A very unexpected surprise...

It takes you the entire day to make it to the nearest exit at the mouth of the canyon. Dana rides your shoulder, nervously looking over her own shoulder as if she expects to be struck by lightning. As the sun dips behind the mountains you come to the canyon exit, open plains spreading out before you. You can feel the zone boundary in front of you, rippling like heat waves, invisible but impassible to you your entire life. Until now...

You exchange trepidatious looks with Dana, Well....here goes nothing. You raise a thick vine to poke at the boundary....

"HALT CHLOROFIEND" You jerk backwards as a booming voice echoes through the canyon. It sounds...like the wild. Like whistling wind and babbling brooks and the lilting music of birdsong. It seems to come from everywhere and you can't determine it's source. As you turn you see Dana has left your shoulder. Dana? Dana! You rubberneck around, afraid the voice had somehow carried her off without you noticing. "ABOVE YOU CHLOROFIEND" You raise your eyes to see Dana hovering some twenty feet above your head, calmly looking down at you. But Dana is definitely not at home right now: she glows with a vibrant gold light, shining out of her eyes and mouth like the sun itself. Release her! "CALM YOURSELF CHLOROFIEND, I HAVE NOT HARMED HER. THIS VESSEL IS THE ONLY CONDUIT TO THE DIVINE FOR MILES AND DUE TO YOUR...INTERVENTION, SHE IS SUSCEPTIBLE TO MY INFLUENCE." What are you?

She smiles, "I AM VIENNA, GODDESS OF THE WILDS. I HAVE BEEN WATCHING YOU FOR QUITE SOME TIME." Holy crap. How do you greet a deity? You settle on bowing low, My apologies goddess, I had no idea. She laughs and the breeze rolls and churns playfully, "YOU ARE A VERY ENTERTAINING CREATURE CHLOROFIEND. WROUGHT WITH SUCH AMBITION AND PASSION. FEW COULD HAVE SEDUCED A FOLLOWER FROM MY SISTER ANARI." Oh yeah...Um...she's not mad about that is she? Another laugh, sweet as birdsong, "SHE WAS NOT TERRIBLY ATTACHED TO THIS VESSEL, SHE DISCARDED IT AS SOON AS YOU BROKE ITS CHASTITY. IT ALLOWED ME TO STEP IN TO AID YOU THE NEXT MORN." That was you? "INDEED CHLOROFIEND. MY SISTER WOULD NOT HELP A FALLEN VESSEL IF HER FAITH DEPENDED ON IT." Oh. Well. My deepest thanks, goddess.

The light fades somewhat and the goddess lowers Dana to the ground at your feed, her voice returning to a more normal volume, "Hmhm...You are quite intelligent for a monster of this zone. I'm very impressed with all you have accomplished in just four days time. Particularly with the termination of Logaros's champion." Miera...so she was actually the right hand of Logaros? "Certainly one of his favorites. Though I doubt she still is. Losing to a creature like you at her level...well. It was embarrassing for them both." You mull that over for a second. So...he's not coming after me? She gives a very unladylike snort, "Oh no, he's coming for you. With a burning vengeance. For the moment I have been able to stall him from entering this plain of existence. I have a proposal for you."

Thank God!...dess. There was utterly nothing you could do in the face of a gods wrath. For all you knew he might even be able to kill you permanently. As in, no more respawns. Anywhere. Ever. I am eager to hear it my goddess. She gives you an approving look, "I have need for a champion of my own. Someone to appoint as an extension for my will on this plain." ...you can't be hearing her right. Milady...are you saying that you want ME to be your champion? She raises an eyebrow, "I felt the offer was fairly self evident: I will establish my champion on this plain and shield you from the wrath of my brother. I will even accept this vessel as a priestess. Once she pledges herself to me. Should you decide now, I will even bestow a portion of my power upon you."

Wow. That was one heeell of an offer: giving you full protection, a fraction of godly power, and reinstating Dana's powers? It seemed almost too good to be true...but then again you had accomplished some pretty amazing things in the last few days. Enough to have a goddess intervening on your behalf. 'Chlorofiend' huh? You had to psychically clamp down on your ego before it made you explode. The goddess watches impassively through Dana's eyes, emotions unknowable...