darkSpyro

"So... just out of curiosity... are you going to do anything with that monster?" Leoquin casually asked Latnok.
"Training opportunities are limited to behavior on account of some injuries. However, if I have my way, we'll use him as a beast of burden to carry the weapon parts." Latnok figured that, if Shade was well enough to go for walks with a passenger, he was well enough to carry things.
"Aren't you worried about him breaking anything?" Leoquin asked.
"I know he won't. We're not letting him operate autonomously. And he knows that doing something like that will get him in hot water. This'll be a nice course of doing work under orders. Certainly something he's going to need to get used to."
"...you mean like the rest of us?" Ilasi asked.
"Not quite. We, for the most part, trust you guys, and we don't have the sort of control over you, or obligation to keep you controlled, as we do with Shade - and Aelinon will have even stronger controls in place. You guys are trusted allies - Shade, as far as I'm concerned, is a load we have to carry around for whatever reason Sere deemed necessary. I didn't make that decision - I do follow it, however."
Ilasi nodded along as Latnok spoke. "When I first saw Shade, I thought he was going to attack me - he didn't, however. I didn't know that... there has been so much turmoil with him."
"I don't care what his inner struggles are," Latnok said firmly. "We can't let his existence put lives at risk, or cause him to kill more people that already has. Innocents, including children - that's what his carelessness has done. We will do whatever it takes to protect the many. This is one of the better options for him. I pray that I never have to use some commands..."

After a while of deciding, Angora opted for staying with Shade for a while, deciding to groom him and pick up a few of the loose fungus and ticks that found their way to his body. As usual, she was listening to the conversation, and wasn't pleased with what she was hearing. Ilasi even recognized that Shade didn't even attacked her when they first met. So why did they had to go through this nightmare? Angora agreed that Shade needed training and control to prevent his growing powers from harming innocent people, but using him as a mule to carry stuff was going too far. She was beginning to think Latnok and Sere enjoyed their misery. Not only that, in the time they have been on that ship, neither Latnok or Sere had started their supposed training on Shade. It was as if they were prolonging it on purpose to keep them on that hell for long. But even so, it was better that way so that Angora could do her own training. When she arrived to Shade's nape, she whispered very quietly to him as she continued grooming him.

"Remember Shady, self control. No matter how unfair or cruel they are, you have to oblige with their conditions and tolerate their training. No matter how much you pinpoint their flaws and injustice, they're too used to having their way. They are beyond reason, and that is something we have to live with for now. So don't forget, be patient. Be gentle. No insults. No attacking. Demonstrate that you're not the monster they want to see." Angora suggested, knowing this was as hard to Shade as it was to her. But as Maverick demonstrated, this was a lifestyle they could bear with the appropriate behavior... if there was such a thing for those abusive Guardians. She would lay low and be obliging, and whether Shade liked it or not, he had to be the same if they hoped to ever get out of that inferno.

"That's it Shady. Just keep that up. I know it isn't easy, but we have faced worse than this. Don't forget that, please." Angora begged, as she groomed his head in a similar way Sere groomed Veris.
"Listen Shady. Listen to the waves. To the seagulls. Don't let this situation get the best of you. The world is beautiful if you look in the right places. This whole ordeal? It's just a life trial." she them added, believing that little therapy was necessary as well, but also to apply it to herself. They may be a load and a recipe for disaster in everyone's eyes, but Angora didn't cared about that anymore. Those Guardian jerks have already badmouthed them, denying them the chance to meet and befriend others on that ship and give them a whole new impression. And was she the one causing misery? Still, Angkra tried her best to hold on. To hold on to hope. To hold on to life. As log as people like Maverick and Alya existed, she knew this was a world worth living in.

Below deck, Maverick left Risar's food to him, and quickly left. He didn't think the minotaur liked him, so he left his side quickly. He spent most of his time with the ecstatic Dahlia, petting her and cleaning her exclosure. It was as good as new by the time it was done.
"Thank you for loving me Dahlia. This whole voyage, it hasn't been easy. I thought I was done with the ocean... but... life had other plans. I don't regret it though. This was for Shade and Angora, and it has been worth it. I have giving up hope on befriending anyone else here, but hey, that little girl made everything better. Soon we will leave, so I'm taking you to meet with her once more. Maybe you can give her a little ride before we leave." Maverick said to the dirt buffalo, wishing she could talk to her. Even though they couldn't understand each other's language, the feelings were mutual and comprehensible.

As Raclaw ate alongside Latnok and the little Chester-- he listened to the ongoing conversation, feeling somewhat sorry for the collared and controlled Shade. He understood the reasons, however, and would do all that he could to help with that process. He had never realised just how many more functions Shade's collar had until the new mission and unexpected obligation of having to train the large Dragolet. At first glance and based off visual appearance alone, their collars looked very similar as noticed by Leoquin himself. Beyond that, however, they varied greatly -- and Shade's collar merely began where his had ended. What had become top-tier commands that required the highest levels of access for him were anything but for Shade's prisoner model of collar. Everything he had were much tamer versions of the prisoner equivalent and the commands beyond that were completely lacking on his more 'pet'-based model of collar.

Of course-- he had Damon, which was something that Shade never had and never would have to deal with. Damon was both a curse and blessing in that the collar entity could micromanage his abilities for him, but could also micromanage said abilities with or without his consent. The idea that his abilities and powers could be used against his own person was still slightly disturbing. And what how Damon had explained the reach of his continued presence, he would therecially try to block to restrain his abilities if he saw fit. On the other hand, it was almost a relief to be able to set certain continuous required tasks to 'automatic' so-to-speak and to be able to use more of his mind to focus or more immediate things. And thus far-- Damon had been very cooperative when it came to that front as well as no longer overriding his own telepathic 'presence' as he had sometimes done in the past. And now-- Damon was even helping to keep him alive and able, using his relatively new tailspike to help defend him. Regardless, that feeling would never entirely go away and it would be always be a distant concern. What would happen should Damon get too bored or no longer want to voluntarily submit to Raclaw's own will? At the end of the day, Damon had the power and could use it whenever he wanted to. Raclaw was merely sharing that power, even if he was the source of said power. Everything he did and everything he willed went through Damon, so long as the collar was able to function.

"Deep inside-- everyone can be a good person.. err Dragon. What Shade had done cannot be undone, but there is perhaps hope yet. If I have learned anything from my life experiences, it's that my upbringing and this collar has made me who I am today. I cannot tell you who I would've been without that or what I would or wouldn't have done. This training-- Shade's training is necessary. And perhaps in time, he will no longer have to deal with his internal struggles. And once that happens, he may be a better dragon for it.," Raclaw said commenting on the situation and reflecting somewhat on his own.

Back at the central island, Veris was beginning to touch down, with Sere in tow, having finished his exercise flight. Just like he had before, he made his landing, with the islanders making sure to give him ample space to do so.
Veris lowered himself to allow Sere to dismount. The islanders knew exactly what he had come for. "Good morning, Sere, sir," one of them said. "We have those parts ready for you. The assembly should be relatively self-explanatory, at least to the mechanically inclined."
"We'll figure it out," Sere said. "I thank you for your assistance, and for hosting us while we stayed here. We will be making our leave today - I will have some of my personnel over to pick the components up. Let me know if you need anything before then."
"Any time." The matter settled, Sere began his fligh back to the ship.

Back at the ship, the group continued to eat peacefully, talking about various subjects. "It has to work," Latnok said. "If he's not able to serve the sentence, then Aelinon will just execute him." He was going to expand, but noticed the form of Veris in the sky. "Well, looks like the man in charge is here."
After a quick descent, Veris landed on the middle of the deck, which had been cleared - he landed more gracefully this time, to avoid rocking the boat as much as possible. Sere soon dismounted.
"Godfather Sere. What's the news?" Latnok asked.
"The weapon parts are ready. You, Shade, and whoever you see fit will pick them up."
"Sounds like a plan." Latnok looked at Shade somewhere, in the distance. "HEY, SHADE!" he called, to get the dragolet's attention. "We're about to move. Disembark from the ship."

Angora kept grooming Shade as if almost nothing has happened, determined not to let the Guardian's abusive behavior blow her top. Seems like they will use Shade as a carrying mule after all. She gave one final glance at the dragolet, wanting him to remember what they talked about before he went to their direction.

Maverick was ready to leave Dahlia to clean another particular enclosure.
"Well big girl. I'm leaving for now, but I'll return soon, ok? Behave yourself." Maverick said as the big animal glomped him, loving him despite seeing him as stupid.

He then arrived at Veris' enclosure, full of fear.
"Veris? Hey wyvern... I'm entering now to clean your enclosure. Please don't bite, or claw, or eat me or... whatever." Maverick said cautiously as he slowly entered, but found to his surprise he wasn't there. Sere must've taking him out, probably during his breakfast with Alya, otherwise he would've noticed them. Since the wyvern wasn't there, he took advantage of the moment to clean the place like he has done with Dahlia's, humming to himself to keep the good mood going.

"I'll help out as well.," Raclaw said with a nod looking out distantly at the no doubt tired Shade. He realised that he hadn't really been there for ether Shade or Angora as much as he could've -- and that his helping out now might make the larger Dragolet feel more at ease knowing it wouldn't just be him carrying the parts back. And besides-- he didn't mind helping out the Guardians and especially Latnok after everything they had done for him and had continued to do for him. His participation would mean less work on his fellow crew and it was the least he could do. It also helped further the dragon image in others eyes, even if it did make it appear as if he was some Guardian pet at times. That was something else to work on, but not something to be immediately concerned about.

Chester remained nearby, ready to keep Raclaw/friends company. Elsewhere-- Risar ate his late breakfast while watching the prisoner named Henry.

"Don't thank me. Thank Maverick for convincing the captain to get us into this ship... and for inspiring me to improve myself." Angora said serenely as she encouraged him to go to Latnok as he forcefully ordered. She tried to increase her hearing to listen what Icestorm was whispering about, but her sense could only pick up little from up Shade's head. This little dragon like creature has been the only one from that little group who has never been mean to any of them, nor talked bad about them as far as she knew, and that was somewhat comforting.

Meanwhile, Maverick continued cleaning Veris' enclosure. It was hard word due to being far bigger than Dahlia's, and it was clear with it's state that Sere hasn't bothered to touch it. It was understandable considering what his job was, but some parts were particularly dirty and that won't do. The talk soon became thedious, but Maverick was determined to finish what he started.

Latnok didn't hesitate to explain the situation to Shade. "Okay, pretty simple, like I said. You simply follow our directions, carry some objects, and make it back here. Do that without issue, and you, Angora, and Maverick will get the rest of the day off. Show us enough times that you can follow directions, and we'll see about that hexphage removal for you and Angora. Simple enough? I don't want to give you a hard time for absolutely no reason - make this easy on me, and I'll reciprocate."
Because of the hazard that Shade presented, they would have to make sure that the parts were uncontaminated. That would certainly be something that Sere had prepared for. "Remember not to make any physical contact with Shade," Latnok said to Raclaw. "We'll probably share some cure with you if you do - but it's not unlimited."

"Understood. Don't worry-- I'll be careful.," Raclaw responded telepathically to Latnok-- understanding the Guardian's concerns and not particularly interested in contracting the power-draining fungi himself. "Don't worry, I'll be helping out as well so you won't be carrying the whole load. And Chester--.," he started to say looking for and soon spotting the little Beagle. "Chester, you better stay here. I don't want you getting hurt and we'll be right back-- I promise.," he said in common with the little dog giving a bark in return. He lowered his head and the two briefly nuzzled each other before he turned towards dock alongside the others.

"I don't know where Maverick is, but I'm sure the others will happily keep you company should you get bored.," he briefly said in dogspeak and wishing he had some kind of toy to leave for the Beagle -- one that wasn't near permanently attached to his own tail. He didn't say it, but he also feared for the little Chester contracting the hex phage from the infected Shade should he come along. Unlike himself-- Chester lacked magic and wouldn't be at risk, but was in near constant contact with both himself and Latnok. Neither of them could afford to get infected and stay infected, less they no longer wished to use their unique abilities-- and his own means of defence/offence. No.. it was better safe than sorry.

Angora remained on Shade's head, acting like both a sentry and a confident to the huge dragolet. With their size difference and the fact that they were both similar in color due to the hexphage, chances were that not many sailors were even going to notice she was up there. As they prepared to navigate the island, she wondered where Maverick was at the moment. She believed he was doing the dishes, so he wasn't going to be there for a while. Still, she wished he could be there with them. Perhaps he'll catch up later? Even so, the most important thing right now was to Shade to follow orders. Latnok wasn't being rude or harsh for now, but she still wanted to remain close in case things got a little too out of hand.

Maverick was still with the same task as before, not even reaching half of the cleaning.
"Ugh. This wyvern is sooo messy!" Maverick complained, already getting tired but still determined to finish. As he did, he thought about the precious little bond Veris and Angora had. How ironic it was that the Guardians were so mean to her, yet the pet was an absolute sweetheart to her. Shade was also loyal to her, so perhaps Angora had a special connection with dragon like creatures? Children definitely didn't seemed to be the only case.

Without further discussion, Latnok moved ahead, guiding the others. There would be very few complications along the way; any possible danger had already been dealt with. While the group was traveling, he decided that he would elaborate on some details of the hexphage.
"So, you see, Aelinon is constantly creating new strains of hexphage," Latnok said. "Although they all act similarly - feeding on the magic of its host - they are different in subtle ways, that render an antifungal that works on one strain ineffective against another. They do this so that no one can develop a cure - or at least, no one that will work forever.
"That is why the cure we have is not something we can squander. We don't know what antifungal works on this particular strain. Because of that, we can't produce it, meaning we have only what we've been given.
"Because of that, we'd prefer to use the cure as little as possible. The first step to being in a position where we feel comfortable with the removal of the hexphage from Shade would be ensuring that he can control his behavior. This starts with following simple orders; when we've established that he can do that without issue, and he's been on the ship without causing any major issues, then we will feel comfortable administering the cure. That means that we can administer it to Angora as well, since her constant contact with Shade won't just reinfect her."

Angora nodded, although her lower ears indicated some disappointment. She wasn't looking forward to living with hexphage forever, even if does goes away for the most part. She had lived her entire life without magic though, so it was Shade the one she was worried about.
"Understood. I think we can live with this for a while longer... unless we encounter a behemoth?" Angora said in a joking matter, knowing that this hexphage wasn't as damaging as the one in the Redwater prison, yet it was still magic draining, and she figured it would still be attractive to one of those forsaken beasts.

"if we encounter a Behemoth-- We'll all be in trouble.," Raclaw said half-jokingly looking up at Angora. He remembered watching both Shade and Angora fight the large creatures on two separate occasions. It had been impressive how Angora was almost able to take one down, but the chances of a repeat miracle were slim at best. At least Shade had seemingly gotten used to no longer having access to his powers; something Raclaw had done for the first 16 years of his life. At least in his case, he hadn't known what he was missing whereas Shade was fully aware of the extent of his power-- both the good and the bad.

Elsewhere-- Chester remained onboard wanting to come along, but complying to Raclaw's instructions. Risar remained busy with the prisoners.

"Well, I doubt we'll encounter one in these island environments," Latnok said. "They need a very large food source, which would take a bigger ecosystem if they're not being sustained by agriculture." As he spoke, the group continued to make progress. Some details of the central island began to appear in sight.

Meanwhile, Leoquin looked out on the dock. A bit of shark hunting... now probably wouldn't be a bad time for it. He withdrew to the inside of the ship, to retrieve his personal chum mixture from his room.

Angora had been almost certain that Latnok was going to scold her for a reason, or mistake her joking tone as rudeness, so she was quite relieved when he reacted calmly, although his explaination meant he didn't get the sarcasm. It was better that way, so Angora spent the remaining of the walk without talking, getting a tremendous view of the surroundings from Shade's head. She wondered which one of the little farms she saw in the distance was Alya's. She hoped she could receive the hexphage cure before setting off so she could see the little girl at least once more, but even if she was at less risk of catching it for not being magical, Angora still didn't want to be seen that way. She wondered where the silly Maverick was, but they were quite far from the ship now, even if this island was rather insignificant in size. The population probably didn't even reached the thousands. She had been rather afraid to encounter a hostile species, but she knew it would be nothing they could take. Like Latnok said, creatures like behemoths needed far bigger terrains than this tiny little island, so she doubted they would encounter something bigger than her.

At Veris' enclosure, Maverick was leaving it spotless. There was a particular corner that was the most dirty, but once it was cleaned, the rest was easy. Still, Maverick was very tired, so he sat for a while, sweating.
"Oooh, that wyvern. He's quite the savage." Maverick said to himself as he caught his breath, not wanting to imagine how cleaning an entire wyvern pen would be. This was only one and the exhausting work said much.

As the group walked, Raclaw was pleasantly surprised at just how civil the conversation thus far had been-- with Shade, Angora, himself, and Angora all side-by-side and the others seemingly at least tolerating each other's presence. Only Chester was missing in the picture and that more of a precaution on his part, so as to not accidentally infect the little dog with the Hex Phage. Perhaps if this kept up and Latnok held true at his promise of eventually curing Shade of the fungi, such interactions could be more possible in the future and he/Angora might one day be able to open up a proper dialogue again. He still remembered what had happened the last time he had attempted such a thing and harsh reaction that it had produced from the than-corrupted Latnok. That thought still lingered deep within his mind and made him somewhat more hesitant to directly interact with the little Troll-- despite the very strong bond now felt between him and the Guardian. He merely smiled at first, happy with the current company and not entirely sure what to add to the relatively casual conversation. "You know-- seeing you and that Behemoth back in the arena. That was impressive.," he then said with a meek smile.

Back on the main deck, Chester was laying down on a barrel that had been covered in some kind of cloth-like material, an ideal place to get comfortable while he waited for his beloved Raclaw. Maverick was presumably busy elsewhere and it wasn't as if he had the height to open doors and go looking for the hybrid. He was still a dog-- and had to rely on others such as Raclaw to perform certain basic tasks such as opening a door. It was intriguing just how agile Raclaw was in that aspect, despite also having paws. Of course, his favorite fur dragon was much taller and paw creature could presumably learn how to open doors given they could reach the door handle. Elsewhere on the ship, Risar had eaten and continued to watch the prisoners-- paying extra attention to the poor punished Henry. While some progress had made on the inside of the dirty bathtub itself, there was still the outside of it and the room itself to painstakingly clean. It didn't take much for Risar to figure out who was one of the last 'people' to use this tub in particular-- there were only so many dog-like creatures on the ship. Poor Henry was also quickly figuring it out, as he heard rumors from passing by crew members. He had heard rumors of just how fierce Raclaw had been in battle and how he was seemingly in the process of being trained by the Guardian known as Latnok. He knew the Guardians had worked with dragons from time to time, but didn't know just how close they seemingly had until now. "Stop lingering-- and scrub!," Risar shouted.

"Put on a good show, to say the very least," Latnok said. "Those behemoths - they're not only powerful, they're also pretty intelligent, at least when it comes to logical matters. Not exactly philosophers, however." The group was beginning to enter the small town in the central island.
Upon their entry, there were men who were immediately ready for them. They were easily able to identify the group and what they were here for. One of them approached Latnok. "You're here to pick up the weapon components, I take it?" he asked.
"Yes. Any chance you can have them in some sort of wrapping? Our big friend here is going to be carrying most of the parts," he said, pointing to Shade to indicate him. "I don't know if you guys know what the deal with him is, but he's infected with hexphage. Not something we want contaminating the components."
"Yes, that certainly is understandable," the man said. "Please hold here - we'll have the components wrapped up and ready for you soon." The man speaking to Latnok, as well as the others with him, left them, presumably to prepare the weapon components as asked.

Angora didn't immediately answered Raclaw or Latnok when they complimented her on the battle, that being an experience that still scarred her. The things Shade had to carry weren't so many, and she was certain he could carry everything practically effortlessly. While the man was fetching the rest of the equipment, it was when Angora finally answered.
"It wasn't... a big deal. The king spared me, not that beast. I know it was definetly ready to kill me." Angora said rather annoyingly, still remembering too well how she was caught hiding below the chin to avoid the falling rocks summoned by the fiend.
"Yet... he recognized me in the arena and instead of killing me, he left me for last. I don't know. Maybe it saw me as a joke." Angora then added rather sadly, still thinking about that fight. Was her sparing planned from the beginning? Or did the behemoth intended to kill her for real until the king stopped him? Didn't it killed her immediately cause it saw her more as something to play with rather than food? The fact that the monster didn't do the killing blow as soon as it saw her and that the king spared her at that very moment almost looked rehearsed. Her spared? A troll? She saw trolls being released in the arena as if they were mindless animals, yet she has been treated differently. She wondered if it was her size or her lack of bloodlust that made others, particularly the king, sympathize with her.

"Well-- you certainly held your own at least, something I'm sure Redwater won't forget for a long long time.," Raclaw complimented once more remembering the fight and having witnessed just how massive the large Behemoths were, especially in comparison to the two feet tall Angora. "As for why it didn't immediately go after you, it probably didn't see you as a threat and even though you were technically spared-- you survived long enough for that to happen. Your size, like my lack of scales, can cause people to underestimate you-- and.. and you should be proud of that.," he then said inferring the reasoning behind the Behemoth's actions and commenting on the little troll's statue. Like Angora, people didn't see him as a dragon and most thought he was some kind of gryphon or large dog at first. The collar only complicated matters further, but at least Shade was still recognized for being the large Dragolet that he was. Even the Aelinon government saw him as some kind of large exotic pet at first and still recognized him as such, although he was at least officially recognized as a dragon now -- albeit an extremely fluffy one at that.

"Whatever it was, it worked in your favor," Latnok said. "I'm guessing that that behemoth has been around for a while - seems it's been in a similar scenario, as far as unwanted passengers, and figured out a way to overcome it. It might have had that plan beforehand - or it might have come up with it on the fly.
"As powerful and crafty as those things are, however, they're not invulnerable - although, unless you're facing a wild behemoth, they might as well be unless you have a strong military with powerful equipment and magic. The wild ones - with a lot of work, we might be able to take one down if we needed to. Hope it never comes to that, though - I'd rather stay the hell away from them."
As Latnok concluded, the men returned - a larger group than initially, on account of how many things there were to carry -bringing the requested equipment. Some pieces were in boxes of various sizes; others were wrapped up in fabric. "Here they are," one of them said, as they began placing the equipment before the group. "You guys are welcome here anytime."

"Wild ones?" Angora repeated, having felt rather good at being complimented until Latnok mentioned that sentence. As the man brought the items and was done talking, Angora spoke again.
"You mean to tell me that some of those things are roaming around free?" she then commented, having been under the impression that the ones that existed were working for Aelinon. As she pondered the terrifying thought, she saw the equipment and wanted to help with it, but didn't want to risk touching the metal and risk a spread.

"Thank-you.," Raclaw said with a nod as one of the men dropped off the final package. He would leave it up to Latnok to devide the equipment and decide what went on who. As nether he or Shade had proper hands, he would do what he could to help via his artifact enhanced tail. Otherwise-- it would be up to Latnok himself to do most of the loading and eventual unloading.

Meanwhile, Chester started to daydream and Risar continued to work the prisoners. The wash room was slowly starting to look like a proper place to wash off thanks to the hard tedious work of Henry the prisoner.

"Well, they're not too common," Latnok said, in answer to Angora, as he grabbed one box, to place on Shade. As he spoke, he would continue the loading process, using rope to secure the load.
"As you're probably well aware of, they need a large food source. Therefore, they need a large area of space, with enough flora and fauna to sustain them without being wiped out. The wild behemoths don't eat as much as the ones Aelinon has - as a result, they tend to not be as strong. In theory, anyway. Nevertheless, they're still formidable opponents."
It was a while until Latnok had Shade with what seemed a suitable load. He and Raclaw could carry the rest - some of the components would fit in Latnok's bag, while others he could carry, either manually or by securing them to his person.

Angora only scratched her head on response, terrified with the fact that there were wild behemoths out there. Hexphage or not, they could spell major trouble for them. They must be rare though, since she has never encountered one, but it was still a scary thought, and she would rather keep an encounter to zero. She didn't say anything else afterward to prevent interrupting the carrying and being satisfied with the answer, although now that she realized it, she got shocked at the fact that she was holding a casual conversation with Latnok, without any argument or rudeness from any of them. How long would this last? Angora stopped thinking about it and proceeded to pat Shade on the head, feeling proud that he was being so docile. She knew it wasn't easy being treated as a pack mule, but at least that wasn't such a bad job for anyone his size. Due to an unfortunate accident, Shade was seen as a monster by many, so she was determined to help him with his power and temper and make everyone see his real side.

At Veris' enclosure, Maverick was finally done. It wasn't as spotless as Dahlia's place, but it'll have to do. He was exhausted, and wanting to take along rest from the manual labor, Maverick returned to main deck to receive the salty wind. He was rather surprised to see Shade was nowhere to be found. Did the training start already? Angora was missing too, so he guessed they were training on the island somewhere. He quietly wished them luck, looking at the island to see if he could spot them and not paying attention to anyone else there...

Angora grabbed on to one of his horns, using it as a shield against the branches.
"Good going Shady. I'll ask Maverick to get you a snack after we come back. I just hope the idiot doesn't forget it again." Angora said jokingly as Latnok brought the remaining equipment, remembering how Maverick left Shade hungry last night. It was an honest mistake, so neither she or Shade held it against him.

Once Shade was loaded up like some giant work horse, Raclaw know that he would be next. Lowering his head-- he allowed for Latnok to do what he had to do. It was something that he rarely had to do before, as his life on the farm was a rather laid back one. However, he knew what he was signing up for and knew that the bonded Latnok wouldn't force more on him than ether he or the Guardian would be comfortable with. He gave a simple nod indicating that he was ready and watched as Latnok loaded the final Dragolet destined package onto the large Shade. That was one way to properly start his training...

Latnok had left the very last of the load for Raclaw; what remained was many of the smaller components in two boxes. He secured carefully to Raclaw, making sure to keep the weight well-balanced. Ideally, it would be no more difficult than walking as if he was a bit heavier.
"Okay, looks like we're ready," Latnok said. "We just need to bring everything back now. No complaining, follow my lead. Simple enough, right?" The question was rhetorical; Latnok didn't wait for a response before moving on. His own load, while notably heavy, was manageable; he would have to observe how Shade fared with his.

Angora waited patiently for Shade to get up with the new equipment, discretely shaking her head at Latnok's need to give orders and be listened to. Not even his best friend Raclaw was safe from his structure.

All the while, Maverick was on the ship, looking at the island. He wanted to ask one of the sailors if Shade went with Latnok (even if that was rather obvious), but he didn't trust anyone enough to talk to any of them. He spotted Chester seemingly sleeping in one of the barrels, and with a smile, decided to leave him be. Ilasi was nowhere to be seen from his position, and he believed it was better that way. Maybe she was purifying water somewhere or talking to the rude Leoquin. Whatever the case, Maverick still intended to have at least a cordial relationship with her, but the less he saw her, the better. It still hurt him the way she dismissed and viewed him, but he felt slightly better than yesterday. The heartache was going to last a while, but he was certain he would heal with time.

Raclaw lifted his head and proceeded to follow, adjusting to the added load without too much issue. It wasn't the most comfortable feeling being used in such a fashion, but it was quite manageable thanks to the well-balanced load that he had been presented with. As he started to walk; he briefly looked back to make sure that Shade was alright. Indeed-- it simply felt as if he were a bit heavier, while Shade had been loaded up with most of the equipment. The much larger dragolet could of course carry much more, but he also knew that this was one of the first steps in Shade's training-- basic obedience and some labor to get things started.

Elsewhere, Chester remained sound asleep resting comfortably within the tarp covered barrel. Down in one of the lower decks, Henry the prisoner had made some progress on cleaning the washroom-- thanks to the watchful eye of Risar. It would be his only task for the day, but it more than made up for anything else he would've had to do. It was something that had been reserved for the lowest of the prisoners, which Henry more than qualified for thanks to his previous activities.

Latnok stopped with Shade. "If you're feeling pain walking, painkillers aren't the answer. It means that you're going to suffer injury; that will delay the healing process. Looks like we'll have no choice but to make two trips." The group couldn't afford to have Shade completely immobile; Latnok moved over to Shade, beginning to remove some of his load. The group would leave it there, returning for it later.

Sere had returned to his room; leaving Veris out for a while longer to enjoy the fresh air. He would finally get around to inspecting the artifact that Leoquin had brought him earlier. After a brief rummage through the room, he found the box again; the orb was, as expected, still inside. "Well," Sere said to himself, "let's see what secrets you have for us..."

Angora wasn't pleased with the delay, believing Latnok would eventually think Shade was complaining to avoid the work. He has been nice so far, but knowing that human, she didn't want to take any risks. She slides off Shade's neck and took a look at his paw.
"Let's see Shady... hmm, it's not so bad. I think some mineral water might help the wound heal faster." Angora suggested, having a bit of knowledge about wounds, having sustained them herself many times throughout her life.

At the ship, Maverick noticed Veris walking around freely. He was wary of the wyvern, but also admired the complex animal. He wished he could release Dahlia for a while as well, but given yesterday's incident and the predatory wyvern being there, it wasn't a good idea at the moment. As he watched the mount from a distance, he wanted to imagine what face would Sere put when he finds out how clean his beloved pet's enclosure was.

"Wait-- I may be able to carry it.," Raclaw started to say thinking of a particular resource that had gone relatively unused. "My stash-- we may be able to store the rest of it there. I've only placed one item in there, so there should be plenty of room.," he then said referring to the emerald green gem that adorned the front of his collar-- and the storage department that secretly traveled with him. He was prepared to say the word and open the stash at any time.

Seeing he had plenty to carry already, Angora offered herself to carry the load Shade had left behind.
"Go go! I'll do it! I don't like these part of the woods." Angora said, carrying the extra load with little difficulty. She was tiny, but her brute strength was equal to that of a normal troll. It was practically in proportion with ants. Angora had overheard rumors from the sailors about Latnok exterminating some sort of cattle killing beast yesterday, and didn't want to risk any other strange monsters appearing them there.

"Angora, I would prefer we go with Raclaw's suggestion," Latnok said. "The size of the box would make it rather unwieldy for you to carry, regardless of its weight. I'm not going to risk breaking anything."
Latnok then turned to Raclaw. "Go ahead," he said. "Open up the stash. We'll carry the extras in there. Though I don't think we should try stuffing the stash to the brim.
"As for Shade's wounds, they're a matter we can resolve once we get back to the ship. We have plenty of resources there, especially after that battle. The one good thing that came out of that whole ordeal. And we have some folk skilled with healing, such as Godfather Sere and Ilasi. Though if you want to try your miracle water, Angora, I won't stop you."

Raclaw gave a nod before silently triggering the command. "Collar. Access stash.," he spoke internally and a small horizonally oriented portal opened up in front of him. "Go ahead and place them in here, just like this. And don't worry-- the opening will expand as needed.," he then said out loud briefly placing the tip of his tail in to demonstrate. As he did so, it seemingly disappeared into thin air and came back again.

The little troll didn't remembered about Raclaw's magical staff, having forgotten about the exp,Amarion with everything that has happened plus the fact that she has never seen it in action, so she didn't understand why they were both insisting on having the already overworked Raclaw carry the rest of the equipment.
"Fine then. But I can do it you know." Angora expressed, feeling like she was being insulted. If there was something she didn't like was when somebody made her believe she couldn't do something. She scowled a bit at Ilasi's mention, but the equipment she was carrying hid her face. It was after she put them down that she talked again, being too distracted with the conversation to even notice what Raclaw was doing right now.
"I'm not saying I have the water. I'm only saying it could work." Angora specified in a neutral tone, making sure she didn't use a voice that Latnok would find rude or defiant. Things have been going well so far, and the last thing she needed was the overly proud Latnok misinterpreting her behavior as he usually did and belittling her the rest of the way. As she finished the sentence, she looked at Shade's paw. It could be easily healed if she only had her magic. She healed Latnok once, so perhaps she could do it again. She would suggest it later on the ship if the Guardians were still in the mood of giving her the hexphage cure.

"It's not you-- I was merely offering to help. I should explain...," Raclaw started to say realizing that Angora might not have remembered about the magical enhancements courtsy of the Guardians. "You see-- this gem here gives me direct access to my own personal stash, think hyperspace bag. I believe I told you before, remember?," he said with a slight smile and pointing towards the gem with his tail.

"I can trigger it via a cammand ether internally or externally. Once an item is placed inside and the stash is closed-- it no longer takes up any physical space or weight, acting as if in an interdimensional plane. Once closed, that interdimensional plane goes with me via the gem and I can call upon it at any time. It's really not a hassle on my part and I'm happy to help carry the burden.," Raclaw then explained recalling the explanation that the Guardians had given him upon placing the gem within his collar. He reached in with tail and used the tail artifact to briefly grab hold of a butcher knife using a technique he came up with on the spot. He then placed the knife back in the portal-like 'stash' where it ceased to be seen again.

Angora didn't remember about Raclaw saying anything of the sort before, but she vaguely recalled them talking about the gem. Of course, the Guardians had hyperspace bags of their own, so someone with their resources must have other similar magic.
"Sooo... where does it all go? Another dimension like the hyperspace bag? How much can transport there?" Angora asked, feeling curious herself. A hyperspace bag was too big and uncomfortable for her, but one of those gems could really come in handy. She was a bit upset though that both Shade and Raclaw had to carry the heavy equipment themselves instead of just using the gem, unless it was limited? Nevertheless, she let the fur dragon proceed with the magic.

"From what I understand about it-- it operates just like the hyperspace bag at its core, only modified to suit my purpose. Like the hyperspace bag-- it still utilizes another dimension, only differing in the method of access. Whereas Latnok merely has to open his bag thus having direct access to it; mine requires the use of a collar command and opens via a small portal. This has both its advantages and disadvantages, but better suits someone of my.. quadrupedal nature. That also means that it carries the same core limitations as its source magic-- and does have its limits. I have yet to test those limits, but it should be enough for our purposes.," Raclaw said referring to the excess packages that were now sitting on the ground. Using his tail to help grab one of the smaller packages, he carefully picked it up and placed into the portal -- the package seemingly disappearing into thin air and presumably into another dimension.

"Here-- you try.," he encouraged Angora with a smile allowing the troll to help with the packages. He was rather proud of the his gem and of his artifact, having never processed such powerful magic items before. There was his collar of course, but that served as more of an enhancement to his own abilities-- even being powered by his own power as stored during the first sixteen years of his life and beyond. It had basically become a part of him, only ever being removed on very rare occasions. He didn't even have to adjust it, as it adjusted itself to his current size over time. It was something that was intended to be worn by a dragon for life and presumably passed on to the next generation. He couldn't entirely envision what his future would hold for him, but could never imagine himself without the collar. For better or worse, it and Damon would be forever part of him.