POV: Victor Sterling

  The next four days were spent learning everything about the city. The people, the culture, even the religion. Yea that was hard listen to people talk about me using just references that other had mentioned in passing. Since they might become my people, I needed to know what they want and what troubles them, it was the least I could do. If I do take up the mantel... Who am I kidding? I'm now in the body of Victor so might as well own it. I left the inn and went to join the festival. Need to find a dramatic over the top way to say I'm here.

  The main streets, known as Spokes for they radiate out from a plaza that the entrance to the Forge is on, were full of many different people both buying and selling anything and everything. It was like a Tech Expo mixed with a farmers market.

  Hours later, it was the time of the ceremony that the Festival was all about. I came with the crowd but stayed towards the back. The mental back and forth of should I reveal myself or should I stay silent. That is when I saw her, Empyrea. It was the same as the in-game avatar that she had used. I guess I shouldn't have expected anything else. A well of kinship surfaced, that is when I knew what I had to do.

  POV: Kyle Payne

  I had my first day off in quiet a while, I had spotted that Drake guy in the crowds. My gut could not let him go. A high level half-vamp, yea there was no way that this wasn't something, plus taking down Wolf Umbra and claiming to be a smith and magic caster.

  After the procession came into view, Drake's expression changed instantly. One could say it melted, then harden back to one of concern. Drake moved behind a building out of view from the crowd. I followed because this was suspicious to the extreme. My hand on the hilt of my personal sword.

  Looking around the corner, I watched as Victor Drake dropped the illusion concealing his face. I froze instantly recognized the face, it was on the massive statues in the Temple of Sterling the Creator. My hand dropped from his sword. This is what Natsumi found out, he is the God of Creation Victor Sterling. The crowd went silent as the main event began.

  Empyrea spoke first, “I the Angelic God Empyrea seeks an audience with the twin Dragon Gatekeepers, Adratheth and Quendrabia.”

  I could barely pull my eyes away from the god hidden from the crowd, but looking at the ceremony that had been performed countless times in the past three hundred years. At the head was the Angelic form of Empyrea about 100 feet from the ever closed gates to the Forge. Behind her was the High Clergy of both Empyrea and Sterling's temples. Directly behind them were the regents of Sterlingstead. Last was the every smith in the city including many who made the journey from far and wide to participate in the Festival. All of them were down on one knee head bowed in respect.

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  Two thunderous claps echoed across the courtyard, as two humanoid dragons. One the right was female white dragon almost blindingly bright white. On the left was her brother of the shade of deepest black as if he was a hole in reality itself. Both wore the same armor as they always have beautiful yet functional. They were on one knee with their right hand in a fist against the ground, and the other arm behind their backs.

  In perfect unison the dragons spoke, “We the Gatekeepers of the Great Forge of Creation have heard your call Empyrea friend of the Forge Master. We are here to receive your request.”

  Empyrea spoke softly, “I seek my lost friend. So I do ask once more for the master of the Forge of Creation.”

  That is when Drake, no, Sterling appeared out of thin air just behind the dragons. A collective gasp washed over the crowd. A slight murmur rose as it became apparent that the one who interrupted the proceedings was the one they had hoped for.

  “I just arrived, Empy,” Sterling firmly responded.

  The dragons stood and spun around in a blur. They stopped for a second in disbelief before embracing their adoptive father. It took a good thirty seconds, but the Clergy dropped to prostrate before the lord, then the regents and the rest followed suit. I joined the crowd for today was a true day of celebration.

  POV: Victor Sterling

  I just sighed as everyone prostrated for me. Empyrea stared at me blankly for a long time before standing up tears started to stream from her eyes as she approached and embraced me.

  “Vee? Victor, it took you long enough,” she sobbed.

  “I know it has been a long time for you but for me it has just been a week.”

  “A week?” she said meekly.

  “Yes, shall we take this inside?” The large adamantine gates swung outwards and we strode forward. Adratheth and Queendrabia rose to their feet and followed after.

  I paused for a moment and spoke loud enough that those in the persecution could hear, “In three hours I will take audience with the others gathered here.”

  Once the gates closed behind the twins, they took on their true forms as each of them was the size of a large house. The room we were in was massive as it was the first line of defense where two dragons can fight effectively. But it was a trap I build. Both dragons had max levels in General and Trainer. This gave them the ability to command and train the real defense on the first room, an Army of kobolds, in game they were spawned in but here my guess is I have a large den where they eat, sleep, reproduce, ect. That is when I spotted someone stomping towards us, and I had a feeling I knew what formerly non player character it was.

  “Why did the doors open?! You know you are never meant to open them...” The figure's screaming trailed off as she got closer. As I assumed it was the succubus that was the head administrator I recruited to help run the Forge.

  In game most player bases were maintained by the players of the guild that owned them, but I didn't have the luxury of a guild as I chose to play mostly solo. But by a stroke of luck I found this volcano that was extremely rich in mystical ore. Mining npcs were use to gain infinite resources to pay for the npcs to maintain to the place.

  “Zellora, it is good to see you well,” I greeted my right hand, she is effectively my CFO. She had a simple red dress that went down to her shins and black knee high boots. As per her race of succubus, she had a pair of maroon bat like wings protruding from her shoulder blades and two black horns emerging from the top of her head in her blood red hair.

  I was a good 20 steps up from the bottom and she was another 30 ft or so beyond that when she fell to her knees, “My Lord...”