Everyone stayed in character and Valkyria actually makes a very interesting argument. Poor Naïve Dana...

Dana was still staring in shock as she walked beside Valkyria. "What was that? Are you insane?" she finally burst out.

Valkyria just smiled enigmatically. "What are you talking about?" she asked innocently, noticing with some fascination that Dana seemed to be completely unaffected by her pheromones. Perhaps it was her hatred of werewolves, perhaps it was… something else.

"What am I talking about? You just offered yourself to Forgefire in exchange for a sword! Do you go around doing that to everyone?"

Valkyria shrugged. "Not everyone. I’m a business woman, not a whore."

Dana was disgusted. "How can you even think like that? That's not how things work."

Valkyria laughed. "Oh, but it is. You see, Dana, I've used hundreds of swords in my lifetime. The best swords take more than just a blacksmith with talent. Making the truly legendary, the truly song worthy blades, requires a blacksmith willing to pour his heart and soul into the weapon itself. And a piece of someone’s heart and soul, that sort of motivation, well, that is something money simply can’t buy."

Dana didn't understand. "But why would he do that just because you slept with him?"

Valkyria shook her head. "It's not just that. Now it’s a competition, I’ve scorned his work and compared its lack to my beauty. He's captivated with me now, my image burned into his mind. He’s not even thinking about the sex, he’s up there right now, determined to sketch, craft, and forge a blade as deadly and beautiful as I just proved to be. The image of my naked form will be his inspiration for a blade of true magnificence, if I’ve judged him right. He’s angry now, determined, I’ve thrown down the gauntlet, given him a challenge worthy of his skill one a once in a lifetime opportunity for him to prove to himself and to me, that he is as skilled as I am beautiful.” Valkyria leaned in, her breath hot on Dana’s face as Dana crinkled her nose in disgust, and whispered “I'll come back to him tonight. And when I do the challenge will be mine again, his sword will be the gauntlet, thrown down at my feet, challenging me to make our one night of passion just as flawless and skilled as my beauty and his craftsmanship. It has nothing to do with sex, Dana, or even payment, it is simply one legendary skill exchanged for another."

Dana took a step back, shaking her head. "But what if he doesn't create a sword that's as legendary as you seem to think you are beautiful?"

Valkyria's eyes glimmered with a far-off light, as if she was lost in a memory. "Decades ago, I was still new to the arena. I had only been a gladiator for a few years, still making a name for myself. That was when I met the hero who would change understanding of the bond between weapon and wielder forever."

She paused, as if collecting her thoughts, then continued. "His name was Aric, and he was an S-rank adventurer. He had a quiet strength about him, an unshakeable determination that was as much a part of him as his own flesh and blood. He was a skilled warrior, of course, but what set him apart was the blade he carried."

Valkyria's voice lowered, taking on a reverent tone. "It was a thing of beauty, that sword. Forged by a much younger, more vibrant and passionate Forgefire, it was a work of art as well as a weapon. The blade shimmered in the light, as if it was alive. And when Aric wielded it, it was like he became something different, something more than just a man with a sword, something… godlike."

She leaned forward, her eyes intense. "With that blade in his hand, Aric was able to challenge and defeat an ancient black dragon that should have been far beyond his ability. It was a battle that should have ended in his ****, or worse, but against all advice and prediction, he prevailed."

Valkyria leaned back, a far-off look in her eyes. "It wasn't just the blade that did it, of course. Aric was a skilled fighter, and he had a will of iron. But when he wielded that sword, it was like he was free. Free of the will of the gods, free of the bounds of mortality, free of the laws of physics even. He was something more, something greater. And I knew then that I wanted to find a blade like that for myself."

She looked back at Dana, a mischievous grin on her face. "And that, my dear, is why I'm willing to do what it takes to re-kindle the passion in Forgefire’s heart to create a sword worthy of his legacy. I want to feel that power, that strength, that Aric felt all those years ago. And I know that he can do it, the only question is whether or not my skills in bed will live up to the level of the blade he creates."