It didn't take him very long to pack. What did take a while was convincing the town that he should go, and even longer that he should go alone.

"You absolutely cannot leave now! We need you here!" Several of the village elders and other village leaders, including a very distraught Ki'Reina, followed him around as Vesk'ra around as he stuff various books into the bottomless bag (lovingly referred to as his personal library) that Est'Ktha had given him. The speaker was actually Ki'Reina's father, head of the esteemed Voltiad clan, known for their consistently silver scales and warrior prowess.

"Obviously not. This town ran fine before I was born." Vesk's voice was slightly deeper than that of other Dragonkin his age, as well as somewhat raspy. "Besides, at this point I kinda have to go. I was told to go by Est'Ktha himself in a dream."

"Then you must at least take someone with you! What if something happens to you while you're gone?" A green kobold elder piped up. Kobolds, specifically the scaled variant of the species, were a common sight in Esclaw. The species as a whole usually worshipped dragons, so a town worshipping one of the dragonkin deities was a natural fit for the short scalekin. "It would drive the entire town to despair!"

"Were I somehow to die, my soul would be snatched up by our lord, and if I grow strong enough, I would become one of the minor deities that he keeps on hand. As for bringing someone with me, that is my choice, and I wish to go alone." His hand hovered for a moment over a book labeled 'Recipes for Cooking Demons and Other Abyssal Residents'. After a few seconds, it went into the bag along with other various magical tomes.

Ki'Reina spoke up, her tone clearly pained. "Vesk, please, as least bring me with you. It's my duty and desire to serve you however you need, and I've trained in various forms of fighting. Let me at least come with to keep you safe!" It was rare to hear her speak in a manner almost resembling her normal tone towards him.

Silently, and very specifically not looking at her, he shook his head as he placed two more books in the bag before closing it. Despite containing probably 40 or 50 books at this point, it weighed only as much as the heaviest book he had placed in there. As it happened, it was the cookbook he had picked up on a whim, just barely beating out his 'Big Book of Spells', a record of every spell known on the Material Plane.

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The mass of Dragonkin trying to convince him to at least take Ki'Reina only grew larger as he left the library and went about purchasing supplies for his journey. As they drew near his house, however, he finally grew tired of their constant pleas and turned to face the group. Some 20 dragonborn and kobolds had been tailing him around town, and now that he was ready to leave, he didn't need one of them throwing themselves through the portal alongside him.

"Look. You all want to worship me as Est's avatar and prop me up as the future leader of the village, but nobody here will actually let me make a single decision of my own, especially not with how I'm treated around here. This is where I put my foot down. I'm going alone, and that's final." His glare, combined with the force of the words he spoke, startled the group.

All except one.

Ki'Reina was clearly holding back her emotions as they churned through her head, but surprise was not one of them. She knew better than anyone the frustration Vesk felt on a daily basis, and unbeknownst to him, the fact that nobody let her treat him the same way she always had annoyed her almost as much as it annoyed him. She wanted to go with to show him this, to drop the act she hated, but she could tell he wasn't going to let up and she wasn't able to tell him this outright.

"Very well, my lord." She was barely able to restrain the bitterness in her voice as she accepted his choice. "If that is how it is to be, so be it. However, should you return and choose to leave again, I request that, at that time, you take me with you. That is my one condition for you leaving now."

The scaled ridge that some humans would refer to as an eyebrow rose above Vesk's right eye. "A condition? How curious, for someone who should have as much freedom as you all implied. But very well. Should I willingly return to this village and leave once more, I shall bring you along, Ki'Reina Voltiad."

For a moment, their eyes locked, and Vesk'ra had a moment of doubt. He didnt know why he had used her last name. And something about it stirred something deep in his memory. He had a feeling that, for whatever reason, this girl should be by his side on adventures. Maybe the name meant something concerning Est?

But his resolve steeled itself. Maybe she was supposed to come with him at some point. But that time wasn't now. He could feel it. If she travelled with him now, she would never truly reach her potential.

A tense few seconds passed between Vesk'ra and Ki'Reina. Soon, though, she turned away. She wasn't going to be able to change his mind.

With that, he turned and all but stormed into his house, locked it, and stepped through the portal to his new world.