The Legend of Vox Machina: The Curse of Zia Zircon

Ch 8: Left For Dead

The towering pines around them became more sparsely spaced as they journeyed further after the prints, scratches, and other tracks that marked the path the creature had taken.

As the ground became more even and less treacherous Zia let her mind drift once more. Her thoughts were not on her past, or the present predicament of facing whatever large creature they were tracking, but instead on the future, if they survived.

The prospect of sharing wine with Percy was daunting. He'd told her to think about it so she was. To be on the other side of the window...among the noise and the nearby drunken cheers, did she really want to open herself up to potential ridicule by nearby drunks? The stares and the slurred jeers....her hand was shaking just thinking about being stared at. All the eyes-the feel of being trapped in someone's gaze-

Wait. That feeling...it wasn't just in her head, she realized.

There were eyes on her.

Right now.

Zia came to a pause beside the rest of the group. There was no mistaking it. She could feel their gaze, whoever it was. She didn't see anyone of their group eyeing her. So whose gaze was she caught in?

Zia glanced up at the cliff face's edge as they passed it by. Could the creature be lurking at them from up there? Had they been spotted? Was it the creature's gaze she was feeling from beyond the clouds? Above the cliff? Would it wait for the right moment to strike, dive over the edge, and swipe at them with its razor sharp claws? Zia placed her hand on her right swords handle. Uneasy. She didn't like this.

The area they were nearing seemed expansive enough for a large creature to move with ease.

Vex's voice caught her attention as the half elf bent down. What? Had Zia just heard that right? She looked at the tracks to confirm, but they were. The tracks were human now.

Vex gripped her head quite suddenly. "It's close." She warned, pulling her hand back looking towards the brush. "Everyone, get ready."

The bushes rustled. Each member of the group drew their respective weapons and took up a fighting stance. Zia had both swords drawn, her sword handles held tight. She did her best to prepare herself for whatever would barrel through the brush.

However, no one expected a tiny lamb to leap out and announce its presence with a bleat!

Weapons were lowered in uncertainty by most of the party. Zia kept her double blades drawn at the ready even as Grog burst out laughing.

She still felt watched.

"Get the fսck out."The Goliath chortled, the lamb bounding back away from them. "What, a little lamb was behind all the mayhem? Oh, don't let that thing bite you, Vex."

No sooner had Grog said those words, Vex fell to her knees on the ground. She appeared to be in immense pain as she gripped her head. But Zia paid her no mind. Her focus was elsewhere.

Zia squinted into the fog as the lamb disappeared into its depths. She caught sight of a menacingly large shadow. Her amethyst eyes glowed as she focused her vision. As her eyes adjusted to the dark of the fog...she found the source of the gaze she'd sensed.

Amethyst eyes alight with cursed energy stared down the creature's electric blue orbs.

She did not tremble or take a step back in face of this creature. Her swords remained steady.

The creature growled menacingly. It didn't like that she was returning his stare.

It crushed the lamb under its front claw.