Dusk began to approach as the party was on the outskirts of Whitestone, "That's far enough for today. Let's make camp." Vex said as they found a place to rest. Percy sat on a rock, facing away from the others as Scanlan and Grog sat off to the side.
Keyleth just looks at them, then she too sat down, then she gathers the little twigs close by into a pile then held her hand out. It was quiet for a moment then the twigs burst into flames.
"Whoops, a little too much," she said with surprise as the flames calm down, but then shock grunts get her attention as Vax was putting out the flames on the collar of his cloak.
Her hand went right to her forehead in shock, "Oh my gosh! Oh, sorry! Sorry, sorry, sorry!" she shouts, standing to her feet, flaying her arms. But he just smiles at her, "You're fine. You're fine. No worries." he assures her. "Yeah, no worries," Vex calls out as the two just looked at her.
"You probably get your shit together eventually," she said, walking away, Keyleth just chuckles, rubbing the back of her head, and frowns. Kyria exhales as she looks away with irritation, but remained seated in her place.
Jason had stopped in the mid-wrap of his shield as he just looks at her, sighing to himself then continues cleaning his shield. Grog was looking through the bag of holding as Scanlan then took it from him, reaching in and throwing out some junk. "Huh, see here. ah," he said, pulling out a scroll.
"Okay. Let's see what this baby can do." he mutters, placing the bag of holding on the side "You got a baby in there?" Grog asks, making Scanlan blink, looking at him "What? N-No. Grog, it's the scroll I picked up from Brimscythe's cave. Just got to figure out how to make it work." he informs him.
Reading the words on the page, "Ok. Nevosh, nevonn, klu, mehon." he read aloud. It was still for a moment. But his face began to form, following with his body soon after.
Grog gasps as he scoots back Scanlan was suddenly changed into, a little purple frog with a little hair on top. Grog laughs, "It made you handsome! Oh, I like it!" he laughs as he pokes at the frog.
Scanlan just grunts, irritated with the form and Grog's poking. "Nevosh, nevonn, klu, mehon," he said again and this time it turns him into a pink and white striped water unicorn. Almost crushing Grog, who shouts with glee. "Whoa-ho-ho! I like that even more!" he shouts.
"Nevosh, nevonn, klu, mehon!" Scanlan said faster. Then he changes shapes again, once the weight of Scanlan was off him, Grog pulls back an excited look on his face as excited to see the next form.
But the smile falls into a confused frown, unsure of what to make of the form. "Whoa. Yup. Now I'm confused and aroused." he said and reaches out to poke him. "Dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah-dah. Hands off." Scanlan said, smacking his hand away.
Then he looks down, seeing it was taller and a different gender. "What the...? How the fuck... do I look this good?" he said as it was a shape change he liked. Grog was just confused as he went to poke him.
By the fire, Keyleth was mending Vax's wound with herbs from her pouch, but she stops for a moment and looks up, at the clear sky above them as an owl passes over them. "This forest reminds me of home a little," she said, finishing the mending.
Vax pulls his arm back and looks at the herbs on his wrist. A small vine wraps around his wrist and a white flower blooms. He smiles, taking hold of his wrist. "Your homes must be nice," he said.
She smiles from her memory of home. "It's beautiful. And big." her smile then falls as she looks to the side of the night. "And filled with Ashari I'm supposed to lead someday," she said then sighed. "Vex is right. Maybe I'll never get my shit together," she mutters, her shoulders slumped.
Vax just looks at her, and smiles, "Don't listen to my sister." he tells her, Keyleth just flicks her eyes back to him, "I don't know your people or rituals or what it is you think you're running from. But I know you. I know you care about others. That's what makes a great leader." he tells them.
Then exhales, closing his eyes momentarily, and looks at her, "Kiki, I believe in you." he said, she just smiles at him. "Thanks... friend," she said, catching herself as she looks away.
Vax immediately did the same thing as they kept themselves from meeting each other's eyes. Vex looks at them, scowling at them as she places the string on the bow. Kyria leans back against the leg resting her head on her temple, keeping herself propped up.
Jason just looks at her for a moment, then down at the crystal on her choker, seeing there were no new cracks formed even after changing her shape. "I thought you said you couldn't use your magic?" he asks.
She flicks her head, pulling her arm away, and presses her fingers at her crystal. "Well... I've been beast-changing for a long time, so it's second nature to me," she answers.
He huffs and wipes the last stain off his shield, "You did pretty good." he tells her, she just huffs, crossing her arms. "Are you mocking me?" she questions, and he chuckles. "No, no. I promise. I'm not." he assures her, she just narrows her eyes at him, "Why don't I believe you?" she questions.
He smirks, "You'll never know." he teases, Kyria just pulls her eyes and looks away, Jason just chuckles at her and leans his shield against the log, "But seriously though, you did well." he tells her.
She just looks at him for a moment, then looks away and a smile on her face, "I am pretty good." she said with pride. But he looks away and smirks, as he continues to wipe the blood off his gauntlets. "For a witch," he mutters.
The smile falls into a frown as she just looks irritated, "You motherfucker!" she snaps looking back at him, and he laughs to himself. She then bangs her fists on his shoulder, but he catches her wrists in one hand, then loops his arm over her, still holding her wrist, and held her in a lock.
"Oh! You fucking asshole!" she snaps as she struggles to break free. "Come on, witch. Show me this second nature of yours," he tells her, she just frowns, then looks for an exposed spot on his arm to bite.
Then spotted a spot on his chest, seeing it was close to his pec, it was a risk, but she took it and leans in, opening her mouth wide and chopping onto him. Jason freezes for a moment, "OW!" he shouts, letting her go.
She veers away, spitting out her saliva, "Fuck, you're evil." he said, holding his chest, where she bit him. "Gross." she groans, wiping her mouth and tongue. Jason moans as he rubs his chest, looking down at it.
~8~8~8~
Everyone was gathered around the fire, laughing as they were telling each other jokes or stories or just listening to Scanlan sing.
"She was a holy gnome."
He finishes and they all just laughed, "How about, what's the strangest creature you've ever killed?" Grog asks them. "Oh, that's easy," Vax answers with a grin.
~Flashback~
Standing in the room a dead tiger stood before him, Rakshaka as a sword was in his hand, "I will return, and I will find you!" he declares. Standing to his feet, raising his words.
But Vax just threw his knife at him, nailing the Rakshaka in the head, it groans, leaning back, and falls through the glass window as Vax retrieves his knife. "Uh-huh. Heard that before," he answers and walks off.
~End of Flashback~
Everyone cheers and laughs.
"Oh!"
"Yeah. Oh, man, good one."
"Yeah, that's pretty crazy." Keyleth laughs and Kyria leans back against the border, laughing. "I think maybe the strangest kill I've ever had would be..." Keyleth starts.
~Flashback~
Keyleth looks around inside a tunnel of a cavern, looking around for anything, then a battle cry gets her attention as she looks up and saw a guard leaping right for her, his axe reeled back.
Closing her eyes shut, she shot her hands out, creating a wind cantrip, nailing the guard. She immediately opens her eyes as she heard screaming. She looks over and saw the guard fall into the lava river. "Oh! Oh, no, no, no. Oh, no, no, no, no." she stutters, freaking out as the guard would give away her position.
Looked around, afraid more would come. she places her foot on his head and shoves him under. "Shh! Shh! Shh, quiet. Quiet. Go to sleep." she whispers.
~End of Flashback~
She just sat there, staring at the fire, almost traumatized as the others just looked at her, a little worried, "Okay... pretty dark." Scanlan mutters. Jason turns his head away, covering his mouth.
Kyria scoots closer to her, "Do we need to talk about this?" she asks, Keyleth just looks at her, shaking her head. "No, no. I'm fine." she assures her, "I feel like we need to talk about this." Kyria informs her, Keyleth just shook her head, looking back at the fire. "I'm fine. I'm okay," she tells her again.
Kyria wasn't convinced, but she just nods her head. "Ok, but we will talk later," she tells her, Keyleth nods as Kyria lays her tribal sister's head on her lap. Then Vax clears his throat. "What about you, Kyria? Strangest kill," he asks.
She looks at him for a moment, then raised her head and ponders. "Well..." she starts as one comes to mind.
~Flashback~
Kyria stood in a manor as the noble was panting, rising from his knee, "You think you can stop me?! I am the most powerful man in this city!!" he shouts, shaking the house. She looks up seeing the chandelier shake from the impact of his voice, the rusted metal creaking.
"I am a god and all these people in this city worship me. ME!" he shouts again, the ceiling cracking, traveling right at the metal holding the chandelier. "But my influence shall spread from this city. Emon, Wildmount. I will have all of Tal'Dorei eating out of the palm of my hand." he shouts.
The metal cracks again, as the chandelier was now barely hanging, she took a big step back as the noble raised his hands "I AM A GO-!!" he shouts as the chandelier crashes on top of him. The floor breaks underneath, craving in, crushing him flat. She blinks for a moment, nodding "Cool story, bro." she says and walks off.
~End of Flashback~
The others just burst into laughter, "So he just monologues the entire time and it just broke?" Vex laughs. Kyria just shrugs. "He killed himself, I guess godhood didn't agree with him," she said.
The others just laugh, "Now that's a strange kill." Scanlan laughs. Jason just smirks, "Okay. I got one for you, my strangest kill." Jason states, the others just look at him.
~Flashback~
Jason stood on a cliff, his shield and mace drawn as his target was standing just at the edge, the horizon behind him. "Damn you, paladin. You think you have me." the wounded target snaps, spitting out blood.
He did answer, keeping his shield up, "You won't have me. Your client won't have me. I am too damn important to be claimed." the target snaps. Jason just arches his brow.
Then the target turns, running for the edge, Jason gave suit, but the target jumps off and went falling from the cliff.
Jason stops right at the edge, looking down as he watches the target fall... And splatter onto jagged and sharp rocks below, Jason flinches in disgust, seeing the body splattered onto the rocks, only to be washed away. "Oh, he owed his boss coin." he mutters, then places his weapons away, "Oh well." he turns and walks off.
~End of Flashback~
The others just looked confused, Jason just nods at them, "Yeah, pretty strange right." he tells them. "So he just jumped?" Grog asks. Jason nods at him. "Did he know?" Scanlan asks.
Jason just looks at him, "I don't think he did." he answers. Vex snorts as she just laughs. "Okay. I'll admit, that's pretty strange." Kyria said, Keyleth nodding on her lap.
"Aw, you willing to lose to me, how cute." he jokes, she just frowns at him, "And I can wipe that smirk right off too." she threatens, Keyleth immediately shot up, "No, no, no. none of that," she tells her.
Kyria just points at him, he taunts her, daring to her try. "Okay, this one was awesome," Grog said, making them look at him.
~Flashback~
Grog stood in the desert, fighting one of the creatures living there "Oh, you..." he growls, keeping his grip tight on the jaw.
Then he forces the jaw open, biting down onto the tongue, then pulling hard, he rips the tongue right out. It drops dead and he just cheers.
~End of Flashback~
Everyone just cheers for him as the story was exciting. "Points for originally." Vex tells him, "I'll admit, that's good." Jason tells him. Keyleth leans against Kyria, who just leans back, balancing "Okay, I've got one." Scanlan spoke up.
Everyone looks at him, "Hands down, the worst monster I've ever faced." he tells them.
~Flashback~
Laying in the brothel room, Scanlan just lays in the bed, his arms folded behind his back, enjoying the pleasure of the ladies that were riding him. She was crying out in pleasure as they both were naked.
"So what?"
"Yeah, pretty normal for you."
"I agree, not finding this strange at all."
"No, no, no. I-I haven't gotten to the good part."
Saliva drips onto his chest, making him open his eyes, he then looks up at the woman as she was reaching her climax.
Then reeling back something grew from her neck, similar in features, but just as monstrous and it roars, making him scream in fright.
~End of Flashback~
Everyone jumps back in surprise as it is not the strongest, but the most disturbing. "Ah, what the fuck?!" Grog shouts as both he and Keyleth were holding their heads. "Ah, no!" Keyleth shouts, trying to get the image out of her head.
Kyria just turns away, gagging as Jason shook his head, rubbing his fingers at his temple. "Gross," he mutters.
Scanlan just grins, "What? I still finished." he said with a proud smile, and everyone just groaned, speaking all at once at him.
Percy just sat to himself, reloading a spare barrel for his pepperbox. "How about you, Percy?" Vax calls out. He stops and looks at them. "What's the worst monster you ever faced?" he asks him.
Percy just looks at his party as they all were staring at him. So he flicks his eyes to the ground, "They're in Whitestone. And we're all be facing them soon." he informs them.
All the smiles fall as they looked away from Percy, then the air suddenly became thick. Grog clears his throat. "Buzzkill."
~8~8~8~
Later that night, the twins were gathering wood for the fire, vex shooting glances at her brother as he was quiet for most of it. "I keep thinking about when we left Syngorn." she suddenly spoke.
Vax stops and looks over at her, "Hmm. Yeah?" he mutters frowning as he continues collecting wood. "Screw that place. And father. The whole thing nearly broke us." he tells her, "Nearly." she said as they both stood up. "But it didn't. Because we stuck together," she tells him as they walk back to the outskirts of the camp.
Both looked at the people that stuck with them. "We didn't let ourselves get distracted by pretty things," she tells him as Vax was staring at Keyleth, who was listening to Grog's story.
Vex steps up next to him, "Careful, brother. Those vines have thorns." she warns, he looks at her momentarily, then flicks his eyes away. But smiles as he looks back at her. "You're imagining things, Stubby," he said placing his hand on her shoulder. "No one will ever come between us," he promises.
She smiles at him with relief, then punches his shoulder, then walks back to camp, "You know, sometimes courage is knowing there could be trouble and taking the chance anyway." he calls out, making her stop.
Then she looks over her shoulder, "So is stupidity." she said back and continue in her walk, Vax just stood there for a moment and cast his eyes down. Then a hand lands on his shoulder, he blinks and looks over, seeing Kyria just look up at him, "You okay?" she asks.
He just looks at her for a moment, smiles, and pats her head, "Never better." he answers, not convinced, but didn't want to push, she nods at him with a smile, "Come on, Grog's story is freaking hilarious." she tells him, he chuckles at her and they both walk back to camp.
~8~8~8~
Everyone was asleep by the fire. Vex slept next to Vax, his cloak covering her as a blanket. Grog and Scanlan sleeping as they were snoring. Keyleth faced the fire as Kyria slept right behind her.
But Percy was still awake, his Pepperbox as he rotates the barrel, it clicks with each turn, the names engraved on the barrel.
But with each click, the smoke began to seep from his body as all he can think about was revenge. Kyria groans a little in her sleep, fluttering her eyes open for a moment as the cold prickle on the back of her neck, waking from her sleep as that cold feeling slithering at her neck.
But she snaps her eyes shut and forces herself to sleep but the cold prickle feeling continues to slither at the base of her neck, but right before she fell back to sleep a faint growl slips from her lips.
But the Paladin himself, hearing the faint whisper before flutter in his ear. flinching in his head, the warm whisper warning him of the incoming danger of where he walks. he tries to block it out, rolling onto his back as he lays his arm over his eyes.
~8~8~8~
The next day, everyone travels the rest of the way by foot. Percy leads the charge, "Almost home. I never thought I'd see it again." he tells them. Looking off into the distance. "What's Whitestone like, Percy?" Keyleth asks drawing his attention.
"Yes, what should we expect?" Vex asks as well as they came to a stop. He looks away, "It's beautiful. Lush. Orchards always in bloom, thanks to the sun tree." he tells them.
His eyes were full of fond memories, "They say it was planted by the Dawnfather a thousand years ago. It's even engraved here on our family crest." he said, pointing at one of the buttons on his coat. "A symbol of the De Rolos' ties to the city. At least it use to," he mutters, turning away from them. "Thanks to the Briarwoods," Jason spoke up.
Percy looks at him, "I know this isn't something you want to hear, Percy. But, with the Briarwoods in power, the chances of your home being... changed. Is a high possibility." he warns. Percival just sighs, looking away from him. "I know," he answers and walks away. Kyria shot a look over at Keyleth, a little worried.
So Keyleth immediately walks up and stops in front of him, "We're going to help you get it back." she promises then Vax steps up next to him, "All of it." he promises. Then Grog walks up and places his hand on Percy's shoulder.
The runaway prince just looks at them, shocked by their support, but he welcomed it and immediately walks to the edge of the forest, the others just right behind him. "We're here," he said, as Whitestone was just in view.
And it was nothing of what Percy described, all signs of life were nothing but rot and death. In all honesty, it was more of a ghost town. Kyria covers her mouth in shock, Jason took a step back, horrified, and Percy was just stunned by the sight. "Percy." Keyleth mutters as she looks at him "What have they done?" he questions.
Stepping towards the front gate, everything was either abandoned or just laying to rot.
Stepping into town, no one could be seen as everything was just rotting away, "No guards?" Vax questions as he pulls out his dagger and the group steps forward.
Careful of their surroundings as they were looking for anything, something to point them in the right direction. "Where is everyone?" Grog asks, Percy looks over, seeing some of the locals, but they quickly went back inside or veer off from their view.
This confuses the party, "Uh, no offense, Percy, but your town's kind of creepy as shit." Scanlan tells him, "I wonder who gave them that idea." Kyria said, making Scanlan and Jason frown at her, "Hey!" they both complained.
She rolls her eyes at them, "I was talking about the Briarwood." she snaps, "Oh." they answered and followed Percy as they lead them further into the town, "I need to find Keeper Yennen." he informs them. Looking down the streets, "Who?" Vax asks, "A holy woman here. She'll know what's happened." he informs them, making a turn.
Everyone kept closer to the wall as they were coming to the city square. "You're sure about her?" Vex asks as she steps up behind Percy, "She can be trusted." he assures her. "And what makes you think she'll trust us?" Kyria questions him.
Percy looks over his shoulder at her, "I know her, and she looks out for people." he informs her, "If she's alive." Vex points out. "Incoming," Jason whispers, everyone quickly darts into cover as guards portal through the streets, passing them.
They exhale with relief for a moment, but then immediately yelp as they heard the sound of giant falling footsteps, peeking out, they see, in the fog a giant as it marches right past them. "Uh, b-big thing there. There's a big thing." Scanlan points out, "Very big thing." Kyria agrees with him.
"We're not safe here. Come on." Vex tells them, slipping out from the alley, the party makes a run for it, darting through the square. But Percy stops and looks up, his eyes widening with complete horror, his arms limp at his sides.
Jason bumps into him, seeing the shocked look in his eyes, then he too looks up and was horrified at the sight. The others stopped and looked at them. Keyleth ran to Percy as Kyria ran up to Jason, "Percy, are you okay?" Keyleth asks, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Jason, what's wrong?" Kyria asks.
Jason said nothing as he points up behind her, Kyria follows the point as Keyleth looks up as well both gasped in shock.
In the center of the square was the dying Suntree and from the high branches of the tree hung nine bodies and each body was dressed to match each member of Vox Machina. Kyria and Keyleth covers their mouths in horror as the others joined, looking up at the bodies as they were displayed for everyone to see.
"It's us."