Destiny now lies in the hands of...

[Anastasia]

Her avatars are active, the crystal intact.

[Ebiris]

Well she better go get Syala and Antenora to see if this can work on their avatars!

Antenora when she gets back anyway.

In the meantime avatars #2 and #3 will lay low inside Sylica until they're needed or she can reasonably debut them.

[Anastasia]

Soon enough Syala uses it before her new avatar. It grows as she says, "That is effective," she remarks frankly, "You're right to keep it as a trump card. We'll need those surprises."

[Ebiris]

"I wonder how long this will last for, in case we need to replace or make new avatars?" Alicia muses as Syala #3 becomes active. "But yes, lets save them for plugging critical holes in our defences if Sylica comes under attack, broadcasting that we have them is more trouble than it's worth."

[Anastasia]

"At least it helps me with more champions," Syala reflects, and then with a wry smile, "I've been working on that."

[Ebiris]

"Had any luck?" Alicia asks, none of hers standing out much beyond last time they spoke of this topic. Indeed she doesn't have any notable champions now who weren't around when Sylica was young. In fact Latha and Marie ascending leaves her with even less.

[Anastasia]

"A few - it's all the long game now," she admits, "While we play the short game here. But..."

At that you feel it, a connection with Syala, burning strong.

Node update.

[Ebiris]

"Well that's promising, isn't it?" Alicia says with a slight smile. "Lets wait for Antenora to get back so she can finish her avatar and then we'll get going."

[Anastasia]

You wait with Syala. Warmth and togetherness, simple companionship. A respite where you focus on the worlds your word reaches. So many worlds - worlds spherical and planetary, worlds flat as a pancake, worlds a twisting skein, other worlds yet layered like a cake. So many worlds, all glimpsed through your faithful.

A paladin challenges an ogre chieftan, the fate of a village hanging in the balance. A world where the wind always blows and even mountains have been worn away to rubble and flatlands. A world of bare chested heroes and heroines, where metal is as rare as perfect diamonds, where civilization is often harsh and brutal beneath the winds.

One of your laity tends to a gravely sounded Helmite. A world much like your world of origin, large and varied. A war has swept it over some damned foolish political thing, countless lives the tinder on which a continent burns. A prayer for just a little more power, at his limit for spells.

A wizard who trains the next generation in your name. The first of its kind on his world, a world where you are known only as the Avenger - known for a single off world champion who came and defeated a tyrant, a gnoll who had supped on the essence of blood and vampirism to cast entire civilizations into torment.

As you focus on all of them, a hub for so much and more?

"Alicia." Latha speaks with a warm calmness, at your side in between the blinks of an eye.

[Ebiris]

As is her wont Alicia responds to prayers with comfort, support, and reassurance. And the very rare small miracle, such as an extra cure spell where needed.

"Latha?" she asks, once more paying attention to the physical matters in her immediate surroundings.

[Anastasia]

Latha's expression is radiant - literally as is so often the case. Yet her smile matches her glow, a large one full of joy. "We've done it," she murmurs to you. "I had thought it impossible, then Antenora and then...we all followed."

[Ebiris]

Speaking of Antenora, she hopes she'll hurry up. The waiting is tense!

"We certainly took an unorthodox route to do it," she says to Latha, smiling back in the face of her clear happiness. "I hope we all grow a lot more from here as well."

[Anastasia]

You get a sudden hug from Latha, all warmth and sunshine. Literally.

Then you feel it, a connection to Latha grown bright and strong.

Node update.

[Ebiris]

Read it.

She hugs Latha back, giving her a warm squeeze and soaking in the sunshine coming off of her. "You should go and visit Lathander after we reveal this, same as Marie does Mystra," she says. "I know you're of Celestia and Zaphkiel gives you what you need, but Lathander might still have something worth learning, and he'd be proud of you too."

That prompts a thought to occur.

Zaphkiel, a question: In Creation it's accepted and true that a student will surpass their teacher. A child will surpass their parents. Even a disciple can theoretically surpass their deity. Why can we not surpass the Incarnations? Or Incarntions surpass the One who created them?

[Anastasia]

Latha merely replies, "I will when the time is right."

Time.

Perhaps it can be done, perhaps one day Io will succeed on his quest for perfection. Perhaps one day I will be reunited and match the One. Yet know this: The entire lifespan of this Creation is a blink of an eye to such matters.