Greatest Work

"Roc, can I talk to you about something?"

The vermilion Bladefowl always carried himself with puffed-out chest and erect posture, but his bag of winds filled somehow greater at the idea that someone had remembered Roc, and chosen to seek him out for counsel.

"By all means, young one!" he said, strutting to the occasion. "What seems to be burdening you?"

Anyone had a hard time meeting eye-level with Roc, but Shimmer, who had his father's growth pattern if he had any to speak of, felt mightily overpowered by Roc's height. Which, of course, was the problem.

"Um...I just feel like I'm being watched, sometimes. Not in a creepy way, but like there's something I'm supposed to be doing, someone I'm supposed to measure up to."

Again, it wouldn't be easy, with a dad like Rex, but everyone knew that. The Driver of the Aegis(es), and all. Since Roc had been born-again in the shadow of his former self, he'd understand, right?

But there was no way Shimmer could have prepared himself the response that was to come. Roc even crouched down to give it.

"Listen, kid. You've got a great family, and lots of people who give a flock about you. All that would be enough for anybody. There's something they don't tell ya, though."

A secret? Ever since the Intersection, and the start of planning for the Great Intersection that was to follow, Nia, Pyra and Mythra had tried to be as open as possible with their children, telling them everything they were old enough to understand and handle.

Roc's beak gave a chatter. Shimmer snapped to attention.

"My former Driver...he's here with us right now. He's been looking out for you since the egg!"

Shimmer sneered, letting a little tweenage cheek shine through. "Yeah, right. Sorry, Roc, but I can't believe that."

"Don't believe me?" Roc stood back. "Ask him yourself."

Uhh...what was his name, Vandham? Wasn't that his last name? Mr. Vandham? That was what Auntie Iona called him, right. But yeah, he'd been a big guy, not the type to care.

"Vandham?" Shimmer called out, in a vain attempt to ditch all attendant straggles of hesitation. "You out there?"

"What's doin', kiddo?"

Quick as he could (and yet not really of his own volition, either), Shimmer flicked his gaze over to Roc, who didn't exactly look too innocent but who, now that Shimmer was realizing it, was a perfect candidate for throwing his voice into a pitched-down impression of his Driver-that-never-really-was-in-this-life, somewhere over his avian head.

"Just checking in," Shimmer replied warily. "Uh, how are you, sir?"

"Sir? Aw, we don't need that, where we're at. Just Vandham's fine - and Vandham is fine, too. Gwahaha!"

Good news. Might as well ask what he came for, then, yeah?

"Um...how about me? Am I doing...fine?"

He could feel the great grin emanating from the echoes of that booming voice. Vandham, too, was pleased to be thought of.

"Just fine, Shim."

And now Roc seemed to speak in unison, in tandem with the unspurious echo: "Just fine."