darkSpyro

With everything settled, Maverick was wondering what will his family think of everything if they find out. How much he missed them. At that very moment, Alana and Tyrus were returning to school, with Sand Dune receiving them, who was free today. Immediately after, Alana went to her room to study and do her homework without grabbing food, something she almost never did. She would eat later. With her father’s absence, she found out that studying was a great distraction from her hurt feelings. She would rather go outside and explore, but some people, especially children, were advised that it would be an ill idea to venture too far from home with a dangerous shapeshifter on the loose. The news about the satyr girl and the centaur were still secret to the public, or at least that part of Redwater. The newspaper was already in the house, but Alana only ever read the comic section if she ever grabbed the paper at all. Giving her space, Sand Dune read the paper after grabbing his plate, having helped Ilasi in the kitchen... or at least pretending to help since from the trio, he was the one who barely knew anything about cooking.

The sudden question from Angora made Veris think just a little - though, as far as he was concerned, his own wants weren't a complicated matter. "I want food, I want to hunt, I want to fight, I want to be victorious... and I want to be loved," he answered plainly. "Our humans are often busy, so they have other people take care of us. Most... do not love us. They give us what we need, but they do not care for us like our own humans do. They stay a short while, and then they leave, and a new person comes. You... I thought you would be different..."
It was painful for Veris to think about how he had been "fooled" the entire time. He should have expected that, in the end, only his own human would stay with him.

The answer hit Angora like a hot dagger to the chest. It was much more elaborated... and hurtful than she had anticipated. She thought she was ready for it.
“Veris... I...” she hesitated, still working on what words she could use to make him feel better, if that was possible at all.
“You think I’m leaving cause I want to hurt you? Or because of your companions constantly attacking me? I mean... sure, it’ll be nice if they stopped and I could befriend them, but I don’t want you to hate them if they can’t. It’s just... instinct. I already told you. This new job, it’s likely temporary. This scientist, he said he could help my species be seen in a better way. I don’t trust him, but... well, it’s a nice thought. The reason for my species’ bad reputation is not entirely undeserving though. Most trolls are indeed awful. Heh, what can you say about parents that want to eat you cause you didn’t grow big and mean like them?” Angora said, wanting to avoid the memory but wanting to prove a point. She was also saying that to convince herself that it was probably a lost cause, so the decision she was about to make could be easier.
“My brother, and another troll there who loved shoes, they were the only good trolls besides me. Too few. How can there be any change when too few of us are good? Maybe... even if the scientist has good intentions, it’s too much of a possibility that it won’t work. Even if I’m sort of accepted among humans now, it’s because of my non intimidating size rather than species.” she then said, very convinced that it was her size, and in part her civilized behavior that made her somewhat accepted in Redwater and among the Guardians and caretakers.

As she let Veris process her words, Angora was now convinced that he was both unwilling and unable to bond with another caretaker. Being a wyvern of more complex emotions than the others meant that the constant change in caretakers that only did what they did to get paid rather than actual care affected him much more than the rest. As hard as the decision was, Angora knew there wasn’t much else she could do.
“Listen, Veris... you know the last thing I want to do is to hurt you. So... if... if staying with you is what you want, then... just say the word. I’ll still be taking the one week free of course to take the breaks I’ll need, but I’ll continue working here if that’s what you really want. I’ll reject the job offer, and stay with you... forever. For real this time. I promise.” Angora said, knowing it was going to be hard keeping their word. But she had to, for Veris’ sake. Everything about him was going to be affected if she left, and it was clear to her that visits weren’t going to be enough for the stubborn wyvern.

Latnok had already considered the possibility of civilian fatalities. "Now, I'm not normally up for trading the many for the few," he elaborated. "However, given that this will, overall, be beneficial to the islanders, I believe some casualties are acceptable. Hopefully we can do this with minimal fighting necessary; a show of force should be enough to get most people in line, I hope."
With the basics of the plan settled, they still had to wait for late night, when the Queen was asleep. "I'll inform Alithe once our troops are deployed outside the habitats. Considering what's happened recently, I'd rather not give the enforcers any more reason to pry into his business until we're ready. I'll have to prepare some exploding arrows beforehand - I normally do it quickly on the spot, but I'm going to need these arrows to go off some time after they're in place, so I'll need a more stable enchantment. Speaking of which..."
Latnok gave a quick, direct point to Huntress. "Hey, you," he called out curtly. "You any good with a bow?" Latnok wasn't counting on it, but it could prove useful.

Huntress smiled, feeling like this was her time to shine.
“I have no bow, but I have used it before. Besides, I already have this...” she said, taking out one the joys of her collection, the crossbow. She showed her aiming skills by pointing at a barrel that was almost forty feet away from them, shooting the arrow without hitting anyone, landing on the barrel’s small hole in a perfect bull’s eye.
“Que mujer...” Maverick said under his breath, although he should’ve known that her name was not just an artistic one.
“Well then, if everything’s settled, I think we’re all ready. Except my... near human comrade and I don’t have the proper gear for such an expedition. And of course, there’s also your canine companion...” she said, looking at Chester, although she figured Latnok had some spare armor, and if someone was suitable for watching over the dog, it was Maverick, who evidently lacked the bloodlust for such mission, which was ironic given his previous life as a pirate.

Maverick didn’t like how casually Latnok said that a few casualties were acceptable, even if that shouldn’t be surprising him. Even if there was one single life lost, it was already a tragedy, but what could he do? All he had to do was follow and trust Latnok and his plan. Even if he was young, he was a Guardian for a reason, and while he didn’t always agree with him, questioning his intelligence was out of place. The fact that Huntress asked such reasonable questions calmed him a little, and what she said was true. They still needed something to protect themselves, that was if he got directly involved as well. He doubted Latnok would let Chester come, especially now that he was an old dog. He wanted to help free Leoquin, but he would do his part whatever it was.

Latnok gave a smile, satisfied with the display of skill. "Damn... not bad, not bad at all," he complimented. Crossbows weren't his preferred weapon, but they had their own advantages. A crossbow also alleviated one of his potential concerns - whether Huntress had the strength to shoot the arrows up high enough.
"I'll need to take a look at the bolts you're using," he requested. "To craft bolts that can hold the necessary enchantment and are compatible with the arrowtips I have." Arrows and bolts typically had different tips, due to the nature of their respective launchers, but Latnok would have to make do with what he had.
Besides that, however, Huntress was surprisingly ill-equipped. "As for other equipment... I would've expected you to have brought armor," he said disappointedly. "...whatever. Maverick will be staying back with some of the crew here, as will Chester. There won't be any islanders where you're headed - straight to the lair. One of the two reasons we're picking the time that we are - all the islanders are out of the lair at night. You and Raclaw can stop anyone who would prematurely wake the Queen, by any means necessary. Once we start weakening the pillars, your job will be to shoot four bolts, one into the roof near each pillar. Those will go off at the same time I set off the arrows at the lower level."
Latnok gave a shrug. "And who knows. If this works, we'll have a bounty of dragonhide - which, I should note, will be a very profitable haul for the entire crew, given the size of our quarry - and maybe we'll run into people who can tan and work with it. That'll solve your armor problem." If fighting to free their comrade, to free the islanders, or for honor and glory wasn't enough of a motivator for the crew, then the profit certainly had to be.

Huntress’ left eye twitched at Latnok’s disappointment, but other than that, there was no other indication on how annoyed she was.
“Pardon my lack of preparation, but this bite resistant suit and fireproof cape have helped me quite a lot in my bounty hunting. But this mission requires... much special equipment, none that I needed before. My oversight is inexcusable for an expedition of this magnitude.” Huntress explained calmly, having remarkable control of her emotions and admitting begrudgingly that she should’ve been better prepared for the unknown. For someone that didn’t like Latnok, Maverick was impressed how Huntress was showing great respect when addressing him. If only Angora could’ve had such control in the past. For now, he was somewhat relieved he was going to stay behind with Chester, something that didn’t surprise Huntress at all.

With the comment out of the way, the woman proceeded to show one of the bolts she had for the crossbow. Instead of wood, it was made of one of the many hard metals Aelinon crafted, and that only special military personnel and special exceptions could have. Huntress received the honor after demonstrating such uncanny skills with her bounty hunting jobs, although being the adoptive daughter of one of the soldiers certainly helped. The bolts looked more like mini harpoons. Since they were so hard to get, Huntress made sure she could recover them after she was done shooting.

Latnok took the bolt, feeling it and testing it with his hands. Though being made of metal wasn't a surprise, Latnok couldn't identify the particular alloy - it felt lightweight, but was harder than the typical lightweight alloys. The bolt probably wasn't on the cheap side.
"I'll take this with me," he said. "I'll give it back when I have the enchanted bolts prepared." One of the issues with metal bolts was that, outside of specific designs, most metals weren't conducive to holding enchantments like organic or faceted materials were - bolts, much like arrows, had to be designed specifically to be enchanted with a spell.
Besides that, Latnok was surprised to hear Huntress admit fault for anything. His experience with Angora had perhaps primed him to expecting someone incorrigibly self-righteous, with Huntress having shown similar behaviors. The comparison was one of the few things that made Latnok spare a thought for the troll. Such a shame - Angora had so much potential to improve her magic, but was completely incapable of exercising a shred of discipline, or showing any sort of deference to authority except under pain of imprisonment or death. He had never come across anyone that he gave up on - before her.

Huntress let Latnok do whatever he wanted, kinda curious to see one Guardian magic in action directly. He knew Latnok didn’t like her, and while the thought of him possibly sabotaging her did crossed her mind, his dislike didn’t seem to the point of wishing her dead. He wouldn’t have any gain in that, especially since she was another crew member. As Latnok left to get to work, she took a look at Maverick, and while she didn’t want to approach him on account that the irritable Icestorm had the bad habit of interrupting their conversations, she felt the urge to talk to him this time.
“Why the long face? You should be happy that you’ll be staying here with the puppy. You have a family to take care of, don’t you? Huntress reminded, with Maverick saying nothing.
“Are you worried about Leoquin? The islanders? Or... the dragon?” she said in an almost accusing tone.
“Why would you care how I feel?” he replied in a surprising rude tone.
“Oh? Is fluffy and kind finally showing some spine?” she mocked, not feeling offended by his tone, ironically finding it a relief from the overly sweet Maverick that irritated her.
“I trust señor Latnok. He always has good plans. It’s just... I wish there was another way, that didn’t involve any loss of life at all.” he lamented, if only to satisfy Huntress’ sudden curiosity and get her off his back.
“Always the optimistic. But you must know by now why that is not possible. Come on. You’re a big boy. Feel glad that you don’t have to be part of anything. Stay alive and return to the family that must be missing you a lot.” Huntress commented, getting Maverick’s attention. Was she showing... concern? For him? Or was she simply mocking him again? It was so hard to read her sometimes. He couldn’t explain why he didn’t remember a woman with such a mysterious and unpredictable personality. Before saying anything else, Huntress announced she was going to eat while Latnok worked, wanting to be prepared for the task ahead, which no doubt would be bigger and more dangerous than any of the bounty hunting jobs she has taken. But also because she didn’t want to risk Icestorm appearing out of nowhere once more. She would discuss with Latnok later if she could have the honor of delivering the killing blow to the beast, but if not, she hoped seeing the eyes dying out at the moment of the execution would be enough to satisfy her.

Latnok shook his head at the suggestion to cover their movements. "In other cases, we would want that," he began explaining. "This, however, will be a show of force. We need them to see us moving in. They need to know that they are significantly outmatched. That will minimize the amount of fighting necessary, by encouraging their surrender. The only one who can't know of our movements is the Queen - and that's what Huntress and Raclaw will ensure." Though Latnok had accepted that islander casualties would be almost inevitable, he still wanted to minimize how many there were.

In the office at one base, Brinecrag set down a copy of the regional newspaper he had grabbed. The headline immediately grabbed his attention - and not in a good way.
"A bounty for capture? What the hell is this?" he asked, to no one in particular. "Since when did we ever care about whether outlaws were taken alive?" This was a hiccup in his plans - Lyon could very well be tempted to leave, if he believed he could help his daughter by doing so. Brinecrag couldn't bear the thought of it - his plans were laid out too well to allow this sort of disruption. He had to come up with something - but for now, he had to keep himself present at the base, while the operators were executing their plan at the prison.

Huntress had stopped paying attention until her name was mentioned. She only heard a few world in between.
“I’m sorry. I what?” she asked, wanting to do her part, but despite Latnok apparently suggesting that she and and Raclaw had to make sure the Queen remained asleep, she was more concerned about working with a dragon. He might be a joke when compared to a real dragon, and just a pathetic pet on top of that as far as she was concerned, but nevertheless, she wasn’t fond of the idea of working with one of the beasts she hated so much, even if it meant taking down a bigger and far more dangerous one. How come Latnok didn’t mention this part until now?

In their rooms, Lyon and Lydia were still with the same brutal struggle. They both had to take a brief nap in order to have clearer minds for the decision they had to make. The old merman has failed to convince his daughter that the king wouldn’t risk wanting outlaws being captured alive and putting his reputation on the line if all that really mattered was them dead.
“Lydia please love, I know you don’t trust him anymore. I know that you have lost faith in him, but if you don’t trust king Seraos, can’t you at least trust me?” Lyon asked, not wanting to leave without her. If he did, not only would they be in opposite sides of the law, but general Brinecrag could retaliate and take her as hostage for his betrayal, or worse, kill her.
“General Brinecrag saved us. He and his people know what’s going on. How unfair Seraos is lately. If he wants us alive, it’s probably to execute us in public and make an example out of us and make people fear him. We might not even be thrown into the arena to have a chance to fight for freedom. We’ll probably be blindfolded and shot down, or beheaded.” Lydia speculated, sincerely believing all Seraos wanted was to make an example out of them, even if it meant making special exceptions with outlaws.

It pained Lyon to see Lydia’s faith in the king so destroyed. It was such a far cry from the young mermaid who wanted to be a general to help those in need, avenge her mother and be of service to the great boy king.
“Listen daddy. I know you saw Seraos since he was a baby. I know you believed in him even after he had to take the throne at such a young age and after such a tragedy, but how can you forgive him for what he did? Throwing us in jail even after you explained everything, questioning your loyalty and judgement even after entire decades of nothing but service to him? I know you didn’t want a special treatment for the crime, but even so, did he suddenly forget everything you have done for him? All the patrols and arrests you made? Did he forget you stopped Armon Blakes, a ruthless pirate that not even the Guardians could locate for some reason? You did so much for him, and even after explaining how harmless the people that saved you were, he just callously throws the both of us, a family, in jail like sacs of garbage, as if nothing you ever did mattered. And no. Jail wasn’t enough! They had to resort to torture too! Instead of a proper retirement and having the peace and quiet you deserve, here we are, after many days of wasting away in a prison, in the company of people who want to overthrow him by murdering innocents. But at least we won’t be part of that. You just have to be a face and do nothing. And yet you want to risk being captured by people that now hate us for the sake of a man who brought us so much suffering in these past days!?” Lydia reminded, still not over the torture segment she had to endure. She tried forgetting, but it was impossible.

Lyon understood Lydia’s frustration, and wasn’t going to force her to deliver themselves to the king if there was the chance that she was right and the capture was simply to execute them in public later on. That has never happened on account that outlaws were very rarely demanded alive, but it could still be a possibility. While he still had faith in Seraos, he couldn’t entirely forgive him. He could’ve forgiven him if he had been the only one detained, but the fact that they went after his daughter as well, and also that she was the one who was tortured instead of him, who was the one who committed the bigger crime in the first place, was a gross and unnecessary action. The torture stopped prematurely, but it wasn’t avoided, and it still traumatized his Lydia. If only there was a way he could get her out of here and be the only one to deliver himself to the king to see for himself what he wanted with them...

Latnok had the suspicion that Huntress didn't actually mishear him. "You heard me. You and Raclaw will secure the entrance to the lair," he reiterated. "Is our little princess going to be able to manage that, or is that going to be just another thing to add to a list of jobs she's too good for?" Latnok, having had to deal with the wayward Angora, wanted to nip any habit of noncompliance in the bud - and he was certain that Risar, having been on the same voyage, would agree. If Huntress couldn't bear to work with Raclaw? She would have to suck it up, as far as he was concerned.

Huntress almost grumbled at Latnok’s comment, especially since he was doing it in public. While she didn’t lose her cool, this Guardian was truly the ultimate patience tester.
“You underestimate me. I’m a woman, but I’m no weakling. I never said no. I could do that and more. I was just... surprised is all, by my part in the plan, especially since this is the first time it’s mentioned. That’s all. It’s actually an honor you’d trust me with such an important task.” Huntress said serenely, showing remarkable control of her emotions once more and even showing gratitude, minor but still there. Very deep inside though, her blood was boiling. She didn’t mention Raclaw to avoid increasing the tension, and tried to keep her mind at ease since she just remembered his dragon was sensitive to emotions, even though it was next to impossible. Seriously, what was HIS problem? What the heck did she do to deserve such a harsh treatment to the point he’d humiliate her in front of the entire crew? She would have to confront Latnok later and ask him. He demanded respect, but he sure as hell couldn’t do the same, not with her apparently. What irked her the most was that despite being a tough woman, men were attracted to her and often treated her with respect and gallantry, but Latnok didn’t have one or the other.

Maverick backed away at the display, almost feeling like Huntress was about to grow thorns and start stabbing everyone in the back, so he was shocked when Huntress spoke in such a polite matter. If she was offended by Latnok’s comment, she did a marvelous job hiding it. Latnok’s treatment of her sure brought him memories. It’s almost the same way he treated Angora. It was a shame she couldn’t show the same control Huntress was showing. The woman had another good point. It was quite the surprise Latnok would trust her that way. Then again, her skills were no joke. But why would he pair her up with Raclaw of all present, especially knowing how much she hated dragons? Was it perhaps... a test? Or maybe he wanted Raclaw to keep an eye on her? Maverick was aware of the very special bond he and the fur dragon shared, so perhaps he didn’t trust Huntress after all.

Huntress' response seemed to satisfy Latnok for now. "Good, good," he said, his satisfaction apparent. 'Your job will be very important, now... don't let us down. I'm counting on you." Latnok new that, at the very least, he had established that it was in Huntress' best interests to be cooperative - and, by nature of their combined abilities, Raclaw would be able to preempt any sort of wrongful behavior.
'Any more questions?" Latnok asked. He had preparations to get to, but he had to make sure that everything was understood first. Huntress hopefully understood what she had to do - and if not, Raclaw would be able to remind her, while keeping him updated. He would have entrusted the task to Maverick, but for two things - he doubted Maverick would be able to shoot a courier running to the Queen, and he wanted to keep Maverick out of danger. Maverick came purely for Leoquin's sake, and his wife was counting on him coming back. Latnok had to show that her trust was not misplaced.

Huntress had no more questions, a fact that she was thankful for cause she wouldn’t have been able to stand another round of rudeness from him. Maverick was also out of questions, since the plan and even the backup seemed well established already, plus he had the simplest and safest task of all. As the tension died down and Huntress took the time to calm herself, she started wondering why she was paired up with Raclaw when she could have one of the minotaurs as companions. Latnok knew how she felt about dragons. Then it hit her. It had to be so he could rat on her if she does something he doesn’t agree with... but wait, any of the minotaurs could do that. So why? She started to believe he did it just to torment her. Maverick also had another thought. Guarding the lair meant Huntress was not going to have direct contact with the dragoness, thus avoiding her from falling into the temptation of trying to kill her while she slept and ruining the plan. That had to be it. And in the small chance the Queen tried to escape, she could have her wish fulfilled in a moment where it was going to be needed the most, and she would have Raclaw to help her.

Near the prison where the satyr girl was being kept, Sergeant Farlo stayed at an inn that was reserved exclusively for the soldiers that worked there. Due to his size, he was given the biggest room. Since the therapy was going nowhere this time and they still needed to wait before the king could read the letter and have Danya meet the soldier she injured, the centaur was forbidden from staying with her, though he could still have timed visits to keep her morale up, especially if that helped her memory in the long run.

With no further questions for the moment, Latnok began leaving. "I'll be in my room if any of you need to see me for any reason," he let the others know as he walked away. He would have to prepare the enchantment on the crossbow bolts - as well as preparing the bolts themselves.
As he was leaving, Latnok continued to run through the plan in his head. Everything seemed solid enough. The biggest thing with plans, however, was that one could only account for what they knew, or what they knew they didn't know. Given the nature of the Queen, however, Latnok believed that as many details as could reasonably be accounted for were taken into consideration.

Back at the Redwater max security prison, a prison guard, a bit groggy after the brief nap he took, was preparing for the shift change. Despite how dangerous Shade was, he proved to be a rather docile prisoner, and the guards were becoming more and more complacent in how they handled him.
There was just one problem this shift change - the guard couldn't find the remote. Where did he leave it? Did he misplace it around here? Drop it in the toilet? He had to hurry - there would be hell to pay if he reported without it...

Huntress was waiting for Latnok and Risar to lead the way. But first, it was time to have something in the stomach to help with the focus. Maverick wasn’t hungry, so he searched for Chester, wanting to make sure he was well taken care of before his friend and master left for the dangerous mission.

At that moment, Alana was looking at the little souvenir Shade had left for her when she sneaked into the prison. Her father and Angora were right. He was just a big softie who made a terrible and unfortunate mistake, and that caused permanent suffering, like the student who offended Angora for being friends with him when she brought her for show and tell. If only there was a way for the king to forgive him so he could finally be free and show the people the real him. She could only imagine how cool it would be to ride a dragon. Her father did it, and Angora still did it with Veris, and her daddy’s Guardian friend had a dragon that had fur instead of scales, but she never had the lucky chance of seeing it in person. Even if it wasn’t big or intimidating, he still sounded cool. With her homework already done, Alana finally went to the kitchen to eat, but she had to heat up the plate, having waited too long. Later, she would spend some time with poor Dahlia, who has been quite depressed with Maverick’s absence. Not even Random could make her feel better.

The operator was now in place, at a position that had been selected beforehand - in a chamber underneath a trapdoor a little distance away from the cell Shade was located in. Everything had gone according to plan so far. This would be the moment of truth.
The device was indeed intuitive, with the buttons having short engravings on them to explain their function. It didn't take long to deduce their functions. Starting with one action for now, the operator activated the option to disengage the power restriction, listening carefully for any response outside.

The operator, listening closely, could detect that Shade had awoken, corresponding to his release of the restraints. There was no particular uproar, however - it was time for a little more goading. Scanning the device, he located a dial which was labeled "pain activation". He turned the dial up the first notch, listening for any actions done by Shade in response. If this didn't work, he would have to push things more.

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Huntress was waiting for Latnok and Risar to lead the way. But first, it was time to have something in the stomach to help with the focus. Maverick wasn’t hungry, so he searched for Chester, wanting to make sure he was well taken care of before his friend and master left for the dangerous mission.

Chester looked to the others-- and knew that he would be asked to stay behind, having been told that many many times before. He seemed in decent spirit, barking in a content but concerned tone. "Don't worry-- he's used to this. We've gone down this route many times and he knows we always always return.," Raclaw then said as he overheard and approached their conversation. Chester offered an confirmative nod.

Maverick kneeled to be closer to eye level.
“The pobre perrito. No te preocupes. I’ll stay with you.” Maverick said to Chester, wondering who took care of him at the base whenever Raclaw and Latnok had to leave for a mission. He knew Angora sometimes did it when she was not too busy with Veris, but lately it hasn’t been the case. Upon closer inspection, he could see Chester was indeed quite old. It has been a while since the pair rescued him for sure. He was even older than Tyrus and Alana.

Meanwhile, Lyon and Lydia were still in the middle of a brainstorm, feeling like they were stuck in a mental limbo.
“My love, I don’t want to leave you here and risk General Brinecrag hurting you if he takes my leaving as a betrayal. I... want to turn myself in and set my mind at ease. I know the king is changing and going through a lot of stress and problems, but he’s not going to throw away so many decades of service, especially if he finds out I’m telling the truth and the society is as harmless and I told him. What does this headline tell you? He’s not going to risk being seen as someone too merciful and playing favorites. An outlaw means automatic death on sight, without the right of a trial or arena battle. Even if the capture is just to execute us later, even that move in itself is still risky. It will make his enemies fear him for sure, but it will also show him willing to be cruel enough to go against even his most loyal subjects regardless of the type of crime, and that’s something that wouldn’t be too convenient either. If I do this, I don’t want to involve you, but I don’t want you to be here either.” Lyon explained, wanting to keep Lydia somewhere safe while he made the move alone.

Lydia was both frustrated and sad at the decision she had to make. She lost faith in king Seraos, but at the same time wanted to trust her father’s judgement. What was the right decisión, if there was one?
“Daddy... if I say yes, where will I stay? Even more so, how will we get out of here?” Lydia asked, realizing they were two issues they needed to discuss. There was a plan, but not the columns that would support it...

The guard who formerly had the remote heard Shade's anguished cries as he frantically continued to search the area. With Shade not being immediately in view, he assumed that the dragon was simply being excessively needy. "God damn it, I'm busy," he muttered to himself. He absolutely had to find that remote. He was going to be late for the shift change, and there would be hell to pay if he showed up without it.
The operator, in the meantime, also heard Shade's cries - which indicated to him that the device was functioning appropriately. Boldly, he turned up the pain one more notch.

Though the guard in question hated to acknowledge it, the sounds Shade were making were extremely unusual - the only time he ever had any moments like those were when the pain function on his collar was activated. This... this couldn't be. This was the absolute worst-case scenario.
Running out of the nearby building, a quick look confirmed the guard's worst fears - the red glow on the collar indicated the activation of the pain function. The glow was somewhat dim right now, indicating that the pain had been turned up a few notches, but still had much to go.
"Dear gods... dear gods..." the guard muttered. His career was flashing before his eyes. What would happen? Court-martial? What would he say? How could he just let someone take the remote? He was the lead guard on the shift - how would he be able to face his men? What should he do?
He had to snap out of it - this was an emergency. Sprinting to another nearby structure, he quickly opened the door, grabbing the huge level and swinging it back and forth with all his might. The alarm bell sounded.

The nearby operator, hearing the alarm bell, knew that the guards had detected by now that something was amiss with Shade. The escape route was planned - but he didn't have much time. The remote sent magic impulses in order to activate the collar - once the specialized tracker mages were on the case, he would have to abandon the plan. Without hesitation, he turned up the pain dial several more notches.

As the guard captain waited for the warden to appear, soldiers came out in force - many of them possessing longbows. As they began nocking arrows and arming the ballistae in the nearby towers, they waited for the order to shoot. The captain, however, held off on giving the order.
The warden didn't take long to arrive - and could clearly see Shade being in distress, having destroyed the bars of the prison. "Where the hell is the remote?!" he demanded of the captain.
"I-I don't know, sir," the captain timidly responded, shrinking back. "I thought I had it, but I can't remember where I put it..."
"Damn... this is trouble," the warden said irately, before beckoning to a nearby guard. "Hey, you. Give the order - I want mages and bloodhounds tracking this down, right now," he commanded.
"Yes, sir," the guard said, before running off in a hurry. Seeing how the captain looked, it was clear what had happened.

The operator continued to impatiently listen in. Why wasn't the Scourge rampaging? He was free to do so - what was happening? Did he fear what was happening? The operator didn't have time to wait around - Shade would need more goading. Without holding back this time, he turned the pain on the collar up to the maximum. This had to work - everything they knew about the Scourge indicated that he should have begun his rampage much sooner. The hunting team was getting organized - there wasn't much time left.

As Shade began breaking through, archers were given the order to fire, and arrows came out in volleys against him. With Shade having broken out of the prison, the streets of Redwater quickly devolved into total disarray, with panicked civilians running for their lives. News of the incident would soon spread like wildfire.
The operator, hearing the damage Shade inflicted on the prison, realized he had no more time to hang around. He had to get out - not just for his sake, but the sake of the guerilla movement. If he was captured, he would be tortured, and he couldn't afford to divulge information. Dropping the remote to prevent the magic from tracking him, he commenced the escape plan - a route designed to be difficult for bloodhounds to follow, and tight enough that the humans, who were on shift right now, would struggle to fit through.

The operator's escape was well-timed - it took only a few minutes for mages to track down the device. The mage that found it quickly shut off the pain, activated the paralysis, and reactivated the power restraint. With Shade's collar active again, the order was given to halt the arrows, as more and more soldiers arrived following the incident. Everyone's weapons remained trained on Shade, in spite of the collar's restrictions and the paralysis being active; however, they held off on attacking for now.

With Shade having collapsed, the soldiers were given the order to stand down. It was soon conveyed that the collar was manipulated by a bad actor who had managed to take the remote. With the remote now under control again, there would be no further issue.
Shade would have to be treated for the arrow wounds he suffered, lest any of them turn gangrenous. An initial report indicated that there had been no casualties during the Scourge's rampage, though the damage inflicted, and the disruption brought about by the unrest, would be costly. The bad actor could not immediately be followed - though tracking dogs were able to pick up his scent, the small entrance in the ceiling that he fit through couldn't be navigated by a typical human man. The Silent Spear would, no doubt, be on the case - but the operator would be long gone by then.
This incident would be impossible to cover up. Already, the rumors of the Scourge's rampage were starting to spread. Was it only a matter of time before he killed many more people once again? Should he not have been put down already?

One of the officers present pointed back to the prison with his spear - the materials indicating that it was a kind designed to double as a staff, standard issue for combat mages in Aelinon. "Well, as soon as we disable the paralysis on your collar, get moving to the prison," he ordered. "This wasn't your fault. Heads will roll when we find out who let this happen." Despite everything that happened, and the damage he inflicted, the Scourge didn't even harm anyone, let alone kill them. Was that just luck, or was he actively trying?

Ilasi was cleaning up around the house when there was a frantic knock on the door. Looking through the peephole, she spied Grea, who she opened the door for. "Grea! What is it?" Ilasi imediately asked. "Oh, I'm sorry - welcome. Please, come in."
Grea came in as she was invited to. Here again were those men who usually visited Ilasi - Grea heard they were former pirates, but Ilasi said that they were actually pretty amazing and often helped her out. "Ilasi! Did you hear?! About the Scourge!" she immediately explained. "He had another rampage!" she continued, as she got to a seat.
Ilasi's heart skipped a beat. "Again?! How... how bad was it?" she dared to ask.
"Uh, they say no one got hurt this time," Grea continued. "There's some damage, but not nearly as bad as it was before. But I'm telling you, they really need to get rid of that dragon. He's too dangerous. It's only a matter of time before he kills us all."
Ilasi took a deep breath, trying to hide how much such a thought upset her, having gotten to know Shade. She realized that showing sympathy for the Scourge would make her a pariah - and that wasn't the hill she would choose to die on. "Thank the gods it wasn't any worse..." she said, as she took a seat herself. The topic was something she really did not want to dwell on, however. "So... how have you been?"
"Oh, me? I'm fine, nothing new here," Grea answered. "You still waiting for Mav?"
"What kind of a question is that? Of course I am," Ilasi answered. The question annoyed her, but it didn't offend her. "Sometimes, though... I wonder if he's waiting for me."
"Oh, you know how men can be," Grea said. "They don't see women for awhile and then they'll take the first woman they see. It's why pirates always kidnap women, isn't it?"
The question was a bit insensitive, given the current company. Still, Ilasi couldn't help but think that Grea had a point.

While Alana was out playing with Dahlia, she was overhearing some neighbors already talking about the incident. She could only hear a few words like Scourge and rampage since the houses were still a little far away, but those words were pretty self explanatory. The sweet dragon she met? Angora and her father’s friend? A rampage!? That was impossible! What happened? She figured she would find out sooner or later. She wanted to tell her mother what she just overheard, but the tension going around made Dahlia very uneasy, so she decided to stay with her instead for the time being.

Sand Dune was at Tyrus and Alana’s room, helping the boy with his homework... well more like extra credit. Tyrus was quite the academic, although he seemed to be overdoing it lately. Even Alana has become studious, which wasn’t like her at all. He figured it was a way to cope with the fact that they missed their dear father a lot. Grea’s voice soon caught his attention.
“Oh? I think someone is visiting your mother...” he said, assuming it was a friend, or maybe one of the neighbors asking for something. He went to the living room to see who it was.
“Oh. Hello there. I’m Sand Dune. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m one of Maverick’s friends. Helping around the house while he’s gone.” he said, introducing himself and making sure to explain his presence in case the lady before him would go as far as to think Ilasi might be cheating on Maverick. You could never be too careful. It didn’t take him long to learn about Shade. Like Alana, Sand Dune had a hard time believing it. Regardless of what he did, he knew there was much good in that dragon. He even recalled a time where Shade saved him from going overboard in a great storm back when they travelled in The Enduring Legacy.

"That's what we're going to find out," the officer said. "Whoever it was, one thing is clear - they wanted to cause as much death and destruction as they could."
The paralysis function on Shade's collar was soon disabled, with the yellow glow dissipating. "Well, then. Get a move-on," the officer ordered, as the rest of the men cleared the way. "Back to the prison now - we'll patch you up, and figure out what to do from here."

Tyrus overheard the conversation - including Grea's concerns with Maverick's fidelity. It wasn't a topic he was very familiar with, however, so most of it didn't register to him. What was more interesting to him was hearing about the Scourge going on another rampage. Though he wanted to ask more questions, he learned it was rude to butt into conversations which didn't involve him, so he remained focused on his work.
Grea, in the meantime, took a look at Sand Dune as he introduced himself. "Hey there. I'm Grea," she politely offered. "I've been a friend of Ilasi for a long time, now. Now, are you behaving yourself? How often did you guys kidnap women, anyway?" she bluntly followed up with. Despite her well-meaning nature, Grea tended to be rather insensitive, which did her no favors as far as finding a significant other.

Instead of being offended, Sand Dune found her question quite funny. Did Ilasi told him he was a former pirate or did she just deduced?
“Hehe, oh nothing like that. I don’t know if there were pirates who did that, but my crew was more about the stealing and fighting.” he explained kindly, taking a seat. He was more interested in knowing about what happened to Shade, but decided to answer whatever curious question Grea had. Also, he wanted to make sure Maverick’s wife’s friend didn’t get the wrong impression about him or anything she thought was going on between him and Ilasi. She didn’t want her to go tell Maverick falsities. He didn’t know Grea, but she did strike him as the gossip type, if her coming here specifically to speak about what Shade did was any indication.

At the Guardian’s base, one of the youngest caretakers there was being treated for a wyvern bite wound. Although it was minor compared to the real damage a wyvern could do, he needed hours of rest and a heavy dose of anti venom. Despite the strict rules, he tried to hand feed a wyvern in order to bond with it, almost losing a hand in the process. The troll that worked there was friends with one, and not just any of them, The Godfather’s. One that was even willing to defend her to death. She defied nature itself, so it was unfair how a wyvern’s prey could be friends with one and not him. The young man wanted to be a Guardian in order to be powerful and have people respect him, but he didn’t have what it takes, so was denied the chance many times, so a wyvern caretaker was the next best thing, if only to develop the will and sturdiness he apparently lacked, and of course, have a wyvern of his own someday. But he kept failing miserably every attempt, and the fact that an ugly troll could do a better job than he did was humiliating and irritating.

Veris wanted so much to believe that Angora was being honest this time - but he still remembered that he was misled into believing that Angora was really going to stay with him the first time. He knew that Angora made the offer in order to make him feel better, however - so he would play along for now. "That would make me happy," he said half-heartedly.
There wasn't just the matter of whether Angora was being truthful, however - something else was eating at him. What was it? Something felt off. Would Angora really care for him, still? Or would she just be an emotionless prisoner here?

Ilasi shot Grea a disapproving glance, and Grea realized she was perhaps a bit too pushy. "Oh, that sounds a little less... well, not as bad," she said awkwardly. "Wouldn't want to see my dear friend here just gone one night, after all!"
Besides whatever the pirates did, there were still other topics at hand. "And this thing with the Scourge," she said as she turned back to Ilasi. "Right after Lydia and her father were outlawed. Quite a lot going o-"
"Wait, outlawed?" Ilasi interrupted. The last she knew of them, they had been arrested on charges of treason. Busy at home today, she didn't grab a newspaper.
"Oh, yes - didn't you hear? They somehow broke out of prison, and they were outlawed yesterday, but a bounty for their capture was put on them this morning," Grea answered. "That's a bit... unusual, I think?"
Ilasi took a deep breath and sighed. At the very least, if there was a bounty, the two were in less danger of being killed. "I can only hope everything works out alright for them," she said apprehensively. She couldn't help but think about how all of this news would be absolutely devastating to Maverick if he were here.

Angora had been afraid of the answer, even if it was a predictable one. Still, the matter in which he replied didn’t sound very sincere. Did he thought she was lying? Or was he finally realizing she wasn’t too happy there? She loved Veris and truly wanted his happiness, but the job itself was becoming too much.
“See? That wasn’t so hard, was it? Now, when that scientist arrives, I’ll tell him in front of you that I won’t take the job. You’ll be happy Veris. That’s all what I want for you. After all, you befriended me in a time where nobody else would. You even saved my life.” Angora assured, knowing that the only way that could be achieved was if she continued working there. Even if Veris realized how hard the job was and found the will to let her go, he would still be miserable, and that’s not what Angora wanted. Tomorrow, she would find the time to renew her contract and keep working there. Whether she liked it or not, she had to remain Veris’ caretaker... forever.

Sand Dune didn’t know who Lydia was, and wasn’t certain if he knew the name somewhere.
“Well then, those are quite the news. First a shapeshifter is on the loose. Then the Scourge of Redwater is on another rampage. And now some outlaws? Never a dull moment in Aelinon.” Sand Dune expressed, but fearing he was sounding insensitive, especially since Ilasi seemed to know the escapees, he tried mellowing things down.
“Well, not sure about them and why they were rescued, but the Scourge saved my life once. He looks like this big, scary dragon with extra limbs, but he’s not such a bad lad. What happened... yeah, I’m certain it wasn’t on purpose. I still understand the people’s anger though.” Sand Dune said, not being entirely on Shade’s side. Even if Shade didn’t kill people on purpose, he still took lives and changed others for the worse. This was going to be one interesting evening if Grea decided to extend her stay. He wasn’t too sure about Random, but he could see Opium having tons of fun if he ever met her. They both had a loose tongue.

With much to talk about, Grea would have no problem remaining entertained well into the evening. She could be enjoyable company, once one managed to get past her lack of tact. Ilasi was glad to have her around.
Not everyone discussing the recent incident at Redwater would be having a relaxed time about it, however. Back at Tal Rogas, Seraos had summoned his Generals - Brinecrag among them - and they were currently involved in a discussion.
"It's clear to me that this was a terrorist attack," Seraos declared. "An effort to cause as much indiscriminate death and destruction as possible, and to put the people in fear. Unfortunately, despite the limited damage, it will be somewhat successful in that regard. We can mitigate it somewhat with the right information and propaganda, but at the end of the day, people will be on edge as long as the Scourge is around."
"Our investigation efforts are already deeply underway," Skarp informed Seraos. "It seems we are dealing with those who are very good at covering their tracks. Though it is not completely impossible, I doubt it was an inside job. Everyone at the prison was accounted for during the attack, as always. The tunnel would've been impossible to create from the inside with the routine inspections, unless the inspectors were just rubber stamping everything... or they were in on it. We'll investigate them as well, of course, but the indications so far are that the tunnel was created from the outside, much like the prison break with the traitors. There wasn't any of the loud noise one would typically associate with Earthbreakers, so this likely took longer to prepare."
"From what I see," said Trencher, a human General, "we're dealing with an enemy who has been preparing their efforts against us for some time. We won't know who they are until our investigations detect them, but we will need to assume that war is possible. For all we know, this could be a foreign campaign by some country on another continent, to soften us up for an invasion."
The thought was disconcerting to Seraos - but valid. "Indeed. All of you, my trusted Generals - your mission will be to ensure that we have as many combat-ready troops as possible in the time to come. I'm hesitant to levy more men right now, but I'll have the civil officers ensure that our militias are as prepared as they reasonably can be. I don't want to heavy the hearts of our people too much, however... hmm... that's it. Archery competitions. I will draft a decree, rewarding the best-performing archers. My advisors will help me work out the details. For now, however, you all have your mission - prepare your units. Train your men, and ensure they are all appropriately equipped. If they're not equipped enough, we need to know why, so we can fix the issue. You are all dismissed."

As the generals all left, Brinecrag couldn't help but fret somewhat. The operation was somewhat of a success - but without any casualties, not even so much as a scrape, the impact of the event would be more limited than he desired. how was it that the Scourge didn't take the first opportunity he had to level everything, after his long imprisonment? Had he grown fond of his captors? How did he manage to control himself? This was a problem - with the right propaganda and the right follow-up actions, the fallout from the event could be reduced to manageable levels.
Between that, and the Silent Spear beginning to draw a bead on the situation, he had to move faster. He took a gamble on breaking Lyon out - but that gamble had costs, mainly in reducing the amount of time he had to act. The next phase of the plan would have to start as quickly as possible - and there was still the matter of the bounty on Lyon to deal with...

After much debate, Lydia decided to follow her father in everything he considered correct. Despite everything, he still retained some loyalty to Seraos, and knew it was torture for him to know General Brinecrag was planning the murder of so many innocents and he was unable to do anything about it. The newspaper wouldn’t arrive until tomorrow, so they didn’t know the results of the plan. Lyon spent most of the day studying the area, trying to find a way to slip out of that place. Even if they were guests and the place wasn’t that heavily guarded, it was still difficult to exit due to its underground nature. One thing was certain. They have to find a way to leave, cause if General Brinecrag discovered the bounty on them, he was certain that such news would worry him, and might go as far as to ask his followers to keep an eye on them. Right now, the plan was to leave as soon as they could, but they had to study the place well first. There was a bunker in Zander Swamp that few of them knew, which included Lyon and his warriors, but if his people remained loyal to the king, the place could’ve been under watch in case he decided to take refuge there, so Lydia staying there was out of the question.

There was however, a second option. An abandoned cabin that survived the Ishulgite siege and that Lyon discovered when chasing one of the former cult group all by himself. The same one Huntress had took refuge in when one of the three former pirates were injured. It could be Lydia’s hiding place while Lyon went and talk to the king to make sure that their capture wasn’t just so they could be tortured and killed later. Even if he died, at least Lydia would be safe there until she could make a new plan in how to leave Aelinon. It would mean leaving her alone in the world, but he just had to trust Lydia would know what to do if things turn up for the worse. Although Lyon wanted to warn the king about General Brinecrag, he wasn’t going to do it until he could be convinced that Seraos’ intention with them were good. Plus the General did save him and his daughter from the prison, so he didn’t want to betray him despite his horrible plan.

By nature of the base being isolated and secret, a heavy guard presence wasn't necessary. The galuds, however, would be more active at night, with the mermen being more active during the day. There was always someone on duty, but besides that, most of those at the base would be training, making preparations, or relaxing.
At the moment, accountability was taken by documenting in a logbook at the entrance when one left, for what purpose, and when they would expect to return. There was a rope near the entrance with a loop tied into it, that one needed to throw and hook onto a stalagmite above in order to ascend the hole leading into and out of the base.

With the sun starting to set, it was time to finish final preparations and get moving. Latnok, finding Huntress on deck, handed her the four bolts he had prepared, as well as the bolt he borrowed. The shafts were carved from the same wood that was used for his enchanted arrows, with the tips being the cyan-tinted phoenix steel, and the fletchings being phoenix quills. The bolts had a soft vibration and thrum, and felt slightly warm to the touch, with a subtle glow.
"Here you go," he said, as he passed them along. "One for each pillar. I'm counting on you." He strongly believed Huntress would comply, if only to try to get him off her case.