Welcome to Gaia! ::

"We are indeed hoping so," Shael nodded. "And if at any point Cindy decides to move on ... well."

They would miss her, but what else could they do?

"Oh," Vergil murmured, disappointed. "Well ... can I use it for right now, since I don't have a fork and knife yet? Just this one time?"

He looked up at her, giving her puppy eyes.

Shael laughed. "Twenty four years here," she winked. "I daresay she'll be just as old as Kara soon. Though Donovan's here so often I doubt she'll ever catch up to him in age."

"Not that you would ever know it," Adonai added. "I rarely see Donovan myself, but in all the years that I've known him, he hasn't changed a bit."

Vergil smiled up at Cindy. "I'm Vergil," he introduced himself. "I'm half human and half demon. What are you, Mother? I've never seen anyone with bird wings before!"

"Rhea's age," Adonai mused. "Though he's had a busier life, at least the past few years for him, yes? Rhea's been feeling a bit lazy in the Southland ... she's joined the trainee soldiers just for something to do. She's read through all of the books at the library ..."

"Had," Shael corrected her husband. "They've left on their trip now, remember?"

"Aye, been gone ... what, half a year now?" Adonai mused.

Vergil blinked up at Cindy. "What's that mean?" he asked her. "I've never heard of a phoenix before ..."

"I'm hoping so," Adonai grinned at Lore. "Perhaps once, I might have joined them on their journey ... perhaps someday I'll make a journey. Though for now I'm securely rooted right here." He smiled and put one hand over Shael's, and she smiled warmly at him.

"Still," Shael added, "we are eager to find out what they've learned, what they've encountered ... all of us here in the Borderlands are eager."

Vergil looked interested at that. "Do you know fire magic?" he asked Cindy eagerly, his eyes sparkling brightly. "Are you immortal? I think I am, I'm kind of oldish but I haven't changed since I was born ... is that what being immortal is?"

"When they get back," Shael laughed, "Haradhel has declared that we're going to have a huge celebration, and Rhea is going to tell us everything that happened. Maybe you and your family should join us, it promises to be quite fun." Her hazel eyes sparkled brightly. "I daresay the celebrations could last a while. It's been a very long time since we've had a chance to celebrate anything."

Considering they didn't celebrate Coronation Day, or the Festival of the Enderi ... and those were really the only holidays there were.

Vergil tilted his head curiously and began to eat, pricking his food with his sword and nibbling off it. "Potions?" he asked. "What are potions for?"

Adonai tilted his head thoughtfully at Lore. "You could just come when Shiro and the others return," he suggested. He paused. "Unless they don't go straight home, I know there was someone who suggested that Earendil for one might like to continue traveling when they return ..."

"We could leave a note or something," Shael suggested, "though unless someone was constantly checking your side of the portal, you might not get it in time ..."

Adonai hesitated a moment, and then ventured, "I could-"

"No," Shael cut him off before he could say what he wanted to do. "You're not going through the portal yourself!"

Adonai laughed. "So much for that idea."


"Oh," Vergil nodded at Cindy's explanation. "I see. Do you think maybe I can learn? I think that would be fun ..."

"That would work," Shael agreed. "Or for that matter we could send Celebor. He's from your world, I'm sure he wouldn't mind."

Vergil grinned and finished off his food, then started licking his blade clean. "That was good," he said warmly, snuggling into Cindy's lap and making himself comfortable again. "Did you cook that, Mother?"

Seeing that everyone's plates were empty, Shael rose from her seat and began to clear the dishes away.

"Either way," Adonai smiled at Lore, sitting back in his chair, "we'll find a way to make sure you all know when they return, so that you can be here for the celebration as well." He glanced towards the window. "I just hope Mum and Ada are back by then as well," he murmured.

Vergil blinked at the napkin, not entirely sure what to do with it, but after a quick glance at Cindy he started to use it to wipe his blade down. "It's very good," he told Cindy, referring to the meal. "But I'm too small to help cook or anything. I tried to make a fire once, but it was hard collecting the wood."