A Raven's Blessing | Vax'ildan x OC | TLOVM

Shadows at the Gates

"I was using that."

"We need to talk. All of us. Percival?"

"Certainly. What would you like to discuss, Vex'ahlia?" Percy wittingly fired back, sitting down in the chair. Vex scoffed at his reaction.

"Oh this is going to go great," Athena thought.

"For a start, what the hell happened back there? You never thought to mention that the Briarwoods killed your family?"

Like accentuating the tension, Grog fell over causing a crashing sound as he collided with several objects. "My bad!" he shouted.

"I wasn't aware that you were owed information about my past."

"When your past comes to kill us, I'd say we deserve a heads-up." Vex crossed her arms.

"And I was I to know that the Briarwoods would be attending?"

"I want to know about the smoke!" Keyleth shouted over, while quickly standing up causing her chair to scratch the floor. "Sorry I...did...Loud...Sorry," she apologized while slowly sinking back into her chair.

"Smoke? My weapon burns black powder. Perhaps that is what you saw."

"What we saw was you shooting an innocent kid," Vex fired back.

"No one employed for the Briarwoods is innocent," he sternly said.

"Some people don't have a choice in who they work. He knew nothing. He was terrified," Athena spoke up for the first time since they arrived back. Percy had a look of shock at what he actually said knowing what she was forced to do for a long time of her life. 

"Slightly more so when you exploded his hand," Vax added. Percy let out a sigh knowing his friends were right.

"Maybe I got carried away, but you don't know the Briarwoods. What they did to my family."

"Then why don't you tell us?" Keyleth asked. Everyone gathered around showing their support for him knowing that it was hard for him to talk about. He let out a sigh knowing that it would be the best thing to do.

"When they arrived in Whitestone, the Briarwoods came as allies. But they brought dark ambitions," Percy began to recall. "And allowed no one to stand in their way. Not even children. They slaughtered us in cold blood ...seizing my ancestral home. Even our tutor, the man my parents entrusted with our safekeeping betrayed us. After enduring weeks of torture, my sister Cassandra and I tried to escape together. But..." he stopped at the too-painful memory of his sister's death. "The Briarwoods know I'm alive now, and they are not in the habit of leaving loose ends."

"So what's your plan?" Vex asked as the rest of the group look on at him, sympathetic to his struggles since that day he lost everything. Something that they all could relate to. Percy smiled with the support of his friends. He got up and lead to a way in the hallway as he pushed his ear to the wall and began knocking.

"The thing about an old keep like this is it's quite easy to miss small details," he said as he hit the correct spot causing a passage to open up. The group followed Percy through the passage. It was extremely dark. Since both Athena and Percy were humans, they didn't have darkvision like the rest of the group but even those that did were having a hard time.

"Could do with some light Pickle?" Vax asked. Pike tried to summon some light but her symbol wouldn't even glow now.

"You okay, Pikey?" Grog asked noticing her struggling.

"Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Keyleth, uh, can't you give us some sunlight," she asked.

"Me? I-I don't know. I've never tried." Keyleth began trying to summon a ball of fire in her hands but it kept coming in and out until it fizzed out. "Ugh. I can't do it. Sorry guys," she said in disappointment. This was part of the elements she needed to master for her Aramenté but she could even get hold of a ball of fire.