It was a nice night in the kingdom of Tal'Dorei. Wispy clouds glided along the star laden sky, casting shadows that danced along the cobblestone streets below. There were merry sounds echoing from behind closed doors. Drunken dares and devious delights being prompted and accepted all around. Chattering people filled the rooms inside the bustling inns and taverns. Outside one such tavern sat a woman with eyes so beautiful that they could be mistaken for a set of amethysts. She had skin made of stone, and would have blended into the shadows of the wall if not for the tavern window bathing her in its box of light.
"...It sounds real fun in there huh, Trink?" The woman pet the head of the armored bear who laid at her side. Her gloves soft as a flowers petals against the large creatures fur.
He rested his large head upon the woman's outstretched legs, getting a bit of slober on the lilac cloth of her dress. He made a growling grunt and rubbed his snout against the upper edge of the thigh high boot she wore.
"Yeah, you're right." The woman smiled, brushing a hand up his warm furry shoulder. Her gaze cast upwards to the stars above. "This has to be better..."
Her gloved hand wandered up behind the bears ear and she scratched lightly there. The bear all but crooned shutting its eyes in bliss.
A sudden light creak cut through the sound of the bears obvious delight.
"Zia," A level voice called from the window above. She twisted to face who had spoken. Amethyst eyes settling upon the man with white hair and round glasses. He did not lean on the sill, he actually wasn't even fully facing her, preferring to watch whatever chug fest was happening inside, but it was definitely her he was speaking to. "Are you certain you wouldn't like a drink? Even Keyleth is being a bit heavy handed tonight. She's practically drunk her whole tankard."
"Ale's...not my thing." The stone woman now known as Zia denied with a small shake of her head. She looked down at Trinkets head in her lap. She resumed her petting. "Really, I'm okay."
"Hm," Percy angled his head, "If you're sure, but..." He lightly swirled the wine in his glass. "I could always get you a glass of this instead. It's quite smooth. Not too strong. In truth, I don't really like the hard stuff either.You'd enjoy it...I think..."
Zia's momentary silence spoke to her hesitance. The man's attention shifted to her fully as he turned his head to look down at her. With her head tilted down he could only see her purple hair shimmering in the warmth of the inn's projected light.
"...You won't even have to come inside."
Zia's hand stilled. "Percy..."
Her head lifted. Their eyes met. She hesitated.
"It's alright. You don't have to say anything. I can understand wanting some distance after how the last job panned out."
"It's not that I want to stay away from you guys. I just...I don't know." Zia struggled to find the right words. "I'm just not in the mood to be in that rowdy atmosphere or to get drunk or anything like that." She gripped Trinkets fur. "Besides, the sky's rather pretty tonight."
"And so you'd prefer to watch the stars." Percy surmised. "Still hoping for a shooting one to grant your wish?"
"Always." Zia admitted, casting her eyes back to the sky. It was unheard of for a wish to be stronger than a curse, or even of one truly breaking a curse like the one she was born with, but Zia could hope. She could hope that one night she'd make a wish and then the next morning she would wake up with normal skin, soft hair and eyes that wouldn't blind her companions if they caught the sunlight just right. Yes, she could hope.
"I'll leave you to your gazing then. But If you change your mind about wanting anything just tap on the window and let me know."
"Will do...thanks." She murmured.
As she heard the window click shut again Zia sighed deeply. She carded her fingers through trinkets fur once more. "Why am I like this, Trinket? Hm? Do you know?" The bear didn't give much of a reply. "Yeah..." Zia sighed. "...I don't know either."
She watched the stars for a great while and pet Trinket some more. The noise inside the tavern grew louder overtime. A ruckus broke out inside, and the window above her head was blown out without warning. Small sharp shards spraying down from above.
"Ah...!" Zia raised her arms and curled her torso over Trinkets great big head as the shards of glass fell upon her. The bear made a concerned disgruntled sort of sound. The glass shards dusted over Zia's hair. A few larger pieces had cracked against her stone skin before they shattered completely on the street.
"Oh gods, not again. Stay down, Trinkie." Zia ordered straightening up. She got to her feet and she peered in through the broken window. She caught sight of Percy holding his pepperbox to someone's chin. "Another brawl? Seriously?"
"Hm, seems that way." Percy didn't so much as spare her a glance. His eyes kept trained on the barbaric man in front of him.
"I'm coming Percy!" Grog's heroic cry could be heard as the giant leapt into the air. Clearly misjudging that his friend needed his help.
"Oh no." Percy paled, not having time to move as grog tackled their foe. The result of which landed the one on the receiving end of his gun directly on top of the poor de rolo.
Zia winced. That had to have seriously hurt.
"Oops." Grog looked bored with what he'd done. A wolf guy broke a chair over his head. Zia ducked with a yelp as more wood pieces flew her way. Just because her skin was as durable as stone didn't mean that it didn't hurt to get hit with things.
Grog's head swiveled at the high pitched sound and grinned broadly as he caught sight of Zia. He clamored over to the window momentarily forgetting the animal man behind him. "Oh hey Zizi, where you been hiding? Come join the party!"
"Huh, oh no Grog don't-no oh shit!"Zia cursed as the drunken giant grabbed her and pulled her through the window like she didn't weigh a thing. He set her down just as quick. His large hands were gentle as he brushed the debris of glass and wood splinters from her shoulders.
"There we go." Grog grinned proudly. "Now you can have some fun too!"
Zia's eyes widened as the dog man growled.
"Uh...Grog...?" Zia pointed at the snarling dog man. She took a nervous step back. He did not look happy.
"Oh right. Don't worry your pretty little head about that overgrown pooch. I've got this." He then proceeded to scream in the creature's face and tackled it to the ground. The dog escaped from Grog's deadly hug and went to find a new target. Zia lost track of it in the commotion. There was too much going on. She did not want to be in here. They'd just gotten out of a big fight before coming to this damned tavern.
"Zia," Percy's voice sounded somewhat strained as it sounded from the floor. "Would you mind helping me? This behemoth smells like he hasn't bathed in weeks."
"Oh, right, sorry Perc." Zia apologized. She bent down and pushed the guy up so that Percy could shimmy his way out. "Better?"
"Much." He sighed in relief once he was free. He adjusted his glasses turning his attention to her. "Thank you."
Zia smiled at him, possibly for a bit too long- and they were attacked again. Right. Zia remembered. Tavern Brawl. Well, she was here, might as well help.
She pulled out her twin obsidian swords with great care. Though they were deadly weapons they were also gifts which she greatly cherished. Handcrafted from the ore of fallen stars they could cut through almost anything with ease.
The arced handles were laden with spikes. A feature that Zia utilized to keep her gloves guarded.
She took up a fighting stance, eyes flicking around to find a mark. Before she could someone else chose her as theirs. That of course turned out to be a mistake for them.
Her attacker, a cat man of some kind, was already wounded twice over with two gaping holes in his chest but those wounds didn't seem to be slowing him down much. They must not have been deep enough to do real damage.
She twirled out of the raging wounded cat man's angered slash and flipped up onto a cluttered table top. She danced upon the table, keeping out of his short swords reach. She kicked an empty cask at him and the cat man yowled at her as she nailed him in the eye with an ale mug. Now even more furious the wounded cat man charged at her intent on flipping the table and her right along with it, but he didn't get the chance. In one swift move she knelt and spun round on the table top, her arms out stretched, one in front and just behind her. The cat man's throat was slashed in an instant. He dropped to the ground in a puddle of blood.
Zia twirled her swords in her grip a single time. The blood flew off and splattered against the walls as she rose to her full height. She startled momentarily as Trinket crashed into the room, but she calmed as the bear had merely arrived to drag a guy out on Vex'ahlia order. Zia smirked at the bears retreating back. Good. Trink deserved a treat for being such a good boy.
"Grog step aside!" Percy's voice caught her attention. Zia's eyes widened as a pitiful puff of smoke escaped his pepperbox. Her smile fell away. Percy was out of bullets. Before she, or even poor Percy could react, A muscular blonde woman grabbed Percy by the coat and flung him as harshly as one would a bag of shit.
"Percy!" Zia yelled his name as she watched him sail through the air and crash into a back room. She glared at the muscled woman who'd thrown him. Her grip on her swords tightened.
That bitch threw the wrong fucking person.
She sprinted across the table tops, and pounced upon the muscular woman with an untamable ferocity. She jammed the spiked handles of her sword into her back as she slid down her tall frame ripping not only the back of her dress but her skin as well. Two bright red streaks marked Zia's descent.
The woman cried out and reached directly behind her blindly searching for her attacker, but Zia was already crouched low and she slashed at back of the muscled woman's knees with her swords. Blood gushed from the wounds and the woman cried out. Zia didn't stop there. She pushed harder, cut further, until she was slicing through the muscled woman's bones as if she was doing nothing more than severing a dangling branch from a tree. Zia was right about to wound the woman further, sword raised to finish the job when-
"Stop!" A violent roar tore through the air as the tavern owner let their more boorish side show. Everyone froze stopping to stare at them.
"First you people drink me dry. Then you destroy my tavern." The tavern keeper relaxed to a more normal appearance. "And-and-and what is that gnome doing to my daughter!?"
Zia's eyes flicked over to the room Percy had been flung into. He'd created a nice hole in the wall upon impact. There Scanlon was pleasuring a pink skinned woman under the sheets.
Zia looked away from the sight feeling uncomfortable at the display. Sex wasn't something she participated in. No one was really interested in having sex with the equivalence of a walking, talking, statue like her. That woman's skin was soft, supple-hers was not. Hers not even the likes of Scanlan would want to touch she was sure. Let alone fuck. It was best not to dwell on any sort of love making when she herself would likely never get to experience such pleasures.
Speaking of not experiencing pleasure Vox Machina was promptly kicked out of the tavern when the tavern keeper realized they couldn't pay for anything which put quite the damper on each of their nights to say the least.
Zia sighed. What were they going to do?
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Okay guys! This was chapter 1!!! I am so excited for this I cannot even begin to tell you ahhh! I love Zia so freaking much and I'm so happy I can share her with you all! I haven't loved an oc this much since Clarity. But anyways, here are some questions for you guys! Cause I'm both indecisive and insecure in my writing and I value your guys thoughts and opinions! Be honest!
1.So what did you guys think of chapter 1? Any favorite moments thus far?
2. Thoughts on Zia's fight scene?
3. Favorite vox ship and why?
4. Anything else you'd like to ask, rant and or tell me!