Scion was hardly one to go running and sprinting through the caves to get somewhere, but today was different - one of the biggest and most important jobs Master Vargas had given to it was at last completed. And not without effort on its part! Significant effort, one might even say. Having to get all those gembound was a pain. If only others in the forge actually listened to it but nooo they were busy "stabilizing" and "killing each other for no reason" (looking at YOU V-Ruby-One) or just sitting around to actually help out. Whatever, not like Scion could complain about that last one.

But. BUT. Not this time. This time it had gotten the work in, this time it had done exactly as it had been asked and done the caves a great service. Master Vargas should be pleased.

As it arrived in Draco, nodding to the cave guards, it skidded to a halt, looking for its valkhound Master to at last report its success. "Master Vargas!" it called. "Master, it is done! Canis is cleansed!"

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas pushed up from where he had been sitting (near a very specific chrysalis--also looking at YOU, V-Ruby-One), turning to stride for the voice's origin.

"Very good, Scion," he boomed. "I will come and see it for myself. Who else was involved-?" he asked.

Truth be told, anyone who'd done a decent amount of cleaning, he thought, should be offered a reward among the Forge--whether it had been in Canis or Eridanus, and whether they'd been there for the final purge or not. Hmm. I will have to gather them and ask-
Ahh. But then, there was another option. ...Delegation.

"I will task you with a new responsibility," he decided. "Find those who took part--now, or in the past--and tell them they may claim a reward among the Forge. And for you--what is it you would claim?"

Scion already had both a name and the freedom to roam; as always, Vargas was curious what else it might select. Sometimes, he felt their choices reflected their values. What was it that made Scion tick-? Would it wish a higher rank, and authority? A vacation in the Palace? -Something else entirely? And... no, he decided; he wasn't about to mention Ruby-One's absolute disaster of a life. Scion probably knew the basics, and bringing it up now would sound like complaint or punishment. So he didn't.

@Scion

Scion puffed out its chest at the approval in Master Vargas's tone. He didn't comment on how long it took - perhaps it simply wasn't an important factor in the grand scheme of things. It didn't personally think it was. Canis was cleansed and that was all that mattered.

"A number of gembound. I tried to muster some of the Chaos Forge a while ago, but few came. I got" and here it paused, a sour look briefly crossing its expression "V-Ruby-One to come, and I guess it helped, but that was it. So I spread word around the caves for non-Forge gembound to help. There was a decent showing." It silently ran through all the names and faces it had collected and gathered them up to begin its report.

"So, first, Miss Aethril was there - ah, yes, she asked if you could send a group to patrol Canis for a few weeks. And guard. In case Order gets mad, I think, that we kicked them out of there. And then Esther, from the forge. There was a white two-legged thing called Howler and a monochrome cheetah called Asterius, they were both ripping it out physically. And a wolf called Nikolai that was burning it. That's who showed up in the last effort." It tried to think if there was anybody else, but those were the gembound that had showed - it had kind of been really distracted by Miss Aethril's sudden appearance to get at all upset about more not coming around.

And then - a reward. It already knew what it was going to ask for. There was little else it needed or wanted, now that it had a name and could be anywhere it wanted through the caves. It had no use for more spawn - one had been more then enough - and a vacation in Cepheus wasn't really needed when it could wander in and out if it wanted, which left it with one reasonable option. "For me, I would claim a higher rank, if you would allow it." It raised its head proudly. It felt like it had more then earned this.

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas went quickly back over his memory. V-Onyx-Three had done a great deal, but he believed that one had already been rewarded for its efforts. Esther--right, they had been there. Scion was getting to them now. And--"The Warden also put forth effort; that must also be rewarded. Very well."

And now--Scion was making its request. Hmm. Rank. That was a good enough aspiration: to rise higher. Vargas nodded firmly, lifting his head a little higher.

"If I allow it? It is yours to claim!" he absolutely boomed, his tone one of encouragement. "Well done. Now: take your new rank, Proven, and use it to order our Meat and Hounds to gather. As for the other Proven... tell them Master Vargas has summoned them. We will gather, and you will announce your success alongside Esther, and we will gather volunteers to do as we are commanded." By Aethril, presumeably. "Those who do so will also be rewarded. I would think one or two cycles should be enough, but perhaps I ought to check with her. Go," he added, "we ought not to delay in fulfilling her orders. Unless there is anything more-?" he asked, tipping his head slightly, and quizzically, to one side.

@Scion

Its chest puffed proudly, spines rattling happily. Ah, finally! Finally it felt like an actual "High Ranking Official" and it had the title behind to prove it. To be honest, it was satisfied here. If Master Vargas wanted it to become an Overseer in the future, of course it wouldn't refuse, but all that responsibility sure sounded like a lot. As Proven, it could take the title and appreciation without all the Overseer responsibility.

Yes, this should have been its plan all along! Why didn't it take this earlier?

"It will be done, Master!" It boomed back, barely contained excitement in its voice. It was kind of looking forward to bossing others around. "Nothing more to report, I'll get right on gathering everyone!" It wondered, as it jumped to its feet, if it should volunteer to help patrol Canis, but that was immediately shut down. Hadn't it done enough? Ugh. It deserved a rest, at the very least.

Just a little more work, first. It turned to head off around the outskirts of Draco, and also into Pegasus where it knew some of them might be roaming, and order them back to The Womb. No questions - all very official and stuff.

*exit

@Vargas

- THE LEVIATHAN -

Vargas nodded to himself and then turned, setting off. He'd find something to eat, then make his way to the Black Spire to wait for the rest of them.

Scion's over-eager agreement had almost made him snort but he'd managed not to do that. He could hardly mock one of the Forge for being obedient and attentive; would that more of them were this way. He just sort of missed the old days--when Valkhounds swore and grinned and got the job done, comrades and killers instead of... whatever things had become. But no, that wasn't a fair though. Scion was still relatively young. And it was doing well, all things considered. Vargas knew it had a tendency to sleep more than was typical (a 'cat' weakness, he thought) but it was... Useful.

He could delegate to it this task, and it would--he hoped, and assumed--get it done.

exit Vargas