'T'was the last night of Zi'da, we don't have a house an' the birth of my baby was watched by a mouse!

[Vega]

93rd Zi'da 721 / 1st Cylus 722

Vega had lived the majority of her life on the water. She had grown up on a ship with her father and cousins and she had spent the entire time feeling seasick. That seasickness had stopped as she grew - but not as she grew physically, rather it had abated as she became comfortable with herself, with the knowledge of who she was and what she did. The more comfortable she was in her own skin, the less seasick she felt.

Because Vega had always been a half-biqaj.

She'd been a half-breed and, to her clan, blood was important. Her cousins loved her and she them, but they had the same devotion to pure biqaj blood that the rest of their clan did. But, of course, not her father. Her father who had fallen in love with a Sev'ryn woman. Her father who had left the clan to be with his wife ~ Vega's mother.

Her father, who was not her father at all.

Because Vega was Faldrun's daughter. Her mother had been assaulted by him and the silver blood which ran in her veins did so because Faldrun had seemed to be a biqaj when he had attacked her mother.

Which meant that she had no biqaj blood at all.

Which meant that her father, Jo'qan, was not her father.

And the reality was that, while both of those things were fact, neither of them were in any way true.

Vega was a biqaj, through and through. She was Jo'qan's daughter and she was who she was, completely. The feeling of U'frek's realm, being able to move through the water like a mer was something which delighted Vega and she prayed her thanks to U'frek in the way she always prayed ~ and he was a nightly part of her prayers, after all. "I'm right grateful, U'frek," she said - in her mind, directing her thoughts to him. "It's right kind of you an' I'm well grateful. Thank you. Truly. If yer ever nearby, drop in for a cup of tea, or somethin', you're always welcome." And so, she gave him her thanks.

The sights which she saw were amazing and fascinating and she drank them in before finally, she arrived. "Well, that's a big mountain," she said, looking at the Heart of the World. Vega looked at it and she shrugged slightly. "But I've climbed bigger," she said. In her mind, while what she said wasn't fact, it was, absolutely truth.

Because once, Vega had been taken over by a fire demon which fought for her soul, for her very being. She had made a decision when that happened, because she was a danger, that she would climb the Scalvoris mountains and set up camp alone. The creature inside her had removed her ability to sleep, made it sot hat whenever she picked up anything which could be a weapon or bore a blade, her arm started to turn to molten lava as she began to transform into it.

"Now that were a mountain," she said, mostly to herself. "That were a mountain that I had to climb, an' it were terrible." Come to think of it, she thought, that was exactly four arcs ago to the trial.

There was a light and a sultry voice calling out to her. "Oh sod off," she said, "callin' out. If you want to talk come an' talk, I'll be right pleased to chat. But stop it with the mysterious voice in the distance. An' if you want to test my mettle," she said, firmly, "I'll test my metal on the point of yer head if you fancy, but frankly all this noncin' around is stupid. Stop it." Looking at the mountain, she looked at the "lair" with all the charred remains and she shook her head.

"It's not that way," she said, firmly.

No. Because this place was true, she was sure of it. So just like when she had been forged in fire in the Heart of Scalvoris, she knew what she had to do. "I've been to another heart, an' you don't get in down the bottom." Somehow, she knew it. Or, at the very least, believed she knew it. "Chuckles taught me that, an' I've got all I need." No, Vega knew what she had to do.

And so, Vega Creede ~ daughter of Jo'qan and Lei'nox ~ did what she knew she had to do.

She climbed the mountain. Because only when she had done so would she be able to see. Only when she had done so would she be able to enter the lair. That wasn't Vindecaldra calling to her like the girls who called to Arlo from the knocking shop doors and windows. Vindecaldra was fire and flame and rebirth and that was up there.

Where the truth of it all was.

[Pig Boy]

Uriel,

Steward of Faldrun's Spire,
Champion of Faldrun,
Seeker of Vindecaldra.

"Come then, and..." Uriel purred out to Vega, from the lair she occupied. "Wait, what? 'Sod... off'?"

Uriel felt the heat in her blood rising as she considered the form of Vega, bypassing her Lair and scaling the side of the mountain instead. This was the one that Vindecaldra said was worthy of reforging. This one, this unwashed hill person, this strange bastard of the great Faldrun, spurned by her father and cursed. Just a wandering gypsy with no home or claim to anything.

Uriel felt the heat rising, and as she did, she channelled it to her Champion ability. She was able to travel along through any flame, to the other side of it. And though this Volcano wasn't entirely ensconced in fire and magma, it had enough connective points in its topography to swim through. She let the heat rise in her blood, letting it boil over, until the moment that Vega climbed her way, halfway toward the lip of the Volcano.



Vega meanwhile was climbing, and the jagged stone and obsidian made that difficult. It wanted to cut into her hands, scuff her clothing and dirty her shoes. But onward she went, determined as ever to find the Heart of the matter. She could hear a delightful sound on the air, sounding like a very harmonious metal instrument. It was then she realized it came from above her, all the dragonlings and dragonets flying like so many birds overhead. Just waiting for worthy bearers to take on the effigy. But Vindecaldra only had one in mind at the moment, one who she'd singled out for forging.

And whoever it was, would have to prove their mettle, as Uriel had so clearly yet dramatically stated.

As Vega climbed, eventually she reached a point where the mountain flattened out into an area, where she could rest if she needed, or take stock as was her desire.

Whether she did so, she would have a few moments to consider before a sudden plume of flame appeared before her, bringing along with it Uriel, who swung her staff in the air.

"How dare you ignore my challenge." She said, "But no matter. We didn't meet in Yaralon during your wedding, but Faldrun has told me much of his wayward bastard get." She spat to the side, her spittle sizzling upon the obsidian ground. "Only one can be reforged today. And that will be Uriel of the Spire. Now fight!"

So saying, she didn't give Vega an option, but swung her staff in a dizzying speed toward her head. All around, fires sprang up, warding off Vega's escape if she tried it.

[Vega]

93rd Zi'da 721 / 1st Cylus 722

Vega climbed. As she climbed, she sang and she danced.

It might seem odd, dancing her way up a mountain, but Vega was the mortalborn of Rhythm and it was intrinsic to her. She danced and she hummed and she moved her hand as though playing a fiddle and the sounds of a fiddle came from her song-forged hands. It wasn't easy, not at all, but Vega was skilful at this sort of thing, That experience was helpful too as Vega jumped from place to place, dancing and spinning and generally enjoying herself. She was careful and cautious, of course, but this was life, and she was living it. It was a harmony from above, from the beat of the wings above her which caused her to smile and, as hard as the

Soon enough, she got up to a ledge - a flat area, anyhow - and she took a moment to look around, to see where she was.

And then, because the Immortals liked nothing more than having a giraffe at her expense, up popped some woman who burst out of the flames, all heaving bosom and wind-whipped. Vega sighed. Just for a second, Vega sighed. But as she sighed, sparks started flying off her because this idiot was annoying her. More than people usually annoyed her, because she was cranky and half way up a mountain. And then, of all things the woman monologued.

Whenever she heard the story of heroes and villains, of tall tales and so on, Vega always chuckled as people monologued. Monologuing was stupid and standing there, pontificating and swinging your staff around your head while you monologued was beyond stupid. Deciding that this woman was way beyond not important to her, Vega lifted her fingers to her mouth and whistled. As the woman did the big showy thing, and swirled her staff and shot her gob off, Vega summoned Tim.

Tim was a star dragon, the ability granted to her by Xiur as his champion. Tim formed beneath her and lifted her whereupon they would just fly up and over the walls of fire, because the walls of fire didn't have a roof, and she'd leave. Vega had once taken part in the Darbyton Derby and there, an individual had died because of a stupid competition. She wasn't doing that again because she knew - without a shadow of a doubt - that this woman in her metal bikini was too busy being the hero of her own story to actually be worth Vega's time. Vega didn't want to kill her, but if she fought her then that was exactly what she'd do.

So, instead, she left. Because thunder thighs really wasn't worth her time.

Because she didn't want to kill someone just for being stupid. If she went around doing that, people would have to start breeding programmes to ensure survivial.

Because she didn't want to waste her time teaching this idiot woman what actual armour was for. Or a sword, come to that.

Because Vega had to get to Vindecaldra and have a chat.

Because being forged wasn't something you fought someone else for. It was something you battled within for and no amount of spinning around of her staff was ever going to teach that trollop that.

So, she made her way to where there were things that were worth her while. If the woman should happen to stop monologuing or tried to aim a blow, Vega would just defend, not attack, until the Dragon took her. One handed, she'd use her sword to keep this plonker at bay, because that was all she was worth.

[Pig Boy]

Uriel didn't waste anymore time. She'd always been a show-off, through her days in the clergy of SIrothelle, to her days training young Occultists in Faldrun's Spire in Yaralon. Yet for all that time, duelling and practicing and training, she'd never met someone who outright refused the challenge she saw fit to throw at their feet. Uriel in her own estimation only ever challenged those who were worthy of it. To do otherwise wasn't proper as far as her adopted Yari culture. Yet this one, this bastard of Faldrun merely whistled, and called a summoned dragon to spirit her away.

Uriel's eyes darkened as she watched her go. But she would not end her pursuit at that. A champion of Faldrun wasn't just a well armed and trained individual. They commanded powers that ran deep within the Heart of the World. The power of the sun, fire, and turmoil. She brought those to bear, as she ran over the terrain, scuffing herself on obsidian as she went, yet unharmed by the lava flows and heat.

As Vega flew away, after blocked the one blow that Uriel managed to get off, fire began to fall from the sky. The fireballs came in super-heated gobs of flame. They seemed to follow her, and though Vega herself might be impervious or at the very least resistant to the heat of a champion's magic, her star dragon was not. So the creature had to take on evasive maneuvers to counter and navigate through the fireballs, lest she be struck and cast Vega down to the sharp volcanic rock below. For while Vega didn't mind the heat, she might mind the gravity, and the piercing effect of obsidian, so roughly landed upon.

Yet the dragon dodged deftly throughout its flight to the top of the mountain, to the very lips of the Heart of the World. Just before Vega got to the crest, the fireballs from the sky abated, but a great scorching sound emitted from behind her.

Uriel was hot on her heels, following, and she sent a Solar Purge a beam the size of a pillar, empowered by her Champion's rage, straight for the heart of her star dragon. Vega had only a dozen trills to react when she realized what it was.

[Vega]

93rd Zi'da 721 / 1st Cylus 722

As she flew on Tim, Vega sang. She sang and music came from her hands and she was quite content. She didn't give any thought to Enorma-Knockers she left behind, because anyone who thought that a metal bikini was a good idea was obviously too stupid to walk and chew at the same time.

That wasn't to say that she didn't know that Uriel was a champion of Faldrun - the connection was straightforward enough to make. It was simply that Vega didn't care. To her, this was a matter of pride, a matter of principle. This woman stood for the waste of skin who had raped and (albeit in a secondary manner) killed her mother. So, no, Vega wouldn't give her the satisfaction because she wasn't worth it. Also, it was a distraction from the actual task at hand, which was to get to Vindecaldra.

Vega considered, for a moment, pointing out that Enorma-Knockers would still be lurking on the ground if she hadn't followed Vega up here but she didn't bother. Instead, she whistled and she flew and she resisted the urge to flip the bird to the sore loser. But, even in that, she just wasn't worth it and so Vega just urged Tim on.

But, in typical fashion of Ash-Breath, Enorma-Knocker didn't stop. She reappeared and, behind them no less. There, she started to do something and Vega had a moment. She had a dozen trills to act and so she sang.

Because when she sangUnlike her father, the Immortal of Turmoil, Vega is able to see the rhythm in a given situation. In combat, in her innate musical talent, in dancing or even in her worship, Vega is able to see the patterns and sense the rhythm in any circumstance. However, in order to do that, she needs to step back and take a clear look at the situation. With this ability, Vega is able to slow the tempo of a situation down, so long as she is playing an instrument or singing. When she is doing this, she is able to manipulate the tempo of a combat. This impacts up to three people and allows Vega to either speed up the tempo, for them (thus making them faster moving) or slowing it down (thus, slower). In practical terms, it allows her to speed up or slow down up to three individuals in a combat by a factor of 50%. This must be either speeding up, or slowing down and can not be both at once. the world made sense. She sang and that singing sped her up.

The Champion of Faldrun started to use an ability, and Vega had a choice.

Like so many things in her life, there was the easy way and there was the hard way - and Vega always, always, chose the hard way.

She chose not to fight. Because if she stopped and fought, it would be a waste of her time. She could kill this idiot, of course she could, but then she would be doing nothing more than snuffing out the hope that Uriel might one day realise that she was dressed like an idiot and acted like she was dressed. Vega had no time for her, but more than that. This was, Vega fully believed, Uriel's forging. She needed to be forged and re-forged, and this was part of that. Vindecaldra saw something in Uriel and Vega had no wish to go around snuffing out life. It extinguished hope and that was not her style.

So, she sang and that made her faster. Then, as the light started to pour, Vega stood and began to dance on the back of the dragonling. She pushed it until she could push it no more and then, with a "Job's done, Tim!" she dismissed the dragon (it didn't feel pain and it wouldn't get hurt, but that wasn't the point. It took damage and she had no wish for that. So, she soared upward at twice the speed (her and Tim) - and then she stood and danced and then... finally, she jumped

Vega was sped up already by her Ilaren markThree Sheets to the Wind:The Favored is blessed with an increase to their physical capabilities depending on their stage of intoxication. When the Favored has had little to nothing to drink, their reaction speed is increased greatly, allowing them to react at speeds nearly impossible to keep up with, making it hard for them to be hit - though arrows and bolts still travel too quickly for them to stop. - and she was sober enough that it was in full force. She and Tim were moving twice as fast than was possible and Vega was quite something to be seen, when she jumpedVega's athletics has developed largely from the navigation of difficult and changing terrain. Balancing, jumping from one place to another, all those sorts of things have really built up Vega's flexibility. With this capstone, she effectively capstones her ability to jump. She doubles the distance she can jump - be that straight up, horizontally, or in whatever direction and she is able to land from these double-distance jumps without hurting herself. .

And so, that was what she would do. She would speed up time, dance to make sure that she did everything to the best of her abilities, as granted by Daia, and she'd use all her speed and agility to jump as she dismissed her Star Dragon, so he didn't get hurt and then, she'd land, as carefully as she could. And if she could manage it - she was close, she knew she was - then Vega would land at the lip of the volcano, ready to descend.

Everything else on this mountain was an irrelevant buzzing and this, this was what was important. She was happy to help Uriel with her forging, but she really didn't see the point of fighting her. It would be like taking advantage of her, and Vega never did that.

[Pig Boy]

The scorching ray flew over Vega, missing her by a large margin. And as she sped up time, dancing and using Ilaren's blessing to outpace Uriel behind her, she soon found the lip of the Volcano, where she dismissed Tim, lest they get hurt. Almost without missing a beat, a voice emerged from the volcano.

"Well there." Said a deep and silvery voice from within the lip fo the volcano, as Vega landed at it's lip. "How nice to have visitors. And I do believe I've seen you before? Are you acquainted with Aquarius, young lady?"

Vindecaldra poked her metallic neck out from within the volcano, but didn't fully emerge. She didn't wish to startle her guest, although this one didn't appear to scare very easily. Uriel, who had been hot on Vega's heels despite the chase, knelt on the ground before Vindecaldra, bowing her head in reverence.

"Yes, I think one of my children has seen you, and thus have I seen you. You are most worthy to stand in my presence, Vega Creede, Song-Forged." Vindecaldra looked down kindly upon the mortalborn, but then her eyes turned to Uriel, and flared slightly with indignant fire. "This one has begged me for reforging." She confided softly to Vega. "She wishes to be reforged, but does not know what that entails. It would mean a reset of sorts. What do you think I ought to do with her? She has complicated efforts of others to visit me."

She growled in frustration, "So many visitors have passed me by, because she threatens them. You are one of the first to have made it beyond her without falling in battle."

"Of course, it's a simple matter to revive those she's slain. And I have done so, for their deaths serve me not. They will be ready for the forging someday, just as you are."

Vindecaldra stared down at Vega, solemnly now, as her metallic wings spread behind her. "A thought then? What shall I do with this Uriel. Shall I give her what she seeks, or send her away, forever banished from my lair?"

"More to the point..." She smiled then, a warm sensation radiating from her as she did so, "Shall I grant you my effigy? I see you are strong enough to receive it. And you are no friend to my fallen enemy Faldrun, though sire he be."

Uriel still knelt some distance behind Vega, her hand on the staff that she'd carried along with her.

[Vega]

93rd Zi'da 721 / 1st Cylus 722

It wasn't every trial that you saw a dragon head poking out of a volcano, Vega thought as she saw a dragon head doing just exactly that. She looked at what she could only assume was Vindecaldra and she smiled. "I did, yes," she said of meeting Aquarius. "An' I met Sir Chip, the tunawa who Aquarius is with. He's one of the bravest people I've ever met an' I'm right glad that he's got a friend to be with him."

Vega didn't exactly glance at Uriel as she knelt, but she noticed and there, Vega thought, was part of the issue. She turned her attention to the humungously big dragon and she listened carefully to what Vindecaldra had to say. It turned out that Vindecaldra spoke of Uriel and Vega listened to that, carefully. The champion of Faldrun had just tried to kill Vega and Vega was in no doubt about that. But, there was a question and Faldrun's daughter looked at Vindecaldra and spoke. Her voice wasn't quiet, she didn't whisper and so, Uriel could hear her.

"I reckon," Vega said, "That forgin' is a different thing to different folks." She shrugged slightly and started to speak to Uriel. "I get that you're hurtin' cos Faldrun died, but he died because he were stupid an' I can see why you're his Champion. Yer angry at him, for leavin' an' you're tryin' to fill that void, but sittin' at the bottom of a mountain' an' threatenin' or tryin' to harm folks who come along because you're arrogant or stupid enough to think that you own a dragon? That Vindecaldra is yours an' it's a competition? You've obviously got issues, an' you need to wind in yer neck an' quit it with the whole" Vega searched for the words, "well, honestly? The whole 'I'm so evil, fear me mortal bwah-hah-hah' crap. That ain't what Vindecaldra is about an' you're gonna get yerself dead if you don't wise up an' shut up." She looked at Uriel with an expression on her face which was confused, conflicted and utterly sure all at once.

"An' as much as it's temptin' to give you a severe spankin' an' teach you a lesson that way, it's more temptin' to tell you that I can take it all away. An' I could. I could give you a whole new start o'life. But I can't reforge you. No one can. Only you can reforge yerself. I can't stop you bein' some kind of parody of a person, either, threatenin' an' pontificatin' at others to save lookin' at yourself. Only you decide who you are, goin' forward, cos go forward you will. Either as a screwed up Faldrun-lovin' loser who's goin' to insult an' threaten the wrong person soon an' end bein' handed yer ass by someone less forgivin' than me, or as someone who isn't a walkin' waste of skin. The hope is there, it's up to you." It was absolutely true, as far as Vega was concerned. "But I tell you truthfully, if you're lookin' for meanin' to your life, then stop creatin' turmoil an' start findin' your own rhythm."

Turning to Vindecaldra, she spoke her mind (as always) and she did so with a smile. "I don't know what you should do. I know that I'd like it if you were to take into account the fact that people change. Even irritatin' pests. An' honestly?" she had a serious expression on her face. "Bottom line here is that you can't reforge someone who dont want to be - but you can do it for someone who does. So I'd like to hope that she finds the bit of her what does, cos that's the bit that came here. As for people bein' scared away?" Vega shrugged "If a single anythin' can stop them, especially some dweeb with a pseudo-superiority complex hidin' their inferiority one, who wanders about in a metal bikini an' monologues like some kids story villains? Frankly, then they weren't ready neither." She considered it. "But, I have to own the fact that I can be a bit black an' white about stuff."

Should Vindecaldra give Vega her Effigy? Vega grinned at that question. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I guess you should make that decision. If you do or don't, that's alright an' I'll always be glad to have met you - an' to have come up here. One to cross off the list of things to do, after all," Which, in fairness, it was. If nothing else, Vega thought, the view was mighty fine. "But if I have a say, an' I think I do, then I'd like that an' if you do, I'll take it an' run with it, full pelt." There was a brief pause and then she grinned. "I don't rightly know how to do anythin' else, to be honest. I run at everythin' that way."

Looking around, Vega had to ask. "Are you a'right here? Is there anythin' you need?" It seemed to her that Vindecaldra was quite isolated here, and that could be a lonely experience. "If there is, I'm happy to help out, if I can." It was a genuine offer, honestly made and was not contingent on receiving effigy or any such things. She was happy to help out and, so, Vega waited to see what Vindecaldra answered.

[Pig Boy]

"She is stubborn, and foolish, and utterly corrupted by Faldrun." Vindecaldra said sadly. She shook her large head, which was about the size of a small cottage from where Vega was standing. "I will not remake her, but as you say, perhaps she can remake herself into someone worthy. But that will take more time than she has left, as an Aukari, I suspect." Vindecaldra's voice took on a sad tone.

"As for you, Vega Creede, I do offer my effigy, and so..." Vega felt filled with a strange warm and almost unbearably euphoric sensation as her very being changed down to its core. It was almost as if her blood had changed, each heartbeat causing a wave of exultation. Then, when the feeling washed over and through her, she adjusted, and was made anew with the effigy. "There, you are the first to bear my effigy. Wear it well, and visit at every occasion. I do like a little chat from time to time." Vindecaldra softened her expression, as she looked at Vega, almost seeming concerned "I looked into your soul just now, and there's more I need to tell you, but first..."

Vindecaldra turned her eyes on Uriel, and frowned slightly, "This one needs more time to find her way back to me. And I know of only one way to grant her that time."

With a massive recoil of her neck, Vindecaldra drew in breath, and then spat out a searing beam of pure fire. The fire overcame all resistance against flame that the Champion had, burning her to a charred crisp. In moments, she was reduced to ash, but from the ashes, at the end of hte immolation of the woman, the crying of an infant could be heard. "A test then? For Uriel and perhaps a chance for yourself. Do you reckon you could take on another child, Vega Creede?"

There was no expectation in her voice either way, "Otherwise my own caretakers can care for her and raise her, if you are unwilling."

"As for the other issue, the one that brings you to me?" Vindecaldra's voice softened, as the baby Uriel gurgled in her ashen bed. "I've become privy to a terrible secret through our bond. I know who sent you on the wild goose chase through the Veil and back into my realm. It was Cassion. He wished to arrange time alone with his son long enough to bring him along on one final adventure. His son, Arlo, in your absence couldn't help but agree to it." The great dragon sighed, "I'm so sorry."

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news. And hope you won't hold it against me." Vindecaldra lowered her head to eye level with Vega, and then smiled, "As to your offer, if you could arrange worthy people to send my way, I would appreciate that. I do love company"

As if on queue, a dragonet appeared on Vega's shoulder, chirping musically. Then one of the dragonlings flying overhead, a huge one jetted down and landed upon the ground. "These are yours, to bond with and grow in my power. They will stand with you loyally until rebirth."

[Vega]

93rd Zi'da 721 / 1st Cylus 722

People could live in that head, Vega thought as she was Vindecaldra shake said head. Literally, live there. Frankly, it could be a small hotel for cadouri. But, as impressive and awe-inspiring as Vindecaldra's sheer size was, Vega was more impressed with her way of thinking, way of being. She seemed to have her head screwed on straight, Vega thought, and that was a very good thing when the head was that big.

As she received Vindecaldra's Effigy, Vega closed her eyes and allowed herself to simply experience and feel the sensations. It was like nothing she'd ever experienced before and it pulsed in her blood. That made sense to her for Vega's heartbeat was the rhythm of her life and she felt it change and shift and grow to be more. Like an orchestra with additional instruments, or the results of a fine-tuning, it made a different sound. She did.Vega experienced the world through sound and rhythm, and this was a symphony in her blood.

Vindecaldra told her that she was the first to wear her Effigy and Vega nodded. "Thank you," she said, genuinely. When Vindecaldra offered for her to visit, Vega beamed. "I'd really like that. I will."

"Schnizzle my snoot!" Vega exclaimed as Vindecaldra shot a ball of fire at Uriel. That seemed to be rather out of character in terms of the quite nice and friendly dragon so, though it surprised her, Vega worked on the assumption that Vindecaldra hadn't just incinerated enorma-knockers.

That seemed, just for a moment, more likely, though, as she looked at the scorched ground, the woman burning up. Vega watched, not dropping her gaze, as she saw just what was happening. And there, in the ashes of the woman she had been, there was a newborn child. There was no hesitation in Vega, none, she moved to pick the baby up and looked down at her. "Hello, you," she said softly. Vindecaldra asked if she could take on another child and Vega grinned. "It's good for a clan, innit? To grow." And so, she accepted the child without question or hesitation.

Vindecaldra then explained that Cassion had sent her here so that he could take Arlo off on some wild adventure. "Well, that worked out best for me, I'd say," she said with a smile. She'd met Vindecaldra - which was something she wanted to do, after all. As for Arlo choosing to go with Cassion, Vega grinned and shook her head. "Don't be sorry, it's fine. It's who he is. Adventure is ... I can't explain it. His timing sucks, but he goes where he chooses an' if he comes back, he does. I can..." Vega paused then. She couldn't feel him. She couldn't feel the bond with him. Just like the time he'd gone to the Misty Miasma chasing after his father.

Shaking her head, she returned her attention to Vindecaldra. "He's where he chooses to be, an' he'll be back or he won't." Vega looked down at the baby in her arms. "An' I'm where I choose. That's always how it's been with us." Thinking about it, she glanced up at Vindecaldra and added, honestly, "Though, there comes a point when it's not worth pretendin' we're together when we're not. But that's somethin' to decide if there's a time he comes back. If he don't, then there's no point worryin' about it."

Of the dragonling and dragonet, Vega looked at them and grinned. "Right nice to meet you. I'm lookin' forward to showin' you around." She nodded. "I'll bring folks to meet you, for sure. An' if there's anythin' else you think of, I'll be happy to help out. Thanks, again, for the Effigy. An' the baby, she's right beautiful." Her eyes moved again to the child in her arms. "I promise, I'll do my best to make a real difference to you but, even if I can't, I guarantee that you'll at least have better dress sense."

If Vindecaldra was happy, Vega would make her way back, soon. She was far from home and wanted to get back to the children. Especially since Arlo wasn't there; although she knew her father would step in, she also knew that the last thing that Joy needed was more change, so she was keen to get back.

[Pig Boy]

Player Name: Vega

Points awarded: 15
Magic xp: none

Knowledge:

Athletics: 4x
Caregiving: 4x
Dancing: 4x
Endurance: 4x


Renown: 20
Loot: Baby Uriel loot drop (A healthy female aukari infant); and Vindecaldra's Effigy unlocked.
Injuries/Overstepping: none
Wealth Points:
Consequences: A child to raise as your own, in your clan. Vindecaldra will be interested to hear of her progress from time to time. As a result of effigy awakening in Vega, her Spark has been purged, and the Curse of Faldrun has been removed. Vega is truly reforged.

Skill Review: All Skills used appropriately to PC's level

Notes: Wow, I loved this thread from beginning to end. Vega is such a stubbornlly individual person, she just refuses to be lead along a set path or narrative, but just does what she means to do. Which is all you can ask of a character. It was a fun challenge to try and guide her the right way and at the same time offer challenges to her progress, but I hope I managed to challenge your character. She's quite formidable!

Anyway, I'm glad that Vega decided to adopt baby Uriel. I didn't really know if Vindecaldra would end up doing that in the end, although I had that in the cards as a possibility, based on how Vega interacted with her.

Anyway, great thread! Enjoy the rewards!

If you have any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this review, feel free to PM. Enjoy your rewards!