The Legend of Vox Machina: The Curse of Zia Zircon

Ch 4: Meeting The King

The endless concerto of bird song told Zia it was morning before the rising sun could get the chance. Her and Percy were exhausted given their sleepless night, and everyone else seemed to be hungover save for Scanlan. Despite that they needed to move. Their plan depended on arriving early to the kings court. The group groggily made their way to the palace and cursed every damned stair they had to climb to get there.

Zia didn't hate the long trek even if her legs were burning from the exertion. It gave her time to think about everything, mostly about what she was going to do when they made it to the top. She couldn't get Percy's words from last night out of her head. He'd sounded so sincere. She had no doubt that he'd meant every word of it.

Percy's truths echoed inside her mind. Though it wasn't only his voice playing on loop in her brain, but the memory of the kiss as well. Had it just been the wine Percy drank? Or did he really...could it be possible he really had feelings for her? Zia never dreamed anyone would like her that way. Least of all someone like Percy. He was handsome, brilliant, walked around all dignified, and she...She let herself slip so far into her thoughts and memories that her foot missed a stair.

"Woah." Vax caught Zia by the wrist, a hand settling on her waist to ensure she remained upright. "Easy there, Gemstone. Don't take a tumble. It's a long way back down."

Zia let out a laughless sigh. "Yeah, thanks, Vax. Sorry. I'll try to pay more attention. It's uh-it's early. Guess I'm still a little tired."

It wasn't a total lie. Her limbs felt heavy due to the lack of sleep.

"Don't apologize to me. You should say sorry to the stairs. They're the ones who would have got cracked under that pretty little chin of yours." Vax's fingers ghosted under her chin, but it felt different from the gentle caress that Percy's fingertips had left. The gesture felt empty.

"Must you." Percy glared, over his shoulder at the half-elf. His glasses glinted in the rising sun.

"Just trying to wake her up a little." Vax let go of Zia's wrist and allowed his hand to drop. He smirked at Percy. "Why? Does it bother you?"

"This early in the morning?" Percy's tone was clipped. He did not look amused. "Yes."

Something told Zia it had nothing to do with the time of day and everything to do with it having been her. She wasn't sure why that gave her this twisted fuzzy feeling that had her toes scrunching in her heeled boots. But it did.

"Move it you three!" Vex snapped at them almost nearing the top of many stair sets. They were only halfway. "These stairs don't move you up them themselves!"

"Everlight have mercy on our legs, are these stairs multiplying?" Pike struggled. "Or is that just me?"

"Nope, I'm with you." Scanlan complained. "Why does this Uriel guy need so many damn stairs to his castle anyways?"

"Tiny legs gettin tired, Scanlan?" Grog snickered.

"Oh, Shut up, Grog. You could just hug us all and get us to the top in three jumps." Scanlan huffed fed up with all the stairs.

"Oh gods, Scanlan don't give him ideas." Zia pleaded. "My hair looks bad enough from sleeping outside. Do you know what the wind would do to it?"

"Your hair is fine, Zia." Percy assured her. "A bit frizzy perhaps but other than-"

"Enough talk. All of you." Vex admonished hand on her hip pausing on the upper stair. "If you can move your mouth then you can move your legs faster if you'd shut up. Let's go."

"Yeesh, someone woke up on the wrong side of the trashcans." Scanlan muttered.

"I heard that." Vex warned.