darkSpyro

"So-- some of the others want to know. Is Raclaw more dog or dragon? I'll admit.. he's not the mount I would've chosen.," the Guardian responded not even bother to look back at Angora. Indeed, most of the Guardians he knew found Raclaw an *unique* choice of mount. From what they could tell; Raclaw's speed was comparable to his 'proper' Wyvern counterpart, but his size and carrying capacity were much less. And his needs, he could've sworn he saw Latnok playing fetch with the Fur Dragon at one point. An ideal mount didn't need your attention when you weren't in need of their services and Raclaw did not fit that bill.

Angora couldn't understand why such interest in Raclaw, especially since she didn't know much about him herself.
"I don't know. Dragon I guess. I mean, he may have fur, but he has wings and breathes fire like many dragons. That he acts like a dog is completely different. I mean, he has been domesticated all his life. My friend Maverick has a dirt buffalo that almost acts like a dog too, so I suppose every tamed or domesticated animal is bound to act like one eventually." Angora deduced, Veris himself acting like one giant canine when with her, sometimes even licking her a bit too much when exited or overly affectionate. Even the talking Shade did the same sometimes when traveling with her and Maverick.

Meanwhile at the recluse do laboratory, Draikon needed a rest from all of his experiments. He wanted to ask the soldiers about his plans with one of the prisoners, but it was getting late and he didn't want to go through the hassle he went through when experimenting with Shade. Maybe some other time. He was hoping Maverick could visit him today, but the coward never came either. He would have to be more insistent the next time. For now, he needed a distraction, something that wouldn't have anything to do with lab or experiments. But instead of going out, he went to the basement where the secret tunnel was, and left. Nobody but him knew about the existence of the tunnel, and since he has been of great service to Aelinon, from curing diseases to improving weapons, nobody ever felt the need to investigate him. So disappearing from his house, he went to a place unknown to get the distraction and fun he needed...

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised-- Latnok not only adopted a dog, but also just so happened to find himself a dog-domesticated mount of all things. He isn't the founder of the Salvation Houses for nothing after all.," the Guardian said keeping his mount steady and actually laughing ever so slightly under his breath. "Is it true that Raclaw gave himself up? From what I hear, he is the only collar to have willingly allowed themselves to be restrained on a permanent basis. He could've left us at any time from what I hear, but instead chose to double down allowing us to modify his collar in such a way that he would never be without a master or someone to track his movements in the absence of an master.," he then said referring to Latnok's ability to track his own best friend and the clause that stated that someone would take the Guardian's place in case of his own death. Raclaw was something of a curiosity among them; he was also the only 'mount' to his knowledge that shared a room with his own master and otherwise had free reign of the base.

What was it with this Guardian? Did he wanted so much information about Raclaw as he could to gossip with his friends. She knew Latnok was the odd Guardian among them for having a dog and a fluffy dragon as companions instead of the traditional wyverns, but this was too much. She looked below her and could tell it was only a couple of minutes before they arrived to the base, but this Guardian seemingly wanted some entertainment before arriving.
"Well what could anyone expect? Raclaw was raised in captivity all his life. He wants and needs someone to take care of him. He probably wouldn't survive a week on his own." Angora assumed, knowing that even with the power of fire and flight, Raclaw was likely too horribly domesticated to be able to do something as basic and necessary as hunting. Even though she only saw him a few times a week, she has never seen him catching anything for food even once. It was quite sad to think about it. Even if wyverns were tamed, they could hunt their own food like Veris has proven many times, but Raclaw didn't seem capable of doing something as simple as that even with his advantages.

After nearly an hour of investigating, Zandar Swamp was not the wuiet place it usually was. Huntress has analyzed the giant footprints left by the dragon and the p,ace where it seemingly disappeared, but nothing could explain how the dragon escaped, or even where it headed.
"This is a waste of my time! How do I know you didn't plant those giant footprints somehow to let me on a wild goose chase?" Huntress demanded to know, remembering how much time she wasted once pursuing a dragon that probably didn't exist.
"Are you mad woman!? Why the heck would I do that!? How could I make footprints that accurate? And what would I gain being in this horrible place with nothing else to do?" the merman scolded, feeling quite insulted.
"Well whatever! This is a waste of valuable time! When you see the dragon, the REAL dragon, find me in the Castlelot Inn!" Huntress explained to him, refusing to follow the lead of an invisible dragon. The only evidence of the beast were the footprints, since the merman was right about the trees not being disturbed. The ground was in perfect shape as well, so the possibility of the dragon digging itself out was ruled out as well. The only explanation was that the dragon camouflaged itself with the surroundings like a chameleon and waited for the merman warriors to leave, but even if that was the case, it would've escaped by then.

Just as Huntress was about to leave, she was startled by the rustling of some dead branches. She immediately draw some of her weapons, but it was only a little lizard that just happened to pass by.
"Careful. It may... whip you to death." the merman mocked, receiving another slap from Huntress, this time from her open hand.
"Listen here you sorry excuse for a soldier, you're lucky I'm not reporting you to the king for your incompetence and for making me waste my time like this. Whether there is a dragon around here or not, it's YOUR job as an Aelinonian soldier to slay it. But if you're too much of a weakling to deal with it on your own, you know where to find me when you DO find the beast for real." Huntress reprimanded firmly, leaving, much to the insulted merman's relief. She was severely disappointed for being unable to kill a dragon today, but she still believed in another chance.
"Stupid woman. Thinking she's all so mighty. Hmph, well good riddance to her! Maybe someone more professional and serious will answer my add." the merman soldier said to himself, knowing he should've expected people like her to answer. This dragon proved to be too difficult and mysterious to track down easily, so it was going to be an intense challenge finding it...

"Well-- here's our stop. It was nice talking to you, little missy.," the Guardian soon said patting his Wyvern as they landed. He considered what the Troll had to say; part of him wondered who would take Raclaw in case of Latnok's unfortunate demise. Not many felt and thought the same way as Latnok. He knew that the dog-dragon Guardian spent quite the pretty penny on just fulfilling the Fur Dragon's basic needs. Dragons and Wyverns weren't cheap no matter how you looked at it, but Raclaw seemingly had specialized needs and specialized gear that needed maintaining. Funny thing he observed though.. despite basically being a dog, Raclaw often ate better than most humans. He wondered how well the spoiled canine would fare on basic dog food and not the steaks/whatnot Latnok seemed to give him. It mattered not though, he had other business to attend without worrying about their local sentient dog dragon. He had a time table after all...

Angora got off, ignoring the wyvern's presumed glare.
"Thank you." she said politely to the Guardian, not having expected such a long conversation, especially about Raclaw. The fur dragon seemed to be more famous than she was, though that was no surprise. She was hoping though, that this polite conversation would get the Guardian talking positive things about her, since she was tired of them treating her so indifferently. But now that she was at the base, it was time for business. Knowing the place, or at least where Sere's office was by memory, Angora headed there. One of the Guardians spotted her, and knowing it was her time off, questioned her.
"Please sir. I need to see Sere. I need his help. It has nothing to do with my job or money. I just need to see him." she pleaded, and the Guardian, while skeptical, let her see his boss, but not without escorting her.

They both reached his office after a couple of minutes. Sere wasn't there, so they decided to wait until he came back. And when he did, the Guardian announced Angora.
"Godfather Sere. The troll is here. She says she needs your help." he said, believing Sere would have no trouble attending the one who took such great care of his wyvern for what he has heard. Angora rolled her eyes at the announcement, wishing that once, just once, the Guardians could address to her by name instead of just troll.

Back at the swamp, the merman was left alone yet again, not wanting to consider the woman ever. What would she know about slaying a dragon? Dozens of warriors just like him couldn't handle the beast, what made her think she could? Whatever, it was great that she's gone. He analyzed the area more as he waited for someone else to arrive...

Latnok was grateful for the information, regardless of how hard it would be to follow up on. "We appreciate the good wishes. Best of luck to you here," he responded. "I hope the experience was enlightening for you."
With the trip having served its purpose, the three had the matter of the bounty to attend to. "Feel free to send another letter if you want to reach out to us," he said. "We have some searching to do." Latnok prepared to leave - heading back to a swamp brought back memories of where he was found when he and Raclaw made their initial connection. To think of how the Ishulgites had worked to influence him... Would he have turned on his comrades if not for Raclaw?

"Oh, Risar! That's right," Leoquin said. It had been awhile sine he had seen the minotaur - but perhaps this lead would be something he would consider worth making a voyage for. Leoquin would certainly be glad to work on his ship if he was headed there.
"...wait. You said 'us'. You aren't really going to leave your family here, are you?" he asked Maverick concernedly. "I wouldn't be able to accept that. They can't have you out there risking your life for my sake. One more family broken - that's not something I would be able to accept."

Sere was poring over some of the research findings presented to him by Vellune when the other Guardian alerted him to Angora. "Bring the chair over and let her in," he ordered, as he set the papers down to look forward. Angora was usually on break right now - what could it be that made her want an audience with him right now?

The Guardian obeyed, getting a chair for Angora and leaving the two of them at the office to talk in private. He would remain nearby to escort Angora out once she was done.
"I won't take much of your time sir, but I really need a favor." Angora explained, being direct. She wasn't extremely fond of Sere, but he was much better to talk to than Latnok.
"I... need to borrow Veris. I have to go to Tal Rojas to speak to the king. There are no carriages heading there these days and I can't borrow a behemoth, even less a wyvern." she started to explain, figuring she didn't need to tell Sere why those weren't options.

Since she didn't want to get Gregor into trouble for telling her such delicate rumor, she used another method.
"I know I'm asking too much, but it's been more than five years already since Shady has been in prison for his crime, and I know it might not be much, but what if they're changing his mind about his freedom? What he did was not on purpose. And he has a family, a family he didn't even know was alive until recently, and I think he deserves to be with them. Far away from Aelinon... and us, if necessary, where they can teach him to control his powers and also be away from the city he harmed. If... you can come with me, then better." Angora explained, hoping Sere was in a comprehensible mood today. Any Guardian could accompany her to increase her chances to speak with the king, but Sere naturally had the most influence, and since it was his wyvern the one she intended to use, there was no better choice.

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Latnok was grateful for the information, regardless of how hard it would be to follow up on. "We appreciate the good wishes. Best of luck to you here," he responded. "I hope the experience was enlightening for you."
With the trip having served its purpose, the three had the matter of the bounty to attend to. "Feel free to send another letter if you want to reach out to us," he said. "We have some searching to do." Latnok prepared to leave - heading back to a swamp brought back memories of where he was found when he and Raclaw made their initial connection. To think of how the Ishulgites had worked to influence him... Would he have turned on his comrades if not for Raclaw?

"Farewell my friends. Please feel free to visit anytime-- we shall update the exhibit in the meanwhile to better reflect what I have learned to today.," Saf said offering the trio a nod before they left. For now, he planned to temporarily close the exhibit so as to not present false information. The corrections wouldn't be too major at least; Raclaw technically was exactly what he looked like if viewed strictly under the eye of the law. He knew better however and he knew that dragons were intentionally seen as less so as to prevent future.. incidents. Raclaw was down right domesticated albeit intelligent, so they probably didn't have anything to worry about concerning him. He almost envied what Latnok had-- a fluffy friend, companion, and mount all at once. Raclaw offered a polite nod in return before they left. "Well, that could've gone worse. His information concerning me was surprisingly accurate if not initially reflective of what we are to each other in the real world. It seems that I am quite.. memorable in people's minds.," Raclaw thought outloud.

Meanwhile-- Risar was checking on his crew and on the inventory. It wouldn't be too hard for someone to find him...

The merman warrior wanted to leave already, but the job was posted and this was the address. He couldn't just leave and risk leaving alone whoever answered. It was such a boring day. But that soon changed when a stroll around the swamp... and there was the giant crimson dragon, drinking water from a nearby pond. From his hiding spot, the merman knew better to just attack out of nowhere. Using small binocular he and the rest of the warriors always kept on them, examining the dragon in hopes of finding a weak spot... but found nothing. Even with what little he could catch of his belly, the dragon was surrounded by thick, hard scales that shined almost like metal. The beast almost looked like a statue. It was normal for dragons to have thick scales, but this one looked stronger than usual. The dragon looked calm, and not even a bird perching on it's horn was enough to annoy him. If only he could stay there until the next person that answered his paper could show off.

However, it proved not to be the case. The dragon ran... backwards, towards HIM. The merman almost reacted in time, but soon, he was surrounded by the beast's thick tail, which was as stronger and bigger than an anaconda's entire body.
"You must really think I'm stupid, don't you? You think I didn't notice you? Or that pretty little woman that was with you? My my, you are one ungrateful piece of trash, aren't you? I saved you and your clan, and THIS is the thanks I get? Serves me right for being an oh so noble dragon. What did you do? Place an add about me? So cowardly. But you know what? I'll give you the chance to redeem yourself and remove the garbage before is too late, cause if you don't, well, the next time we see each other, I'll just have to create rain around the city... with YOUR ungrateful remains!" the dragon threatened, throwing the nearly suffocating merman back to the more thicker part of the swamp.

The merman was almost unconscious, but he managed to get up. He was bruised, but otherwise unharmed. No broken bones whatsoever. The dragon didn't throw him too hard, and the trees helped break his fall. He was in shock. He really thought he would die. What is the deal with that dragon? Even though it was hard to admit, the beast was right. He did save them yesterday, but why? As an Aelinonian soldier, it was his duty to protect the city, and a dragon that powerful and big was bound to be trouble. But... how come nobody has seen the beast until now? If it was such a troublemaker, somebody would've reported him already. The dragon did threatened him, but... it wasn't hard to understand his anger. What should he do? The merman had to choose between his duty to Aelinon and gratitude to the dragon.

Quote: A Guy

"Oh, Risar! That's right," Leoquin said. It had been awhile sine he had seen the minotaur - but perhaps this lead would be something he would consider worth making a voyage for. Leoquin would certainly be glad to work on his ship if he was headed there.
"...wait. You said 'us'. You aren't really going to leave your family here, are you?" he asked Maverick concernedly. "I wouldn't be able to accept that. They can't have you out there risking your life for my sake. One more family broken - that's not something I would be able to accept."

Maverick considered that only after he did the comment himself, but Leoquin was right.
"Well the archipelago is safer now, and I have sailoring experience, so that can help. I would invite them, but I couldn't deny the children their school work." he said, having hoped their vacation could come sooner.
"But assuming we can go this week, Angorita can take care of them during her break. I trust her. Although assuming we take far too long, I can ask señor Sere to give her more time off. Or better yet, I can ask Sand Dune, Random and Opium to keep an eye on my family from time to time too. They are very great amigos. Plus our neighbors are quiet but very attentive, so they can help too." Maverick expressed, being very optimistic about the plan even if he hated the fact of not seeing his family for a while. But this was Leoquin. He didn't know about his own family for so many years, and knowing his predicament, Maverick felt it was wrong to leave him alone on the quest.

"Hopefully you remain memorable for all the right reasons," Latnok responded. The three of them would have to leave the city borders before they could take flight to the swamp. On the subject of Raclaw's impression, it was rather satisfying to see a much more palpable result of their efforts - a big move as opposed to the more subtle actions Latnok had taken to reinforce the nature of the connection between the two.

Sere nodded as he listened to Angora's request, but had many other matters on his mind. "I am headed to Tal Rogas in a week," he said. "You can accompany me then if you wish to speak with King Seraos as to the matter of Shade. This would even be during the time you are normally working, so it would work out for all of us.
Angora's concern seemed natural, given how attached she was to Shade; he could neither identify nor share her sense of urgency, however. To him, the matter was just one of many on his schedule, which he would fit in as he was able to.

Leoquin felt uneasy, but Maverick did have a point; besides, he knew that it would be next to impossible to convince Maverick otherwise once he had his mind made up. "Okay. Maybe you can even bring them back a souvenir," he suggested. "Just like that toy you won - show them you're still thinking of them, you know?"
Leoquin knew enough about Risar to know where he would usually be put if he were ashore. Perhaps it would be time to pay a visit, provided Maverick didn't have anything else he wanted to do.

"A week!?" Angora explained, believing that was too much time. Will Shade be alright? He has been all this time, but what if that could change in a week.
"I... alright sir. Just... please write a letter or something to the king. I want to know if he's fine... considering everything. He will read something more from you than from me. If you please?" Angora pleaded, with clear anguish in her voice. What Gregor said has really upset her, and she was afraid Shade could be sacrificed as soon as this week if the rumors were true, and all the hard work he has done would been in vain... for him.

Back at the fair, things were looking better for the duo.
"Si. For sure. I know they'd love that. We will have experience sailors protecting us, that are big, mighty minotaurs on top of that. We can make it work. Ilasi won't be alone. She'll have Angorita and los niños. And of course dear Dahlia and the funny trio. They'll be fine. And we will succeed." Maverick said with the same optimism he was known for, still disappointed that the fortune teller didn't finish the reading, but at the same time grateful that at least she gave them a big lead.

Angora's lower mood was evident enough to Sere - there was definitely something unusual. "I can draft that letter for you, of course. Has anything happened recently to give you cause for concern?" he asked. Angora wouldn't possibly choose to fly back here on her off time and have an audience if everything was just fine.
Of course, Sere could be wrong. It wouldn't be the first time he didn't really understand the emotions of others. Perhaps Angora was just having a sudden bout of longing.

With Maverick's assurances, Leoquin felt as confident as ever in the potential journey. "Of course we'll be fine - you're right. Well, do you have anything else you need to do right now?" he asked. "I know Risar's typical haunt if we want to stop by right now - but you had some things to do today, didn't you?"
What was Maverick going to do today, anyway? He definitely mentioned something - and Leoquin was, at least initially, just tagging along.

Angora wasn't expecting such a question. However, she thankfully managed to come up with an answer very quickly.
"It's just that... I tried visiting him today. And the wardens were quite mean to me. If they were like that to me, I can't imagine how they are treating him. I think they might be mistreating him badly, and... well, I'm just afraid they'll hurt or kill him." Angora expressed, knowing that at least that wasn't entirely a lie.
"I... don't want to think the worst. Maybe I'm just paranoid. It's been five years already. If you go to Tal Rojas sooner, let me know. Here's the direction to Maverick's house." Angora said as she typed the direction plus a quick sketch on a loose piece of paper just in case Sere didn't know where his former employee lived.
"I thank you for the help sir. A letter should be enough for now I hope. If I may visit Veris now. I'm sure he'll be upset if he finds out I was here today and didn't visit him." Angora then said humbly, feeling genuinely grateful for Sere treating her politely and accepting to help. She just wished his trip to Tal Rojas could be much sooner. For now, she just wanted to leave in case Sere wanted to interrogate her about her increased concern.

With one matter settled, or at least partially, it was time to move to the next step, although Maverick wasn't going to deny more moments of fun in the unique fair.
"Well, if you want to contact señor Risar now, we can. Finding out who this Huntress lady is, well that's not overly important. She will probably visit again someday and I can confront him. Maybe an old flame or something?" Maverick said, really trying to remember who the woman was, but hopefully, it wasn't as big of a deal as she made it out to be. Just a jealous woman, perhaps?
"Anyway, what do you want to do? We can go to señor Risar now or we can keep enjoying some time at this fair." Maverick suggested, giving Leoquin the options and the chance to decide himself the next course of action this time.

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"Hopefully you remain memorable for all the right reasons," Latnok responded. The three of them would have to leave the city borders before they could take flight to the swamp. On the subject of Raclaw's impression, it was rather satisfying to see a much more palpable result of their efforts - a big move as opposed to the more subtle actions Latnok had taken to reinforce the nature of the connection between the two.

"Agreed.," Raclaw said as they approached the edge of the city. Indeed-- it sounded like Saf had good intentions so far with his 'Museum of Dragons'; and he was glad that it sounded like the curator was rather open to their suggestions. He knew the image Latnok wanted the public to see and he knew that such an museum could either make or break that image not that dissimilar to that of his own bandana and collar it hid beneath. The collar represented what was never going to change; he was technically and legally an owned dragon or more rather.. a pet. That much was set in stone the moment he had agreed to have his collar locked. The bandana, on the other hand, represented the 'real' truth or at least the more important truth. It represented the idea that he was a friend first, companion first, and mount/etc second. The museum, if done right per their corrections, would become that idea on steroids. He wondered if they should've included Chester, but they could always add additional input later. For now-- it was time to play his secondary role as mount.

It had been sometime since they had last attempted to capture, contain, or otherwise take care of another dragon. A dragon in the swamps-- it gave him similar memories to that of their first interactions with Shade and the connection they soon formed after. It was hard to believe now, but he still held an connection to the now imprisoned (and perhaps ironically also permanently collared) Dragolet. The Dragolet was technically his first bond, although his connection to Latnok was still no doubt his strongest bond and always would be. If it wasn't for Shade, he and Latnok might've never connected at the level in which they did. And that was something they would always have him to thank for, despite the unfortunate atrocities he had occurred after the fact. The Fur Dragon remembered well-- he, himself, had a role in both collaring Shade and taking him down. It was his own powers that had enabled both.

OOC: Remember, old dragon

The dragon was at first startled by the sudden presence, thinking Aelinonian soldiers were suddenly upon him with shiny weapons, but then he recognized Orion. He was quite well known by many, especially dragons.
"Oh, look who decided to show up. The one who chose the appearance of a dragon as it's main form yet is letting them go extinct! Letting humans conquer, kill, destroy, exterminate EVERYTHING that is beautiful, for their own, selfish desires! What are you doing here anyway? You're not suppose to interfere with mortal affairs, are you? Or is it something here that is to your convenience?" The Crimson dragon expressed, feeling insulted by Orion's presence instead of honor. Thousands of years ago, he would've been honored to meet the very deity to the world they lived in, but right now, all he could feel was anger and resentment. Not only humans were decimating everything, but also other beings like merfolks and galuds, and now Orion showed up again after the Ishulgite war, where he was on the sides of humans.

Trying to find a way out through the foliage, the merman warrior remained oblivious to what was going on less than a mile away. He was really struggling about what to do. But what if Aelinon finds out about this dragon? Or worse yet, that he, along with General Lyon and the rest of the Warriors knew about it? They would punish them worse than the dragon ever could. While it was true that the dragon saved their lives, it's existence couldn't remain a secret. Regardless of it's intentions, it was still a dangerous beast, far bigger than the Scourge of Redwater himself. An animal that size was bound to cause trouble sooner or later. If rumors were true, the Scourge caused an overwhelming amount of destruction without meaning it. An angry, bigger dragon could probably do even worse than he did.

Upon leaving the city limits, Latnok secured Chester to the harness snugly, before mounting Raclaw and securing himself. Once Raclaw took off, he would finish the rest of his preparations - namely, applying a paralytic agent to many of his arrows. He hoped that it wouldn't come to using those, but he hadn't lived as long as he had so far by only preparing for the best-case scenario.
Zandar Swamp wouldn't be far - it was close to Redwater's sea border. If this dragon was as large as the job poster had claimed, it would be very easy to spot once they got there. "We'll see if we can just talk the dragon into finding another place to stay at first," Latnok said. "maybe even offer it some territory near our base. If it comes down to it, however, the dragon has to leave one way or another - Aelinon isn't going to tolerate the thing in its territory. It would only be a matter of time before they either send a horde of soldiers, or one of their assassins with hexphage like they did with Shade. That won't end well for anyone involved - we have to avoid that at all costs."

Sere, being occupied with other matters, didn't see it necessary to hold Angora if she wanted to leave. "I'm sure Veris would appreciate the visit," he said, "even if it is just for a little while. Have a good day - I'll pen that letter and have it put into Aelinon's postal system by tomorrow."

"A 'Huntress' lady?" Maverick hadn't informed Leoquin of who he was searching for. "Why, some pretty eye candy catch your attention? I'm kidding... but I think I might know who you're referring to."
Leoquin tried to dig up what he could from his memory of such a name. "Human lady, light leather armor and several weapons, blond hair? If you're talking about who I think you're talking about, 'Huntress' is a pseudonym. She's quite known in the hired sword community, though I don't know about any naval jobs she's ever taken so I can't say too much about her work since those are the sorts of jobs I take. A lot of rumors about her." As far as Leoquin was concerned, the name wasn't particularly relevant to him, due to the lack of overlap in the jobs they took; why would maverick be concerned about her?

As expected-- it wouldn't take long for them to arrive, with Raclaw immediately opening up his senses as they approached the swamps. "Agreed.," Raclaw said looking 'back' at his rider. Latnok was right on both accounts; they *had* to convince or otherwise 'convince' it to leave Aelinon grounds ASAP 'lest it experience the consequences via Aelinonion forces and they surely couldn't miss such a large dragon...

Maverick was shocked. So Leoquin knew about Huntress? He had been thinking of asking him, but forgot.
"You heard about her? Why that's great news! Asides your family, I've been asking about this Huntress woman too, but nobody wants to say anything about her. She was at my house yesterday, saying some... unsettling things to Ilasi. She apparently knows about my past, and that really worries her. I want to find her and talk to her. I... really don't know anyone by that nickname. Maybe I know her by her real name? I mean... I did meet a lot of women back in the day, but of course, father never let me get in a relationship. I... just hope he didn't hurt her somehow." Maverick said gloomily, his biggest bear being that this was one of the many women from his past and that his monster of a father ended up hurting somehow like he did plenty of them.

Quote: A Guy

Sere, being occupied with other matters, didn't see it necessary to hold Angora if she wanted to leave. "I'm sure Veris would appreciate the visit," he said, "even if it is just for a little while. Have a good day - I'll pen that letter and have it put into Aelinon's postal system by tomorrow."

"Thank you sir. Thank you." Angora said gratefully, glad that Sere was much more understanding and helpful than he was some years go. She then left the office, for once glad that Sere was too busy to have her stay and ask her uncomfortable questions.

She headed to the wyvern pens, which didn't have any caretakers at the moment. Most of the two legged dragons were quite surprised to see her, and one was glancing at her while chewing at the bars. She was paying close attention to each corner in case any of the idiotic wyverns attempted to lunge at her again, but after getting creeped out by the glances, she lost it.
"Alright! Listen up you lot! This has gone too far! Every time I come here, you're just ready to hunt me! Years! YEARS! What the heck's wrong with you all? I'm sure you can all understand me! Veris does! You get exercise and plenty of food! Why is it so hard to leave me alone? I even try to befriend you, but all you beasts do is try to kill me! When will it stop?" Angora yelled, very sick and tired of the looks the wyverns always gave her each time she entered. She had endured their hunting desires for way too long. Veris was a few enclosures further, and while she wasn't certain if he heard her too, she hoped he understood her frustration. Was it that his companions weren't as smart or empathic as him? We're their hunting instincts stronger than his? Veris was quite merciless with his prey and enemies, yet he was willing to befriend her. Why couldn't they do the same?

Quote: Spyroconvexity

“Yet you save the very ones who you despise.” Orion said. “Let me ask you this why threaten them when you could of killed them hum? I protect the greater peace of all creatures man and dragon alike. But as you said I never interfered with your affairs.”

The dragon scoffed, not convinced.
"Haha, yeah, peace. That's very noticeable." he said sarcastically, seeing nothing but a city full of biased, abusive people and a monarchy who was never pleased with the lands they conquered.
"For your information, I saved the c... mermen, NOT humans! I thought they'd be more grateful. More honorable. But I just jest myself." the dragon said annoyingly, wanting Orion to understand and to leave him alone already. Not only could the merman that he threw away return, but more bounty hunters like the woman could come...

The dragon was getting really annoyed.
"If I kill him, the city will just come looking for him and blaming me whether I did it or not." he said, getting very tired of the interrogation and Orion interpreting things about him as if he knew him. He knew he could just eat the merman whole and that wouldn't leave any remains, but he had a good reason not to.
"Why do you care anyway? Get out of the way! You'll get me killed if I remain here for too long! Some protector you are." the dragon finally blurted out, never staying in the same place for too long. The merman he tossed was in the foliage behind him and Orion was in front of him, blocking his getaway. He was old, and he didn't think the deity had any right to show up to him after so many years of his life, seeing his kind being exterminated by petty greed and Orion doing nothing about it.

Meanwhile, Huntress had remained nearby, just a quarter of a mile from where the merman was tossed. She didn't see the struggle or the warrior flying through the air. There were too many trees to notice, but she believed she heard something. Although she said she would head home, she stayed behind, ready to still fulfill the job. Even if they couldn't find the dragon, the evidence was there. She didn't know how a beast that size could just disappear, but she didn't care. She wanted to slay it, and if it was nearby, there was no way she would miss this opportunity. Dragons were severely endangered and Shade was off limits. Wyverns were kind of dragons too, but it wasn't the same. This might be her only chance...

The dragon couldn't understand why Orion was being so insistent. The stories he heard about the great deity was that he only interfered with mortal affairs when something too supernatural was involved, like in case with the Ishulgites, who were controlling a deity like himself during the war, so why did he felt the right to appear to him all of the sudden when such conditions were not in play? Without announcement and after so much time? What's in it for him? He once admired Orion when he was a young little thing, but right now, all he could feel was anger, for letting humans get away with so many atrocities.
"I already told you the truth! Unless you're planning to stop the humans, there is no reason for you to be here! They will see us! You have kept me here for too long already! That stupid merman or some horrible bounty hunter could show up again at any second!" the dragon urged, looking behind him to see if the merman or the woman had come back. Because of the ungrateful fish man, there was now a bounty on him, and the more he stayed there, the more risky it was.

Meanwhile-- Raclaw's senses began to sense *something* or rather multiple somethings in the swamp. One signature seemed vague like.. Orion? It had been some time, but the telepathic signature was neigh unmistakable. The other signature, however, was new to him. "I believe I've found our target-- well that and an old friend if I've not mistaken. Going in for a landing.," he telepathically said/thought as aimed to land near but not directly at the target so as to not immediately scare them. 'Perhaps Orion was already doing their job for them? But why?,' he thought having not seen the dragon god in some time. The immortal usually only interfered in all but the most extreme circumstances, so his presence here was.. unusual. Was he perhaps here to help potentially prevent another 'Shade incident' from occurring and another 'Scourge' from being named? If this dragon was as large as sources claimed it to be...

The dragon's senses were not lacking. He could hear something, but above all, he could smell a human.
"Someone's coming! You... you set me up!?" the crimson giant asked hurtful, immediately assuming that Orion kept talking to stall him. There was no way he didn't know whoever was coming was on their way, did he? He knew he was jumping to conclusions too fast, but if Orion was so omnipotent, he should've known whoever he was sniffing was coming. Furious and feeling betrayed, the wingless dragon ran besides the deity, passing the shallow pond and disappearing as best as he could through the trees on the other side, very angry at Orion for keeping him in the same place for far too long.

Far away from there, the satyr girl have retreated back to her home, upset at her siren friend for not letting her borrow Misty the humpback whale to get to the land Sergeant Farlo went to. Clearly a child had a better chance for peace, didn't they? The centaur was still recovering from his wounds, disappointed on how disastrous yesterday was. Whoever those men were, they clearly had no good intentions with him. However, he couldn't stop thinking about the dragon that saved him, and that glance. Just who was he? Like many, he always heard about how the biggest dragons were complete monsters, but this one purposely saved his life. He could sense it. If he wanted to attack him or the merman warriors, it would've done so already, but he only targeted the men. General Lyon and his soldiers were only attacked until after one of them attacked the dragon first, which made the sergeant more determined to return to the treacherous land, if only to find this wingless dragon and thank it personally.

Through their combined senses, Latnok was able to detect the dragon in its attempted escape; such a creature, however, would naturally have significant difficulty hiding from him and his friends. "Keep a bit of distance, but we'll stay on the dragon's trail," he relayed to Raclaw. He wasn't ready to draw a weapon just yet; they needed an opportunity to speak first.
As for Orion, Latnok did not know what brought the dragon's presence; Orion had shown to be rather capricious, however, so perhaps something randomly attracted his attention.

Leoquin cracked a chuckle. "Still a ladies' man even then, weren't you? I could probably find out a bit more about her if I dug into some of my contacts," he offered. Maverick's past coming back to haunt him - that wasn't something Leoquin had really considered. But even if someone did try to dredge up his past, it would be pointless without any palpable basis for their claim.

Although the dragon wanted to run far away, he looked behind him to see that the one persecuting him was riding... a griffin? Could it be? A mythical griffin? His eyes filled with the same, fascinating shine he gave the centaur when saving his life, but when the dragon saw it was no griffin, his glance soon turned into a glare. He lied down, taking shelter among the trees, but the size and crimson scales were enough to still make it noticeable. His glare remained dead set on the trio, mostly the human, although the little thing with him looked like it could make a good snack. He didn't do anything hostile though, but his look was a straight giveaway that it was willing to attack mercilessly should they dare attack him first without provocation. Orion was still nearby, and if he really was on his side, he was waiting for the deity to come save him and prove himself...

Maverick shrank his shoulders shyly, wanting to be a one woman man now, although he still attracted his fair share of girls.
"Well I'm married now, so it's not a good thing anymore. Even Ilasi's friend Gria... well let's just say she makes things very uncomfortable. This Huntress lady though, whoever she is, I just hope me or my father didn't hurt her somehow. A simple apology will likely not be enough, so I'm willing to make it up to her whatever it is she has against me." Maverick stated, having too much of a good life now to let his past ruin it all. Not for his sake only, but for his family. They were so happy now, and they didn't deserve to have everything crumble for a past he didn't choose.

On her way to Veris' pen, Angora glared at the wyverns she passed, making sure none dared to lunge at her. Thankfully, despite the eyes surrounding her, none of them tried a bite. Perhaps her speech did something. Still not wise to lower the guard. At last, she reached the main wyvern's pen, opening it with a noticeable creak.
"Hello Veris." she greeted kindly, and knowing he would be both surprised and delighted, she immediately talked again.
"Now now, before you go all crazy, I'm just here for a few minutes, alright? I couldn't even bring you a snack. Was here on some business, but I have to go soon. I just came here to say hello." Angora cleared out, warning about her quick departure so that Veris could be prepared when she left again.

The dragon was near enough to hear the conversation. So Orion was on the side of these fiends. And this was the deity he once admired so much?
"Traitor..." he whispered as he retreated very slowly, now convinced that Orion did set him up and stalled him long enough for this human and this disgustingly hairy pets to arrive and find him. How could he possibly address to Latnok as a good human when he was using... whatever Raclaw was, as a mount? It wasn't even a wyvern. At least they could carry humans easily, but that... was a small thing, likely felt very heavy with a human Latnok's size and heavy armor on it's back. That was no indication of a good human. And Chester was probably a snack they were waiting to kill mercilessly when they ran out of food.

Not wanting to keep the unpleasant conversation about his past, Maverick changed the subject.
"Well then, we had a solid lead on both of our goals. Gracias for wanting to help me with my little mission too señor Leoquin. Today has been a great day for leads. But we're in a fair now. Let's have fun for a little while longer while we're still here. I'm sure señor Risar can help us later in the day." Maverick suggested, not wanting to take disadvantage of the place they were in. He did went to a few fairs on his days as a traveling merchant, but this was the most extraordinary. He didn't even know the particular circumstances of this one, yet he wanted to enjoy it as much as he could. After they follow their respective leads, who knows for how much longer he and Leoquin would be able to have fun together like this.

Latnok sighed. For a god, Orion was rather naive. "You know as well as I do that Aelinon will not tolerate the presence of such a creature in its territory," he said. "The dragon has to leave, or he will very quickly find out just how ugly humanity can be. They will not compromise on the matter, certainly not for your sake."
Latnok was hoping it wouldn't come to fighting - however, he had to be prepared for that circumstance. "I was hoping that we could communicate with the dragon and encourage it to relocate near our own territory. We could work on mutual understanding and respect once Aelinon doesn't have any reason to freak out about its security. If it gets into a major scrap with the Aelinonians, however, that goes out the window, and Godfather Sere may have us get involved in ways you and I would prefer we don't, if Aelinon doesn't kill the dragon first."

Maverick had a point. The two had made quite a bit of progress on the goals they were working toward. A little fun couldn't hurt. "Sure thing, buddy - let's see what they have this time," Leoquin said. He was holding out hope for another fortune teller, though he wasn't counting on it.

Unfortunately, the fortune teller that did the reading earlier didn't intended to appear. There was a palm reader nearby, but she only read personalities. However, despite the shop remaining close, the fortune teller looked at the duo from the darkness of the tent. Huntress... that's a name she hasn't heard in a long time...

But while the unlikely pair had some fun before their big events, things at Zandar Swamp were getting tense. The dragon wa listening to everything... and that further confirmed why humanity was the worst species in existence. Relocate? Hah! That was a formal way to refer to captivity. So much for Orion helping him. Not wanting to be another pathetic mount like the ugly, fluffy thing with Latnok, the dragon saw the conversation as a distraction he needed, and ran. He simply ran, the same way he did when getting away from General Lyon and his warriors, looking smaller as he retreated but leaving a trace of falling trees. It was quite fast for a dragon, but maybe the lack of wings had to do with it. Orion already distracted him by talking. He wasn't going to let the human talk to him and take the opportunity to catch him...

Before the dragon had even resumed moving, Latnok and Raclaw were already prepared to give pursuit, on account of the Sight granting them the foresight of such an action. The dragon's profile seemed to be changing, somehow... but the two were still able to sense its presence enough to stay on its trail.
"See if you can calm him down enough for us to talk," Latnok requested of Raclaw. If the dragon refused to stop voluntarily, he would have to resort to some more drastic measures - the arrow web spell, paralytic arrows, and, as a last resort, another dragon collar.

Veris, who seemed extremely bored prior to Angora's appearance, lit up when he heard her vice, and moreso when he finally saw her. He wasn't quite as happy with the prospect of Angora immediately leaving; he knew the likelihood of Angora making any other surprise visits would probably go down if he expressed his discontent, however.
"Angora! I am glad to see you here!" he said, as he settled down. "Even if you cannot stay... I look forward to seeing you again!"

The dragon refused to talk, even less be captured. He ignored Orion completely. How could he say that after what Latnok just said? With the human and his humiliating companion hot on his trail, the dragon didn't stop. Once he left the more swampy terrain, the dragon finally found it's chance; a cave. It was rather spacious, but many of it's segments weren't big enough for him. But a cave with not enough room was bound to get him trapped, right? Unfortunately no. In a scenario mimicking the one with the merman warriors yesterday, the dragon's tracks stopped all of the sudden. And there was no sign of the beast anywhere. The ground was undisturbed except for it's tracks and a few snake ones. There was no indication of digging. And of course flying was out of the question. The cave had sleeping bats and apparently some small snakes. But there was no dragon. Just what the heck was going on? How could a dragon that size disappear just like that? An examination of an area would reveal that there was a very faint trace of magic involved, but it was so insignificant, it was not enough for an action like teleportation. There was something else going on...

Angora was glad Veris was greeting her so warmly, even knowing that she couldn't stay.
"It's always nice to see you Veris. You're one of the few being that cares and respects me. You have no idea how hard it is for a troll to get either." she said, not sure if Veris understood. The fact tht she was even thinking about a new job broke her heart. Veris has been so kind to her from a very beginning. She wanted to tell him about her plans, but she was in a hurry, and she didn't think it was a good time anyway.
"I hope the other caretakers are treating you well. I'm sorry I have to leave so soon, but I promised the family I would try to be back before nightfall. See you in five days big guy, and be good to your other caretakers." she said, giving his wing a brief hug and bidding him farewell, but taking some time to leave in case he wanted a longer goodbye, like a lick. She still despised such affection, but tolerated for his sake.

Though the trail would seem to vanish for most, Latnok and Raclaw were able to detect exactly where the shift began, due to their combined senses; having Raclaw land at the relevant spot, Latnok dismounted to further examine the area. Snake tracks - which just happened to start where the dragon tracks stopped. The snake tracks had the same heading as the dragon tracks did originally, and seemed to lead to a cave - an area the dragon would have issue fitting into.
All of that might've been a coincidence, but there was a trace of residual magic in the area. "Shapeshifter, no doubt," Latnok telepathed to the other two. Though he would normally have Chester sniff out the target, such a large dragon would be too dangerous to expose the dog to. "Get back," he ordered Raclaw and Chester.
Reaching into his pack, Latnok pulled out the resonating chime - a common tool used by the Guardians to force shapeshifters back into their natural form. Focusing intently, he rang the chime in tune with his own magic, and a clear, soothing ringing could be heard.

Veris was probably rather predictable to Angora by now - he indulged himself, giving her a lick before letting her go. There would still be many days to go - but at least she stopped by. what made her want to do that? Maybe she really missed him?

"Let me do my damned job," Latnok retorted, annoyed, as he continued heedlessly. "Unless you think you have a way to stop Aelinon from sending a horde of their elite troops here to enforce their territory? I didn't think so. We do this, or Aelinon will find its own solution, and possibly drag the Guardians into it, and that will probably be much more lethal than the alternative."
There would be no "making things worse", as far as Latnok was concerned - either the dragon was relocated, or it would be hunted and inevitably killed. It had gotten away so far, but Aelinon hadn't dedicated any significant number of resources to finding and exterminating it.

"Wait-- let him try. It'll help. Trust me.," Raclaw quickly said immediately expanding his senses and scanning for any mental signature.. particularly that of their unknown dragon. "If you can hear me, please.. please come out. We are friends and we are only here to help you. I know you've not sure if you should trust us or not, but please give us a chance. Give me a chance. Let's just talk. Just talk-- from one dragon to another." he then said in a somewhat calm matter directed at the dragon/shape shifter who was no doubt still in this cave. He really hoped they could avoid bloodshed or collaring, as they had done not long before.

The dragon didn't immediately respond. Due to not being a shapeshifter by birth, he could resist changing back rather well. However, the struggle caused him excruciating pain. He managed to maintain the form, but at a great pain. Only when Latnok stopped to have Raclaw talk and he could catch his breath that he could talk.
"Friends? Help? Help with what? To be like you? To be like the black dragon they work as a mule? You don't want to help me! You and your human just want to collect your bounty. I save that bastard's life, and how does he repay me? By putting a bounty on me. Serves me right for trying to be a goody goody!" the dragon complained, the echo of his voice resonating everywhere around the cave, making it much more difficult to locate the source. Even as he spoke, he was trying to get away. He blamed Orion now more than ever for stalling him. If only he hadn't appeared to talk to him, he could've gotten away like he has been doing all his life. He wouldn't have answered in other times, but he was so furious with the merman, he rather told Latnok the truth. A shapeshifter that saved lives and has likely been living near Aelinon for many years without incidents that only wanted to be alone certainly would be enough for Latnok to cease his pursuit, no? No! The dragon didn't count on it. Humans were too greedy. However, if he could guilt trip whatever creature was with him instead, then maybe he would be convinced to let him be.

Knowing Veris was pleased, Angora finally left, once again being cautious around his friends. Once again, they didn't try lunging at her, although the hungry looks persisted. She made it out, with the Guardian that escorted her to Sere's office being kind enough to wait for her outside the wyvern pens to escort her out of the base too. He didn't try finding conversation like the last Guardian, but at least he didn't do anything mean or gave her an indifferent look, something she really appreciated even if he didn't go out of his way to interact with her. Right now, it was time to go home. Maverick's home. To rest and compose her thoughts. She could only trust Sere would deliver that letter in time and give more time for Shade if indeed he was planned to be excecuted

Quote:

"Friends? Help? Help with what? To be like you? To be like the black dragon they work as a mule? You don't want to help me! You and your human just want to collect your bounty. I save that bastard's life, and how does he repay me? By putting a bounty on me. Serves me right for trying to be a goody goody!" the dragon complained, the echo of his voice resonating everywhere around the cave, making it much more difficult to locate the source.

"I am what I am-- because I chose to be. Shade, the Scourge, the black dragon you refer to-- he is what he is because his own decisions led him to that outcome; he hurt people and he is slowly but surely repaying that debt. Shade, despite his best intentions, has caused a lot of harm to the dragon community. That man you saved.. you did the right thing, but he merely misunderstood; he mistook your act of kindness as something of an different act. I didn't lie-- we are not here to collect your bounty; we do not want your head. Rather-- we want to get you out of this situation, before those who do want your head do come for you.," Raclaw began to say as tracked the shape shifter dragon's unique mental signature. Such information would find its way to Latnok at the same time.

"The Guardians, my friends-- we have made it a life goal to help dragons, to save dragons. You must leave Aelinon territory before they come for you and if you let us.. we can help you do that. We do not wish to take your freedom nor to force you into a role you don't want to be in, but you must leave these lands. We can offer you a piece of neutral land, yours to claim all to yourself. It would be yours to keep and no humans would ever hunt you again. We do not wish to keep you or trap you-- we only wish to help. You can trust us. You can trust me. Me, my human-- we only wish to do what is best for you. I promise.," the Fur Dragon then pleaded *wanting* to find a peaceful solution. He knew that his domesticated status, unfortunately, wasn't helping him here.

There was a dead silence around the cave. The only sound that was heard afterwards was the chittering of the bats, upset about their sacred sleep being interrupted. The shapeshifter didn't listen to anyone, nor he responded. Not Raclaw. Not Orion. The furry dragon was a domesticated freak, with no shame or dignity whatsoever if it really felt happy living under the deplorable control of a human. And Orion was no better. If he only had let him through when he told him, the human wouldn't have detected him. He could understand Raclaw, but why Orion would say they didn't mean any harm? It was out of the question now. The deity was on the side of humans, the species destroying the very world he created. Saying that they didn't mean any harm so he could lower his guard and be captured just made him hate the once respected deity even more. Why did he allowed the creatures bearing his main image be destroyed and enslaved by the near hairless apes? He should've known. He was all alone in this situation. He had to get away, like he has done for years.

Luckily for him, he found a small entrance behind the cave just big enough for his current body. The fur dragon seemed to have a thing for talking, so he took advantage of the blabbering to have the time he needed to get away, while at the same time blocking his mind as best as he could. He has lived for many years to know when somebody was trying to get in his head, but he was old, so it was more difficult to do so. Behind the cave, it was lush and green, filled with many creatures such as rabbits and birds. This was his chance. If he could block the fur dragon and blend with the wildlife here, he could get away. The shapeshifter snake then used a rabbit's burrow to further retreat, furious with how the day has gone by. Leave Aelinon? Hah! The fools! Aelinon... was already his home...

Meanwhile, Angora was waiting for another Guardian and their wyvern to return home. Nobody needed to go to Redwater... right now, so she had to wait. Thankfully, whatever wyvern that came here was always accompanied by their riders, which meant she didn't need to stay on high alert all the time. The wyverns were obedient, and no matter how much they wanted to hunt her, they never did so if they didn't have their master's approvals.

Latnok was already prepared to move by the time the dragon attempted its escape, tracking the dragon's mental signature with the help of Raclaw. The trio would leave the cave, staying in pursuit for a few minutes; however, Latnok eventually called off the chase.
"I don't think this is going to work," he telepathed. "He refuses to even try to talk - he is beyond reason. We'll head back, and I'll alert the Guardians - it's out of our hands then. We already know his tricks; they'll take care of him from there."

The shapeshifter didn't know if he was still being followed. He was deep underground, but he could still sense Raclaw trying to intercept him. He ran, or rather, slither for an entire hour until he reached a tunnel, but he didn't want to risk his transformation being detected. It seems like... he finally succeeded. That was close. Too close! Latnok was one persistent human, and the pet helped him too well. The temporary snake collapsed there, needing a long rest after such horrible ordeal. Curse the human and his pets! Curse Orion! Because of him, he was almost captured.

Back at the wyvern stop, a Guardian delivering some food to a small village near Redwater that have suffered some crop decay because of a few underground animals that have been taken care of by Huntress have a lift to the little troll. They were going to pass over Maverick's neighborhood, so he was going to leave her a couple of minutes away from his house, much to her relief. She was exhausted.

Since night was upon her, Huntress decided to go back home, doing a detailed sketch of the footprint before leaving. Zandar Swamp was terribly dangerous at night, and while Huntress was certain it was nothing she couldn't handle, she decided it was better to take a rest than look for unnecessary danger. The merman was already returning home by now, thinking of taking away the papers tht talked about the dragon, not realizing it was already too late. He wasn't intending to let the dragon get away scot free, but if the next who answered was as bad as Huntress, he wasn't intending to let divans risk themselves anymore no matter how annoying they were. And worst case scenario, a Guardian could answer. They told Aelinon anything, which is something none of the warriors or the General wanted. But like the soldiers, they believed themselves to be too great to waste to,e with simple bounty hunts, so he wasn't worried.

"I'm sorry-- I tried and failed.," Raclaw said head laying low in defeat having failed his mission. How could he have let them fail? They had succeeded many times before, often by talking and sometimes less often by collaring. "Wait...," the Fur Dragon then said still sensing the now familiar signature somewhere underground. "I can still feel it-- it's below us somewhere and it's not moving; it actually appears to be somewhat in a state of rest.," he began to think out loud. They didn't have the time to quickly precisely track it down, lest they wanted to endanger Chester and his keen sense of smell. But wait...

"Orion-- I know you can hear us! We are running out of time and we must track the shapeshifter down before either Aelinon forces or other Guardians are forced to finish the job for us! We know how to safely relocate it and we know how to do so without throwing it in a prison or killing it. We cannot reach it and we cannot guarantee that others won't use harsher methods. If you can find it and appear to it, you must try and let it know that we.. we are the best chance it's got. Or take us to it, so that we may help it even if it may not immediately appreciate it. It's us, the other Guardian, or the Aelinonians-- I wish there was another alternative, but it cannot remain here.," the Fur Dragon then pleaded looking up into the sky. He didn't want to resort to collaring it, but it probably wouldn't give them much of a choice at this point. They could release it some time after the fact, but they first had to move it to safer grounds.

Despite Raclaw's attempts, Latnok had already made up his mind. "Don't worry about it," he assured Raclaw, as he directed him back to the city gates. "The unfortunate fact of the matter is, we will never be able to save everyone - what is important is that we save as many as we can. Aelinon's stance on the matter is pretty straightforward and non-negotiable - we can't ask the behemoth to move for the fawn. When we have two opposing forces which fail to give... well, the stronger will come out on top."
Latnok wasn't sure just how involved the Guardians would get, or if the Guardians would further coordinate with Aelinon; however, at a minimum, the appropriately named "Capture Squad" could get involved, and though Latnok doubted they would choose immediate escalation, an aptly named "Fatebringer Squad" could also be involved - the latter specializing in the assassination of large sapient targets, a holdover from when dragons still held thralls and territory during the Great Reclamation. How far Aelinon got involved would depend on how urgent they deemed the threat. There was a high possibility that a behemoth would be involved, as well as their Earthbreakers.

The disturbing dream about a child suddenly forced the snake awake. He was exhausted, but knew he couldn't afford to linger in the same place for long, especially if they somehow managed to figure out he was underground. It didn't take him much time to realize Raclaw was trying to contact him again.
"Bast...ard... thing..." he said weakly, not having enough energy to tranform, but enough energy to slither. If he had the chance, he would kill the insistent Raclaw. Stupid creature. He was even more annoying than the human. Right now, all he wanted to do was leave. Down the tunnel he navigated, trying to block the fur dragon's mind as best as he could, using the maze of roads that would lead the most difficult tracks to detect. Was that the way he treated an old creature? By distrupting his peace and wanting his human to find him at any cost? The shapeshifter wanted to give Raclaw a lecture or two, and maybe a little threat, but knew that speaking to him would make him easier to detect, so he resisted the temptation.

Tyrus and Alana were at a neighbor's house, an old woman who always gave them cookies and babysat them in the few times neither of their parents were home. They had a good view from their house, so they could keep an eye on it and see when someone arrived. Maverick was still at the fair with Leoquin and and Dahlia and their mother was still shopping. Alana correctly assumed something else had distracted their mother, or maybe she has been so distracted shopping that she lost track of time. No matter the case, being with the neighbor was always pleasant. The old lady was kind... even if she was incredibly boring. They were waiting for their parents or Angora to arrive...

Latnok and his friends, having conceded their objective for now, returned to some of the city gates not far out. Naturally, the Guardians would have a small holding not far away.
He, Raclaw, and Chester were easily recognized as they approached. One of them, clad in dragonhide armor, stopped to speak with him.
"Hello, sir. How may we be of assistance to you?" he asked deferentially.
Latnok took out writing equipment as he spoke. "There were reports of a large dragon - larger than the Scourge of Redwater - within Zandar Swamp. I have confirmed these reports, and have also discovered that the dragon has the capability to shapeshift into a much smaller snake. Hides underground. If some random person I took the job from has found such a dragon, it won't be long before Aelinon knows of it. Dragon is noncompliant, refusing to engage in discourse, and has shown resentment, though it has not proven to be combative. I haven't been able to discern whether that's out of choice, or because it could not engage us due to its lack of wings. Force will likely be necessary to remove it from the territory."
Once Latnok was done relaying the information, he passed over his notes to the other Guardian. "Understood, sir. I will ensure the Adjudicator gets this." The Guardian left with haste in order to relay the message, mounting a horse which quickly took off.