Disclaimer: I don't own Victorious or any of it's characters. Their likenesses and names are only used because it wouldn't be fan fiction without that, their mannerisms, and some small amount of their other attributes. That, and it can be a shortcut to writing if we all know who everyone is. I make no money from this.

:}

Andre walked into the manor, no stranger to the place, even if this was the first time he'd be acing as anything but entertainment. "Okay, I'm here. Whats up?"

"Mister Harris?" A squire asked. "Sir Gary is expecting you. The other has already arrived."

"Lead the way." Dre said, shrugging. 'Lets see what I can learn about the witch….'

Soon he joined Sikowitz in the sitting room, where the others had gathered to talk about what to do now. "Okay, we're all here." Tori declared.

"Not quite." Beck sighed. "I got word last night, while you were out, that we might have another guest. Someone is in town to gather supplies before launching an attack against the monster ravaging our lands. I just…." He swallowed, now nervous as he glanced at his cousin. "Lady Trina is in the city, looking for leads as to where the monster may be found."

The reaction was instantaneous. "Trina's here?" Tori asked, standing up and looking around. Her face showed shock, joy, and more then a bit of rage. "Wait, she's gonna go against that thing, without even knowing what it is? Is she out of her mind? She could be killed."

"I get the feeling that's the point." Sikowitz said. "You know what, why don't we wait, and go over this later, once she's here. Jadely, please, I believe Andre has a question for you."

"It's Jade." The blue eyed girl snapped. Her rage was short lived, forgiving to the man who didn't know better, Yet. "Sigh, okay, what can I do for you?"

"How good are you at transformation?" Andre wondered. "Okay, what I'm about to tell you is kinda a secret, known only to the dragon races. Hell, even I didn't know before last night. Suspected, but never knew. See, dragons, they don't have babies like people think…"

"Yea, they turn people into dragons." Cat said from her place near her mistress. "A trick they picked up from wizards, and others like them. Turns out, a wizard can turn themselves into a dragon, but only temporarily, as that form uses a lot of the magics the wizard is used to having just to function. Dragons do cast spells, but it's closer to the way my kind does, by channeling nature, and as such, are good at destruction, but not at transformation." The short figure looked around, realized she'd forgotten to become visible, and materialized. "Um, yea, Jade can finish the process. No more guess work. Tell us who, and we can make them a baby dragon."

"Me." Andre stated.

"Okay, but you'd be way weak." Cat warned the man. "This thing we're after, it's gonna need loads of power against it to kill it."

"Um, we can talk about that once Trina is here." Jade said. "Sorry, Lady Trina."

"How about sis?" Cat wondered. "On account of me making sure you'll marry her sister." The small figure saw all eyes on it. "Oh, right, forgot to use mind talking. Gonna be trouble from that one."

All she got in return was silence, as they were starting to let a LOT of what she said go.

Trina arrived about ten minutes later, and was greeted by her kin in the traditional manor. "Hugs?" Jade wondered. "No kneeling on the ground, head bowed? No groveling, begging the lords pardon for bothering them? Not even a courtesy bow?"

"The Vega lord is the first among equals." Trina scoffed the thought off. "Both Vic and Beck are lords. I may be heir to a barony, but we hardly ever use that title. We're just the heads of the clan, and every member, down to the weakest child, is a part of the extended family. Family doesn't make family grovel. So, if close enough, we greet each other with hugs, or a salute, if in dangerous territory." The older girl leveled her eyes at the pale one. "House feels pretty safe to me."

"My lady, this is Jade West, Ryder's sister." Gary explained, after a courtly bow. Trina stepped in and hugged the man, showing a lack of caring about proper etiquette for the city. "Ryder, get your ass over here and get your hug. You're tangentially part of this family…"

"Yea, gonna need time to get used to that." Jade muttered.

"Relax, it's their custom." Cat whispered in her ear. Out of respect for the others, she'd agreed not to communicate telepathically for a while. "Just go with it. She's got nice bosoms, maybe we can go in for a feel?"

"CAT!" Jade snapped. "Sorry, my familious…"

"A celestial faerie." Beck filled in. "Apparently one with a reputation." He sighed. "A well deserved reputation."

"Hi, I'm Erwin Sikowitz, Seer." The balding man announced himself. "Dark skinned lad to my right is Andre Harris, of Clan Azure. Um, we need to talk about this, but if there's more rituals to be done before we can start…"

"Screw that." Trina said, moving to take a seat. "Okay, talk."

For the first time, Jade was able to take in just who Trina Vega was. The lady wore body armor and weapons, dressing and acting like a warrior. However, as soon as she could, she ditched those for the comfortable and flashy, showing off her womanly curves, as well as her lack of taste in matching colors. Fashionably clashing, her clothing spoke of her love of bright colors, as well as a need to be taller then her five foot five inch frame.

Gary went over what they'd discussed so far, including Andre possibly being a dragon. "Didn't we dance a time back?" Trina asked the boy.

"In my defense, I had no idea just who you were, and you were, er, are hot." Dre defended himself.

"It was just kissing, so I'm good." Trina decided. "So, Beck, that witch is hot. You planning on making your move?"

"Cat, her faerie familious, seems to think she'd do better with Tori." Beck said, looking uncomfortable telling the lady that much.

"So, Tor, that witch is hot." Trina switched. "If I were into girls, you might not be able to keep her. As is, lets just see if Steven of House Carson is still planning on marrying you, now that you're less likely to be baroness."

"So you've finally decided on a husband?" Tori wondered, sounding happy.

"Working on it." The older Vega girl promised. "Okay, so the fake dragon is magic resistant, so our witch, who we went through great efforts to acquire…" She flashed a relaxed smile at Jade, "Not that it's a bad thing. What we wanted was Aleisters advice, and we got that. Getting a witch is a bonus we didn't expect. Just, Jade, lets see if there's anything you CAN do about this."

"I'm working on several ideas." Jade said. "However, I wanna hear more about what Sikowitz was saying, about killing you being the goal."

"The monster is there to help take over the Dale." The Seer noted. "Killing Trina feels like part of the plan."

"Azurban agrees." Andre said. "She feels that maybe whomever's behind this is looking for a way around the various treaties that give the Vega's almost total autonomy from the kingdom. They rule themselves."

"So, lets find out about Steven." Trina said, a leap of logic that left everyone guessing. "What? If he's not a part of this, as Tori's intended, he'd be a target. Naturally, we need to know what to do about him."

Sikowitz shrugged. "He's totally involved. In fact, I'm starting to think his family isn't as involved as he is. Makes me wonder, just where did he get the Drolum?"

"Draco golum." Cat clarified. "Gonna be hard to put that puppy down."

"I get that." Jade whispered back. "How do I stop it?"

"Nature." Cat replied. "Magic, it can resist. But use the magic to call upon nature, use it's fury, and you'll be amazed at the damage you can do to the beast. Yea, we need proof now." The short fae perked up. "Want me to scout this out?"

"No." Jade sighed. Then, louder. "Okay, people, we have a clue as to whom and where. We don't, however, have a weapon to take this critter out. So, our best shot is to head over to the Carson holdings, and be ready to find out just how he's controlling it."

"That's not what I said." Cat whispered in her ear.

"I know." Jade sent back. "But right now, I'm sure this jerk has ears in our camp. If not among the group sent with Tori, to make sure she gets back alive, then in the group around the lady Trina. Hell, he probably has both. So, we lie for now, let him think using Andre is our only strategy, and work out a better way of neutralizing the beast."

The gathering went over plans and ideas, coming to the conclusion that a smaller group was the best shot at finding the monster, while not alerting the force behind it. "Okay, I do think I should lead my own force to protect the lowlands while you guys go find out what Steven is up to. But Tori would insist on going with me, as if this thing couldn't kill one of us while kidnapping the other. Still, I'm taking charge of the group that's gonna seek this critter in it's lair. That'd be me, Tori, Beck, Ryder, who wants to protect his sister, Jade, cause we need a witch, the scout Robbie, the rogue Sam, and the Dragon Blooded Minstrel, Andre. Am I missing anyone?"

"I'm going to stay here, where I can continue to figure out whats about to happen." Sikowitz addressed his roll. "Sir Gary can't leave, not without a very good reason. So he'll play host to me, and I'll do what I can to support you from here."

"And I have a list of who I'm gonna get my freak on with." Cat jumped in. "Sorry, who I'm planning on having intimate relations with. Robbie, though we might look into something more, maybe, depending on how this mission goes. Sam, cause damn girl. Andre, cause why not. And if she's interested, Trina."

"I'll do my part, if and when it's necessary." Jade added. "Rob?"

"Not sure what to do about Cat." He said.

"No, anything to add about the mission?" Jade hissed.

"Yea, despite being out of my area, I know I can help. I can track, and scout things out. Also, as long as this Steven doesn't know what I look like, Sam and I can scout out public places more easily then any of you noble types." Robbie corrected. "I'm better for scouting then Cat, cause I can ask questions, feign being a lost traveler, even a holy man. Just, we can do this. It's time we went on the offensive."

"I can reach out to the merchants." Ryder stated. "Get what we can from them. If nothing else, they know whats going on in any place they do business. We use their contacts, and we can even sneak people into or out of a city. We'll find the beast, strike it in it's lair."

"I can reach out to the underworld." Sam added. "We use corrupt merchants to carry goods from one place to another, so relations from one city to another tend to be shaky. However, rouges and thieves tend to move about a lot. Not hard to infiltrate, find out what they know. Yea, defiantly time to go on the offensive."

Decided, they gave the others their orders, to patrol and find the monster, as well as keeping the people of the Dale, clan or not, safe. "Gonna need you to head out first." Trina ordered them. "Tor and me, we're gonna head out after we meet a few more people, figure out just where the monster might be hiding out."

Far away, an alchemist from the school of Van Cleef watched as his creation, or at least what he'd helped create, moved about the dungeon where it'd been hidden. "So, er, defense?" Sinjin asked his benefactor.

"How did you ever give it the semblance of life?" Steven Carson asked the lanky alchemist.

"Let me tell you, it wasn't easy…" Sinjin started, distracted from any thoughts about the morality of what his creation might be doing.

The truth was, Sinjin's master had been working towards this for years. Starting with a simple mystical-biological construct, the homunculus, and layering other attempts over it, the collective of mystics and scholars had somehow succeeded in creating this artificial dragon, a dragon golum, only for Steven to seize control of the construct. The monster, not being natural, didn't need to be fed, or bathed, or anything.

Unfortunately, the process didn't work out exactly as planned. Beyond Steven having control, this artifical dragon had a mind. Like the homunculus it was made form, it had a mind, and was capable of thoughts. Sure, it was slaved to the will of it's creator, or in this case, the one holding the Star of Malum, but it didn't just shut off when finished for the night. Sometimes it needed to think, or move, just to be doing something. Just to keep busy, it scampered around the lair where it'd been hidden, away from the world, and the recognition Sinjin Van Cleef was so sure his family deserved.

Burf, Sinjins long term friend and another member of the collective, watched his friend explain things to their benefactor. "Everything okay?" He wondered.

"Yea, he still needs us, in case the construct gets damaged." Sinjin said. "But that thing, it's gonna be a mighty protector for the City of Carson. Not sure who or what can stop a dragon golum. And, we even made it able to spit fire at it's foes, like a real dragon." The taller boy was feeling excited.

"Good, cause the last thing we need it to be out on our own again." Burf warned his friend. "The collective, we assumed our work was valued, and that someone would always support us, at least financially. If not for the Carson's, our creditors would have sent us all off to the debtors prison by now. Instead, we have money, and a place, and there are girls who willingly speak to us. Maybe, if we continue to make master Steven happy, he'll give us women of our own?"

"Maybe." Sinjin sighed. "Yea, our bad. I should have kicked in, used my mad skills as an alchemist to help bring in the cash. My family, we used to be so wealthy, back before mom and dad got so obsessed with making this dragon. Not sure how we succeeded. Hoping we'll be able to figure that out, in time. Right now, we need to study it, cause making dragons, it'll keep us in all the cash we could ever need. Always someone willing to pay for their own dragon."

Elsewhere: "Carson City?" Jade asked. "They named the city after themselves?"

"Why not?" Beck shrugged. "It was their family that founded it, long time ago. And sure, maybe they were a chartered city, just a couple of generations ago, but the Carson's, they're shrewd negotiators, managed to get the counsel to rescind the charted, returning the city to the families control."

"Of course, without the city, the Carson's wouldn't be that wealthy." Trina added. "But they have it, so they are. The lands they have, those are okay, but it's the trade that flowed through that city, with it's position towards the southern lands, plus access to a true, safe port, that makes it invaluable. A good percentage of the trade to and from the south goes through that city."

Jade nodded, not really understanding. Ryder edged closer. "The Carsons are what your dad could be in a few centuries, if he continues to build up the value of Travmort, uses it to keep the trade with the wild lands flowing. They have an actual noble title, and lands of their own. Yea, they have what dad wants."

"And we're gonna do what when we get there?" Jade asked.

"It's a bigger city then the city of the Holly Woods." Ryder told his sister. "However the city, it's more then just size, see, it's very different. Not sure how to describe it, but the city, it's as much transients as permanent people living there.. The city of Carson should be a chartered city, more so then just about anywhere. Guessing we shouldn't underestimate the Carson's, huh?"

"Thinking maybe there's a reason their son is using a dragon construct to try and seize the dale of Vordnar." Trina speculated. "Lets just stay on guard, cause we don't really know what we're gonna be facing when we do get there. Best to maybe find out what we can, and then decide on our move from there."

"Right, planning on sending Robbie and Sam in first, to gather intelligence." Tori nodded. "Then I go in to visit Steven, see what he has to say." The lady no longer hid her gender under layers of mans clothing, showing off her thin but shapely figure.

"Mostly no." Jade told the lady. "We don't just drop what he wants into his hands. If we go the official visit rout, it's as a group, and even still I'm not convinced we won't be walking into a trap."

"We have to trust someone." Beck argued.

"We trust our seer." Andre offered. "I trust him hella more then I trust any of you. But I understand what my deal with Jade is, and I'll do my part. We just, lets get there."

"Thinking maybe we just kill this thing, and move on." Sam said. "Why bother getting into the politics of this chiz?"

"Cause Steven, his whole family, they're not the type to just give up." Trina sighed. "Yea, gonna have to tread carefully, cause in fighting among the Kingdom's outer holds, not something the core wants to deal with. In short, we only fight people if they're a threat to us."

It took a day to organize, but quickly they were ready to head out. Trina now led this core group, with her sister by her side. Oddly, the men sent back almost understood, with the one question most were thinking being, "what were three of the most important members of Clan Vega doing together in such a small, undefended group?"

And so the group rode forward, several pretending that they weren't being shadowed by a couple of their own men, men who'd betrayed family for a strong, charismatic male leader. Men who'd agreed to killing Trina, just so the more beloved Tori could have that strong male lord being her husband, and the clan would feel protected by the power of that so called dragon. Men who'd never known the deal with Azurban, or the other deals Lord Vega had made during his lifetime to keep them safe. Man who only understood that they didn't want a woman to give them orders…

:}

So, now we have Trina, and a slightly better understanding of Clan Vega. I see trouble simply because of sexism, though in this kind of world, I could see men thinking of women as weaker. Hoping, for their sake, they don't do anything stupid.

Also, who is getting a Star Trek vibe out of sending a group with three of the top officers out to investigate. Or, in this case, three of the highest born in the clan. Jade is in odd company when she's surrounded by nobles and only two common born. Betting that doesn't come back in this story though. To the Vega's, they're a party of mostly equals.