? Why did you take such great offense in her words when that was even her intention?" Maverick asked in a respectful matter, resisting his need to tear up, and wondering why Sere took such a villainous attitude towards her, which even extended to him.

"You want to know why? I have already told you," Sere said. He continued in a tone that was slightly less aggressive than before. "I have gone out of my way to help you two. I have tried to be kind even when Angora had been highly antagonistic. I even gave you two those awards - which put my name on the line. And what do I get in return? You consider me a traitor, and Angora decided that Shade was more important than every single person our organization helps when she decided to damn my good name with her confession. Do you understand now? Do you understand why I do not trust you? What has my kindness and trust gotten me so far? Nothing but betrayal.
"And you refuse to even acknowledge it. Because, Maverick, in your eyes, because we kill things, we are villains. It doesn't matter what - as long as there is any sort of fighting, no matter how unreasonable peaceful solutions may be, you will consider us villains. You have already shown yourself to be incapable of tolerating any criticism of Angora - even as she displayed the same hostile behavior you now criticize yourself. And now, calling me a traitor because I didn't walk in and say that I wanted a dragon who killed hundreds to be let free? You are incapable of seeing anything other than your two friends." Sere stopped for a moment to give Maverick a chance to absorb his words.
"Now, you tell me, Maverick - after all I have experienced, do you think that I - a man who has more than you three to look after - would be wise in allowing those who have betrayed me to accompany me on a ship? What proof do you have that you are anything but what you have shown me you are so far?"
Latnok stood by, grabbing his bow once again. "Latnok... please put the bow down," Ilasi requested.
"Just ready to do what I have to," Latnok said.
"But they haven't attacked us, or even shown a weapon!"
"I haven't stayed alive this long by not taking the opportunity to be prepared." Ilasi, with nothing more she could say, just put her head down once again.

Maverick breathed calmly, maintaining his gentle disposition. He wasn't the least bit surprised that Latnok was adopting a hostile disposition.
"It's true I called you a traitor señor Sere. And for that, I apologize. I never realized it until that time, you were secretly helping Angora. I wish you could've just told me that and I never would've gotten that angry. Yes, I do care for Angorita, maybe a little too much in your eyes. But do you really think... it's so wrong to love her? Angorita has suffered so much in life, which is why I feel like it's my duty to protect her. If I don't care for her, who else will?" Maverick said, wanting Sere to know how sorry he was and to make him and everyone else to understand why he was so insistently loyal to Angora.
"Our family just grew when Shade came along. We are aware that he needs help, but so far, nobody has given us the chance to do that. Which is why we wanted to go with him señor Sere... if you only gives us that chance." Maverick continued saying with his meek and gentle voice, trying his hardest to make Sere reconsider his decision. All the while, Angora simply remained there, silent. Her gaze drifted from Veris to Shade. She was letting Shade cuddle her for as long as it lasted as she waited for a miracle to happen. She was praying for this Ishulgu deity to help them, whoever he was. As she did, she also wondered if Veris was starting to hate her for what Sere and Latnok told him...

Latnok kept his bow up for a few moments - he lowered it, however, when Sere seemed to take his time to think rather than immediately rebuff Maverick. Time seemed to pass for what would seem like days - at least to everyone involved in the situation. Finally, Sere spoke.
"I will give you one more chance. One more. But know my terms - you will not question me, or disobey my orders. You will not cause any trouble with the crew that are loyal to me, either by affiliation or contract. You will not interfere in any way with what we have to do to train Shade. If I get the slightest hint of disloyalty from you, then I will remove you from my crew - immediately. I will leave you marooned on land, and I will jettison you at sea. Those are my terms. You can take those terms, or you can leave. The choice is yours."
Leoquin didn't even try to hide his disappointment. Ilasi lifted her head and looked, listening in more attentively, as she was filled with a sense of relief and hope.

Raclaw's eyes lit up and his head lifted upon hearing Godfather Sere's words. Maverick had actually done it and managed to convince Sere, even if it was reluctantly-- and only for one more time. He knew that the Guardian head was very serious when it came to his threats and this was indeed... their last chance. 'Don't screw this up, Angora.,' he thought to himself as he awaited Maverick's response, his spirits lifted. Chester and Risar paid close attention.

Angora's heart stopped it's fast beating, unable to believe this lucky break. This was it. This was the miracle they needed. What the bug man just talked about. She wasn't a fan of the terms, but at least it meant they would be with Shade.
"Thank you señor Sere. Thank you so much. This is all we want. And we understand." Maverick said, his eyes glistening at the notion. Finally, they got what they wanted. Shade didn't have to be separated from them after all. He looked at Angora and nodded, glad that they did it. Angora wanted to say something of her own, but she remained silent, terrified of the words that could come from her. She has become afraid of her own speech, so she said nothing, not wanting to ruin Maverick's hard earned success.

"Everyone, get on the boat," Sere ordered. "Everyone."
Latnok sighed, but didn't express any further disapproval. He knew that Sere fully intended to follow through with his threats, should the two not follow the terms. "Well... nothing I haven't dealt with before," he said, to nobody in particular. Ilasi tried hard to hide her excitement - she instead began making her way across the gangplank. Leoquin had a very clear look of displeasure on his face, but said nothing, not wanting to question the man paying him. He instead followed right after Ilasi onto the boat.
"I'm happy that they can come with us!" Veris said. "We will have such a good time together!"
"I wouldn't count on it," Latnok said. "Let's move." Sere approached Veris, who lowered himself to allow him to mount. They flew onto the main deck of the ship - they could stay on the deck for now, and there was a large structure on the upper level of the boat which would allow both Veris and Shade to fit should rain come.

Maverick and Angora made their way to the gangplank, ignoring everybody. Before getting into the ship, Maverick brought Dahlia with him, having thought of releasing her, but the dirt buffalo had become too attached to him. He covered her eyes to prevent her from getting nervous around Veris. He placed her in a room below the ship and then returned to the hull. He was quite happy that they at least they could be with Shade at last, but knew Angora had a different expression. When Maverick got up, he looked briefly at Ilasi, blushing and lowering his head as he touched the back of his neck. He felt too embarrassed to interact with her, so he didn't approached the mermaid. He then decided to maintain his focus on Angora for now, but when he looked for her, she has disappeared. She then found her at one corner of the hull, far away from the rest of crew. Maverick then went to her.

"Hey little trolly. Why the long face? We did it. We will get to be with Shade. Isn't that what you wanted?" Maverick asked, having expected at least a little smile on her.
"I hope you're ready to receive a lot of hatred and insults Maverick. It's clear that everyone here hates us. Maybe I deserve it, but you don't. I wouldn't have gone though with it if it wasn't for Shady." Angora said, showing that she wasn't worried about herself. Neither Maverick or Shade deserved this.
"Come on Angorita. Don't say that. If they ever get to see the real you, I'm sure many of them will know how special you really are. Besides, not everyone hates you. That wyvern is crazy about you! I saw that lick. He truly loves you." Maverick said, trying to cheer her up.
"Get real Maverick! That wyvern never loved me either! All he ever loved was the fact that I give him snacks! As soon as he saw me, he immediately asked if I had food! Don't you see? Nobody will ever love me for who I am! Nobody besides you and Shady at least! Now please leave me alone! Just... give me some space for a while, alright?" Angora rebuffed, dismissing Maverick. It made him so sad to see her that way and wished he could say something, but nothing came. He did as was told and decided to give her some space. He knew she really needed that. He went to the other side of the hull to keep an eye on her, looking at the port and Redwater from the distance. He wondered where his fox friends were at the moment. He wished he could've said goodbye, but for now, he hoped this was just a brief farewell...

After it seemed that the last crew member boarded, Sere took accountability - everyone was, indeed, present. With that, he gave the order to lift anchor; soon, the ship was in motion. Not wasting any time, Sere immediately came to Maverick.
"You will make sure that we keep our bearing," he said curtly. "Calculate our path and give the other sailors directions so they can stay on it. I will be verifying this myself every now and then - do not let me find out that you are trying to throw us off course." Without waiting for a response, he began walking away - he did not expect any sort of questioning of the order, except for clarification.

Out on deck, Ilasi was looking out at Redwater, as it became further and further away. With nothing in particular to do, Leoquin, being the only other merman on the boat, joined her.
"Well, looks like we'll have a lot of excitement ahead of us," he said. "Have you ever done anything like this?"
"No, I haven't," Ilasi answered - less than happy thinking about what she has done. "I've been working some of the more undesirable jobs... the money certainly helps me support myself, though. I've also gotten the opportunity to learn new magic every now and then. Not too long ago, I was taught a water purification spell.
"Ah. Not big on magic myself, but I know a spell or two - nothing big, helps with fishing. I was speaking with Latnok the other day - apparently one of his jobs is to teach people to cast spells. He apparently even taught the princess over there how to channel magic. She's been less than grateful, from what I hear..."
"I'd... rather not hear rumors about her..."
"Well, you don't need rumors to know how stuck up she is," Leoquin asserted. "You've seen it for yourself - just a mention of not wanting someone who looks to cause trouble, and she blows up on you. You shouldn't have to put up with that. No one should have to."
"I don't know," Ilasi said. "She might have just had a bad day. All of my other experiences with her haven't been too bad. In fact, she's even helped me once."
"Really?"
"Yes, when I was cleaning up a lake one day, she helped me grab weapons and other objects which fell into the water, despite not being amphibious."
"Well... still, she has a serious problem. Don't sweat yourself on her account. No one else has any sort of issue with you. I think that says more about her character than yours."
"I just want us to all get along... I've had some pretty bad work environments. I'd rather not have another one..." Dangers were something Ilasi was willing to accept - infighting, however, completely ruined her mood.

Angora's hearing was sharp. She was hearing Leoquin and Ilasi's conversation with some disdain, but nevertheless avoided looking in their direction. She heard the mermaid trying to say nice things about her, but she remained indifferent to her weak attempts. She once thought highly of Ilasi, but that single action of her part ruined everything. Angora didn't want to feel this way, but sadly, the troll was still too furious with her for creating this mess in the first place. She didn't want to talk or even look at her, her grudge still being too strong. So as she has done, she continued ignoring her and everybody else on that ship, including Veris himself. The wyvern was once the only being kind to her, but now Angora firmly believed that their friendship has been a lie all along, and that Veris only cared about food and nothing else. She had Shade and Maverick, nobody else. She wasn't going to try to befriend anybody fearing that it would simply give the crew an excuse to insult and belittle her. After all, she was a troll. No matter the thousands times she tried to be good, that's all that people were ever going to see.

Quote: A Guy

After it seemed that the last crew member boarded, Sere took accountability - everyone was, indeed, present. With that, he gave the order to lift anchor; soon, the ship was in motion. Not wasting any time, Sere immediately came to Maverick.
"You will make sure that we keep our bearing," he said curtly. "Calculate our path and give the other sailors directions so they can stay on it. I will be verifying this myself every now and then - do not let me find out that you are trying to throw us off course." Without waiting for a response, he began walking away - he did not expect any sort of questioning of the order, except for clarification.

"Trust me señor Sere, that's the last thing on my mind. I will lend my experience, but in exchange all I ask for your crew to treat me with courtesy. They don't need to like me. They don't even have to respect me. I feel the bad vibe already. All I want for my services is to be treated politely. After all, we're all civilized people here." Maverick said with the same curtly air as Sere, realizing that he was taking advantage of his presence to use his experience as a pirate to help him navigate this complicated ship, even after the hard time the old Guardian gave them. He found it to be quite hypocrite of him, yet he said nothing and decided to be quiet and mature about it. Silence was always better when it came to these rather egocentric people.

As he spoke, he looked at Ilasi, and got very saddened when he saw her speaking with Leoquin. He could tell even from there that the man was a mermen himself. His imprisonment in Orcford and his time in Redwater taught Maverick to identify them. He lowered his head in shame and defeat, believing that he missed his chance with her...

Sere, still rather unhappy with the trio despite his compromising, immediately turned back to retort. "The only things you're going to be asking me for are orders, directions, and the tools to do your job," he growled, before walking away again, in search of Angora. Maverick and Angora weren't going to get his forgiveness for free - they were going to have to earn it.
Being somewhat familiar with the ship, and with Angora's mood by now, it wasn't long before he found Angora curled up somewhere. She wasn't just going to coast through here. "You're not just going to sit here and sulk aboard my ship," he said. "Go make yourself useful. Serve the off-duty sailors their food and rum. I won't tolerate any complaints about it."

Ilasi and Leoquin, after a bit more time talking, ended their conversation. Ilasi would now seek out Latnok - could he help her improve her magic further? She couldn't find him at the moment, however. She wondered how some of the others were faring... She considered speaking with Maverick, but after what she said, which Angora no doubt told Maverick, she was rather afraid of the rejection - so she would wait for him to approach her, if he chose to. She considered trying to speak with Angora, but had a strong suspicion that her reaction would be less than savory. She would just remain on the deck for now, waiting for orders from Sere or anyone he delegated responsibility to.
Leoquin, meanwhile, was trying to find someone to spar with, wanting to keep up his form. He wondered who some of the better warriors on the craft would be - he briefly considered Risar, but figured that the minotaur would break his bones by accident. Sere would no doubt be too busy, and Latnok was nowhere to be seen right now. Who else on the ship was skilled with weapons...