Warnings: Strong and Sexual Language; Violence, Gore & Death.
"Ah, what a lovely morning to find a Sphinx," Vex stated, still riding on her newfound maturity.
Athena herself actually felt rested for the first time in several days. Everyone insisted that she didn't take watch last night so that she could have a full night's rest. Luckily, no dreams or gods came to her. She attributed it to her body resting from the last several day's events. Grog however let out a loud yawn and cursed under his breath.
"Didn't get enough sleep?" Vex asked.
"Huh? Of course, I did," he stammered, "Lots of sleep with really nice dreams where no one died."
"Uh well that's good, Grog," Athena complimented as she walked past him. She naturally fell into step next to Vax as they went down a hill.
"How's your arm?" he asked.
"Oh, it's fine. Pike helped a lot, just another scar," she lifted it up to show she had her range of motion intact without any pain. "The Fire Ashari gave me another undershirt too so at least I'm not walking around with a hole."
Vax hummed in response as they both fell into silence again.
"Your armor, you, um... getting more used to it?" Athena boldly decided to ask. She remembered his actions from the other night, how he tried to pry the armor off of himself.
"Hard to get used to a relic of the Goddess of Death."
"Still, you have her vestige now."
"And her haunting visions," he sadly admitted. He let out a long sigh as thought back to his dreams. Corpses in his mind. He was becoming more fearful of the future ahead of them if they were to fail.
"Something I know all too well."
Vax gave her a curious look but she knew he would not pry into her. Athena though could see how everything was weighing him down. How alone he must be feeling now. Her experience in the past and now were similar. She knew he wasn't ready to talk about it but she wanted to provide him with some comfort.
Plus chapter eight of Gilmore's book also recommends it.
Athena pulled out her pendant from her pouch. The symbol dangled in the air between them as she spoke, "I used to be a follower of the Lawbearer when I was young. I have more memories of her than I do of my parents. We lived in a small farm town near the south part of Tal'Dorei...nothing special about it really. But every week we would all gather in the center of town and pray to her. Thank her for peace and the prosperity of our town."
Athena brought the pendant closer to her, holding it in her hand now. Her reflection dimly showed in the old metal. "However, I lost my faith after my time in the Ironamal. I felt like my goddess abandoned me after so many years of asking for help. Though she has decided to appear now."
"Did Vasselheim trigger something then when we went to her temple?"
"No. It was before. When I almost died. I spoke to her."
Vax's eyes widened at her statement, "You did?"
"Yes. She was cryptic about it so I didn't get a clear answer. But I sometimes hear her voice and see her in my dreams. I already have to contend with my past actions in my dreams but now she is there. It's why I have trouble sleeping at night. I suspect it is the same for you," she said as she turned to look at him. Vax lowered his head giving her the answer. She took ahold of his hand.
"Listen...I don't know if I believe in the gods...but I believe in you, Vax. Whatever happens, I will be there with you til the end. I know we will work it out."
A small smile formed on Vax's face as he tighten his grip, "I know. Thank you, my love." Athena's cheek quickly reddened at the nickname she hadn't heard since before the tomb. Vax let out a small chuckle.
"I'm glad to know I still have that effect on you."
"I mean-it's just-it's...damn you Vax'ildan," she shuttered causing her face to become redder.
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"Oh man," Scanlan grunted as he hosted himself up the last ridge. Everyone was panting from traveling across the high mountain terrain.
"There it is, Rimecleft," Keyleth pointed to the tall mountain peak across the valley.
"The place I saw in that vision," Vax stated.
"The entire range is eternally cold. Well, except for Pyrah. There's a myth about it, actually. A thousand..."
"Uh, m-maybe we just save the myth? My balls are ice cubes. " Scanlan shivered. Snot was frozen against his face as he hugged his body.
"Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place," Vax breathed out, his breath visible in the air.
Vex shuddered, "I'm as cold as a corpse, and I'd rather not repeat that experience." Percy took off his jacket, draping it over Vex's shoulders, "Oh, no, Percy, I didn't mean..."
"No, please take it. I'm fine," he sniffled with a blush. The group gave a side-eye to each other at his actions.
"Here, let me help." Keyleth summoned a ball of fire rising above them providing them with an instant wave of heat.
"Oh, hey. Neat trick," Scanlan said as he held up his hands as they continued walking, "That kind of brings me back to Sylas. Remember when you, uh, melted his face off?"
Grog gave a nice long sigh, "I like the cold. Makes my nipples tingly."
"So, uh... how you feeling, buddy?" Pike asked as they walked, "'Cause, you know, lately you've been real fixated..."
"Oh, yeah, just a sec, Pike." Grog picked up Scanlan who had fallen behind from Keyleth's flame and began wrapping him up like a baby on his chest.
"Whoa. Grog, what are you...?"
"Don't you worry, Scanlan. Uncle Groggy's gonna keep you warm."
"Hey, hey, no, I...," Scanlan struggled against Grog until he realized was settled. A happy glow appeared on his face, "Huh, this is actually kind of cozy."
"But, Grog, that sword seems to...," Pike tried again.
"Oh, you want a bouncy? Come on," Grog ran away from Pike with Scanlan against his chest, "A bounce, a bounce, a bounce we go."
Pike could only watch as he caught up to the rest of the group. Worried filled her mind for her friend as she ran to catch up as well.
Crows cawed around them as they marched forward in the cold. The trees around them were devoid of leaves most likely dead. Athena's eyes widen as they came up with a giant black pillar in the middle of the terrain.
"Uh, guys?"
"What's this now?" Vex questioned.
"Ancient runes? What do they mean?" Keyleth inspected the markings on the pillar. At its base were the frozen corpses of poor travelers that didn't make it through the cold landscape.
"I believe I can read some of it," Percy said as he push up his glasses, stepping closer to the runes.
"Of course, you can," Vax commented.
Percy dismissed Vax's comment as he began to read, "Seekers, I think, or fools? "This land..." Ah. Flee this land, for dangers come from... from paradise?"
"Cryptic warning. How Sphinx-y."
"Paradise. That could mean heavens, right?" Pike suggested.
"Like up in the sky," Vex gasped. She pulled out her broom from the bag of holding, "Volantire."
Vex shot off into the sky, "I'm never going to get bored of this." As she rose above the landscape, more of the pillars form a path straight to Rimecleft. "Hmm. More pillars. Maybe if I-." She flew in between some of the pillars looking past their ends. All of them formed a lookhole to an area at the base of the mountain that glowed with magical energy.
"There you are."
After flying back down, Vex led the group along the path of the pillars to the location she spotted in the sky. "This is where I saw the entrance."
"Uh, that don't look like no door," Grog stated as they looked at a side of the mountain.
"I think that's the point." Vex walked up to the side sticking her hand through the illusion. After ensuring it was safe, she walked the rest of the way through. "You all coming or what?" she called from the other side.
The rest of the group walked through into a cavern covered in ice. Mist floated slightly above the ground with more black pillars lining the sides. A set of stairs at the end led to a raised bare platform.
"Uh, anybody home?" Grog called his voice echoing through the cavern.
"What is this place?" Percy asked.
"A temple, an old one," Vax answered.
"Aren't they all?" Scanlan retorted.
"Not this old. Built before the Divergence, before the calamity between men and gods."
"How do you know all this?" Vex asked.
"I just... know." His armor glowed slightly.
"She gave you the knowledge," Athena realized. Just then Keyleth's flame went out.
"Very smart, and yet not smart enough to heed my warnings." A voice echoed throughout the temple.
"Oh, not this again," Percy grumbled. A shadow moved across the ice with blue eyes boring at them as it moved around them. The creature growl as it suddenly leaped at them from the shadows.
"We were sent by Osysa!" Vex shouted as they closed their eyes. A rush of wind came down upon them as they looked up to see a large male sphinx mere feet in front of them.
"My mate sent you? It's been centuries," he rose away from them.
"Yikes. Oh, but, hey, she wasn't, like, with anybody else, if you're worried," Scanlan stated. Pike narrowed her eyes at him as the sphinx lowly growled. Vex let out a sigh as Scanlan gave a nervous chuckle.
"I am Kamaljiori. Keeper of a knowledge you seek. But before I reveal it, you must prove your worth in a..."
"Challenge. Yes, we sort of assumed. What did you have in mind?" Percy interrupted him as the sphinx circled around them.
"Mm. How confident. Then I shall let you choose. Conquer the 70 Death Gorgons, survive the Endless Labyrinth of Misery, or wound me," he finished by stopping on a corpse's bones.
"Sorry, back up. Did you say wound you?" Keyleth asked.
"In my eons of life, I have never felt pain. Your challenge is to inflict an injury. Any wound will do."
"Uh, give us just a sec," Pike held up a finger as they all huddle up.
"Guys, Death Gorgons sound cool as fuck. Let's do that one," Grog suggested.
"Wh-What? No. Wound the Sphinx," Keyleth stated.
"That dude is as old as time, and he's never felt pain? Never stubbed his toe, poked his eye, never had an ingrown hair on his peen? You want to fight that?" Scanlan said.
"We don't have to defeat him, just hurt him," Percy pointed out.
"Ugh, any one of us should be able to land a single hit, for fuck's sake," Vax declared.
"All of the options suck anyways," Athena remarked with everyone nodding.
"Okay, Your Sphinx-ness? We choose to wound you," Vex announced.
"A shame. The Gorgons have been itching for a battle. Very well, then." The sphinx's eyes glow bright enveloping them in a blinding light. As their eyes adjusted, the area before they had changed to a golden battlefield.
"Where are we?" Vex gasped as everyone looked around the beautiful cosmo surrounding them.
"We're in another dimension," Keyleth responded. The sphinx appeared at the top of the platform with stairs leading up to him.
"Each of you will have the chance to wound me in a one-on-one battle. Who dares go first?"
"Oh, uh, how about Vex?" Scanlan offered.
"Really, dude?" Pike scolded. Athena let out a sigh as she drew out her sword stepping forward in front of Vex.
Vax pushed Percy," I'll go. I'm not letting anything happen to either of you again."
"You won't be able to overpower him," Vex said.
Vax scoffed, "Brawn's not really my thing." He stepped forward onto the battle floor, "Alright, I'll go first. Let's do this, Sphinx."
"The Deathwalker's Ward. You've been touched by the Matron of Ravens."
"What do you know about that?"
"A heavy burden, being the Matron's champion. Fortunately for you..."
Vax threw two of his daggers at the sphinx but they were stopped by a magical shield. The daggers floated in the air as Kamaljiori took control of them blasting them away.
"You won't live long enough to feel its weight."
Vax sprinted, dodging his own daggers. He prepared to throw his third one before he was blasted off the battlefield and into the cosmic abyss, screaming on the way down.
"Vax!" Athena shouted as she ran to the edge but his form was long gone.
"Oh shit!" Percy exclaimed.
"What did you do to him?" Vex demanded.
"Your brother lives, but he will fall in the void forever unless one of you can succeed. So, who is next?"
Vex fired arrows at him but he blocked them the same as Vax's daggers. "Fuck you!" She yelled as she fired more at him.
"Aw, poor girl. You have no family left who actually cares for you," Kamaljiori declared as she calmly fired energy blasts at Vex forcing her to dodge. She continued to fire more arrows but none of them got through his shield. He sent forth a sonic blast catching her off guard and sending her into the void causing everyone to gasp.
"Vex'ahlia!" Percy cried as Grog ran past them, jumping in the air with a hungry look in his eyes. His sword hit the shield causing it to ripple across but not break. Grog was lifted off the shield by the sphinx telekinetic energy, his sword falling to the ground.
"Quite formidable, but you clearly know not where your strength comes from."
"Wait, what'd you just say?" Grog asked as a shadow paw came from the ground smacking him into the void.
"All right, fuck his rules. We all hit him together before he can react," Keyleth stated. Percy and her charged forward to attack.
"Wait," Scanlan grabbed onto Pike's arm stopping her from going, "There's got to be another way. Pike..." Pike narrowed her eyes at him believing that he was trying to cower away. She yanked her arm out as she ran forth with them.
"Oh, three at once. How inspiring." The sphinx quickly blasted each of them into the void despite their numbers. "Too easy."
"Oh, shit," Scanlan gasped as he watch his friends fall. He let out a yelp as he felt his body being picked up. He was set down behind a stone pillar for cover. Scanlan turned to see Athena crouched down beside him.
"Athena?! I thought you went with them."
"Scanlan you are right. We are not beating him by charging him. He's got too much magic. There has to be another way. Just thought we would have more time to figure it out."
"Maybe he will forget about us."
Kalmaljiori did not forget about them as he let out another blast at their pillar sending them forward trembling across the ground and over the side. Scanlan grabbed onto the edge and Athena's hand at the last second. Her body was dangling as Scanlan tried his best to pull them up but strength was not his forte. He couldn't use magic that would be strong enough to lift them without his lute.
"Scanlan, let me go," Athena said.
"What?!"
"You will not be able to pull us, Scanlan. So need to let me go so you can pull yourself up."
"No! You are the best chance we got at defeating him. I need you," Scanlan pleaded as he tried again to pull them up. His grip on the edge was beginning to slip.
"You can do this, Scanlan. I know you can. I believe in you." Not leaving Scanlan any more time with a choice, Athena pulled her hand from his grip sending her falling into the void. The last thing she heard was Scanlan shouting her name as she was enveloped by darkness.
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Athena groaned as she came to consciousness. She adjusted back to the surroundings of the temple as everyone else came too.
"We're alive?" Vax rubbed his head, "Who do you have to thank for that?"
"Scanlan!" Athena recalled as she quickly stood up, worried, to look for him. However, she and everyone else look up to the platform to see Scanlan and Kalmaljiori sitting together having a nice conversation.
"What rhymes with, Your eyes so lovely?"
"How about, Nice thighs, yo, touch me, eh?" Scanlan suggested causing the sphinx to laugh.
"What the fuck?" Grog sat baffled.
"Oh, you're back," Scanlan exclaimed as he realized they were there, "Great. Uh, come over. It's totally cool, guys. Me and Kam are tight."
"In my millennia of existence, this is the wisest sage I've ever known."
"The fuck?" Most of the group exclaimed while Athena chuckled.
"I told cha you could do it," Athena said causing Scanlan to smile as he rubbed his head in a small blush.
"Yeah, well, I know I'm great...But don't make me do that again."
"I apologize for the formalities earlier. It is a pleasure to meet you, Vox Machina."
"And just in time. He's gonna tell us where all the other vestiges are."
"Not quite, wise one. You will reveal them yourselves. With this." The sphinx's eyes glowed as a sword in the ice was revealed to them. The energy flowed through the ice as the sword appeared over the ground in front of Scanlan.
"The vestige known as Mythcarver. Connected to all myths and legends, including the other vestiges." The sword floated down to Scanlan as it changed its size for him.
"Aw, but, Kammi, I didn't get you anything," Scanlan chuckled as he grabbed onto the sword that began to glow the same color as the sphinx. Scanlan raised the sword in the air as he sang, "Mythcarver, show me, something good!" Scanlan opened his eyes, glowing in the same color as the sword.
"Guys, I'm somewhere else. There's a weird sky, pink mountains, and a crazy forest with upside-down waterfalls. Reminds me of a drug trip," Scanlan described.
"That sounds sort of like the Fey Realm," Keyleth stated.
"I see something inside this gnarly tree. Oh, Vex, it's some badass-looking bow."
"Isn't the Fey Realm on another plane of existence? That's inconvenient," Vex said.
"A shift spell could get us there, but...it might not work," Keyleth stammered.
"Think you could try?" Athena asked.
"Yeah. I could," she smiled.
"Now I'm in a city. It looks familiar. I think it's Westruun, and it's been invaded. There's a bunch of dudes who look like Grog. One's got a vestige, big giant gauntlets. They're glowing."
"Uh, it's probably not important," Grog stated causing Pike to scoff.
"Okay. What is going on with you?" she asked him.
"Oh, nothing, what are you talking about Pikey?" Grog dismissed.
"I'm being taken somewhere else, it looks like a temple of some kind, sort of like this one. But everything is stone. There's a giant, gold scale in the back and a plate of armor-,"
The ground began to shake beneath their feet as the whole temple began to rumble causing Scanlan to lose focus. "What was that?"
"We're not alone. I'm afraid you've been followed."
A high-pitched ringing filled Vex's head as she bent over in pain. "Everyone get down!"
The roof collapsed above as parts of the rocks fell down towards them. The group ran away to not be crushed by the action as Kalmaljiori stood his ground, helping Scanlan get away. After the dust and rocks settle the group looked up to see the Black Dragon above them, acid dripping from his mouth onto the rocks below.
"Yes," the dragon growled as he crawled toward them, "The woman was right. You have my thanks, gnome, for finding me a vestige." The dragon leaped toward Scanlan but the sphinx swatted him down with his paw into the ground. The dragon freed himself from his hold as the two took to the air and began battling it out smashing into the rocks around them.
Scanlan ran over to the rest of the group with Mythcarver, "Come on, we got to jump in. With Kam on our side, we can actually beat this Fuckеr."
"Split up. Hit him where the Sphinx has drawn blood," Vex ordered.
"Aren't you supposed to be extinct?" the dragon asked.
"Not yet, defiler," Kalmaljiori roared as he leaped to attack him.
"I've got the hang of this now," Vex flew up with her broom, firing exploding at the dragon, "Oi! Up here!"
"Hey! Get off him," Scanlan cried as he used his purple hand to close the dragon's mouth. The dragon roared, releasing some acid over the sphinx burning him while breaking free of the hand. A gust of wind erupted from him, tossing Scanlan away.
"Got you." Vex caught Scanlan with one hand on the broom. The dragon ran toward them but was pulled back by his tail by the sphinx. Percy and Vax ran forward throwing daggers and shooting bullets at the dragon. With his speed, Vax got up close to the dragon but was swatted away with great force.
The sphinx grabbed a hold of his head forcing him down onto the ground once more. His eyes glowed brightly as he blasted the dragon to the other side of the temple. The dragon breathed smoke onto the ground, covering the entire floor, and forcing the sphinx to fly up.
"Does anyone have eyes on him?" Percy asked.
"Fly us outta here!" Scanlan cried on the back of the broom. The dragon jumped from the shadows for Scanlan.
"Let's go, Kiki!" Pike shouted on the back of Minxie as they charge up the side of rocks to leap off at the dragon. Pike summoned her mace as they slammed into the dragon, but the dragon was able to clip the edge of the broom sending Vex and Scanlan falling to the ground.
The dragon squirmed throughout the air as Pike and Keyleth were hitting its back. On the ground, Grog and Athena were ready with their swords.
"Give me that jugular!" Grog shouted as their blades slid across the scales until they reached a point where the sphinx had damaged the dragon. Their sword slipped through the skin causing the dragon to fall over from the pain. A power-hungry rage began to fill in Grog. The sphinx soared above them as he summoned his shield to push the dragon down into the ground.
"Enough!" The dragon breathed out its acid with such force that it blasted Kalmaljiori away and into a wall. His shield took most of the damage until it broke. The sphinx fell to the ground. "Now my prize," the dragon smiled as he turned to the unconscious Scanlan. He took the rock that Scanlan was on in his mouth and flew up into the sky.
"Scanlan!" Athena yelled. The sphinx gasped as he awoke seeing Scanlan being taken away. He flew up immediately following the pair.
"What do we do?" Percy asked. A few moments later, a figure grew larger in the sky as they fell back into the temple, slamming down into the ground. After the dust settle, the group gasped as they saw Kalmaljiori with Scanlan in his arms.
"Oh shit! Scanlan!" Pike exclaimed as they all rushed to them. The sphinx released Scanlan as he slid down noticing the gash in his shoulder bleeding out.
"Kammi, no."
"Thank you... for showing me... Osysa once more." His eyes dimmed as the life left his body. Pike reached out for Scanlan as they heard the dragon laughing above the temple.
"The vestige is mine. Nothing can stop the Chroma Conclave, least of all you," he said as he picked up the Mythcarver that was embedded into the ground, its size grew to fit him. The dragon then rushed toward them with the group running to the exit now that they lost a major ally. Grog unsheathed his sword as he stood there, eyeing down the dragon.
"For blood," Grog growled out, his eyes changing to a deep red. The dragon tried to bite down on him but he dodge and began swinging his sword at him while jumping through the air.
"Hurry," Percy called as they ran to the exit but rocks fell down in front of it just as they reached it. "Bloody wonderful. Anyone see another way out?" Percy asked as Grog was thrown into the wall beside them.
"I'll try to make us one," Keyleth said as began looking for components in her pouch.
Pike rushed over to Grog, "Grog! Grog, come on." Grog however picked up his sword in his rage and charged at the dragon once again.
"Come meat," the dragon urged as he slammed down his tail on Grog. The group gasped but Grog actually lifted the tail off him. He grabbed his sword making a slice across it before he jumped up on the tail, running up it.
"Step it up, Keyleth," Percy begged as Keyleth was working with the components for the spell, marking a rune on the ground. Grog though was still attacking the dragon as Keyleth finished preparing the spell.
"Everyone get close." Keyleth slammed her staff down as the rune began to glow.
"But he's...," Pike rushed off with Scanlan following her to retrieve Grog. The dragon flew in the air with Grog stabbing his sword into him, riding along. He slashed the sword down causing the dragon to veer to the ground. Grog landed on the ground and turned to attack once more but the tail swung out knocking Grog across the temple into a pile of rocks. Grog grunted as he stood up.
"Grog, we got to go," Pike urged as she reached him pulling his arm.
"Yes."
"Grog!"
"More." Grog walked forward ignoring Pike's demand.
"What are you doing? We got to leave."
"More." He growled.
"Shit!" Athena exclaimed as she rushed off to them to help get Grog in the runes.
"Athena!" Vax cried as he ran off with her. Grog unleashed a roar as he charged forward with the sword, his eyes blood red.
"Grog, stop!"
Everyone gasped as they saw the sword go through Pike. Her body hung on the sword as she reached out for Grog as her own blood trailed down, absorbing into the sword.
"Pike?" Grog snapped out of the control, pulling her off and into his arms. Her blood now covering his arms. "No. Pike?" he choked up.
"Come on big guy, move!" Scanlan pulled him leading him back to the runes. Vax pulled Athena back with him as looked in shock at Grog's actions. The dragon shook off rumble off of him as began charging at them. Grog picked Scanlan as well as he slid next to the rest of the group.
"Keyleth, spell!" Percy cried.
"I need a little more time."
"We don't have it. Cast it now."
Just as the dragon jump into them, Keyleth's eyes glowed as their bodies were sent up and away. Keyleth strained from the impact the dragon caused as tried to focus on their teleportation. Unknowing to them, due to the dragon, the group was split into two groups.
Five of them appeared above the ground. Keyleth's spell faded as landed on the ground with a grunt. Keyleth toppled over the exertion of the spell.
"What happened to Pike? Where is she?" Vex frantically looked around.
"I... I don't know," Keyleth panted.
"And where's Grog? And Scanlan?" Athena asked.
"Where are we?" Percy said.
Before them was a forest of color with a similar weird sky. Fish creatures floated in the air around them and other animals could be heard around them.
Someone wise once said...
That this was going to be a drug trip.
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Hello guys! We are officially back to our regular schedule program now.
I am so excited about the next chapter. Something I feel was always a part of my inspiration when I first began writing this series. I did debate about sending Athena off to find her own vestige at this point but I kinda want the rest of Vox Machina to be there with her when she gets it as a part of her arch. Don't worry though, she will get it.
We also crossed the 20k reads for the series and I am so very appreciative that you all are reading the series and enjoying Athena as much as I do.
In the future, I am thinking about doing some "polls" for some future special chapters apart from the series once I finish season 2. Since we have many months to wait until season 3, I would like to do some fun chapters and put some more Vaxthena and Vox Machina content for you guys during the wait.
Thank you all again! See you in the next chapter!