[color=red]"My hair. On the back of my hand. It's GONE!"
Vibria looks like she's on the verge of panic. Or tears. Or both.
(Definitely too upset to notice the compliment 
)
Vulc inspects the back of her hand carefully. "The hair might be gone, but your skin is still pure and pristine. YOU are unharmed. Hair is dead Corpus, like fingernails-- that's why it doesn't hurt when you cut it. I know lots of magi who would love to have a way to remove their body hair without shaving. Have you ever seen Immanola, the prima of Ex Misc? She has more hair on her face than I do!"
Vibria giggles. [color=red]"I'm glad I'm not that hairy," she says, without removing her hands from Vulcanus's.
[color=red]"I don't think flame would remove my hair. You were there when Maurice..." She stops with a blush. [color=red]"My hair was unharmed. So this is no ordinary fire...or ordinary magical fire, for that matter."
She's definitely less upset than she was just a few moments ago.
"Exactly. This is something new and exciting... and you are uniquely equipped to explore it. Don't be scared, it's exciting!" Vulc smiles and squeezes her hands, then suddenly drops them, coughs, and looks nervous. "So uhh... what's next? It can't stay in there indefinitely, I'm working on an important project."
[color=red]"Do we have another fire this hot we can keep it in?" Vibria asks, vaguely disappointed that Vulcanus let go of her hands, yet thrilled that he recognizes her talents.
((As near as I can, this is before the Eternal Flame was brought up in the Redcaps thread, as this is right around the spring/summer cusp. So, does Vibria know anything about it? Int 1 + Magic Lore 4 (or Area Lore: Calbinyà 2 (or 3 if it falls under "Local Legends")) + die roll of 0 (but luckily not a botch) = 5 if it's Magic Lore, or 3/4 if it's Area Lore: Calbinyà.))
Vibria doesn't know anything about it, other than what she's heard mentioned before.
Vulc goes over and pulls a sheathed sword off of a rack, and draws the sword. "Rodrigo! Sorry to bother you. Where's the hottest fire around these parts?" He'll then let Rodrigo lead the way down to the Eternal Flame.
"It's... beautiful," Vulc breathes.
((So, basically, nothing,then, I think.))
Vibria grabs the egg and follows Rodrigo and Vulcanus down to the eternal flame (still wearing the blacksmith's apron).
[color=red]"Wow," Vibria breathes. She stands there in awe for a moment. She then rolls up her sleeve and slowly sticks her arm into the flame to see if it feels different than any other flame, as she holds the egg in the other. Assuming it feels normal(ish), she carefully grabs the egg in both hands, looks for a place to set the egg, and places it gingerly within the flame (leaning into it if she has to...she doubts she'll be immolated long enough to have any effect on anything).
It feels like a normal fire (Marko, correct me if I'm wrong).
When Vibria puts the egg in, it immediately warms, and gradually-- as though the closer to the center of the fire the egg gets, the hotter it is. The flames leap hot and furious, and the egg starts to glow just a little bit, but when she pulls her hands away, the glow dims immediately.
[color=red]"Isn't that interesting?" Vibria says softly. [color=red]"Vulcanus, are you seeing this?"
She experiments for a minute or two, moving her hands closer and farther from the egg to see just how close she has to be to make the egg glow.
[color=red]"Wonder if this means I should start sleeping down here, now?" She looks at Vulcanus. [color=red]"Do you think it's done this for anyone else?"
Vibria quickly figures out that she has to be touching the egg, that the more contact she has with it, the hotter it gets; also, that the closer to the center of the flame the egg gets, the hotter it gets. Maximum heat would be full body contact in the middle of the flame.
Vulc shrugs. "You should sleep wherever you want to," he says. "I don't know what it's done for others, I've only seen you and Carmen touch it." He reaches forth and gently takes the egg from Vibria, but not only does it turn instantly cold, the red and gold colors darken and dim. "I don't think he likes me," the smith says, handing the egg back to Vibria.
[color=red]"I have an idea," Vibria says, then blushes again. [color=red]"But I should take my clothes off for it to work."
She waits for Vulcanus to turn around (or away), then slips out of the blacksmith's apron and strips complete naked. She picks up the egg, holds it close to her bosom, and carefully climbs into the fire, looking for a place to stand or sit carefully, leaning forward so that both she and the egg that she is cradling are in the hottest part of the flame.
As she moves toward the center of the fire, the egg flares up and starts glowing again. The red and gold colors swirl with heat and intensity. Planting herself in the center of the flame, Vibria feels instinctively that she should sit cross-legged, with the egg in her lap, folding her hands over the top of the egg.
The egg begins to burn, giving off its own flames, and as the tongues of fire leap upwards, Vibria feels the heat on her face. She starts to feel... wet. There's water pouring out of her skin, salt stinging her eyes. This must be what other people feel like, in the summer. Only, other people have sweat that evaporates, but Vibria's sweat is immune to heat-- so it just continues running down her body, plastering her hair to her face and seeping into her eyes.The sweat runs down her arms, and it seems like the egg actually soaks up the moisture. Which Vibria might be curious about, if she weren't so uncomfortably hot.
As the egg burns hotter and hotter, the red color gradually bleeds out of the shell. After ten minutes or so, the egg is pure gold, and still burning. It's uncomfortable, but the heat from the egg is radiating in waves, pulsing in sync with Vibria's own heartbeat.
After half an hour, Vibria feels parched and dry. She's still sweating, but not as much. The egg is still burning, and the pure golden color is starting to give way to white-gold. She's hurting, and her stamina is being sorely tested.
After an hour, the egg is white-hot, and Vibria has stopped sweating. She feels parched and bone dry, and she feels her thoughts fragmenting with confusion, but she's so tired, she no longer cares how confused she feels. Her eyes still burn, but whether from the salt crusting over her now-empty tear ducts, or from the smoke rising off the egg, she doesn't know, and doesn't care. She's long since passed what she thought was the limit of her endurance.
It is harder and harder to hold on. Consciousness is still there, but Vibria is grasping at it desperately with the few shreds of will she can still muster; black spots are swimming in front of her eyes. Just a little longer, can't I last just a little bit longer? she thinks desperately.
[size=200]CRACK![/size]
When Vibria can hear again, it is the cries of, "Rrrreeee! Rreeeeee!" Three pieces of beautiful red-gold phoenix shell lie in Vibria's lap, and in the middle of it is a scraggly, down-covered little chick.
The heat from the Eternal Flame now back to normal, Vibria emerges from the fire, naked, bald, and exhausted. She is unharmed, save for one small, blistering burn just to the left of her navel, in the shape of a bird with its wings outstretched above its head. That'll leave a mark.
Carmen just looks shocked and confused, many thoughts and emotions rolling around inside her head before she responds.. Whatever. Happy Birthday (b!+c#). Anyway, the others can verify, we have seen evidence that Cakalakka and Wadanzee were somehow involved with the attack on our covenant. I need to confer with Solomon.
Vibria smiles down at the hatchling in her lap. It's quite possibly one of the most beautiful things she's ever seen. Almost without thinking, she takes the egg shells and sets them on the rim of the well before she starts to stagger to her feet. Her eyes are so dry that her vision is blurry, and she starts to wonder if she will ever recover from her ordeal. She has never felt so exhausted, so drained in her life. Not even the time when she was a girl and got into a fight with one of the covenfolk, and Fulminara punished her by making her do sword exercises for twenty-four hours. And yet, looking down at the hatchling with a smile that cracks her lips, she would do it all again. Part of her wonders if this is what mothers go through.
Trying to step out of the well takes more energy than she has. She puts her hand out to steady herself on the rim, holding the hatchling close against her body, and turns to sit down. She carefully swings her legs over and onto the floor and tries to stand up again, only to fall crashing to the ground. She twists her body to land on her shoulder, protecting the hatchling. She rolls onto her back and lies there, fighting to stay awake. She looks over to where Vulcanus is (or was) and croaks out "Aigua." She then tries desperately sit up, shifting so her back is resting on the side of the well, and strokes the bird tenderly.
Vulc picks his jaw up off the floor and shakes himself back to reality. He grabs his waterskin from his belt (what? Boy Scout!) and cradles Vibria's head to help her drink.
Vibria (and her very low Mentem MR) has a vision in her mind: a huge bird with gorgeous red plumage, nuzzling a tall, powerfully-built blond woman. The woman scratches the feathers behind the bird's neck, and in a throaty voice, she says, "I love you too, Lux. You're my sweet girl." The vision feels intensely personal, and when she looks at the bird, its head nods slightly, as if to confirm, this is one of my memories I have shared with you.
Vulc scoops up Vibria, careful not to jostle the baby bird, and carries her back to her sanctum, bellowing loudly as soon as he's in earshot of the covenfolk for someone to get a medic.
Vibria drinks slowly and carefully, taking one swallow at a time and counting to three before taking the next swallow. [color=red]"Thank you, Vulcanus," she says softly. [color=red]"I don't know what I would do without you." She then continues taking measured sips until the vision overcomes her.
[color=red]"Lux," Vibria rasps, continuing to stroke her feathers tenderly, occasionally scratching behind her neck as the woman in the vision did.
Vibria doesn't put up any protest when Vulcanus scoops her up, but simply enjoys the feel of his muscles rippling as he carries her up the stairs and out the door.
(edited to fix gender booch)
Vulc grunts. "Without me? You'd walk to your sanctum and you'd kill anyone who got in between you and a glass of water. So I'm not just saving some poor covenfolk's life, I'm also saving you from the retributive anger of someone's extended family. You know what they say about Spaniards and revenge."
HER! HER feathers! HER neck! She's a girl!
Vibria smiles through cracked lips. [color=red]"I can barely walk on my own. I've never...endured anything like this in my life"
She closes her eyes, whispering [color=red]"Even my eyeballs hurt more than they ever have in my life."
((Fixed.))
When they reach the surface and Vulcanus starts bellowing for a medic, Vibria becomes more conscious of her current state of undress, turning slightly in his arms so that her breasts and stuff isn't quite so glaringly obvious (and accidentally pressing them against his chest and arm). [color=red]"Vulc...when you have time, can you bring me my clothes, please? And the egg shells...in my laboratory, on one of the tables, for now?"
Uh-huh. "Accidental." 
Though Vibria is covered in soot, so she's not as exposed as she might be otherwise.
"Of course," he agrees. But once he gets Vibria to her sanctum, he doesn't seem to have any qualms about walking right in, even though many magi would hesitate. He tucks her in, sets a pitcher of water and a glass beside the bed, then realizes he needs to actually POUR the glass full, does so, then leaves his waterskin there just for good measure. He doesn't leave until the medic has arrived.
The medic diagnoses Vibria with imbalanced humors and tells her she needs to get a lot of rest and drink a lot of water 
Vulc returns with the clothes and the eggshell fragments. "You know these are vis?" he says. "I stopped by and asked Fedora to look at them* and she says this one's a rook of Creo, this one's a rook of Ignem, and this one's a rook of Vim. See, I tagged them with colored chalk so we'd know which one was which. The vis needs to be deposited into the covenant stores, I think, because the egg was acquired on official covenant business, but if you like I can transfer the vis into pawns and then you can keep the eggshells as mementos."
*See, he CAN learn new tricks.