Recovering his relationship with Ranjiri and all the gratuitous crafting he'd done in the past few moons had done wonders for the Golden Prince. Though his load was ever growing, he tackled it with the same eagerness he was known for, a smile on his face and joy singing a lilting song inside his heart. Crafting was in his blood, and he took its mantle with fervor. Though Ilaria was the embodiment of the jealousy and bitterness he would not admit to when it came to Bucephalus, nothing could bring either of them down with so much work to do and material to wield. It was like a free for all, and Cera was practically bursting at the seams to stretch the ends and limits of his imagination, the boundaries of his skills and abilities.

And so he found himself on the warm currents once more, wings caressing every zephyr just as they kissed and cradled his petite frame in turn. The hours slipped by, comfortably ticking away as the miles wore on in shades of green and gold below. Gaucho had relayed that gems were quite easily found in the crystal caverns of the Heart, where they had all lain in wait for the Sun to return, for the darkness to be burned out and cast away and for peace to reign once more. As always, his Lord had not failed him. Though Cera's faith had admittedly wavered through the death of his brother, such a pious individual could not turn away from the light of the sun for long. Though Midas had hurt him in many undefinable, intricate ways, he had also left him with many viable, beautiful traits and attributes. Cera thanked him most, perhaps, for his spirituality. Though Cera could no longer fully give his devotion to the Moon Goddess or the Earth God, the Sun would always lead his heart and shine upon the sands of the desert.

Pay attention, Cera, Ilaria spoke quietly from his shoulder, lazily glancing down upon the edge, the merest fringe, of the Heart's lava-encrusted rocks and rivers. So lost in the easy cadence of his prayers, the warm evening air, he'd not noticed that he'd already arrived. With a quiet thanks to his companion, Cera arched his wings and let the insubstantial weight of his body draw him downward towards the earth. Gems and better metals awaited him, and with the heat of the lava and the ever-burning fires, Cera was eager to try his skills and craft a few things right then and there in the Heart. Perhaps he could make a beautiful necklace for Megaera? His friend was not one for fanciful, feminine items however...surely he would think of something, he assured himself as he shuffled through all the mental blueprints he had in his mind.

As he landed, he wandered on slim legs towards the yawning mouth of the caverns. Cera shuddered delicately and took a deep, steadying breath. "Lend me your light, my Lord," he sighed out, glittering eyes shifting to the skies for a moment before shuffling towards the mouth of the caverns. His reverie was sharply broken by an outcry that broke through his ears, words of distress floating forth. It spared him from going down into the depths of the systems that had once housed all of Helovia, but it was truly the philanthropist side of Cera that had him turning towards the frustrated voice. He had troubles with his own quest after all (though truly it was likely because he gave too much, asked too little, and spent so much time involved with helping his herd rather than himself) and he could not deny that he wanted to help.

Turning, he advanced towards the voice, ears pricked curiously. She came into sight easily with her pale, contrasting colors on the scorched stone backdrop. "Miss?" he queried kindly, hoping to capture her attention. His smile came as easily as it always did, Ilaria perking up and poking over his shoulder at the maiden as well, examining her. "Hello, my name is Cera. I'm a Forger of the Dragon's Throat. And I might have an answer to your troubles," he offered, hoping that if she was an unkindly soul that at least her greed would keep her rooted there and awaiting his words. "I can craft you something with two compartments? One of them can have the rocks from near the lava veins in a smaller compartment for the fire portion, and the other could be thicker metal and held at a farther distance so the metal doesn't warm..." Ilaria prodded him delicately with an amused tinge to her words. She likely does not care, love. Cera flushed and kicked idly at the ground. "I-I mean...I could do it. I would love to help."

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@[Elsa] Sorry for the wait!