darkSpyro

Mischief immediately stood, nodding to Laszur. "Yes sir. I'm ready." She followed him, unsure where he was going but ready for pretty much anything. "How are we travelling? Magic? Wyvern back? Something I've never seen before? Oh, right..." She sighed as Choco nudged her. She had so little time for the giant bird lately. "You, Choco... You stay here and be good, okay? Once this war's over I'm sure I can find more time for you. Okay?"
Choco responded with a sad "Kweh..."

Darkheart looked to the sky as the sun set. She felt energized, ready to act. Only problem was, she didn't know what she was supposed to do.

Veris gave Angora a confused grunt and look. "My human will have the other humans accept you, will he not? He will just tell them. Yes. He will tell them that you are with me! They will accept you then. My human wants you, is that not true?" Veris was thoroughly convinced that everything would be okay, and felt Angora was being a little paranoid - but it was natural for smaller creatures to be fearful, so he tried to be understanding.

Laszur shook his head. "We will be traveling by root. Something you are no doubt familiar with by now - but the Ardent Guardians copied the details of the spell from Julian's notes. The range of it here, unlike the archipelago, is limited, so we will have to do some walking to get there, and some walking to get back." As he led the way, Laszur thought on what they were about to do. Yes... capturing the Overseer's family would give them leverage to force him to comply... unless... maybe there was a better way!

After exchanging fist bumps with the three funny men and petting Chester, Maverick lead Ilasi their cabin, but not before seeing how Laszur talked with Mischief. He didn't like the idea of her participating in the battle, but she had great skills, and was blessed by Orion as well, so she could be quite helpful.
"Not sure about you Ilasi, but I feel ready. I am praying that those people, extremists as they are, still have a chance to see reason." Maverick commented once they reached the cabin, showing that, despite that they were about to go to a literal war, was still hopeful for a peaceful resolution.

Quote: A Guy

Veris gave Angora a confused grunt and look. "My human will have the other humans accept you, will he not? He will just tell them. Yes. He will tell them that you are with me! They will accept you then. My human wants you, is that not true?" Veris was thoroughly convinced that everything would be okay, and felt Angora was being a little paranoid - but it was natural for smaller creatures to be fearful, so he tried to be understanding.

As was to be expected, Veris still didn't get it. It was one thing to be ordered not to touch her, but another thing entirely what were their feelings or thoughts. Still, she doubted Veris would see it that way, since he seemingly cared more about his and his master's orders than the other Guardian's feelings. Believing that the same subject wasn't going to get her anywhere, she used the next and probably last argument in her arsenal.
"Alright. If you say so. But what about... the other wyverns? I mean, you're not the only wyvern there, right? I... well, you know, it was quite hard for me to befriend you. Imagine many others. Even if they don't... hurt me, they may ridicule you for being friends with someone like me. I'm happy... flattered that you consider me such a dear friend, especially considering I'm a troll and making friends is never easy, but... I don't want to be a burden." she said with droopy ears, curious as to what Veris' response will be. She wasn't planning on creating any more reasons for why going was such a bad idea, otherwise Veris might become suspicious. She just knew it would make him very sad... or very angry if he found out she really didn't want to go to Guardian headquarters, even if she did plan to visit him frequently, but knowing him, it wasn't going to be enough. It was too much of a predicament for her.

"I'm also holding out that hope," Ilasi agreed. Tomorrow, hopefully, they would be able to prepare the enchantment for the battle the day after. "Perhaps once Rigel is defeated, the others will yield? The biggest part of their plan rests on him..." Despite that, she had an uneasy feeling that such a thing wouldn't bring an immediate end to their problems - but then, what could happen? The Ishulgites were known for having plans within plans by now...

Veris gave a few grunts. "The other wyverns? They may question, yes... but you stay with me, stay with the other humans, talk to them. Show them who you are. If they have a problem... I will fight them! Yes, I will fight them. I will win."
Veris paused for a moment as he tried to think the situation through further. "Or perhaps not? Maybe wyverns go elsewhere? Or we go elsewhere? Can..." At least for the moment, Veris seemed to be at a bit of a loss.

Angora was in a rather big state of shock when she heard Veris say he was willing to go as far as to fight for her. Just how badly did this wyvern wanted to be with her? It was worse than she thought. It made her feel extremely guilty for making Veris grow this attached to her, even if it wasn't on purpose.
"Veris no! No fighting! I don't want you to get in trouble! And if you do fight because of me, your master will reconsider the deal!" she warned, though she figured giving the last advice wasn't a very good idea. Why did this have to be so hard?

After much pacing and pondering, Angora had an idea. The only one that might work with circumstances like this.
"I do want you to be happy Veris. And I... I know I am part of that now. We are friends and I can't forget that. I'll tell you what. I will go with you after this war is over... but it will be for just a short time. Just a little while, just to see how things work out, alright? Depending on what happens... well... we shall see what happens afterwards..." Angora suggested, being very careful about not saying the word forever. It was the only solution that occurred to her. She knew she was risking much with such a deal. Not only did she faced the potential of the other Guardians belittling her regardless of Sere's orders, but she could be also in danger of being devoured by another wyvern if she wasn't careful, although that depended on how much security their place had. But another risk was that things could go better than she expected, and if Veris noticed it, he was going to want her to stay forever like he still wants.

Quote: A Guy

"I'm also holding out that hope," Ilasi agreed. Tomorrow, hopefully, they would be able to prepare the enchantment for the battle the day after. "Perhaps once Rigel is defeated, the others will yield? The biggest part of their plan rests on him..." Despite that, she had an uneasy feeling that such a thing wouldn't bring an immediate end to their problems - but then, what could happen? The Ishulgites were known for having plans within plans by now...

Maverick nodded, agreeing. More than anything, he wanted to prevent violence and the loss of life, but this society have attempted on their life too many times already, and they already made it clear they wanted the cruel extinction of several species, and that just won't do. He hated the fact that they were going to a war, but he had faith in their victory. Feeling affectionate, he surprised Ilasi with quite a passionate kiss.
"I'm sure everything will be fine. We have come this far, and we will prevail. I'm ready to fight if there is no other option, but in the meantime, I'm just glad to have you and such wonderful friends with me. Clearly there is no luckier man... faun man in this world." Maverick said with a heartwarming grin, funnily enough sometimes forgetting he was part faun.

Mischief tilted her head at the thought of travelling by root. "Sir, I saw the others leave and return, but I wasn't part of that mission... I suppose I'll see what travelling by root is like in a bit, though..." She flexed her claws and adjusted the bag at her side. "I wonder what kind of magick this root would be classified under? Ah, I'll be able to know soon enough. I'll identify it on arrival." She let her mind turn to other things. She'd trained with Digi to wield her illusion effectively, and to use moves. She had enough magick at her disposal to level a town, though such a display would exhaust her entirely. Or worse. She'd never tried it. She had Eclipse for advice. She had her pack for support. But was she ready? She supposed she had just better be.

Laszur himself had never traveled by root, but it was used enough by the others for him to feel safe using it. The walk would lead the two to a more deserted part of town - most importantly, with a minimum of prying eyes. As they approached, a root gently burst through the ground. Laszur stepped into the root - which itself didn't feel too different from the xylem of the source tree.

Veris gave a disappointed frown when Angora reminded him of the potential consequences for fighting, but gave a pleased grin when Angora gave her backup plan. "Yes! It will be wonderful!" he said gleefully in growls and hisses. "You will meet the others there. We will sort out the problems there. Yes - we will sort everything out!" Veris rolled on the ground once in his excitement. If Angora was staying for a little bit, certainly she would be staying longer.

Ilasi still gave a blush as she looked away slightly, still feeling... unworthy? No, that wasn't quite it. But there was just something about Maverick's affection that made her want to live up to it.
"The pleasure is all mine, dear..." she answered softly, as she returned her gaze to him. "Thank you. For not forgetting about me. You know, way back then when we got separated... thank you." A potential partner at the time seemed a pipe dream at the time, with his sudden disappearance corroborating such fears. Now, however, the pipe dream was a reality.

With Ilasi's comment, Maverick remembered the time he was kidnapped. He didn't know what happened, but he knew through everyone he was once taken away. He felt so guilty for causing such distress to his girlfriend and friends.
"I'll take better care of myself Ilasi. Lo prometo. And you do the same, ok? Now rest for a while. If señor Sere doesn't call us today, he will tomorrow. I'm going to the main deck to see how Dahlia is doing. I'm going to bring her here if that's alright. I don't like leaving her in that pen for too long." Maverick stated, the dirt buffalo usually being depressed when staying there. Maverick left Dahlia on the main deck under the watchful eyes of the three great friends, but it was time to pick her up and take care of her himself...

Quote: A Guy

Veris gave a disappointed frown when Angora reminded him of the potential consequences for fighting, but gave a pleased grin when Angora gave her backup plan. "Yes! It will be wonderful!" he said gleefully in growls and hisses. "You will meet the others there. We will sort out the problems there. Yes - we will sort everything out!" Veris rolled on the ground once in his excitement. If Angora was staying for a little bit, certainly she would be staying longer.

Angora knew it wasn't nice to further increase his hopes like that, but a temporary arrangement had to be better to him than none at all. Veris demonstrated just how badly he wanted to be with her, and while touching, it was also quite silly. A wyvern being friends with such a small troll and willing to fight to keep her sounded so ridiculous probably not even bards would sing about it. In normal circumstances, she would've been nothing but a snack to him, and that was without even the knowledge that Veris was in reality one of her natural predators.
"Alright Veris. We're all happy now, right? You ate, and you even did a brief exercise there." she said almost jokingly, referring to his funny rolling.

"Time to sleep now. Your master may call us later tonight or tomorrow to stop those dastard Ishulgites, so we must keep our energies." she recommended, making herself comfortable on his belly, though that simply reminded her of Shade again. She missed that goofy dragon, but like Maverick, she wanted to remain hopeful that everything will be fine with him. If she went with the Guardians, Sere was likely going to keep visiting and monitor him under the king's orders, which would give her the chance to see him. And Maverick was going to be alright with the new life he was going to start. Yawning and hopeful, Angora was preparing to sleep...

Mischief stepped into the root, the cautious nature of her species becoming apparent as she did a 360° turn to examine the root. "Definitely magick of some kind, but I wouldn't describe it as arcane. This bears signs of being related to some sort of Druidic or other earth magick... Tapping into such a gift while still using arcane magick isn't universal, but I've occasionally seen it... I'll have to study it later. I must find the secret of this mystical power." As she spoke, she subtly moved in a slight bobbing motion, causing her mane to bounce and make her high energy level clear. Divine gifts from literal gods, wielding powers normally reserved for nature spirits like dryads, using arcane magick earned through study or a magickal knack... "You guys seem to have been blessed with every form of magick... If only I were so lucky as to have talents beyond destruction magick. I would've loved healing magick at my clawtips, but my Mana refuses to shape properly for it." She shifted slightly, satisfied with her examination of the root, and settled in to wait.

Veris lied down, closing his eyes as he prepared to sleep. Soon the rhythmic vibration of his belly could be heard as he breathed at a slow, steady pace in his rest. It was time to put the world aside for now... and get back to the hunt in his head.

Ilasi nodded. "That's fine, dear. Make sure you take good care of her," she said, as she headed back to her room. Ilasi always had the feeling that Dahlia was more intelligent and deliberate than she appeared - but such matters were perhaps something for another time. If only she had some way of talking with the buffalo...

"This particular spell was originally created by the Ishulgites based on a specimen they happened to acquire from the Ardent Guardians," Laszur explained as the root moved them with peristaltic motions. "After we returned, the Ardent Guardians took details of the spell and repurposed it into something they could use with a source from their main base - hence the limited range of operation for it here." A word or two to pass the time before the quick, clandestine mission of theirs would help calm nerves, Laszur figured.

With another kiss, Maverick left Ilasi to rest, heading to the main deck to be received warmly by his buffalo.
"Mi niña hermosa." he exclaimed in Spanish, Dahlia being very careful not to hurt him with her horns as she cuddled him. Sand Dune, Random and Opium approached them.
"That's fantastic Maverick. Dirt buffalos are quite wild, not even good enough for cattle, yet you tamed one as if it was a large horse." Sand Dune exclaimed with admiration, Dahlia being for sure tamed, though not domesticated. Maverick was told that she behaved well, and showed little fear of Darkheart and Raclaw, though that was probably because they weren't as big and intimidating as Veris and Shade.
"Heaven knows I tried to release her, but she chose to stay with me." Maverick assured, having given up in trying to free her.

Sere was nowhere to be seen, and Maverick didn't want to go to his office and interrupt him, so he stayed on the main deck for a while, talking to the three men. Sand Dune and Opium weren't so sure on what to do after the war now that they left the pirate life behind like he did, so Maverick gave them a few suggestions to consider. Random was already certain on what he wanted to do. He wanted a farm, hopefully near a quiet village. While it still hurt losing his wife at childbirth and his own child to a disease, he still wanted have a second chance to have a family, and do things right this time.

Quote: A Guy

Veris lied down, closing his eyes as he prepared to sleep. Soon the rhythmic vibration of his belly could be heard as he breathed at a slow, steady pace in his rest. It was time to put the world aside for now... and get back to the hunt in his head.

The good thing about Veris' belly was that it was slightly smoother than Shade's, and his breathing wasn't as raspy. She looked at him and shook her head slowly, still unable to believe just how badly he wanted her. Did she really did such a good job taking care of him? Veris was fine in letting her go the last time... until she started taking care of him. She should've acted as a more standard caretaker, but what's done is done. She closed her eyes,mready to sleep herself, but not before saying something to Neo from her mind.
"Heh, I bet you're enjoying this comedy, aren't you Neo? Humans have dogs, cats, even birds following them sometimes. Maverick has Dahlia, but that's a special exception. Oh but not me. Nooooo, the tiny troll has two bloody dragons desperate for her company! DRAGONS! And not just one, but TWO, with teeth bigger than her own head! Man, when did my life took such a weird turn? In the past, I was running away from predators wanting to make a quick meal out of me. Now I have two of the most dangerous ones wanting a friendship." Angora stated, still unable to believe what was happening. Veris was willing to fight to keep her. And Shade had his own family, yet he still wanted her. It was almost a joke how two dragons wanted to be friends with a troll, and one with a condition on top of that.

Angora scoffed.
"Heh, I wouldn't call this an adventure exactly." she commented rather dryly, looking at the sleeping Veris. He looked as if he was... biting something? It did appear if he was gritting his teeth. Typical of the big dummy to be thinking or dreaming about eating something.

The troll then yawned, getting quite sleepy.
"Well, what can anyone do? All I can do is honor this new deal and just stay a while. Maybe if he sees how miserable the other Guardians make me, or if he sees how in danger I am with the other wyverns, he will let me go. For now, I have to focus on those stupid Ishulgites. Help me in the battle ahead Neo... oh, and just for tonight, avoid me any nightmares if you can. I want to be well rested for when the time arrives." she asked of Neo, knowing how prone she was to having unpleasant dreams when she had too many worries in her head. It interrupted her sleep too often, and she didn't want to be drowsy for when they finally faced the usurpers.

"Thank you." Angora said, ready for a good night's sleep. She hated the idea of working in Guardian headquarters, tolerating the racism of the other Guardians there and likely having to avoid the other wyverns, whom may not be as open to befriend her as Veris was. He himself was hard to befriend in the first place, so many wyverns in the same place was a terrifying thought. She was certain Veris would protect her, though he may not be able to handle many of his kind at the same time, so Sere had to do something to avoid any incidents. Even so, working for him might be the only way to visit Shade after this infernal war was over. Right now, she knew her biggest concern should be about defending herself and her friends from the Ishulgites. She and Maverick could become heavy targets if they were still angry at her for rejecting them. Also, she had to prepare her mind for any future taunting or manipulation. After such experience, she knew that before any violence, the Ishulgites crushed their opponents psychologically, which was something she knew they could attempt once she faced them.

Near the port, Huntress went to an inn and rented a room, asking for a one with a window from where she could keep an eye on the ship. She wanted so badly to see for herself what Maverick will be going through once Sere confronted him with the information she gave him. For what she heard, the Guardians, just like Aelinon, could be quite merciless in their punishments, but if even Sere himself was taken aback by Maverick's stupidity and contagious goofiness, she was ready to have a plan B. Why the hatred? Nobody but her knew...

It wasn't long before Sere appeared to search for Maverick, with the day growing later. Fortunately, Maverick hadn't retired to the room yet; he was still on the deck with the three former pirates.
"Maverick. Come with me to my office," Sere commanded. "I have some important matters to discuss." Sere led the way, considering how to handle the current situation.

Maverick obeyed right away, believing Sere had an important mission for him or something. Or maybe he was simply going to share his plan with him? However, something about his voice made him really uneasy.
"Well well, look who is important." Sand Dune teased, not noticing the brief change in voice like the others. Maverick bid goodbye to the three men, heading to his office right away...

Once there, Maverick didn't sit, not doing it unless Sere told him to.
"Si capitán? I mean, señor? Needed me for something?" he asked in his usual voice, Sere looking as if he was bearing bad news. Could it be the Ishulgites victory? Have they lingered too long? Maverick decided to just wait for Sere to speak instead of assuming the worst immediately...

Sere gave Maverick a focused gaze as he rested his hands on his table. "Maverick Blakes... I've recently heard a few rumors of your past," he relayed somberly to Maverick. "Is there anything you may have, perhaps, forgotten to tell me?" Sere monitored Maverick's response to the question closely. What would be the recourse if this rumor was true? And how would that woman know the story?

Maverick flinched, having realized he neglected telling Sere about his shady past. He told Ilasi, but forgot to tell Sere about it.
"How did..." Maverick started to say. He doubted Ilasi told him, so how did he know? Clearly Angora couldn't have told him either, since the last thing she wanted was get him into trouble or say things that are not up to her. Perhaps he overheard something in a conversation?

Maverick took a deep breath, ready to be honest. If Sere wanted the truth, he was going to give it to him plain and simple.
"It's been a while since I heard that last name. Armon Blakes... he was my father..." he said, almost running out of breath.
"I meant to tell you señor, but I kept forgetting. Or maybe... I was just too afraid to tell you. I didn't choose such father, and I didn't choose such life. My mother was the only decent human being in that ship, the one who gave me my faun heritage, and then one day, she just... disappeared..." Maverick said, his worse thought being that his own father killed her. But the truth he never knew.
"I was raised by my father. He wanted me to be violent. To be ruthless. To keep his legacy once old age unavoidably caught up to him. He wanted me to be a pirate... but that wasn't me. I didn't want to be that way. I... did many bad things, but only because I was so afraid of him. Every time I disobeyed him, he would... punish me so badly..." Maverick said, showing Sere the horrible slash wounds he had on his belly, just like he has done with Ilasi before him. But the scars were so bad and so many they didn't even looked as if they were made by a knife. It almost looked as if some large animal has chewed on his belly.

Maverick hiperventilated before continuing. He almost despised Sere for making him revive these memories.
"I escaped that life out of pure luck. Heaven knows I tried many times to escape from my fa... that man, but it's quite hard to do it when you're out at sea. He didn't even have any lifeboats, and the few times were were on land, he always managed to find me and do the same punishment, until I stopped trying to escape altogether. Then the sinking came... he and all of his pirates died... but a mermaid came and rescued me. She pushed me to shore, which took several days, and that's when I decided to start a new life. To start from zero, and forget my origins..." Maverick concluded, being left without a voice. He even started to sweat, fearing Sere may look at him differently now that he knew he was actually a pirate once, and one that never got punished for his sins despite not meaning any of it. He still didn't know how Sere knew any of this, but there was no use in hiding anything. Why was it that every time he had a chance to be happy, his despicable childhood always came back?

Sere gave Maverick a plain stare as he spoke, not betraying any of his emotions. Only when Maverick finished did he close his eyes and hang his head in disappointment. "I feared as much... the past has a way of catching up to you," he said, picking himself back up. "I believe you have shown yourself to be beyond that wicked history, and many others would probably attest to that... provided, of course, they know this history of yours. However, things aren't that simple, unfortunately."
Sere gave a frustrated sigh. "The main issue here is that, if someone managed to inform me, that means there are people out there who know your secret. And if that's the case... well, for one, now that this woman has informed me, continued cooperation with you may reflect rather badly on my organization. Of course, that is something I can manage - within reason. the bigger concern is that, if people know of your past life, they may attempt to hunt you down - and their targets may not be limited to just yourself. If Aelinon as a whole becomes aware of this, and is given enough reason to believe it, you can expect them to attempt to exact their punishment on you for your past crimes."
This greatly complicated matters for Sere. He couldn't, in good conscience, leave Maverick out on his own - but how would they work around all the other possibilities?

Deep inside, Maverick was hoping for Sere to make things better, but he only managed to make things worse.
"Woman..." he exclaimed in a low voice, wondering who knew of his past. He has been with many women in the past, but he never managed to have a relationship due to his father. Ilasi has been his first official girlfriend, but was there a woman out there who held a grudge? He didn't remember Huntress, and she did pay for his meal earlier, so she never crossed his mind.

The possibility of a punishment greatly horrified Maverick.
"Punishment!? You mean... be thrown to the arena!?" Maverick exclaimed, sweating hardly and with watery eyes. He has seen the cruel reality of that place, and even if he survived the battle with other prisoners, a behemoth would surely finish the job.
"Señor, por favor, just tell me who this woman is! Let me show her I am too far away from my father! If I have to spend some time in prison because of my past deeds, then so be it, but por favor, don't let Aelinon do the punishment! I have seen them! I won't be able to survive. You know me señor! What I have done! How I am! What I am! I have a new life! I found myself a girlfriend, finally someone I can make very happy and deserves it! Don't let it go to waste! Does my past really has to haunt me like this!? I didn't choose that stupid father! I didn't! I think... he even killed my mother! Just... por favor! I know you can do something..." Maverick said, without realizing, being on his knees, only his head, face, hands and shoulders being visible from behind Sere's desk. He was also sobbing quite badly.

Maverick noticed almost immediately and got up, wanting to retain whatever dignity he had left. He recalled the times Angora was in a similar position, and now it was his turn. He wiped his tears, and still trembling, he waited for Sere's response. Not only did it scared him the possibility of dying and leave Ilasi, Angora and Shade suffering for his demise, but it was also indignant how Sere appeared to be more worried about his organization's reputation than his life...

Maverick's despair was not exactly subtle. Sere could understand why one might feel that way after all of the things they've seen about how Aelinon punished criminals.
"Snap out of it. Relax," Sere demanded. "I will do all in my power to prevent that. This hinges on us winning the next battle. My men will be doing most of the heavy lifting there. If we put an end to the usurpation, we may well be in a position to ensure that you are... passed over. That is the hope, anyway. Should we succeed in that, the only concern is what others may potentially do with such information, and how it may affect your reputation. That, I won't be able to help you with much."
Sere could only be disappointed at how such a man was brought to face this past he didn't choose. Unfortunately, all the good intentions in the world could only do so much to absolve you of your sins.

Maverick took the time to breathe and calm himself. Even with his past, it was a relief to see Sere didn't think differently of him.
"Alright señor. Muy bien. I... I'll help overthrow the Ishulgites. And... well... I was forced to do those things, but fa... Armon is dead now, and I'm free from his influence and tyranny, and NEVER attempted to follow his legacy. I know I can never change having his blood, but I am NOTHING like him, and I never intend to." Maverick assured, and after month of traveling with him, he was certain Sere knew he was telling the truth.

While he wasn't out of the woods yet, and there was still a matter of this woman having that much knowledge, Maverick was certain everything would be fine. Not only will he help in the battle against the Ishulgites, but he had many witnesses that knew how he was. He won over practically every sailor that travelled with them, even the hardcore Leoquin, so he was certain they would testify to his favor if things went dire.
"Gracias señor. And gra... thank you for this chance. I don't know who that woman is, but if I ever find her, I will make sure she will see how different I am from that pirate. Just promise me that... you won't tell any of this to Angorita. You know how... delicate she is. I don't want to alarm her." Maverick requested, Angora being upset enough over what happened to Shade. Knowing something like this would most certainly break her.

"Don't worry - this conversation is between us," Sere assured Maverick. "The woman in question was relatively small in stature, if it helps. Besides that, we are waiting for reports from Laszur tomorrow to plan our next move, and my contacts should be able to investigate Ilasi's proposal. If you have nothing for me, then have a good night, and be sure to get some good rest." What a shameful world - where good people were persecuted for choices they didn't make, while evil people were able to slide through the cracks. Maybe there would be a fix for it all one day... but it wouldn't be with this plan to subjugate the entire world and remove individuality. There would be another way - someday, at least.

With the root opening up, Laszur and Mischief swiftly moved into action. The two managed to infiltrate the city; Laszur using invisibility and Mischief presumably using a disguise.
Once the two were in, it was a matter of finding the records, with addresses or some other means of locating the head Overseer. With guidance from Laszur, Mischief would be able to procure the information she needed from a night sentry; from there, Laszur was able to use his invisibility to infiltrate and locate some key records.
As he was reviewing them, he noted something - not only did the ceremony plans he pilfered have the head Overseer's address, it also noted the addresses of "trustworthy" men, seemingly picked at random (or at least, picked before the men themselves were aware of such a selection - the plans noted to "inform the lottery winners of their role the day prior, and ensure they are all accounted for the next morning.") Perhaps such a thing was done in order to give the loyalists minimum time to take action based on who was chosen; but that gave Laszur an idea...
There would be no kidnapping necessary at all. No threatening. Not even a choking out. Just a touch of trickery...
It was time to head back. Everything would work out. He knew it.

As Angora succumbed to sleep, Neo kept his promise about not letting her have any nightmares. For a moment she thought she was going to see Shepherd, but the image vanished before it could manifest itself. Instead, Angora dreamed about Veris pinning her to the ground with his massive claws and licking her to no end, with her. It wasn't really a nightmare, but it was very annoying, and she rolled her eyes to think she would have to stand his overly affectionate nature for a while, especially now that she agreed to go with him to Guardian headquarters regardless of the potential dangers and disagreements she had there.

Quote: A Guy

"Don't worry - this conversation is between us," Sere assured Maverick. "The woman in question was relatively small in stature, if it helps. Besides that, we are waiting for reports from Laszur tomorrow to plan our next move, and my contacts should be able to investigate Ilasi's proposal. If you have nothing for me, then have a good night, and be sure to get some good rest." What a shameful world - where good people were persecuted for choices they didn't make, while evil people were able to slide through the cracks. Maybe there would be a fix for it all one day... but it wouldn't be with this plan to subjugate the entire world and remove individuality. There would be another way - someday, at least.

The woman being relatively small in stature didn't help at all, being a very vague description. Not even hair color or length, but Maverick didn't want to prolong the conversation. There would be time to find this woman later.
"Si. You're right. And gracias señor. Buenas noches. Good night." Maverick said, very grateful. He didn't know how much Sere would do to avoid him a severe punishment, and it still offended him how worried he was about reputation, but at least it seemed he was going to try to do something.

With the matter settled, Maverick took Dahlia as soon as he arrived to the main deck and lead her back to the cabin. There was just enough space for her to sleep in there, just not too much movement. With Dahlia there, Maverick was certain that if there was any danger coming their way, Dahlia would alert them. Being heavily preyed animals guaranteed that they always had a danger alarm right there with them. Maverick wished his poor, hairy girl wasn't so nervous often, but it was already part of her nature.

As the sun soon settled and Mischief/co safely returned-- the Guardians and the remaining crew would soon call it quits and get some rest for the day, including that of Latnok's dragon/canine companions. "Night Love.," Raclaw said briefly nuzzling Darkheart before following the Guardian to his/their quarters. "Night Dahlia!," Chester barked as he spotted the buffalo-turned-mount being led back to her pin. The two would motion for Icestorm to come if the small dragon was so inclined, but otherwise begin to shut their eyes once they hit their bed. And so, the sun would soon rise once again...

Being in that pen, it was nearly impossible to tell time given there was no window or anything to indicate the time. Angora opened her eyes, feeling well rested, and for a moment forgetting she was with Veris. He was resting his snout very near her, to the point where she could feel the warm air from his nostrils as he breathed. She was pinned against his body with his tail, though thankfully, it wasn't as tight as the last time and she managed to slip away. While it wasn't her job anymore, at least for the time being, Angora took the time to head to the kitchen and brought him some steak surrounded with sausage. His water needed to be changed, but since he was in the way, Angora decided to stay there and wait for him to woke up just in case he woke up abruptly and accidentally hurt her. She tried to enjoy the break, for she had a feeling that today was going to be a very long day.

As usual with Maverick, he still didn't wake. He was in a profound sleep. He had his beloved girlfriend and precious mount right there with him. Dahlia did smell a little like cattle, but her scent was much more tolerable than that of cows. At a nearby inn, Huntress was already up, contemplating a window as she had some hard boiled eggs as breakfast. She knew Armon Blakes was dead, as well as the rest of his pirates. Somehow, his son was still alive, but how could that be? Was there a flaw in what happened that late afternoon? It didn't matter now. Godfather Sere, the leader of all Guardians knew the truth, but if he didn't do anything, she was going to make sure it was done...

Sere was already up by first light, waiting for the report from Laszur and any other relevant personnel Seraos might seem fit to have involved. This was their final day of preparation before the coronation - everything had to be done just right.
Laszur returned in short order; arriving in plain sight in order to avoid startling anyone. In his hands were some documents, which he presented to Sere; Sere took them and began to read them.
"Have your team at the rendezvous point mentioned by around this time tomorrow," Laszur told Sere. "Thirty-six hooded white garments. There will be a brief rehearsal of some basic movements. Nothing your men shouldn't be able to handle. Important is that each of your men assumes one of those names."
Sere nodded along. "So just play along, pretend we're all a part of this... I see. What of the men originally meant to take these positions?"
"They will be occupied with other tasks," Laszur answered confidently. "This will be the best opportunity we get. We can't squander it."
"Yes, I understand that as much as anyone. We will be prepared," Sere replied, as he put the documents back in the folder they were taken from. "Where is the king?"
"He will be here perhaps within the next hour," Laszur answered. "We just sit and wait until then to confirm some more details."

Angora remained in the corner, waiting for Veris to wake up so that she could change his water. Before she knew it, she fell asleep again. Throughout that time, she could remember the only time she was truly happy. It was after the battle with Darkmatter, where she made the most unlikely of friends and encountered an old one. Flying on Shade's back with Maverick, exploring the world, setting up a kiosk to sell nearly everything the three of them gathered in their journeys. Camping in the nights when they couldn't get to a city. She and Shade hunting their food while Maverick either went fishing or had a vegetarian meals. Even pranking each other on ocassion, with Maverick usually being the target. She was so happy in those times.

But the moments didn't even last a year. When they reached Orcford, and then Redwater, everything went downhill. Those greedy people, expanding territories, threatening their very lives. And then that accident that caused the death of so many people. If only she had known about Aelinon and where they were located. If only she had gotten Shade the help he needed. Everything would be different. Of course, Maverick wouldn't have met Ilasi and Shade wouldn't have encountered his family at long last... but was that really better than the life they had? And if they had never known about the Ishulgite's existence, would they still have contacted her?

Veris gradually started to move, stretching out before becoming alert enough to be considered fully awake. The first thing he noticed was Angora's continued presence.
"Good morning!" hhe hapily greeted angora. "Did you rest well? What will happen today?" Angora not leaving yet was, as far as he was concerned, a good sign.

Ilasi remained pleasantly asleep, one of her arms still slightly resting on Maverick. Regardless of the trials ahead, these moments allowed her to rest comfortably knowing that they would overcome them. Still, sometimes she had dreams of her parents - not very clear ones. She didn't exactly know what their plan would be after she left...

Veris' voiced triggered his presence in the dream, reminding Angora he was now the dragon in her life. Things were so different now. She woke up.
"Oh. Morning Veris..." she said between yawns and rubbing her eyes. She was surprised to see his meal was still there. She doubted he didn't see it there, for the scent would've gave it away. Seems like greeting her was more important to him. That was quite a surprise.
"I don't know. Your master is... the man with the plan I guess? We need to stop those Ishulgites before they do something drastic. We need to be prepared since they aren't going to be very merciful." Angora warned, figuring the Ishulgites were wiling to kill them all in order to fulfill their sadistic objectives. Sere did enough letting them rest, but whatever he was planning, she assumed he was going to do it as soon as today to avoid giving the Ishulgites more time to progress.

One movement of her arm woke Maverick. He looked at his girlfriend adoringly, then Dahlia, whom he forgot was there. She was awake, but with her eyes half closed. She did a small moo in greeting.
"Shh. Easy there Dahlia. Let's not wake Ilasi. I'll go make some breakfast for us, ok?" Maverick whispered, getting off the bed while being very careful not to wake Ilasi up. The good thing was that he didn't have to cook for a large number of sailors anymore, so besides Dahlia, Ilasi and Angora of course, he was going to prepare something for Sere and the rest of the group as well, even Sand Dune, Opium and Random. He pretty much knew by now what everyone liked best.

Veris did indeed notice the food; however, with Angora nearby, he was concerned about potentially hurting her in a rush while she was sleeping. He still remembered the one time he thought he had eaten her.
"No mercy! We will break them! We will snap their bones! We will devour them!" Veris growled out as his blood started pumping. These bad people were always making a hard time for his human and his friends - and he was looking forward to the opportunity to finally put an end to them.

As the sun began to peek into Ilasi's room, she started rousing out of her sleep. "Fine... I'll be there," she said, to no one in particular - perhaps a conversation that had begun in a dream? Whatever it was, she couldn't remember it now. Seeing Maverick was absent, she began her preparations for the day.
As she prepared, an enticing smell soon caressed her nostrils - Maverick's cooking. One of the things she was glad she wouldn't have to leave behind on the voyage. She slightly cracked the door, to make it easy for Maverick to enter in the few seconds it would take him to arrive.

Maverick gave a wide smile as he saw his girlfriend awake. He had her meal in one hand and Dahlia's bowl in another. His platter, along with the rest of the meals, were in a cart that he left just outside.
"Buenos dias Ilasi. Up already? Look what I brought you. Beautiful day, isn't it? I wish we didn't have to participate in the fight ahead, but Orion chose us, so we must. But first, eat. We need all the energy we can get." Maverick said, presenting her with scrambled eggs that he arranged in the form of a mermaid, and small pieces of ham that were around it as if the mermaid was wearing jewelry. The platter had more food than usual, not only because he had to cook for far less people, but also because he wanted them to have as much energy as they could for the battle ahead. Who knew when they got to eat again once they left the ship.

Quote: A Guy

Veris did indeed notice the food; however, with Angora nearby, he was concerned about potentially hurting her in a rush while she was sleeping. He still remembered the one time he thought he had eaten her.
"No mercy! We will break them! We will snap their bones! We will devour them!" Veris growled out as his blood started pumping. These bad people were always making a hard time for his human and his friends - and he was looking forward to the opportunity to finally put an end to them.

This time, Angora wasn't surprised by his reaction. As friendly as he was with her and a few others, she was too aware that Veris could still be a violent, bloodthirsty beast. Though it was kinda funny how he was using the plural form this time. Perhaps that meant he was willing to share this time?
"Yes, I'm very sure your master will let you eat some of them. They are not exactly human, so will have no problem with that. Why, he let you eat that fat human that tormenting me and my new friends back in the brig. Not sure if you knew about that already, but he gave me quite a hard time. And those men too for an even longer time. I must admit I was quite surprised to learn he was given to you." Angora expressed, still remembering how shocked she was when she found out the large bully was fed to Veris. She didn't even think Sere would even consider feeding humans to his mount. She wondered if he felt weird eating the same kind as his master, though it was Veris. He probably didn't care as long as he had meat. Despite the misery the man caused to her and her three new friends, she was kinda glad he was dead already when it happened, since Veris wasn't really the kind to kill prey first unless too strong, which the Ishulgites likely included.

Ilasi gently took the provided meal from Maverick, taking a few moments to admire the artistic design before she began to eat. "I appreciate it, dear," she said thankfully before taking the first bite. As much of a shame as it was to have to take apart such art, it would be an even bigger shame to not eat the meal and appreciate the effort put into it.
"From what I know, the others were considering my plan for the battle ahead," Ilasi informed Maverick, taking another bite of food afterward before continuing. "I believe they'll get back to us today on what's going to happen."

Veris licked his lips, remembering said fat human. "Good meal. Very fat. Delicious." Now that Angora was safely out of the way, he took the opportunity to approach the food she left behind - eating it with all of the gusto he usually did. "I am ready to fight! We will win! Take me to them!" Veris was all pumped up and ready to go - the disappointment would be having to stay behind.

Though Latnok was awake, he remained in his room for awhile, not knowing what in particular to do. Most of the preparations were out of his hands. Slowly, he put on his gear, trying not to wake Raclaw and Chester in the process. When he was all suited up, he left his room, heading for the deck.

Maverick ate in peace once he gave the bowl to Dahlia. He wanted to make some conversation with Ilasi, but the subjects he had in mind weren't very pleasant. For one, there was his conversation with Sere yesterday. While he wanted to believe everything would be fine and that Sere would keep his promise, it always seemed like he was cursed to have his past haunt him sooner or later. And of course there was the matter of his friends. Shade was now a prisoner and a battery for a weapon, and Angora was evidently distressed about the job Sere offered her. While a job could be a good thing for her, Maverick wasn't fond of the idea of her working in Guardian headquarters either, and knew the very thought stressed his little friend greatly.

Quote: A Guy

Veris licked his lips, remembering said fat human. "Good meal. Very fat. Delicious." Now that Angora was safely out of the way, he took the opportunity to approach the food she left behind - eating it with all of the gusto he usually did. "I am ready to fight! We will win! Take me to them!" Veris was all pumped up and ready to go - the disappointment would be having to stay behind.

Angora rolled her eyes.
"Heh, you and your sweet tooth..." Angora said, trying to make a joke, though she found it quite disturbing how he enjoyed human meat.

She waited for him to finish before talking again.
"Ha ha. You took a while eating that Veris." she said, immensely unaware of the great sadness she caused him at some point and assuming he was finally learning to be more controlling.

"But anyway, you will have your moment to shine big guy. Your master will most likely need you in the battle ahead. He will probably call us as soon as today... in any moment. Those Ishulgites have caused us enough trouble already. Just be smart, alright? And cautious. They are very cunning and manipulative." she then warned, wanting to make sure Veris used his brain more and not to dash into danger immediately like he usually did, though she was certain Sere would prevent that. The Ishulgites were not to be underestimated, as she has painfully learned time and time again.

in the sky, Seraos and his escort on their wyverns came into view, after flying past one of the larger buildings. They had recently started flying lower when traveling, in order to minimize the visibility on them. While there wasn't quite as much forewarning, Sere was prepared nonetheless.
The wyverns landed on the spacious deck, with their passengers dismounting in short order and approaching Sere. Seraos carried a scroll case in his right hand.
"Godfather Sere. Good morning," Seraos greeted. "I trust Laszur told you about our plan?"
"Good morning, King Seraos. Yes, he did," Sere answered. "My men will be ready then. The biggest concern I have is with the creatures we call masterminds - they may potentially be able to sense that something is off, if one of them is watching the ceremony. Of course, we can try to take measures to counteract that, but the spells can only go so far... though we may have a potential trump card in that regard."
"Trump card, you say? I trust your judgment on this," Seraos said in agreement. "Oh, yes, here." Seraos handed Sere the scroll case, which he received. "Some of the merfolk among us knew enough of the Scepter's workings to create a spell which should work to temporarily disable it. It can be applied as an enchantment or cast directly - of note is that the spell itself can only be cast by merfolk, though anyone can invoke the enchantment once it's made."
"Good to know," said Sere, gladly receiving the scroll. Potential enchantment? Ilasi and Latnok would probably be the ideal choices to work together on that...

Huntress saw the wyverns landing, and she recognized the king's mount even from that distance. Although it seemed like such a nice feeling to fly, she still preferred behemoth and horses. She just hated dragons too much, and anything that resembled them. After this madness was over, Huntress was going to make sure that old coot of a Guardian did his job right and gave Maverick what he deserved...

Maverick didn't hear anything and continued eating, but at Veris' pen, Angora's hearing was sensible enough to hear the approaching wyverns. She recognized the flapping of dragon wings after much time mounting both Shade and Veris.
"Looks like we got company. Be right back Veris. Going to have some breakfast myself and see who's up there." Angora said, kinda scared to go up. She figured it was either the king's men or Sere's, ready to overthrow the Ishulgite leader. It was going to be a long day...

Once all the arrangements were made, Seraos and his escorts mounted their wyverns and took off, to be seen some other time. That left Sere on the deck, with Latnok - who overheard mention of him and Ilasi putting together the enchantment for the spell.
"so I guess I'm going to be firing an arrow with this enchanted spell?" Latnok asked Sere for clarification.
"That's what I was thinking, yes," Sere confirmed. "Go find her and get that taken care of. From there... there's not too much more. Just being in place for tomorrow and praying all goes well."
"Got it. I'll find her," Latnok answered.

A few minutes later, Ilasi and Maverick would be interrupted by a firm knocking of the door. Ilasi set her meal down, suspecting it was either Latnok or Sere - and had her hypothesis confirmed when she found Latnok.
"Good morning, Latnok. Is there anything you need from me?" Ilasi asked.
"The spell you suggested. You're going to prepare a few of my arrows with it," Latnok explained. "I don't know how well you know your enchantment spells, but I can help guide you through the process - you have to be the one to cast the spell, however."
"Hmm... that makes sense," Ilasi said, as she prepared to follow along.

Angora served herself a platter of tilapia with some grapes and cheese, heading to the main deck just in time to see the king ad his men take off on their wyverns. Once again, she missed her chance to see if she could communicate with other wyverns. She would have to try at Guardian headquarters, saying as far away from them as possible of course. Nearby, she spotted Raclaw, close to Latnok as usual. It's been a while since she and that human have had any disagreement, but even if they were heading to the same place after this crazy war was over, she wasn't very open to befriend him.
"So then... had any breakfast yet?" she asked the fur dragon, trying to make some conversation. She couldn't see Icestorm anywhere, which made her wonder if he was still asleep in Latnok's cabin. She could only imagine the arguments those two had on the journey back.

Maverick was almost done with his meal when Latnok came. They had a fairly decent relationship, even though they still didn't always see eye to eye. He hasn't seem him or Angora argue in a long time, so he hoped that was a good sign.
"Buenos dias señor Latnok." he greeted politely, rather exited that his girlfriend was so needed.
"Go ahead Ilasi. I'll be right behind you. I have to distribute the food cart anyway. Vamos Dahlia." he said, calling the dirt buffalo. He almost forgot about the rest of the food wanting to spend time with Ilasi, so he was hoping it wasn't cold. But if it was, Raclaw could hear it up. As strange as it sounded, he knew that a dragon like him was a fire breather.

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Angora served herself a platter of tilapia with some grapes and cheese, heading to the main deck just in time to see the king ad his men take off on their wyverns. Once again, she missed her chance to see if she could communicate with other wyverns. She would have to try at Guardian headquarters, saying as far away from them as possible of course. Nearby, she spotted Raclaw, close to Latnok as usual. It's been a while since she and that human have had any disagreement, but even if they were heading to the same place after this crazy war was over, she wasn't very open to befriend him.
"So then... had any breakfast yet?" she asked the fur dragon, trying to make some conversation. She couldn't see Icestorm anywhere, which made her wonder if he was still asleep in Latnok's cabin. She could only imagine the arguments those two had on the journey back.

"Oh hey Angora. No, I haven't eaten yet.," Raclaw said smiling at the Troll's presence. He recognized that she and Latnok would never entirely see eye-to-eye, but did appreciate that she at least no longer strayed away while he was in the Guardian's presence. He and Latnok were friends and practically (legally) family at this point; neither of them could completely ignore the other due to their shared friendship with him. Nearby, Chester laid down and was rolling around the clear belled ball that had once been gifted to him. And elsewhere, Risar was managing the now much smaller crew while looking off into the distance.

Back at Shade's cell, several of the guards, including a mage with them, abruptly banged on the reinforced steel bars of his cell with metal batons in order to get his attention.
"Rise and shine, Scourge!" one of the guards called out. "We got a behemoth ready to drag you to your next point of service! Let's not keep him waiting. Wouldn't want any 'accidents' now, would we?" None of the men made any attempt to hide their disdain for Shade and what he did.

Ilasi waved as she followed Latnok. "I'll see you later, dear!" she called out as they headed their separate ways.
Latnok led the way to the deck, where he had set apart a few arrows for the necessary enchantment. In the meanwhile, Julian was hard at work in his room. He wouldn't be able to attend the upcoming battle, as he couldn't hide his form within the garb worn by the processionists. Nevertheless, he was doing everything he could to help.

Angora was about to offer a bit of her meal to him when Icestorm approached.
"Morning. I see you're already eating." Angora said, assuming he went to the kitchen himself and wondering of Maverick was still going to cook for them even though it was no longer his job. She was really enjoying their company. It seems that befriending dragons was her most successful traits. Icestorm wasn't a dragon according to himself, but he looked so much like one. He was a dwarf kaiju according to what she heard him say once, so in a way, they both had a lot in common.

Maverick accompanied them for a while, using Dahlia to help him distribute the food cart. He bid farewell to Angora and told Latnok to pick his meal while he distributed the rest around the main deck...

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Yah just getting some fruit to wake me up.” Icestorm said.

Angora smiled, Icestorm looking more spirited than before. She was about to share some of her food when she heard the food cart.
"Oh look at that. Just in time." Angora stated, with Maverick approaching them first, with Dahlia helping with the cart. She wasn't so nervous around Raclaw as she was with the other dragons, and Icestorm was too small to be even considered a threat, at least from her perspective.
"Well, aren't you a terrific trio. Look, already got your food." Maverick said, giving their respective platters, or bowls in Raclaw and Chester's cases. He whistled to the beagle to announce his presence.
"Aww, you already have breakfast? I made something for you." Maverick indicated, noticing Angora already had a platter.
"Oh don't worry Maverick. I could use a second helping. We need a lot of energy for these days." Angora assured, grabbing her own platter and mixing it with the one she already had and returning it to the cart. Maverick for one thing, felt very happy for her. Angora didn't hang around with him as much as before cause he didn't want to interrupt his and Ilasi's relationships. Shade only had a few exceptions to hang out with them in the journey back, and the three men had been often busy in the infirmary, so Veris was pretty much the one she spent the most time with. It was refreshing to see her with others other than the wyvern, even if ironically, those two were sort of dragons as well.

The guards simply laughed at Shade's request, as if he told a riotous joke. "No one cares," one said as they settled down, while another unlocked two of the balls from the chains, leaving Shade to move around with the other two. "You really think we're gonna let a monster like you just run around? You'll be in for quite the shock - prisoners have no freedom. You'll do as you're told, and you will work until your sentence is up or you die."
With the other guard rejoining his comrades, the mage among them motioned for Shade to follow along. "Get a move-on. We don't have all day," he ordered.

Leoquin, in the meanwhile, was just getting up. There would be no preparations of his own to make, except to train. All he had to do was be ready for the fight ahead. He had tried to visit his parents before; but they were not at home where he left them. He wondered what could have happened...

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Angora smiled, Icestorm looking more spirited than before. She was about to share some of her food when she heard the food cart.
"Oh look at that. Just in time." Angora stated, with Maverick approaching them first, with Dahlia helping with the cart. She wasn't so nervous around Raclaw as she was with the other dragons, and Icestorm was too small to be even considered a threat, at least from her perspective.
"Well, aren't you a terrific trio. Look, already got your food." Maverick said, giving their respective platters, or bowls in Raclaw and Chester's cases. He whistled to the beagle to announce his presence.

Chester's ears perked upon the whistle and two canine companions soon prepared to chow down. "Thank-you!," they both said in common and canine respectively. They were no Veris, but they were both very appreciative of a good meal.

As Angora had his double helpings and her friends ate, she wondered what Julien was up to, besides searching for a cure. She barely saw him on the main deck, and whenever she went to his laboratory, it was to bring him food. Sand Dune, Random and Opium had been unsuccessful in finding anything that could help him. Whatever he had, it was way beyond their expertise, and since Angora barely knew anything about medicine, or even magic, she couldn't help at all. All she could do was bring whatever he needed whenever she visited. After her meal, she was going to give some for him as well. It was the best she could do for him.

Maverick had other concerns on his mind as he gave Leoquin's platter next. All he could think of was who was the woman who gave such vital information about his past. How could she know? Could she be... one of the women from his past? He did meet plenty of women, and even though he could never get into a relationship, they all knew who he was whenever his father got in the way. It had to be one of them. But who? He couldn't remember so many faces. If that was the case, how could he tell Ilasi such shameful truth...?

After eating, Angora took the empty platter to the food cart and took a dish closest to what Julien liked.
"Well, see you guys later. And if you see Mischief, say hi for me." Angora said as she went away, figuring Mischief was still asleep. She appeared to be a heavy sleeper just like Maverick, though similarly to her, it seemed that she had nightmares often. There was her bird friend, Choco, who was now more noticeable with the ship almost empty now. For such a large bird, it concealed itself quite well, but with the lack of sailors around, it hid inside the ship more often now.

As Angora headed to Julien's laboratory, she wondered how Shade was doing. Those stupid brutes must be treating him so badly right now. She was treated lousily herself without even doing anything. She couldn't imagine him. If Sere kept monitoring and visiting the king, perhaps she could talk to the young monarch as well. She was going to be part of the Guardians after all... in a way. Being a wyvern caretaker was probably not the most respectable job, but it was better than nothing. She tried to stop thinking about Shade as she reached Julien's door, believing she would just get angry and depressed if she kept thinking about him.
"Mr. Julien? You there? I brought you some breakfast." she said knocking at the door. Door closed usually meant he was there, and busy.