darkSpyro

"Kept your cool?" Angora said naughtily, grinning.
"I seem to recall you threatening to eat me. Or... break my little head as you put it?" she taunted, remembering the exact words of those threats in case she needed them as leverage. Now she was simply using them to tease him and have a little fun. As she talked, she wondered how Maverick was doing, and how the cute Alya was making him feel. No doubt to her he was spending a wonderful time, and she intended to do the same with Shade.

"Oh? Amnesia now, are we? How about I grab a stick and poke you with it to see if that wakes up your memory? And those teeth, they'll still make a good necklace." Angora continued teasing, nearly punching one of his eyes to make him flinch. Although it was a long time ago, Angora still loved taunting Shade playfully just to see him react.

At Alya's house, time stood still for Maverick. After drinking the carrot soup, Alya made a bed for him on one portion of her bedroom, and the two of them talked about many things, reading each other bedtime stories, playing games and telling part of their lives. It has been a while since Maverick felt so happy. He wished Shade and Angora could be with him right now, but at least they weren't alone. They still had each other, and Maverick had the sweet little Alya. How he loved this girl.

Angora laughed, finding a huge creature like him flinching in such a way too funny.
"Nah. Your eye is too big for a necklace. Your teeth though..." Angora said naughtily, as she grabbed one of his teeth and pretended she was pulling hard to take one off. She then moved from one teeth to another, soon practically doing gimnastics around his snout. She was really loving this time with Shade. It was just like old times. She owed a thousand thanks to Maverick for getting them here, even if they have to ocasionally suffer some emotional bullying in order to remain there.

"Ooooh, the big, bad dragon wants to attack me? Heh heh, go ahead, I'd like to see you try." Angora said challengingly, stopping her attempt to glare at him from her snout. Some of the night was basically a Mexican standoff between them, and as they played, Angora couldn't believe that this gentle, playful dragolet was able to cause such destruction. It wasn't on purpose, was it? There had to be foul play, wasn't there? Well one way or the other, Shade's overprotectiveness was part of the problem, and since she wasn't going to receive any hexphage cure, she was going to take advantage of the time with him.

At Alya's house, the two friends were spending a great time. That was... until Alya brought a rather unpleasant subject.
"Say Mavi, I must say I never expected a girl to be on that ship full of scary people. I mean, you aren't scary, but you know, I've always heard that a ship's control is mostly men's job." Alya said as to avoid offending him.
"Yes, well, she's a mermaid, so you know, she has many talents." Maverick explained, his earlier exitement disappearing.
"That's even cooler. If I could work on the ship, I would... Mavi? What's wrong?" Alya asked concerned, noticing his uneasiness.
"It's nothing Alya. You were saying?" Maverick said, trying to avoid the subject. But Alya was smarter than most little girls.
"The mermaid, she was watching you. I noticed when you gave me the tour. Yeah, she watched you a lot. Are you two...?" Alya started to ask, but Maverick stopped her there.
"Oh no no Alya. Not like that. We're just companions on the same ship. That is all. It's not... going to work out..." Maverick said sadly, preferring to leave the details out.
"What for? Because you're different species? That's silly! In many of the stories I've read, the most famous romances are the ones where the couple are different species that believe that can never work out or where the families are against it. A few of them are even based on true stories. Why, you think I'd waste my time having many doubts and thinking about the difference in species? If I ever find a man I like, I won't hesitate. That mermaid is just being silly. How can she even doubt of being with someone like you? Why, if I met someone like you, I won't wait for someone to steal you away. Too bad I'm not older." Alya said in an almost flirty matter, surprising Maverick. Seems like the shocks for the nights weren't done. He couldn't help but to laugh at Alya's cute certainty. He wanted to tell her what was really going on, but decided to leave her out of that mess.

Quote: A Guy

As Raclaw played around with Leoquin, he smiled like a giddy child at a fair. "Wow, that's amazing! So you don't actually disappear - but you make it look like you do? That's actually very clever! Though... is there any way to have it work against someone you don't know is there?"
"Well, about that..." Latnok said. "We haven't gotten to test it thoroughly yet, but Raclaw and I can combine some of our abilities. Between awareness of the area around us, and knowledge about what's coming soon, we should be able to prepare for any enemy that would otherwise catch us off guard... say, Leoquin, you were the deadliest one of us the other day - how do you feel about having killed a few hundred people?" Latnok asked as nonchalantly as he could, going on a tangent.
"Eh... part of the job," Leoquin said. "I know they'd do the same to me. Why, do you think I'm having doubts about the job?"
"No, I'm not saying that. It's just that some people... well, some people get haunted by that sort of thing - feel incredible guilt. Just let me know if anything's wrong."
"I'll keep that in mind," Leoquin said. "Thanks for the concern. Please - I have every intention of following through with the job. I'm not like that furball who can't stand the sight of anything bad. Someone has to win - and I sure intend it to be whatever side I'm on."

"Well for what it's worth, you did good out there. Seeing those ships sink one by one-- it was an impressive sight.," Raclaw said recalling the battle and the mermad's participation in it. He had been surprised at just well he had done in it.. and how impressive his than new weapon was. If it wasn't for the artifact and for Damon's part in helping control it, he wouldn't have been nearly as useful in that battle. It was also proving surprisingly useful in other areas as well. They had managed to turn it into on-demand armor and it has even proven its usefulness in keeping the young playful at time energic Chester entertained. "Risar impressed-- see ships sink. Furball less impressive, but decent cook.," Risar commented regarding Maverick. Chester watched as Raclaw playfully swung his tail, recalling the battle. The little Beagle wondered what else the tail band could do; it might even help make up for the furry duo's lack of human hands. Raclaw's tail was seemingly very agile and nearly as long as his body itself-- the perfect spot for such an artifact.

Angora's strength couln't match Shade's, so she couldn't get away. She loved playing with him, but just like with Veris, she hated licking.
"Come on! You're showing affection, not sucking a lollipop." she said rather frustratingly, though letting him since it was making him so happy. As this play section came to an end, Angora felt exhausted, and then remembered something important.
"Oh drat! Maverick forgot to bring us snacks. Oh well, what's he's doing is more important. It was bound to happen. I can't go into the kitchen, but I can fish something for you if you want. I know you aren't fond of fish, but it'll have to do. Want to eat something or you want to wait for breakfast tomorrow?" Angora asked, not feeling very hungry herself, though imagined Shade was.

At Alya's house, the duo prepared to sleep, but not before doing shadow puppets by candlelight. Alya's parents, particularly her father, usually checked on them, not trusting a stranger like Maverick with his daughter despite his innocent appearance. Maverick understood, and was more than open to the vigilance. The folk's attentiveness made him even feel a little envious of Alya. She had both parents who cared so much about her, and a farm that gave them most of their resources things he lacked in his own life, yet she dreamed of adventure and navigation. If only she knew how precious her life was.

The little troll tried to slip away from her giant friend's claws, but she didn't want to overexhaust herself.
"Fine fine. Then we'll wait for breakfast together. Now come on. Let's get some sleep." Angora said, preparing herself to slumber away, and getting ready to get used to that position just in case Shade was planning to grasp her all night. By this time, Maverick was falling asleep as well, all his worries and heartbreak drifted away that night. Fate was kind enough to let him meet a sweet little angel like Alya to help him in such a hard time. He had wondered how Angora was doing, but imagined she was more than fine spending time with Shade. He fell asleep before even realizing he never brought them the meal he promised, but after the day he had, it slipped his mind.

Before going to sleep, Angora had too much to think about. She felt that only Maverick and Shade loved her, nobody else. Her brother loved her once, but with the raid going on through Aelinon, chances are he died during the war. The little troll was pondering too much that night. Why was Latnok still so cruel to her? And Sere... what happened to him? Why was he suddenly antagonistic as well? Won't they ever see that she was genuinely trying very hard to change her behavior? And that jerk Leoquin, he didn't even know them and yet he gave them the worse treatment, even to the sweet, kind Maverick. And Ilasi, just what was the deal with that mermaid? Was she always like that? Or was her mind corrupted by those three? How could she do that to such a marvelous man like Maverick? Why couldn't she give him a chance? After Ilasi gave her that apple back in the Redwater prison, Angora really thought she was different, but she was just a racist, overly sensible being just like the rest. The only one besides Maverick and Shade that was still nice to her was Veris. How ironic it was that an animal was the only other one capable of showing her an ounce of care.

Angora only managed a few hours of sleep, thinking about too many things. Was it true? Did Ilasi had a point? Was she holding Maverick back? Was his life and Shade's would be better if she wasn't around? Couldn't be. If something was to happen to her, she knew the two of them would suffer. Why couldn't anybody see they were a family? Was their job breaking families? There was no such thing as pets or subjects among the three of them, so why everybody in that accursed ship insisting on the worse? In a moment of deep depression and sorrow, Angora gently slipped away from Shade's coil and grabbed a pair of small, leathered gloves that were visible in one of the pirate's recovered goods to prevent the hexphage from infecting anything she touched. Then using ink and paper kept near the mast to do writing about the navigation progress, Angora started writing something. It was a letter for the captain and his second-in-command Latnok. It was full of sad, profound letters.

But then, before signing it, Angora had a change of heart. Was this really necessary? Was she giving up too fast? Wrinkling the paper into a ball, Angora discarded it at sea to let be disintegrated by the water, believing that there was no need for her to be this sad too fast. She has been on that ship for only two days, and like Maverick, she wanted to remain hopeful that everything would slowly be better for them.

Putting away the gloves, Angora returned to the same position she was before, having gotten used to Shade's warm coil. Wanting to forget about her thought and that awful letter, the little troll went back to sleep, determined to wake up with the rays of the sun as her alarm clock.

With the group's conversations concluded, Latnok and Leoquin left to turn in for the night, with Ilasi and Sere already sleeping, though the latter would be up before long to inspect the ship before resting more.
As the night went by, the skeleton crew rotated, giving others the opportunity to sleep. The night was uneventful for those on the ship, with the only possible disturbance being the occasional waves. Nevertheless, the watch stayed vigilant - there could always be a straggler, or someone in the brig could try something.

Sere had stirred from his sleep, slightly before the arrival of first light. He felt that he was hungry, but that could be solved on the move. He had other things to attend to.
Before long, he was in the wyvern's enclosure, in his armor. Veris roused from slumber the moment Sere walked in, eagerly greeting his rider - and salivating in anticipation of food. Sere, expecting as much, tossed Veris a chunk of a barracuda that Leoquin had caught in his spare time, which he downed without hesitation.
"Veris, we're going flying," Sere said. Veris lowered himself to allow Sere to mount, and the duo was soon out in the sky, Veris gleeful at the exercise.

Latnok was up soon after - by the time he had his armor on and stepped out onto the main deck, however, Sere and Veris had already taken off, with Latnok catching a glimpse of them just as they left the ship.
Not many were awake right now - not that it bothered Latnok. He had some training of his own. First, however, he would locate Shade, to make sure he didn't disappear.
Focusing his mind on the collar, Latnok called for it to reveal its location. Soon, he had acquired the information he was looking for - Shade was off sleeping outside. Latnok didn't give him permission to stay out sleeping - did Shade think he could just go wherever he pleased? Maybe, though... just maybe... he would be lenient this once.
On the edge of the ship, Latnok castsome magic, focusing on the water - he would pull up a ball of it, which he would keep in front of him. He was going to see if he couldn't find some new ways to manipulate this - maybe teach Ilasi a thing or two, to keep her on her toes - or her fins, depending on the circumstance.

When morning came, Angora was still asleep, the rays of the sun blocked by the happy Shade's enormous body surrounding her. For once, the dragolet finally managed to sleep without nightmares or uneasiness haunting him, thus letting Angora able to sleep for the rest of the night. Maverick woke up earlier, his eyes opened by a scent that smelled a lot like cookies. When he woke up, he saw that Alya and her folks were already up.
"Why good morning sleeping beauty. You really have a deep sleep. I even pulled your hair once and you didn't even flinched." Alya greeted playfully, having fun with him. If there was something that distinguished Maverick, was his ability to sleep without interruptions.
"Look. Mommy taught me to bake cookies. It's my first time making them, so I'm not sure if they'll be good." she said meekly, but Maverick only smiled, knowing that if the cookies were as good as they smelled, it would be fine. He sat for breakfast, having eggs, grapes and orange juice. The food was divine, and when he had one of Alya's cookies, the morning became perfect.

After the hearty meal, Alya's folks let Maverick take what was left of the cooking for him to take to Angora and Shade, knowing they would love a varied cook. He placed the leftover food in his hyperspace bag, but took Alya's bag of cookies and placed them in his largest pocket in order to enjoy the scent on his way to the ship.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality. I'm not sure when will set off again, but I'll try to let you know little Alya." Maverick assured, ready to leave. Alya wanted to walk him to the ship, but her folks didn't let her this time. Maverick agreed with them, things being a little tense in the voyage. He assured Alya that he would visit her for a while later today if the ship didn't leave, wanting to enjoy her company again as soon as his assigned chores were done. He then left, already seeing part of the ship at the distance. He wasn't sure if Latnok or Sere would take offense to him leaving the ship and sleeping somewhere else, but even if they did, it wouldn't matter to him. He had a great time with Alya, and nothing was going to change or ruin that.

As morning gradually came and Chester soon awoke-- it wasn't too long 'till Raclaw had awoken as well. The still very young Beagle didn't need much in the way of sleep, at least when he actually went to bed on time, and Raclaw was quickly learning to adapt to his four legged friend's sleeping schedule. It was hard to imagine waking up and not seeing the furry face that was Chester alert and ready to go. The two were able to share their own little special bond and even though almost no telepathy was involved, he didn't doubt that it was a bond that remain strong and last throughout Chester's life. In a way -- it kept Raclaw more down to earth and reminded him of where he came from. He had grown up alongside a dog, had been there for all of their life experiences, and now... was destined to do the same again.

As he gently awoke to the sunlight, he briefly stared out the single window and recalled some of his final moments on the farm. "Collar.. Symbol.," he gently spoke aloud and for the first time in a long time-- a very familiar claw-shaped tag appeared hanging from the silver D-ring. Lifting a paw, he pushed up on the underside of the tag and took one long look at it before internally undoing the previously spoken command and hiding the tag once again. Visible or not, it would always be part of him and he would never forget that. "What.. what was that?," Chester gently barked observing the fur dragon's moment and becoming curious. "It-- it was and is my past. In my youth, it served to identify me and marked me as an owned dragon. Now.. now it is no longer needed, but will always be a part of my collar and who I am.," Raclaw responded internally triggering the command again and fully revealing the tag to Chester. The tag immediately appeared once again revealing it sharp triangle-shaped edges and name "RACLAW" clearly etched on the front. "Like.. like the one I used to have. I.. I miss the missus. She used to be kind to me, even when he wasn't. I.. I wish I had something to remember her by.," Chester said referring to his old owners and his old life. "You do-- inside. You may not have any physical processions from your old life, but you'll always have your memories. Keep them safe and treasure them-- and you will never lose that.," Raclaw responded speaking of a field he was very knowledgeable in. As the two briefly talked and comforted each other-- they soon stepped out of their room, down the hallways, and out onto the main deck.

It didn't take long for Raclaw's sharp mind to sense Latnok-- and the two had figured that their beloved Guardian would already be up anyway. The two furry friends gently approached from behind, but didn't immediately say anything not wanting to interrupt the magic. Chester watched in awe as Latnok pulled up the water and held the bubble suspended in front of him in mid air. Meanwhile, Risar had already gotten the prisoners up and working them for the day-- taking extra care to keep the prisoner that Maverick had previously watched very very busy. "Risar said scrub not sweep!," the large minotaur shouted on one of the lower decks. "Yes sir.. yes Risar.," the worked prisoner responded finishing the task with both haste and urgency. He would have a very long day indeed -- and that was after he had been briefly starved a mere two days prior.

Soon, Maverick arrived at the ship, with a few sailors already up and at 'em. Nobody seemed to pay attention to him or gave much importance to his presence, so his first move was to greet his two friends.
"Buenos dias mi familia. Look guys, look at what Alya's folks gave to me. This is for you Angorita, eggs with grapes and carrot juice." he said as he took her meal from his hyperspace bag.
"And for you Oscurito, they had bacon, eggs and goat's milk. I gave it a taste, and it is delicious." Maverick said as he took a large bowl with the eggs and meat, as well as a bucket of milk. Alya's farm was small, and they only had chickens, pigs and goats, but it was still big enough to provide for their small, humble family. Even though Shade and Angora enjoyed his cooking, he knew they would appreciate something different this once.

"And check it out. Little Alya baked these cookies just for you. It was her first time, yet they are divine." Maverick assured, with Angora wasting no time and grabbing a cookie as her first bite of the day. Her fawn friend wasn't wrong.
"Bless her little soul. That girl really is something else." Angora commented happily, leaving some of her pride behind to praise the gentle, energetic child. She left a pile of the cookies besides her to start with the real breakfast first, paying attention to Shade to see how he would react to this unique meal. She was grateful to the heavens for letting them meet such a wonderful kid, who made their difficult life on the ship more bearable. Maverick already had his meal, so he prepared to go into the kitchen to make breakfast for the crew.
"Well, my turn to cook. I'm not as good with breakfast as with lunches, but it's worth it to keep the crew happy." the young hybrid said as he disappeared down the stairs. Angora wanted to say something, but decided to let him be. She hated how much he was trying to be a good sailor and going the extra mile, yet still receiving the resentment of so many. She wasn't going to act out on it, but if she hated how Shade was being treated, she despised even more how the kind hearted Maverick had to suffer as well.

Latnok maintained his focus, keeping the ball of water suspended despite the approach of some of his companions. He turned to face them, the water moving with him.
"Good morning," he greeted. "You two are up early. Just doing some magic practicw - can't let my student show me up with her own magic." Manipulating the ball, Latnok shaped the water into several shapes - polygons, then a rope, then a chain. "You know, I've been thinking - water by itself isn't too substantial - but, taking a bit of force magic, perhaps..." Latnok would need a training dummy to test his theory.

Ilasi woke up, rather groggy on account of having difficulty falling back asleep after stirring from her sleep in the middle of the night. The thoughts of yesterday were still fresh in her mind. Was she too hasty? Or was Maverick really just a hopeless man, forever bound to the terrible influence that was the troll? She would get breakfast a bit later - first, she would head out to the deck. Latnok was often up early - perhaps she would surpris him this time.

Angora couldn't help but smile at Shade's overwhelming happiness. It wasn't every day they had a meal as fine as this.
"Just don't tell Maverick that. He might get offended if he think you praised another's food more than his." Angora said jokingly, though she couldn't deny the food was splendid. Perhaps it was the variation that made it taste even better than Maverick's.
"But yeah, the food is very good. You should try the cookies. That little girl you met yesterday made them, and they're as good as they smell." she then suggested, unable to contain her need to nibble on another one while she was still having the main breakfast. As she said that, she couldn't help but to chuckle a little at the prospect of a dragon eating cookies. It was funny enough seeing him drink milk like a large kitten. If there was something good about Shade, is that he wasn't very selective. Asides from fish, he could eat practically anything without complaining.

At the kitchen, Maverick was preparing breakfast. He was taking longer than usual due to the poor quality of the fire. How he missed cooking by Shade's own breathing fire. It was faster and the food tasted better, but worse was nothing. He made a great variety, from omelets, pancakes, boiled and scrambled eggs, sandwiches, bacon, sausage and oatmeal. Fortunately, the kitchen was very big, so he could cook many things at once and then it was only a matter of waiting for the sides to be prepared and then turn it around and wait some more. It wasn't the most fun of the ship, but it did kept Maverick entertained, and after the heavenly breakfast he just had, he was inspired and motivated.

"Chester actually went to bed on time.," Raclaw said with a slight smile looking down at the little Beagle. "Hey-- don't tell me you never have energy that you need to expend before settling down.," Chester said in a somewhat playful bark. "I'm sure we can find something more for you to do like say... learning how to swim.," Raclaw responded back in a similar tone and with a slight smirk. "Anyway, anything can be substantial with enough force-- take a piece of paper for example. Even the softest material can cut under the right circumstances.," Raclaw then said in common looking at Latnok. He recalled a time when such an incident that inadvertently shaved some of his chin hair in his youth, during his more playful 'dog' days. Although with Chester and Latnok, he felt more playful and at ease than ever. Perhaps it was the human company, the dog company, the bond, or some combination of the three.

"Exactly." Latnok quickly scanned the deck, seeing a training dummy off in the distance with a few arrows stuck in it, left by one of the sailors practicing their archery. Maintaining his control of the water, he began walking - then running - toward it.
Once he was close enough, he brought the water around the neck of the dummy - and changed it from a rope to a ring, which then shrank drastically. Forcefully squeezing his right hand, the gem in the gauntlet glimmering as he pulled his arm toward himself as if pulling the dummy, he applied more and more pressure to the dummy - eventually, he released, the watwr splashing to the deck.
Ilasi had come out, just in time to see Latnok perform the maneuver. Curious, she came to inquire about the technique. "Good morning, Latnok," she said. "If I may ask... what was that?"
Latnok smiled. "Ah, Ilasi, good to see you," he said. "That was a demonstration of the power of combining multiple kinds of magic. Water magic is most effective with a malleable, creative mind. Us Guardians use a form of magic known as force magic, which is more in-the-moment and alters the way force is applied. Combine both of them, and you can make the water substantial enough to apply pressure, which can be used to, for example, asphyxiate a target."
Ilasi looked at the aftermath - the dummy wasn't visibly damaged, but that would be understandable. "You always seem to be imagining more creative ways to use things as weapons." Ilasi didn't feel strongly about it one way or the other - though combat wasn't her forte, she wasn't a pacifist.
"Of course I do. As a wise man once said... have a plan to kill everyone you meet."
"...even me?"
"ESPECIALLY you." Latnok gave a chuckle - more classic Guardian humor. Ilasi smiled - though it wasn't her kind of humor, Latnok's amusement rubbed off on her.

Raclaw watched as Latnok performed the new manuvue and what would've been impressive results had it been done on a actual person. It was certainly an creative and effective idea-- similar to the shapeshifting his own artifact could do, albeit not limited to a specific body part or requiring direct contact with the desired target. It was as if Latnok had done a chokehold to the training dummy, only from a distance. As Ilasis came out and Latnok displayed some of his unique Guardian humor, Raclaw gave a smile understanding the intent of it more and more. "Well-- you know what they say. Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer. Or eh.. something along those lines at least.," he then added mostly accurately recalling the infamous line.

It was a line that very much reflected the Guardians as a whole-- capturing dangerous creatures to train against, keeping other uncontrolled creatures contained, and collaring/training other creatures as needed. Of course, with his help, perhaps they may be able to persuade more creatures verses the alternatives. His telepathy was still much more advanced than that of the Guardians and he would remain a valuable asset so long as they had him. His telepathy had already proven to be a great asset when it came to Veris and the appropriately named Storm Claw before that-- and now he was even able to talk to Maverick's mount. The limits to his abilities were still unknown and it remained to be seen where exactly the telepathic fur dragon's limits were.

With this breakfast, Angora was certain Shade was going to be in a very good mood for a long while. She finished up her meal and now it was the cookies' turn to be consumed. As she gulled them down, she contemplated the training at the distance.
"Always militarily prepared that Latnok." she casually commented to Shade, not feeling envious. She was saved from Latnok's harsh training, but she still contemplated his methods in hopes to at least learn by looking and applying.

It was shortly after that Maverick came with his usual cart, using a bell to call attention to the food.
"BREAKFAST! BREAKFAST HERE!" the young hybrid called, inviting anyone who was nearby and hungry. He did everything with a smile and much politeness, not caring about the few rude scoundrels that composed this singular crew.

Many of the crew came out of wherever they were holed up in upon hearing Maverick's breakfast call. Some were starting to treat him a little less roughly - a few even said thanks, or complimented Maverick on his cooking.
Latnok looked at the food - he would have some later, but for now, he would take the opportunity to talk with the others a bit. "Anything bothering you, Ilasi?" he asked. "Your eyes are bloodshot."
"...oh, just a rough night..." Ilasi said, downplaying the events of the previous night. It wasn't a conversation she felt like having, or one that she thought Latnok would care much for. Latnok was very kind when he was teaching her - he seemed to be all business in most other times, however. She then had a very brief thought about what kind of partner a Guardian would have - if any - before she lost interest in the thought and it left her mind.

Angora watched as the mountain of sailors delighted on Maverick's unique cooking, and was glad that he was at least slowly winning them over. Maverick, true to his real nature, was smiling, and treating everyone politely. He even managed to look at Ilasi without making a strange face, treating her as cordially and respectful as the others. He took out the drinks out, varying from plain water, to different kinds of juices and rum for whatever suited each sailor. He either let them pour it themselves or offered them to the sailors himself, leaving no mystery that he was in quite a marvelous mood. Looking at Ilasi earlier, it did hurt him quite a bit, but he kept his feelings buried deep inside and continued his job, having a bowl set apart for Chester and Raclaw if they come. He already knew their specific needs, so he was prepared.

"You-- you can talk about it if you'll like. Everyone needs an ear to listen every once in awhile.," Raclaw gently said sensing the raw emotions that bubbled to the surface of Ilasi's mind, but not delving any deeper into them. While most only saw the business side of the Latnok, he was fortunate enough to see both sides of the bonded Guardian-- and knew that even he could be gentle listener when he wanted to be. Even if Latnok wasn't entirely interested in the conversation, he was willing to listen at least and that had to be worth something. He would eat afterwards, first giving time to the others and the ongoing conversation. Chester stood aside him and offered an friendly bark of support.

Ilasi gave a small smile at Raclaw's openness - but she was still reluctant. "I'd... I'd rather not talk about it right now," she said.
"Why? Is anyone on the ship giving you problems or anything like that?" Latnok asked. "I can set them straight."
Ilasi hesitated to answer Latnok's rather direct question. "Not really..." she said.
Latnok could tell that Ilasi was trying to avoid the subject. Out of respect for her boundaries, he didn't pry any further. "Well, let me know how we can help you," he said.
"I'll be sure to do that," Ilasi said. "But you know, you and Mr. Sere always seem so busy... do you guys ever have someone to talk to yourselves?"
"Well, yes we do," Latnok said. "At leas I do. I have our good ol' friend here, Raclaw. He's the best friend I could ask for. He's probably my most valuable asset both on and off the battlefield." Latnok grinned as he spoke - his thoughts of Raclaw had grown fonder with time. He really wish he had gotten to know him before.
"So we all have those to support us. Even Angora and Maverick have each other... just know that I and Godfather Sere take the well-being of those on the ship - including your well-being - rather seriously."

As Latnok spoke fondly of him, Raclaw gave a gentle smile and nod. It was only fairly recently that the Guardian had begun to publicly acknowledge their bond and refer to him as a friend-- something that was supposed to be rare for members of the organization. An Guardian, once he went through the process, was left with very few lingering emotions and yet; Latnok had gone above and beyond for him. At first, the circumstances only forced them to work together and the bond eventually became an necessity. As time went on, however, that bond became much much more and grew into a real friendship. "Latnok and I are lucky to have found each other. You could say we help each other.," Raclaw than said with a even bigger grin. "If there's anything I've learned, it's that there's no reason to go it alone when you don't have to. And if you ever need an ear-- just say the word and we'll be here.," he then said gently encouraging future interactions on Ilasi's part but not immediately forcing it upon the mermaid. "Oh-- and Chester too.," Raclaw quickly added with the little Beagle using his long tail to get up on top of his head. The little Chester had done that move than enough times to know that Raclaw really didn't mind. Or at the very least, his lovable climbable friend had never said anything -- and he appreciated the higher view it offered.

As Maverick continued serving the food, Angora shook her head at Shade's naivety.
"Maybe a turning point for Maverick... but not for us. After what happened in Redwater, well, you can guess. As for me, those two have probably talked really bad about me. Heh, it's not like they will ever mentioned what I did with Darkmatter, nor the fact that I was imprisoned by Aelinon for crimes I didn't commit." Angora said rather gloomily, losing some of her good mood. Every sailor in that ship hated her, and she had no doubts it was because of Sere and Latnok, those two monsters in her eyes. They dwelled on the negative to purposely slander her and forget about her good deeds because they enjoyed her suffering... or at least that's Angora thought.

Latnok gave a small smile at Raclaw's encouragement. There were other things to attend to, however. "Well, I think I'm going to have some breakfast, then. What about you?"
Ilasi gave a brief shudder. She was too embarrassed to speak to Maverick again, after what happened last night. She didn't want to let that be known, however. "...would you mind getting a dish for me?"
"Of course," Latnok said. "Any preference?"
"Surprise me, please!" Though it was pretty unusual for Ilasi to ask Latnok for anything other than magic lessons or orders, her request didn't strike Latnok as odd. Perhaps she just needed a bit more time to think. Latnok left to get some breakfast.
"Good job on the initiative, Maverick," Latnok complimented. "I can see you're trying - at least as far as you're comfortable with. I still have my doubts, but we'll see how they hold up in more rough times." Without being prompted to, Latnok took two dishes - both the same meat, which he didn't bother to identify.

Back in his cabin, Leoquin began to wake up from sleep, to the smell of delicious food. There was no way he was going to miss breakfast. Though a bit groggy, he began to get out of bed.

"Sure señor Latnok." Maverick replied politely, though not with much enthusiasm. He was making these tasks to keep himself entertained and to kill time, not to do anyone favors. He noticed how uncomfortable Ilasi was, so he avoided looking at her to prevent her from being even more uneasy. He was still hurt with the way she viewed him and the reason she didn't want to give him a chance, but like before, he wasn't going to let that ruin his good mood. He kept his chin up, doing his job as always. The food that was left was for Chester and Raclaw, so he set them aside for them to grab them when they became ready to eat.

Angora wasn't in as good as a mood as Maverick, but she was still trying her best. She enjoyed the last of the cookies, chewing thoroughly instead of guzzling them down like earlier so she could enjoy the flavor. She would do a little work herself, and if lucky, she won't have to see Latnok, Sere, or even the meddling, bullying Leoquin. She just wanted to be in peace, and completely forget about the depressing and absurd letter she made earlier that night.

Quote: Felines

"Sure señor Latnok." Maverick replied politely, though not with much enthusiasm. He was making these tasks to keep himself entertained and to kill time, not to do anyone favors. He noticed how uncomfortable Ilasi was, so he avoided looking at her to prevent her from being even more uneasy. He was still hurt with the way she viewed him and the reason she didn't want to give him a chance, but like before, he wasn't going to let that ruin his good mood. He kept his chin up, doing his job as always. The food that was left was for Chester and Raclaw, so he set them aside for them to grab them when they became ready to eat.

"I think I'm going to get some too.," Raclaw said with a smile motioning for Chester to follow-- not that the dog needed the motivation. Raclaw quickly looked the selection as Latnok grabbed his and Illasi's meals. "It all looks very delicious Maverick, don't you agree Chester?," he politely commented and looked down at the Beagle. Chester offered an friendly bark and used the edge of the table to look at what Maverick had to offer. Raclaw saw that Maverick had already prepared a couple bowls for them each containing a variety of the remaining offerings. "Thank-you Mav.," Raclaw said with a smile as he grabbed his bowl and motioned for Chester to do the same. He proceeded to follow Latnok back to where the Guardian and Illasi were eating. Elsewhere, Risar was busy working the prisoners giving them extra chores to make sure they knew that slacking off wasn't an option. Rumors had quickly spread among the prisoners about how weak-willed the hybrid was-- and that was something he couldn't let affect the workflow and their rehabilitation.

As Latnok presented Ilasi's food to her, she nodded. "Thank you," she said.
"Don't worry about it," Latnok said. "Seems to be chicken to me." Ilasi was fine with chicken, so she ate without much difficulty. The thoughts of the conversation she had last night still fluttered through her mind, but she tried to suppress them.
Soon, Leoquin was on the deck, seeing the food - or the last of it, rather, being given to Raclaw and Chester. "Okay, where's my food?!" he demanded irately.
Latnok saw what was happening, and sighed. This wasn't how he wanted to start the morning...

At the cart, only two platters were left. Maverick did the food randomly without thinking if anybody liked something in particular, only making exceptions with the unique Raclaw and Chester.
"This is all that's left." Maverick said neutrally, not being rude but not exactly happy to see him either. One platter contained pork with lettuce and grapes, while the other one had cut pieces of sausage with apple slices and half an orange. There were still a few drinks left, particularly wine, but the rum had run out.

Angora felt goosebumps when she saw Leoquin, as if he was some sort of discord personification. She really didn't like him, but like recently, she kept her opinions to herself. Not only did the punk woke up late, he was rudely demanding Maverick for food. She really felt like he needed a severe beat up to learn a lesson in humbleness. She knew he was taking advantage of the favoritism, which was a despicable thing to do. Nevertheless, she ignored his presence like a mere fly passing by and continued to enjoy the last cookie, smiling at Shade and his satisfaction.

Raclaw and Chester proceeded to sit down near the others and prepared to eat their food; Raclaw stopped before taking a single bit and listened closely to Leoquin's demanding tone-- presumily in response to Maverick's now lack of food. Upon hearing the hybrid's very neutral response, he waited before eating and was prepared to offer up his own bowl if need be to please the Merman-- and his trainer. He had gone without food or drink before when the circumstances called for it and would reluctantly do so again for both his and the poor Maverick's sake. Still-- the food smelled delicious and his stomach was already growling. He looked down at his bowl in slight shame, knowing that Mav had prepared most of the good stuff for him and had presumably left the scraps on the remaining two platters. Chester gave a whine, but knew that his own dish would do very little to please the merman-- being prepared specially for him. Raclaw's bowl at least had more variety, but had still been prepared in a manner more suited towards someone of a quadrupel stance.

Leoquin looked at the two plates - there wasn't the offering he oped there was. However, the food still looked good. After some deliberation, he settled on the sausage and fruit plate. "Thanks," he said curtly, before turning back to join the others.
"Good morning, Leoquin!" Ilasi greeted.
"How nice of you to finally join us," Latnok added.
"...what? Was I supposed to be up at dawn?" Leoquin inquired, confused.
"No, just messing with you," Latnok said. "We will be leaving either late today or early tomorrow, from what I know. Not much to do today except bring in the parts for the weapons Sere ordered - then we'll be good to go. The ship's all patched up."
"Great, looking forward to it!" Leoquin said, as he ate one of the sausages. It was actually really good - he couldn't lie about the quality. "So has this guy always cooked for as long as you've known him?" he asked Latnok.
"Of course not," Latnok said. "He's a vegetarian. Almost. Eats fish... apparently. I didn't even know he could cook until recently. He's not bad - but maybe he needs a few lessons at the feet of the master."
Ilasi gave a bit of a giggle. "I'd love to see you two in a cook-off."
"We're not in Aelinon anymore," Latnok said. "No need for a public execution. I have magic on my side - I don't see how he can cook anywhere near as well as I can. I'll show it to you - I'll handle the afternoon meal." Leoquin and Ilasi both gave a smile at the thought.

"Easy Shady. Don't get too hasty. Self control, don't forget what we trained. Remember that he's more liked than us." Angora said, looking at Latnok disappointedly. He was there, seeing how Leoquin was treating the kind, obliging Maverick. Was he really that stupid? Or his favoritism knew no boundaries? He even had the insolence of suggesting he was a better cook than the hardworking Maverick, but of course, with magic, anything was easy, so no real talent there. Was he actually jealous? It didn't mattered now. Even with her frustration, she focused more on stopping Shade from acting up. Even if there was plenty of injustice in that ship, she knew that their best strategy for now was silence.

Maverick remained emotionless with the entire scene, taking away the pork platter. He'll leave it for Risar later, although it'll probably get cold by the time the minotaur is done with the unpleasant prisoners. It was very predictable of Latnok not to scold Leoquin for treating him in such a way, but he was so accustomed to the merman's bullying that he was already dismissing it as something completely normal. If Maverick was upset, he was doing a marvelous job hiding it.
"I'll be taking this last platter to señor Risar then. Enjoy the meal." he said with the same politeness, though still in a rather neutral tone. He took the cart away, giving a small smile to Angora and Shade as he struggled to take the cart down the stairs and into the kitchen. He knew his whole ordeal was hard on them, and it was no walk in the park for him either, but if his two friends could see how easily he could dismiss the antagonism of others, perhaps it could rub off on them as well. Angora certainly was improving, even if Latnok in particular didn't want to see that. If there was something he learned to develop on his father's ship, it was hiding his real emotions, although after he got free of that life, it was a talent that sometimes faulted.

Raclaw gave a smile at the thought of Latnok cooking and dug into his own food, knowing that the situation had been settled and that all parties involved were relatively happy. Chester dug in as well, happy with any food but especially pleased with what Raclaw's friends could offer. "I can contest to that-- Guardian cooking is something else entirely and, although this is good in its own right.," he then said recalling when Latnok and Godfather Sere had cooked for the than current party during the previous journey. And then of course-- there was his time spent in the Guardian base, where he had been more than spoiled by the multiple courses available throughout the day. He didn't consider himself one to overendurse, but wouldn't refuse a good meal eather.

In the wild-- Raclaw had hunted when he could, but his own kills were nothing compared to what the humans could offer. Before he had left the farm, Julian and his family had made sure he could at least hunt for himself. All the hunting in the world couldn't properly cook and season something, however, and that was where his humans came into play. He had always made sure to get a good home cooked meal during his many visits in the first several months -- and the village itself had also been helpful in that regard not wanting to see their favorite fur dragon starve to death. Still, despite the help, there were still times where he gone some lengths with little to no food. Water was always available, but his own skills couldn't entirely be relied on at first.

On one of the lower decks, Risar was closely watching the prisoners. "Risar said MOVE!! The sooner you finish, the sooner you can move on to something else, and the sooner you finish that--.," a loud bellowing voice could be echoing through one of the hallways-- no doubt the voice of the deep-chested Risar. "Yes sir.. Risar!," another voice could be heard; the voice sounded somewhat familiar. It was clear that Minotaur demanded respect from his prisoners and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to get him angry. Perhaps he was making up for lost times and the many years he had been under the command of someone above him. With each command that bellowed out of his mouth-- air blew out of his nose slightly rattling the golden chain and only making him that much more menacing looking.

As Maverick moved the carts to the kitchen, he could feel the vibration of the hallways, a sound he learned to associate with the enormous minotaur bellowing orders to the prisoners. Although from his position, it was hard to pinpoint where exactly Risar was located, so when he arrived at the kitchen and dispatched the dishes into a big pile on the side of the sink to be washed later, he grabbed a small lid to cover Risar's food for later. He wasn't in the mood to do the dishes after the lousy time he had yesterday with the mustachioed prisoner, so he decided to let the chore to somebody else or do it himself later. He grabbed the covered plate, warmed it up again and walked around the hallway just in case he encountered Risar by chance. He wondered what he could do next, but one thing he was going to do for certain was visit Alya again. He overheard Latnok say there were going to leave either later today or tomorrow, and he wanted to let Alya know the sad news and spend a little more time with her before he had to leave.

Meanwhile, Angora was done with the delightful dessert, and knowing she didn't have much to do covered in hexphage like that, she grabbed the swing she built yesterday and headed to the side of the ship she couldn't scrape yesterday.
"Well Shady, I'm off to do a few chores myself. No fair leaving everything to Maverick. Behave yourself, you listen? Catch a mouse and play with it or something. We can play more games ourselves later on. Be good now." Angora said, bidding him goodbye for now. She was still going to be nearby to watch over him, even though there wasn't much need for that with so many sailors around. It was ironic she suggested mice as playmates, unaware that he hunted a rat at the beginning of the voyage when he was being starved.

"Over there! START SCRUBBING! You wish to linger, than you can linger-- scrub and you will keep scrubbing until that tub is spotless!," Risar's voice could be heard nearby as a very familiar prisoner scambered by Maverick almost tripping into the hybrid. The tub in question was the same tub that Raclaw had washed Chester in. Both he and the Beagle had gotten quite dirty the previous day-- and those dragon paws didn't quite the finesse to completely clean up after the 'fun' activity. The crew members afterwards had done what they could, but there was no reason to torture themselves over the task when Risar and his prisoners could get the task done much more efficiently. The prisoner in question was the same prisoner that Maverick had personally take responsibility over the previous night -- he certainly wasn't having a fun day. "Hey-- watch it!," Risar said in a stern tone directed at the prisoner.

He then looked at who the prisoner had almost fallen into-- and immediately recognised the hybrid. "Maverick--," Risar started to say in a somewhat neutral tone. "What are you doing down here? You don't need another prisoner, do you? As you can see-- this one is quite busy. Isn't that right Henry?," the large minotaur then said taking the opportunity to taunt the prisoner. Someone like Risar surely had a lot of steam to blow off-- and the prisoners, whom the crew were forced to take in, were both an ample source and target for that steam. The prisoner, whose name was apparently Henry, immediately started scrubbing the grimy stuck-on dirt on both the tub and the surrounding area. It looked as if a large dog had put another dog into a bath-- and that dog shook off all the remaining grim onto the room itself. The tub, floors, and walls had all evidently been soaked in mud at some point. The mud was now caked into the surfaces and would surely keep poor Henry busy for a long long time.

"No I don't. I was just... down here. This meal was left from the breakfast I made, and I thought you might want it señor Risar." Maverick explained respectfully, lifting the lid to show the recently heated pork with lettuce and grapes. He never had to cook these kinds of meal for the prisoners, so at least he was free of that particular work. The bad moment from yesterday still fresh in his memory, Maverick completely ignored the rude prisoner behind him, having enough with most of the crew treating him badly. Risar wasn't being rude or harsh with him, but he could still feel the tension. He wanted to leave him the meal and get out of there, wanting to avoid both the minotaur and the punished Henry.

At one side of the ship, Angora was scrapping off the barnacles that remained, having mounted a mirror above her so she could see the upper deck and thus Shade as well. Perhaps this time someone would see this wasn't a task that she was ordered to do, and maybe make a few of those jerks go easier on her at last. Angora wasn't looking for arguments anymore. She was sick and tired of always expressing herself and have everyone but Shade and Maverick against her. Like she instructed Shade, their best bet was remaining low key and do tasks, whether they were ordered to or not.

As the group ate, they continued to engage in conversation.
"So... you can cook, then? What got you into cooking?" Leoquin asked.
"Leading men," Latnok answered. "I knew how much I liked a good meal in the field - even if we could eat even raw food - so I endeavored to be one who could provide that to those I was in charge of."
"Well, if you need a dish to cook, I'm certain I can catch a shark for you," Leoquin offered enthusiastically.
"Wait, so you weren't kidding about the shark thing?"
"Of course not. A bit of chum, some small magic to make it easier for the shark to find the source... And, if you're lucky, you'll have a single shark headed your way, which you just dodge and spear, right through the eye. Instant incapacitation, if you do it right."
"Just make sure you're careful, now," Ilasi said. "You don't need to get hurt over a bit of food."
"I appreciate the concern. Don't worry about me too much, though, please. Unlike certain lily-livered folk here, I'm good at more than just navigation and chores." Ilasi was rather neutral to the comment - not feeling strongly enough to defend Maverick as she had done in the past. "Speaking of which, would you mind some sparring later, Latnok?"
"I'd be glad to," Latnok said. "I admire your dedication to improving. Something I wish other people had." Anyone who sought to make themselves as useful as possible, including training to make themselves more useful, was a valuable asset, as far as Latnok was concerned. Leoquin did some training by himself, from what he noticed; he certainly didn't train just for show.

Angora was listening to some part of the conversation, but she wasn't the least bit interested. She felt angry when she noticed who Leoquin was talking about, but she dismissed him as an unredeemable jerk. She was certain life would make him pay for his cruelty, as well as Latnok and Sere. As for Ilasi, even though Angora didn't hate her, she really hoped that if Maverick finally finds a girlfriend, and that the mermaid is there to see the happy couple so she would know what she missed for being so stupidly insecure. As they talked, Angora continued removing the barnacles, not needing a tool to scap them off. She was strong enough to remove it with her hands, and it was similar to removing leeches from a person. It on,y took her a few minutes to remove them, although going up and moving the swing around was what took her the most time.

Soon though, she was finally done. Shade seemed fine but bored. She touched his tail to let him know she was done, although she wasn't certain if she should play with him or do another chore to kill the unbearable time in that ship. How she wished she could be cured of the hexphage to see Alya one last time, but she knew she had to deal with this new situation for as long as it was needed.