Chapter Text
Vex felt absolutely drained as they stepped off of the docked airship and onto the island. Despite the few hours she’d spent curled up on the floor, when Vax shook her awake it was like she hadn’t slept at all. All she’d accomplished was sore limbs and an aching back.
The emptiness was still there from the hours previous with Keyleth. Even when the group gathered and Grog scooped Percy into his arms, the urge to cry was there but nothing would come. All she could do was stare with dull eyes. The gunman looked so small, his marred skin seeming so white next to Grog’s ashen chest.
No one said a word about the blue jacket she wore.
“Vex.” She blinked, realizing that Vax was waving a hand in front of her face. “I told you to get some rest. How long were you on the floor there?”
She shrugged. “I did…” She shook her head, voice cracking. “Sleep didn’t help.”
Vax’s face scrunched up in sadness and understanding. “We’re almost there, ok?” Weaving an arm around her shoulders, he tugged her close as they followed Keyleth.
Leading them to the closest living tree that could accommodate the width of Grog’s shoulders, the druid made short work of casting the spell. And as the group spilled through, which included Kynan bringing up the rear; they quickly found themselves in the streets of Whitestone.
“You’ve returned! It’s a-” One of the passing guards approached them, the kind smile on his face fading as quickly as his words when he met their eyes.
“Get….get Cassandra.” Vex was actually the first one to speak, her voice low and wavering. “Send her to Pike’s temple-“ Her voice broke at the end as she cast her eyes away from the man.
Worry passing over the guards’ face, it quickly changed to horror when he realized exactly what the cause of the dour mood was. The body of Percival De Rolo was currently being held limply in the arms of the largest member of the cities saviours. The lord of Whitestone was dead.
“Yes, right away.” He took off at a full sprint down the street in the direction of the castle looming above the city.
“You think that’s where she is? Hopefully..?” Scanlan questioned, even as Vex was raising a hand to her earing.
“Pike! Pike, can you hear me?” Only now was some of that biting worry and sorrow beginning to again fill the emptiness within her.
A moment passed before the soft and light voice of their cleric answered. “Vex? What…” There was another pause. “What are you guys doing back?” The genuine worry was clear in her voice.
“Where are you, darling?” The waver grew worse.
“Vex, I’m...I’m in the temple. Where are you? Is something wrong?”
The daze that she’d been in finally breaking, Vex couldn’t help the tears as they again began to fall. “We’re coming to you…just..” She trailed off, unable to say any more.
“Pike, we’re coming to you. Prepare…prepare for a resurrection.” Vax picked up where his sister left off. He could hear the tiny breath in his ear as Pike’s voice hitched and then silence for a moment.
“Who is it?” The voice that spoke then was so small and afraid he barely caught it….As if his heart was breaking enough as it was.
“Percival.” He answered softly, turning his eyes down. He was both glad and not that he wasn’t there to see Pike’s reaction.
Again there was silence before her small voice spoke again. “Ok..” Was her only reply, but even with the one word, he could hear the sorrow in her voice.
----
Making their way through the streets towards the temple felt like a funeral procession. Like usual, many of the townsfolk stopped to greet them, or even just smile and wave but were quickly met with the sight of tragedy.
The solemn and dark air around the party was enough to cause most to keep their distance. But even so, many got a glimpse of the white haired form being carried through their streets. Percival De Rolo was a symbol of hope in the city; before when his crest was being written in the sky, and presently a pillar of strength against the dragons. Today he was neither. Today he was a reminder that even the strength of Vox Machina had its limits; their saviours weren’t immortal.
Most of the party made a point to keep their eyes downcast, not wanting to witness the happiness turn to despair or sorrow on the faces of those they passed. Vax in particular regretted not throwing a blanket or something over Percy, if just to spare these people who’d already lost so much another blow.
The only one who couldn’t keep him eyes on the ground was Kynan who was glancing around the new city both nervously and curiously.
Reaching the temple finally, they were met by Pike hovering anxiously in the doorway. Dressed down in nothing but a silver night shift, her hair was flung around by the wind, stands of it sticking to her tear dampened checks.
“No..” She shook her head in denial, face scrounged in pain when she caught view of the man in Grog’s arms. “What happened?”
Approaching her, Scanlan gripped her arm gently. “We’ll fill you in on the details later, ok?”
Eyes wide and glassy, she tore them away from Percy to set them on Scanlan. Searching his face for a moment, she then nodded. “Yes, come inside.”
Filing into the surprisingly small room, Grog hung back as a young woman who they didn’t recognize and Vax helped scoot a large table into the middle of the room.
Turning to Grog then, Pike motioned for him to come forward. Doing so, the goliath stepped over, depositing the gunman gently on the stained wood.
Finally getting a look at him, Pike froze, both hands jumping up to cover her mouth in horror. The tears that she had been trying to control freely fell as all she could do was stare. He hadn’t just ‘been killed’, the wounds he bore told her that much. “What…” She squeaked, throat tightening. “What is this?”
“Pike-“ Vex’s voice cracked as she turned pleading eyes towards her. “Can you help him?”
Still in shock, Pike set wide and horror filled eyes on the ranger. She was wearing Percy’s jacket. “I’ll...I’ll try…” She breathed finally, snapping out of her shock. Brushing the tears from her face, Pike turned, beginning to quickly gather the few things around the room that she would need.
“We’re here with you Pike.” Grog halted her almost frantic movements with a gentle grip on her shoulder, not letting go until she met his eye. When she finally did, the sincerity and friendship there soothed her slightly as she nodded.
“Whatever we can do to help, we just knew we couldn’t do it without you.” Keyleth added on, watching Pike’s movement grow just slightly calmer.
Just as she began chalking in some of the runes that were needed for the ritual, the front door of the temple flew open. Startled, all of them turned wide eyes to the distraught form of Cassandra. “What is-“
The young woman’s words died in her throat at sight of her brother unmoving on the table. “No…no no nononono..” she rushed forward, actually shouldering past Keyleth to get to Percy’s side.
Looking down on him, her eyes darted over his form frantically, taking in the wounds scrawled across his chest and cut into his wrists…the bruises at his throat...the blood in his hair…
Hands shaking almost violently, she reached down and gently threaded her fingers into his hand. His skin was so cold on hers that she almost withdrew.
A loud whimper escaped her as the tears began streaking down her cheeks. Finally, her eyes jumped up to frantically move from one face to another in the room. With the expression she wore, she looked so much younger now than she ever had. Like Percy, she acted older than she actually was, but in this moment she looked every inch a terrified teenage girl.
“What happened?” She demanded, voice coming out much stronger and much angrier than most expected.
“Cassandra-“ Scanlan started, his voice gentle but was cut off.
“No.” her breath was coming in choked gasps. “What did you all get him into!? Who did this to him!?”
“Ripley.” Keyleth spat out, anger in her own voice. “Ripley did this.”
Vex couldn’t bring herself to look the girl in the eye. It was her fault that Ripley had taken him in the first place. It was something she wasn’t sure she’d ever forgive herself for.
At that, Cassandra blanched, all the anger on her face melting into horror as she looked back down. That evil conniving bitch that she’d saved him from once somehow got her hands on him again…the thought of it made her feel sick. Slowly, she slipped down to her knees, all the while gripping her brother’s cold hand as the sobs started wracking her form. Could they never escape the Briarwoods and their people?
Having stopped what she was doing when the young woman entered, Pike once again picked up where she left off with her runes.
“We’re going to do everything we can for him, ok?” Vax dropped to one knee beside Cassandra. Taking a risk, he placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “We’ve done resurrections before, but we need you to step away so Pike can work, ok?”
There was a pause and for a moment Vax wasn’t even sure if his words had reached her past her grief, but eventually she slowly stood. Wiping her face, she nodded, expression as lifeless and dull as Vex’s had been after he’d woken her that morning.
“Pike?”
Looking up, the gnome nodded, beginning her incantation. Closing her eyes, she gently placed her hands on Percy’s arm as her consciousness reached out to find his, where ever that might be.
Silence stretched on for minutes as she searched, relieved when she finally felt his presence. That relief was followed swiftly by panic when she couldn’t reach him.
“Guys, I can’t-“ She spoke, her voice panicked and eyes still shut as she concentrated on keeping her magic flowing. “I can’t reach him, there’s something…something blocking me, I…”
“Orthax.” Vex immediately spoke, bringing both hands up to her face. “Vax-“ She turned to her brother, eyes wide. A fresh wave of pain gripped her when she realized that Keyleth had been right. As if Ripley hadn’t been enough, now his soul was literally in the clutches of a demon.
“Do we know it’s Orthax?” Grog for the first time was beginning to look nervous about the situation.
“How do I get him!? Guys?” Pike’s voice was pained as she spoke, her eyes still shut.
“Didn’t Orthax slither back into that gun?” Vax scanned the group. “Can we just chuck it into some acid?”
“Yeah but that didn’t work the first time, or else he wouldn’t be back.” Scanlan frowned.
“Wait, didn’t you guys detach Craven Edge from me? Maybe the same thing will work?” Grog turned to Pike, but couldn’t catch her gaze since her eyes were tightly shut.
There was silence for a minute. “That might actually work…” Keyleth spoke. “Pike, how did you do that?”
“Greater restoration I think?” She squeaked, her voice unsure. “I can’t cast it now without breaking my resurrection spell…”
“Pike, I can cast it. Scanlan hand me the gun.” For the first time in the entire situation Keyleth didn’t feel like she was utterly useless.
Handing it over, Scanlan looked sceptical. “To the gun? Is that going to work?”
“It’s what Pike did for Grog.” The druid shrugged, accepting the weapon and immediately dropping to sit cross legged on the ground. Placing it on the floor in front of her, she shut her eyes, focusing in. As her magic took hold, her vision honed in and she could almost see the shadowy mass before her.
Focusing in even further, she could clearly make out the connection between the demon and the weapon in the form of an almost tangible thread.
Turning her attention to Orthax a terrible realization gripped her that that’s where Percy was. She couldn’t see him…and it wasn’t that she could even feel him…She just knew.
Reaching out, she grasped the shadowy thread, first in one hand and then in both. And funnelling all of her love for Percy combined will every ounce of will she could muster she began to tear at it.
As she did, a dark yet horribly familiar voice filled her mind. “No….no…I finally have him…I-“
And then it was cut off as she used the surge of anger she felt to snap the thread. The black mass dissipated with a wheeze, and for a moment, where Orthax had once resided before her there was a small glimmering light so small in comparison to the demon once occupying the space.
It wavered for a moment, seeming so fragile before drifting off and out of sight.
“Percy!” Keyleth screamed, not knowing what else to do as she opened her eyes to look up at her friend. “Pike! Pike! Go now!”
Not needing any prompting, Pike was already reaching out in search of the gunman. Sure enough, it only took her moments to latch onto the somewhat tattered but still whole soul. “I’ve got him...” She breathed in relieve, her heart still aching. She’d done more resurrections than she ever wanted to, but she’d never seen a soul so frayed and ragged as this. “Now is the time to help…” Her voice wavered with the words but Vex was already stepping over.
Feeling now that this may be the last and only chance she had to speak to him, the ranger placed a hand over his heart. “Percy…Percy, I don’t know if you can hear me….but…” She stopped to sniff; wiping her eyes with her other arm. “That day in Syngorn was one of the best moments in my life…and not because of what you think; it’s not because of my father, or the title...” Barely even thinking on the words now, she just let all of the emotions out as she continued, tears streaming down her face. “It was because of Whitestone, it was because of you. You allowed me to be a part of the thing you hold dearest, and I was so proud.” She shut her eyes, trying not to break down entirely. “But I don’t want to be here if you’re not. Whitestone still needs you, darling. I still need you.”
With that she bent forward, resting her hands on his chest and kissing him gently on the lips. Pulling back slightly, she rested her forehead against his for a moment as her tears fell to splash against his cheek and roll down his face. “I should have told you. It’s yours.”
No one said a word as she pulled back, not even Vax who had a pained expression on his face and his eyes firmly cast down.
Sensing Vex step back, Pike reached out to Serenrae with her mind. Not verbally speaking, she sent out a prayer regardless, imploring the angel with every ounce of emotion and love she had.
As silence fell over the room, Keyleth gently caught Vex’s arm. “Is that bird skull I gave him anywhere in his jacket?” Keyleth whispered.
Blinking a few times, the ranger rifled around the inner jacket in search of what the druid was asking for. Hand coming up with a letter, she glanced at it briefly before sticking it in her own pocket it get it out of the way. Sure enough, she found the skull and handed it over. It was something that normally hung around his neck, but she figured that at some point during his ordeal he’d stuck it in there to keep it safe. It was the conclusion she came to at least, when her hands also came up with the necklace Pike had given him.
Stepping forward with the birdskull in hand, she leaned over the table before speaking. “Percy, we’ve had many conversations about life and death, and…in many ways, you are my total opposite. But you are also my best friend…and…” She stopped, stifling a sob as she placed the skull against his chest. Keeping a hand cupped over it, she continued “.…and….even though I told you…on that day that I gave you this, that we’re all going to die and you can still be saved from yourself, it was true that the journey was far from over and it still is.”
Shutting her eyes, she employed her magic to conjure a small flock of crows which squawked into existence before fluttering out the door in a flurry of feathers.
“As much as you might think…that your journey is now over….just because yours seems to be. Ours isn’t. We still need you. I need you.”
She looked up as Vax also stepped up to the table. Wondering for a moment what he was going to do, his wings suddenly spread out across the room before folding forward to envelope the three of them.
Standing at the head of the table and listening to her friends speak; Pike could feel the ritual begin to conclude as Sarenrae’s divine energy began siphoning into her.
Vax and Keyleth pulled back when the sudden bright golden glow of Pike’s body filled the room. And where there was once only Vax’s jet black wings spread across the room, there was now a second pair of golden ones.
All eyes now turned to Pike, they watched in worry and awe as Percy’s body was lifted off the table. As the golden divine energy began filling him, every wound on his body began to glow softly as if something inside of him was radiating light. And then slowly, they began to seal. Where once there was a map of ugly raw wounds, there were now only scars.
As Pike began the final verses of her incantation, the bright energy began radiating up through his chest. It only lasted a moment before it slammed down through him, the force of it actually blasting into the table with enough strength to crack it. Still, the body hung in the air until the last few verses of the ritual were complete before gently setting back down again.
In a burst of golden feathers, Pike’s divine form dissipated along with the bright glow of her light.
Darkness once again filled the room and no one dared speak. Cassandra had turned to the closest person to her, digging her hands into their cloak as she gawked in fear and hope at what had transpired. Kynan, who now had a girl he didn’t know clinging to him, was also watching in wide eyed silence.
Not daring to breath, Vex leaned forward slightly. Please…please…
The seconds ticked by painfully slow and there was nothing….
Stillness…
And then there was a soft gasp from Percy as he drew in a breath.
Covering her face with both hands, Vex let out a giddy laugh, falling into Vax’s shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her.
Grog and Scanlan also let out a tiny laugh of relief as Keyleth slipped to her knees, crying again but this time with joy and thankfulness.
Cassandra untangled her hands from Kynan’s cloak and rushed to her brother’s side. Cupping his face with both hands, the despair in her chest dissipated at the obvious sight of his chest rising and falling. “Percy..?” She spoke, voice hoarse. When he didn’t respond, she looked up again with wide eyes at Pike.
Witnessing the girl’s distress and realizing that the gunman was still only unconscious, Vax reached forward to lay a hand on Percy’s shoulder. Calling forth his own divine energy, he remedied the situation.
With the final little boost from Vax, Percy’s eyes fluttered open accompanied by a long ragged breath and a fit of coughing.
Mind still barely lucid, when the strong arms wrapped around him both pain and panic filled his chest. His entire body was impossibly sore, every muscle and joint aching. The table under him was hard and he was absolutely freezing. It felt all too much like the time he’d spent in the dungeon under Whitestone.
Letting out an undignified keen of pain, the arms around him suddenly loosened followed by a shaky yet familiar voice. “My gods, I’m so sorry Percy.”
Blinking a few times despite his blurred vision and the darkness, he could barely make out anything or anyone in the room. But that voice… “Cass-?“ He tried to but his voice was a hoarse whisper.
“Shhhh, it’s Ok.” There were tears in her voice as the arms around him slipped away and soft hands found his face. “It’s ok now.”
Squinting up at her, he managed to raise a hand weakly to her cheek. Her features were blurred and shadowed from the lowly lit room, but he could tell she was crying. “What..?” Mind still not operating at full capacity, he couldn’t manage to figure out exactly what had happened or where he was.
“Shhh, brother, you’re home. You’re safe.” He could feel her tears drop onto his face and chest.
It was then that all of the memories came rushing back to him; the noose around his neck…the deck of the ship….Ripley pointing a gun at Scanlan and then the sheer moment of panic when he was choking on blood. Sucking in another breath, he raised a hand to his throat. There was no noose, no slash from Ripley’s blade. In fact, the biting agony of most of his injuries was gone.
Swallowing dryly, he finally tried to push himself up but when he found he didn’t have the strength, instead opted to turn his head to look around the room.
“Welcome back.” It was Vex’s voice that spoke first. She was just a dark blur to his eyes at the moment, but her mere presence made his heart jump in his chest. “How are you feeling, darling?” Her voice was soft with the remnants of tears as he watched her step up beside him.
“Uhh..” He swallowed, squinting up at her before bringing both hands up to rub at his eyes. “Not well…But better than I remember I should be…” he trailed off, letting his hands limply fall to his chest once more.
“Shit, you can’t see can you?” Vex quickly turned to her brother. “Did anyone find his glasses?”
“Yea, I got em.” Grog shuffled over and in the daintiest movement that he’d ever achieved placed the frames back o Percy’s face.
“God’s thank you.” He blinked a few times as he adjusted them, turning his gaze once more over the faces in the room. The dark shapes now clearly his friends, Cassandra and surprisingly Kynan who hovered in the corner with a look of relief on his face. Glancing up again, the sight of Vex filled his vision. Strong, beautiful Vex….wearing his jacket. He couldn’t help the tiny thought in the back of his head that he liked the look of it on her. But more than that; he liked the fact that she was wearing it.
Reaching over, he found the sleeve of it, brushing his finger across her hand in doing so. “It looks good on you. But could I reappropriate it for the time being? I’m absolutely freezing.”
Vex’s heart skipped a little when his hand brushed hers. Her chest felt like it was about to burst with relief and joy. Nodding at his request, she had to once again bite back tears, this time of happiness. “Yes, of course.” Pulling it from her shoulders, she not only suddenly felt the chill in the room but also a small sense of loss.
Allowing Cassandra to assist him in sitting up with a groan, he heard a tiny whine from Pike behind him. Before he was able to accept the jacket, he felt a small but warm hand on his back. The touch was gentle but caused him to start slightly at the vivid memory of Ripley’s hand also unexpectantly finding his skin.
“I’m sorry…” The cleric spoke, her voice small.
“Whatever for?” He twisted slightly to get a look at her as she quickly pulled her hand away.
Shaking her head, she only smiled up at him. “…nothing…it’s fine.” The words were forced, but he was too exhausted to pry into what she meant.
Vax however, understood immediately as he glanced from Pike and then down at his feet. Despite Percy’s wounds having healed over, the gunman’s back was still a mess of ugly scars. The ones on his chest were bad it was true, but for some reason seeing his back was worse. These were the lines of a whip that had fallen too many times.
“Percival, you should know…she’s dead.” Vax spoke, looking up as the gunman pulled the blue jacket over his shoulders.
Stopping, Percy let out a breath he hadn’t known he was holding. Without the confirmation, there had still been that gripping anxiety in his heart that she was still a threat. But now, it was like a weight had lifted from him. Vox Machina had once again come through for him in a way he knew he absolutely didn’t deserve.
“You mean Ripley?” It was Cassandra that answered for him. At Vax’s nod, she also sighed in relief. “Good.” Her voice was hard and angry.
“Thank you.” He finally spoke. “It’s….” He stopped trying to figure out how to tactfully word how he felt. “It’s more than a relief to hear.” Pulling the jacket closely around him, the warmth in it barely even touched how cold he was. But the familiarity was comforting, not to mention the lingering scent of Pine and leather that was Vex. He wondered exactly how long he’d been gone for….how long had she been wearing it?
“How long…?” He questioned, tugging his jacket closer around him.
“About a day.” Keyleth answered, her eyes were still red from crying.
“That’s all?” He blinked a few times. It had seemed…longer, somehow.
“Do you remember anything?” The druid spoke again, her eyes flicked over to Vex briefly before finding Percy once more.
He paused for a moment before answering. “Nothing worth repeating.” The memories from when he’d been dead were strange. It was so very real, yet now seemed like a dream. The sheer pain and the terror was something he’d never encountered before while alive. And even now, there was no denying the way his very soul ached from where Orthax had begun tearing into him.
These people…this brave strong group of people that placed much too much faith and trust in him didn’t need to know. He couldn’t burden them…particularly Keyleth and Vex. They had already been through so much, if he could do anything for them at this point, it would be to save them some pain.
“Percy…” Vex was staring at him, arms crossed. He was already doing that thing he did where he shut everyone else out.
“It wasn’t pleasant…” He shook his head. “Just….thank you. I’m glad that that’s not waiting for me anymore.” He paused for a moment before turning to catch Keyleth’s eye. “And thank you, in particular. I saw what you did.”
“What..what?” She stammered, unsure. She assumed that if he remembered anything it would be Vex’s confession.
“You broke Orthax’s connection. It was the only thing that I saw. Thank you for that.”
“Orthax?” Cassandra whispered, “Isn’t that…isn’t that the demon from under Whitestone?” Despite being injured and not entirely ok at the time, she still remembered the terrifying visage of the creature. The black smoke that seeped from her brother until it took physical form.
He cringed slightly, “Yes…” He turned a sheepish look to her for a moment, swallowing. “After I….” he paused before correcting himself. “We…cast him away, he found allegiance with Ripley.”
Cassandra let out a tiny breath, taking his face with both hands. His skin was still cool to touch, but not the icy cold of death that it had been before. “Please... Percy, please stop getting yourself into trouble.” She actually pleaded with him. “I can’t do this alone. I can’t lose you again-“ Her words wavered at the end.
Brow furrowing with pain, the gunman pulled her into his chest. He’d never been very close to Cassandra…or any of his siblings really. Neither had he ever been one of the touchy feely sorts. But all of their lives, his sister had always been so strong. Even after everything she’d been through, she’d been so strong. Seeing her so fragile now caused a pang of guilt within him. He forgot sometimes that she was still younger than he was when the Briarwoods had attacked. Just a girl really.
As she hugged him, he grimaced, doing his best not to make a sound as even just her arms around him caused his aching body to scream at him in pain and protest.
As she pulled back, he let out another sheepish laugh as he pushed his glasses up into his hair to once again run his eyes. “Just…a few more dragons. Then I can take a break.”
The young woman licked her lips, composing herself as best as she could as she regarded him. Reaching forward once more, she brushed some dust from the arm of his jacket before smoothing down the fur on his collar. “You...just be careful, brother.” She frowned before finally turning her eyes up to the rest of Vox Machina.
Catching Pike’s eye first, she nodded at the cleric. “Thank you.” Her words were nearly whispered as she then swept her gaze across the rest of the party. “We will….discuss what transpired in length. But for now, I should probably help calm down the city.” Her lips were a thin line, expression serious. “News traveled rather fast that you died.”
With that, she leaned forward, kissed Percy on the forehead, and then left the temple.
Keyleth was moving almost immediately, taking Cassandra’s place at the gunman’s side. “Are you feeling a bit better now?” She inquired softly, wanting to hug him but refraining. She caught the way he grimaced every time someone touched him.
Percy leaned forward, once again running both hands over his face as he let out a long breath. “Not in the least, no.”
“Does it…still hurt?” It was Grog that spoke next, causing Percy to once again slip his glasses back down onto his nose.
“I just need…to lie down somewhere…soft.” He finally replied after a minute of thought and a deep sigh. Answering that question honestly would be difficult. Not to mention, they didn’t need to know.
“Then let’s get out of here. I think it’s time for us to drink, and you to sleep.” There was a grin on Vax’s face as he spoke that caused Percy to snort a tired laugh.
“Yes." He snorted a slight laugh. "That sounds lovely.”
Although she said nothing, Percy could feel Vex’s eyes on him. He was in for a conversation at some point and only hoped that he’d at least be able to sleep first.