Vespasia walked back to the walls of New Minbenthac, her clawed feet gently treading over the soft, rich soil. Her clawed hands clutched a basket filled with healing herbs and mushrooms. She had been hatched in the colony's parent city of Minbenthac, back in the desert continent which the dracons called home. She was only a hatchling when her mother moved with Vespasia's uncle to the colony. They had lived together with her uncle's family, her mother living with her brother and his wife. She never knew her father, nor did her mother, but it was rumored that Vespasia's conception was the result of an affair between her mother and a powerful sorcerer, hence her powers. 

She had lived with her family for eighteen years, helping to maintain an inn. She swept the floors, served food, even learned how to dance from her mother, although Vespasia was strictly forbidden from dancing for the patrons herself, lest she risk getting trapped in that kind of lifestyle. Upon reaching adulthood, she had been sent to learn to control her powers with the city's mage's guild. The governor of the city, known as the exarch, had sent out a call to the homeland, asking for magic users to help protect the city. Fewer than two dozen responded to the missive, and of those, half were apprentices. 

As such, New Minbenthac had precious few wizards and sorcerers, and the city's exarch forbade most of them from accepting the mantle of champion, out of fear of losing them. The city's few clerics had made the exarch aware of the need for a champion, as they detected the emergence of the powerful demon less than a day after he emerged. Fresh from her apprenticeship, Vespasia had been granted the title of adept, although she knew that her skill wouldn't be considered fit for such a title back in the dracon lands. She entered through the city's southern gate and immediately proceeded to the guild hall to deposit them.

With her free hand, Vespasia waved at the door, releasing a bit of magic to loosen the enchanted locks. She heard a series of loud clicks, as expected. The door swung open and she saw that the overbuilt and cavernous hall was even emptier than usual. Apart from her, there was only one mage present at the time, the hall's keeper. Her clawed toes echoed against the cool stone as she walked over to him. Keeper Cassius was bent over a desk, clad in his usual black robes with the silver trim. He didn't even look up to meet her eyes as she put the basket down.

"Here's the herbs the guild master requested." 

"Hmm? Oh, good. Right. You've done us a service, as usual." He reached down into a pouch and pulled out a few coins. "Your pay." Vespasia eagerly accepted the money, as she had precious little to spare. 

"Thanks. I-I suppose this could be it. I'm not sure why they chose me to be a champion, but I'll do my best." Cassius continued writing as he spoke. 

"Good luck, Vespy." With that, it was as if she no longer existed. Somewhat annoyed, she took off for the edge of the city, unsure of who she'd be expected to meet, only that the forest had chosen its champion. Exarch Aspion had promised a larger military response in the event of her failure, but he didn't really take the threat seriously. That, and New Minbenthac hardly had a strong army. The city guard was sufficient to man the walls and keep bandits away, but a force capable of striking out against a foe was a tall order. 

She made her way to the outskirts of the city's western gate, clad in her usual light attire, armed only with her magic.