so uhhhhhh someone put me in a really shitty mood and because of it, I finally got to writing the argument that really happened after Path of Fire’s The Sacrifice mission. Short and written in a bit of a rush (and I haven’t properly written in months), so it’s not written the best, but oh well.
Lots of cursing, cause Vel is like that. And I’ll never not be angry about how Rytlock dropped this bombshell and how the commander handled it.
Read on AO3
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”He looked just like any other spirit trapped in the Mists.”
“Oh, he did? From what I hear not every damned soul is bound in chains, Rytlock. Not every soul can restore fire to a fucking sword!” Rytlock grimaced, eyes still cast to the ground. Velancea clenched her fists and grit her teeth. She felt herself trembling with complete rage.
“I didn’t-”
“Didn’t what? Didn’t think? Didn’t use your goddamn head? I can’t believe you, Rytlock! I can’t… I just can’t fucking bring myself to understand what may have possibly possessed you to keep this sort of thing from me - from anyone! Through all this shit that has transpired, you find now to be an appropriate time for you to tell us that you unleashed the God-of-fucking-War?”
“I told you, I didn’t know until -”
“Oh, right, right. Of course. What on all of Tyria would make you tell us anything that happened, huh? Why would you need to? Of course you can keep it to yourself - it’s not as though we could have deduced that it was Balthazar in the Mists had you just fucking told us!” Rytlock closed an eye, wincing. “We have asked you countless times about what happened while you were in the Mists! You had plenty of time and opportunities to just fucking tell us, but instead you kept tight lipped about it, thinking that whatever the fuck you did was all fine and dandy! What if we had died just now, Rytlock? What if Vlast, who, might I remind you, is now dead, didn’t sacrifice himself to save us? Your refusal to just talk to us - your goddamn guildmates - nearly cost everyone their lives!”
“The Citadel-”
“Oh! Right! Yes!” A wide smile lit up Velancea’s face, but it was formed out of seething anger. A spiteful laugh escaped her. “Why wouldn’t it be more important for the Black Citadel to know about what happened in the Mists? Why would we - the ones who are charging into the battle ourselves - be top priority in being told these things? How silly of me! I -” Velancea cut herself off. Another mirthless laugh tumbled from her lips, and she looked down with the shake of her head. She was at a complete loss of words. She didn’t know what to say at this point.
“Commander… I’m gonna make this right.” Velancea looked up at him with a lethal glare. Rytlock swallowed hard.
“You will. And you will answer any question asked of you. No more secrets, or you’re done. No more Dragon’s Watch, and I never want to see you again. No. More. Secrets.” Her voice was dangerously low as she spoke through her teeth - a pitch Rytlock never thought possible for the sylvari. Before Rytlock had the chance to agree, Velancea turned on her heel and strode back to where Canach and Kasmeer stood. The duo seemingly refused to glance towards her, and she was very sure they overheard everything, but she didn’t care. Not now.
So, at the end of All or Nothing, Vel lost her left arm during Kralk’s final blast
While I know the whole hand thing at the end of War Eternal was because it was the commander’s final touch to Aurene, the opportunity for this idea was just too good to pass up because of this sequence. Originally, I had planned to have her arm gradually grow back in sylvari fashion, but after this episode, my plans have changed
And so I wrote a quick little thing (under the cut)
=/=
Vel hadn’t noticed it at first. Of course, it wasn’t as though she should have. It wasn’t as though it were a completely foreign addition.
However, she found herself reaching towards Aurene as she pulled away, her left arm outstretched. She looked to Aurene again, who almost seemed to be smiling at her.
In a bright flash, Vel found herself above ground, staring at a large, crystalline dragon before her - Aurene.
She was beautiful - so beautiful. The sight alone immediately brought tears to the commander’s eyes.
As the newfound elder dragon soared off into the horizon, Velancea held her left hand up for inspection. Even her beloved dragon gauntlet was in place.
A smile ghosted her lips. All of that intensive training earlier that morning with Canach teaching her how to fight with one arm was almost for naught. Granted, it came in handy when fighting off each enemy Dragonfall had to offer, but everyone had expected the arm to be missing for a while longer.
With her gauntlet back where it belonged and Kralkatorrik finally defeated, she felt at peace. Her shoulders relaxed for the first time in a long while.
For the moment, everything was okay. Everything was great.
Her arm went back to her side and she looked out at the variegated sky.
