Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jules

3:45 I require ur aid

3:45 Vesper please

3:45 Oh shit wait

Julius what the fuck 3:45

3:45 I....did not realize what time it was

A) why 3:45

B) what do you want 3:46

3:46 I genuinely didn’t see a clock anywhere

3:46 Why are YOU up this late

Why are you up this late 3:46

Damnit 3:46

3:46 haha

3:47 But seriously please help me I just remembered

       that I lent Cassandra my nice sheets and then she

       had her period on them or something and I haven’t

       washed them yet

Why would I be able to help you 3:47

with this at three am                         

Also, sheets?? 3:47

3:47 She stole my bed last time she slept over

3:48 Remember she stays at my place when she’s over

       at that one friends’ place in the Lower Slums and

       doesn’t want to take the bus home at night

3:48 Anyway she really liked them and basically stole

       them from me

ok 3:48

Just soak them in cold water 3:48

Do laundry in the morning 3:48

3:48 Thank u

Good NIGHT 3:48

Vex’ahlia

7:23 percy says he left some trinket over at

       your place the other day, do you know

       where it is?

How specific. 8:50

Apologies for the late reply 8:50

8:53 he described it as lots of gears

I’ll keep an eye out. 8:53

Remind Percy that he has a meeting today. 8:53

If he misses it I’m not responsible for what is 8:53

   done to him.                                                         

8:54 i’ll tell him that lol

8:54 are u & whitney still meeting me later?

Yes I did promise. 8:55

Is Cass already there? 8:55

8:55 yeah she spent the night bc she couldn’t get a

       ride over except for yesterday

8:55 you guys r gonna love the nature preserve

I hope. 8:55

8:55 be positive!

8:55 also bring water & snacks

8:55 and sunscreen

Will do. 8:56

Cassie

How goes preparation? 9:12

9:12 Vex really knows her stuff

9:12 also u need so MUCH stuff just to walk thru trees

Nature is unpredictable. 9:12

9:13 or vex is paranoid

9:17 I am being informed on what to do if a bear tries to

       fight me

That sounds exaggerated. 9:17

9:17 why is vex telling me this

9:17 what does she know that I don’t

Survival? 9:18

9:18 vex is hardcore

Oh also 9:18

Did you really bleed on Julius’ sheets? 9:18

9:18 WHY DO YOU KNOW THAT

Julius texted me at 3 am to ask about 9:18

  washing blood out.                                    

9:18 google how do I murder my brother

Vax’ildan

9:30 how are you doing?

9:30 oh I’m sorry

9:30 you’re not Keyleth

lol 9:30

9:30 why a texted laugh and not an out loud one

9:30 we’re in the same car

Why a texted conversation? 9:30

9:30 fair

Also Vex doesn’t seem inclined to stop 9:31

talking anytime soon.                                  

I’m surprised Keyleth didn’t come with  9:31

us.                                                               

9:31 she’s got a shoot today down near Daggerbay

9:31 left last night to get to it on time

Too bad, it seems like her thing. 9:31

9:32 I promised to take lots of pictures

Oh, of course. 9:32

Make sure you get my good side. 9:32

9:32 I gotcha.

Mother

12:00 What time are you all getting back?

We’ve just gotten back to the car. 1:40

Sorry, there’s no service in Nature. 1:40

1:45 Lol yes, I should have remembered.

1:45 How was it?

Enjoyable! 1:45

Vex is very enthusiastic about trees. 1:45

1:50 Did anyone get too sunburned or thirsty?

No, but Cassandra complained a lot 1:50

about the sunscreen.                              

1:50 That’s good.

1:50 You’re going to Keyleth’s house after, right?

Yes 1:50

1:50 Have fun!

I will! 1:50

Everybody

-Cassandra changed the name of this chat to “eight million notifications chat”-

4:40 Julius: Cass please we can’t keep doing this.

4:40 Cassandra: watch me

4:40 Cassandra: also it’s true

4:40 Cassandra: why do you think Whitney is never in here?

4:40 Oliver: because she’s too busy talking to her fifty internet friends in her normal chats?

4:41 Fredrick: “normal chats”?

4:41 Oliver: you know, internet sites.

4:41 Fredrick: How is this not normal? It’s a group chat.

4:41 Ludwig: everyone knows only nerds and college freshmen use texting groupchats

4:41 Ludwig: discord is all the rage now

4:41 Fredrick: Should I have known about this?

4:41 Julius: Father for your own safety do not get a discord account

4:41 Julius: The teenage internet is a frightening place.

4:41 Fredrick: I thought discord was that app you talk to your friend in Port Damali on.

4:42 Julius: Irrelevant. I know what I’m getting myself into.

4:42 Julius: and I don’t talk to Teens.

4:42 Cassandra: i feel like i’m being mocked

4:42 Fredrick: Also, what does the amount of notifications have to do with why Whitney isn’t here?

4:43 Oliver: Whitney has text notifications muted for this chat so she never knows when we’re talking and thus never participates

4:43 Cassandra: and thus

4:43 Oliver: i heard you say therefore to a seven year old yesterday don’t even try

4:43 Vesper: Why was Cassandra talking to a seven year old?

4:43 Julius: Vesper!!

4:43 Julius: How was your trip??

4:44 Fredrick: Don’t change the subject, I’m curious to know the answer to that question too.

4:44 Cassandra: aren’t u at work, father

4:44 Fredrick: I can delegate for long enough to be curious.

4:44 Vesper: It was very fun. The nature preserve had a lot more than I expected there to be. There’s gardens and a hedge maze on one edge of the forest.

4:45 Cassandra: Vesper got lost

4:45 Julius: lmao

4:45 Vesper: *in a maze*

4:45 Vesper: lol I can hear Cassandra getting teased for being on her phone

4:45 Julius: Aren’t you in the same place?

4:45 Oliver: yeah Vesper, get off your phone

4:45 Vesper: I’m in the bathroom and checked mine to see why it was vibrating so much

4:46 Vesper: also I haven’t been avoiding talking about college by being on it

4:46 Fredrick: Yes, she does that, I’ve noticed.

4:46 Oliver: cass should just come live with whitney and me & go to the Lyceum with us

4:46 Julius: She told me she was thinking about going to Desnay National

4:46 Ludwig: isn’t that on the Lucidian coast???

4:46 Julius: yeah it’s in Whitestone

4:46 Julius: she said she wanted to be somewhere where she wasn’t going to be accosted by relatives every three seconds but i’m pretty sure that was a joke

4:46 Julius: she was serious about Desnay tho

4:46 Fredrick: Whitestone is an interesting choice then, since our ancestors come from there

4:47 Julius: that’s what I said

4:47 Vesper: they do?

4:47 Fredrick: Melanie de Rolo was the first who came from Whitestone to Emon. With her husband and possibly some children.

4:47 Fredrick: I don’t recall what happened exactly to cause that or later events, but it transpired that the main branch of the family ended up being the one in Emon.

4:47 Fredrick: Which then led to us, and we still live here.

4:47 Julius: Didn’t we go to Whitestone once

4:47 Vesper: ????

4:47 Fredrick: Once when you were very little, for the funeral of a distant cousin of mine I’d always been friendly with.

4:47 Fredrick: Vesper hadn’t been born yet.

4:47 Julius: Ohh

4:47 Vesper: Oh

4:47 Ludwig: damn that’s a long time ago

4:47 Vesper: Hey.

4:48 Fredrick: Language.

4:48 Ludwig: oh cmon

4:48 Vesper: I’m going to go back to the party

4:48 Julius: oh it’s a party now

4:49 Julius: ah dang she left immediately didn’t she

4:50 Cassandra: yes

4:50 Fredrick: I hear you were talking about college.

4:50 Cassandra: im so sorry they just started talking about something immensely interesting over here. goodbye.

History

Show All History

Clear Recent History

Recently Closed Tabs

Recently Closed Windows

whitestone map

tal’dorei world map

Results for ‘de rolo’ [Odellan Library]

Results for ‘whitestone’ [Odellan Library]

WorldCat: Odellan Library

About Us | Desnay National University

Desnay National University

desnay national university

de rolo lordship whitestone

founding of whitestone

Whitestone - Wikipedia

Whitestone - Wikipedia

melanie de rolo whitestone

de rolos whitestone

Aurelian

4:40 Why am I getting your father’s assistant when

       I try to call your office?

4:41 I tried your personal but no one answered.

Oh geez, sorry! 6:20

I was out in the woods most of the 6:20

day                                                       

And then I was socializing and didn’t 6:20

    check my phone.                                      

6:20 No worries.

6:20 And no wonder I didn’t get you at work if you

       were out in the wild.

Yeah, I took a day 6:20

What’s up? 6:20

6:21 I just wanted to check in on how your project

       was going since you always complained about

       it.

It’s good! 6:21

6:21 You sure?

6:21 I know the complaining was joking, but you only

       took a week off after you got back.

Your concern’s sweet, A 6:21

But I’m fine. 6:21

I’ve already had that conversation with 6:21

my parents, several times.                           

6:21 I figured I’d ask!

6:21 Also, are you free Friday?

6:22 I’m going out with Meara for a drink or two

Sure! 6:22

exclusive hot gossip kid only chat

7:07 Whitney: can someone please change the name of this chat

7:07 Whitney: every time mother sees me answer a notification from here she asks what we’re talking about and I can never tell her the truth

7:07 Cassandra: Well that’s definitely not *my* fault.

7:07 Oliver: I really, really wish we could change other people’s names in a phone chat

7:08 Whitney: im suddenly very glad you can’t

7:08 Cassandra: what were u gonna change it to

7:08 Oliver: torn between ‘hypocrite’ and ‘memelord’

7:08 Cassandra: lmao

7:08 Whitney: i am your TWIN SISTER

7:08 Oliver: only by birth

7:08 Percy: Who started an argument now

7:08 Percy: Oh it’s you two.

7:08 Oliver: what’s that supposed to mean

7:10 Oliver: Pelor damn it percy get back here and finish this conversation

7:10 Whitney: aaaaaaand there he goes.

-Oliver changed the name of this chat to “when will percy return from war”-

7:10 Whitney: that’s pretty good but i think mother is still gonna be confused

7:10 Oliver: mother is just gonna have to live with it.

Percy

Have you seen what the chat is called 7:12

 now?                                                         

when will percy return from war

7:13 Percy: Oliver, please.

7:13 Oliver: what i thought you were gone

7:13 Whitney: good news everybody percy is back from the war

7:13 Whitney: the terrible tinkerer’s war

7:13 Whitney: it was a long hard three-minute battle and many good needle nose pliers were lost

7:14 Percy: I can leave again.

-Vesper changed the name of this chat to “the needle nose plier war”-

7:14 Cassandra: confusing. i like it.

-Percy changed the name of this chat to “you’re all terrible”-

7:15 Vesper: Percy, this is a chat. You can just say that.

7:15 Percy: I thought I’d try speaking your language.

7:15 Cassandra: wait Vesper have you been here the whole time?

7:15 Cassandra: i thought you were talking to work friends when you kept picking up your phone

7:15 Whitney: is that what being an adult is like

7:15 Whitney: pretending to do work while really you’re in a groupchat

7:15 Vesper: I am talking to work friends, that’s why I haven’t been saying anything.

7:15 Percy: Yes.

Mother

8:09 Cassandra’s with you, correct?

Yes, she’s staying the night. I’ll drive  8:10

    her over tomorrow.                                   

8:10 Good! Just making sure.

Jules

10:25 Vesper

10:25 Vesper

10:25 Vesper

10:25 Hey

10:25 H

10:25 E

10:25 Y

10:25 V

10:25 E

10:25 S

10:25 P

10:25 E

10:25 R

What! 10:25

I was asleep 10:25

10:25 Yeah I know

10:26 Cassandra just called me because she said

         you sounded upset and she didn’t know what

         to do.

10:26 Bad dreams?

It was nothing. 10:26

10:26 Bad enough to freak out Cass thru like two

         walls?

What do you want me to say? 10:26

10:26 I mean I think u should talk about it

10:26 But idk if I’m the best person to do that at

I don’t need therapy, Julius 10:26

10:27 Ok.

10:27 Do u wanna talk about it?

Not particularly. 10:27

It’s in the past. 10:27

10:27 So is seventh grade but I still get anxiety

         dreams about science fair

I can promise it’s not about science 10:27

    fair                                                            

I was much better at preparing than 10:27

   you.                                                         

10:28 If u say so.

10:28 Who’s ‘him’?

What 10:28

10:28 Cass says she heard u say ‘no, it’s him’

10:29 Vesper

10:30 Ok goodnight.

Chapter Text

secret intervention chat

6:30 Julius: First of all thank you all for getting up this early

6:30 Julius: Second Cass are you sure Vesper is still asleep

6:30 Cassandra: yeah i opened her door (very quietly) to check

6:30 Cassandra: she’s out for the count

6:30 Ludwig: why are we having a secret Vesper-less meeting

6:30 Ludwig: in a new, Vesper-less chat no less

6:30 Cassandra: bc we need to talk *about* Vesper

6:30 Cassandra: i went to bed like late last night and i couldn’t get to sleep bc she started SCREAMING in her sleep

6:30 Whitney: wait what really

6:31 Oliver: should someone tell mother & father

6:31 Julius: Absolutely not or Vesper will never speak to me again.

6:31 Cassandra: maybe

6:31 Percy: Is that really how we want to handle this?

6:31 Julius: Yes.

6:31 Ludwig: was it about when she went missing?

6:31 Cassandra: idk

6:31 Cassandra: Julius thinks so

6:31 Julius: If any of you know of another time in Vesper’s life that could have given her raging nightmares, speak up

6:31 Julius: I sure as hell don’t.

6:31 Oliver: she seems ok though

6:32 Cassandra: “““seems”””

6:32 Julius: To the point. What exactly do we know about what happened to Vesper when she went missing?

6:32 Ludwig: she was gone for a week but I heard mother talking about how she told the police it was less time than that for her

6:32 Cassandra: really?

6:32 Whitney: she’s got a scar

6:32 Julius: What

6:32 Oliver: ????

6:32 Cassandra: where???

6:32 Percy: scar?!

6:32 Ludwig: oh my god

6:32 Ludwig: what HAPPENED

6:32 Julius: Whitney explain

6:33 Whitney: I came over to her apartment once to ask for help getting Cass a b-day gift and surprised her when she was coming out of the bathroom

6:33 Whitney: she’s got something on her right shoulder. I didn’t see it well bc she ran back into the bathroom bc she was only in a towel. I thought it was a secret tattoo or smthn

6:33 Percy: But Vesper hates needles.

6:33 Julius: NOT THE POINT

6:33 Whitney: I asked her abt it but she woudn’t say anything

6:33 Whitney: she kept pretending she couldn’t hear me

6:33 Oliver: a big scar?

6:33 Whitney: it was maybe palm size?

6:33 Julius: Saints and fucking Champions.

6:33 Julius: How come she hasn’t said anything?????

6:34 Cassandra: maybe it was in the police report

6:34 Percy: it wasn’t

6:34 Ludwig: how do u know

6:34 Percy: The police gave a copy of the report to Father & I got Vax to briefly steal it for me so I could read it.

6:34 Oliver: holy shit

6:34 Julius: If you thought it was a tattoo, what makes you think it was a scar now?

6:34 Whitney: i thought it was like a white ink tattoo but i started thinking about it and a scar makes more sense bc it was basically her same skin tone but the skin looked different

6:34 Whitney: i don’t WANT her to have a scar

6:34 Whitney: i don’t think i’m remembering wrong.

6:34 Ludwig: Percy, do you still have the police report?

6:34 Percy: No.

6:34 Percy: I might still have the copy I made of it.

6:34 Oliver: jeez percy.

6:34 Percy: One second.

6:35 Whitney: are we going to tell Vesper about any of this?

6:35 Ludwig: going by the last few minutes, I doubt it.

6:35 Julius: I’m just trying to figure out what’s wrong with her!

6:35 Julius: I’m worried.

6:35 Cassandra: we all are julius

6:35 Cassandra: but this does feel a little weird

6:36 Julius: Well, do you have any other ideas?

6:36 Julius: She’s made it clear it’s a forbidden topic of conversation.

6:36 Oliver: yeah how do you make someone know it’s okay to talk about something with you without repeatedly bringing it up and making them annoyed

6:36 Whitney: it’s time...to use the internet

6:36 Cassandra: this sounds like a terrible idea already and it’s not even an idea yet

6:37 Percy sent an image

6:37 Julius: Is that the actual report??

6:37 Percy: My copy of it, yes.

6:37 Percy: I took a picture of the part which recounted Vesper’s account of what happened.

6:37 Cassandra: it’s very...short?

6:37 Ludwig: well if she doesn’t want to talk about it

6:37 Ludwig: ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

6:37 Cassandra: what does that note on the bottom say

6:37 Percy: She begged off being interviewed too extensively because she’d only just gotten home.

6:37 Percy: I’m unsure if she was ever called to give a longer statement.

6:37 Cassandra: so this is a continuing theme of not wanting to talk abt it

6:37 Ludwig: seems like

6:37 Whitney: i googled how to get someone to open up to you

6:37 Whitney: so far it seems like mostly dating advice

6:37 Whitney: “i can never get him to open up!” dump him

6:37 Whitney: anyway

6:38 Oliver: what are we even doing anymore.

6:38 Whitney: oh god i changed open up to talk and the first result is wikihow

6:38 Percy: Are you reading the WikiHow article?

6:38 Whitney: maybe

6:38 Whitney: actually no im not its bullshit

6:38 Whitney: oh my god the second result is wikihow too

6:38 Cassandra: it’s wikihow all the way down

6:38 Whitney: ok here’s “talking to someone you’re worried about”

6:39 Julius: Well what does it say?

6:39 Whitney: https:// www. beyondblue.org.au/get-support/have-the-conversation/ talking-to-someone- you-are-worried-about

6:39 Whitney: don’t forget to take out those spaces

6:40 Julius: This doesn’t seem very helpful.

6:40 Whitney: you google then

6:40 Cassandra: it says you have to wait for them to be ready to talk about it

6:40 Cassandra: i’ve heard that pressuring people to talk just recontextualizes potentially traumatizing memories within an unsafe setting, thus making the issue worse in the long run

6:40 Ludwig: heard where??

6:40 Cassandra: i have friends

6:40 Cassandra: and anyway i think the article probably is written by someone with more knowledge about therapeutic matters than us

6:40 Cassandra: aka, they have any at all

6:40 Whitney: i have some

6:40 Cassandra: yeah but u had therapy for a completely different thing

6:41 Whitney: i guess

6:41 Oliver: yeah therapy for dysphoria is v v different for whatever this page is talking about

6:41 Percy: It quite literally says Depression and Anxiety as a subheading.

6:41 Ludwig: do we think Vesper’s depressed and/or anxious??

6:41 Julius: maybe??

6:41 Ludwig: let’s just do nice things for her then

6:41 Ludwig: who’s doing something nice that they can invite Vesper along with soon

6:41 Cassandra: i’m not going on another hike again

6:41 Cassandra: i don’t even know why she likes the outdoors so much now

6:41 Oliver: AHA more mysteries

6:41 Oliver: vesper mysteries

6:41 Oliver: vesteries

6:42 Percy: That sounds like a sex thing.

6:42 Oliver: oh gross percy u had to take it there

6:42 Percy: You said it.

6:42 Whitney: nah it sounds like a weird internal organ

6:42 Whitney: like ovaries

6:42 Julius: Guys. Please.

6:42 Percy: All that comes to mind is that Ren Faire is in two weeks.

6:42 Whitney: lmao u think Vesper’s going to want to go to ren faire?

6:42 Cassandra: wait percy goes to ren faire

6:42 Ludwig: is this news?

6:42 Cassandra: YES

6:42 Cassandra: where are pictures of percy dressed like a medieval peasant

6:43 Percy: I don’t dress as a peasant.

6:43 Percy: And I may as well ask her, since that was the suggestion.

Percy

6:43 Ren Faire is coming up in a couple weeks,

       are you interested in tagging along? I may

       end up meeting some friends there.

       Possibly Vex will come along.

secret intervention chat

6:43 Cassandra: percy no!

6:43 Cassandra: you fucking fool she’s still asleep!

6:43 Percy: oh right

6:43 Oliver: wait why don’t we want vesper to wake up

6:43 Julius: Because we’re having a secret chat about her??

6:43 Ludwig: wait did u send it percy

6:43 Percy: Yes.

6:43 Cassandra: Pelor damn it percy

6:45 Cassandra: ...all clear i hear nothing from her room

6:45 Whitney: not even snoring?

6:45 Julius: Vesper doesn’t snore, you just blame her for when you wake yourself up with your own snoring

6:45 Whitney: LIAR

Percy

Sure, why not. 6:45

secret intervention chat

6:45 Percy: Wait hold on

6:45 Julius: ?

6:45 Ludwig: oh it must be serious he didn’t even use punctuation

6:45 Percy: Cass, you liar, Vesper just texted me back.

6:45 Cassandra: what

6:45 Ludwig: ABORT MISSION

Ludwig has gone offline.

Whitney has gone offline.

Oliver has gone offline.

6:45 Cassandra: what did she say about ren faire

6:45 Percy: She said “Sure, why not.”

6:45 Julius: Huh.

Percy

6:46 Alright, I’ll tell Vex and see what she thinks

       of going with one more.

6:46 Why are you up so early?

Cass was giggling about something 6:46

     next door.                                              

Guess I was sleeping lightly 6:46

    Vesper ran a hand through her bangs, raking them up off her forehead and out of her eyes. The glow of her phone was blinding in the dark, and she was beginning to get hot, hiding under her comforter. She’d edged one foot out to take advantage of her air conditioning, but it wasn’t doing much for her.

    Percy’s ‘typing’ dots appeared and disappeared a few times, but no other message sent from him.

Percy

Do I have to dress up? 6:47

Vesper didn’t really want to be alone with her thoughts at the moment.

Percy

6:47 No. I have in the past and probably will, though.

Pics or it didn’t happen 6:47

6:47 You can come over and I’ll show you.

6:47 I should probably give you a fair warning of

       what you’re getting into anyway.

Alright. 6:47

    There was a faint, electrical crackling. Vesper threw her comforter back to look out from under it, and saw the hallway light flicker once before going out. The air conditioner ceased at the same time.

    “Damn,” Vesper whispered, and got up to find a flashlight.

    She was pretty sure there was one in her desk drawer, but her desk was crowded enough that Vesper eventually gave up and turned on her phone light. It gleamed off the pens in their cup, off the little glass vial that she now kept at hand, and off the handle of the sealing stamp she’d bought after the third letter she’d received that was sealed with an elaborate image. Hers was only a calligraphy V - if she’d tried to get a custom one made with another de Rolo crest her parents would probably end up finding out, and that would be a weird conversation to have.

    Though, after the first, all the seals had been stylized mountains inside a circle, which as far as Vesper knew wasn’t the crest of anything at all.

    The flashlight was not in her desk drawers, though Vesper checked all of them before venturing into the dining room to see if she had any candles. She did, and one solitary match. It sputtered and burned down so quickly that Vesper could only light the first candle in the elaborate holder she usually set out for dinner parties before she had to blow it out and suck on her fingertips.

    Vesper glanced over her shoulder to make sure Cassandra hadn’t snuck up on her, and then concentrated on the candle again. It wouldn’t be the first time she’d been caught sitting in the dark with some candles by a sibling, but so far she’d managed not to let anyone see the actual act.

    The flame wavered, as flames usually did. As Vesper concentrated, it flickered even more furiously. It took several seconds of silence and staring, but eventually the candle to the left sparked and flared up with flame. It burned cheerily, showing no sign of its spontaneous birth.

    Vesper sat back, already feeling more tired. The letters were good practice and had good advice, but she had a feeling she just wasn’t very good at magic. Or maybe her world didn’t like allowing it to work. But even making candles light or go out without touching them, however exhausting, was a fun little trick to do.

    If only she could work out how to show it off without having to explain literally everything else that had led up to being able to learn how to do it.

    The power flickered on for about a minute, around seven, but then it flickered off and back on. Vesper turned down the AC, and went around turning off lights. It was probably a brownout - the last week had been as hot as the Hells and the people of Emon had reacted accordingly, staying at home and turning up the air conditioning.

    As Vesper turned off the hall light, a door creaked. Cassandra peeked out of her room, squinting into the hallway, which was now lit only by faint candlelight from the dining room at one end and weak sunlight filtering in through the window at the other.

    “Why are you awake?” Cassandra complained.

    “I do have to drive you back to Mother and Father’s place and go to work in the next two hours,” Vesper replied. “If you’re already up, I’m going to take a shower, since I don’t have to worry about the noise.”

    Cassandra groaned and retreated back into her room. Vesper decided that a shower really did sound like a good idea, and followed through on it.

    It only took about an hour until they were both in the car, Cassandra on her phone in the passenger seat and Vesper dressed for work in the driver’s, definitely not looking like someone who could’ve had a nightmare the night before.

    “Legs down,” Vesper said, when Cassandra moved to prop hers on the dashboard.

    “But I’m wearing pants, it’s fine.”

    “Until the airbag comes out and breaks your legs.”

    Cassandra put her feet down, grumbling. “Is there some nerve agent that they give to people over twenty-five that makes you all say stuff like that all the time? You’re a perfectly safe driver.”

    “Yes, it’s called ‘if you get maimed in a car accident because I wasn’t keeping an eye on you, I will feel bad’. Other drivers are not necessarily going to be exercising the same caution I am.” As she stopped at a red light, Vesper glanced over at Cassandra. “Anything interesting happening in the chats?”

    “Not really.” Cassandra scrolled down with a flick of her thumb. “Percy says you said you’d go to Ren Faire with him.”

    “So?”

    “Since when do you like Ren Faire?”

    “It can’t be the worst thing ever,” Vesper said. The light turned green, and she pressed down on the gas. “Tell whoever’s talking about it that if they’re making fun of me, they’re contractually obligated to go with us.”

    Cassandra snorted.

secret intervention chat

8:08 Cassandra: Vesper says if anyone makes fun of her for the ren faire decision you have to go with her

8:08 Percy: Bold choice.

8:08 Ludwig: a little weird of a thing to say?

8:08 Cassandra: i told her Percy was talking abt it so i could ask her abt it

8:08 Ludwig: should we be in the main chat then

8:08 Cassandra: oh maybe

you’re all terrible

8:09 Ludwig: why is the chat called this

8:09 Percy: Why does anything happen?

    It was easier now than it had been immediately after her return for Vesper to get caught up in the minutiae of life. Time at work went faster than she expected. But sometimes it slowed to an agonizing crawl, so she was still glad to drive away on Friday and meet up Aurelian and Meara.

    “So from what I’ve heard,” Aurelian was saying as Vesper walked up, “this place used to be a total front. And I don’t just mean for bootlegging.”

    “Are we here for a history lesson, or a drink? Oh, hi, Vesper.” Meara flashed Vesper a smile.

    “Why not both?” Aurelian argued, at the same time throwing an arm over Vesper’s shoulders. “Besides, they advertise the front-ness. It’s part of the appeal. We could be drinking in the same seats as some Clasp member of times long gone by.”

    “Is that an appeal?” Vesper asked, looking up at the neon sign that declared they were standing outside the Diamond Nest Inn.

    “Fuck yeah. C’mon, let’s get inside.”

    Inside was surprisingly less neon. Like Aurelian had said, the historical aspect seemed to be a significant draw. It was crowded enough that the three of them had to squeeze in next to each other at the bar, and Vesper had to wave some money around before the bartender (one of three) deigned to take notice of them.

    Aurelian, as promised, expounded on what she knew already about the Clasp’s history in the Inn, waggling her eyebrows pointedly when she talked about the secret passages hidden in the cellar. Vesper listened with half an ear - it was engaging, but the bar was loud, and Aurelian thought there were secret tunnels under half of the city already. She didn’t need more encouraging.

    “Uh oh,” Meara muttered, turning away from observing the room, as she liked to do. “I accidentally made eye contact. Yonder white dude thinks he’s got a chance.”

    Vesper glanced out of the corner of her eye. There were a lot of people in the room, but she could see immediately who Meara meant - a tallish, college-looking boy was making his way towards them.

    “He looks wasted,” Aurelian said, sing-songing the last word. “Gods, what is he, twenty-one exactly?”

    “Not any age where I’m in the mood for it,” Meara said, rolling her eyes. Vesper, who had not turned away, eyed the guy up and down. He didn’t look like the worst, but he was young and drunk and that was a bad combination.

    If she could give him some kind of push to turn away...

    Vesper’s eyes dropped to his untied shoelaces.

    “Warn me if he tries to grab me,” Meara whispered, just as the guy took a magnificent fall. Both she and Aurelian turned to stare in surprise as three different people took the brunt of his sudden loss of balance. The guy stumbled through an apology and back to his feet, face flaming red.

    Aurelian snorted. Vesper was already grinning widely. She’d barely seen the fall, too caught up in having actually made it happen. All she’d done was put his shoelace in the right place to be stepped on by his other foot, and yet. She’d done it with magic.

    “Were his shoes untied?” Meara exclaimed. “Gods above, he really was drunk.”

    Laughter bubbled up in Vesper’s throat. She turned away from the scene, pressing one hand over her mouth. The conversation slash history lesson continued, once Aurelian remembered what she had been doing, but Vesper didn’t hear any of it.

    She’d done magic.

    Vesper was still riding the high the next day when she went over to Percy’s. She’d spent all of the previous night trying to recreate being able to move the shoelace, but telekinesis had not manifested. Candle lighting she could still do, and she’d discovered a number of other small effects - creating a faint breeze, and warming up the mug of tea she’d been holding, though that might have been her imagination or regular body heat.

    “Oh, hello,” Percy said, upon seeing her. “Is this about the watch I was trying to build and left at your place?”

    “The what?” Vesper asked. “Is that what Vex was texting me about? You told be to come over about Ren Faire.”

    “Oh, right, right! Well, good timing, there’s no risk of a Trinket attack. Vex is out walking him.” Percy stood aside to let her in. Vesper smiled, thinking of how even a gentle welcoming leap from Trinket could bowl over Cassandra.

    “Do I get to see your costume now?”

    “I guess if you want,” Percy said. “But not if you’re only going to tease me for it. It was more expensive than most people assume.”

    “Really?”

    “Historical reenactment is a profitable business.” Percy closed the door. “Which is why of course you don’t have to match. Plenty of people drag along bewildered friends. I saw someone dressed as a purposefully anachronistic Marty McFly the other year.”

    “No,” Vesper said, delighted. “What do people even do at a Ren Faire? You only really talk about the cool things you see.”

    “That’s half of it. Mostly people are selling things they make - handicrafts, basically, medieval-style leatherwork or jewelry. Also a great deal of alcohol.”

    “Oh, of course.”

    “And there’s usually a joust.”

    “A joust?”

    “In the spirit of the festival,” Percy said, shrugging. “There’s a vague kind of plot that goes on with the production. The workers make up a high court and a Sovereign, and various other groups that wander the grounds.”

    “Ren Faire has hidden depths,” Vesper marveled.

    “I have pictures from past years, if you want.”

    “Oooh, yes.”

    They were still talking when Vex came home. Percy had a great deal of advice to give Vesper, seemingly stemming from mistakes of his own he’d made in the past, and also a great deal of anecdotal moral tales revolving around various terrible people who worked at Faires of whom he spoke with a deep fondness. He broke off as soon as Trinket’s barking resounded through the entryway, attention zoning in immediately on his wife.

    “Is there a party I wasn’t invited to?” Vex had to step abruptly to the side so Trinket could dash past and throw himself at Percy. “Hey, Vesper.”

    “Hello, Vex.” Vesper watched in amusement as Percy attempted to fend off Trinket’s slobbery kisses. “Percy was just giving me the rundown on the possible dangers of Ren Faire.”

    “Oh, yeah, that’s in a couple weeks, isn’t it?”

    “Friday after next it starts.” Percy finally pushed Trinket down. Trinket obligingly flopped across his legs, trapping him on the ground. “Well.”

    “Have you ever been?” Vesper asked Vex.

    “No, I could never afford it.” Vex dug through the fridge until she unearthed a plastic water bottle and took several long gulps. Trinket panted and drooled a little on the floor. “Plus they’re always out in the middle of nowhere and I don’t have a car.”

    “I think you would enjoy it,” Percy said. “There’s usually an archery booth or two.”

    “So you’ve said.”

    “I think I did archery once at summer camp,” Vesper said. “Remember, Percy, that Cobalt Soul group who ran a day camp?”

    “How could I forget?”

    “Cobalt Soul group?” Vex questioned.

    “It was just a regular day camp, really,” Percy said. “But they were a faith-based group, technically, so we’d do a lot of activities based around Ioun’s tenets alongside all the usual beach trips and hikes.”

    “Sounds fun.” Vex sounded almost wistful. “I wish there was more nature around Emon that you didn’t have to go a mile outside the city limits for. Or any city, for that matter. It would’ve been a lot easier for me as a kid to not be stuck in some lawn full of dying grass.”

    “Father probably knows a city planner you could get in touch with.”

    Vex paused, and then shook her head, a smile spreading across her face. “Geez. Sometimes, Percy, I forget what your family’s like.”

    “Why is it that you only refer to us as my family when you think we’re being crazy?” Percy leaned over backwards to look at her properly, since he was fixed in place still by Trinket. “Come here. Your dog is preventing me from getting up to give you a proper hello.”

    Still smiling, Vex came over and leaned down to kiss him. “Well, summer camp aside, I’ll consider the archery aspect of the Ren Faire and let you know.”

    “Decide quickly, or I might not be able to get tickets.”

    “Are you going to dress up?”

    “Probably.”

    “I think I will,” Vesper said speculatively.

    “Oh?” Percy sounded delighted and was trying to hide it. “Well, I know a few people who do costuming for various companies. I could probably give you some emails.”

    “I’ll think about it,” Vesper said, thinking about the box in the back of her closet. She’d need to wash the dress, but it would fit the theme exceedingly well from what she’d been shown of the standard mode of dress for these Faires. “I have something in mind already.”

Everybody

5:03 Percy: Vesper would you please answer my texts.

5:03 Ludwig: OOOOOOOOOOH

5:03 Whitney: OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHH

5:03 Johanna: Her phone is dead. Calm down.

5:04 Percy: How do you know?

5:04 Johanna: We were having a conversation which was unfortunately cut short.

5:04 Johanna: Do you need to talk to her?

5:04 Percy: I was going to give her some emails for some people I know, since she expressed an interest in dressing up for Ren Faire and she’s new to it.

5:04 Whitney: ooh really? i want pictures.

5:04 Johann: That’s funny, I asked about that and she said she already had something.

5:04 Percy: She does?

5:04 Ludwig: drama

5:04 Percy: No, it’s not.

5:04 Johanna: She seemed very sure of herself, at least.

5:04 Cassandra: Vesper’s not totally at sea with using medieval stuff. haven’t you seen that sealing stamp she keeps on her desk?

5:04 Percy: Vesper uses sealing wax?

5:04 Cassandra: well i’ve never seen her use any but she probably has some if she has a stamp seal

5:04 Ludwig: what else has our own sister been keeping from us

5:04 Johanna: I didn’t realize she was so interested in history.

5:04 Johanna: She has been asking your father about Whitestone more often, though.

5:04 Johanna: Oh, Percy, if you see Julius could you ask him to see/text me?

5:05 Percy: Sure.

5:05 Percy: What for?

5:05 Johanna: I’d like him to sit in on a meeting with your father and I.

5:05 Percy: Sounds important.

5:05 Johanna: It is. :)

Jules

Sorry we got cut off yesterday! My phone 11:40

died.                                                                 

I lost track of our conversation. 11:40

Anyway, I didn’t know you were planning 11:40

on going with Percy to the Fair.                         

Julius? 11:40

12:30 Sorry, I was in a meeting!

No biggie. 12:30

The one you got pulled in with mother 12:30

& father?                                                       

What’s it for? 12:30

12:31 Some people interested in becoming

          business partners.

12:32 Up & coming apparently, very new

           to the business in general.

12:32 It was mostly sorting out various

          minute details but it looks like it’ll

          go well so far.

Is it a company I know? 12:32

12:32 Lol I doubt it

12:32 It’s essentially a startup, and they only

           got big the last year or so.

12:32 Run by a couple called Briarwood,

          if the name’s familiar.

12:32 But it's probably not.

12:32 What are the odds, am I right?

Chapter Text

Everybody

4:34 Cassandra: this trip is taking forever. I’m gonna die.

4:34 Johanna: You’re the one who wanted to visit a college on the other side of the country.

4:34 Cassandra: I guess.

4:34 Johanna: How is it going, by the way? I know I said I’d come with, but it’s been very busy here, so as it turns out it was lucky that Vesper volunteered to take you instead.

4:34 Cassandra: we’ve only been here one day

4:34 Julius: Yeah Vesper really leaped at the chance to be out of Emon.

4:34 Julius: Has she taken any historical tours yet?

4:34 Cassandra: FUNNY you should mention that.

4:34 Cassandra: they had a students-only activity earlier today and Vesper totally ditched the simultaneous parent seminar to go look at the museum in town

4:35 Cassandra: I saw the brochure in her purse

4:35 Cassandra: side note did u know Vesper owns a pocket watch

4:35 Ludwig: no?

4:35 Johanna: Cassandra, please tell me you didn’t snoop through your sister’s purse.

4:35 Cassandra: she told me to get her her chapstick! which was in her purse!

4:35 Julius: I’m actually intrigued by the pocket watch.

4:35 Julius: What does it look like?

4:35 Cassandra: Fancy™

4:35 Ludwig: how do you do the tm

4:35 Cassandra: im just that cool

4:35 Julius: Can you ask about it?

4:35 Julius: The watch.

4:35 Cassandra: I guess.

    “Hey, Vesper?”

    “Mhm?” Vesper had taken advantage of the hotel room’s accommodations and was on the other side of the bathroom door. Cassandra suspected she was lounging in a bath, since Vesper always took at least three hours when a tub was available and she had the time for it.

    “What’s that watch thing you have in your purse?”

    There was a faint splash. “What do you mean?”

    “When I went to get your chapstick there was a pocket watch thing in a side pocket inside. You just don’t really seem like the type.”

    There was silence from the bathroom for a while, except for water very faintly getting sloshed around. Eventually, Vesper said, “It was a gift.”

    “From who?”

    “From none of your business, Cassie.”

    “Who gives pocket watches as gifts?”

    “People who consider them perfectly normal items. I got it while I was gone. Is it too much to ask that I be able to take a bath in peace?”

    “Sorry!”

Everybody

4:40 Cassandra: holy shit guys high alert

4:40 Johanna: Please do not swear in this chat.

4:40 Cassandra: new vesper information unlocked

4:40 Cassandra: the watch was a gift from someone she met while she was missing

4:40 Cassandra: sorry mother

4:40 Johanna: It was?

4:40 Julius: it’s an INTERDIMENSIONAL watch?

4:40 Ludwig: pictures!!

4:40 Cassandra: this is a public chat you fool vesper will see it and get mad at me

secret intervention chat

4:41 Ludwig: you could post the pictures in this chat

4:41 Whitney: ???

4:41 Cassandra: oh I guess

4:41 Cassandra: i don’t think so

4:41 Cassandra: i don’t want to secretly go through her things

4:41 Ludwig: didn’t u already do that to find it in the first place tho

4:41 Cassandra: fuck off

Everybody

4:41 Johanna: How is Vesper? I haven’t heard much from her. I know most of the activities at your new school are probably geared towards parents and not older siblings.

4:42 Cassandra: it’s not my new school, I’m just looking into it.

4:42 Cassandra: and vesper’s fine, she’s stealing all the hot water to take an eight hour bath like usual.

    Vesper was actually reading a book.

    She was leaning over the side of the irritatingly small hotel tub to do it - she wasn’t going to risk dropping it in the water. It was a fairly thick volume she’d bought from the local history museum. It professed to be written by an archaeologist, Dr. Hearne, who had done a great deal of research into the city. Coincidentally, a lot of Whitestone history was tied up in de Rolos.

    It was very difficult reading, and Vesper hadn’t gotten very far into it. It didn’t help that her mind kept wandering back to a different book, or making her think she’d spotted the Briarwood’s name written somewhere.

    Even across the country, days after Julius had dropped that particular bomb, Vesper kept thinking about them. She’d thought coming with Cassandra might help, but even knowing she was far removed from them didn’t stop her from worrying. Who knew what might happen to Julius, or her mother and father? What if something did happen while she was gone?

    Vesper had taken to waiting until Cassandra was asleep and going out to explore the town, to prevent waking her up with any dreams she might have. She’d been taking naps during the day while she could, but even those short rests only plagued her with the image of Sylas standing over a prone Percy. It was lucky they were only in Whitestone for five days, Vesper reflected. Even if it put her back in Emon far too soon, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep up the sleepless routine. Even with one more night to go, she was exhausted.

    The lukewarm bath (she’d been in there a while) was making her sleepy, too. With a snort, Vesper finally put down the book. She didn’t bother to mark her place. She hadn’t absorbed one word in ten, and the ones her brain had actually registered it hadn’t spared the energy to try and understand.

    “Are you done?” Cassandra’s voice at the door surprised her. “I have to brush my teeth.”

    “One second!” Vesper yanked the shower curtain shut. “Oh - can you put this book on the counter? I feel like if I leave it on the floor it’s going to get wet or stepped on. Or both.”

    “Sure.”

    Vesper stuck her hand around from around the curtain, and a moment later the book was removed from it. She sank down into the water, careless of how wet her hair was getting. Cassandra rustled around by the sink. Vesper could see a faint shadow of her through the shower curtain.

    “There’s some breakfast thing tomorrow at Desnay,” Cassandra said. From the sound of it, her toothbrush was already in her mouth. “I don’t really want to go, but it leads into a professor talk thing, and I want to see what the English department is like. Do you know when our flight home is?”

    “Uh-” Vesper wracked her brains. “I don’t recall. It’s on the tickets.”

    “The tickets we don’t have?”

    “Don’t be rude. I printed them out already.” Vesper rubbed a hand over her face. “They’re next to my computer.”

    “Okay.” The door creaked open, and Cassandra’s soft footsteps retreated. Vesper leaned forward, ran cold water from the faucet until it was frigid, and splashed it over her face. “I don’t see them!”

    “The papers next to the computer!” Or maybe she’d put them away. Vesper couldn’t quite remember, now that she tried. She sank further down into the water, trying to think. She’d definitely printed them out yesterday.

    Cassandra didn’t say anything else, though, so she must have found them. She came back in the bathroom. Vesper stared at the surface of the water without really seeing it.

    Cassandra threw the door shut as she left, and then called “Shit, sorry!” through it as it slammed. Vesper jerked awake. She hadn’t even realized she’d been nodding off.

    This was going to be a problem.

    When Vesper had fallen into bed, intending to pretend to read her book some more, Cassandra crawled in next to her.

    “What are you doing?” Vesper reflexively rolled over to make space.

    “I get too cold alone,” Cassandra said, as if it were obvious. “The blankets get all chilly during the day.”

    “We can turn up the temperature.”

    “Yes, but then I wake up sweaty.” Cassandra yanked the blankets up until the bottom edge came untucked, then shuffled around until she was ninety percent enclosed in a blanket burrito. “Vesper c’mon, either let me have that half or get down here next to me.”

    “You’re going to bed now?”

    “Yes. I’m tired.”

    Sighing, Vesper reached over Cassandra to put her book down. “Alright.”

    She couldn’t imagine that the night could end well, but if Cassandra wanted to, that was her decision.

secret intervention chat

7:01 Cassandra: i have made a discovery

7:01 Cassandra: which is that vesper has no control while asleep

7:01 Cassandra: unrelated but i have to pee but i can’t get up because someone is literally holding me in a death grip

7:01 Whitney: sounds abt right

7:02 Oliver: you couldn’t spring for a hotel room with two beds?

7:02 Cassandra: we did but i was doing an experiment

7:02 Cassandra: i don’t think Vesper’s been sleeping much since we came out here

7:02 Cassandra: i thought company might help.

7:03 Whitney: i’ve shared a bed with vesper a couple times and she always does that

7:03 Whitney: at least she doesn’t kick

7:03 Oliver: why would you and vesper share a bed?

7:03 Whitney: like you never crawled into Percy’s bed when you were little and shared a room with him?

7:03 Oliver: i still think we should’ve had separate rooms

7:04 Cassandra: sharing rooms was an experiment in teaching the older siblings basic child handling skills and i stand by that despite what mother says about making us get along

7:04 Cassandra: julius only escaped temporarily bc he was the oldest & top of the hierarchy

7:04 Whitney: uh, and you

7:04 Cassandra: yeah bc ludwig was already sharing with julius. there’s an uneven number of children in this family, someone was gonna get their own.

7:04 Cassandra: also im the best

7:04 Whitney: >:P

    Vesper slept in, the flight was long and boring, and once they left the airport in Emon it was muggy and so humid Vesper felt as though someone had thrown a wet towel at her face. It was, then, with a rush of relief that she spotted Julius, waving out the window of his car.

    “You two are late,” he said, getting out and coming around to the curb as Cassandra hurried over. She shoved her suitcase at him and practically dove into the air-conditioned backseat.

    “There was a storm over the Cliffkeep mountains that delayed us,” Vesper said. “We’re lucky we weren’t later.”

    “Did the college run you ragged with informative activities? You look tired.”

    “There was a lot to see in the city, that’s all.” Vesper had slept very deeply the night before, as a matter of fact, but she didn’t remark on it to Julius in case he asked how the other nights had gone.

    “Well, tell me about it.” In tandem, Julius and Vesper walked around the car and slid into the front two seats. “I haven’t been to Whitestone since I was one and a half, and I doubt that counts.”

    “It was cold,” Cassandra supplied. “Middle of summer, and it barely gets above fifty. It’s terrible.”

    “Lucky you won’t be there during the summer, then,” Julius laughed. “And how was its history business?”

    “Profitable,” Vesper said. “For both sides, I think. I probably could have spent more time on it than I did, but after a certain point it just gets dense and academic. You know.”

    “That sums up my entire college career.”

    “You’re being really encouraging,” Cassandra said sarcastically. Julius only laughed again and pulled out onto the street.

    Vesper leaned against the door and watched the scenery of Emon go by. There wasn’t much of it, especially just outside an airport, but she’d flown so much for work and family travel that it was at the very least familiar. It was always comforting to be a place she recognized.

    Cassandra leaned forward to bug Julius and turn on the radio; Julius batted her hand away and told her to sit back down, but did turn it on. The Golden Grin was playing a fast-paced, cheerful song which Vesper didn’t recognize. It was surprisingly good, given the kinds of songs that usually were most popular on public radio (in Vesper’s opinion, at least). She felt a flicker of disappointment when it changed over to a more modern, synthesized-sounding song. Using electronic instruments was very different from too much autotune, she reflected, and some people didn’t know how to get away from the latter.

    They drove through downtown on the way to Vesper’s apartment, meaning that they passed the building where the de Rolo business was run. Vesper caught a glimpse of it behind another skyscraper as they crossed a bridge over one of the many Ozmit waterways which wound through the city. Even a glimpse was enough to make her wonder - were the Briarwoods there now?

    Vesper shivered. Julius glanced over, and turned down the air conditioning.

    Percy texted Vesper near-incessantly as the end of the week and the Ren Faire drew closer, asking if she was very sure that she had everything in order, and reminding her where they were going to be, and who was driving and who was coming, and yes he was sure it would take all day. Very sure. He’d done this before, thank you Vesper. And was she sure she didn’t want to show him her costume beforehand?

    Vesper didn’t mind it. It helped take her mind off other matters, at least while the conversations were happening. She’d initiated several such conversations on Grissen after calling in sick to work, struck with fear at the thought that she might end up in the same building as the Briarwoods. Or, gods forbid, physically run into them.

    She could take that long off easily enough. It was a Grissen - nobody wanted to come back to work after the weekend.

    She thought Percy might have noticed, since she’d asked questions he’d already anticipated and given her answers to. But then he’d sent her a picture of a project he was working on, a fancy custom belt to hold his prop rapier, and she knew he’d probably barely recognized that she was texting him and not Julius or Vex, the other two guests for the venture.  

    Julius had texted Vex about it several times as well, also asking what she was going to do. He had taken Percy’s suggestion ages ago and was talking to a woman he called ‘absolutely lovely’ about what sounded mostly like a Princess Bride cosplay. Vesper had seen some previews. Julius liked to take pictures of himself. On Whelsen, the second day Vesper called in sick, he’d sent her a mirror selfie of himself in a billowy white shirt and a wide grin.

    The day after that, Vesper called in sick again.

    It wasn’t a lie, she reasoned with herself, if the thought of going in really did make her feel sick to her stomach. But when Julius showed up at her door, she didn’t feel sick, she felt like a deer in the headlights.

    “You look tired,” Julius commented, strolling past her and inside. Vesper let him. Slowly, she closed the door.

    “Yes,” she said, because that seemed like a relatively neutral answer. Julius didn’t say anything, just looked at her as she slowly joined him in the living room.

    “Other than that, you seem okay,” Julius said pointedly. Vesper looked at the floor. “What’s this about? It’s really unlike you.”

    “I-” What could she say? It all sounded so fantastical, when she was in her own world. There wasn’t a guarantee that these Briarwoods were anything like the one she’d met.

    “If you’re having trouble with a project, you could have asked someone for help.”

    “It’s not that.”

    “Then why fake call out sick three days in a row?” Julius took a step closer. “You don’t have to keep secrets all the time, Vesper.”

    Vesper scoffed. “I’m not ‘keeping secrets’. I just-” Words failed her. Julius waited longer than necessary, in pointed silence, for her to finish.

    “Thought pretending to be sick was a good idea?” Julius finished for her.

    “You sound like you’re here to pick a fight.”

    “I’m not! I just don’t know what’s going on with you.”

    “You don’t need to.”

    “I’m worried about you,” Julius protested. “But if you want to prove me wrong, go ahead. I’ll see you at work tomorrow.”

    Vesper didn’t know what kind of expression went across her own face, but Julius’s immediately changed from irritation to concern.

    “Vesper-?”

    “I can’t,” Vesper whispered. Her throat felt tight. What if the Briarwoods were there when she went in? “Julius, please, I can’t.”

    “Why not?” Julius came closer. Vesper sat down on the arm of the sofa, trying to get some space. “Did something happen?”

    To Vesper’s irritation, she felt tears welling up. Why did she have to react so strongly to even the idea of seeing them? She pressed a hand over her eyes, turning away from Julius.

    “Oh, don’t - is it that bad?” Julius sank onto the sofa next to her, and gently pulled Vesper down so she was on the actual cushions.

    “It’s not-” Vesper swiped furiously at her eyes. “Gods. I don’t - I don’t know why I’m doing this.” Her voice wobbled in a supremely undignified way.

    “It’s fine,” Julius promised. “I’m not gonna get mad at you for getting emotional, jeez. But what’s this about?”

    Vesper sniffed. “I don’t want to go in,” she admitted quietly, hands still pressed over her face. “Ever since you mentioned the Briarwoods-”

    “What about them?” Julius sounded bewildered. “You’ve never met them.”

    “Not here!” Vesper laughed, but it came out sounding closer to a sob than she would have liked. She could almost smell the gunpowder, and the smoke from the fire that had torched three trees before the rain had put it out. Julius put an arm over her shoulders, leaning in close to her.

    “Where, then?”

    “The other place. While I was gone.”

    “... Other Briarwoods?” Julius’s voice sounded incredulous, but the next thing out of his mouth was, “How can you be sure they’re the same kind of person?”

    “I don’t know.” Vesper shook her head, finally putting her hands down. Her palms were wet. “But I can’t - I don’t-”

    “Did they do something to you?”

    Vesper shook her head again, but the story of the de Rolos of that world was in her head now. Was it a lie to say that Sylas had done nothing to her? “Not me. But-” Oh, she didn’t even want to say it. “I need a moment.”

    “Sure.” Julius took his arm away.

    Vesper fled to her room.

Everybody

11:32 Julius: I am not in trouble but i need help idk what to do

11:32 Julius: Family meeting I’m calling a family meeting over chat

11:33 Whitney: o shit

11:34 Fredrick: What’s wrong?

11:34 Whitney: no punctuation from Julius!

11:34 Julius: Is everybody here?

11:34 Fredrick: Your mother’s with me “irl”

11:34 Ludwig: yeah

11:34 Whitney: oliver’s in class give him a sec

11:34 Cassandra: what happened

11:35 Percy: Has anything been broken and/or is someone bleeding?

11:35 Oliver: Wow real worst case scenario

11:35 Julius: Well SOMETHING’S up with Vesper!

11:35 Fredrick: What??

11:35 Fredrick: (This is mom)

11:35 Fredrick: Is this related to the work absences?

11:35 Oliver: What work absences?

11:35 Julius: Yes

11:35 Julius: Okay for those of you who don’t know, Vesper called in fake-sick for the last three days

11:35 Julius: I’m at Vesper’s right now b/c I came over to see what was going on.

11:35 Fredrick: She’s not really sick?

11:35 Oliver: is this worth a family meeting for

11:35 Oliver: Im missing a lecture

11:35 Julius: YES

11:35 Percy: I hate to agree with Oliver, but...

11:35 Julius: I don’t even understand what’s going on but Vesper’s really upset

11:35 Percy: I was in the middle of a time-sensitive project.

11:35 Percy: oh.

11:35 Fredrick: Over what?

11:35 Julius: Oh boy let me see if I can explain

11:36 Julius: I don’t know if I understand everything

11:36 Julius: As far as I can piece together, it goes something like: Vesper goes missing to this other place. While there, she somehow runs into a couple by the name of Briarwood, who a couple days ago she realizes also exist here. The other Briarwoods are terrible enough that Vesper is driven to tears at the mere thought of running into them at work.

11:37 Cassandra: oh my god

11:37 Percy: You’re kidding. She’s met alternate versions of them?

11:37 Fredrick: Is Vesper okay, right now? (mom)

11:37 Julius: She went back to her room for a minute of privacy

11:37 Julius: I don’t know what to do. She seems really frightened of these people.

11:37 Percy: Can we address the subject of alternate selves???

11:37 Fredrick: AFTER Vesper.

11:37 Whitney: What did they DO??

11:37 Julius: I don’t know, Vesper wouldn’t say.

11:37 Julius: She didn’t even say they did ANYTHING but I’ve never seen her look so scared before and I’m beginning to get a little freaked out on her behalf

11:38 Fredrick: Alright, first of all, you stay calm. Sympathetic anxiety won’t help.

11:38 Fredrick: Second, what exactly did Vesper say?

11:38 Julius: Not much.

11:38 Julius: Which is par for the course for her, but I didn’t know she was keeping the lid on stuff that bothered her this much.

11:38 Oliver: how bad would u say she thought the Briarwoods were?

11:38 Vesper: Pretty bad.

    Vesper watched, unsurprised, as the conversation halted abruptly. Few typing bubbles popped up, and if they did they vanished after a second.

    She stared at her phone, uncertain, before sighing and sending another message.

Everybody

11:40 Vesper: I don’t really want to talk about them but I guess I could do it like this if you really want me to.

11:40 Fredrick: I think it sounds like sharing the problem might take a load off your shoulders.

11:40 Fredrick: How are you feeling?

11:40 Vesper: I don’t want to answer that

11:40 Fredrick: Do you mind explaining the Briarwood problem, then?

11:40 Vesper: yes

11:40 Vesper: But I think the explanation is going to need some explanation

11:40 Cassandra: how do you mean

11:40 Vesper: I still don’t want to say it

11:41 Vesper: There’s this book I brought back with me from when I was gone

11:41 Vesper: It’s about a group of people named Vox Machina who found out about what the Briarwoods had done

11:41 Vesper: So there’s a small section in the book that explains it.

11:41 Percy: You brought things back with you from there?

11:41 Vesper: yes

11:41 Cassandra: but we knew that, percy, vesper told us about the watch

11:41 Percy: What watch?

11:41 Cassandra: oh just read the backlog

11:41 Vesper: The thing about Vox Machina is that the Briarwoods weren’t the only people I met who I know are also here

11:41 Vesper: So the names are familiar.

11:41 Vesper: Just to let you know.

11:41 Whitney: famous people familiar, like the sovereign? or friends of ours familiar?

    Vesper closed her eyes, and put down her phone instead of answering.

    She got up, and went into her closet, and pulled down the box she’d only touched rarely since her return. It had been gotten down a day or so ago, so she could take out the clothes in preparation for the trip at the end of the week. But she picked up Scanlan’s book for the first time since she’d placed it into the box, months ago.

    She held it for a moment, staring at the cover. It was a little dusty. She knew which page to turn to, but she didn’t yet. Her phone buzzed once, then twice, then three times.

    Vesper placed the book gingerly on her desk, like it was made of glass. She turned on her desk light, because she hadn’t flipped the lightswitch when she came in and the window only provided a little greyish light from the overcast sky outside. She didn’t want to have to take pictures more than once in case the first ones were unreadable.

    Vesper turned to the right pages.

    She snapped the pictures as quickly as she could. She did not take one of the Briarwoods' portrait.

Everybody

11:41 Ludwig: yeah Vesper totally ran into my friend Jeff while she was in a different dimension. brilliant.

11:41 Fredrick: Hey. Remember the family meeting rules.

11:41 Percy: Seriously though, how familiar?

11:42 Vesper sent an image.

11:42 Vesper sent an image.

IMG_810.png

Chapter 24: The Feast

    It was after our return from the city of Vasselheim and our various tasks there that our fates began to turn towards the darker corners of the world. Though we had only just arrived back in Emon, Sovereign Uriel and the Council requested that we be present for a feast that was to be held in honor of a few diplomatic guests who were soon arriving in order that they might cement ties between the Sovereign and themselves. They were the Lord and Lady of Whitestone - Sylas and Delilah Briarwood.

We quickly realized that one of our company, Percival, knew more of them than what we had been told. It was equally obvious that whatever he knew distressed him greatly. His discomfort even at the mention of the names of the Briarwoods had been noted by others as well - specifically, Seeker Assum, who was the one to extend his invitation. He claimed to have his own reservations about the duo, and wished for us to aid him in certain plans to be enacted during or after the feast which required our attendance. But Assum left quickly, leaving us to only wonder.

    It took the five of us (five as we were down Tiberius, who at that time was still part of the team, and Pike, who had remained in Vasselheim) cornering Percy in his workshop where he had sequestered himself to learn the full story. There we heard of the horrors the Briarwoods had perpetrated in Whitestone, and on Percy’s family.

    Percy, we learned, came from a large family of six siblings, none of whom we had ever heard mention of (let alone the names of) before. His family had in fact possessed the Lordship of Whitestone since its founding, up until the title had passed to the Briarwoods. But the Briarwoods claimed, when questioned by us later, that the de Rolos had fallen ill and given them their title. Percy told a different story.

    Approximately five years before we learned of any of this, the Briarwoods arrived in Whitestone posing as disadvantaged travelers of some repute, and gained admittance to Castle Whitestone, where at the time Percy’s family still reigned. While the family slept that night, the Briarwoods let their men into the castle and gathered the traitors they had won to their side from among the castle guard and staff.

The de Rolos were murdered, except for Percy, who confesses not to know any reason on their part for sparing him from death. Mercy was an unlikely motive. He was locked in his own castle’s dungeons, left to the indelicate hands and selfish interests of one Doctor Anna Ripley, an ally of the Briarwoods’ who we would come to confront and deal with in our own time.

IMG_811.png

    As for Percy, he might not have ever escaped if not for a stroke of luck. His youngest sister, Cassandra, using her knowledge of the castle’s secret passages, had managed to escape and hide for over a week. The luck came in the form of some scrap of knowledge making its way to her that one brother was still alive. Cassandra managed to free Percy from his cell, and they escaped the castle through a secret way which she knew of that led out of the dungeons and into the Parchwood Timberlands which surrounded the city.

    But Cassandra would never join Percy on the journey which eventually brought him to join forces with Vox Machina. The pair were pursued through the Parchwood by the Briarwood’s thugs. Before they could reach safety, Cassandra fell to their arrows. Percy professes, upon my questioning him as I write this, that he does not quite remember how he fled from there; but that he did flee, by himself, and eventually reached some kind of safety. I have never heard him speak of what he did in the years separating his flight and our discovery of him in the Umbra Hills, except the occasional reference to a fishing boat.  

    The largest mark which had been left on Percy’s life was, of course, his craft. Percy’s guns, which at that time were still rare and strange, had become the norm to us. But he revealed to us details which we had not noticed before, worked into his pepperbox (which he soon after began to call The List) years before when he first built it. Five of the six barrels were engraved and named - two for the Briarwoods, one for Doctor Ripley, and the other two for the worst offenders among those who had fought on the Briarwoods’ side that night.

    Upon learning the whole of the tale, the rest of us were shocked, as Percy had always been a quiet soul up until that point and never given any indication of the tragedy which had rocked his life. We immediately fell to planning how we might be able to aid him in rectifying the situation.

Everybody

12:00 Percy: I feel ill.

    Vesper’s door creaked open. She looked up with a start. Julius came in, collapsed onto the bed next to her, and gave her probably the tightest hug she’d ever gotten in her life.

    “Saints and Champions, Vesper,” he said. He was mumbling into her shoulder, and didn’t seem to care that it was jamming into his cheekbone, or that she wasn’t hugging back. “You’ve been sitting on this all this time?”

    “Should I have brought it up at a family picnic?” Vesper joked weakly. Julius huffed, but it didn’t sound much like a laugh.

    “No wonder you’re scared.” He lifted his head far enough to prop his chin on her shoulder, without letting go of her. “Is this what you have such bad dreams about?”

    “Sometimes,” Vesper admitted quietly. She wouldn’t deny that her brain wandered to terrible places when it was dark and quiet enough. She’d read some internet articles about intrusive thoughts, but those didn’t seem like quite the right word for it.

    “Honestly, now I’m going to be keeping a tighter eye on the Briarwoods than usual.” Julius finally let go, but he didn’t stop leaning against her. “That’s not an image that’s going to leave my head anytime soon.”

    “No.” No, it wouldn’t.

    Vesper’s phone buzzed in tandem with Julius’s, still in his pocket. He shuffled and took it out, then glanced at Vesper.

    “Do you want to stop this conversation, or-?”

    “I might as well do it all at once,” Vesper sighed, and craned her neck to see what new message had popped up.

Everybody

12:02 Cassandra: i feel less jealous abt you getting to see magic while u were gone if it came with this

12:03 Fredrick: Is that all the book says?

12:03 Vesper: I was told later that their Cassandra was still alive, but I don’t know much else.

12:03 Vesper: I never saw Whitestone.

12:03 Vesper: I did see a picture of their Cassandra.

12:03 Cassandra: post it?

12:03 Cassandra: if you have it too

    Vesper leaned back against her headboard so Julius couldn’t see what she was doing. She still had the pictures of the other Vex’s locket, and it was short work to take a zoomed-in screenshot.

Everybody

12:04 Vesper sent an image.

12:04 Vesper: Going off what I figured out there, this would’ve been done when she was in her thirties.

12:04 Whitney: Oh wow

12:04 Percy: No picture of ‘me’?

12:04 Vesper: No.

12:04 Vesper: He was doing the drawing.

12:04 Percy: Oh!

12:04 Percy: Vex says ‘my’ artistic talent is very good.

12:04 Ludwig: Vex is in the family meeting?

12:04 Percy: Why not? Also I was in the middle of something with her when it was called.

12:05 Whitney: We should put her in this chat sometime.

12:05 Percy: Vex says she’s good.

12:06 Oliver: are we going to just change the subject for good or.

12:06 Oliver: i dont think i really want to not change it but i’d like to know

12:06 Fredrick: I think we can set aside the book for now.

12:06 Fredrick: There’s no reason for the Briarwoods we’ve met to be like these Briarwoods.

12:06 Vesper: The similarity of one Percy to another begs to differ.

12:07 Percy: How similar?!

12:07 Ludwig: whoa an stray !

12:07 Ludwig: calm urself percy

12:07 Julius: Vesper keeps making faces to herself and deleting whatever she’s typing. I don’t know what this means.

12:07 Julius: But I’m not sure it bodes well for Percy.

12:07 Percy: I’ll live.

12:09 Vesper: Different enough to be explained by very different life experiences, but similar enough that it was weird. Voice & mannerisms were really similar, but obviously a whole different world was going to result in someone with different knowledge and sense of style. Also I did see him do magic once and I’m pretty sure you can’t do that.

12:09 Vesper: And the faces were because of phrasing difficulties.

12:09 Whitney: when you say stule differences do u mean worse or better

12:09 Whitney: *style

12:09 Vesper: Very Regency.

12:09 Cassandra: HA

12:09 Percy: Bold laughter from someone with a portrait done very clearly while wearing a Regency style dress

12:09 Cassandra: but u recognize the style? hmm

12:09 Percy: Ren Faire.

12:09 Percy: Speaking of which, is there any chance that Vesper’s costume mystery is related to the current mystery being explained?

12:10 Vesper: Maybe.

12:10 Vesper: You can see it on Friday.

12:10 Fredrick: Your mother wants to know if we can see the interdimensional pocket watch.

12:10 Vesper: Why not?

    Julius sat up with interest when Vesper got up to retrieve her purse. He followed her back out of her room, and leaned over her shoulder as she dug through it.

    “You know I’m going to take it out of the purse, right? You don’t need to look into the pocket?”

    “I want to,” Julius said. Vesper rolled her eyes and handed him the watch. He snatched it up with glee, immediately popping it open. “Aw, the time’s wrong.”

    “Don’t change it. I think it’s still on their time.”

    Julius cast her an interested look, then closed the watch again to look it over. “Fancy,” he commented.

    “I’ve noticed.” Vesper picked up her phone again when it buzzed.

Everybody

12:12 Fredrick: May I ask a serious question?

12:12 Vesper: It’s a family meeting.

12:12 Fredrick: Are you worried about something like this happening to us?

    Vesper’s stomach twisted even considering the thought.

Everybody

12:13 Vesper: I wouldn’t have considered it if I didn’t know the Briarwoods were here.

12:13 Vesper: Maybe just keep an eye on them.

12:13 Fredrick: You know we’re perfectly safe, Vesper. The building has a lot of security and so do all our living spaces.

12:13 Vesper: I know.

    But it was the Briarwoods. And Vesper had the drawing of castle Whitestone. It had guards, a gate, strong walls and tall towers. That hadn’t stopped what had happened from happening.

Everybody

12:14 Julius: On another subject

12:14 Julius: Watch pros: cool as hell

12:14 Julius: Watch cons: The family crest is on the front and it’s got one too many stars and it’s bothering me.

Chapter Text

Vesper didn’t see the letter that had appeared on her desk until after Julius had gone.

    It was lucky it hadn’t appeared while he was still in her room, she reflected, picking it up. That would have provoked even more questions than she’d already answered. And there were some things she felt that she would like to keep a personal matter, and not a family one.

    The seal was a deep gold color, instead of the blue as usual. Perhaps they’d run out of blue. Vesper paused in the act of sliding a finger under the flap of the envelope to pry it open.

    The letters could come to her. She’d been sending them back. She’d seen the methods Vox Machina employed against the Briarwoods. Perhaps-

    Tossing the letter to the side without opening it, Vesper hurried to take out some blank paper. She’d begun keeping a packet of printer paper in her desk drawer, just to have it on hand. She fumbled for a pen out of the cup next to her desk light, and barely remembered to sit down before setting pen to paper.

    It was a long chance - but better to take it and be denied than to wonder forever if there was help she could have received and never gotten.

Father

9:03 Are you coming in today?

I don’t think so 9:05

9:05 Okay

9:05 Don’t get too deep into your own thoughts.

I won’t. 9:06

Percy

2:04 Hey, Vesper.

2:04 Given recent events, is it okay if we push

        back Ren Faire dates?

2:04 Vex is okay with rescheduling, but she’ll

        have to come a little later, so I would

        be driving with you and Julius.

Pushing back to when? 2:07

2:07 Just a couple days. End of the weekend.

2:07 That’s the only time I can get tickets for.

Sure. 2:08

See you then. 2:08

    Vesper felt exceedingly awkward, sitting around in her apartment already dressed for the Faire and waiting to be picked up.

    Normally she would be waiting in the lobby, but she didn’t feel quite self-confident enough for that. At least if Julius or Percy came in, she wouldn’t be alone in looking a little silly. Vesper tugged at her skirts for the sixth time in the last ten minutes. It had been more difficult than she’d expected to do the ties on all the underskirts, and she hadn’t managed to make the knot on the sash as neat as Amani had done it. But the dress was clean, at least. She hadn’t yet decided whether to bring the cloak or not. She might not need it, but it did look very cool when combined with everything else.

    Except for maybe the sneakers. She’d debated for a long time about the soft leather shoes, but eventually practicality won out. Percy had warned her about wearing things that were comfortable, after all.

    And she’d packed everything necessary, of course. Vesper slipped her hand into her purse and, not for the first nor the last time, fingered the edge of the letter Scanlan had sent in reply to her last, hurried one. Given its contents, she liked to keep it on hand, just in case.

    When her buzzer finally rang, Vesper fairly leaped up from her seat, distracted from thoughts of whether or not she had enough snacks and if her water bottle was going to stay cold. She pressed the reply button. “Julius?”

    “Wrong brother,” came Percy’s voice, made crackly by the speaker. “Julius is driving so he stayed in the car. Are you ready?”

    “Of course I am. I’ll meet you downstairs in a second.”

    Vesper made one last check that she had everything she needed before hurrying into the elevator. Percy was waiting just outside the lobby doors, and as soon as the doors opened he looked her up and down.

    “I hope the dress meets your standards,” Vesper said, knocking him gently in the shoulder with a closed fist as she stepped out. “Don’t we have somewhere to be?”

    “Sure. Here, I can take that.” Percy tugged at the cloak she’d draped over one arm. Vesper let him have it as they headed towards the doors. “Is this real fur?”

    “You know, I don’t actually know.” Vesper was inclined to think it was, but she wasn’t going to say that. “Also, you look good.”

    “Thanks. Some of it is still in the car. I didn’t want your doorman to see me in the whole getup.” Percy had on a dark blue shirt under a long patterned vest, and lighter brown pants which were tucked into boots much shorter and less black than the Percy Vesper had encountered while she was away. An elaborate belt which looked to have hooks and loops for a great many missing attachments sat on his waist.

“No sword?” Vesper questioned.

“I definitely left that in the car.”

Vesper grimaced as they emerged onto the sidewalk and the sunlight hit her. She’d be sweating by the end of the day, that was for sure. Luckily the heavier overdress was shorter and didn’t have sleeves.

Julius was sitting at the curb, grinning at them from the driver’s seat. Vesper darted down the stairs, Percy close at her heels once he realized what she was doing, and rounded the car to fling herself into the passenger seat before Percy could catch up.

“Vesper, come on,” Percy complained, standing outside the door. “I was sitting there.”

“Too bad.” Vesper grinned at Julius.

“I need the legroom! You’re short, you can go in the back just fine.”

“I’m older, though.” Vesper turned back to give him an imperious look.

“Just stretch out sideways on the seat,” Julius said. “Time’s a-wasting, Percy!”

Grumbling, Percy got in the backseat. Vesper slid her seat back and felt his knees hit the back of it. “Vesper!”

Laughing, Vesper put her seat back where it was supposed to be. When she glanced over her shoulder, she could see Percy’s pile of other stuff. The prop sword, in its fancy sheath, was set on top of a miscellaneous pile of folded-up things that she couldn’t guess the nature of.

“Carry your own stuff, while you’re at it,” Percy said, dumping the cloak over the back of Vesper’s seat and onto her lap.

“Percy!” Vesper raised her arms to protect her hair. “This braid took a long time to do!” Doing crown braids by herself was exhausting. Her forearms still ached from the odd position they’d been held in for so long.

“Don’t be mean, then.”

“This always happens when just the three of us get together,” Julius said speculatively, and pulled out into traffic.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Percy leaned forward so his head was level with the gap between the front seats.

“Put your seatbelt on, doofus.”

Julius was dressed more elaborately than Vesper had seen previews of, which she realized once she paid attention to his clothes. Over the flowing shirt he had a green doublet, with a tree in lighter green outlined over his heart. However, he also looked like he was wearing regular dress pants, and his old school backpack was stuffed into the foot well in front of the middle backseat.

“So what’s the schedule like?” Vesper asked, leaning around the side of her seat to look at Percy. “Texting and lots of anxious questions from you about whether we’re ready only tells me so much.”

“I sent you the link to their site, didn’t I?” Percy had shuffled around so his feet were sticking into the space just behind Julius’ seat.

“Yeah, but that was a lot of promotional stuff. Talking about how we’ll be transported into the days of Sovereign Odellan the First once we pass the gates, and stuff like that.”

“They probably have a schedule of events at the gates.” Percy scratched his chin. He looked like he’d skipped out on shaving in order to get a more rugged look. “There are a lot of small shows that go on, and of course the joust. There’s five or six stages for performances in addition to the arena. But those aren’t always at the same time every year. They reschedule to make the whole thing more cohesive, you know. And there are smaller shows that kind of wander the streets.”

“This is personally fascinating,” Julius said. “What do they do while they wander?”

“Dance, or duel, usually. Sometimes individual entertainments are just a person or handful of people sitting under a tree.” Percy shrugged, leaning against the door. “I can’t name all of them. You’ll see when we get there, and you can decide what you like.”

“I don’t want to decide what I like, I’m just curious,” Vesper said. “I don’t know if I should expect lots of people dressed like Julius, or people carrying around swords, or what.”

“There are usually a fair amount in armor, but that’s mostly in the joust, unless some guest’s gotten very into the whole thing.”

“What, really?” Julius exclaimed. “Real armor?”

“If by ‘real’ you mean the old-fashioned knight’s suits, then yes.”

“The time and energy people must spend on this,” Julius mused. “Alright, I’m fully prepared to be outclassed by everyone I meet, costume-wise. Well done.”

“I wouldn’t go that far,” Percy said.

“How far would you go?”

“Well, some people won’t be dressed up at all.”

“Oh, very funny,” Julius said sarcastically, as Vesper failed to stifle a snort. “Let’s get there and then we’ll see.”

The ride was long enough that Julius got the idea to break out old family roadtrip songs, a subject upon which he was roundly shouted down. The radio, when they turned it on to drown him out, had a tendency to encounter static when they changed from station to station that increased the further they got away from Emon. By the time Julius pulled into the wide dirt parking lot, Vesper had rolled up the sleeves of her dress and was wishing she hadn’t brought the cloak, since there was no chance she’d ever want to put it on.

She didn’t leave it in the car, though she did shake her skirts to stir up some kind of breeze underneath while Percy put on the rest of his costume. The sword attached easily to the left side of the belt, while the right held an elaborate setup of pouches. He also produced a hat which Vesper hadn’t noticed before, with a wide brim curled up on one side with a sword-shaped pin to fasten it. A second one, with the brim also flattened to the hat part on one side to hold a long red feather, was produced for Julius.

“Don’t you both look dashing,” Vesper said, as Julius adjusted the hat’s fit.

“Technically, you should have something too,” Percy said. “But women’s wear is more along the lines of some kind of hair veil with a circlet to hold it in place.”

“And hide this braid? Never.”

Percy breezed through their entry into the fair with ease that spoke of many, many previous visits. Almost as soon as they’d set foot inside the tall, surprisingly realistic wooden gates, someone called out, “Percy!”

A young woman rushed up, skirts hiked out of the way. She was wearing a sword, too, and a small feathered cap tilted at a rakish angle. The way it sat on her hair, it had to be pinned on, or else her speed would have sent it flying.

“You’re late,” the woman said, slapping Percy on the shoulder. “You were supposed to be here two days ago!”

“Sorry,” Percy said, not seeming at all surprised by her. “Family business came up, or else I would’ve stuck with coming then. Oh, this is Vesper and Julius. Vesper and Julius, this is Ada.”

“Hail and well met,” Ada said, pumping Julius’ hand when he offered it. “You’d be the older siblings, then.”

“Old est, ” Julius replied, “as far as brothers and sisters go. Nice hat.”

“Thanks!” Ada turned to Vesper, but instead of shaking her hand bowed over it to kiss the back. Vesper flushed deeply.

“Ada,” Percy said warningly.

“What? I’m being polite. It’s the fourth century in here, not the ninth.” Ada straightened with a wink. Vesper wasn’t sure which of them it was directed towards. Percy rolled his eyes. “Anyway, I’ve got to find where Fen got to because we’ve got a duel in ten minutes, but you’d better come and see me before the joust starts!” She rushed off as quickly as she had come.

Julius leaned in towards Vesper and whispered, “You are bright red.” Vesper punched him in the shoulder. “Ow!”

“People here tend to be a little...forward, sometimes,” Percy said. “Ada just likes to be flirty because it’s part of her duel script.”

“Aw, it’s written and choreographed?” Julius sounded disappointed.

“Don’t react like that before you’ve seen it.” Percy glanced around at the various places where the roads split off from the main one, then pointed up the leftmost way. “Let’s go that way. We can go over the bridge and into the shops area, and then down towards where all the performers are.”

Julius linked an arm through Vesper’s as Percy strode off with them in tow. “I think we’re discovering a completely new side to Percy.”

“I for one am in favor of seeing who else he knows here,” Vesper said, trying to force her cheeks to cool down. “Now come on, before he leaves us in the dust.”

The Faire was actually pretty dusty. The summer had been dry, and the roads were dirt packed down from the trampling of many feet. Any grass that survived was grouped close around the bases of the trees that lined the avenues. Vesper and Julius managed to stick together with their linked arms, and Julius quickly snagged Percy’s as well so they didn’t lose him.

The pond was a fairly sizeable pond, with a wooden footbridge leading over it. Across it, further along the road, was a pirate ship grounded just off the water’s edge. Halfway across the actual bridge was a wooden archway, painted green and entwined with flowers and with a lady in a long green cloak and elf ears lurking underneath.

“Hail and well met, travelers!” She said as they approached. “Would you care to hear the good word of the Wildmother?”

“Hello, Dina,” Percy said, shuffling by her.

“Who’s Dina? I’m the High Priestess of Melora, here at Her shrine! Care to make an offering?” Dina asked Vesper.

“What kind of offering?” Vesper asked.

“Anything you like! As long as nobody throws coins into the pond. It’s a delicate ecosystem.”

Vesper looked at the archway. It was a sort of gateway trellis, and up close the flowers looked pretty fake, if still beautiful.

“I don’t really have anything on me,” she said. “Sorry. I hope Melora understands.”

“Very well,” Dina sighed. “Travelers may always pass - but do not forget this favor!”

“I didn’t know you had priestess here,” Julius said, looking back at the archway with interest as they reached the other end of the bridge.

“There’s usually representatives of the Prime pantheon running around all day,” Percy said. “Apparently in the fourth century after the Divergence, there was something of a race to proselytize and drum up a big revival of faith. And of course, people wanted to establish the Prime pantheon, since they didn’t exist with just their current members until after the Divergence.”

“Makes sense,” Julius mused. “Point out any priests of Pelor you see, just for fun. I’d like to see how that goes.”

As they proceeded across the grounds of the Faire, Percy seemed to know almost everybody. Jewelry sellers and leather workers called out hellos, and more than once Percy stopped to talk and introduce Julius and Vesper. Vesper drifted off during one such conversation to buy a beautiful brass pendant of a radiant sun, which Percy’s friend gave to her at a discount (argued down to only a dollar off - Percy, of the three of them, knew best how difficult metalwork was).

They didn’t see any priests of Pelor - apparently those normally hung out in the Temple Grounds near the Royal Mews, which Vesper took to mean that Percy knew where they were and the location was far away. But they did encounter a knot of laughing priests, mingled Lawbearer devotees among more of those of the Wildmother, while ducking into a shop that sold little “potions” in glass vials, among other trinkets. Vesper glimpsed someone in shockingly familiar flame-blue and yellow vestments, gently preaching the word of Sarenrae to a small audience of people dressed in modern clothing.

“Let’s stop here,” Percy said, as they began to cross an open square (still dirt, like the paths) dotted here and there with small copses of trees. Most of them were populated, people in costume gathered around them for small activities. Vesper saw a woman in strange dress and makeup, weaving a spiderweb out of string. “Ada’s duel is usually somewhere in this area, and she did ask to meet me again before the joust.”

Vesper looked around, but she didn’t see Ada’s bright red skirts anywhere. The square was crowded with people and trees and small buildings or fenced-off yards where people were... “Is that man blacksmithing?”

Percy looked in the direction Vesper pointed out. “Looks like. They’ve usually got at least one. The armorers are back there, if you’d like to buy any.” The latter was said with a wry smile.”

“Boy, you weren’t kidding when you called them reenactors,” Julius laughed. “Let’s sit down for a moment, my feet are killing me already.”

Luckily, there were a few benches scattered around in an unoccupied space for weary Faire-goers to rest a while. Vesper dug a few of her snacks out of her purse, and spent the next ten minutes fending off her brothers’ “wandering” hands while she tried to eat it.

A group of women in twirling skirts wandered by, dancing to the tune of a musician who trailed at the back of the group. They were dressed as brightly as Ada, but carried no swords, only the occasional tambourine.

Vesper was going to ask if Percy was sure they were in the right place, when there came a loud cry of “For shame, you knave!”

There was a loose group of people clustered together, seemingly having an argument. Vesper had skipped over them, and so had missed Ava, standing half hidden in the center. She had shouted at a man standing opposite her, dressed in dark colors and wearing a hat like Percy’s, only with a large plumed feather in black and a half-mask covering the top part of his face.

“Does the lady protest?” The man laughed. “This is not your business, Lady D’Aubigny. Find some trouble to cause elsewhere! I meant merely to-” He reached out towards a third player, another woman in a midnight blue sari. Ada smacked his hand back down.

“Apologize for your transgressions upon this woman, Don Julio,” Ada said imperiously, tilting her head back to look down her nose at him. “You are far too loose in your affections.”

“Is it the lady I have offended, or perhaps yourself?”

Ada unsheathed her rapier with a metallic rasp. “Draw your sword, or apologize.”

Don Julio lost his smile. In one quick movement, his own sword was loosed from its sheath, which was as black as the rest of his outfit. “Do you think this is a challenge you can win, Lady?”

“Do you?” Ada asked, and darted forward with a thrust.

They were good fighters, even if it was choreographed. The woman in the sari called out encouragement, even as she backed away to give the fighters space along with the rest of the watchers. More of a crowd was drawn as the fight progressed; Vesper had to get up and move closer to get a good look. Ada and the mysterious Don Julio exchanged rapid blows, ducking and spinning to avoid each others’.

“Look out!” Cried the sari-ed woman, just as Don Julio stuck out his foot. Ada tripped as she ducked out of the way of a wide swing, and tumbled backwards off her feet.

“Now we shall see who the winner is,” Don Julio cried. He thrust at Ada, but she twisted, trapping the sword between her arm and her chest. She grabbed Don Julio’s hand and twisted, and in the next moment she had his sword and was on her feet again, threatening him with both rapiers.

“Yes,” she said, “we shall.”

Don Julio backed up a step. “We’ll call it a draw,” he offered, smiling nervously.

“I think not-”

“A shame for you, then!” Don Julio turned on his heel and bolted off, weaving through the crowd. Ada made to go after him, but was distracted by the sari-ed woman throwing herself at Ada, profuse with thanks.

Vesper waited until the scene seemed to be wrapping up and most of the audience had drifted off before approaching. Ada spotted her quickly.

“Oh hey, Vesper! What did you think?”

“You’re a good swordswoman,” Vesper said. “I wish my brother hadn’t told me it was choreographed.”

Ada laughed. “Choreography does not a good actor make. Oh, this is Siobhan, by the way.” The woman in the sari, who had at that point let go of Ada, gave Vesper a small wave. Vesper nodded.

“I wasn’t expecting the duel to start in such an understated way,” Vesper admitted. “I figured it would be a stage thing.”

“Isn’t it more fun when there are audience plants?” Ada said cheerfully.

“Makes my job more interesting,” Siobhan commented. “Speaking of, I’m going to go see if I can bribe Lila into braiding my hair like she did the other day.”

“Good luck!” Ada waved her off as Siobhan set off confidently in the opposite way that Don Julio had gone. “You haven’t got a watch on you, do you, Vesper? The joust is at noon and I have no idea how close I’m cutting it.”

“I think Percy might.” The pocket watch, Vesper figured, was too complicated to explain.

“Damn. Oh, hey - Ed!” Ada bellowed. “Edward! Come take your sword back!”

Surprised, Vesper turned to see ‘Don Julio’ jogging back towards them. He’d pulled down his mask so it hung from around his neck.

“It must be so stressful, having to hold one extra rapier for twenty minutes,” Edward said, in a much broader accent than Don Julio had possessed. He took back his rapier, and he and Ada slid them back into their sheaths with identical movements. “Who’s your friend?”

“This is Percy’s sister Vesper,” Ada said. “Percy de Rolo, you know.”

“Maybe?”

“Yeah, you do. The guy with white hair.”

“Oh, him! Mister dye job!”

“It’s actually not,” Vesper said, amused. “I assure you we’re all as confused as you.”

“Huh,” Edward said. “Who’d’ve guessed?

“Do you have a watch?” Ada asked.

“No, but I ran by the jousters, and half the stands are full already.”

“Ah, shit. Hey - tell Percy to meet me by the red stands, okay?” Ada caught Vesper’s shoulder to grab her attention. “I’ve got dibs on the red knight this year.”

“Alright, whatever that means,” Vesper said. Ada laughed. “Are there other knights I should be calling dibs on?”

“Red might be your forte, too,” Ada said, and clapped her on the shoulder. “I’ll see you there.”

Vesper passed on the message to Percy, who rolled his eyes at it.

“Ada always picks the lady knights to root for,” he said. “I’m going to have to see who they’re bringing out for the others this year. Also, Vex just texted me saying the three of them are pretty much here.”

“Three of them?” Vesper asked.

“Apparently Vax and Keyleth are going to be able to make it.”

“Oh, great!” Julius said. “Vax would get a kick out of all this.”

“Vex seems to think as much.” Percy stood up, adjusting the little bandolier of fake potions that now dangled from his belt. “I’m going to go wait by the entrance to catch them when they arrive - she said they were just looking for parking. You two should head over to the joust and find seats.”

“Any advice on the knights?” Julius asked. “It seems important.”

“It’s really not, Ada and I just have an outstanding bet.” Percy thought for a moment. “If there’s a ‘Don Vincenzo’ in the lineup, go for him. If not, whoever’s flying under yellow colors.”

“Why yellow?”

Percy shrugged. “Why not?”

“Alright,” Vesper said, “Yellow it is for you. But I’m going to take Ada’s advice and root for red.”

“I,” Julius said, “will be the smart one and not bet.”

“Oh, boo.” Vesper laughed as they walked away, towards the general direction of where they knew the joust to be. Percy headed off the other way, towards the entrance. “You’re just afraid you’ll lose.”

“I’m very new to all this. Betting seems like a poor idea.”

“Come on, you can spare a little.”

By the time Percy arrived, trailing Vex, Vax, and Keyleth, Vesper had argued Julius up to five dollars on the blue knight winning (one Sir Edgeron) versus Vesper’s odds on the red, one Sir Mauldrin. They’d each bought a pennant in the right colors from the sellers who wandered the stands, and were pretending that they weren’t sticking them in each others’ faces.

Vesper waved to show Percy where they were sitting. “There is a Vincenzo this year,” she told him when he got close enough, though she still had to shout over the noise of the crowd. “He’s riding as the green one.”

“He generally does.” Percy pushed Julius’ shoulder to scoot him over as the other three squeezed onto the end of the bench. They were all dressed in modern clothes, though Vex’s tee was printed to make it look like an old-fashioned dress over a corset, and she’d put on a skirt.

“How’re you doing, Robin Hood?” Vax leaned over to grin at the two of them.

“Is that supposed to be me?” Julius asked. “The feathers in this hat aren’t even red.”

“Yeah, but they’re still feathers.”

Julius rolled his eyes, as Keyleth gently elbowed Vax. “I think it looks cool,” Keyleth said. “I wish we’d had time to look at some of the places we passed.”

“I figured you wouldn’t want to miss the joust,” Percy said apologetically. Horns began to play, and the low building that housed a royally dressed crowd began to stir with activity. “And lucky I did - we’re right on time.”

Vesper leaned over to Julius. “Sir Mauldrin is going to kick Edgeron’s ass, just so you know.”

“You’re delusional,” Julius whispered back. Vesper giggled. The horns blew again with a rousing tune, and she settled back to watch.

“Do you think they’ll let us see the horses?” Keyleth asked, while Julius paid Vesper, grumbling the whole time.

“I’ve never tried,” Percy said.

“Really? Why not?”

“I don’t precisely see the allure in riding.” Percy shrugged. “Besides, didn’t you want a look at everything else in here?”

“Well, yeah, but I didn’t know there were real horses in the joust. I used to ride, y’know?”

“How is this the first time I’m hearing this?” Vex asked. “Vax, you never told me Keyleth was that horse girl from elementary school.”

“Okay, first of all, that’s not true, because I was homeschooled.”

As they moved back into the wide square, Vesper properly saw some of what they’d sped by before. There were other paths leading to smaller areas on either side of the joust, and in the direction they were now heading, a makeshift show had set up in a patch of green between a triangle of trees.

Vesper didn’t pay it much more mind than everything else there was to look at, until she caught a bit of what the leader was saying.

“In order to face the chaos and destruction, the gods themselves chose Champions from among the people of Exandria to receive their Vestiges!” The leader was a man dressed in a long dark cloak that obscured his face and most of his outfit. Vesper caught a glimpse of a pale mask underneath. “They needed aid, and they needed power. Their Champions needed it too, and so they were granted magical items. But some skilled individuals, powerful and intelligent, crafted artifacts of their own.”

“What is it?” Julius had stopped along with Vesper.

“I don’t know,” Vesper said. “Hold on.” She walked closer as the cloaked figure continued to speak. He was ringed by four figures, all in various elaborate costumes. There was a tall man all in white, white hair and eyebrows even. There was a girl all in green, even her skin, with a crown of leaves and clothes that looked more appropriate for a hunt than a Faire. In the back was a muscled man in leather armor, wearing a pair of bulky gauntlets, and a stockier woman dressed in greens and yellowish gold, with a crown of berry-bearing branches. A crowd of attendees were gathered around, and Vesper had to crane her neck over their heads.

“Why are we looking at RenQuest?” Percy asked, coming up behind her.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a story quest people who sign up can complete. I only did it once.”

“Mythcarver!” The narrator cried, and Vesper’s heart skipped a beat. The man in white drew a blade from a sheath, a sword thinner and shorter than the one Vesper had seen. It was closer to a rapier, with an intricate silver handle wrapped in light blue leather. “The blade of the White Duke! Crafted to be a bard’s greatest weapon - besides, of course, his wit.” There were scattered laughs from the audience as the man, who was evidently meant to be the White Duke, made a couple careful swings with the sword in a show-offy way.

“What are we doing now?” Vex asked, having evidently joined them as well. Percy started explaining Ren Quest again, but Vesper wasn’t paying attention.

“Fenthras!” An arm in a dark sleeve was flung out from inside the narrator’s cloak towards the green girl. She smiled, and held up a bow, painted green and engraved with curling vines. “Wrath of the Feywarden, crafted by her own hands! An archfey of the Fey Wilds, emerging to protect her own realm’s stability from the encroaching Calamity!” The girl, Vesper noticed, had a quiver of only five or so arrows.

“That’s a pretty cool costume,” Keyleth whispered to somebody (probably Vax) behind Vesper.

“The Titanstone Knuckles!” The buff man grinned and brandished his fists. “Carved from the heart of a felled titan by Aramis, strongest among men, and granting its strength to he who wears them. And lastly a gift from Melora herself, to her most devoted follower.” The narrator turned to the girl with the ramrod-straight staff. “The Spire of Conflux, weapon of the Archdruid of Terrah.”

“Why the fascination?” Julius asked, leaning in to put his chin on Vesper’s shoulder as the narrator continued with his monologue. Vesper startled; she’d half forgotten the rest of them were there.

“I recognized the comment about the Vestiges, that’s all,” Vesper said quickly. “I got curious about the Divergence after I came back and did some research. They came up then.” It wasn’t actually a lie. She just didn’t mention that they’d come up before then.

“No kidding,” Julius said, giving the four historical figures a speculative glance. “I mean, I know the White Duke was real, but I figured his legendary sword was, well, a legend.”

“There’s quite the dedicated group of people here when it comes to a pre-Divergence era,” Percy said. “Why do you think there are so many people dressed as fey? I know that even in academic circles the loss of magic post-Divergence is a pretty contentious subject. Although I don’t know why this group included the White Duke when he was born centuries after it.”

“I never really thought about it.”

“I did,” Keyleth said. “I tried to read a bunch of books about it when I was a kid. They were really dry and academic prose-y.”

“Why read them, then?” Vax asked.

“I was trying to prove my dad wrong when he said I couldn’t cast spells to talk to animals even though those spells technically existed.”

“Past tense is the key, there,” remarked Vex wryly.

“Now go!” The narrator cried out, interrupting the conversation with sheer volume. The crowd that had already gathered around him rustled with eagerness. “Do your duty! But beware - villains may lurk, waiting for the chance to foil you!”

“Aw, you flatter me,” said another dark-cloaked figure who Vesper hadn’t seen climb up onto the roof of the stall backed against the copse of trees. Nearly everyone jumped. The narrator whirled around, and the four “Vestige-wielders” raised their weapons at the intruder.

The intruder smirked, pale hair framing his face. “Although...I suppose we are on equal terms, aren’t we?” He turned over a sharp dagger in his hands, its blue hilt done in a style closer to the ‘White Duke’s’ blade than that of the real Whisper, but Vesper could recognize what it was meant to be. “Vestige against Vestige...and your poor lackeys aren’t so lucky. What will they do against my Whisper?”

“You’re not welcome here, Dresvin,” the ‘Archdruid of Terrah’ said menacingly. She looked quite frightening for a girl in a flower crown.

“Shall I listen to you, now?” Dresvin said lazily. ‘Whisper’ vanished under his cloak, presumably into a sheath. “I won’t interfere with your little announcement. But don’t think I’ll be so kind as to leave your quest-goers be.”

“This is very elaborate,” Vesper whispered to Julius, who nodded, his chin forcing her shoulder down. “And get off.”

“I like the look of that sword,” Vex commented as Dresvin made a hasty exit, and the four Vestige-bearers chased after him. The narrator began to address the crowd, but Vesper’s group was now drifting off, and with reluctance she went with them. “It looked pretty powerful.”

“Would you take a bard’s sword?” Percy asked.

“What’s that supposed to mean? I can sing.”

“I’m not commenting on your talent, just surprised. I didn’t think of all the possibilities you’d go for that.”

“What are the possibilities?”

“Archdruid, perhaps,” Vesper interjected. Vex appeared to consider it.

“Yeah, alright, that does sound pretty cool. Maybe I would take the staff thing. It didn’t look as sharp as the sword, though.”

“Wind some thorns around it,” Percy suggested. Vex laughed, and linked her arm through his.

“Which would you take?”

Percy took a moment to think. “Fenthras,” he decided eventually. “I would like to be able to stay far away from whatever fight I’d be forced to take part in with one of those weapons.”

“I was thinking I’d take that dagger,” Keyleth said. “Whatever it was called.”

“What for?” Vax said. “I was, too, but I wasn’t expecting you to say that.”

“Well, it’s little. I could hide it in a bag. And are you sure you don’t want those gauntlets, just to even out who has what?”

“Nah, they’re too clunky to hold a camera with.”

“I would take Mythcarver,” Julius said, “because I did take choir for a couple years, and it looked like easily the coolest item of the four.”

“Sure, you can sing,” Vesper teased, “but do you actually know the first thing about using a sword?”

“What better place to learn?”

By the time they left, night had fallen, or at least sunset had. Vesper’s feet ached from standing on them for so long, and she was beginning to get a headache from the intricate braids her hair had been woven into. Her purse was much lighter, at least, given that she’d eaten all the food she’d snuck in, though she’d added several trinkets to it since that morning. Aside from the necklace, she’d bought a metal hairpin shaped like a white flower, and a little candle that smelled like vanilla.

She and Julius bade goodbye to Percy at the gates; the two couples were heading off in Vax and Keyleth’s car, since Vex and Percy were going to the same place and Percy claimed he didn’t want to be forced into the backseat again. Vesper caught him volunteering to drive as she and Julius walked off.

“That was exhausting,” Julius sighed as he got into the driver’s seat. Vesper flopped into the passenger side, stretching her legs out before settling down.

“Fun, though,” Vesper said. It had really surprised her, how engaged she’d gotten with some of the entertainment offered. She’d accepted Percy’s offer out of idle curiosity and a vague sense that it would be something like what she’d left behind when she came home. It had been nothing like that, in most ways, but she hadn’t thought about her recent troubles once.

...Of course, now she was thinking about them. Thanks, brain.

“Yeah, it was pretty fun.” Julius buckled his seatbelt. “Is that a ‘go again next year’ kind of endorsement? I saw Ada give you her number.”

“Oh, fuck off,” Vesper sighed, provoking only laughter. But she did take out her phone to edit a little dagger emoji in next to Ada’s contact name.

The ride home felt longer than the one there, or maybe Vesper was just tired. Vesper was texted a picture from Vex about ten minutes after they started driving, a shot of the backseat with Vax and Keyleth leaning on each other, already dozing. Vesper smiled at it. Not a minute later, though, she was drifting off herself. Julius didn’t wake her up, but the sensation of the car turning and then coming to a stop did.

Vesper blinked groggily and looked out the window. They were near some kind of small forest, or at least a copse of trees. She looked the other way, and saw Julius getting out of the car to work a gas pump.

Vesper rubbed her eyes and tried to wake up a little, despite the radio clock telling her it was nearing 11:30. The gas station was nearly deserted; only a car at a pump near theirs stopped it from being so.

There was another message on her phone, when Vesper checked it. Her mother wanted to know how the Faire had gone. Vesper just texted back a smiley face.

“Hey there, sleepyhead,” Julius said as he got back in the car. “You mind being navigator? I have no idea where this gas place is, I just got off at the first exit.”

“Don’t you have any maps?”

“My phone died fifteen minutes ago.”

“Oh, fine then.” Vesper rubbed her face again, and opened up a map app. She made two typos putting in her own address, but eventually a path was marked out. “Jeez. It wants you to take this weird mess of side roads - Julius?”

“Sorry,” Julius said, looking back down. He’d been staring out the window. “I was trying to figure out if those guys are actually getting gas, or just sitting there.”

Vesper looked over at the other car parked at the station. The windows were too dark to see inside the cab of the pickup truck, and nobody was standing outside of it. “Weird.”

“Maybe this is just what the suburbs are like.” Julius shrugged, and turned the car back on.

“I don’t think we’re close enough to the city to be in the suburbs.”

“Whatever. Which way do I turn?”

“Uh, left.”

As they pulled out of the gas station, the pickup turned on its headlights and pulled out onto the road as well. Vesper looked backwards out the window, then turned back forward, frowning. She caught Julius glancing, puzzled, into the rearview mirror.

Julius turned left at the first intersection they came across.

“It says a right,” Vesper said, but the map was already recalculating.

“I’m just testing something.” The pickup truck also took a left. Their headlights gleamed momentarily in the passenger side mirror. Vesper squinted as the reflection flashed into her eyes, no longer quite as tired as she had been.

Julius took several more random turns. Vesper picked up her purse to squeeze it to her chest. The truck copied all of them, always maintaining a fair distance between the two cars.

“Just get back on the highway,” Vesper urged, jittery with anxiousness.

“There’s no turns off this road,” Julius protested. “You’re the one with the phone!”

Vesper looked back down at the map. “It’s not loading properly. Hold on.” Her fingers were shaking as she pressed on the screen.

The car went over some kind of bump in the road. Julius squinted, and then made a disgusted noise. “This road is turning into a dirt road!”

“Whose fault is that?”

“Don’t yell at me, I’m trying to drive.”

They drove on. Slowly, the open, empty spaces outside the car turned into trees that crowded close around them. Vesper started to shrink back into her seat. Forests always seemed so ominous at night.

“There’s a fork coming up,” she said eventually, squinting at her phone. She’d turned the brightness down to make the battery last longer, but it was still almost too-bright compared to the darkness around them.

“I see it,” Julius said.

“You have to take the - Julius, no! Take the right!” But Julius had turned mid-sentence to the left. Vesper smacked him on the arm, and the car swerved for a moment as his hand dipped and turned the wheel.

“Saints and Champions, Vesper!”

“It’s a dead end!” Vesper hissed. “The other way had a turnaround!”

“Oh, good, so we could run right into them!” Julius’s eyes were fixed on the road. “We can turn around at the end of this one.”

Vesper didn’t see how that solved Julius’s problem. Nervously, she turned to look behind them. The rear windshield only showed darkness. The truck had been lagging further and further behind the further they got into the middle of nowhere. They probably didn’t need a line of sight to see where Vesper and Julius had gone when there were no turn-offs.

When they hit the end of the road, Julius stared at the narrow dirt path, and at the trees crowding around on both sides, then sighed and hit his forehead on the top of the wheel.

“I’m frightened,” Vesper said quietly. Julius took one hand off the wheel to squeeze hers.

“It’s probably just some neighborhood creeps,” Julius said.

“What if it’s not?” Sylas, standing over Percy with blood dripping from his mouth. “Julius-”

“We’re going to be fine,” Julius said firmly. Vesper could feel his hand shaking. “You can call somebody, and-”

Vesper’s phone screen went black.

In the sudden darkness, she could see twin pinpricks of light moving past the trees on the road behind them.

“Get out of the car,” Vesper said.

“What - Vesper!” Vesper was already unbuckling herself and throwing open the door. “Wait!”

Vesper got about twenty feet into the woods before Julius caught up with her. “Vesper, wait, this is stupid!”

“I’m not going to sit there and wait for whoever that is to catch up,” Vesper hissed. She yanked her cloak around her shoulders so she didn’t have to carry it. The night air was cool among the trees.

“We’re going to get lost,” Julius said, sounding exasperated. He caught her arm before she could walk any further away. “If we lose the car, we’re definitely not getting out of this situation.”

“I’m not staying!”

“You’re being unreasonable!” Julius moved to hold both her arms tightly. “I know you’re scared, and yeah, this is super weird, but it’s not-”

“Shhh,” Vesper interrupted, suddenly desperate, because she could see the pickup truck.

She darted behind the nearest tree, and Julius followed. They pressed close together as the growl of the truck’s engine faded. Two car doors opened, and then closed.

“Empty,” someone said after a moment.

“Where’d they go? We’re in the middle of the fuckin’ woods.” The second voice was equally unfamiliar.

“Dunno.”

“Check the back.”

More doors opened. Julius cursed under his breath. “I didn’t lock it,” he muttered.

“Just a backpack,” the first voice reported.

“See if there’s anything interesting.” There was silence, and then, “You see the keys anywhere?”

“No.”

Another short pause, and then the sound of shattering glass. Julius winced; Vesper jumped.

“Nothing in the trunk except the usual shit,” the second voice said. Julius tapped Vesper’s shoulder, and then mouthed Let’s go, gesturing over his shoulder. Vesper nodded frantically.

Hands clasped tightly together, the two of them began to creep further into the forest. Vesper risked a glance back towards the road. The truck was right up to the bumper of Julius’s car. Two people were gathered around the broken rear windshield.

Julius stumbled over a sudden dip in the ground. Vesper, caught off guard, was pulled off-balance and fell all the way, knocking Julius over as well. They crashed into the grass and dirt, Julius making a sharp noise of pain as Vesper fell on top of him.

“What was that?” The second voice only barely reached Vesper’s ears. She rolled off Julius, backing up against the tree trunk. The ground fell sharply by a foot or so, and the tree’s roots stuck awkwardly out of the ground to dig into her side. Julius levered himself into a sitting position, slowly. His face - what Vesper could see of it - was pale.

“Probably some animal,” the first voice replied faintly.

“You sure?”

“It’s the woods.”

Vesper fairly leaped out of her skin at the sudden retort of gunfire. Julius flinched. Three quick shots resounded before there was a scuffle.

“You idiot! Stop that - what if some redneck hears and calls the police?”

“There aren’t any police in hicktown.”

“Fine, park service or whatever! Don’t be stupid.”

Vesper, hand clapped over her mouth to quiet her rapid breathing, remembered the letter.

“I’m going to check it out, then, if you don’t want me to use distance methods,” said the second voice.

“Whatever, asshole.”

“Julius,” Vesper whispered, hardly daring to speak as the armed strangers argued not thirty feet away from them. “I need you to hold onto me as tightly as you can.”

It spoke to Julius’ own state of mind that he didn’t hesitate before wrapping his arms around her. Vesper could feel his fingers digging into her arm as she rifled through her purse, her fingers eventually finding the smooth parchment of the letter.

“What are you doing?” Julius whispered as she took it out. Barely any volume was necessary; his mouth was right next to her ear. Vesper fumbled, trying to take out the right page and unfold it.

The page was blank; the watermarked array was difficult to see in the darkness. It unfolded to a size larger than a piece of computer paper. The shards of residdum glass were still in the center of it, illuminated with the faintest reflection of light. Vesper grabbed the largest one, holding the paper with the array and the envelope only as tight as she dared for fear of crumpling it. Behind them, footsteps stomping on the dirt were getting closer, and light like a flashlight’s was sweeping across the ground.

Vesper hooked one leg around Julius’s. She couldn’t bear to think of leaving him by himself. She held the paper with both hands, clutching the glass so tightly it was painful. The powdery residue and smaller fragments flashed with scattered reflections of light.

She had to get this right. She’d sent letters before. She could send this.

“Vesper?” Julius breathed. His grip was painful, too. He was shaking. Or maybe she was.

The footsteps were getting closer.

The array began to glow with a faint, golden light.

A single gunshot rang out in the forest.

Percy

1:02 Did you guys get home okay?

        Not Delivered!

Chapter Text

Everybody

8:19 Cassandra: Vesper’s not answering my calls so it’s time for public shame

8:19 Cassandra: VESPER ANSWER YOUR PHONE

8:23 Percy: Maybe she’s still asleep.

8:23 Percy: I texted her last night and she still hasn’t answered.

8:23 Percy: well, technically this morning.

8:24 Whitney: what r u even doing up

8:24 Percy: I do have a job.

8:19 Cassandra: Is she still not at work?

8:19 Percy: I mean, neither am I right now.

8:19 Percy: I’ll let you know.

Fredrick

9:00 Still a no for today?

        Not Delivered!

9:01 I wish you’d let me know beforehand

        when you were going to be out.

        Not Delivered!

Everybody

10:03 Cassandra: vesper’s not at work, is she?

10:13 Percy: No?

10:13 Cassandra: ugh

10:13 Cassandra: percy help

10:13 Cassandra: my phone won’t work and vesper won’t answer her door to let me in

10:13 Percy: Is she still asleep? Impressive.

10:13 Percy: She and Julius must have had a long drive. He’s not here either.

10:13 Percy: What does your phone have to do with it?

10:14 Cassandra: it won’t send my messages but only when i’m trying to text vesper

10:14 Cassandra: which is frustrating since she won’t answer her phone OR the door

10:14 Percy: Clarify ‘won’t send’.

10:14 Percy: Preferably quickly because I’m supposed to be doing work.

10:14 Cassandra: it gives me the stupid ‘not delivered’ notification and no matter how many times i try it won’t send

10:15 Ludwig: Wait, hold on. Julius missed a day of work?

10:15 Ludwig: That’s bullshit, I’ve seen him get like ONE hour of sleep and still go do stuff the next morning.

10:15 Cassandra: maybe he forgot to set an alarm

10:15 Ludwig: have you ever laid eyes on Julius’s phone in your life?

10:15 Ludwig: the man has alarms for every second of the day just in case so he doesn’t have to edit them every time he sets one.

10:15 Ludwig: once his phone went off like five times while i was having lunch with him and i asked him why he didn’t turn the alarm off and he told me they were all different alarms

10:16 Percy: That...is actually a good point.

10:16 Percy: May explain the worried look Mother gave Father when we realized he was going to be late.

10:16 Cassandra: did they really?

10:16 Cassandra: Julius is in trooooooooubleeeeeee

10:16 Percy: The phone problem may have to hold for a second, I’m going to talk to them.

10:16 Ludwig: i just don’t understand how he could not have SOME alarm going off to wake him up.

10:17 Cassandra: hey since vesper’s out for the count or smthn do u wanna meet up

10:17 Ludwig: sure why not

    Percy knocked on the door of his father’s office. The voices inside quieted, as Fredrick called, “Enter!”

    Percy pushed the door open. “I don’t mean to interr - oh, hello mother.”

    “Percy,” Johanna said. “What is it?”

    “I was just talking to Cassandra about phone problems and realized how weird it is for Julius to have slept in,” Percy said. “You looked worried about it earlier. Is there something you’re not telling me?”

    Fredrick and Johanna exchanged another meaningful look.

    “We’re not sure,” Fredrick said. “I was debating calling him, but your mother’s already tried and apparently he didn’t pick up.”

    “I was going to say, you could text him,” Johanna said.

    “I’ll try,” Percy volunteered, pulling out his phone. He dismissed the notifications of Cassandra and Ludwig’s messages. “Should I say you’re disappointed, so when he sees it he’ll get here faster?”

    “Percival.” Johanna’s tone was rebuking, but there was an amused quirk at the corner of her mouth. Percy typed out a quick message, and then frowned.

    “It won’t send,” he muttered, pressing the ‘Try Again’ notification. There was a pause, and then Not Delivered! popped up again. “Damn. Cassandra was just complaining about this problem.”

    “Did she break her phone again?” Fredrick asked.

    “No, nothing like that. She was trying to message Vesper and apparently nothing was sending.”

    “That’s funny, I had the same problem earlier.”

    That gave Percy pause. “Did you?”

    “Do you think it’s significant?”

    “Well...” Percy shrugged. “I can’t imagine how it could be. But I don’t know why it would happen. Maybe there’s a problem on Vesper’s end.”

    “And Julius’ end?” Johanna questioned. Percy shrugged again, tucking his phone away.

    “My lunch break is soon. I’ll drive over to his place and talk to him.”

    “Good.” Fredrick nodded. “That’ll solve the problem. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to talk to these representatives of the Briarwoods again.”

    “Again?” Percy questioned. “More weird questions?”

    “They’re not weird, I just don’t see the point to them. It feels like these meetings are dragging on forever and preventing us from getting to the real work.”

    “I’ll go with you,” Johanna said.

    “You don’t have to, dear.” Fredrick sounded like he’d said it before. Percy glanced between the two of them.

    “I’d like to.”

    “Because it’s the Briarwoods?” Percy asked. Johanna laughed, uncomfortably.

    “I just can’t stop thinking about that thing Vesper sent,” she confessed. “I know it’s silly, but...”

    “It’s fine,” Fredrick said. His expression had softened. “There’s no reason you shouldn’t be there, I suppose.” He and Johanna left as a pair, Fredrick settling an arm around her shoulders. Percy closed the door of the office gently behind him.

    Now that he was thinking about it, he wasn’t sure he’d ever witnessed a Julius-less day of work except for that one time years ago when Julius had come down with the flu and been bedridden for a week. They didn’t interact much in the office, but when Percy looked, it was a noticeable absence.

    Percy shook his head and started heading in the direction of the parking lot stairs.

    Julius was not in his bedroom.

    Percy surveyed the empty bed before exiting back into the main area of the apartment. It was about as clean as Julius ever got, with no sign of a discarded costume like the one that had graced Percy’s floors when he’d straggled out of it and into pajamas at near one in the morning, when he and Vex had finally arrived home. Percy had been sure Julius would at least have left the hat lying around somewhere.

    Just to be sure, he went back into the bedroom and checked the closet and drawers. Then he called Cassandra.

    “What?” There was chatter in the background of Cassandra’s end.

    “Can you do me a favor?”

    “I guess? Me and Ludwig are at the Art Institute, but-”

    “I need you to go over to Vesper’s place and see if she’s there.”

    “I already tried that.”

    “You know the code to the door,” Percy pointed out, tapping his free hand on the side of his leg in an anxious pattern. “You can just go inside.”

    “But what if she’s there?”

    “That’s what I’d like you to check.”

    “What’s this about, Percy?” Cassandra asked suspiciously. Percy heard Ludwig ask something incomprehensible in the background.

    “Just something I’d like to be sure of.” Percy walked over to the window. He never could stay still while talking on the phone. Cars zoomed by on the street below.

    “Alright, fine, but I’m taking Ludwig with me,” Cassandra said. Ludwig protested faintly.

    “Thank you.” Percy hung up. He stood at the window for a moment longer, still tapping on his leg, then turned around and made another, more thorough search of Julius’s apartment.

    Cassandra called Percy back when he was nearly desperate enough to check the closets again in case Julius had been waiting to surprise him and he hadn’t noticed.

    “She’s not here,” Cassandra. “What is this, Percy?”

    “I don’t know.” Percy sat on the end of his bed. “Julius isn’t at his place either.” Neither was the backpack he’d brought to the Faire, and his car wasn’t parked in its usual place.

    “What? What do you mean, he’s not there either?”

    “I mean he’s not here. I’m in his apartment, Julius is definitely not.”

    Another background murmur made Cassandra audibly cover her phone with her hand. “He says Julius is gone too. Where are they, then?” Cassandra asked Percy.

    “I don’t know.”

    “What do you mean, you don’t know?”

    “I mean I don’t know!” Percy said tensely. “I’m - I’m going to call Father. Just - keep trying to get in touch with Vesper, I guess.”

    “You don’t think-”

    “I don’t know what I think.” Percy hung up before she could ask him any more questions he didn’t know the answer to. He should go back to work and talk to his parents. That was the reasonable option. But he sat in Julius’s otherwise empty living room for a long time.

    Percy brought Vex with him to the family meeting that night. Ludwig, who opened the door, mumbled a hello to both of them.

    “You’re the first one here,” Ludwig said as the two of them stepped inside. “We’re still waiting - I mean, if Julius and Vesper finally get here, then you’ll be first.”

    “Right,” Percy said. He was the youngest of those in the family who had moved out of their parents’ house. It made sense that Cassandra and the twins were already there, too.

    The adjoining living room and dining room was the same as Percy remembered it, with his younger siblings in their usual haphazard sprawl on the various sofas and chairs. Johanna was lurking near the door. When she spotted Percy, she came over to give him a hug. Percy, having noticed the momentary disappointment that crossed her face, did his best to hug her back as tightly as possible.

    “Your father’s still on the phone with the police trying to see if we can track down Julius’ car,” Johanna said quietly as she let him go. “We don’t have the information to access his tracker, so...” Sure enough, his father’s voice was echoing through the door that led into the other hallway.

    “Did they just never get back?” Vex asked. “They were fine last we saw them.”

    “I’m hoping they just checked into a motel for the night instead of driving while tired and forgot to call.” Johanna smiled tersely. “We’ll see.”

    Fredrick came back into the room, sighing. “Well, that was a pointless hour,” he said.

    “What did they say?” Ludwig had sat down, but he was sitting up so ramrod straight that he might as well not have.

    “They can track it, or at least put out an APB of some kind,” Fredrick said. “But we probably won’t know anything for a while. They asked about Julius and Vesper, too, I suppose because they still have record of when Vesper last went missing.”

    “Are we sure she’s missing now?” Cassandra asked sharply.

    “I don’t know what else to think.” Fredrick sank into the cushiony armchair that had stood by the fireplace for as long as Percy could remember. It was practically worn to the shape of his father. “You two said their apartments didn’t look disturbed? Not like they’d been broken into?”

    Percy and Cassandra exchanged a look.

    “No,” Cassandra. “Vesper’s really neat. Nothing looked out of place.” Ludwig nodded in agreement.

    “I didn’t see Julius’s costume from the Faire anywhere,” Percy said. “I checked, just in case. If he’d come home, he would have at least taken it off.”

    “So they haven’t made it back to the city yet,” Vex said. She sat down on the unoccupied end of one of the sofas, and tugged Percy down next to her. “What’s one alternate explanation?”

    “They could have stopped for the night,” Johanna said. “Julius is a careful driver, and Percy already told us how late you all left that place. But that doesn’t explain us not being able to contact them.”

    “Emphasis on not being able,” Oliver said. “That’s super weird. I don’t know why that would happen unless their phones were broken or blocked or something.”

    Silence settled across the room. Johanna was twisting one of her rings around and around her finger, a nervous habit of hers. Percy’s hands itched for something to do.

    “Well, we’re all thinking it,” Percy burst out eventually. “Is it the Briarwoods’ fault?”

    “Don’t even say that,” Whitney said sharply.

    “I’m not saying they’ve - that they’ve done anything to Vesper and Julius,” Percy retorted. “But they might’ve done something!”

    “Don’t argue,” Fredrick snapped, and then closed his eyes tightly and breathed in deeply. When he spoke again, he sounded calmer. “That’s not what family meetings are for. We’re not going to use rude voices with each other.”

“What if they have done something?” Ludwig asked quietly. Silence fell again.

“I don’t know if it’s related,” Percy said eventually, “but I think I was followed earlier.”

“Followed? What do you mean?” Johanna’s ring-twisting picked up speed.

“I keep seeing the same car behind me,” Percy said. “This black pickup. I saw it when I went over to Julius’ and came back, and just now, while I was driving over here.” Vex gasped.

“Is that why you took all those weird turns?” Vex demanded. “Percy! Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I didn’t want to freak you out,” Percy said. “Given everything that’s happened today I’m not sure I wasn’t just being paranoid. If they were following me, they either genuinely got fooled by a random series of turns or they realized I knew they were there and stopped.”

“Shit,” said Cassandra. Nobody even gave her a stern look. “Is this what we have to be worried about now?”

“I don’t know!”

“We’re not, like, public people, though,” Oliver said anxiously. “They wouldn’t know where we go to school, or anything, right?”

“It’s not hidden information either, if someone wants to know it,” Cassandra said. “Not if they try hard enough.”

“There will be no fearmongering,” Fredrick said firmly. “We’re not going to worry about endless could-have-beens. We’ll wait and see how the report on the car turns out. In all likelihood they’re out of range for phone service and this’ll turn out to be a misunderstanding.”

“I hope,” Johanna said quietly.

When Percy got back in the car, he checked the street for any sign of the black pickup.

“I could try and help,” Vex said quietly. “With all this. I feel stupid, sitting around doing nothing.” The family meeting hadn’t come to much of a conclusion besides ‘wait and see’. “I could call Scanlan or, gods forbid, my father. Maybe they’d be able to keep an eye out for weird stuff.”

“If you want to,” Percy said. He made no move to turn the car on.

“Are you alright?”

“I-” Percy sighed. “I wish it wasn’t Vesper again.” She and Julius were always the ones who were in charge, whether teaming up to babysit younger siblings when they were young enough to be babysat, or (more often now) in charge of projects and family events secondary to only their parents. He couldn’t possibly sum up in words a lifetime of looking to the two of them for advice, or how it felt to have them gone when so recently he’d been forced to contemplate the specter of outliving them.

“Yeah,” Vex said quietly. “She’s a real force to reckon with, sometimes. It doesn’t seem right that something could sweep her off her feet and away.” She put a hand on Percy’s shoulder. “We’ll figure this out. Or Vesper will, and get herself home, like last time.”

“Sure.” Percy turned the car on, and checked for the pickup again. The street was empty. “Let’s go home.”

“Let’s.”

Fredrick stopped Percy as he was coming into work only a few days later. “Your mother’s on the phone with the police,” he said quietly. “They managed to get Julius’ tracking info and found the car. It’s somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, way off the highway you were both taking back into Emon.”

“Just the car?” Percy questioned. He’d been ready to be elated, but Fredrick’s face was furrowed with worry.

“Just the car,” Fredrick said heavily. “The rear windshield was broken, but everything’s still in it except the keys and Vesper’s purse.”

“Did they abandon it?”

“I don’t know what the police think.” Fredrick shook his head. “All I got before your mother got too involved in the conversation to pass it on to me was that there were tracks from some other car in the area as well, but whoever else was there isn’t now.”

“What was he doing so far off the road?” Suspicion struck Percy’s heart. “Do you think they were followed, too?” Had Julius been trying to lose someone, and gotten backed into a corner?

“I don’t know,” Fredrick repeated. “That black pickup you were talking about - have you seen it since?”

“No,” Percy said, “but the roads are crowded, I might not have even if it was there. And everyone knows the de Rolos work here. They wouldn’t need to follow me if it was me they were looking for.”

Fredrick looked away for a moment, his expression tightening. “We don’t know that there is a ‘they’,” he said eventually. “But I don’t like this.”

“Father-”

“Just try and work as normal. Your mother’s got ideas. We’ll speak to the rest of you when we know what we’re doing.”

That, Percy thought as Fredrick left, was not entirely reassuring.

Percy didn’t have his own office - none of them did, besides his parents - but he had his own sort of enclosed desk space, nearish to Vesper and Julius’ empty ones.

He did not go to it. The office had a nice communal space where people could sit in front of the big windows to work, and if that was empty all the better for him. Julius hated when sunlight made his screen seem dimmer, and Vesper got a strange enjoyment out of working at her desk. She always said it made her feel professional.

The common area was not unoccupied. Percy strode past the dark-haired woman to set up with his computer. He didn’t get very far before she called out to him.

“Excuse me - you’re Percival, aren’t you?”

Percy slowed. “Yes,” he said guardedly. The woman smiled, and stood. She was dressed glamorously, a little overstated for an office, even if she wore something like a pantsuit.

“Forgive the interruption, if it is one, but you’re the only one I haven’t yet run into in my business here,” she said, extending a hand. Automatically, Percy took it to shake. “You’re a very elusive de Rolo.”

“I’m afraid I don’t know your name,” Percy said, in lieu of replying to whatever the hell she was talking about.

“Oh, it’s Delilah. I like to be familiar with people, you see. Ms. Briarwood is so formal.”

“I do see,” Percy said, his smile suddenly stiff. He withdrew his hand. “If you’ll excuse me, though, I just got in, and there are some things I should take care of. I do technically have to work until my lunch break.”

“Of course.” Delilah smiled broadly. It did not reach her eyes. “I’ll leave you to it.”

Percy nearly broke out in a sweat just turning his back on her. He forced himself to walk casually over to his usual place by the window and sit down with his laptop. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Delilah leave, and the feeling that he was about to have a knife stabbed in his back eased.

His phone buzzed.

Vex

9:45 Remembered 2 call Scanlan. No go.

9:45 But he said he’ll see if some friends

        might know things

9:45 Syldor didn’t pick up but I talked to Velora

        for a little. Pointless but fun, but she promised

        to pass on the message.

So more inconclusivity? 9:45

9:45 Fake fancy word.

9:45 And we’ll see.

    More of a waiting game. Percy resisted the urge to sigh.

Vex

Well, thank you anyway. 9:46

    Vex was about to put her phone away and go back to the painting she’d been trying to finish for weeks when it buzzed again. Frowning, she saw a message from an unlisted number.

(919) 227-6372

9:46 hey is this vex

9:46 i looked in mother’s address book

Yes? 9:46

9:46 oh good

9:46 this is cassandra btw

9:46 the cute one

    Smiling a little, Vex took a moment to attach her name to the number before replying.

Cassandra

What are you texting me for? 9:46

9:46 i figured u were the safest family member

        i could talk to about a thing

Is it drugs? 9:47

9:47 no!!!

9:47 listen i figured u would be okay bc i found

        the book vesper had when i was in her

        apartment.

9:47 you know The Book

9:47 so i kind of took it

What for?? 9:47

9:47 I wanted to see what it said!

9:47 and with everything else going on, maybe

        there’s something in it that we could

        use to figure out what they want if this

        is the briarwoods fault

9:48 but i don’t want to read it

9:48 it gets really violent and its Not Fun.

So..why me? 9:48

9:48 can you read it and tell me what it says

Is there a reason I would want to 9:48

when you don’t?                                  

9:49 because you’re cool

9:49 please vex

Alright fine 9:49

As long as you bring it over here 9:49

9:50 ok i will

    “Oh, you meant now,” Vex said, when Cassandra rang the doorbell half an hour later and she let the youngest de Rolo in.

    “Why should we wait?” Cassandra seemed agitated, fidgeting even as she laid the book on the counter. It had been stuffed into a now-wrinkled paper bag.

    “I don’t know. You didn’t say anything about ‘right away’.” Vex studied Cassandra. Trinket got up to nose hopefully at Cassandra’s hand, in search of petting. She went around him. “Are you alright?”

    “Of course,” Cassandra said distractedly. “I marked the right place in the book, by the way.”

    Vex pulled it out of the bag. It was bigger and heavier than she’d expected, bound in purple leather. The edges of the pages gleamed as she turned it over, and the title was gilt too.

    “In the Belly of Dragons,” Vex read aloud, “The Adventures of Vox Machina. Who’s Vox Machina?”

    “I don’t know,” Cassandra said.

    “You can sit down, you know.”

    Cassandra sat abruptly on one of Percy’s modernist sofas. Trinket put his head in her lap, but she still made no move to pet him.

    “Are you sure you’re oka-”

    “Yes,” Cassandra said insistently. “Can you please just see if there’s anything relevant about the Briarwoods in there?”

    “Okay,” Vex said dubiously. She opened the book to where somebody had stuck a bright orange bookmark from a library summer reading program in. If the bookmark’s apparent age was anything to go by, the otherworldly tome wouldn’t count for much credit anymore.

Upon learning the whole of the tale, the rest of us were shocked, as Percy had always been a quiet soul up until that point and never given any indication of the tragedy which had rocked his life. We immediately fell to planning how we might be able to aid him in rectifying the situation. That we avoid the feast was impossible, given that we had already agreed to go, but

we readily came to the conclusion that Percy could not be present as himself. Thus, Vax volunteered to go secretly, under a spell of Invisibility, and I lent Percy the Hat of Disguise so that he could pretend to be Vax and thus avoid detection. Seeker Assum, realizing our plot as we met him in the palace, asked for Vax to join him on his own mission, and warned us that Lady Briarwood was an accomplished wizard.

    The Briarwoods appeared to be the epitome of what a Lord and Lady should be, finely dressed and polite to a point. As previously mentioned, we attempted to control the turn of the conversation, and the Briarwoods excused their rule of Whitestone by claiming that the de Rolos had died of sickness. Their story had the family passing it onto the couple in their last breaths, as the Briarwoods were supposedly very close to them.

    Unbeknownst to us, while we were trying to discreetly gather information, Vax was getting into trouble. While attempting to sneak into the Briarwoods’ room after they returned to it, he was caught by the pair. Newly desperate to rescue him, a fight broke out within the castle walls between us and the pair, and Percy’s presence was revealed to the Briarwoods. Information about them was revealed to us, too, when Sylas nearly killed Vax with a bite to the neck - exposing himself as a vampire.

    “I really don’t think this is going to be relevant, Cassandra,” Vex said. “It’s started talking about vampires, and as far as I know that’s not true here. Unless something really, really weird has started happening.”

    “But there could still be something,” Cassandra pressed. “Like - what they did to this Vox Machina to stop them. If they’re similar enough to have the same name, surely they’re similar enough to use some of the same methods!”

“Like biting peoples’ necks?” Vex asked dryly. Cassandra scowled at her. Trinket gave up on being petted and went over to look pleadingly at Vex instead. She scratched behind his ears. “I’m just saying, there’s no guarantee. These Briarwoods are in charge of Whitestone or something. The ones here run a company that barely anyone’s heard of.”

“That could be on purpose.”

“Is the book really so important?”

“Of course it’s important!” Cassandra leaped to her feet. “Vesper and Julius could be dead! We have to know!”

“What makes you think that?” Taken aback, Vex rose to her feet.

“Why wouldn’t I?”

“Because there’s no reason to? Cassandra, please, sit down.” Vex tried not to sound like she was ordering the younger girl around.

“How am I supposed to know if there’s no reason if nobody tells me anything?” Cassandra demanded. “Mother and Father keep having mysterious phone conversations and looking worried, and I’m supposed to think everything’s fine? No!”

“I think they’d tell you if they thought either of those two weren’t still alive,” Vex said, trying to keep her voice even, “which they are. We’ve been through this once before, and it turned out alright, didn’t it?”

“But the Briarwoods weren’t involved then!” Cassandra actually stamped her foot. “You’re not listening to me at all. Don’t you care?”

“Of course I care!” That cut deep. “What’s wrong with you? You don’t have to get so wound up!”

Cassandra threw her arms in the air and turned on her heel to stomp down the hall.

“Cassandra!” Vex didn’t get more than five feet before she heard the door slam. Trinket whined, pressing up against the back of Vex’s legs.

“I know, buddy,” Vex said. “I don’t know what’s going on either.”

She turned around, and realized Cassandra had forgotten the book.

“And so I put it in the closet, because having it out felt weird,” Vex finished explaining. “I haven’t heard from Cassandra since, and I wasn’t really sure if I should text her.”

“Given what you’ve said about how your conversation went, I doubt she would’ve replied,” Percy said. He was frowning at the floor. Halfway through Vex’s explanation, he’d lost track of what he was doing, and his pajama shirt hung half-open off his shoulders. Vex did not mention it to him. “I didn’t realize she was so unsettled by everything that’s happened.”

“Is that what that was?”

“I guess it’s more obvious to me. I’ve known her longer.” Percy ran a hand through his hair, loosely grabbing a fistful. “Cassandra likes to be in charge of things. She wants to understand what we’re theoretically up against, because once she understands things she can fix them. Usually.”

“I don’t think I did very good at saying the right thing,” Vex admitted.

“No one’s expecting you to be a miracle-worker.” Percy sighed, and his head fell until his arm was pressed against the top of it. “If she’s that worried, I should talk to father. We’re all stressed, but we should all know what’s going on.”

“Has there been any news?”

“No.” Percy’s hand tightened into a fist for a moment. “Mother’s thinking of reaching out to a friend of hers on the Council, to see if anything more can be done. We’ve only just gotten Julius’ car back.”

“That’s something, at least.” Vex got up to move over to where Percy sat. He looked up at her, his hand falling back down. “Are you alright? Gonna freak out on me like Cassandra?”

“I don’t plan to,” Percy said. “And I don’t think that was a freakout. Cassandra’s just...headstrong.”

“You skipped the first question,” Vex pointed out. Percy smiled wryly, but only for a moment.

“I’m trying,” he said quietly. “The idea of being the oldest isn’t very palatable. Much less being one of two.”

“That’s not gonna happen,” Vex said firmly. She sat down on the edge of the bed to put herself on Percy’s level.

“I know, but the possibility is in my head now.” Percy shook his head, then braced his hands against his forehead. “I’m afraid anxiety trumps logic, at least in my brain.”

“You weren’t followed again, were you?”

“Not that I noticed.”

“Good,” Vex said decisively. “Once this has been investigated for a little, I’m sure something will turn up that solves the mystery.”

“I wish I had your confidence,” Percy said wistfully.

“Hey. Hey.” Vex waited until Percy looked back up at her. “I know this is gonna end fine. You know why? Because if anyone who’s investigating tries to pull some bullshit or hits a dead end, your parents are gonna throw money and influence around until somebody can find a reason for this to have happened. Also, I’m pretty sure I’ve mentioned that I’m glad none of you have ever used that power for evil, but I’m gonna say it again.”

That made Percy smile for real. It was a small smile, but present. He reached out a hand, and Vex took it, squeezing reassuringly. She could feel the hard press of Percy’s wedding ring against her fingers.

“We’ll see how this looks in the morning,” Vex said. “Alright?”

“Alright.”

Chapter Text

Near the end of the week, Percy’s phone rang when it was still dark out.

Percy fumbled for it in the dark, trying to quiet it before it woke up Vex. “Hello?” He asked groggily, as loudly as he dared, once he managed to answer whoever was calling.

    “Did I wake you up? I’m sorry.” It was Johanna on the other end. Percy slid out from under the covers, checking over his shoulder to make sure that Vex was still asleep.

    “It’s fine,” Percy said, slipping out of the bedroom. It was chilly outside the bed, so he fiddled with the thermostat until the air conditioning turned off. Vex would probably complain about it later until it automatically came on again. “What is it?”

    Johanna sighed. “I wanted to ask if you’d gotten any calls from our bank,” she said. “I couldn’t sleep, so I was looking at the news, and apparently there was a break-in at the place where we keep our lockbox.”

    “Oh. Fantastic,” Percy said dryly. More bad news. “No, I haven’t. I’ll let you know if I do.”

    “Alright. I’m sorry for waking you. I just got nervous.”

    “It’s really fine, mother.” Percy had had trouble getting to sleep, too. “I was going to have to get up eventually.” He turned on the light in the living room. Summer though it was, the sun was still straggling up from behind the horizon, not yet bright enough to keep the place looking like something that wasn’t the set of the first five minutes of a horror movie.

    “Well, go back to sleep if you can. And don’t be afraid to come in late.”

    “I won’t need to.”

    “If you say so.” There was a pause on the other end. “Well...I’ll see you later.” Johanna hung up. Percy put his phone down, rubbing at his eyes with his free hand. It was very early. Maybe he could consider taking his mother up on her offer.

    As coffee percolated in the machine, too slowly for Percy’s tastes, he looked up the news to see if he could find whatever information there was about the bank. The relevant article popped up quickly with the right search. Percy scanned it, occasionally doubling back on paragraphs so his sleepy brain could process what it was saying.

    It didn’t appear that anything had been taken. The culprit had evidently underestimated the bank’s security, and been caught by one of the on-site security guards before they could get into the vault where lockboxes were kept. No wonder Johanna had been worried, given what the thief appeared to be looking for. But Percy wondered, as the coffee woke him up properly, why a bank thief wouldn’t go for the obvious lure of money. Sticking up a teller was always easier, wasn’t it?

    Well, who knew how the minds of bank thieves worked.

    Vex saw Percy off that morning, reflecting yet again that she loved being able to sleep in a little and hang around the apartment while she did her work. It was easy to get tempted away from it, sure, but at least art was enjoyable and let her work in a private, sunny room with Trinket at her feet. She couldn’t imagine being confined to an office block for as long as Percy was each day.

    But then again, Percy worked with his family and had a good head for numbers, and he had his own artsy workshop. Vex contemplated the contrast between them as she painted, and dug her toes into Trinket’s fur. Trinket was dozing underneath her easel, where the sun made him an even toastier cushion than usual. He snored lightly, and Vex grinned, trying not to laugh. it would make her hand shake.

    The commission she was working on was intricate enough that it took her mind off more complicated matters and made her concentrate solely on the series of reference photos binder-clipped to the board which the canvas rested on. But her mind still drifted back to Percy as she laid down some of the flat colors. She wondered how he was holding up, with the Briarwoods so often in the same place as he was. She was surprised he hadn’t started skipping out on work, too, like Vesper had been. He’d been restless after the first night Vesper had shared the details of the book, and even if he hadn’t said much Vex could guess how off-put he’d been by what was in it.

Vax had been in the book, too, though in better context. And there had been mention of a Pike. Wasn’t Percy’s doctor friend named Pike? Vex remembered that she’d come over once long ago, when Vex had showed up at Percy’s house with a fever. She was sure she’d seen Pike since then, but she couldn’t recall when.

Maybe she could take a break and see who else was in there. The part with he Briarwoods could be easily skipped over, couldn’t it? Vex just needed a distraction other than her job.

As Vex swirled her brush around in the plastic bucket of water, she dug her phone out with her free hand. It only took a couple seconds to dial Vax’s number.

“What’s up, sis?” Vax answered.

“Do you wanna hang out today?” Vex asked, dipping her brush into a new color. “I have a little bit of work to do, but I could use some company during my breaks, and you’ve got a good eye for composition.”

“Oh, sure! One sec.” Vex heard her brother cover his phone with a hand. “Hey, Kiki! Do you want to go over to Vex’s?” It never stopped thrilling her that Percy’s place was now hers, too. “Keyleth says she’ll come, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it’s okay,” Vex said, a smile spreading across her face. Below her, Trinket whuffed and rolled over, finally rousing himself from his daily nap. “I’ll see you in a little bit.”

Vax would get a kick out of learning about his alternate self, in any case.

Vax looked a little wary when Vex brought out the book. “I thought this was the bad-mojo stuff that freaked your boy’s family out so much.”

“Just the parts I told you about,” Vex said. “Besides, I came across a mention of your name in here, I figured you’d want to know.”

“My name?” Vax repeated, surprised, just as Keyleth said “His name?” in the same tone of voice. Vex grinned.

“Unless you know whether or not Vax is a common name where this book comes from,” she said.

“No kidding,” Vax said, taking the book from her to examine the cover. “Who’s ‘Vox Machina’?”

“I’m not entirely sure,” Vex said. “I didn’t read much. The other Percy and the author are evidently part of it, along with I think the mentioned Vax.”

“Huh.” Vax opened the cover, raising his eyebrows at the equally rich purple flyleaf. “Has anyone tried starting at the beginning?”

“Well, Vesper had the book. I don’t think she was particularly eager to read it.”

The first page after the colorful flyleaf was pale parchment, lavishly illuminated with the title (in, of course, purple and gold ink). Vax sank down onto the sofa to balance the book on his knees. Keyleth leaned over one shoulder; Vex sat down on his other side.

The next page had an illuminated header which proclaimed it to be an introduction. Vax began to read it out loud, though both Vex and Keyleth could make out the words themselves.

“If it happens that the reader of this book is not familiar with the people it describes,” Vax read, “whether because they have been living under a rock for the last ten years or it has been so long that we have faded out of time and memory (which is unlikely so long as we or our descendants survive), this Introduction shall stand as a brief history of those of us whose adventures are detailed here. There are many more who we encountered whose stories are equally important, but if I took the time to detail the personal histories of everyone we ever met who was important to us, I would need to write ten books, and just this one has been difficult enough.”

Keyleth snorted. “This guy’s pretty relatable,” she muttered. Vax shushed her.

“Those who do know of the events retold of here may be frustrated at the seemingly sparse level of detail,” Vax continued. “I would like it to be known that I only had enough time and energy in me, really, for one book; and so one book our adventures shall remain. Additionally, the tales I have re-spun are exceedingly personal, and there are some things I found I had forgotten, or were quite too much to include, or was personally asked to tone down by friends who shall be Introduced shortly. If anyone should object despite this, I extend a friendly offer to write their own autobiography and see if they can remember everything they had for breakfast their whole life, or how much their family and friends were willing to let them include. Signed-”

“Oh, no way,” Vex said, because she was a faster reader and had spotted the elaborate signature of one Scanlan Shorthalt first.

“Hold on,” Keyleth said. “Don’t you have a friend named Scanlan?”

“I do! This is crazy!” Vex laughed. “Oh, man. I have to tell him about this.”

Vax turned the page with a flourish. They all spent a moment staring at the double spread that was revealed on the pages that followed.

“Okay,” Keyleth said, “ this is crazier.” Each page had four portraits, done in a woodcut-esque style, next to a sectioned-off bit of writing. But the three of them were instantly drawn to the parts of the page which contained images of their own faces.

The portraits were only familiar enough to immediately attract attention. Upon closer inspection, which they were immediately subjected to, there were a plethora of differences. Vex’s braid was too long, and Keyleth’s hair barley reached her chin. The illustrated twins were in armor, one in black and one in white, and Keyleth had been drawn with a tall antlered crown. The most prominent difference was difficult to see - but all three of them were drawn with slightly pointed ears.

“What does it say?” Vex bent closer to read. Vax was too absorbed in scanning the whole page, drinking in the image and the words. Keyleth was smiling incredulously, brows wrinkled in an oh-no-way kind of amazement.

There was a title prefacing the description next to the portrait of the other Vex. Or at least, it appeared to be a title. It was long, and done in all capitals: LADY VEX’AHLIA DE ROLO OF THE FIRST HOUSE OF WHITESTONE, BARONESS OF THE THIRD HOUSE, GRAND MISTRESS OF THE GREY HUNT, CHAMPION OF THE DAWNFATHER.

Vex’ahlia, the book went just after that, she of too long a name just like her husband, is the ranger and self-appointed treasurer of our group. Though she and I are not the closest among the six of us, and she insists on toting her companion (the bear Trinket) around with her everywhere (‘the bear’, Vex mouthed to herself incredulously) I would never hesitate to place my life in her hands. Steadfast and clever, she hails from the same origins as her twin brother, who most likely she valued above the rest of Vox Machina save for Percy (and even him only later). Initially unfriendly though she was, she did - and does - have a caring heart underneath.

Oddly touched by the unknown Scanlan’s words, Vex turned her eyes to the entry just underneath her own. KEYLETH OF THE AIR ASHARI, VOICE OF THE TEMPEST.

“This is so cool,” Keyleth said excitedly, distracting Vex before she could read any farther. “What do you think ‘Champion of the Dawnfather’ means? Do you think that’s literal?”

“How could it be?” Vex asked. “Besides, you’re not even religious.”

“That’s irrelevant to its potential cool factor,” Keyleth said. “Vax, what do you think?”

“Huh?” Vax jerked slightly, his eyes shooting up from where his gaze had been intensely concentrated on the page.

“What’s so interesting that you couldn’t pay attention?” Vex teased.

“I - nothing,” Vax said. “It’s just - this Vax’s description. It’s all in past tense. None of the others are.”

The smile dropped from Vex’s face. She and Keyleth leaned in simultaneously to read what Vax’s introduction said.

VAX’ILDAN OF THE AIR ASHARI, CHAMPION OF THE RAVEN QUEEN

Vax’ildan brought much-needed rogue talents of subterfuge and trickery to Vox Machina. As a half-elf, he claimed no particular town of origin, and repudiated his father’s heritage, acknowledging no living kin save his twin sister (and perhaps their younger half-sister). Though our initial meeting was rocky, I had the good fortune to be counted among those Vax called family. He had a good heart which he would open to almost anyone, and preferred to risk his own neck rather than see any of the rest of us injured, often hurling himself first into danger without real cause to do so. It was lucky for us that he was a dangerous foe to reckon with; but still, we had to be close on his heels to return the favors he so readily handed out to all of us.

Vex scanned the other entries. Like hers, they all seemed to be in present tense, except for one that accompanied an illustration of a reptilian creature named Tiberius.

    “I’m less into this book,” Keyleth said, going for a joking tone and falling short of the mark.

    “Tell me about it,” Vex murmured.

    “Maybe it explains it somewhere,” Vax said. He scanned the page again, but there was no more of Scanlan’s initial introduction. Vex leaned out of the way as he propped the book up to flip rapidly through its pages.

    “You’re not going to find anything like that, ” Vex said. “Weren’t you just advocating for starting at the beginning?”

    The sound of a door opening lifted them all out of the conversation. Trinket scrambled to his feet, scratching up the floor and rocketing towards Percy, who was taken aback enough by Vax and Keyleth’s presence that Trinket nearly took him out at the knees.

    “What are you doing home so soon?” Vex asked, standing as Percy recovered his balance. Trinket was doing his best to make the task more difficult, tongue hanging out of his grinning mouth.

    “I left work early.” Percy didn’t even make the obligatory joke about Vex not seeming glad to see him.

    “You alright?”

    Percy made an attempt at a smile. “Fine,” he said. “Just uncertain. Mother and Father got called down to speak with the police regarding an attempt made last night at a break-in at the bank where we keep important documents and the like.”

    “Oh, no,” Keyleth gasped. “What was taken?”

    “Nothing. They caught the one trying.”

    “Why speak to your parents, then?” Vax asked.

    “That’s what I’m wondering.”

    Vex made pointed eye contact with Vax as Percy bent over to take off his shoes. “You know, Percy,” she said, “We were just looking at this Vox Machina book. Did you know there’s introductions for all the members in the first few pages?”

    “Oh?” Percy’s ‘politely interested’ voice came out.

    “Would you like to see my entry?”

    “Your entry?” That got him to look up. “I didn’t know you were in there.”

    “Neither did I,” Vex said. “Or that Vax was. Or Keyleth.”

    Percy raised his eyebrows. Vex saw a familiar curious spark light in his eyes. “All of you?”

    “It’s pretty cool,” Vax said. He came over to thump the book down on the counter, and Percy stood up with one shoe half-untied to look. “Here, look, here’s you.”

    The illustrated Percy looked uniformly human, unlike most of the others. He wore glasses that looked like a cross between large spectacles and a jeweler’s glass, and a cravat under a high-collared coat with fur lining. His title, though, was not quite as long as Vex’s.

    LORD PERCIVAL FREDRICKSTEIN VON MUSEL KLOSSOWSKI DE ROLO III OF THE FIRST HOUSE OF WHITESTONE, BARON OF THE THIRD HOUSE, SOPHIST OF NATIVE INGENUITY.

Always considering himself to be the smartest in the room, Percy is the inventor of our group, token human, and purveyor of ideas, mostly terrible but always clever. Wielding weapons of his own invention, he is also one of the most dangerous, or would be if he hadn’t sworn off using them.

“This is fascinating,” Percy said. He’d turned the book so it was oriented more towards him. The dark cast to his face had vanished, and the worried lines were smoothed away - Vex had picked the right distraction. “I wonder what kind of weapon it’s referring to.”

“It didn’t say in the introduction,” Vax said, shrugging.

“What introduction?”

“On the previous page.”

Percy turned the page back. Keyleth drifted over to join the group at the counter, pausing to scratch Trinket’s head.

“I wonder what this means,” Percy said.

“What, the meandering writing style? I think it’s just a personal thing,” Vax said.

“No, this bit. ‘If it has been so long that we have faded out of time and memory (which is unlikely so long as we or our descendants survive)’.” Percy pointed it out. “How could anything be forgotten during their lifetime, if they’re important enough to write a book about?”

“You never know,” Keyleth said. “It’s really easy to forget things sometimes. Once I forgot about my AP Enviro test and was almost late even though I’d been up all night studying.”

“Somehow I feel like that’s a very different situation,” Vax said with amusement.

“It doesn’t have to be!”

“Maybe they have longer lives,” Vex said, leaning against the counter. “Aren’t elves always living for like a thousand years in old stories? The personal bits said Vax was half-elvish or something.”

“Really?” Percy flipped back over to the illustrated introductions. “Interesting.”

Vax coughed in a way that sounded suspiciously like ‘Spock’. Percy didn’t notice; he was reading. Vex looked over his shoulder to see what the rest of the section on Percy said.

A later addition to Vox Machina, Percy keeps many things close to his chest, but it would be disingenuous to claim he is cold or distant. While his inventions are niche and often potentially explosive, and his strides towards his goals have in the past led him down roads better left untraveled, hard-won happiness and peace have landed solidly within his grasp - and there are none who I can think of who deserve it more.

A ringing phone made Percy jolt upright. Vax slapped his hands over his pockets to check even as Keyleth was fumbling her cell out of her purse.

“Hello?” She said, and then brightened. “Hey dad! What are you calling for?” As Keyleth wandered out of the room, listening intently to whatever Korrin was saying, Percy closed the book.

“Maybe we can come back to this,” he said quietly. “I don’t know if I can appreciate it properly right now.”

“Sure.” Vex gave Vax a what do you think? look as Percy went back to undoing the laces on his shoes, pointing down at the top of Percy’s head in case her point wasn’t clear. Vax shrugged, unhelpfully. Vex stuck her tongue out at him. She’d have to talk to Percy later.

“So my dad’s in town,” Keyleth said cheerfully when she eventually came back into the room. “Apparently he’s busy today, but I was thinking we might be able to meet up with him somewhere.”

“Oh, that sounds cool. What’s he doing all the way out here?”

“He said vacation.”

“What’s he busy for, then?” Vax rolled his eyes. “You can’t work on a vacation.”

“Maybe he’s sightseeing. He didn’t say.”

“Well, we could...”

Vex followed Percy out of the room as Vax started ruminating over the possibilities. Percy noticed after a few seconds, but his stride only faltered for a moment.

“So why did you come home early?” Vex asked.

“I told you.”

“No, you said your parents had to leave work early.”

Percy sighed impatiently through his nose. “Isn’t that the same thing?” He jerked open the door to their bedroom. Vex slid in between him and the doorframe before he could go inside.

“What else is going on?” She asked. “There’s more than just an attempted robbery going on here.”

Percy tilted his head back to look at the ceiling for several moments before he looked at Vex. “Maybe there is,” he said. “I suspect there is. But I don’t know anything more than what I suspect.”

“Alright.” Vex moved aside. “So long as you don’t keep it secret.”

Percy smiled wanly. “Who else would I tell first?”

“The guy who was hired for the robbery claims the Briarwoods asked him to do it,” Percy said into his phone, trying to keep his voice down. There were a series of gasps. “Do you have me on speaker?”

“Mother made me leave my phone in the kitchen,” a voice Percy guessed was Whitney beneath the crackle of a phone call hissed. If Whitney was there, then Oliver had to be too. “I’m not allowed to have it on me while I’m supposed to be studying.”

“What are you studying for in the summer?”

“I have summer homework, stupid! Did Father tell you anything else?”

“Did they arrest the Briarwoods?” A third voice interjected. Percy recognized it as Oliver’s. There was a sharp shushing noise.

“Let him speak,” said Cassandra, who Percy had originally called. “Well?”

“There’s no proof for the thief’s claims,” Percy said, and then raised his voice over the ensuing whispered clamor. “Yet. The police are investigating alongside whatever progress they’re making on Julius and Vesper’s case.”

“What progress?” Oliver muttered disdainfully. “As far as I know they haven’t found anything new.”

Percy pinched the bridge of his nose. “What are Mother and Father doing right now?”

“Talking to Ludwig about something,” Cassandra said. “They looked serious, so it’s a good thing you called, because we were just going to eavesdrop.”

“Do you know what’s going on?”

“Only as much as our parents do.” Percy blew out a breath. “Apparently the police, or rangers or whatever, have been investigating the area around where they found Julius’ car. They brought in some expert to review the evidence-" He had not mentioned to Keyleth that he'd discovered what her naturalist father had been suddenly busy with on his vacation. "-and they think they’ve found evidence of...shots being fired, or something.”

Silence from the other end.

“Mother said she’d talked to Arcanist Vysoren on the Council and she’d recommended a private investigator friend of hers to see if the issue with the thief could result in anything solid,” Percy said, “but right now we still don’t know much more than we did.”

“I hate the Briarwoods,” someone said, quietly enough that Percy couldn’t quite tell which of the three it was.

“Yeah,” someone else said, equally faintly.

“Oh shit, someone’s coming,” said the third person, and the call cut off. Percy grimaced at the ominous-ness of the cutoff, though in all likelihood it had just been Ludwig coming to join the other three who still lived at home.

He’d be glad when this whole mess was over.

Arcanist Vysoren’s P.I. friend was, ostensibly, Ludwig’s new boxing instructor. Ludwig had taken a gap year to expand his horizons, after all, and she seemed to think the layer of obfuscation was necessary. Percy chanced to run into her a few times while visiting his parents’ house, which he’d done more in the last week or so than in the past year.

Kima Brandybuck, private investigator and surprisingly skilled martial artist, was a stocky, well-muscled woman with a nasty scar down her chin which she claimed was from an alligator attack. Percy had not asked how the alligator had gotten close enough to attack. She was apparently running Ludwig through the wringer, alongside doing her own investigating.

Kima had not found any solid evidence connecting the Briarwoods to the disappearance of the two eldest de Rolo children, nor to the thief who claimed to be hired by them. She had been firm in her belief that it was not for lack of evidence but rather evidence itself of the Briarwoods’ talent at keeping themselves from being caught. Of course that only made her job more difficult, but Kima was equally firm in her confidence in her own ability.

Information made its rounds through the family network slowly; the specter of the Briarwoods made all of them wary sharing anything except in person, privately. But Percy did share what he knew with Vex, in case she had some insight he hadn’t been able to gain.

The facts were sparse. Julius had probably been followed on the way back from the Faire, just like Percy was being now (he’d seen the black pickup once again, but only briefly). He and Vesper had fled the car, Vesper probably taking her purse. The rear windshield of the car had been broken, and shots had been fired into the woods around where the car had been left. The Briarwoods were doing extensive business work with the de Rolos, and a thief supposedly in their pay had broken into the bank where the de Rolo lockbox - containing documents like both parents’ wills and property ownership documentation - was kept.

It felt like everything had stumbled into a dead end. No progress could be made without evidence, but despite Kima’s best (careful) efforts, no solid evidence could be obtained. A thief’s claim wasn’t enough, and Kima couldn’t push too hard without potentially warning the Briarwoods that someone was pushing.

It was the worst feeling in the world, to be forced to go through the motions of regular life without any way of introducing some kind of new element that might turn the situation in their favor. And still no clue as to where Julius and Vesper were, or if they were alright.

It was maddening.

Everybody

12:00 Vesper: Hello is this the de rolos

12:00 Vesper: I need to talk with you all

Chapter Text

Everybody

12:00 Vesper: Hello is this the de rolos

12:00 Vesper: I need to talk with you all

4:01 Percy: What the fuck?

4:01 Percy: Who is this?

4:02 Percy: How do you have Vesper’s phone?

4:03 Vesper: She let me borrow it

4:03 Percy: What do you mean? Do you know where she is?

4:05 Vesper: Are all of you here

4:05 Percy: The fuck does that mean?

4:05 Vesper: This is going to be a lot to type out and I can’t type very fast on this thing

4:05 Vesper: It means are all of you here

    Vex stirred as Percy began to dial his mother’s phone number. “What’re you doing?” Her voice was slow with sleep.

    “Someone’s messaging me from Vesper’s phone,” Percy said, listening to the phone ring and tapping his foot impatiently.

    “...What?” Vex said. “Why wouldn’t Vesper have her own phone?”

    “That’s what I want to know.”

    The phone call was picked up with a sigh. “Percival, it’s four in the morning.” Johanna’s voice was as groggy as Vex’s.

    “Have you checked your messages?” Percy asked immediately.

    “No, I have not,” Johanna said. “I was asleep.”

    “Look at them right now.”

    “Percival-”

    “Mother, please.”

    Another sigh. “Is it in the ‘everyone’ chat? I’ll look on your father’s phone, or else I’ll have to hang up.”

    “It is.” Percy’s foot tapped even faster as he waited for a response. Vague shuffling noises reached him from Johanna’s end. Vex switched on the small light next to the bed, and he had to squint against its suddenness. The sky outside was still dark and sunless.

    “Fredrick!” Johanna’s voice sounded far away, like she’d put the phone down and then forgotten it. “Fredrick, wake up!” There was a faint grumbling noise.

    “What’s going on?” Vex asked.

    “I don’t know,” Percy said tersely. He hadn’t received any more messages.

    “Should we reply?” Johanna asked him over the phone, her voice suddenly close again. “You’re good with technology, Percy, is this a scam?”

    “I don’t think so,” Percy said. “Even if it was, it’s coming from Vesper’s phone. That’s got to mean something. ”

    “Your father’s going to - hold on.” Johanna’s voice faded again. “What are you doing up?”

    “Nothing!” Whitney’s voice faded quickly as she presumably sprinted back down the hall to her own room. Percy could hear the thudding of feet on the carpeted floor.

    “Your father’s calling Kima,” Johanna said. Percy heard the click of a door closing. “I don’t know if she’ll be awake this early.”

    “Let’s hope,” Percy said. His heart was beating painfully fast.

    “I’m going to hang up. One of us needs to be able to see if this person sends anything else.”

    Vex scooted over to sit next to Percy as he lowered his phone. “What happened?”

    Wordlessly, Percy showed her the chat. Vex scrolled back to see the whole conversation, confusion wrinkling her brows.

    “At least we can be sure that’s not Vesper,” she said. “Besides the fact that she’d never talk about herself in the third person, there’s no punctuation.”

    Percy couldn’t even bring himself to snort, though it was a good joke.

    Cassandra jolted awake as Whitney flung herself on top of the younger girl.

    “Wake up!” Whitney hissed, shaking her shoulder. Cassandra tried to push Whitney off, but her sister was too heavy.

    “Get off!" Cassandra grumbled. "Wha’d’you want?”

    “Something’s happening,” Whitney said breathlessly. “I was in the kitchen for a snack and I heard mother say father was going to call Kima so I went to see if anybody else knew what was happening and look.” She shoved her phone in Cassandra’s face. Cassandra squinted, trying to make out the words between the too-bright glare of the screen and the grit of sleep in her eyes.

    “Oh shit,” Cassandra whispered as she made out who the messages were coming from.

    “Oliver went to wake up Ludwig,” Whitney said. “Here, scoot over. We’ve got to be here for this.” She shoved her way into the bed next to Cassandra. Cassandra rolled over to grab her own phone where it lay charging on the bedside table.

    “Did you hear anything else from mother?” Cassandra asked.

    “No, she went back into her room and I went back to mine before I could get yelled at.”

    Cassandra sat up and slapped her cheeks, trying to wake up properly. “What’s happening?”

    “Mother’s typing.”

Everybody

4:19 Johanna: Not all of us are here, but we don’t need to be for you to explain.

4:19 Johanna: The conversation can be read later.

4:20 Vesper: Oh really I didn’t know that

4:20 Cassandra: how do u not know that

4:20 Johanna: Cassandra, what are you doing up?

4:20 Cassandra: she said all!

    Cassandra cast a wary glance at the closed bedroom door anyway, in case her mother decided to come in and force her to go back to bed. Whitney was on her own phone, pressed against the headboard of the bed with her knees curled up to her chest, mouthing ‘what the fuck’.

    “If they have her phone, they have to have been around Vesper,” Cassandra said. “That means she’s okay, right?”

    “Or they stole it,” Whitney said.

    “But Vesper took her purse with her. It wasn’t in the car.”

    “Someone still could’ve maybe stolen it.”

    Cassandra pursed her lips, but she couldn’t think of a good counter-argument. The buzz of her phone drew her back to the conversation.

Everybody

4:21 Vesper: How do you have the question mark

4:21 Cassandra: press the ? key

4:21 Vesper: There isn’t one

4:21 Whitney: you have to press the button that says 123 first

4:22 Vesper: !?

4:22 Percy: Can we PLEASE have some kind of answer here?

4:22 Oliver: yeah why the hell do you have Vesper’s phone?

4:22 Johanna: Do you know where Vesper and Julius are?

4:22 Cassandra: yeah who the hell is this we’re talking to??

    Whoever was on Vesper’s end of the conversation took an agonizingly long time to type. Percy got up to pace, going back and forth by the end of the bed while Vex watched the phone.

    “You don’t think this is one of the people who was involved in her disappearance, do you?” Vex asked.

    “Maybe! Maybe they’re just bold enough to pull something like this.”

    “Oh, she’s answered!”

    Percy nearly threw himself back down onto the bed to look over Vex’s shoulder.

Everybody

4:23 Vesper: Have you heard of the concept of giving people time to answer your questions

4:23 Vesper: I can’t type fast

4:23 Cassandra: u sound like someone who’s never touched a phone before

4:24 Vesper: I haven’t

4:24 Cassandra: the fuck?

4:24 Johanna: Cassandra please.

4:24 Whitney: wait holy shit

4:24 Whitney: omg omg

4:24 Whitney: you’re from the other place! that place vesper went last time!

4:24 Vesper: Should I have led with that I figured it was obvious

4:24 Cassandra: HOW IS THAT OBVIOUS

4:24 Johanna: Is that where Vesper and Julius are?

4:24 Vesper: Yes

4:25 Johanna: Are they okay?

4:25 Vesper: Yes

    Johanna breathed a deep sigh of relief and sagged into Fredrick’s side. He’d already had one arm around her; now he squeezed her tightly to him, heaving a sigh of his own. One of the burdens of worry that had weighed on their shoulders was lifted, and for a moment they sat and simply let themselves breathe.

    Their oldest two children were safe.

Everybody

4:25 Cassandra: okay but if you have Vesper’s phone and you came from the other world how the FUCK does that work

4:25 Vesper: Because Vesper came here

4:25 Vesper: Did you not know she had a way to do that

4:25 Whitney: NO???

4:25 Whitney: What do you mean, a way to get there?

4:25 Vesper: Scanlan sent her a version of the spell that was used to send her home

4:25 Vesper: I don’t know the details but obviously she managed to work it

4:25 Cassandra: VESPER CAN DO MAGIC?

4:25 Vesper: Did you really not know any of this

4:25 Percy: How could Vesper possibly have received anything from your side?

4:26 Vesper: Scanlans been sending her letters basically since she left so I guess however they were doing that

4:26 Oliver: okay someone has got to have a conversation with Vesper about keeping secrets

4:26 Vesper: Scanlan experimented with the spell a lot

4:26 Johanna: Is Vesper here right now?

4:26 Vesper: No she stayed in Whitestone

4:26 Whitney: in whitestone??

4:26 Vesper: also why do words randomly become capitalized

4:26 Cassandra: it just happens

4:26 Cassandra: why whitestone?

4:27 Vesper: Because residuum powers the version of the spell that takes people back and forth and Whitestone is where residuum is

4:27 Percy: What’s residuum?

4:27 Vesper: I only came because I’m sneaky

4:27 Vesper: Magic glass

4:27 Johanna: Who is this we’re talking to?

4:27 Vesper: I’m Vex

4:27 Cassandra: o shit

4:27 Oliver: no. way.

4:27 Percy: That’s...something.

4:27 Whitney: pics pics send a picture

4:28 Vesper: Listen I came for a reason Vesper asked us for help and we can do our best but not if we don’t know what we’re getting into

4:28 Vesper: What do you know about the briarwoods

4:28 Johanna: I’m not one hundred percent sure that’s a safe conversation to have over the phone

4:28 Vesper: How else should we have it

4:28 Johanna: Where are you?

4:28 Vesper: I actually don’t know its the woods

4:28 Vesper: There are hiking trails through it

4:28 Percy: Vex wants to know if you’ve seen any trails with signs saying they’re named after past Sovereigns

4:28 Vesper: Yes actually

4:28 Percy: You’re in the Emon nature reserve

4:28 Vesper: What’s that

4:28 Johanna: I know how to get there.

4:28 Johanna: If we brought Kima to speak with you, she could tell you pretty much everything we know.

4:29 Vesper: Kima?

4:30 Whitney: do u know her?

4:30 Johanna: She’s been doing some investigating for us.

4:30 Vesper: Yes but I doubt were thinking of the same kima

4:30 Vesper: Who would I be talking to

4:30 Johanna: We can sort that out later.

4:30 Johanna: What happened to Vesper and Julius? Do you know?

4:30 Vesper: Well I guess I know most of what happened

4:30 Vesper: Let me start from the beginning

Chapter Text

Vesper and Julius tumbled onto the ground.

    Vesper heard the parchment tear, and felt it give way between her hands. The shard of residuum glass bit into her palm, making her gasp with pain. Dirt was under her cheek, and she could feel grass pressing into her side.

    “What the fuck!” Julius shouted, a delayed reaction to what they’d just undergone. Vesper had remembered the darkness, It had been like they were passing through a void. But when she’d activated the spell, it had felt like she’d been stretched out nearly to the point of breaking, pressure squeezing her on all sides. She’d barely been able to breathe before it had all ceased.

    Julius disentangled himself from Vesper, pushing himself up into a sitting position. Vesper put her hands down and hissed when her right palm stung viciously.

    “Where are we?” Julius demanded. “What was that?”

    “A spell,” Vesper said, hauling herself upright. “I - a friend of mine from when I was here gave it to me, in case I needed an escape.”

    “What do you mean, a spell? How could someone from here give it to you?”

    Vesper held up the torn halves of the letter. It was almost too dark to see, but the array was visible enough - it looked like it had been burned into the paper. She figured it was useless now. “I asked for it,” she said. “I - well. One of the people I met here sent me a letter, a while ago, and a way to send one back, so I did. And then he sent one back, so I sent one back-”

    “You’ve been keeping up interdimensional correspondence with magic ?” Incredulous, Julius snatched away the two halves of the array. Vesper lost her hold on the envelope with the original letter inside, and when she grabbed for it her palm pulsed with pain.

    “Ow, shit!”

    “Are you okay?” Julius forgot the array immediately. Wincing, Vesper opened her hand. She was still holding the shard of residuum. The area around them was dark, and cooler than where they’d been a moment ago. Faint shafts of light wormed their way down to the ground in between what looked like leaves and branches. The glass gleamed dimly, showing where blood was pooling on its edges and in Vesper’s palm.

    “Fuck,” Julius said.

    “Ow,” Vesper said. Seeing it had made the wound abruptly start hurting more. “I didn’t know it was that sharp. Ow.” It really, really hurt. Vesper bit her lip, trying to keep back tears.

    “You have a first aid kit, right?”

    “Yes.” Vesper moved her arm gingerly to let Julius rifle through it. He took the glass out of her palm, hesitated, and then tucked it into the fallen envelope.

    “Here, you hold my phone,” he said, turning the flashlight on. Vesper took it with her good hand. The shard of glass flashed when she pointed it at her palm, and the blood looked bright red. Vesper immediately looked away, but not before she saw the crumbs of dirt mixed in with everything else.

    “Okay, not great,” Julius said. “Uh - do you have a waterbottle?”

    “Mm-hm.”

    “So,” Julius said, desperately grasping at the threads of a normal conversation as he poured water over Vesper’s palm, “what do you mean, in case you needed an escape?” He dripped some of it onto Vesper’s knee by accident.

    “I told Scanlan - the one I sent the letters to - about everything that was happening,” Vesper said, wincing as Julius poked at her palm with the tiny first-aid kit’s tweezers to get the glass out. He didn’t reprimand her for the way the light shook the same way her hand was. “He was experimenting with the spell that was originally used to summon people, which was the same one he used to send me back. He sent me that thing I just used, and told me that if I needed it, it could bring me here.”

    Julius breathed deeply. “I’m going to regret asking this, but where’s ‘here’?”

    “...I don’t know.” They still seemed to be in a forest.

    “I’m going to clarify. Are we still in the same, I don’t know, universe?”

    “No,” Vesper said, “Not as far as I know.”

    “Godsdamnit, I could have used some warning!”

    “There wasn’t time!”

    “I know!” Julius’s shoulders slumped. He seemed to instantly regret yelling. “Saints and Champions. What the fuck is going on? Why were we being shot at?”

    “I know who I think is behind it,” Vesper said.

    “Yeah. I know.” Julius dabbed antiseptic onto the cuts straight from the tube. “How are you holding up?”

    “Better now that we’re not being shot at.” Vesper winced, but did her best to keep the phone light still.

    “Have you really just been pen pals with someone from this world ever since you got back?”

    “It’s not exactly something I could have brought up in conversation.”

    “Oh, BS,” Julius said. “That would’ve been such a cool conversation!”

    “Well, you know now.”

    Julius put the antiseptic back in the first-aid kit and sat back on his heels. Vesper could see his face only faintly; he was frowning, and the faintest uprturn of his eyebrows betrayed his worry. “So, a reference for the future, you’ve got like three small cotton pads in here and no bandages.”

    “It’s a pocket kit,” Vesper said defensively.

    “I know, I just can’t tell how this is going to work.”

    Vesper glanced down. Her hand was cleaner, but still bleeding gently in two lines across her palm and the inside of her fingers.

    “You could use my belt,” she said.

    “Oh - good idea.”

    Vesper went to untie the belt, then remembered she was still holding Julius’ phone. Julius quickly untied it for her. There was far more belt than necessary for just wrapping her hand. Julius put the cotton pads over the deeper cut on her palm and gave Vesper a makeshift sort of boxing hand-wrap.

    “It’s better than nothing,” Vesper said once he’d finished. She looped the excess belt around her wrist and tucked the ends into her sleeve. “Thanks.”

    “Of course.” Julius sat back again and looked around. “Do you really not know where we are?”

    “I don’t see anything I recognize.”

    Julius grimaced. “I don’t want to be in the woods all night.”

    “Take your phone back, at least.” Vesper pushed it back at him, then put the mess of a letter back in her purse. Julius relinquished the torn pieces of the array without a fight.

    “Oh!”

    “What?” Vesper immediately looked up. What had Julius seen?

    “Your watch!” Julius said. “What time is it?”

    “Oh! Good thinking!” It took some fumbling to get the pocket watch out with only one good hand, but Vesper managed to snap it open. It still ticked reliably; the moon was half full, and it was almost five-thirty.

    “It has to be five in the morning,” Julius said, looking over her shoulder. “Unless it’s winter. Could it be?”

    “I don’t know,” Vesper said. “I was gone for less time than it seemed to you back home, but not that long.”

    Julius looked around at their surroundings. The trees stood silently, thick and tall, far older than anything that had surrounded them a minute ago.

    “I really don’t like this,” he said.

    “It looks like there’s a little more light that way,” Vesper said, as she put the watch away. “Maybe the trees open up and we can get a better view.”

    “I guess we can at least try.” Julius stood, then pulled Vesper to her feet. “I hope it’s not a long walk. I’m still tired from the Faire.”

    As they moved towards the open area, Vesper saw that it was not a grove of open space like she’d expected, but the edge of whatever forest they’d fallen into. When they came to the last line of trees, she stopped dead, staring at the sight before them.

    “Julius,” Vesper said, “I know where we are.”

    “You do?”

    “Yes,” Vesper said, staring at the dead primordial titan that still overshadowed the city. “We’re in Vasselheim.”

    They were, unfortunately, still quite a ways away from the city center. The rolling hills of fields and scattered houses seemed to go on forever, and the thin stripe of what had to be the city walls never grew much bigger. The darkness lifted only gradually, as the sun began to peek over the horizon. It was cool enough that Vesper had put her cloak on, and given the other end of it to Julius to put around his shoulders. Eventually they came upon a road, and began to follow that, as it seemed to lead in generally the right direction.

    Julius hadn’t asked many questions, even though Vesper suspected he wanted to. Probably he was as tired as she was. The walk was long, and they’d already been on their feet all day with no chance of a real rest. Vesper caught herself several times leaning too hard into Julius, and had to pull away before she made them both stumble off the road.

    The further they walked, the closer the scattered buildings got to the road and the more often they appeared. They looked mostly like farmhouses to Vesper, though she couldn’t see them that well in the weak dawn light.

    “Let’s stop for a moment,” Julius said, when they passed a small roadside lean-to. It was a well-made little building, inside of which was a shelf with several candles half-melted on top of it. A woodcut image of a staff with a wreath of wheat around it leaned against the back wall, where someone had hung tatters of cloth like miniature banners - green, red, and yellow. Tiny sprigs of flowers and heads of wheat were scattered on the space between the candles and the image. There was space enough for a person to kneel in front of the shelf, but not much in the way of seats.

    Vesper hesitated outside of it, though Julius sat down on the wooden floor without thinking twice about it, sighing in relief.

    “Should we?” Vesper said. “It looks like an altar.”

    “Does it matter?”

    “I don’t know,” Vesper said. “The gods are a lot more...present, here. From what I’ve seen.”

    Julius glanced up over his shoulder. “Maybe they’ll understand,” he said. Vesper still hesitated.

    “Maybe-” Vesper said. “Well, let me try something.” Julius wasn’t taking up all the space, so she stepped inside the little altar space as well. It was still difficult to unearth the little candle she’d bought at the Faire one-handed, but Vesper found it eventually.

    “What are you doing?” Julius asked.

    “Gaining goodwill,” Vesper said. “Even if it doesn’t do anything, it might be a nice gesture for anyone else who comes in here.” She paused, and then looked down at him. “Do you want to see a cool trick?”

    “Sure.”

    Vesper bent down so she was on the same level as Julius, holding the candle between them in her good hand. She barely had to think for a moment before the wick flared up into a flame tall enough that both of them jolted backwards.

    “Holy shit, Vesper!” Julius’ expression transformed into a broad grin as soon as she got over his shock. Vesper grinned back, and put the candle on the altar. It was already giving off the smell of vanilla.

    Julius shook his head, still grinning in amazement. Vesper sat down next to him, shocked with how easily the candle-lighting trick had come to her. Maybe it was easier in this world, or in proximity to Vasselheim. Whatever the case, candle-lighting was still her best trick, no matter what else she tried. Perhaps, Vesper thought ruefully, she wasn’t imagining what else she might be able to do quite right.

    The sun rose high enough into the sky while they sat that the two of them began to see activity in the fields. Tall figures strode through the fields and went in and out of houses and barns; strange moving gaps between stalks of corn or wheat betrayed where shorter farmers were also going about their morning chores.

The woods she and Julius had left behind poked out distantly, a belt of dark green, from behind the equally green fields and hills. In the other direction, the grey walls of Vasselheim seemed a bit closer in daylight than they had in the dark.

    “I don’t want to get up,” Julius confessed, “but if we sit here any longer I’m going to fall asleep. Is that blasphemy?”

    “Maybe,” Vesper said. Her hand still stung. She knew palms were a sensitive place to be cut, and experience was teaching her the same thing now. She wanted a bed that she could fall into and never get up from until she’d slept for twenty hours.

    “We should probably keep going.”

    “Probably.” Neither of them made a move to get up.

    “Where exactly are we going?”

    Vesper blew out a breath. “I could probably find someone who’d help us at the Platinum Sanctuary,” she said, “or the temple of Sarenrae. But both of those places are in the center of the city, up the mountain.”

    “Oh, great.” Julius rubbed his hands over his face, blinking rapidly. “Isn’t there anywhere else you know where we could stay? Not even somewhere to get help. I just need sleep.”

    “Maybe,” Vesper muttered. She tried to concentrate, but she kept thinking about how badly she needed to concentrate on thinking of somewhere to go instead of actually coming up with ideas.

    “Not even your at-home research can help?” Julius bumped his shoulder against hers, jostling Vesper’s arm. Her bad hand bumped against her knee, and Vesper winced as even the slight touch made the cuts pulse with pain.

    “Ow.”

    “Shit. My bad.”

    Vesper waved him off. The thought occurred to her that at least her shoulder hadn’t hurt. In the next moment she frowned, wondering why she’d thought something like that. Maybe she was more tired than she’d thought. Her shoulder wasn’t injured.

    “The Slayer’s Take!” Vesper blurted out, her mouth moving ahead of her mind just as enough synapses connected for her to make the necessary leap to an idea.

    “The what?” Julius asked blankly.

    “It’s a place in the city,” Vesper said. “I know people stay there - I must have learned it somewhere. Surely if people stay there they have rooms.”

    “Is it not on the mountain?”

    “Not that I remember.”

    “Then it sounds good to me,” Julius said. “Let’s go before someone has to evict us from this tiny temple.”

    The winding path they had been following eventually joined with a much wider one, which though it went rigidly straight towards the city walls was made simply of dirt, and much churned up by cart tracks and hoofprints. Vesper and Julius stuck to the edge of the road, for it was already busy. A cart pulled by ponies and driven by halflings rattled by them, with a handful of young-looking ones spilling out the back and laughing as they ran barefoot to catch up. The road was surrounded on both sides by a cluster of buildings, general stores and houses and what seemed to be places of farm-related business that Vesper couldn’t parse or guess the specific nature of.

The rising sun took the edge off the chill in the air, and the longer they walked the closer Vesper got to sweating. Julius was watching the business on the road in fascination. As they were passed by another cart, a group of lightly-armored elves who had been standing around talking hurried to get out of the way. One of the elves was carrying a bow and quiver of arrows, another daggers, and the third a sword; they all had large packs that reminded Vesper of what she’d been supplied with for her trip through the titan.

“This is possibly the wildest thing I’ve ever seen,” Julius said. Vesper elbowed him to get him to stop staring at the elves. “Ow.”

“Don’t be rude,” Vesper said. “As far as anyone here is concerned I’m sure it’s all perfectly normal.” A tall woman in chainmail rode past them on horseback, a tall spear held at her side. Julius twisted around to watch her go down the road.

“But I’ve never seen it,” Julius said, stumbling as Vesper pulled him forward. “I can half believe I’m asleep and dreaming.”

“You’re just tired, probably,” Vesper said.

“That, too.”

As the road wound on, the buildings became more frequent until they bumped up against the ends of long walls which marched down from the city walls themselves. Guards patrolled the triangularly crenellated tops of the walls, and the sides were decorated with wide stripes of glazed-green bricks, none of them quite the same shade of green as their neighbor. Roaring lions paralleled Vesper and Julius’s path between stripes of red and yellow decorated with white rosettes as they walked towards the huge gate which guarded entry to the city.

“This must be one of the Four Gates of Vasselheim,” Julius said to Vesper in an undertone. The top of the gate was crenellated too, and more guards patrolled there. The gate itself was made of the same glazed-green brick as the buildings which walled them in, and rows of rounded animal reliefs marched along the front of the towers which bookended the actual entrance. “They were supposed to have been one of the seven wonders of the world, but they were mostly destroyed during the Calamity, and I think the remains of the Queen’s gate are in the Othanzian National Museum of Art. This is incredible.”

The gate certainly was something to behold. Two huge towers stood on either side a tall archway bordered with the same stripes of red and yellow, with wrought-iron gates standing open to allow entry and exit from Vasselheim. Over the top of the arch was a huge relief, a yellow wreath around a gnarled staff with berry-bearing branches woven into it. The top of the wall bore mounted sculptures of dragon’s heads attended to by guards; beyond it, inside the city, trees grew thickly - and yet somehow none reached their branches over the wall.

The gate, Vesper saw as she and Julius approached close enough to enter, was only the entryway to a long tunnel that let them flow out into a forest even denser and taller than the one they’d left behind.

“We must be in the Melora district,” Julius said. “Pelor’s grace, I can’t imagine how old this forest must be.”

“Less than eight hundred years, probably,” Vesper said. “I’ve never been here - here or at home - before.”

“I never had the time to visit,” Julius said ruefully. “I’ve only ever been to Vasselheim on business.”

“I know, I went with you on some of those. I meant in the Melora district.” Vesper frowned. “The road goes straight on - if we follow it, we’ll get somewhere eventually.”

“Lead on, then.”

The longer they walked, the longer walking seemed to take. Vesper nearly gave up on everything on the spot when they reached a crossroads and she realized she did know where they were - but the Mirefell Marketplace was in between them and the Slayer’s Take.

“We can go around,” Julius said, but even he was beginning to look worn out. It was a combination of all the time they’d spent awake, and the steadily increasing sunlight. “I’ve got a good head for directions, we can still get to the right place. Which side of the street is it on?”

And so it was that, nearly ready to fall asleep where they stood, Vesper and Julius found themselves at the door of the Slayer’s Take guildhall, taking a moment to breathe even after the very small set of stairs which led up to the porch.

A halfling man sitting at a counter just inside the doors looked up as the two of them entered. His eyebrows shot up.

“You, again!” He said, putting down his book in astonishment.

“Yes,” Vesper said wearily. “It’s a long story. You offer rooms, don’t you?”

“Yees,” the halfling whose name Vesper couldn’t recall at the moment said slowly, side-eyeing Julius. “If he wants to stay, you’re going to have to share. Rooms are members only.”

“Sure.” Vesper waved that aside. “But there’s one we can use?”

“Technically, yes.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” She was so goddamn tired.

It was something of a miracle that, having finally reached their destination, Vesper and Julius even made it into the small room and the equally small bed they were given to share. Julius made a fumbling attempt at setting a timer (none of his alarms were working, as his phone had lost track of time just like Vesper’s had the last time), citing interdimensional jet lag, but Vesper barely heard his mumbling attempt at a sentence before she was falling deeply asleep.

When Vesper roused herself, an indeterminate amount of time later, it was to a still-asleep Julius and a heavy stream of sunlight coming in through the window. The room was warm, if a little stuffy. Vesper drowsed for a while longer, eventually rolling over and locating her purse where she’d evidently dropped it on the floor. The pocket watch told her that it was a little past one-thirty.

Vesper sat up, dislodging the cloak that she’d used as a blanket in lieu of untucking the actual blankets provided with the bed. Julius grumbled in his sleep and rolled over, clutching the edge of the cloak. Vesper nearly reached out to catch him, but he didn’t fall off the bed, and instead she caught herself at the last second before she touched him. She didn’t want to wake him up.

Vesper checked her phone, for lack of any other quiet activities to do. She’d forgotten it was dead until she tried to turn it on and it didn’t respond. At a loss, she sat on the bed and stared into the distance.

What to do, now that she was far away from home - of her own volition, but without any way to get herself back? She had to find Scanlan, obviously, and explain the situation to him. Maybe Vox Machina could help her once more. But Vesper wasn’t sure if she was willing to pull them into a potentially dangerous situation which she didn’t fully understand.

...But she didn’t want to be in a dangerous situation she didn’t fully understand by herself. And certainly not with so little information at her disposal.

Vesper could have smacked herself in the next minute. She was complaining about a lack of information, while sitting in the Slayer’s Take! What better place was there in Vasselheim to learn information not written down in any book?

The guards outside the iron doors of Osysa’s sanctuary side-eyed Vesper heavily as she tried to bargain for entrance. Vesper had to (huffily) pull down her neckline as far as she modestly could to show them the edge of her Take brand before they would pull open the doors - just barely wide enough to admit her. The descending passageway was still lit with torches, though it was significantly better lit than the last time. There was no need to remove one from its bracket and take it with her.

Vesper took a deep breath, and went onwards.

It was cool underground, enough so that she wished she’d brought the cloak. The torches let her descend the stairs without worrying about missing a step, and the further she went the more the fog of sleep cleared from her mind. By the time she reached the much darker bottom, Vesper was thinking clearly enough to be nervous.

The wide stairs of the pyramid were just visible in the torchlight from the stairs. Vesper remembered that there were others that had lit themselves in the main room, but only once she had started towards the top of the pyramid.

“Hello?” Vesper ventured, raising her voice.

“I remember you.” The powerful growl of a voice came almost immediately in response. “I saw your second arrival. You wish to speak to me?”

“Yes,” Vesper said, swallowing nervously.

“Then come.”

Vesper squared her shoulders, and went forward.

Osysa’s pyramidal lair was also as she remembered it. The torches lit themselves row by row as Vesper ascended. As she stepped onto the flat top, she barely caught a glimpse of the flat space and the altar with the glass sphere before Osysa leaped down to meet her.

Osysa had not changed either. As her wings swept down to balance her landing, creating a rush of wind, Vesper tried to focus on her human face and nothing else. But her eyes were still blankly blue, and the mane of hair surrounding her face was very much a mane.

“You have returned to Vasselheim,” Osysa said, “with magic of your own. Why do such a thing?”

“I was in danger,” Vesper said. “I may still be. Last time I was here you talked about your ‘sight’ - you can find things out, can’t you?”

“That is my gift, yes.” Osysa settled down onto her haunches and stretched out her front legs so that she was lying down. Her wings twitched, resettling into a more comfortable position. Vesper sank down to her knees, copying the casual position. “You wish to know something.”

“I do,” Vesper said. “But I don’t know if your sight can reach other worlds. Can it?”

“My sight reaches far,” Osysa said. “But it does not encompass even the whole of this world. My purview is Vasselheim, and the surrounding regions. If I look very far - too far, perhaps - I have seen as far as Draconica. But the farther I look, the more I open myself up to retaliation and violence. I could look into other realms - say, the Hells - if I tried, but it would be very dangerous.”

“I see.” Vesper looked down at her knees, her hands tightening into fists.

“What is it you wanted to know?”

Vesper breathed slowly. “My family is in danger,” she said. “In my world, a pair by the name of Briarwood showed up. Knowing what I learned from the last time I was here, I was worried, and now I have good reason to think that that worry is founded upon something. But I don’t know what they want, or how they intend to do it, or what they might intend to do.”

“They have put you in danger?”

“They tried,” Vesper said. “Or someone they might have sent did. I need a way to learn more.”

“That is an admirable goal,” Osysa said. “But I only see. The Knowing Mistress knows much by virtue of her position, but she does not grant me aught but what I have already been given. I am blessed with long sight so that I may find new knowledge on my own.” Osysa ran a huge paw over the glass sphere set into the altar pedestal, and for a moment it seemed to glow with internal light.

“The Knowing Mistress?” It sounded like a title Vesper was meant to recognize.

“You know others who carry out her will. Those who move more flexibly about the world than I.” The glow in the sphere, for a moment, took on the shape of an eye, within a curved crescent.

Vesper had seen it before.

“I do,” she said. “I was going to go to him anyway - could he help? I mean, is he the best person to ask?”

“Your own judgement can tell you that,” Osysa said. “But if it is information you wish, I think there are few who can get it more easily for you, and at a smaller cost.”

Vesper nodded slowly. A trip to the temple of Sarenrae was warranted, then, and as soon as possible. “Thank you.”

“I ask for one thing in return for advice,” Osysa said.

“What?”

“Your world,” Osysa said. “Tell me of it.”

Vesper could have laughed. “There’s an awful lot to tell about it.” How could a whole world be summed up when she’d only ever lived in a small part of it?

“There is time aplenty for it.”

When Vesper went back up to the room she’d claimed, finding it only with some difficulty and several minutes of guessing, Julius was absent.

“Damn,” Vesper said. Julius’s phone was gone, too, and he didn’t appear to have left anything behind other than his hat. Vesper stuffed it into her purse, taking that and her cloak with her as she left. They hadn’t brought anything else with them, which bothered her. It felt like she was leaving a hotel without her suitcase.

Where could Julius had gone? Maybe, armed with the assumption that the Vasselheim they were in now was similar enough to the one they’d left, he’d gone out to explore. Vesper wished he wouldn’t have. She didn’t like Julius being out of her sight. Something could happen to him, and she might never know.

She might as well try to find him. Maybe Scanlan, if she could find him, knew a spell to do such a thing. But Vesper didn’t have to go past the porch of the Take building before she stumbled across Julius, sitting on the steps.

“There you are!” She said. Julius twisted around.

“You’re one to talk,” he said, as Vesper sat down next to him. “I woke up and you’d vanished.”

“I just wanted a moment to think and get some ideas of what to do next,” Vesper said. She could hear the noise of the Mirefell Markeplace even though it was out of sight and several blocks away. People moved up and down the street on everyday business, fewer of them dressed in furs than she remembered. Vasselheim was still cool, but the sun was high enough that some were daring to go about with bare arms. There were women in colorful dresses and men in long cloaks, adventurers given away by their armor and the swords at their waists. A few guards in the uniform armor or chainmail rode by on stocky horses. Down the street there was a stall with a colorful canopy, selling some kind of food that smelled heavenly.

And of course, only about half the people on the street were human. The women were a gaggle of bearded dwarves with elaborately braided hair, and both of the guards were the reptilian humanoids Vesper had seen a handful of times. Old legends at home called them dragonborn, but she wasn’t sure if that was the right word here.

“What are you doing on the porch?” Vesper asked.

“I didn’t want to stay in the room, and the taxidermied heads in the common room were creeping me out,” Julius said. “I’m pretty sure half of those were like, monsters. Where did you go?”

“I wandered a bit,” Vesper said, which was true. She hadn’t remembered where Osysa’s room was.

“Alright.” Julius was quiet for a minute. “Why did you pick this place?”

“What do you mean?” Vesper leaned against Julius’s shoulder. She still felt a little tired, though not nearly as much as she had earlier.

“I was just wondering if whatever’s on your shoulder is like what some of the people in there had.”

Vesper abruptly leaned away. “My shoulder? What are you talking about?”

“Whitney told me about it.”

“Why would Whitney know anything about-”

“It came up in conversation. Please cut the bullshit, Vesper.” Julius sounded tired. “We were talking because we’re all worried about whatever you’re going through because of the last time you were here. I want to know if there’s someone I should be yelling at in there.”

“...There isn’t.” Vesper rubbed her shoulder absentmindedly, looking towards the ground. It didn’t hurt, but then it hadn’t except in the moment. “It wasn’t anything malicious.”

“Then what happened?”

Vesper sighed. “There’s...a person who works with the Slayer’s Take, who some members told me might be able to give me information. I got an audience, but apparently only members are allowed to see this person because they’re sworn to secrecy. So I got sworn.”

“With a brand?” Julius looked nauseated, when Vesper looked at him.

“No,” Vesper said. “Just, you know, magic.” She flicked the fingers of both hands wide like fireworks, and then winced. “Ow, that was a bad idea.”

“Is your hand okay?”

“Yeah, it just hurts.” Vesper tugged aside the makeshift bandage to look. The cut had scabbed over, at least. The thin cotton pads were stained an unpleasant brownish color.

“Why would you agree to something like that?” Julius asked.

“I figured they were going to ask me to sign a contract!” Vesper put her hands down. “It happened so fast.”

Julius sighed heavily, scowling. “I still don’t like it,” he said. “How magic was it?”

“Nobody touched me,” Vesper said. “And it healed in an instant.”

“Healed?”

“Don’t-” Vesper sighed. “Bad word choice.”

“But apt, isn’t it?” Julius scowled harder, then put an arm around her shoulders and tugged her close. “Tell me there’s somewhere else we can go. I don’t want to stay here.”

“As it happens,” Vesper said, leaning into the hug to try and ease whatever Julius was feeling, “I have someone I need to find.”

Circling once again around the Mirefell Marketplace rather than braving going through, Vesper did her best to set a path towards the mountain at the center of Vasselheim. They had managed to find the wide, straight road again, but making their way down it was an endeavor. Stalls were set up in the center selling wares, or groups of people congregating to advertise or put on performances. Vesper kept her eyes on the mountain. Within the city walls, on a clear day, it was easy to make out the gleam of white near the peak where the Platinum Sanctuary rested. But more difficult to spot was the short yellow spire of Sarenrae’s temple, always around a corner or behind somebody’s chimney.

Vesper was so intent on her goal that Julius had to stick his arm out to stop her from walking straight into a group of blue-robed individuals. They were clustered in the center of the street in a talkative huddle.

“Maybe I should lead,” Julius said.

“You have no idea where you’re going,” Vesper retorted. “It’s fine, I recognize the crossroads up ahead. We’ve got to be close.” The crossroads were familiar, it was true, but she had no idea which way to go once they reached it.

“I don’t have no idea, I’ve been to Vasselheim before! I’ve seen maps of the city.”

“There’s no guarantee those are the same.”

“They can’t be that different if the city is similar enough,” Julius pointed out.

“There’s been hundreds of years for each one to change in different ways,” Vesper said, “and that’s assuming this one and the one we’ve been to were identical pre-Divergence.”

“Vesper!”

Both of them stopped in their tracks, because neither Vesper nor Julius had spoken. Confused, Vesper turned just in time to react as Amani nearly crashed into her.

“What are you doing here?” Amani demanded, clearly delighted. The pieces slotted into place quickly in Vesper’s mind - the huddle of figures with blue robes and embroidered silver scale designs, the proximity of the Bahamut district centered around the mountain. “I thought you were sent home!”

“I was,” Vesper said. Amani was clasping her shoulders, so Vesper put a hand on Amani’s arm, grinning despite the suddenness of their meeting. “It’s a really long story.” Amani looked different. Her hair was longer, and the style of her robes was different - though that was explained by the fact that they were probably meant for warmer weather, and bore no trace of fur.

“I’m very lost,” Julius said.

“Oh - this is Amani,” Vesper explained. Amani let go of her shoulders as Vesper turned to face her brother. “Last time I ended up here, she helped me out a lot.”

“Oh, that’s good.” Julius extended a hand for Amani to shake, though his eyes were lingering on her ears.

“This is my brother Julius,” Vesper added, realizing she hadn’t explained. Amani nodded.

“I could tell,” she said. “You two look alike. What are you doing back here? Did something happen again?”

“No, we came on purpose,” Vesper said. “Sort of. It really is a very long story, and I’ve got to get to the temple of Sarenrae.”

“The temple of - ohhhhhh,” Amani said. “I see. That’s just your luck - the Dawnmarshal’s been out of the city for the last few days.”

“Damn,” Vesper said.

“The Dawnmarshal?” Julius questioned.  

“The leader of the temple,” Amani said. “Each deity’s ward is governed by one. Anyway the Lightbearer isn’t in - she has a habit of going on small adventures every once in a while. She’ll probably return soon, though, and there’s no way the temple will turn you away if you ask for temporary shelter there.”

“Is the Lightbearer just a different name, or a different person?” Vesper questioned.

“Oh, I’m sorry. Same person. The Dawnmarshals have different titles.” Amani grinned. “I forget you’re not from here.”

“If she’s gone, do you know if Scanlan is still there?”

Amani’s eyes widened. “Why would I know that? I don’t talk to him.”

“Scanlan?” Julius repeated.

“But do you know if he’s there?” Vesper pressed, ignoring Julius for the time being. “I’m in something of an urgent situation.”

“You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“Not here,” Vesper said. “But I was hoping to speak to at least one of them.”

“Well, I don’t know,” Amani said doubtfully. “He might have gone with the Dawnmarshal. But like I said, it’s not likely to be more than a day until she comes back. The only reason she wouldn’t would be if something happened that she couldn’t handle, and that’s not likely.”

“Alright, that’s - something, at least.”

“Is it that urgent?” Amani asked.

“It’s nothing you have to worry about.” Vesper said. “Just trouble back home.” She gestured vaguely, and Amani’s eyes alighted on her wrapped-up hand.

“What happened to your hand?”

“A piece of glass,” Vesper said with a grimace. “It’s alright now.”

“Let me see.” Amani took her hand, tugging the belt bandage out of the way. “Eurgh. That’s a nasty cut.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” Vesper said, a little nervously.

“Better not to leave it to chance.” Amani clapped her other hand over Vesper’s, clasping it. Vesper nearly jerked her hand away at the sudden warmth that suffused it. It didn’t hurt - mostly it was the surprise and the blue sparks that flew from between Amani’s fingers that triggered a reflex flinch.

Amani let go, raising her hands. “Sorry! Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“What-?” Vesper pulled her hand back to examine it. The cuts had vanished; there was only the faintest, thinnest line of a scar across her palm. Julius whistled.

“That’s a neat trick,” Julius said.

“I’ve been practicing,” Amani said proudly. “And I’m no junior acolyte anymore, so they’re letting me at the real spellbooks and such.”

“I don’t really know what that means.”

“Thank you,” Vesper said. She pulled the now-soiled belt off and shoved it, cotton pads and all, into her purse.

“Of course.”

“What does it mean to not be a junior acolyte?”

“Mostly that there are people below me in the Sanctuary’s hierarchy,” Amani said, with a wry grin. “I’m not the newest anymore, but they do let me do a bit more. I still get bossed around.”

“Amani!”

“Speaking of,” Amani muttered, then turned back to face the blue-robed group.  “What is it, Yulkian?”

“We’re going on,” Yulkian, a dragonborn with white skin - or scales? - said pointedly. “I rather think you wouldn’t like to be left behind.” She was noticeably senior to the other blue-robed people in the group; her clothes had far more silver embroidery around the hems, and a pattern of jagged teeth-like shapes bordered where a zipper would be on a modern coat.

“But I’m taking these two up to the Sanctuary,” Amani said. “They’re new to the city and liable to get lost.”

Vesper had to struggle not to raise her eyebrows. Yulkian gave her and Julius a skeptical once-over.

“Fine,” Yulkian said grudgingly. “Take some of these up with you.” One of the figures, dressed in the same simpler robes as Amani, brightened and dumped a large bag they’d been carrying into Amani’s arms.

“I’ll make sure it gets to the Quartermaster,” Amani promised, slinging the satchel over her shoulder. It looked heavy, but she bore its weight without apparent strain.

“If I hear you’ve been messing about in the training halls again, you’re going to speak with me about it, understood?”

“Crystal,” Amani said, speedily taking both Vesper and Julius by a shoulder and steering them towards the crossroads.

“I thought we were going to the Sarenrae temple,” Julius said. “Come to think of it, I didn’t know there even was a Sarenrae temple in Vasselheim.”

“It’s pretty new, compared to the rest of the city,” Amani said. “And I just don’t want to go with them. We only came down to get spell components and stuff and it’s terribly boring.”

“You lie to your superiors?” Vesper asked, amused.

“If whatever is going on with you is half as important as you’ve made it sound, Bahamut will forgive me,” Amani said. “I know how far you’ve traveled, remember. And we’re not in the Platinum Sanctuary right now.”

“How do you know where Vesper’s from?” Julius asked.

“It was as newsworthy here as it was at home that people kept appearing and disappearing,” Vesper said.

“Very suspicious, too,” Amani said. “Strange magic like that isn’t generally allowed in Vasselheim. The whole point of the city is that you can’t just teleport in, you have to make the journey.”

“I guess we’ve cheated, then,” Julius said.

“I’m sure you had a good reason,” Amani said, then glanced sideways at Vesper. “If either the Dawnmarshal or your friend is there, you have to promise to introduce me.”

“Sure,” Vesper said, “as much as I can. I don’t know them that well, I was only here for a handful of days.”

“You know them better than me, then. Let’s go.”

“It hadn’t occurred to me that the temples here would be real institutions,” Julius confessed as they walked. Amani had taken them off the main crossroads quickly, and down winding side streets that Vesper faintly recognized. “I’m used to the Vasselheim I’ve been to, where half the buildings in the city are museums.”

“So long as Bahamut is willing to pay attention to the Material plane, we’ll be here,” Amani said. “And I assume the other districts think similarly.”

“And that’s all you need? Faith?”

“It’s not like I don’t benefit,” Amani said, as if it should have been obvious. “Bahamut is the one who grants power to his followers. That’s how I healed Vesper’s hand.”

“Oh.” Julius glanced with interest at Vesper’s hand. “I don’t know much about magic either.”

“I know that much,” Amani said. “Vesper had a lot of questions, too.”

“So don’t talk to much, because I’ve already annoyed them into answering me once,” Vesper added. Amani snorted.

“Damn, my plan is foiled,” Julius said. He looped an arm around Vesper’s shoulders, a companionable excuse to draw her in closer so he could ask, in an undertone, “Is it rude to ask what she is?”

“Not at all,” Amani said. Julius startled. “Someone who didn’t know where you’re from might wonder why you’ve never seen an elf before, though.” She cast a mischievous look over her shoulder. “Though no elf is ever going to be surprised by humans assuming they’re being quiet enough to not be heard.”

“So the ears have a purpose?” Julius recovered his composure quickly.

“Obviously,” Amani replied,  as Vesper elbowed Julius sharply. He wheezed ‘ow’ and took his arm off her.

“It’s a reasonable question,” Julius muttered. “All I know about elves are fairy stories.”

“And fairy stories can’t be true?” Amani fell back to walk on Vesper’s other side. “Elves do come from the Feywild, after all.”

“Is that true?” Vesper asked. “It always seemed a bit unrealistic.”

“Sure. Elves come from the eldarin, the eldarin just never left the Feywild.” Amani shifted the weight of her satchel. “And it’s not incredibly unrealistic. It’s not common for people to cross planes, but there are ways. Spells and the like. And I’ve heard stories of people getting caught in storms and finding themselves in the elemental plane of water when it finished, or crossing under the wrong kind of standing stone on a full moon and getting lost in the Evershifting Grasses.”

“You’ve lost me, now,” Julius said.

“It’s a place in the Feywild,” Amani explained. “I read a book on it once. Apparently people have tried to map it, but there’s not much in the way of directions there and so every time someone new tries, everything’s in a different place except for the directional anchors.”

“Anchors?”

“Sure. If everything in the Feywild is seaward, duskward, tangleward, or nightward, then the dusk, sea, night, and whatever the tangle is stay in the same places. Everything else gets muddled up depending on I guess magic and intrigue between the fey Courts.”

“Eldarin and fey courts,” Julius mused aloud. “I feel like I’m in a fairy story.”

“I don’t count,” Amani laughed. “It’s a very distant ancestry. You’re not even close to one.”

“Are there any kinds of crossing spots like the one you mentioned?” Julius asked, as they drew closer to the base of the mountain. The three of them had to shuffle into single file to pass between the guards at the polished gate which guarded the mountain district.

“Not in Vasselheim,” Amani scoffed. “The closest one I know about is probably in Pyrah.”

“Where’s that?”

“You don’t need to worry about avoiding it.” Amani sounded amused. “It’s three days’ walk out north. Pyrah’s an Ashari village.”

“Oh, the Ashari!” Vesper said. “I remember them. Merry told me about them.”

“I’ve never heard of them,” Julius said. “At least I don’t think I have, unless it’s related to the surname of a woman I know. Are Ashari relevant to the Feywild gate thing?”

Amani laughed. “It’s not a gate to the Feywild. Do you really not learn anything at all about planes in your world? There’s more than one.”

“Well, enlighten me, then.”

Vesper tuned Amani out as she explained the planar guardianship of the Ashari to Julius. Mounting the stairs of the mountain had not only put her within eyesight of the temple of Sarenrae, but also in mind of the last time she’d climbed the winding, rocky path. No horns were sounding an alarm now, but she still glanced back down towards the gate several times, just to check that nobody was following them. The wind whistled through the chiseled rock path in the same way, though, and she felt unnervingly light on her feet.

Julius paused to let Vesper catch up, and then stayed a moment longer, looking out over the city.

“Well,” Julius said, “at least if I ever get confused, there’s whatever the hell that thing is to remind me that I’m not at home.” He was looking at the most eye-catching sight - the titan, frozen in the act of taking a step over the city walls.

“Right,” Vesper muttered. She’d rather have not thought about the thing.

“Yes, it’s kind of an eyesore,” Amani said. “There’s been talk of breaking the titan down for stone, for bricks and the like. Nobody likes it much, but neither is anybody really willing to go through the whole thing and use its pieces. Also it’d be difficult to get all the way up to the head to start mining.”

“Is it not supposed to be there?” Julius’s tone remained casual, but Vesper didn’t miss the way he was pressing himself against the rock wall opposite the edge where the mountain dropped away from one as they looked over the railing. The view was only attractive when one was sure one wouldn’t fall into it.

“Not at all,” Amani scoffed. “Do you not know what a titan is, either?”

Julius turned a bewildered look on Vesper.

“A primordial titan,” Vesper said. “Or so I was told when I asked.”

“What, like from the Calamity?”

“Maybe,” Amani said. “It was killed and buried in the mountains north of here, before the Whispered One-” She made the warding-off gesture of clawed fingers that Vesper had seen before. “-reanimated it and brought it to assault the city.”

“The Whis-”

“Yes,” Amani said before Julius could finish repeating the name. “Don’t say it if you don’t have to.”

“Alright,” Julius said, raising his eyebrows. “Why?”

“Names can have power,” Amani said. “Just because it’s a title and not his true name, or he’s on the other side of the Divine Gate now, doesn’t mean he can’t be invoked, and I’d rather not do that.”

“You sound like you’re talking about a god.”

“I am,” Amani said. “And speaking of gods, I thought you were looking for Sarenrae.” She turned and began climbing the stairs again. Vesper pushed Julius forward, because he was blocking her way.

“I can’t believe that thing’s been standing since the Calamity,” Julius said to her as they followed Amani up the stairs.

“I don’t think it has been,” Vesper said with a thoughtful frown. How had Merry told her the story? It had happened at least within a young halfling’s lifetime.

“She was talking about a god,” Julius said incredulously. “When else could it have happened?”

“Amani,” Vesper called, “how long has the titan been there? I can’t remember when Merry said it was.”

Amani shrugged without turning around. “I don’t remember specifically,” she said, managing to sound like she was avoiding answering the question. “Not more than a handful of decades.”

“And a god was responsible?” Julius demanded, eyebrows flying up again. “How?”

“I’m sure plenty of people would like to know.”

Vesper elbowed Julius again, as best she could from behind. “Don’t bug her about it,” she said. “It’s probably not a great topic, since I’m pretty sure she lived through the attack. You can always read the book when we get home and find out.”

“She doesn’t look that old,” Julius said doubtfully.

“I’m pretty sure elves live way longer than humans.”

“I’m still only two feet away from you, you know,” Amani said, pausing to turn and face them again.

“Sorry,” Vesper said. She had to raise her voice above the wind to make sure it would carry, though given the circumstances Amani could probably hear her fine without the effort.

“We do live much longer than humans, though,” Amani said. “That much is right.”

“Is it rude to ask how old you are?” Julius asked hopefully.

“Not at all. I’m not anywhere near what an elf would consider old. I’m not even an adult yet, technically.” Amani hefted the satchel on her back and kept walking. Vesper and Julius moved simultaneously to follow. “I’m going to be soon, though. That’s exciting. I have to pick my adult name and everything.”

“Adult name?” Vesper questioned.

“Oh - I guess humans don’t have those where you come from, either,” Amani said. “It’s an elf thing. You know, picking a new name when you hit your age of majority.”

“Why?” Julius said.

“Why don’t humans?” Amani replied. “Maybe to prevent people from living their whole lives with stupid names. I know people who’ve picked new adult names halfway through their lives because they got tired of the old one.”

“That would be fun,” Vesper mused, “getting to rename yourself. If risky, depending on the person.” She knew so many people, mostly younger siblings, who had gone through regrettable, intense phases around age 18.

“Well, I have to talk to my mom about it,” Amani admitted. “It’s not a decision I make by myself. Which I think is ridiculous, since I’m considered an adult already in some circles.”

“That doesn’t make sense.”

“Well, a lot of places have laws based around human age of majority, which doesn’t really make sense to apply unequivocally to longer-lived species who come of age later,” Amani said. “Like, a halfling is an adult at forty and a human at eighteen, so what restrictions might apply to an eighteen-year-old because they haven’t had time to mature enough aren’t going to make sense for everybody. If that makes sense.”

“It does,” Vesper said. “I hadn’t thought of that.”

“You didn’t answer my question,” Julius said. “The first one, I mean.”

“Did you ask?” Amani’s tone said she was enjoying jerking Julius around. Julius rolled his eyes.

“How old are you?”

“Ninety-six.”

“What,” Julius sputtered, as Vesper missed a step and had to grab onto his arm to keep her balance. Amani laughed, clear and loud.

“Humans are so easily impressed,” she said, hopping onto the landing in front of the doors to the yellow stone temple. The doors were open, of course, and heat from the fire within brushed Vesper’s face. “And here you are! The temple of Sarenrae.”

Vesper glanced inside the doors. The temple was the same as she remembered, a motley collection of chairs grouped together and a haphazard collection of pews near the huge brazier where the sacred fire burned. It wasn’t very busy. A gnomish girl was sweeping dust out onto the stairs, being careful to avoid sweeping it towards the three of them. Further inside, a trio of gnomes were bent over a book, talking to each other in a rapid, unfamiliar language.

“And the Dawnmarshal is here?” Julius asked, distracted from the topic of Amani’s age.

“If she’s come back,” Amani said. “If she isn’t, she will be.”

“We may as well see who is here,” Vesper said, hoping that Scanlan was not also absent. “Thank you, Amani.”

“Of course,” Amani said. “I have to get these components back to the Sanctuary, you heard Yulkian, but I’ll come down when I can.” She turned halfway to continue up the stairs, and then paused. “....Good luck, with whatever it is that’s gone wrong now.”

“I might need it,” Vesper said, trying for a smile. “Thank you.”

“Sure.” Amani hefted the satchel once again and made her way further up the stairs, towards where the Platinum Sanctuary gleamed white against the grey mountain.

“Excuse me,” the sweeping girl said. Vesper and Julius turned to face her simultaneously. “If you’re looking for the Dawnmarshal, she got back around midnight last night. But she might be busy.”

“That’s fine,” Vesper said, with relief. “We can wait. Do you know if her, um, husband is here too?” She hoped dearly that she was remembering Scanlan and Pike’s relationship correctly.

“He is,” the girl said. “They were traveling together. Would you like to come in?”

“Yes, please.” Vesper walked into the temple, tugging Julius along with her. Even as she entered its warmly-lit interior, she could not help but hear the echo of a monster landing on the roof.

Everywhere, it seemed, was laden with the wrong kind of memory to her.

Chapter Text

The gnomish girl, eager to set aside her sweeping, led Vesper and Julius into the temple. The back door which before Vesper had only barely gone through before led them into a hidden maze of rooms. Windows bored through rock thick enough to make them vents provided sunlight for most, but there were a plethora of torches in places that would otherwise have been full of shadows, mostly magically lit.

There were a great deal of people in the back. There was a room with a large table and lots of chairs, crowded with a mix of gnomes and taller figures having a loud debate over something - they passed the room too quickly for Vesper to catch details. Others passed them in the hall, still mostly gnomes who threw interested looks at Vesper and Julius.

“You’ve mentioned Scanlan a couple times now,” Julius said as they walked, sticking close to Vesper. “He’s the pen pal, right?”

“Yes,” Vesper said. “Hopefully he can provide some help, or at least get an idea of how to do....whatever we need to do.”

“Do you trust him?”

“What kind of question is that?” Vesper shot him a startled glance.

“You’ve already dodged around bad stuff once.” Julius bumped her shoulder pointedly. “Forgive me for wanting to know.”

“...I do,” Vesper said. “Of course I was only here for a handful of days last time. But if he can help, I think he will. He did send me that spell.”

“Alright.”

The two of them were led, quicker than Vesper had expected, to the end of the hall. A tall door blocked further access, open just a crack.

“Maybe she is there,” the gnomish girl said thoughtfully. “Their bedroom is past this room, though...”

Impatient, Vesper knocked sharply on the door. It swung open a little farther. From inside, there was a scuffle and rapid footsteps.

Scanlan, when he swung the door open, was in his shirtsleeves and barefoot. His eyebrows shot up when he saw Vesper.

“Did you have to use the spell?” He said. “What for?”

“It’s a long story,” Vesper said, weak at the knees with relief. “Can we talk?”

“Yeah, sure.” Scanlan stood aside to let them in. “Uh - thanks, Daisy, I can take it from here.” The gnome girl nodded rapidly and rushed off back the way they had come.

The room inside the door was a messy common area, or so it seemed to be. There was a fireplace on the wall with a window, but it was full of ash. A handful of chairs were grouped around it. On the other side of the room, a bureau and a low bench stood next to a small desk and chair.

The bench was covered in discarded armor - Vesper recognized it as Pike’s magical Vestige, and some leather pieces that possibly belonged to Scanlan. Underneath was a scattering of muddy boots, all gnome-sized. Mythcarver was laid across the top of the bureau, which was also gnome-sized, and its drawers - none of them closed quite all the way - seemed full to bursting. It was a very comfortably lived-in space, made more so by the thick rug under the chairs by the fireplace and the tapestry hung along the far wall. The desk was covered in papers, and an abandoned quill lay next to the chair, which someone had gotten out of and neglected to push back in. A lute sat in the chair, leaning against the back of it.

“Go ahead and sit down,” Scanlan said. “I keep human-size chairs in here for a reason. Uh, give me three seconds to pull myself together, I wasn’t expecting any guests.” He slapped his own face, then scraped his hair out of his face and into a small ponytail, then rattled around in the bureau and desk drawers for several moments before finally locating a tie. Julius sank hesitantly into one of the armchairs. “D’you, I don’t know, want a drink? I don’t know if I have human-size cups, shit.”

“I don’t,” Vesper said. “Scanlan - I had to use the spell because we were followed and nearly attacked.”

“Shit,” Scanlan said. “And the spell worked? You managed it?”

“Obviously!”

“What do you mean?” Julius questioned. “Were you not expecting it to work?”

“It wasn’t on me,” Scanlan said. “I mean, I gave you the magic circle, and more than enough residuum to make the casting easier, but someone still had to activate the magic. It’s like a spell scroll.”

“I don’t know what that is.”

“I had to cast it, Julius,” Vesper said. “Like with the candle trick. But Scanlan-”

“Give me a second.” Scanlan snatched a vibrantly purple jerkin off the back of the chair and pulled it over his head. “That’s actually fairly impressive, taking into consideration your experience and how difficult you’ve said it is to cast things over on your side-”

“I think it’s related to the Briarwoods,” Vesper broke in impatiently.

Scanlan, still rumpled but slightly more dressed, stared at her. “But they’re dead,” he said. “Very dead.”

“Not the ones from where I'm from,” Vesper said. “At home - I don’t know if it can possibly be the same people, but there’s something going on. Whoever followed us, I think it’s related to them.”

“You don’t know if they’re the same?” Scanlan repeated. “Have you seen them?”

“I have,” Julius said.

“Do they - well, nevermind, if they’re called Briarwood I’m already suspicious.” Scanlan waved a hand at Vesper. “Sit down. You look almost as tired as I still feel. I only got up an hour ago.”

“That’s kind of late to still be asleep,” Julius said, as Scanlan dragged over the desk chair to join them. “Not that I’m one to talk.”

“We were out late,” Scanlan said. “Pike’s been spoiling for a fight other than in the Crucible, so we went to wander the Timberlands for a couple days.”

“Wandering the forest gets you into fights?”

“It does if the forest is pretty reliably full of monsters,” Scanlan said. “But what about these Briarwoods? And will you please sit down?”

Vesper dropped into the armchair, twisting her hands together. “I don’t like the situation,” she said. “And I don’t know enough to explain it properly. I’m sorry.”

“Start with whatever happened to make you use the spell,” Scanlan suggested.

He listened intently as Vesper explained the events of the previous night, with occasional interruptions from Julius. Vesper showed him what had happened to the sheet of paper with the array, and had to explain their brief run-in with Amani as well when he noticed the flaky bloodstains along the edge of the shard of residuum.

“I didn’t realize the pieces broke when I sent them to you,” Scanlan said thoughtfully. “My bad, then.”

“It’s unrelated to you,” Vesper said. “But tell me - please. You have ways of getting information, right?”

“I don’t know if my usual methods could take me as far as your home,” Scanlan said doubtfully. “What is it that you want to know? Just about the Briarwoods?”

“Anything,” Vesper said. “I don’t know - if they did send those people after Julius and I, what’s to stop them from doing the same to Mother? Or Father?” Julius sat upright abruptly as she spoke. Evidently his thoughts had not gone in the same directions.

Scanlan was giving her a more piercing look than Vesper had expected. After a moment, however, it softened.

“My move would be to find a way we could conventionally get more information,” he said, “which would mean sending someone back to your home the same way you came here. Not necessarily you, but someone who could be sneaky about it. Vex, of course, is the obvious answer.”

“She is?” Julius questioned. Scanlan looked at him like he’d forgotten the older de Rolo was there, and then looked back at Vesper.

“Can I ask, how much am I gonna need to explain again? And I probably should have asked first, but who is this dude?”

“My brother,” Vesper said, struck with the sudden urge to laugh uproariously. It hadn’t even occurred to her that Scanlan wouldn’t know who Julius was. “Julius.”

“Oh, really? Older or younger?”

“Older,” Julius said. “And I know you’re Scanlan, you’ve been mentioned. The only things I’m lost on are how on Exandria Vesper knows how to do magic, and why you think Vex is your best option for spying on the Briarwoods, or how you even know her. And what everyone who isn’t human is.”

“Well, I’m a gnome, as far as that last one goes,” Scanlan said, placing a hand on his chest. “As for the second, are you familiar with Vox Machina?”

“It sounds familiar?” Julius looked to Vesper.

“It was that group I told you about, before I shared the book,” Vesper said. “Scanlan wrote the book, in fact.”

“No kidding.”

“Vex is also a member of our merry band,” Scanlan said. “Along with Pike and I. Anyway, Vex is the sneakiest one of us left, so yes, she’s the obvious choice.”

“Alright,” Julius said. “What about the first question?”

“I had to figure it out somehow ,” Vesper interjected. “Scanlan sent me one of the letters and a way to reply, but there wasn’t anyone else to cast it for me. Or activate it, or however it works.”

“Activate is a good word,” Scanlan said. “With the residuum I sent along, it’s like using a spell scroll.”

“I still don’t know what those are,” Julius said, shaking his head. “Spell scrolls or residuum. But alright, fine, Vesper has hidden depths and magic is possible back home. Good to know.”

“Residuum glass makes spellcasting easier,” Scanlan said. “It can take the edge off casting time, too, in my experience.”

“Regardless,” Vesper said, “Do you have a way of talking to Vex?”

“Probably,” Scanlan said. “I mean, Pike and I are due in Whitestone in a couple days - everyone’s congregating there for Highsummer. You could just come with us then.”

“A couple days?”

“From what you’ve said,” Scanlan said, “your Briarwoods don’t seem like the type to take drastic action. And given the time difference at play, we can probably afford a handful of days.” He scratched at his chin. “I guess we could also go earlier...”

“What do you mean, time difference?” Vesper asked. “It was pretty early in the morning when we got here, not late at night, but that’s all I’ve noticed.”

“How long has it been since the last time you were here?”

“A couple months,” Vesper said, frowning. “Why?”

“From my perspective, it’s been nearly two years,” Scanlan said. “I don’t think moving faster is necessarily going to help.”

“Wait,” Julius said, while Vesper gaped, “you don’t think that kind of difference can work the other way around, can it? Or is it fixed?”

Scanlan shrugged. “No way to tell until we send someone back over. Don’t worry about it,” he added, as Julius shared a worried look with Vesper. “We can handle things like this. You two seem kinda high strung - when did you get here?”

“Early this morning,” Vesper said. “The only reason we weren’t here sooner is we needed to sleep.”

“Well, geez, take a minute to sit down and actually relax,” Scanlan scoffed. “I’ll talk with Pike when she gets back from Dawnmarshal-ing and see if we can’t figure something out.”

“But-”

“Like I said, a little more or less time isn’t gonna make a difference,” Scanlan said firmly. “I’ll find Pike, and we’ll see where it goes from there. But you can’t do anything right now, alright?”

Vesper pursed her lips, but she couldn’t argue. There was nothing she could do. She was a world away, by herself, with no useful information. And Scanlan didn’t seem to think the Knowing Mistress could help, unless he was censoring himself on account of Julius’ presence.

“Fine,” Vesper said. But she wasn’t going to like it.

Vesper and Julius were tastefully packed off to a different room inside the temple, one with fewer windows but comfortable places to sit. It seemed like a common room, and on the far end overlooked an interior sort of courtyard from an upper floor. The courtyard saw a constant bustle of people going back and forth, and a fountain drew up water that nobody seemed afraid to drink from.

Vesper kept nervously checking the pocket watch. She made sure it was wound enough, so it wouldn’t fall out of time. Julius paced across the room several times, before eventually coming to sit next to her.

“What do you think Whitestone is going to be like?” He asked.

“I don’t know,” Vesper said. “I’ve never been - not here.”

“I know that, but maybe you have an inkling.”

Vesper thought about it. “There was a picture,” she said. “When I first opened the watch, there was a drawing inside. ‘Castle Whitestone in summer’, it said it was.”

“What did it look like?”

“Castle-y.”

Julius snorted. “I’m serious.”

“So am I. Picture a castle, and put our family crest on the banners by the gate.”

“Really?”

“Yep.”

Julius was quiet for a moment. Maybe he’d taken her suggestion seriously. “Do you know what to expect?”

“Not really,” Vesper said.

“You said you’d run into this world’s Percy, though.”

“Right,” Vesper sighed. “I did.”

“Is that a bad thing?”

“No, it was just...a lot.” Vesper leaned her head on Julius’ shoulder. “He was older. Older than you or me by a decent amount.”

“That’s super weird.”

“That was my opinion, too.” Vesper searched for something else to say. “He was a leftie. He told me it was because his right hand didn’t write as well anymore, because it was a prosthetic.”

“What? What from?”

“I don’t know, I didn’t ask. But it was gone from about here down, from what I saw.” Vesper gestured at her elbow. “He had a glove on it, so I didn’t notice until he showed me.”

“Did it look cool?” Julius asked.

Vesper shrugged. “He kept it covered, mostly.”

“I wonder what happened.”

“I assumed something from Vox Machina’s heyday.”

“Right, this team of adventurers.” Julius crossed his arms, staring thoughtfully into the distance. “What does that even involve? Is it like old stories?”

“I think so,” Vesper said. “I heard a couple stories, when I asked. Traveling across the lands, slaying dragons, visiting the Feywild.”

“Damn.”

“We’re in a church. In Vasselheim.”

“Dang,” Julius said delicately.

“Oh my gods,” Vesper said, struck with sudden realization. “This Percy has children. There’s no way we’re not going to see them if we go to Whitestone.”

“He has what now?” Julius held up his hands. “You need to stop explaining. That’s just a weird picture.”

Vesper laughed. “Oh, geez. This is going to be so weird.”

“How do you know about them if you haven’t already seen them?”

“I was told, duh.” Vesper straightened. “I wonder what their Whitestone is like.”

“Thank god, a topic change,” Julius said. “I wonder if they’ll still have a Sun Tree.”

“Oh, I hadn’t thought of that.” During her Whitestone visit, Vesper had seen drawings of the young Sun Tree when it stood in Whitestone’s square. Apparently, it had been a sight to see, but with the fading of magic from the world it had died. There was still a tree growing in the same place, but it was a tall oak planted by mortal hands. “Maybe they will.”

“I still don’t know what to think of all this,” Julius confessed. “It seems like it can’t be real. Magic and elves and gnomes.”

“I know what I think,” Vesper said. “If I have to stay in this dress for any longer, I’m going to throw a fit.”

Julius broke down into helpless giggles. That had been Vesper’s goal, but she still smacked him on the shoulder. “It’s not funny! It’s gross, I’ve been wearing this all day and then some!”

“Of course you’d think of that first!” Julius said in between bouts of laughter.

“Just because you think it’s okay to wear the same pants three days in a row!”

By the time Scanlan came to find them, they had resolved their argument, though Julius still maintained that wearing jeans multiple days in a row was not gross. Still ruminating on whether or not she was really related to such a man, Vesper sat bolt upright when Scanlan entered.

“Alright,” Scanlan said, clapping his hands together. “So the thing is, tonight’s Esteri in Vasselheim, so Pike needs to stick around for that and by extension so do I. But if I take us to Whitestone around midnight, we’ll get there at a reasonable morning hour for them, which works out fine.”

“We can leave tonight?” Julius sounded startled.

“Sure. Pike’s sent ahead a message via spell, so we won’t be springing you two on anybody unawares.”

“What’s the rest of the plan?” Vesper asked.

“Well,” Scanlan said, “I don’t know if the castle is a great idea, but Vex is already hosting a bunch of people, so two more probably won’t be a big deal.”

“Vex doesn’t stay at the castle?” Julius asked.

“Yes and no? It’s complicated, you can ask when you see her.”

“I meant in regards to other matters,” Vesper said, though it was reassuring to know they had a sure place to stay the night once they reached Whitestone.

“Hold your horses,” Scanlan said, affronted. “I was going to talk my idea over with Vex before we settle on anything solid, and that’s something that requires a face-to-face conversation.”

“So we’re just waiting around until midnight?” Julius broke in again.

“That depends.” Scanlan shrugged. “You’re perfectly welcome to stay here, or you can come out with Pike and I for Esteri.”

Vesper and Julius exchanged a glance. Vesper checked the pocket watch again. It was about six hours to midnight, still -  a long while to sit around in the dim interior of the temple.

“Sure,” Vesper said. The word was tired on her tongue.

“I’ll go with Vesper,” Julius said.

“Then it’s settled,” Scanlan said. “I’m probably going to bring some things along so we can go straight to Whitestone once everything’s done, but we can meet up by the front doors.” He gave them a flippant wave, and then turned on his heel and headed out.

“Do you remember what Esteri’s about?” Julius asked. “I swear I’ve heard the name before.”

“No idea,” Vesper said. “I guess we’ll find out.”

Esteri, mostly, seemed to be an excuse to make noise. Cheers and music drifted up even as far as the doors to the temple of Sarenrae. Pike, still with wispy white hair, looked up as Vesper and Julius approached.

“Oh, hey!” She said. “I guess you are coming. You must be Julius, then?” She offered her hand to him. She was dressed fancier than Vesper remembered her tastes running, in deep flame blue edged with bright yellow. It looked a bit like priests’ vestments, though more along the stylistic lines of the Ren Faire than the Pelor temple Vesper had been taken to as a child.

“I am.” Julius shook it. “And you’re Dawnmarshal Pike?”

“Pike is fine,” Pike said. “Scanlan told you the plan, right?”

“Vaguely,” Vesper said.

“Good enough. I hope you don’t mind if we take a detour on the way down to the celebrations, but I need to find my brother before we go.”

“You have a brother?” Vesper asked, startled.

“Yeah, you remember him. Grog.”

“He’s your brother?”

“Duh,” Pike said. She lasted for only a moment before breaking into laughter, a grin spreading across her face. Vesper was sure she had looked dumbfounded. “Adopted brother, but yeah.”

“Oh,” Vesper said, relieved that she didn’t have to ask how that worked.

“What’s the big deal?” Julius asked.

“...You know, I’ll let you ask that again once you’ve seen Grog,” Vesper said. Pike laughed again.

“I hope there wasn’t a joke I missed,” Scanlan said, joining them quicker than Vesper had anticipated. He had a backpack slung over one shoulder, and had found a set of clothes embroidered with what looked like a pound of gold needlework.

“Not really,” Pike said. “Before we go, do you have my mask?”

“Oh, yeah.” Scanlan slung the bag around and dug into one of the side pockets, reaching his arm in farther than conventional physics allowed for. Vesper watched with amusement as Julius’ eyes bugged out, and as Scanlan resurfaced with a half-face mask in the same blue and yellow. “Here you go.”

“Thank you!” Pike took it, but didn’t put it on.

“What’s the mask for?” Vesper asked.

“Holiday tradition dictates that everyone wears costumes for Esteri,” Pike said. “I’ve got to be recognizable, so a mask is enough. Someone likes to skimp out in favor of his own fashion sense,” she said pointedly. Scanlan raised his hands.

“We’re going to leave before I have a chance to change! Besides, last year I dressed up, didn’t I?”

Pike rolled her eyes, and led the way out of the temple. Scanlan followed her so quickly it was like he had known precisely when she would start moving. Vesper twined her fingers tightly around Julius’, and made her way down the stairs after them.

The streets of Vasselheim were already busy, though the sky was only just beginning to darken. Though the gate to the mountain stairs was off the main roads and unpaved, there was a steady stream of people going in and out. Pike put her mask on as they stepped onto the dirt road, and Scanlan withdrew a similar one from the backpack to put over his own face. It was not purple, like Vesper had expected, but a deep grey patterned with feathers.

“We’re meant to meet by the Crown of Erathis by sundown,” Pike said, raising her voice to be heard over the crowd. People were singing in unfamiliar languages, overlapping with each other and the chatter of everyone else. “Grog’s probably by the Crucible or the Slayer’s Take.”

“The Crucible’s closer, let’s check there first,” Scanlan replied. Vesper hurried to follow them as they set off, Julius close at her heels.

“If we get lost in this crowd, we’re fucked,” Julius muttered. Vesper snorted, though her guts twisted at how true it was. She’d hate to get lost in a near-completely unfamiliar city.

It was unfortunate that Scanlan and Pike were so short - they were easy to lose in a crowd. But fortune worked in their favor as well, and both gnomes kept a slow pace in order to not shove past people. Additionally, Pike’s vestments worked like a magical charm; people parted to clear a path for her when they saw her coming, and Vesper and Julius could slip through on her heels.

Pike led the way into a district that Vesper had never ventured far through before, the one under the shadow of the huge temple with the statue on top. The crowds were rowdier there, prone to loud laughter and less care for who they were shoving past on the streets. Vesper kept her elbows ready to stick into anyone who tried to push her, and managed to carve out a bit of space that way.

Pike seemed to know where she was going, at least. She strode confidently through the streets. Vesper could not have gotten so far on her own, but she spotted their target at the same time that Pike did. He was easy to spot; he stood easily a head and a half above everybody else nearby.

“Grog!” Pike was barely audible over the throng surrounding the four of them, but Grog turned around anyway. He was shirtless, like before, but in slightly nicer pants. He brightened as soon as he saw Pike, and bodily shoved aside those nearest him to begin making his way over.

“That’s Grog?” Julius said. He was very satisfyingly bug-eyed again, taking in Grog’s huge tattooed figure. Vesper giggled at his astonishment.

“Do we gotta go now?” Grog asked, coming to a halt in front of Pike. She barely stood taller than his knees.

“Soon, yeah,” Pike said. “But not quite yet. I was half expecting to find you in the Crucible.”

“Not tonight, you said it was important.” Grog spotted Vesper. “Oh, hey! Did you meet me on your side yet?”

“I have to admit I forgot about that,” Vesper said. “The answer’s still no. This is my brother, Julius.”

“Hiya.” Grog waved. Julius waved back, purely because manners had been drilled into him for years like they had been for Vesper. “How soon is soon, Pike?”

“Sundown,” Pike said. She cast a glance up at the sky, which had darkened since they came to the base of the mountain. Grog was easy to see, but had not necessarily been easy to find. “Maybe a little sooner than we think it’s going to be.”

“Do we have time for food?” Scanlan asked. “If this is anything like last year, I’m going to be starving before it’s over.”

“Yes, please,” Vesper said immediately. One of the temple members had brought food to her and Julius while they were waiting for Scanlan’s return, but that hadn’t been too recently that she wasn’t hungry again.

“Well, there’s no shortage of that in the Braving Grounds,” Pike said, smiling. “Let’s see what we can do.”

Sundown brought streets full of torchlight rather than sunlight, and a ceremonial gathering at an intricately carved marble building. Highbearer Vord was there and wore no mask, only an elaborate set of silver robes with a dragon in blue thread, roaring, on his back. Two attendants in plainer silver robes wore full face masks, designed to make them look like dragonborn. Mostly they looked ominous.

The others Vesper did not recognize. There was a woman all in green whose skin seemed as gnarled and rough as bark, with an elvish looking girl with pink hair and henna tattoos close at hand. A veiled figure in deep magenta was trailed by two black-robed figures in birdlike masks of bone white. A tall dragonborn, scaly skin a bright gold, wore as a brooch a small set of scales in lieu of wearing a mask; they were nearly as pale as his white robes, which were matched by his trio of halfling followers. And there was a very, very old human man, possibly the most muscular figure Vesper had ever set eyes on. Two other humans, in loose red and yellow clothing, followed close at his heels.

When Pike arrived to join the procession, two gnomes practically appeared out of nowhere to attach themselves to her side. They were dressed in a bright candle-flame yellow, and as nervous as they were enthusiastic. That was when Scanlan backed off to give Pike space to do her Dawnmarshal-ing, and Vesper decided to follow his lead rather than try to insert herself into whatever was going to happen. Neither Julius nor Grog seemed interested in trying, either.

There didn’t seem to be much that actually happened, or maybe Vesper was just still tired. The Dawnmarshals bowed each time another one of them came up, and their followers - aside from their handful of a retinue - crowded in behind them, leading to a colorful mess of people circled around the street at the base of the stairs of the marble building. Scanlan discreetly pushed Vesper and Julius towards the low, broad railing, so they could sit down.

That was where Amani caught up to them. She slipped out of the crowd so smoothly that, like Pike’s attendants, she seemed to appear from nowhere. Her robes were grey, now, a mockery of silver with blue accents. She was grinning despite the tight-looking collar of the robes.

“I’m glad I found you in this mess,” she said. “I went by the temple and heard you were leaving soon.”

“So it’s ended up, yes,” Vesper said, managing a smile herself. She’d forgotten how much she liked Amani. Amani squeezed onto the railing next to her, in between her and Julius. There was only just enough space that it wasn’t uncomfortable, but Vesper quickly scooted over to make space anyway.

“It’s too bad you couldn’t stay longer. At least you got to experience a real Esteri festival.” Amani scooted backwards, gaining a more secure seat on the railing. “Some people travel for days just to come participate.”

“I’m sure.” Esteri was, to Vesper, a wall of noise and color that she was doing her best to ignore.

“Is everything going to be alright?” Amani could lower her voice only slightly, because of all the chatter around them, but she was doing her best to be unobtrusive as she asked. “Whatever brought you here, I mean.”

“Hopefully.” Vesper mustered as much of a smile as she could. “That’s what we’re leaving to go and find out.”

Amani nodded, glancing at Scanlan and Grog, who were still nearby. Grog was hard not to look at; he took up a lot of space.

“I wish you could stay longer,” she said. “I thought of so many questions I wanted to ask after you left, though of course now I couldn’t remember them if you held a knife to my neck.”

“I know the feeling.” Vesper leaned over to nudge Amani’s shoulder with her own. “But my leaving is not terribly different from anything that happened before I got here for the first time.”

Amani sighed (inaudible over the din) and nodded. “I’m half tempted to try and come with,” she said. “Just to see. Last time it got dangerous, I know, but you’ll be with them.” She nodded towards Scanlan and Grog, while on her other side Julius’s attention was visibly piqued. Vesper tried not to think about the questions Amani’s comment would engender. “It would be interesting, if nothing else.”

“Hopefully not too interesting,” Vesper muttered. Amani glanced up, and looked contrite for a moment.

“Oh, right. That would be best, probably.”

“But if my leaving is that terrible of a thing,” Vesper said, “I have something that might help.” She stuck her hand into her purse as Amani watched curiously, and rummaged around until her hand closed around something cool.

The flower hairpin she’d bought at the Faire seemed to glitter in the light of the abundant torches. It had been made as if caught in the middle of blooming.

“You can’t give this to me,” Amani said. She sounded caught between reluctance and desire. "It's too much."

“I want to,” Vesper said. “It’s from back home, and I know the name of the maker, I can look them up and buy another if I want. Turn around and I’ll put your hair up for you.”

Amani groaned, but she turned. Vesper gathered up her hair at either side and pulled it back to pin it up, admiring how thick and smooth Amani’s hair was.

“There,” Vesper said. “Now you have a gift from another world to show off to people.”

“You know Esteri isn’t about giving gifts, right?” Amani asked as she turned back around. She reached up to carefully feel at her hair, a small smile crossing her face.

“I don’t care,” Vesper said. “I doubt I’ll be here until Winter’s Crest.”

Amani half smiled at that. “And I doubt I’ll be in Tal’dorei, that time of year.”

Someone called Amani’s name, and she turned to look. Seeing who it was, she stood, but Vesper caught her hand before she could step away.

“Amani,” she said, struggling for the right words, “I - thank you. In general.” She had been struck with the sudden feeling that Amani was leaving for the last time.

Amani smiled, and squeezed her hand. “Of course,” she said. “Galu, no veren.”

As Amani squeezed between two onlookers and out of sight, Julius scooted back over and leaned on Vesper until his weight bowed her over and she had to shove him away, and in her annoyance she forgot some of the sudden sorrow that had tightened her chest at the thought of not seeing Amani again.

Vesper had slept earlier in that day, but it was easy to get tired again, especially with all the walking; perhaps that was why, forever after in her memory, Esteri in Vasselheim was a blur of color and sound. Bits and pieces stood out coherently, but only bits and pieces.

The Dawnmarshals performed some kind of service, and then everybody went in different directions. Pike shed her attendant Sarenrae worshippers and rejoined them, immediately falling into a laughter-filled conversation with Grog. The streets were so full that it was impossible to get anywhere, so they remained on the steps for a long while, Vesper and Julius on the fringes of a companionable conversation.

There was music performed, which Scanlan laughed about, mentioning how even without casting a spell he was forbidden from playing inside the city walls. He and Julius talked plenty, with Julius asking questions about them and Vox Machina and what Esteri was about. At some point the affair shifted indoors, and there were places to sit down and things to eat. Vesper was so tired of following people around, unsure where they were going or why, that when Scanlan tapped her on the shoulder she nearly told him to fuck off.

“Time to go,” Scanlan said. Vesper’s exasperation evaporated - partly. If it was midnight, that explained why she was so tired, at least. “Your brother’s halfway out the door already with Pike. Think you can stay on your feet for a little longer?”

“I’ll have to,” Vesper said. “Lead the way.”

Scanlan did indeed lead. He led the other four of them through the streets and all the way out of the city. As they walked the crowds and the noise petered off, until only the distant strains of music reached them. The light faded, too, away from the torch-packed streets to smaller dirt roads with one or two mounted on tall poles. They left through another one of the huge gates, though not the same one Vesper and Julius had entered through - the new one was blue, as far as Vesper could tell, and the processional way was bordered with birds instead of lions.

“This is far enough,” Scanlan said, when they came to the end of the walls which extended their arms down from the gates. Though they were still on the main road, it was well and truly deserted. He extended his own hands; Pike and Grog each took hold of one.

“Is holding hands a requirement?” Julius asked. He had started to look worn out a while ago, the same as Vesper.

“It helps,” Scanlan said, “especially when teleporting long distances.” He began to hum as Julius warily took Grog’s huge hand, and Vesper Pike’s. Pike smiled at them reassuringly. Her bun had begun to wisp out of place at some point, and now it made her look a bit ghostly, but Vesper felt some of her nervousness settle anyway. Pike’s hand, not so much smaller than Vesper’s own that it was weird, was surprisingly warm.

“Fine knacks for ladies, cheap, choice, brave, and new,” Scanlan sang quietly. Julius’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Good pennyworths, but money cannot move-”

The world around them warped and twisted.

There was no darkness or breathlessness, like when Vesper had cast her spell. There was only a flash of purple along with the strange warping of their surroundings, and then Vesper had to squint against sudden sunlight. A grey but bright sky was above them, and green grass had replaced the road under their feet. A cool breeze lifted Vesper’s hair - what little had fallen loose of her complicated updo, that was.

They were standing in a backyard. The house in front of them, three stories tall, was in a surprisingly modern style. A fence ran around the border of the wide yard, and beyond it were other buildings in similar but simpler styles. The wide yard, despite its plethora of trees and plants, was in the middle of a city.

By the time Vesper and Julius finished looking around, the other three were already letting themselves into the house.

“Vex!” Grog was bellowing, as the two of them moved to catch up. Pike pulled off her mask and then Scanlan’s as they lingered on the small back porch. He bowed his head to let her. “Vex!”

“I’m coming!” A distant voice yelled back. Satisfied, Grog walked further inside along a hallway. “You better not be coming into this house and getting mud everywhere!”

Grog quickly backtracked to the porch and checked his shoes. Pike and Scanlan had to dodge out of the way of his knees each time he raised a foot.

“Just leave ‘em out here,” Scanlan said, having already divested himself of his own shoes. He ducked between Grog’s legs and inside, quickly followed by Pike. Grog sat on the porch railing to tug his boots off.

Vesper looked down at her sneakers, which she was only just realizing she’d been wearing for about twenty-four hours straight. Dirt was caked into the soles, but her feet were going to smell foul if she took them off.

...Well, Vex had already met her, she could hardly make a bad impression.

Vex had appeared in the hallway by the time Vesper, shoeless, got inside. Vex, letting Grog go after giving him a hug in greeting, smiled and clapped her shoulder.

“I heard some of the story,” she said. “It’s too bad you had to flee here, but you’re not the worst person to see again. And he’s the plus one?” Julius had come up with Vesper.

“I’m Julius,” Julius said.

“Oh, the older one?”

“I - yes,” Julius said, still looking taken aback at having to be asked. Normally people knew him as the oldest already.

“We can talk and figure things out,” Scanlan said, waving lazily. “I don’t know how coherent I’ll stay, though, I’m still on Vasselheim time.”

“You always are,” Vex said, turning to face him. “Whatever you do, you’re going to have to stay up at the castle. I don’t have space for everyone. Kaylie’s already here, and Tary will whine if I give someone else his usual room.”

“Kaylie’s here already?” Scanlan brightened. “I’ll go say hello, then.”

“I didn’t realize we were intruding,” Julius said, as Scanlan darted off. Vex scoffed.

“Don’t be ridiculous,” she said. “I have space, but unless you two want to share, somebody’s going to have to take the attic room I reserve for terrible guests. It’s not actually that bad,” she added, “but certain kinds of people get offended when I ask them to stay next to the servants’ rooms.”

“I quite literally do not care about anything except getting some sleep and hopefully a change of clothes,” Vesper said. Vex’s mouth twitched like she wanted to laugh.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said. “Power through the teleportation lag for a little while longer, and I’ll see who isn’t too busy that they can’t get a few rooms ready.”

True to Vex’s word, Vesper and Julius only had to awkwardly hang around and try not to fall asleep for about an hour. The room Vesper was eventually escorted to (Julius claimed the attic room, whether to spare her or for his own reasons Vesper didn’t know) was simple and had the curtains drawn over the windows, and a nightgown laid out over the end of the bed. Vesper could have cried with relief. The heavy Vasselheim dress was practically sticking to her skin at that point, and the light gown was a blessing to put on.

Vesper had experienced jet lag before, and she knew it was generally a good idea to try and acclimate to a new time zone. But the last twenty-four hours had been far too much to handle in just one day, and so she fell into bed and fell deeply asleep, and when she woke the room was dim enough that she couldn’t tell whether it was evening or early morning.

Vesper winced as she slid out of bed and put weight on her feet. They were still sore from the exertions of the previous day. Or earlier day. Tugging the curtain open on the nearest window revealed a view of an urban sprawl, and a grey sky that had a hint of yellow and blue to one edge where the clouds petered away.

Vesper stood at the window for a little while, staring out at the city. The buildings were low, one or two stories, though at the fringes of the city a couple dared to have been built with a third. The woods crept up closer than she had expected to the edge of the city. Beyond the buildings, a hill rose up with a dirt path tracing a line up its side. A tall white castle was perched on top of it, banners waving from either side of the gate.

It was different from the drawing that had been in the watch, and very different from the castle ruins she’d seen on her trip with Cassandra. From her new vantage point Vesper could see how large the castle truly was, the way the tall walls extended far back from the gate. The castle itself was twice as tall as the outer wall which guarded it. Even in the dim evening, or perhaps morning, light, the pale stones made it stand out like a beacon.

Vesper wondered if Percy and Cassandra were there. Maybe at that moment one of them was looking out a window, maybe even towards her. She could see faint hints of movement around the castle, but it was along the tops of the towers and near the gate, so it was probably only guards.

Percy might not even want to see her. Vesper remembered how he’d reacted last time. Goodness knew what Cassandra might think - Vesper didn’t know what to expect when it came to her. And somewhere in that castle were Percy’s children, whatever they were like. That was a hell of a thing to consider.

Eventually, her growling stomach drew Vesper away from the window and out the door of the room. There was a screen blocking off one corner which she guessed she had been meant to change behind, but draped over it was a pale blue dressing gown which she put on before leaving. Both the robe and the nightgown were too big for her, and Vesper had to hike up the skirt so she didn’t tread on it.

Outside the room was a small common room, with windows that let in faint light and an armchair next to a small table. A comfortable rug protected Vesper’s feet from the cool floor. Vesper rounded the corner into the hallway, and found herself in company.

“Good morning,” said the woman who had been coming upstairs. She was holding a pile what looked like laundry, and appeared to be human.

“Is it morning?” Vesper said, forgetting her manners. The woman cracked a smile.

“Just barely,” she replied. “It’s not quite sunrise. If you’re looking for the Lady, she may be up and about already. I’d try the kitchen. The door’s by the back door.”

“Thank you,” Vesper said, a little startled by the welcome advice. The woman nodded, and continued up the stairs. Vesper pulled the gown more securely around herself, and ventured downwards.

The kitchen was not difficult to find; it was also, as promised, occupied. But the back door also stood open, and the woman sitting on the porch steps bore Vex’s distinctive braid.

Vex looked up as Vesper joined her outside, shivering a little in the cool morning air. The clouds in the sky looked to be drifting away, but only slowly, and the hint of sunlight was blocked by the house behind them.

“Morning,” Vex said. “You’ve been out a while.”

“I gathered,” Vesper said. “I didn’t know anyone else would be up this early.”

“There’s always things to do.” Vex sipped from the cup she was holding, which was giving off wisps of steam. “Ms. Fairfax is in the kitchen. If you’re willing to wait half an hour, she could probably manage some toast for you or something.”

Vesper’s stomach growled at the thought. “Who’s Ms. Fairfax?”

“The cook,” Vex said. “I can’t keep the whole house running by myself.”

Vesper contemplated sitting down next to Vex. Standing was awkward, but the small porch was wet with dew, and the soles of her feet were already damp. She compromised by leaning against the railing. “I figured you’d live in the castle.”

“Well, it’s my house,” Vex said with no small amount of pride. “I wasn’t about to give up the first house I’d ever owned just because I married a man with a better one.”

Vesper nodded thoughtfully. That did sound like something Vex would say. “Do you always get up so early just to hide from the sunrise?”

“The back door is closer to the kitchen, and I’m hungry,” Vex said primly. “Anyway, I’m up early because I need to go on a run into the Parchwood.”

“Into the Parchwood? What for?”

“Hunt business,” Vex said. “It’s an old responsibility. I go through every once in a while and make sure nothing shifty is happening.”

“Shifty like what, monsters?” Vesper eyed the distant trees warily, though they were difficult to see over the roofs of the houses.

“Sometimes,” Vex said. “Not often, they know to stay away from Whitestone now. Mostly I make rounds around the city and fail to find tracks of anything more menacing than a bear.”

As if on cue, there was a growling sort of yawn sound from nearby. Vesper jumped, spotting the wooden, open-faced hut built into the back of the house which she had not noticed the day before. Trinket was sprawled out on the ground inside it. As Vesper watched, he rolled over and appeared to go back to sleep.

“Like I said,” Vex said, sounding amused. “Bear tracks.”

“That sounds interesting,” Vesper said, clinging to the usual threads of polite conversation.

“You’re welcome to come,” Vex said.

“I - what for?”

“I’m bringing Elaina along; she’d be interested to meet you.”

“Who’s Elaina?” Vesper could swear she’d heard the name before.

“One of the twins,” Vex said. When Vesper still looked blank, she added, “One of my twins.”

“Oh,” Vesper said. “That - that would be something, certainly. For both of us, perhaps.”

“It’s not like she doesn’t know you’re here. Percy and I had a talk with all of them over dinner last night.” Vex took another drink from her mug.

“Oh,” Vesper said again. That hadn’t occurred to her. She was seized with curiosity - what did this Elaina think of her? What must it be like for them?

“Your silence tells me that’s a ‘no’,” Vex said, breaking the quiet that had settled between them.

“I don’t know if I’m up for more walking,” Vesper confessed. “I’ve been halfway across Vasselheim already.”

“It’s not that much. Plus Elaina wants to practice archery, so we’ll be stopped for a while, if previous experience has taught me anything.”

Vesper weighed another hiking adventure with Vex against the idea of meeting the yet-unknown Elaina. “Are you absolutely sure there aren’t any monsters in the Parchwood?”

“I wouldn’t take Elaina with me if I thought there were.”

“Maybe,” Vesper said. Her stomach growled again. “...After breakfast.” The smell of bread was beginning to waft out of the kitchen.

“Fair enough,” Vex laughed, getting to her feet. “I’ll join you in that endeavor. Tea only takes me so far.”

There was no proper breakfast ready yet, but Ms. Fairfax (who was a thin, stocky woman of dubious humanity, given her purplish-blue skin) allowed Vex to borrow a corner of the fireplace while she kept an eye on the slowly rising bread, and soon there was bacon and eggs alongside the fresh loaves being set out.

Vesper tried not to stare around at the room too obviously as she ate. She’d been in a kitchen before, of course, but sitting and eating at the small table in Vex’s house felt like having breakfast in a historical reenactment. The hearth took up nearly half the wall, and Vesper had never had the pleasure to toast bread by sticking slices from a fresh-baked loaf onto the ends of a toasting fork and putting them up to the fire. The room was small, too, by virtue of being full of counters and cabinets and shelves full of ingredients and various cooking tools. The fire made the room pleasantly hot, with the relieving aid of the occasional breeze from the open windows.

Vesper made her excuses after a little while, figuring she should put some proper clothes on. The sun had risen in earnest while she ate, providing enough light for her to see just how windswept and messy her hair looked. Regretfully, Vesper finger-combed it out of the braided Faire updo and secured it in her usual bun. It was lucky she kept a stock of hair ties in her purse.

She still only had the one dress, which was unfortunate. Vesper left off the overdress, in case it got hotter out, and went back downstairs to retrieve her shoes from the back porch. She ran into Vex, though, before she got as far as the stairs.

“Good, I caught you. Take these.” Vex shoved an armful of clothes into Vesper’s hands. Vesper scrambled to keep ahold of all of it.

“What is this?”

“I borrowed some things from Cassandra, she’s closer to your size,” Vex said. Vesper’s heart did something funny in her chest. “I’m too tall for you to borrow my things forever, if the nightgown was anything to go by.”

“I didn’t realize that was yours,” Vesper said, opting for the simplest answer.

“It was short notice, it’s fine. Anyway, you said a change of clothes was in order, right? I was going to give them to you last night but you were pretty solidly asleep. I picked simple things since I figure some of her more complicated outfits might be too much. Honestly I have no idea what fashion’s like where you come from.”

“Thank you,” Vesper said, instead of trying to explain fashion to Vex. That was too complicated a conversation to have so early in the morning.

“No problem, dear.”

Vesper retreated back to her room. Cassandra’s clothing, though all in solid colors except for the occasional stripe at the hems, was fancy enough that Vesper felt a bit silly even contemplating putting any of it on. Ren Faire was one thing. Vex hadn’t been wearing anything like that. But Vesper really did hate the idea of wearing the Vasselheim dress for a moment longer, so off it went, and she navigated the layers of chemises and petticoats as best she could, figuring out what went where and picking the simplest thing out of the pile Vex had given her to wear on top.

Something of Percy’s long conversations about historical fashion must have stuck in her head, because Vex said nothing about the dress when Vesper finally rejoined her on the back porch. That probably meant Vesper had done it right.

“I thought we were going to have another guest,” Vesper said, because the sun was well on its way to being properly ‘up’ and no daughter had appeared.

“I’ve given up on assuming any child over the age of ten is ever going to willingly get up at sunrise,” Vex said. “She’ll be here in a minute, probably.”

“Alright.” Vesper hadn’t paid much attention to what people were wearing before, but she eyed Vex’s choices keenly now. Vex had eschewed a skirt in favor of worn-looking pants, underneath a long shirt and even longer surcoat, which was open at the front. Vesper averted her eyes before Vex caught her looking, and focused on doing the laces of her sneakers back up. At least she hadn’t worn heels for this trip.

Vex raised her head to look towards the door a half second before it opened. A quick patter of footsteps was all the warning Vesper got before a young woman skidded to a halt on the back porch, pushing the porch firmly into the ‘overcrowded’ category.

“I’m not late,” the woman, who could only have been Elaina, said immediately. Her hair was wild like she’d run all the way down from the castle, though pinned back from her face with care and far too dark to be anything but inherited from Vex. She was wearing a surcoat like Vex’s, but in sturdy cloth rather than leather. Underneath that was a dress like the borrowed one Vesper wore, but cut off at the calves rather than at the ankle.

“Good morning to you, too,” Vex said, a faint smile curving her lips. “Why don’t you fetch our bows from the cabinet?”

“Oh, right.” Elaina ducked back inside. Vex got up from where she had been sitting, and slung over her shoulder a small bag Vesper had not noticed lying on the step below.

“Can I use the longbow?” Elaina called from inside.

“You’re still learning with a shortbow, keep your ambitions within reach of a day’s practice,” Vex replied. There was a huff from inside, but Elaina emerged with Fenthras and a distinctly smaller wooden bow, as well as two quivers. She glanced at Vesper as she handed over Fenthras. Her ears, Vesper saw, were ever so slightly pointed at the tips. As well as pierced. Vesper wondered how practical dangling jewels were for a forest hike.

“Vesper’s going to come along with us this morning,” Vex said, catching the look.

“But - ohhhhh,” Elaina said, regarding Vesper with far more interest. “You’re that Vesper.”

“I can’t say I’ve ever been called that before,” Vesper said. Vex snorted. Elaina looked unfazed.

“I thought there were two of you,” Elaina said.

“My brother’s still asleep,” Vesper said, though she wondered if it were true. She hadn’t seen Julius, but it was possible he had woken up and simply not left his room.

“We have enough of a crowd already,” Vex said. She had crouched down in front of Trinket’s hut space, and was scratching at his ears. “C’mon, Trinket, up and at ‘em. You’re worse than Leo in the morning.” Elaina giggled; Vesper had the feeling she was missing the joke.

Trinket was eventually roused, though slowly; Vex affectionately called him an old man, and led them out through the front gate. A young man was leaning against it with a rifle slung over one shoulder, and when he sprang to attention at the sight of Vex, Vesper could see that he wore a surcoat emblazoned with the de Rolo sun over chainmail.

“Who was that?” Vesper asked as they walked off, after Vex had dismissed him inside.

“Ben,” Elaina said simply.

“He’s one of the Riflemen,” Vex clarified further. “They’re the personal family guard.”

“I don’t really need a guard,” Elaina said, catching Vesper’s surprised look. “Which I’ve told people before.”

“What’s the alternative, you running around Whitestone unsupervised?” Vex asked. “Someone’s got to keep an eye on you, your dad and I only have so many.”

“I’m not a kid anymore, though,” Elaina complained.

“There’s no aging out of family.”

Elaina rolled her eyes. “It’s a stupid tradition,” she muttered. She dug in the pocket of her surcoat and took out a wrapped, sweetly-scented bundle which turned out to be a pile of pastries when she unwrapped it to eat one. Vex turned around, evidently catching the smell.

“Where’d those come from?” Vex asked.

“I got up too early for breakfast so I went to the bakery,” Elaina said, muffled by the food in her mouth.

“Oh, alright.” Vex reached back to take one of the little flaky squares; Elaina jerked the bundle out of her reach.

“This is my breakfast!”

“I’ll just take part of one,” Vex protested, reaching further.

“No!”

“Who gives you the allowance you bought this with?”

“Dad,” Elaina said immediately. Vex scoffed and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, finally snagging a treat. “That’s a whole one!”

“You made me work for it, now I’m hungrier.” Vex grinned and released Elaina, who grumbled and stuffed a whole pastry in her mouth. Vesper pressed her lips together, trying to hide her grin.  

By the time they reached the edge of the Parchwood, the subject of the Riflemen had been thoroughly dropped. Elaina, like the sky above them, had brightened steadily the closer they drew to the trees. She was doing her best not to dash to the front of their little group. Vesper, on the other hand, only followed Vex in between the tall, dark trees because the alternative was being left in a strange city on her own with no digital map to find her way back to the house.

It wasn’t so bad inside the Parchwood once she was beneath its canopy. The newly unobscured sun made its way past the leaves of the trees to cast everything in a yellowish light, and in turn the trees provided enough shade to make the forest pleasantly cool, like early spring in Emon.

Vex stopped often to point out different plants to Elaina, quizzing her on their names. Elaina was always prompt with her answers, only ever hesitating when Vex teased her by asking what their Celestial names were. Vesper was impressed by the knowledge she did have; she’d never have expected Elaina to know what athelas was for, or that dandelions could be used in food and how to cook them properly.

Elaina was less adept at animal tracks, but without snow there were far fewer of those to be found. Vex, on the other hand, could spot the signs of where a rabbit had wriggled underneath a bush from twenty paces away, and seemed to know where every bird had made their nest or fox their den. What looked like smudges in the dirt to Vesper were pawprints to Vex, and leaves on the ground meant that some birds had had a fight - probably to defend the nearly-invisible nest which had to be pointed out to Vesper and Elaina, nearly thirty feet above their head and nestled in the crook of a tree branch.

By the time they reached the place Vex was looking for, Vesper felt as though she had learned a great deal, both about the Parchwood and about Elaina. The latter was probably not much younger than Vesper herself, which was an odd thought even though Vesper had already known about Percy, and she was as enthusiastic about nature as she was disgusted at the idea of getting dirt on her dress. It was an odd contradiction to be present in a person, but Vesper thought she understood some of it.

Their destination within the Parchwood turned out to be a small grove, mostly clear of undergrowth and with a dead tree at one end of it. It looked as though it were a very old tree which had at some point been struck with lightning, and then had a rough archery target carved into its side. The target was pockmarked from long use so that the divisions between the sections of it were barely visible.

Trinket lay down alongside Vex as Elaina stood about thirty feet away from the target, taking a practiced stance. Vesper leaned against a nearby boulder which was relatively free of moss and unlikely to get anything much on her dress.

“You’re concentrating too hard again,” Vex said, before Elaina had even properly set a bow to the string. “Relax a bit.”

“I am,” Elaina protested.

“Mm,” Vex said, sounding unconvinced. “Loosen up your shoulders a bit. You can’t draw properly if you’re too tense.”

Elaina rolled her eyes again, but rolled her shoulders as well and settled more comfortably into a shooting stance.

Elaina was a pretty good shot, Vesper thought, though she only hit the center of the rough target twice and more than one arrow went wide. Vex occasionally called out advice, but seemed content to sit and watch for the time being. Trinket seemed equally content to lie down and be used as a pillow by Vex.

“My arm hurts,” Elaina sighed eventually, lowering the bow instead of drawing a new arrow.

“Those were some good shots,” Vex offered, standing up and going to retrieve the arrows. She had to root around in the bushes for two of them. Elaina made a face.

“I guess.”

“You’re still practicing, and you’re doing really good,” Vex said, returning the arrows to the quiver. She looped an arm around Elaina’s shoulders, pulling her in for a quick hug. “Don’t be such a perfectionist.”

“I thought you did pretty well,” Vesper offered. “Though to be perfectly honest, I don’t know much about archery.”

“How come?” Elaina frowned.

“It’s not very common anymore, where I come. People mostly do it for fun, if they have the time and money for it.”

“Weird.” Elaina looked fascinated. “Do you want to try?”

“Oh, no.” Vesper raised her hands to fend off the proffered bow. “No, I think I’d just embarrass myself.”

“Have we got a load of doubters today,” Vex said. “Come on, one or two shots aren’t going to kill you. It’s a shortbow.”

“I have no idea what the significance of a shortbow is.”

“It’s easier to handle than a longbow like mom’s,” Elaina said. “The only real hard part is aiming and keeping the string pulled back all the way while you aim.”

Vesper eyed the distance from where they stood to the target. “Maybe,” she allowed, “as long as you make your peace with losing some arrows. I doubt I’ll be able to hit anything.”

“You can’t lose more than anyone else in this family already has,” Elaina said cheerfully, making Vex snort. “Here, I can show you how to do it.”

Elaina was a knowledgeable, if fast-talking and a little disorganized, teacher. She directed Vesper in proper stance, then demonstrated how to get the arrow onto the string. Vesper had to redo drawing the string back several times over before Elaina was satisfied with her posture, and the first real shot she tried didn’t even reach the tree.

“You have to draw the arrow back farther,” Elaina said.

“Drawing it back that far was hard enough,” Vesper protested. “You’re vastly overestimating my arm strength.”

“It’s not that hard,” Elaina said, probably meaning to be encouraging. “If you try again you can probably get it farther!”

“I think I’ll leave the archery to you,” Vesper said, handing back the bow. Elaina looked disappointed.

“Aw, but-”

“Really.”

“If you two are both done, you can head back to the house,” Vex said, standing and stretching her arms out. Trinket raised his head with a curious grunt.

“You’re not going to shoot, too?” Elaina asked.

“I have plenty of practice already.”

“Aw,” Elaina groaned. “But you look so cool when you do.”

Vex grinned, and tossed Vesper’s fallen arrow into the air. In the blink of an eye, she turned towards the target, caught and nocked the arrow, and fired. There was a vibrating thump as the arrow buried itself in the precise center of the target.

“Maybe once,” Vex said, turning back to face a wide-eyed Vesper and Elaina. “But I do have real Hunt business to conduct.”

“That was cool as fuck,” Elaina said.

“I’ll take the swearing in the spirit it was meant.” Vex picked up her quiver from the ground and slung it over her shoulder. “I’ll see you at home. I shouldn’t take too long.”

“Okay.”

Vex and Trinket ambled off, going deeper into the woods. Elaina took Vesper’s hand and tugged her back the way they had come.

“Does she usually go off by herself?” Vesper asked as they re-traversed the narrow path.

“Sometimes,” Elaina said. “I’m not allowed to come along on Hunt business in case there’s trouble involved, and also she goes a long way away sometimes. But I know the way back to the house, don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t commenting on your navigational skills. I saw earlier how well you knew the forest.”

Elaina smiled, a pleased flush darkening her cheeks. “I do try. I used to be really frightened of the Parchwood because there were all sorts of things in it, but the woods close to the city aren’t so bad. And I figured I should know.”

“That’s admirable. I don’t know if I’d have been able to move past my own dislike.”

“Well, I did kind of have to.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I’m going to inherit being Mistress of the Hunt eventually, so I have to be prepared.” Elaina flicked her hair, which had been making a bold attempt at drifting into her mouth, back over her shoulder.

“I don’t think I understand,” Vesper said. “You know, back home for me, there’s not really much in the way of inherited titles in the family anymore. It’s fallen out of favor.”

“Oh. Alright. Well, you know that the de Rolos are the traditional Lords of Whitestone, right?”

“I’d heard, yes,” Vesper said. “That much is true for me, or used to be. Way back in the family line.”

“Huh,” Elaina said thoughtfully.

“Wouldn’t that make you in line for the lordship, though?”

Elaina snorted. “I don’t want the lordship. Vesper’s much better suited to it.”

“I’m sorry?”

“Not you Vesper, my sister Vesper. Sorry, I’ve never been talking to someone named Vesper when she came up.”

“You have a sister named Vesper,” repeated Vesper.

“Yeah, my twin sister.”

Silence settled between them as Vesper blinked back tears. She hadn’t imagined - well, a lot of things about what Percy’s children might be like, but she’d expected least of all to encounter indirectly her own namesake. Or name-descendant, rather; she would be this Vesper’s namesake.

“Anyway,” Elaina said hurriedly, to break the silence, “Vesper and I are both technically the oldest, so succession between us is really up to what dad decides, since he’s the oldest de Rolo who isn’t one by marriage. And before he and mom got married and she took the Lady part of his title, she was Baroness of the Third House and Grand Mistress of the Grey Hunt, though I’m not entirely sure how she got that title but probably dad or my aunt Cassandra gave it to her. So both the lordship and the barony are up for inheritance, eventually.”

“I follow you,” Vesper said, finding her voice again. To her relief, she didn’t sound particularly choked up.

“Oh, good. So, neither Vesper and I can officially be named heir apparent to anything until we turn twenty-one now that the Chamber exists, but I’m sure there’s paperwork somewhere making sure that no random cousin can sweep in and take the lordship if something happens.”

“How old are you?”

“I’m nineteen.” Elaina swept her hair out of her face. It was voluminous enough that it seemed like it went where it liked, when left down like she had it. “How old are you?”

“Twenty-five.”

“Really? I expected you to be older.”

“Because you’re familiar with your father’s side of the family, or...?”

Elaina shrugged. “Anyway, Vesper and I are old enough that we’ve figured inheritance out ourselves. She’s going to take the lordship, and I’ll take mom’s title, whenever those end up getting passed down. So I have to know the forest because I have to be in charge of it eventually.”

“I see.”

“Do you understand?”

“There’s a lot I don’t, but I understand what you were trying to explain,” Vesper allowed. Elaina held aside a small bush for her as they stepped onto the edge of one of Whitestone’s roads. “Back home, my branch of the family has been in Emon for generations, so I’m not very familiar even with that Whitestone, much less this version of it.”

“Does your Whitestone have a Chamber?” Elaina asked curiously.

“I don’t believe so, but I’m not sure. What’s a Chamber?”

“The Chamber is like an administrative Council. Mom and Dad and Aunt Cassandra are on it, plus Keeper Yennen, plus the Count of the Second House and the Duke of the Fourth.”

“How many noble houses are there?” Vesper asked, trying mentally to keep all the titles straight. Elaina grinned.

“Just the four. Whitestone’s not really big enough to warrant more. As it is now, at least.”

As they walked further into the city, Vesper saw that the streets had grown more crowded. More people were out and about, dressed in rougher versions of the same styles she’d seen on Elaina and Vesper. Elaina seemed ignorant of how many of them were taking notice of her, content to chatter on to Vesper about the Chamber. Elaina only broke off when a woman fell into step on her other side.

“What happened to Ben?” The woman asked. She was dressed similarly to the guard Vesper had seen earlier, with the surcoat over chainmail and a rifle slung over her shoulder.

“Mom told him to stay at home,” Elaina said. “I was with her, I didn’t need a guard.”

“And she conveniently vanished, did she?”

“We went into the woods. I’m going home instead of going with her on Hunt business.”

“Vex was with us, except for the last few minutes,” Vesper volunteered. The woman gave her a surprised glance, then looked back down at Elaina.

“Who’s your friend?” She asked.

“Oh, this is Vesper,” Elaina said immediately, and then hesitated. “She’s, um, a distant relative.”

“Oh, alright.” The woman’s posture relaxed, and the look she gave Vesper was more thoughtful than wary. “I’m Marlena.”

“Hello,” Vesper said, nodding politely.

“Why are you in the city?” Elaina asked.

“Don’t be rude,” Marlena said. “You’d almost think you weren’t happy to see me. I’m doing a favor for the captain.”

“What kind of favor?”

“The kind that involves your mother,” Marlena said. “If she’s in the woods, I’ll count that as indisposed for now. Though I think your friend may be wanted at the castle, unless there are more unknown Vespers in the city that I’m not aware of.”

“Me?” Vesper asked, startled. “What for?” Marlena shrugged.

“Is this about the Chamber meeting mom called?” Elaina asked.

“Maybe.”

“You need your brother, then,” Elaina told Vesper. “I’m ninety percent sure it’s about the two of you.”

“That’s far surer than you should be, considering the amount of times I’ve heard you and your siblings being lectured for eavesdropping,” Marlena said.

“Don’t worry about it,” Elaina said breezily. “Come on, Vesper, let’s find your brother. I’ll take you up to the castle.”

Chapter Text

Julius, who was relieved to see Vesper, stumbled halfway through telling her to stop leaving before he woke up when he noticed Elaina. Elaina seemed too busy trying to push them out of the house to notice, or to complain about Ben tagging along in their wake, having also been retrieved from Vex’s house. With their by-proxy armed guard, since Marlena was still accompanying them, Julius and Vesper made their way through the town and up towards the tall pale castle on the hill.

Whitestone was waking up. The streets were full of people walking around and doing business, many of them walking slowly and chatting with partners or stopping to talk to other people who were relaxing on their porches. As Vesper’s group crossed onto a wider road, a horse-drawn cart rumbled by, piled high with lumber. Vesper turned away from it, and saw the main square.

The square itself was bustling already, and surprisingly dark. Over it, growing tall and proud, was a huge tree. With greyish bark, it extended its branches nearly as far as the squat buildings at the edge of the square, covering the open space with a canopy of vivid green. Light filtered through, turning some leaves to a yellowish shade and casting others in a deeper emerald. But all seemed to be brightly lit, somehow, or have some cast of light about them, even the ones in the deepest shade at the base of the branches.

Elaina was still moving; Vesper, who had slowed to take in the sight, hurried to catch up, startling Julius (who had outright stopped) into doing the same. There was something about the tree that made one want to stop and look. It was absolutely enormous, for one thing - its roots alone took up most of the square center. Around its base was built a ring of arches, made of whitestone, with stairs leading up to the largest one. The roots of the tree had grown around and through it, and small benches were scattered around the outside on whichever sections of cobbles had been so far undisturbed by relentless growth.

“Definitely not the same as the Whitestone I saw,” Vesper muttered to Julius as they crossed underneath the far-reaching branches. Julius had tilted his head back to stare up at the ceiling of green, and only nodded, distracted.

Beyond the square the road led onwards and upwards, and then even more steeply upwards, climbing towards the castle gates. The buildings fell away as the road rose, and the shape of the guards at the gate grew clearer.

The guards spotted Elaina, or maybe Ben and Marlena, first, and the gates swung open as their group approached. The shadow of a short tower just beyond the gate fell over them as they crossed through, and Vesper could see the guards looking at her and Julius with no small amount of curiosity.

“Why all the security?” Vesper asked as they crossed a grassy yard towards a second gate. The castle itself was before them now, the walls pale white and overgrown with ivy in some places. Someone had tried to establish a garden in the yard, but Vesper doubted it would last long, with how far north Whitestone was.

“Because it’s a castle,” Elaina said, as if that should have been obvious. The short tower, which loomed over the second gate, had archer’s windows on the second level. As the second gate was winched up by guards on the other side, with a rattling of chains, a third one was revealed just beyond it. The noise of people and horses came from the other side. Inside the second gate, a nearby gatehouse hosted a handful of armored guards, laughing and playing cards. None of them were armed with rifles.

“It just seems like an excessive amount,” Vesper said. Beyond the second gate was a close and narrow space, with the heavy stone walls rising at least four stories tall on either side of them, and she fidgeted as the third gate was drawn upward. The attendants who had moved the winches to raise the second gate politely pressed themselves against the wall, to give the group space.

“The castle’s been attacked before,” Marlena said. “It’s meant to stand against a siege, if necessary.”

Vesper and Julius exchanged a glance. Vesper could guess what he was thinking about - the circumstances of when the castle had last been invaded had jumped to the forefront of her mind, too. But then the gate was open, and they were being pulled inside insistently by Elaina.

The interior courtyard opened up immediately to the left, where there was a long low building made of wood, overhung by the protruding and stylistically much newer upper floors of the castle. Several horses were tied up outside by a water trough, and a young boy was attending to them. He returned Vesper’s curious gaze, until an older man emerged and chided him, at which point he quickly turned back to whatever work he was doing.

The smell of bread was coming from somewhere quite strongly, overpowering what Vesper suspected would be the smell of horse poo.

“Come on,” Elaina complained. “Haven’t you ever seen a horse before?”

“Not commonly,” Julius said, regarding the setup with interest.

“What? What for?” Elaina was brought up short.

“I just haven’t had the chance. They’re not common in the city.”

“Excuse me,” Marlena said politely, and made a beeline towards a cluster of Riflemen leaning against the wall across the courtyard. Ben tipped an invisible cap towards Elaina as he too parted from their group. Elaina waved goodbye distractedly.

“You come from such a weird place,” Elaina told Julius. “You can look at horses later, they’re everywhere.”

“Alright, lead on.” She’s just like Percy, Julius mouthed at Vesper. Which was absolutely true - Percy was a bossy little shit, in the right scenario. His twenties had mellowed him somewhat, but he was the kind of person who assumed he had to explain everything to whoever he was talking to.

To the right, the tall castle wall marched onwards, but further into the courtyard it gave way to more yard, with another section of newer overhanging floors along the far right. The smell of bread grew stronger the closer they got to the far side of the courtyard. Elaina kept a straight path, marching determinedly along. Other people got out of her way quite rapidly when they saw who was coming.

“Where precisely are we going?” Vesper asked, as Elaina hauled open one of two tall double doors. They were reasonably tall, though, and underneath an arch of carved stone. Another de Rolo sun and stars gleamed faintly in the sunlight, polished smooth by age. “You seem very certain that you know when and where this Chamber meeting is taking place.”

“They’re always in the same place when they’re held at the castle,” Elaina said. “But the meeting probably won’t start until mom is back, since she has to be there for it.”

“I thought you said your mother was busy,” Julius said.

“She is,” Elaina said with a grin. “So you have time to talk to me. Follow me.”

As she ducked inside the doors, Julius turned to Vesper.

“I thought this would be weird, and it is,” Julius said. “She is terrifyingly plausible.”

“I know,” Vesper said. The longer she listened to Elaina talk, the easier it was to see the marks of her parents on her, and picture her existing back at home.

“Are you coming?” Elaina’s voice came from inside. Julius smirked, and held the door open wider.

“After you,” he said.

The castle, inside, was dark even without the contrast of a sunny day. Torches mounted on the wall helped Vesper acclimate to the darkness. The smell of baking bread was even stronger inside, and short flights of stairs led upwards to raised floors in either direction. Elaina stood at the top of the leftward one.

“The proper stairs are this way,” she said. “We can talk in the library without being interrupted.”

“Why go to the trouble of getting us alone to talk?” Vesper asked, mounting the stairs anyway.

“Because I want to,” Elaina said, as if it were obvious. “I don’t know anything about Dad’s family. Almost everything got destroyed in the Occupation. Why wouldn’t I want to talk to you?”

“I don’t think we’re quite-” Vesper began, as Julius asked, “The Occupation?”

“The Briarwood Occupation.” Elaina tilted her head. “I thought you’d know about that already at least. Isn’t your talk with the Chamber about them?”

“I’d rather leave that to be talked over with the Chamber,” Julius said guardedly, bullshitting pretty well for someone who didn’t know what the Chamber was. “I didn’t realize we’d be bringing up bad history.”

“As long as the talk is of the Revolution, it’s not bad history,” Elaina said, with a shrug. “To most people. Anyone young enough doesn’t mind.”

“Like you?” Vesper guessed.

“Anyone young enough who was actually alive to remember it,” Elaina corrected. “Though I don’t mind either. Can we please talk in the library? Someone’s going to want to use this hallway eventually.”

Since the hallway was rather narrow, Vesper conceded. She and Julius followed Elaina up a tightly spiralling staircase, Elaina talking all the way.

Elaina excused the blankness of the castle walls (which Vesper hadn’t taken particular notice of) by explaining how the Briarwoods, in their five-year residence after taking over the city, had sold or destroyed most of the old trappings. Apparently there had been ‘all the usual’ effects of a hostile takeover by dark forces - dying land and townsfolk who vanished mysteriously in the night. Elaina admitted that she only knew about the Occupation and subsequent, Vox-Machina-driven Revolution from what she’d been taught and the tavern songs the castle servants sang under their breath if they thought none of the family was listening.

“Tavern songs?” Julius asked in amusement. “Are those reliable?”

“As any in Whitestone can be,” Elaina said. “Which is very. And it tells me more about what Vox Machina actually did than any tutor or my parents.” She pushed open a door which creaked only faintly as it swung inwards. Vesper couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed. “Oh, here, you’ll like this.”

A narrow, short entryway led into the library. Shelves were lit with flameless torches, presumably magical, and the smell of dusty paper permeated the air. Elaina had turned the corner just in front of the door, and was standing in front of a wall covered in a long, elaborate tapestry.

“Dad had to go to Wildemount to get this back,” Elaina said as Vesper and Julius joined her once again. She had a tendency of moving almost too quick to see. She pointed up at something on the far end, where she was standing. “Look, here you are.”

Vesper was confused, until she glanced at the tapestry she was walking past and almost immediately doubled back. The weaving was elaborate and fine, as well as old, but the actual content was an intricate tree, a web of lines and leaves leading from name to name. At the very leftmost end were the most faded names. It was nearly impossible to tell that they ended in de Rolo.

“How old is this?” Julius asked, awed. “Whitestone here must keep immaculate family records.”

“This is the family record,” Elaina said. “It’s enchanted. The first de Rolos in Whitestone made it, and when people enter or leave the family it gets changed. I remember they had to move a shelf when they got it back, because it had gotten longer and didn’t fit in its old spot anymore.” She pointed again. “See, I’m here, and you two are right above Dad’s name.”

“This must be the one Scanlan copied from in the book,” Vesper murmured to Julius as they moved down the tapestry. The branches of the tree widened and narrowed, and family lines vanished off it as they grew too far removed from the Lords and Ladies of Whitestone. Less recognizable surnames appeared out of nowhere and continued down the tree as middle names for several generations before being replaced by others.

All the names were silver, until the branches reached more recent names. Just as in the book, two were in bright gold - Percy’s, and Cassandra’s.

“I’ve seen this part copied down,” Julius said, staring at his own name. The woven version was as clear as the ink had been, and golden leaves danced without moving in the background. “It seems like a safe guess that the ones in gold are the living ones.”

“M-hm.” Elaina nodded. Vesper shivered and turned away from her own grey name. Julius’s expression was carefully blank; he did not look elsewhere. His eyes moved a fraction of an inch to the side, and Vesper saw surprise flicker across his face.

“You have a sister named Vesper?” He said.

“Yes, my twin.”

“Vesper Julia,” Julius said slowly. Vesper turned to look again, surprised, spotting the name quickly. “Aw, geez.”

Elaina moved forward as Julius walked away, but Vesper put a hand up to stop her. “Let him,” she said. Julius rounded a shelf and was blocked from sight.

“But I wanted to talk to both of you-”

“And you can give him a moment,” Vesper said. She put her back to the tapestry again. “I’m sure you can understand what it’s like for us, to see something like this.”

Elaina glanced between Vesper and the tapestry. “It’s just a tapestry,” she said doubtfully.

“Imagine if you were thrown into another world and it was your siblings’ names in grey,” Vesper said shortly. Elaina blanched. “I don’t know what you wanted to talk about so badly, but you could tell me more than I could tell you about whatever Vesper died here. We’re not the same person.” For starters, she thought, I’m alive.

“I think you could be a little bit similar,” Elaina said. When Vesper frowned, she quickly added, “I’m not expecting you to be exactly the same. But you can’t fault me for being curious. I don’t know that much about Dad’s family.”

“Your reasoning is faulty,” Vesper said. “I’m not related to this world’s Percy except by a very strange kind of technicality.”

“Maybe I just want to know what you’re like,” Elaina said. “It’s not like I’m ever going to get the opportunity to talk to my real aunt.”

Vesper grimaced and looked away. It was unsettling to think of Percy’s child never knowing her. If something happened at home while she was here, scrounging up whatever help she could...Vesper didn’t know what she would do.

    “I’m going to go find Julius,” Vesper said. She did not hear Elaina follow her.

    Julius was lurking in a windowless corner, where the magically lit torches didn’t quite reach. He didn’t rouse from his brooding when Vesper came up.

    Vesper didn’t speak, only came to lean against his shoulder.

    “Vesper Julia,” she said. “Not anything I expected, but it’s kind of sweet.”

    “With terrible context,” Julius said quietly.

    “Bittersweet, then.”

    Julius rubbed a hand over his face. “I didn’t mean to run off,” he said. “Everything just...hit me, all of the sudden. What happened here. Gods, the Briarwoods were in the castle for years, apparently.”

    “Congratulations,” Vesper said, dry as dust. “Now you don’t need to ask why I was so worried about them.”

    The faintest flicker of a smirk pulled at Julius’s mouth, but for only a moment. He didn’t look much in the mood for laughing.

    “I thought seeing Percy would at least be interesting, but now I’m not sure about even that,” he said.

    “It’s...something.” Vesper shrugged. “If it helps, I think he had similar mixed feelings about seeing me, last time. I can’t imagine that’s changed.”

    Julius was quiet for several moments. “Scanlan said it had been years since the last time you were here,” he said at length. “What happens if we go back home and the same thing has happened?”

    “We hope we can get our jobs back,” Vesper said. Another smile held itself to Julius’s face for a moment longer than the last.

    “Seriously.”

    “I don’t know. How could I? I’ve never had to contemplate accidentally time traveling before.” Vesper shook her head. “All I’m worried about is enough time passing for something bad to happen before we can do anything about it.”

    “Do you believe him? That Vex can do something about it, I mean?”

    “He said he only wanted to see if she could get information,” Vesper said. “But she’s a hell of a shot. I’d believe it.”

    “What do you mean?”

    Vesper related her brief adventure into the Parchwood with Vex and Elaina. Julius listened with interest, especially to the parts where Vesper shared what she knew of the Chamber.

    “And we’re supposed to be meeting with this Chamber?” Julius asked when she finished.

    “Only whenever Vex shows up, I think, since she’s meant to be a part of it,” Vesper said.

    “So we could be missing this meeting right now.”

    “Theoretically yes, but people saw us come in. If someone comes looking for us, I’m sure they’d get pointed in the right direction.”

Julius looked doubtful. “If you say so.” He folded his arms, and tapped his fingers against his bicep, which was a dead giveaway of his discomfort. “Did she say where it was supposed to be?”

“No. Unfortunately.”

“Great, so we get to wait until we’re late enough that someone comes looking.” The uncomfortable finger-tapping increased in speed. Julius shifted as if to lean against a nearby shelf, and then thought better of it. The books were thick and old, bound in gilt cloth and leather. “I’m going to see if Elaina knows where.”

“I’ll go with you.” Vesper linked an arm through his, trying to be playful. “We’d better stick together, after all.”

Elaina, however, was no longer where she had been. The armchairs which sat near the tapestry, ready to provide a place for a reader to sit, were empty. Julius sighed and pulled his arm away from Vesper.

“Of course,” he said. “Why could it be that easy.”

“You’ll live if you’re late for one thing, ever,” Vesper said. Her gaze drifted towards the tapestry, the plethora of de Rolo names too interesting to pass up investigating.

“I’m not going to like it,” Julius grumbled. He slumped into one of the chairs. Vesper left him to go see if she could make out the names at the beginning of the tapestry. They ended in de Rolo, of course, but up close they weren’t quite so faded. The typeface of the embroidery, amusingly, looked more old-fashioned than the newer names at the opposite end.

“Here’s another Julia,” Vesper said aloud, as she squinted at the name. “That’s funny. Her children are on here, but no spouse.”

“Maybe the magic was faulty back then,” Julius suggested.

“Somehow I don’t think that’s how magic works.” Julia I, Vesper saw, had only had two children. Each of them had made up for it by having a plethora of children themselves. She picked one at random and followed that daughter’s main line as far as she could down the tree. When the door opened, she was hesitating over which of three sons’ branches to follow.

“Oh! Hello.” The woman who had entered, a gnome with dark hair, stopped dead in her tracks when she saw Vesper and Julius. Something about her seemed vaguely familiar. “Um...don’t mind me.” She attempted to sidle further into the library.

“Wait!” Julius hurried to his feet. “You don’t know where the Chamber meets, do you?”

The gnome stopped, looking puzzled. “Down at the other end of the hallway,” she said. “Why?”

“Apparently we’re due to meet them,” Julius said. “Knowing where the meeting is helps.”

“Oh. Alright then.” The gnome gave them a nakedly curious look before hurrying deeper into the library. Julius was already on his way out the door.

There was only one hallway in the wing of the castle Elaina had brought them too, so Vesper and Julius followed it back past the stairs. Almost right around the corner was a door where the hallway ended. Julius visibly steeled himself, assembling his public face, and knocked.

“Come in,” a male voice called after a moment. Vesper didn’t recognize it; when Julius looked to her, as if searching for recognition in her expression, she shrugged. Julius turned back to the door and opened it.

The room inside was smaller than Vesper had expected. With walls of plain stone and a handful of skinny windows, its main features were a fireplace against the outer wall, and a table surrounded with chairs with elaborately carved backs. Two of them were occupied; their occupants were both turned to look at the door.

“Guests!” Said the visibly elder of the two, sounding surprised. His hair was grey, his face crowded with crow’s feet and laugh lines. “I was wondering who would bother to knock before coming in.”

“I didn’t know we were expecting others,” said the second man. He was younger, and like the first, appeared human. His clothes were richer in color than his companion’s, Vesper noted, but the material didn’t look as costly. As far as she could judge, at least. His hair was longer and fairer without being grey. He had the look of a rather vain man.

“I was only told about this meeting recently myself,” Julius said, “so we have something in common. My apologies, but I don’t know your names.”

“You must not be from Whitestone, then,” said the first man with an edge of laughter. “I am Count Koryakov. This is Sir Thalsson.” Thalsson raised a hand in a silent greeting. He was returning Vesper’s gaze, taking in the sight of the two of them as much as she was taking in the two nobles. And the two of them must be a sight, Vesper realized, with her in borrowed clothes of a style she didn’t fully grasp and Julius still in his Ren Faire clothes.

“I’m Julius,” Julius said, “and this is my sister, Vesper.”

“Very traditional names,” Koryakov mused. “And you aren’t from Whitestone?”

“Not in the least. Just so I know, is there anywhere I shouldn’t sit?” Julius surveyed the table. “I’d like a chance to get off my feet, but I’m unfortunately ignorant of whatever customs are at work here.”

“We generally reserve the middle seats for guests,” Thalsson said, indicating the seats at the middle of the table, one on each side. The two nobles sat on either side of one.

Julius and Vesper moved simultaneously, without so much as looking at each other for a moment of conference, to sit down. Julius took the one between the two unfamiliar men, saving Vesper from a potentially awkward time and placing himself in the best place to hold a conversation. That was always their habit - Vesper distanced herself just a bit to sit and watch, while Julius held court and did the public side of the business. At least in conference rooms, he did. Their father was still the public face of the company.

Vesper realized, as she surveyed the three on the other side of the table, that Julius wasn’t still in his Ren Faire clothes. Someone must have brought him a change, like Vex had given her, though who the clothes belonged to she couldn’t tell. They were similar enough to his loose shirt and dress pants of the previous day that she hadn’t noted any particular difference until she looked closely.

That was one less worry, then. Vesper cast her gaze on the nobles instead of worrying about Julius. Both of them held themselves with a confident bearing familiar to her, and though the clothes were strange she knew what finery looked like when she saw it. Koryakov seemed like a charming sort of fellow, and Thalsson’s quietness made him hard to read.

“You must forgive me for asking again,” Koryakov said, predictably leading the conversation, “but are you quite sure you have no ties to the city? You have a bit of the family look about you.” He gestured along his own jawline, indicating the giveaway. “The de Rolos may have claimed Whitestone for centuries, but that doesn’t mean no relations exist elsewhere.”

“As you know very well,” Thalsson muttered, not unkindly. Julius raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two men.

“Perhaps I am interested for my own sake,” Koryakov admitted. “If my name does not reveal all, I freely admit that I am not native to Whitestone by birth. But it is in my blood at least a little; Lord Percival and I are something like eighteenth cousins once removed, which I only know by virtue of an education filled with a great deal of books of peerage.”

“Someone must have been keeping quite close track of the family line to write that book,” Julius said. “I don’t think even the tapestry in the library goes quite so far.”

“Ah, you’ve seen the family tree! I don’t suppose you’re on it, or else I would have known of you already.” Koryakov smiled, his face creasing into apparently familiar lines.

“No, my relation to, ah, Lord Percival is...debatable.” Julius offered a small smile. Vesper knew enough that she didn’t need to look for signs that it was forced. Julius was good at summoning up a public face. “I don’t think I understand it well enough myself to explain it to another.”

Koryakov nodded, curiosity plain on his face as he regarded Julius. Thalsson, if he was curious, was better at hiding it. He was attending to the conversation just as closely, at any rate.

“Your name is Wildemountean, isn’t it?” Julius asked Koryakov. “It took me a minute to place it.”

“It is,” Koryakov said. “I don’t suppose I could ask about your own-”

The door opening cut off the very end of his question, and gave Julius a moment to scramble for an answer. A much older man in long robes stepped in. Vesper was instantly reminded of the person she’d seen at Esteri, the one who had held a pair of scales, though it took her a moment to realize why. His robes were the same shade of blue.

“My pardons,” said the man. “I know I’m later than usua - Lawbearer’s Grace!” He had spotted Vesper. That was apparently enough to stop him dead in his tracks, mouth agape.

Koryakov looked between the two of them, confused, while Thalsson straightened and wariness flashed across Julius’s face. Vesper didn’t have time to do more than freeze in confusion before a door she previously had not noticed on the other side of the room opened as well.

“Keeper Yennen,” Percy said. Vesper started and turned to face him, but he was standing inside the other room and out of her line of sight. “If we could speak for a moment.”

The older man, Yennen, dragged his gaze away from Vesper. He looked thoroughly unsettled, and hurried into the other room. The door closed quickly behind him.

Julius looked just as spooked, when Vesper faced him again.

“What was that?” Thalsson asked, outwardly neutral save for his raised eyebrows. “I thought you were unfamiliar to Whitestone.”

Vesper grappled for a good response. Julius beat her to it.

“Has he been in there the whole time?” Julius demanded, turning to Koryakov. He sounded more startled than imperious.

“What - Lord Percival? I would imagine so,” Koryakov said. “That door leads to his study.” His attention, however, was soon on Vesper again. Without a smile, his gaze was surprisingly intense.

“I’m confused as much as you are,” Vesper said, meeting his eyes and hoping she didn’t look as off-kilter as she felt.

Yennen had looked like he’d seen a ghost. She didn’t feel like contemplating why, but she thought she could hazard a good guess.

Koryakov and Thalsson exchanged glances behind Julius’s head. Julius was looking back at the door to Percival’s study. He had probably glimpsed more of this world’s Percy than Vesper had - no wonder he was fixated on that. But he darted a look at Vesper as well, and Vesper saw her own confusion reflected back at her.

Before the room could become any more deeply mired in mutual bewilderment, the door to the hallway was opened again. Vex, glancing around the room as she stepped inside, was still wearing her hiking clothes and had Fenthras (destrung) as well as her quiver. Neither of the Whitestone nobles looked surprised by her comparatively casual appearance.

“Didn’t I see Keeper Yennen come up here a moment ago?” She asked, dropping Fenthras into the seat next to Vesper’s.

“He was here,” Koryakov said. “He’s in Lord Percival’s study. For some reason, the sight of our guests gave him a fright.”

Vex looked between Vesper and Julius, and then understanding crossed her face. “Oh. Of course.” Koryakov and Thalsson exchanged even more bewildered looks. Vex went over and rapped on the door of Percy’s study, sticking her head in as soon as she finished knocking. “Hey, darling, should I get a start on explaining things while you talk? I assume that’s what you’ve been doing.”

“I have, as much as I can,” came Percy’s reply. “Go ahead if you like. It may make things simpler.”

“I wouldn’t object to an explanation,” Koryakov said pointedly as Vex pulled the study door closed again. Julius stopped craning his neck to try and look into the study.

“You know half of it already, though I don’t blame you for not having made the connection,” Vex said. She dropped into the seat next to Vesper, taking a moment to move Fenthras, as Koryakov’s brow wrinkled.

“Would you mind terribly making the connection for me?”

“Do you recall, several years ago, when Vox Machina was called to Vasselheim to aid in solving a strange kind of problem?”

“I do,” Thalsson said. “I’m still not sure I believe what you told us about the kind of magic being performed. But why bring it up? It’s not happening again, is it?”

“Not on the same scale, no,” Vex said. “But it bears an unfortunate resemblance to the last time, including some of the people involved. I trust you’ve met Vesper?”

“Yes, we - oh,” Koryakov said, his eyebrows shooting up. Thalsson’s gaze flickered over to Vesper. “You mean she’s - I mean, that’s-”

“A hell of a thing, I’m aware,” Vex interrupted. “Regardless, that’s only half the matter we need to discuss."

“What’s the other half?” Thalsson asked, turning his even gaze on Julius without turning his head. Koryakov couldn’t seem to make up his mind about whether Julius’s presence was astonishing enough to warrant looking away from Vesper.

“The subject of the Chamber meeting today. We’ll need to wait ‘til everyone’s here for that - oh, speak of the devil,” Vex finished as Keeper Yennen emerged from the study. Vesper avoided meeting his gaze, but the only empty seat left was the one between her and the head of the table. That one was technically empty too, but...

“I thought we agreed that was a terrible nickname,” Percy said, resting one hand on the back of the head chair. He didn’t sit, but surveyed the room, eyes flickering between Vesper and Julius. He was almost precisely as Vesper remembered, except his hair was a bit longer and tied back into a small ponytail. Sans his long coat and thus with only a waistcoat over his shirt, he looked almost casual.

“As if I’ve ever seriously called you that,” Vex said. “Shall we begin?”

“Without Lady Cassandra?” Koryakov asked. Julius’s attention visibly sharpened.

“She won’t be back until tomorrow, so yes,” Percy said. “This one meeting can withstand her absence.” Somehow, when he did it, sitting down looked posh.

“Just in time for Highsummer to begin,” Keeper Yennen said, sounding like a man valiantly trying to make normal small talk. “What good luck.”

“Mm,” was all Percy said. “Shall we begin?” He was looking at Vesper, expression closed-off and inscrutable.

“I’d be glad to,” Vesper said, pasting on a smile.

What Vesper was really glad to do was escape into the castle courtyard, once the meeting was done.

The entire affair felt stilted and terrible, the knowledge of precisely how Vesper and Julius were related to Percy hanging over every interaction. Mentioning the Briarwoods, though they were a world away, hadn’t helped at all. Vesper had done her best to ignore the horrified reactions and done her best to share everything she knew, or suspected, about why she and Julius had been pursued.

It seemed like a pittance of information, in such a formal setting, but Vex was already on her side, and Percy didn’t seem at all skeptical. When they moved on to planning as though what Vesper had said was a given truth, the other three followed suit.

It had been agreed that Vex would go, potentially with backup, to Vesper’s world to gather information on the Briarwoods and the potential plot. The actual leaving would be done after the first day of Highsummer, to give time for preparation and for the actual spell of transportation to be prepared. There had been less arguing than Vesper had expected, but she wasn’t going to regret being able to leave the stifling room full of awed and nervous looks, and Percy’s cold closed-off-ness.

“I can’t believe that was the most stressful meeting I’ve had to participate in,” Julius muttered. In silent agreement, he and Vesper ducked out of the way under the overhang of the upper floors, where few were walking. Even in the height of summer, the shade offered wasn’t necessary for anyone to stay cool. “Is he always like that?”

“Which one?”

“Percy.” Julius was frowning.

“I wouldn’t know. But I wouldn’t blame him for...not wanting to be friendly.”

“Why the hell not?”

“Well, imagine if - oh, it’s rude to bring it up, but imagine if Alex showed up out of nowhere like we did here.”

Julius went a bit pale. Alex, one of his closest friends from school, had died in a car crash in Julius’ junior year.

“It wouldn’t be the real Alex and he’d be trying his damndest to get home,” Vesper said. “Would you befriend him knowing he was only going to leave again?”

“Alright, I see your point.” Julius glanced up at the window which, based on its position, was the one in the Chamber’s meeting room. A flash of white hair passed behind it. “What now? We play a waiting game and pretend we’re not wondering how much time will have passed when we get home?”

“I’ve been trying not to think about it, and it would really help if you stopped bringing it up.” Vesper linked her arm through Julius’s, and held his tight to her side. “Let’s go back down to Vex’s, at least, and we can have a serious conversation without anyone wondering what we’re doing loitering around.”

“You seem so at ease here,” Julius said, sounding envious. Vesper did her best not to laugh, but a smile flickered across her face nonetheless.

“I have practice at not knowing what the hell is going on,” she said. “Only mostly from last time. Come on. I’m pretty sure I can still smell horse poo.”

Julius snorted - gently, but it was still a laugh. He let Vesper pull him across the courtyard, and they were allowed back outside the triple gates of the castle without more than a curious look from the guards who manned the winches.

The sun was almost hot on Vesper’s shoulders, as they walked down the long road back into town. She hoped she could remember where Vex’s house was, but if memory failed they could ask directions. And there weren’t too many three-story buildings in Whitestone anyway, as far as she’d noticed.

“Look at that,” Julius said, pausing halfway down. Vesper cast him a curious look.

“At what?”

“The town. It’s like the square is at the bottom of a bowl.”

Vesper looked. From their vantage point, halfway up a hill, she could see what Julius had meant. The green hill of the Sun Tree rose above all the other buildings around it. Even with Whitestone not being a very flat city, the buildings got progressively taller the farther away they were from the Sun Tree, creating the impression that centered around the square the land dipped into a roughly circular valley.

“What an odd way to build,” Vesper said. “You’d think the tallest buildings would be in the square, unless ‘downtown’ is somewhere else.”

“If ‘downtown’ is even a concept that exists here. Maybe they don’t want to have to compete with the tree,” Julius suggested. “Or they want to let it grow out as far as it can, even over their roofs.”

“They’ve certainly left it space to grow.” The edges of the square were separated by a hefty gap from the farthest-reaching branches.

A call from behind them attracted Vesper’s attention. A rider on horseback was coming down the hill; it was not until he drew closer that Vesper recognized Count Koryakov.

“I’m glad I caught you,” Koryakov said, reining in his horse once he drew close enough. “I wanted to speak with you, if you don’t mind. We can walk as we talk.”

“Speak about what?” Vesper asked, continuing down the hill. Koryakov did not dismount, but kept pace with her from horseback.

“You must forgive my curiosity, but you spun a fascinating tale,” Koryakov said.

“Must I,” Vesper muttered, too low to be heard by him or Julius.

“I can’t help but be intrigued by the pair of you,” Koryakov continued, oblivious. “I never had the chance to meet Percival’s family, our ends of the bloodline were never close. And under such circumstances as this - it’s like the old tales of Vox Machina coming back to life.”

“Vox Machina?” Julius repeated. “I’m not familiar.”

“Oh, my mistake, of course you wouldn’t be!” Koryakov laughed. “The Lord and his wife used to be part of a quite notorious adventuring party. Perhaps ‘notorious’ isn’t the right word to use - they were certainly doers of good rather than evil. They’re the ones who came back to Whitestone to end the Occupation, of course. But that was a great many years ago.”

“Before children, I imagine,” Julius said.

“Definitely before any of them were born.” Koryakov was willing to switch his spotlight of attention to Julius, which Vesper did not protest. “You’ve got a clever way of speaking - ‘debatable relation to Lord Percival’, ha! You weren’t joking about it being complicated to explain.”

“Not complicated,” Julius said, “just long and rather unbelievable.”

“True, true. But do you, then, still not come from Whitestone? A Whitestone, if not this one?”

“My family is from Emon,” Julius said. “The family history is spotty and I was never exactly coached in it, so I don’t quite know how we ended up there, but I know we have our roots in a Whitestone.”

“Curious,” Koryakov said, “that things might be so familiar in one respect and so different in another.”

“It is. I have a brother named Percival, and yet he’s far younger than the one I just encountered.”

“Really?” Koryakov sounded fascinated. “Of course I noticed that you yourself were younger than Percival. I wonder how that works.”

“I have no idea whatsoever. All that matters to me is that the magic works for long enough to take me home.”

Koryakov studied Julius for a moment, his cheerful demeanor sobering slightly. The note of longing in Julius’s voice had been apparent.

“I wish you good luck in your endeavors,” Koryakov said eventually. Their trio had reached the bottom of the hill, and the verdant canopy of the Sun Tree was rising over the tops of the buildings ahead.

“Thanks,” Julius replied. “Hopefully we won’t need too much of it.”

Koryakov nodded, then gave them an odd sort of bow, hand pressed over his heart. Then he urged his horse onwards, and rode at a smart pace down the street towards the square.

“That was weird,” Vesper said.

“He’s a character for sure,” Julius said. “Probably he’s only interested in us as de Rolos, like apparently everyone else in this city.”

“Let’s just go back to Vex’s.” Maybe they’d have time to sit and not walk anywhere for awhile, for once.

There was little to do in Vex’s house without Vesper feeling like she was intruding somewhere. The guest rooms were sparsely if comfortably furnished, so she was left lurking about downstairs and investigating the shelves full of books. A surprising number of them were in languages Vesper didn’t speak or recognize, which cut down the number of potential selections.

Vesper gave up on the books speedily, though Julius had long since settled down with some volume of history by the time she slipped out of the tiny library.

In the back of the house, she’d seen earlier, there was a room with a piano. It was empty when Vesper peeked in, so she felt brave enough to take a seat on the piano bench. The room provided cushioned seats along the windows and a few stray stands for music, but Vesper had no partners or audience members.

She hadn’t played in years, so she didn’t mind lacking either. Vesper tested the keys, her fingers slipping into the patterns of scales. Those, at least, were easy to remember, and the piano seemed relatively in tune.

What songs did she remember? Vesper wished she had sheet music on hand, though she’d always been terrible at reading it. Perhaps muscle memory would do the trick. She tapped out the beginning of a jaunty tune she’d learned however many years ago. The tune came to her easily - hitting the right notes was the difficult part.

She’d started over to repeat parts she’d messed up on about three times when the door creaked open. Vesper started, spinning around to see a gnomish girl frowning through the doorway.

“What song is that?” She asked. “I’ve never heard it before.” She sounded personally affronted by the fact that Vesper was playing something she didn’t know.

“It’s called Dúlaman,” Vesper said. “I - I’m sorry, who are you?”

“’M Kaylie.” Kaylie pushed open the door so that it gently bounced off the wall. “You’re not Freddie, which was my guess from the mistakes, so you must be one of the other guests.”

“I’m Vesper.”

“Ah!” Kaylie brightened. “So that’s why I didn’t recognize it.” She nodded to herself, as if the world made sense again. “How’d it go, again?”

Vesper played three notes with one hand, still watching Kaylie. She couldn’t tell how old the girl was - who knew what youth looked like on a gnome, when Pike was older than Vesper’s mother if she remembered right - but she sounded and carried herself like an adult. And Vesper had never seen her around before, though the name Kaylie sounded like something she’d heard.

“You can’t be arsed to play it properly?” Kaylie scoffed.

“I’m sorry if my playing skills are not up to the demands of strange women who waltz in to interrupt my practice,” Vesper said. Kaylie’s grin grew a few notches.

“Might you be compelled to play the whole-ass thing if I promise not to comment until you’re done?”

“Maybe,” Vesper said primly, turning back to the keys.

Maybe it was because of the added pressure to perform, but Vesper managed to get through the short song without hitting an egregiously wrong note. Vesper was sure she was misremembering something, of course, but improv would carry her through every time.

“Kinda repetitive,” Kaylie said, and then shrugged and whistled the refrain.

“Feel free to do better,” Vesper said, stung - but at least she wasn’t responsible for the composition of the song.

“My violin’s upstairs.”

“You play violin?” Vesper turned around to face Kaylie again. “I used to want to learn, but piano was difficult enough, and eventually I didn’t have time for either.”

“I prefer a fiddle, honestly,” Kaylie said, shrugging again.

“Is that easier?”

“They both come easy to me.”

“You must have had good teachers,” Vesper said, a little enviously. She’d always admired how elegant violinists looked. Kaylie, however, scoffed.

“I learned everything actually worth remembering while traveling, and I was mostly teaching myself. Sure, I spent a time at the college of the White Duke, but they kicked me out. School’s shite for things sometimes, it’s too one-size-fits-all.”

“I suppose that’s true,” Vesper allowed.

“You suppose? Have you ever been to the college of the White Duke?”

“Given that you seem to know who I am, you know I haven’t.”

“Why are we talking about the college of the White Duke?” Scanlan had appeared in the doorway while Vesper wasn’t paying attention. He was holding an instrument case in one hand, and a flutish sort of instrument in the other. “You don’t want to go back there, do you?”

“Gods, no,” Kaylie said. “It was full of stuck-up pricks.”

“So is the Lyceum, though.”

“Yeah, but the Duke’s college has got music pricks who think they know everything just because they can memorize shit or play as fast as possible without making a mistake.”

“A reasonable criticism.” Scanlan handed over the instrument case. Kaylie flipped it open with practiced ease and withdrew a battered fiddle and bow. “You’d think, though, that if you liked the Lyceum better I wouldn’t get ten letters a week notifying me of disciplinary action being taken against you.”

“That window was ugly and deserved to be broken,” Kaylie said, plucking on the fiddle’s strings to test them. Scanlan failed to repress a grin. “Besides, Professor bin Tera likes me fine.”

“Doesn’t he teach Alchemy? Aka, the field everyone goes into to blow things up?”

“What’s that got to do with it?” Kaylie scoffed. With a flourish, she set bow to strings, and flawlessly played the first half of the chorus that Vesper had just played.

“That was fast,” Vesper said in surprise.

“I’m really fucking good,” Kaylie said, with a broad grin. She pointed her bow at Scanlan. “If I play, can you catch up quick? It’ll sound better with accompaniment.”

“Of course I can,” Scanlan said, sounding affronted. “Who the hell do you think I am?”

Kaylie just smirked, and with little fanfare began to play the song from the beginning. She was unfairly good at it, for someone who had only heard it once.

Scanlan nodded as she played, obviously keeping time in his head. He stepped in neatly to the second refrain, adding a descant that had to have been improvised on the spot and yet fit the tune as if it had been composed specifically for it.

Vesper clapped lightly when Kaylie struck the last notes. “I feel almost like I should leave you two to your magic.”

“Why leave us?” Scanlan questioned. “Take the opportunity! You’re half a bard yourself, even if you do only know one cantrip.”

The idea of classifying herself within the structure of spellcasters had never occurred to Vesper. “Cantrip?” She repeated, shocked.

“Yes. You mentioned lighting candles?” Scanlan snapped his fingers, and two of the candles in the holder mounted by the windows flared to life. “It’s just a little Prestidigitation.”

“Say that again, but slower.”

“You really don’t know?” Kaylie sounded astonished. “Not at all? I thought he was exaggerating when he said your world was magic-less.”

“I’ve never seen any before,” Vesper said. “I have done magic there, but it’s always taken a significant amount of effort. When I’m here, it’s like...well.” She snapped her fingers, and the third candle lit itself.

“Interesting,” Scanlan said thoughtfully. “I may have to ask Vex to do a little experimentation...though she’ll forget, of course. But while we’re here there’s no reason we can’t have a bard party.” He slid onto the piano bench next to Vesper.

“Is that how it works?” Vesper asked. “One cantrip, and I’m a bard?”

“Well, I’m the one sending you letters, and I don’t have any other kind of magic to teach. Besides, you managed to do it, I’m guessing you were halfway there on your own. You learned piano as a kid?”

“Yes, but I was never very good at getting songs the way my teacher wanted,” Vesper said. “I was slow to read sheet music and I never liked sticking precisely to what the original composer wanted.”

“You’re preaching to the choir, kid,” Scanlan said, a note of pride in his voice. “What bard worth their salt wants to do exactly what some stuffy bore thought up in his dusty study? Improvisation is the rule of the day!”

“So the music comes before the magic?”

“Sure, but you need magic to make the music work right,” Scanlan said. “You need magic to sing just the right words, to get that little...what’s-its-name that makes people really listen to what you say, really feel it. And skills like that don’t come half handy in a pinch where you need to lie your way out, but that’s not the point right now.”

“What is the point?” Vesper asked, raising one eyebrow pointedly in the hopes that Scanlan would get to it.

“The point is this,” Scanlan said, and lifted her hands to press them to the keys. “You play!”

By the time Vesper remembered that Julius had come with her and was probably still wandering about with nothing to do, she’d learned several new songs and assembled a repertoire of magical tricks that would have made Percy furious with scientific lack-of-an-explanation frustration.

Scanlan and Kaylie were apt teachers, even though they constantly argued with each other over form versus function, how many flourishes at once were socially acceptable, and which instruments were best and/or most portable. They had strong opinions and very different methods, but both practiced their craft like they’d been doing it their whole lives.

Scanlan flung around small spells (cantrips were different than spells, as Vesper was learning) like it cost him nothing, while Vesper was drained after two. Kaylie was more conservative with her demonstrations, but she played her fiddle like she’d achieved some kind of musical Nirvana. And both of them - despite Vesper’s best efforts - could tell her impossible things in a way that made her believe them, if only for just a second.

Thus it was getting dark out when Vesper finally left the music room, tired but flushed with excitement. Her, a spellcaster in the real old-fashioned, Pre-Divergence sense.

Scanlan had scribbled out a list of spells and descriptions for her, with promises to obtain a real book which described the basics. He had been little help with much in the way of establishing what spells she could cast, or how many, saying that it had been so long since he’d had so little at his disposal and anyway knowing your own spells was a skill that any good spellcaster needed to hone to a sixth sense. So Vesper had her list for now, and she went to put it away securely in her purse before she went to look for Julius.

Julius, however, was not where she expected him to be. Vesper checked the parlor first, but he’d vanished and his book was back on the shelf. Puzzled, she went up to the attic to see if she could find his room, only to run into him on his way down the stairs.

“Oh, good, Vesper!” He said. “Listen, I had an idea, if Vex is still here. You have a portable charger, right?”

“Yes, why?”

“I need it,” Julius said. “I was thinking - wherever Vex ends up when she goes to our side, it’ll be much easier if she has a phone. I would lend her mine, but it’s dead.”

“So’s mine,” Vesper said, grasping the idea immediately, “but I’ve been recharging it. If I give her the charger, too, it’ll last a bit longer. That’s a good idea!”

“Thanks. If yours is already good-”

“I’ll give her mine. What do you mean, ‘if’ Vex is still here?” Vesper paused in the middle of turning towards her borrowed room.

“I thought she might not be,” Julius said. “I don’t know, it’s hard to tell whether she’s supposed to be here or at the castle. You go get your phone and I’ll figure that out.”

“Alright.” A bubble of hope buoyed Vesper’s steps as she hurried away. It felt good to be doing something conductive. Waiting games had never been her forte. And luckily, after sitting around in her purse all day while plugged in, her phone actually was working. She’d been unsure whether the charger would work properly in a magical, electronics-less world, but apparently internet was the only thing she was lacking. It was nearly at full, and still being charged.

Julius, when Vesper came back out, beckoned her over to the side of the second floor she hadn’t yet ventured into - it didn’t seem like much was there. But with confidence he knocked on a door, and from inside Vex’s voice said “Yes?”

“It’s us,” Julius said. “Do you mind if we come in?”

“Oh, sure.” As Julius opened the door, Vex added, “Anything to keep me from having to concentrate on this a moment longer.”

“What’s ‘this’?” As Vesper stepped inside, she realized that Vex was in her own bedroom. But it looked more like a home office and a bedroom had collided and produced an elaborate mess. There was a four-poster bed with thick covers (not neat in any sense of the word) and a large wardrobe up against one wall, but at the end of the bed was a tall desk of polished wood, with drawers at the sides and a surface hidden under a great deal of mess.

“My inheritance as lady of the first house.” Vex had her feet propped up on one corner, and was fiddling with a quill pen which was staining her fingertips blue. The chair, which she’d been leaning back in, thumped to the ground as she gestured across the heaps of parchment. “The one thing they never mention about marrying up. Anyway, what did you want?”

“Julius had an idea,” Vesper said. Julius leaped into the conversation at once to explain, while Vesper sidled closer to the desk, letting him tug the phone and charger out of her hands.

Up close, the desk was no less of a mess than it looked from a distance. Bottles of ink and a clay mug full of quills clustered in one precarious corner with a handful of candles, and spilling over into the blankets from the other corner was a pile of official-looking reports. Tilting her head, Vesper could make out a great many numbers, and notices to do with mining and lumber, and how much each industry had been taking in and how much people were being paid.

The greatest amount of space was taken up by a huge sheet, held open by a handful of paperweights, which varied between nearly-transparent glass crystals and childishly painted rocks. Discreetly, Vesper nudged aside a letter headed with a strange image of an eye, which rolled into a loose tube as it moved, and revealed an illuminated map of the western coast of Tal’dorei.

Seeing that it was such an old-fashioned map, where the forests were individual trees and a tiny serpent was surfacing off the coast, it struck Vesper with surprise to see Emon marked in vivid red capitals. But there it was - there were even the same mountains to the north, and further than that the sprawling Cliffkeep peaks. Vesper looked further, following an unfamiliar highway marked in yellowish gold, and saw Whitestone’s dot peeking out from between the Alabaster Sierras and a pile of yellowed and worn papers.

“I can move that if you want to look,” Vex said. Vesper jumped.

“Sorry - I was just looking at the map. You don’t have to move all that,” Vesper protested as Vex began stuffing things into drawers.

“If I move it then I can’t see it and I don’t have to worry about it,” Vex said. “Trust me, this is for my benefit.”

“What is all this, anyway?”

“Stuff I’m supposed to worry about,” Vex said wryly. “But this late at night it can wait for tomorrow.”

“What is all this?” Julius asked.

“Bullshit,” Vex said, and then sighed. “Really it’s not, it’s just late in the day. There’s a lot to keep track of when you’re in charge of a city.”

“Ah,” Vesper said. “I suppose the map helps, in some way?” She imagined a city map might, but Vex probably knew her way around Whitestone.

“Mostly it’s for reference.”

“I thought I saw - isn’t that a map as well?” Julius gestured, and Vesper followed it to see a wall-mounted piece that did indeed look like a map, hanging next to a hearth covered in small photo frames. Portrait frames, Vesper revised in her head, because they couldn’t possibly be photos.

“Yes, but it’s of the planar system,” Vex said. “Which is why it’s on the wall. It’s decorative. It’s not like I’m going anywhere but the Material Plane these days.”

“The planar system?” Julius sounded intrigued. He stepped over to it, forgetting the conversation he’d been in the middle of. “I don’t think I’ve heard of half of these.”

“Really? I don’t know a lot about most of them but I had to learn at least the names of them all in school.” Vex put her feet down in order to reach over and retrieve the stack of mining reports. Vesper winced at the way she was cramming the papers into the drawers - they just barely fit, and she could tell more than just the corners would be wrinkled and folded.

“I guess since we have no way of getting to any of them, it’s more of a niche academic subject.” Julius was poring over the map as best he could while standing up. “There are cities in all of these places.”

“There tend to be.”

“Even in a plane full of fire?”

“The Plane of Fire’s not full of fire unless you go very far out,” Vex said. “Towards the edges and the inner side it’s just hot as the Hells.”

Julius gave her a strange look, but quickly turned his attention back to the map. “Are these blue marks cities as well? They’re not labeled.”

“No, the blue marks are to mark where we’ve been.”

Julius paused, and then turned around to give Vex the full weight of his disbelieving stare. “Really?”

“Really.” Vex put her feet back up on the desk.

“But this is-” Julius turned back to the map. “Hold on. Are you sure?”

“Very,” Vex said.

“The Feywild is marked,” Julius said. “And the Shadowfell. Two out of four elemental planes. Elysium and the Nine Hells. Whatever on Exandria ‘Pandemonium’ is.”

“Would not recommend that second to last one,” Vex said blithely, with the air of someone who was immensely enjoying herself. Julius gave Vesper an incredulous look, wordlessly asking her if she was hearing the same things she was.

“All Nine?” Vesper couldn’t resist asking. Given that last time she’d been told what amounted to a heist story which took place in the elemental plane of fire, the Nine Hells were only one more degree of crazy adventuring.

“Just one. I don’t recall which layer. We’ve gotten so off topic,” Vex reflected.

“Oh - my bad.” Julius gave the planar map one last longing look.

“You can keep looking, I can explain as well as you.” Vesper held out her hand, and Julius readily handed over the phone.

“You were talking about a ‘chat’,” Vex suggested.

“Yes - it’s the best way of getting in touch with my family. I don’t know how much time will have passed there, but they’ll know the most, or at least be able to put you in touch with someone who does.”

“But I can’t use this too much?”

“It only has so much charge,” Vesper said. “You have to keep an eye on the number in the corner, here.” She briefly clicked the power button, to turn the phone on and show Vex. “As long as the lightning icon is there, you should be okay.”

“And it turns on like that, how?”

“...Right, the basics.”

Vesper had to repeat very little to Vex; once a thing was explained to her, she grasped it quickly. Julius appeared to be doing his best to memorize the planar map while Vesper ran through the absolute basics, trying to think of what else Vex might need to be able to do.

“I mean, you can use the chat,” Vesper said eventually. “If I’ve forgotten to tell you how to do something that you end up needing to know, you can ask.”

“Backup is good.” Vex flipped the phone over to regard the flower-patterned case, then slipped it and the charger into a pocket Vesper hadn’t noticed before. “It’s a good idea. Especially since there’s no specific way of knowing where I’ll end up.”

“You can’t control it?”

“To some degree, maybe. When you used it, you ended up in Vasselheim because that was the only place you’d been here before, so I imagine you thought of it when you activated the scroll.”

“I did,” Vesper said, surprised. “Only for a moment, though.”

“But it gave you a destination that you were familiar with,” Vex said. “That’s how most teleportation spells work. If you’re unfamiliar with the destination, you could end up anywhere in that plane.”

“That doesn’t sound good,” Vesper said uneasily, seeing the careful plans they’d made unraveling in front of her. Vex shrugged.

“Scanlan thinks being familiar with this Emon might count as being familiar with that one,” she said. “Still, I might not end up wherever I intend to go - wherever that is. I figured I’d just think of Emon and hope I end up at least on the fringes of the city.”

“Are you sure that’ll work?”

“No,” Vex said, “but I’m resourceful, and anyway if I end up attracting attention I’ll probably get the attention of my double as well, which will get me to the same end goal.”

“I suppose.”

“Um...momma?” There was a tentative voice from the doorway. A young girl was peeking in, clutching a wooden box to her chest. Her glasses looked slightly too large for her face, and smudged like she had forgotten to clean the lenses. Vesper recognized her; she had been one of the pictures in Vex’s locket. “I found my paints.”

“Were they under your bed?” Vex asked. The girl shook her head.

“In Leo’s closet.”

“Ah, of course.” Vex stood, wiping her hands on her pants and utterly failing to get the ink off.

“Are you leaving?” Julius asked. “I thought this was your house.”

“It is! But I don’t sleep here unless I’m mad at Percy. Or unless he’s here too.” Vex shrugged. “It’s a situation which involves many late-night trips to get things that people suddenly desperately need-”

“I forgot to ask earlier!” The young girl protested.

“I’m only teasing, sweetheart.” Vex tousled her hair, making the girl clamp an arm over her head defensively. “Anyway, we do have to go - oh, you two haven’t met Ofelia, right?”

“Not until now, no,” Vesper said. Ofelia looked back at her doubtfully, shoved her glasses up her nose with one knuckle, and edged behind the door.

“Can we go, momma,” she said quietly, evidently intending for Vex alone to hear it.

“Yeah, go on downstairs. I’ll catch up.” Vex gave her a gentle push. “You two, out of my room.”

In the few seconds it took just to walk out of the room, Ofelia had already scampered down the stairs. Vesper leaned casually over the railing to watch her progress. She had a long braid, Vesper noticed, that dangled nearly to her waist. Not quite as impressive a length on a girl who was maybe twelve, but longer than Vesper had expected.

“I wasn’t expecting someone so young,” Julius said, gaze going in the same direction.

“I like to take breaks in between kids,” Vex said. She was already moving towards the stairs. “I’ll see you two tomorrow if I have time, and you can think of anything you might have forgotten to tell me about this.” She patted her pocket, though the gestured was difficult to see given her speed and rapidly increasing distance from them.

“Alright! Hopefully we’ll remember before you leave.”

“Sure. Enjoy tomorrow - safe Highsummer and all that.”

“Safe Highsummer?” Vesper echoed, but Vex was already out the door, Ofelia darting past her to lead the way.

“Maybe that’s just what they say here,” Julius said.

“Somehow I doubt it,” Vesper said. “Why ‘safe’ instead of, I don’t know, ‘merry’?”

“How would I know the answer to that question?”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kaylie asked, having appeared in the foyer. She was staring up at the two of them with a furrowed brow.

“Nothing,” Vesper said. “Why are you listening in?”

“You’re the one talking in a public place,” Kaylie retorted immediately. “I just came to see who was coming through the door.”

“Vex just left,” Julius said. “But on the subject of Vex, do you why she says ‘safe Highsummer’ instead of, for example, ‘happy Highsummer’?”

“Who the fuck wishes people a happy Highsummer in Whitestone?”

“Why not?” Vesper said, frowning. “If the version of it I’ve celebrated before is anything like the one here, it’s - what?”

Kaylie was staring at them in something resembling horrified glee.

“Holy shit,” she said. “No one told you about Highsummer.”

Chapter Text

Highsummer was, Vesper gathered, nearly identical to the festival she was familiar with. A week of devotion to Pelor, it often involved public parties and communal feasting. In Whitestone, celebrations centered around light and the Sun Tree in the center of town.

In this version of Whitestone, there were a few other facets as well.

Namely, the fey.

Deep in the Parchwood, so Scanlan claimed, there was a gate between worlds where the Feywild was connected to the Material plane.

Scanlan claimed it, not Kaylie, because she had run to get him immediately to rub Julius and Vespers’ faces in their ignorance. Scanlan had not found it as funny as she did. He was treating the subject far more seriously than Vesper had expected.

“One fey gate isn’t that big of a deal, is it?” Vesper asked hopefully.

“Well, not usually.” Scanlan made a face. “It’s not close to the city - it’s out by the edge of the mountains. The Parchwood, they’ll run around in, but not the city. Except for Highsummer.”

“What’s different about Highsummer?” A tint of incredulity still colored Julius’s tone. He was looking at Scanlan as though he was waiting for the gnome to crack and admit it was all an elaborate joke.

“Because Whitestone has an arrangement with them about the first day of Highsummer,” Scanlan said. “Do you know Leo?”

“I doubt it,” Julius said.

“The same Leo Vex mentioned?” Vesper asked.

“Probably. He’s the middle kid.” Scanlan gestured, level with his own head, marking a relative height. “Big tendency towards drama and emotional phases. Anyway, a handful of years ago, he thought a great way to stick it to his parents would be to go through the gate.”

Vesper sucked in a breath through her teeth. “That’s-”

“An incredibly stupid idea? Yeah. Kids think they’re invulnerable because nothing bad’s ever happened to them before.”

“Some kids, maybe,” Kaylie said.

“Not the point, Kaylie.”

“What happened to Leo?” Julius asked.

“He ended up making a deal to get back home,” Scanlan said. “I don’t know exactly what happened, I got all this information secondhand from Vex and even she doesn’t think Leo told them about everything that happened. But Leo got snared into a pact, which pissed her and Percy off royally.”

“You say pact like it’s significant,” Vesper interrupted. Scanlan blinked, and then understanding washed over his face.

“Right - you wouldn’t know,” he said. “A pact, as in a warlock bargain. Archfey pacts are super common in places near gates like that.”

“And archfey make pacts with children,” Julius said dubiously.

“Leo’s patron is an asshole opportunist. But Leo was I think twelve at the time, so nobody was happy about it except the patron. That being said, Highsummer is part of the deal Vex cut with him in response to the Leo situation.”

“With Leo?” Julius’s brow wrinkled.

“With his patron,” Scanlan corrected. “Normally any fey who gets close to Whitestone risks contending with the Riflemen - and, you know, they use iron bullets - or the Hunt. But as long as Artagyn keeps his hands off Leo, until Leo’s twenty-one, his Court gets relatively free reign in Whitestone for twenty-four hours. Midnight on Highsummer morning until the last minute of the day.”

“But midnight of Highsummer morning is only an hour or so away,” Julius said.

“I’m aware.”

“You say Artagyn,” Vesper said. “Do you know his patron?”

Scanlan rolled his eyes. “We’re familiar,” he said dryly. “Artagyn’s the whole reason we had to make the gate in the first place.”

“You made the gate?” Julius exclaimed. “Why?”

“He’s very fond of making deals.”

“This whole situation seems really dangerous,” Vesper said. “What about the people in Whitestone?” And her, while she remained in Whitestone. “Fey running around seems like...a lot of things could end up going wrong.”

“When they’re in the city, yeah, they try all the old tricks. But the rules about food and drink don’t apply to anything except what they bring, and that’s not much.” Scanlan shrugged. “The people here were superstitious enough about the Parchwood before the gate that not many fall prey to stuff like that. But Artagyn knows that if anyone gets killed Vex is going to hold him responsible for it, and in any case he’s part of the Summer Court. He’s already busy causing trouble inside the Feywild this time of year, so by the time he gets to Whitestone he’s out of ideas.”

“Is Vex alone enough of a threat?” Julius questioned, as Vesper muttered “The Summer Court?” to herself.

“You obviously haven’t been spending much time around Vex.”

“Does Fenthras have anything to do with that?” Vesper asked. Scanlan opened his mouth, then paused, thoughtful.

“Fenthras?” Julius repeated. “Like that thing from Ren Faire?”

“Well, yes, essentially.”

“Maybe it does,” Scanlan said, ignoring Julius’s tangent. “Wouldn’t surprise me.”

“Hold on. Rewind.” Julius held up his hands. “Am I missing something? As far as I’m aware, Fenthras is like, an ancient, pre-Divergence magical artifact thing.”

“A bow,” Vesper reminded him.

“Yes, that. So it exists here, too? What’s it got to do with Vex or the fey?”

“You remember the name, but nothing else they said?” Vesper asked. “It belonged to the fey, or a fey.”

“That much, at least, is the same here,” Scanlan said before Julius could retort. “But the bow is Vex’s now. We stole it from this archfey guy years and years ago. Not Artagyn, though he was involved.”

Julius gawked at him wordlessly.

“What?” Scanlan said. “We needed it more.”

“If you’re done doing anything interesting,” Kaylie said, now quite close to the door after edging slowly closer to it over the past thirty minutes, “I’m going upstairs.” She waved sarcastically as she made a quick exit.

“I think,” Julius said slowly, “that I’m reaching my limit for being able to be surprised by things.”

“Be prepared to think that like five more times before you actually stop being surprised,” Vesper warned. Scanlan smirked.

“To be fair, that would be a weird story to most people here, too,” he said. “Vox Machina is the exception that proves the rule.”

“What’s weirder? Stealing from an archfey, or another archfey being so impressed by the theft that he actually respects you?”

“Could be either,” Scanlan said. “I think Artagyn’s mostly concerned with that we were able to kill Saundor prior stealing. Then again, is it theft if they’re dead?” He shrugged, ignoring the way Vesper and Julius were staring at him. “Anyway. Kaylie’s right, it’s late, I’m gonna head back up to the castle myself.”

“What have you gotten us into, Vesper?” Julius asked as the door clicked shut.

“I didn’t know about that part of the story,” Vesper said. “I only knew that her bow was a Vestige.”

“I wasn’t expecting any Vestiges.” Julius pressed his knuckles into his forehead. “Are there any other major things I should know? Is one of them secretly immortal?”

“Not that I know of.”

“I hate that you had to add ‘that I know of’. This place is insane.”

“Not insane,” Vesper said, “just magical."

“Is there a difference?” Julius shook his head. “I’m tired of not knowing what to expect, I guess.”

“Well, that’s not going to stop anytime soon, so it’s best to get used to it,” Vesper informed him.

“You seem to be doing alright.”

“I’m interacting with mostly the same people. Most of what’s come up did last time, too, so I already know about it.” Vesper paused, and added, “While we’re on the subject of you knowing important things, Vex isn’t the only one with a Vestige.”

“Oh, my gods,” Julius muttered under his breath.

“I can not tell you if you like.”

“Maybe just point them out if you see one,” Julius said. “I think I need a moment just to process this whole Highsummer situation. What are we going to do? Stay in the house all day?”

“I don’t know,” Vesper said. The thought had been niggling at the back of her mind. “I’ll tell you what, though, I bet Scanlan has an idea and he’s just forgotten to tell us.”

Scanlan did not tell them his solution to the issue of Highsummer’s festivities until the following morning.

“The Engineer’s Guild is full of iron, people hole up there all the time this time of year,” Scanlan said, flippantly ignoring the contradiction that he was rattling off. “Or at least, the Guild members do. Anyway, if I tell them to let you in, they’re not gonna say no to me.”

“But we’ll still have to go through the city,” Julius pointed out. “You said three seconds ago the Engineer’s Guild is on the main square.”

“Sure, but nobody who doesn’t live in the Material plane is out and about yet. The gate’s over by the mountains, anything coming through it is going to take at least until noon to get here.” Scanlan made a show of looking up at the sky as if to check the position of the sun, though the roof of the porch defeated his purpose. “Anyway, let’s get a move on, yeah?”

Julius exchanged a look with Vesper, who had seen the spark of interest light in his eyes as soon as the words ‘Engineer’s Guild’ were uttered.

“Better than staying in the house all day wondering what’s going on,” Vesper said. “What’s the Engineer’s Guild, anyway?”

“More like a communal workshop,” Scanlan said, stepping aside to let them step out the door. Vesper hiked up the hem of her dress to keep it out of the way of her feet, something she was getting used to having to do. “I have no idea what happens inside, because I don’t live here and I don’t do tinkering, so I’ve literally never been in the building before. All I know is it’s attached to the clock tower.”

“There’s a clock tower?” Julius asked.

“You didn’t notice it?”

“The Sun Tree is very large and attention-catching, and I’ve only been through the square once.”

“I’ll give you that,” Scanlan laughed, “but just this once.”

Even approaching the square with the intent to spot the tower, it was difficult to notice. It stood on a corner slightly off the main square where, coming from the castle or Vex’s, the Sun Tree blocked a great deal of it from sight. But with Scanlan leading the way across the square, it soon came into view, a squat construction of whitestone blocks. As they rounded the corner and came around the front, Vesper saw hints of windows of stained-glass designs, which marked double rows down each side of the tower. A wooden scaffold along the side facing the street blocked a good deal of them.

The scaffold also blocked the clock, but its face was large enough that Vesper could make out some details. Its hands were still, or at least wrong. It was multicolored, too, which made sense considering Percy’s flair for the artistic.

Scanlan led them to a similarly sturdy-looking building which was connected to the tower, standing between it and the square. It was a hodgepodge of a building, with a second story that was a visible afterthought and wide double doors which put Vesper in mind of a stable.

Scanlan hauled one of the doors open with some difficulty, but waved off Julius when Julius reached out to help.

“Just get inside,” Scanlan said. Julius, eager to see what the Engineers inside the Guild were like, went in eagerly without bothering to press his offer of help. Vesper followed him in, blinking as her eyes adjusted to the dim light. There were windows, she had seen from the outside, but mostly-opaque curtains had been drawn over all of them, and what sunlight made it through was greatly reduced. Numerous candles had been set out on tables, and sconces on the wall glowed with unnaturally steady lights.

A humanoid figure leaping to their feet, however, immediately attracted Vesper’s attention. A slightly rumpled human had spotted Scanlan, and immediately abandoned the project scattered across the table they were sitting at.

“Don’t bother standing, I’m not staying,” Scanlan said, before redirecting his attention back to Vesper. “Generally everything dangerous is gone by sundown, or else they won’t make it back home in time, and the fey are tighasses about obeying the stipulations of Deals.”

“Lucky that it’s in your favor for once,” Vesper offered, grimacing internally at the prospect of staying inside the Guild building for the next ten-plus hours.

“Ha, sure. Have fun.” Scanlan retreated, and the door slowly was shoved shut from the other side. The sunlight that had been leaking into the room was cut off, and further dimness descended.

“You’re...Vesper and Julius?” The figure who had leaped up sounded uncertain. “I was told you might come by.”

“We are,” Julius said. Vesper looked around the room, observing everything with a close gaze. “You’re an engineer, right?”

“Well, yes, I’m a Guildmember. My name’s Casey.” Casey awkwardly extended their hand. Vesper noticed the others in the room watching as Julius enthusiastically shook it.

The room was not in the least bit empty. For starters, there was a fireman’s pole that led up through a hole in the center of the ceiling, alongside a ladder. The low ceiling cut off a multitude of shelves which crowded up against the walls, stuffed full of various items jostling for space. Only a set of nicked and stained wooden cabinets along the far wall had escaped, though the countertop that accompanied them was similarly strewn. Half-finished projects or blueprints drawn on parchment hid the surfaces of tables from view.

Those Vesper assumed were responsible for the mess were scattered about the room, perusing the shelves or sitting at worktables like Casey. One was clustered in the corner with what looked like a drum kit, which was anachronistic enough that Vesper did a double-take to make sure she was seeing right. In total, there were about seven probable engineers besides Casey. One looked to be a halfling; several others were short enough to not be human, and Vesper assumed from the beards that they were dwarves.

Julius had already roped Casey into a discussion of how exactly the Guild worked and what they did in the three seconds it had taken Vesper to take in the room. The other members were beginning to shift their focus back to their work, throwing curious glances at the two of them from time to time. To make it easier for them to be less obvious, Vesper drifted back over towards her brother.

“...not really mechanically minded in terms of physical objects,” Julius said. “It’s difficult to properly explain because I don’t have any way to demonstrate.”

“No, I think I get it,” Casey said, as it dawned on Vesper that Julius had been trying to explain his own expertise in programming to someone in a world where electric light didn’t exist. “It’s like astraphysics, isn’t it?”

“Astraphysics?” Julius asked blankly. “You mean as- tro physics?”

“No, as- tra, as in anything past the astral plane.”

“Oh, planar physics! Not quite like that, but I guess that could be similar? I don’t know how astraphysics work. I’ve never had to deal with them before.”

“I’d be surprised if you had,” Casey said. “They only teach it down at the Lyceum in Emon, as far as I know. The west coast is better for that sort of thing.”

“Good to know, in case I ever do take an interest,” Julius said.

“And what about what you do here?” Vesper put in. “More to the point, may I ask who else is a member of the Guild?”

“Oh-” Casey started guiltily, as if they had forgotten Vesper was there. “Right, yeah. Introductions all ‘round, I suppose.”

The three dwarves (a terrible joke having something to do with Snow White attempted to make itself known in the back of Vesper’s mind, but it didn’t go anywhere) were unrelated to each other in any way except their guild membership. Lúkr was easily the oldest, sparing only a sort-of-welcoming grunt for Vesper and not looking up from the papers he was squinting at through a pair of glasses. Ljos, much younger and with a scruffy beard that spoke of forgetting to trim, was deep in conversation with a human man named Alexander who would not have been out of place in a farmer’s field. Jothi, accompanied by a halfling of identical height with a much smaller beard called Sam, vanished into a side room even as they were being introduced.

Another human, Thomasin, smiled at Vesper in a welcoming way as he followed the pair inside. Casey added that he was preparing metal and forging some of the gear pieces Casey needed for their own project. Vesper surmised, from Thomasin’s thick sooty apron and Casey’s glowing remarks on his skill, that he was responsible for making most of what the Guild used to build whatever it was they built.

“And this is Caspian,” Casey said, pointing to the human behind the drum kit. He waved. “There’s a couple of others, but I don’t think they’re here today except Saint.”

“That’s fine,” Julius said, leaping upon the gap in the conversation that the end of introductions left with the desperation of a man with too many unanswered questions. “Eight seems like a lot already. What does the Guild do, precisely? Engineering is a broad term-”

“Mostly whatever city projects get sent our way,” Casey said. “We get materials and sometimes funding for our own personal projects, whatever it is we’re trying to do, and in exchange when the Lord comes around with something he needs a few people for we drop everything and get to it.”

“And you make your own materials?” Julius cast a glance towards the room Thomasin had strode so confidently into.

“We’re not going to get most of them anywhere else, except maybe Westruun or Emon, and better to make it here than to pay for someone to bring it all the way from either of those places. If not farther. ” Casey shrugged, but there was a glint in their eye. “Patronage has its limits, but this method allows for a great deal of personalization, which more than makes up for the effort we’ve got to put into it.”

“And what do you make?”

“Pipes mostly,” Casey said. “I’m one of the main engineers on the steam system.”

“Steam system?”

“I’ll show you. We’ve got some blueprints for it over here. There are pipes that run steam all throughout the city, to keep roads clear of snow, and we’ve been working on extending it to heat people’s houses...” Casey chattered on as she led Julius away. Vesper lingered by the drum kit and Caspian. She was curious, but Julius could tell her later.

“Something you want?” Caspian asked. Vesper was not being subtle about looking. He spoke with the slightest of accents.

“What are you doing here?” Vesper asked. “Do engineers routinely practice the drums?”

“Nah, I’m a bard,” Caspian said. Vesper nodded; her suspicion was confirmed. “I hang out here to practice, especially on Highsummer. These guys don’t say no to an Inspiration here or there, and if someone gets hurt I know a few healing spells.”

“Inspiration?” Vesper asked. It sounded fairly straightforward, but she might as well ask in case it wasn’t.

“You know, using music to give people a little extra push,” Caspian said. “A bit of inspiration, if you will, though that’s a terrible joke and a worse pun. Are you not familiar with bards?”

“I’m foraying into being a bard myself,” Vesper said, “but yes, I’m very new to it.”

“Oh! So that’s why you came in with...” Caspian gestured towards the doors.

“Yes,” Vesper said, deciding that a longer explanation of her involvement with Scanlan would be overly complicated. “Anyway, I haven’t had much experience with magic at all. I’m not entirely sure what spells I do and don’t know.”

“Well, that’s easy enough to figure out,” Caspian said. “I used to go to the College of the White Duke, before they kicked me out. I know plenty of official bardly things.”

“What did they kick you out for?” Explusion, Vesper mused, seemed to be a common thread among bards. She’d have to ask Scanlan about his own schooling.

“A penchant for taking instruments apart and being found before I figured out how to put them back together. I had to buy more than one student a replacement.” Caspian shrugged, completely unapologetic, and beckoned her closer. “Let me know what you think you know, and I’ll see how much I remember.”

Caspian was an intriguing man - also, Vesper discovered, not native to Whitestone. He didn’t share the exact terms of his journey from southern Wildemount to the College of the White Duke, and then to Whitestone, and Vesper did not press him for it. But his native land greatly affected his music choices, which Vesper learned after he unearthed a guitar to dust off some of his own cantrips and played a Spanish-sounding riff.

Vesper knew she could cast Prestidigitation - she’d done that one before. Caspian walked her through some of the things bards usually learned before they ever dipped a pinkie toe into magic, some of the things one had to learn and then commit to muscle memory and reflex. Vesper suspected Scanlan was of a high enough caliber of bard that he’d forgotten that such things needed to be learned, or how to competently explain them to a beginner. Caspian seemed much closer to her own level of experience, at least if Vesper was one end of the scale and Scanlan the other.

Their conversation petered off when music began to drift through the walls from outside. Pipes and flutes wove together in a high, jaunty tune. Vesper went to lift a corner of the nearest curtain, but Caspian snagged her wrist quick enough that she barely saw him move.

“Hey!”

“Sorry,” Caspian said, letting her pull away. “But you’re new to Whitestone, right? Not the best idea to take a look, today.”

“Oh,” Vesper said, remembering why she was in the Guild building in the first place. “So that’s - them?”

“Far as I know. Sounds like them.”

Vesper cast a look towards the curtained window, but didn’t move to open it again. In the back of the hall, the windows opened onto a yard - there wasn’t much to see. By the doors, the shadows of a crowd gathering in the square outside played over the face of the building, flashing into visibility when their owners moved in front of the windows. But the doors remained solidly shut.

“Best possible time for you to come visiting, right?” Caspian noted, with a great deal of sarcasm.

“Tell me about it,” Vesper said, with a lingering glance at the doors. She was greatly tempted, but common sense won out. “Actually, do tell me about all this. You’ve seen it happen in past years, haven’t you?”

“For a certain definition of the word, yes. From this exact seat.” Caspian patted the side of his stool. “I’m not one to go mingling with the good gentlemen, no matter how interesting they may be or what they bring with them.”

“Evidently some are,” Vesper said, with another glance towards the doors. The noise from outside was beginning to grow. The cheerful rumble of a crowd was the same anywhere.

“For the latter, mostly,” Caspian said. “Thomasin went out for a little last year and had a look so we could know what was going on. They mostly left him alone - he’s practically got iron in his bones, he works with it so much. He’s like a walking anti-Fey magnet.”

“And what do they bring,” Vesper asked, “besides the food and drink I was warned about?”

“All sorts,” Caspian said. “Fey spells or enchantments. Tiny flowers made of unbreakable glass, but you wouldn’t know they weren’t real until you felt them. Storms held in bottles. A whistle for a copper, or a hymn for a silver, or a ballad for gold. A cloak made of dusk or of night. Whatever plants grow there and not here.” He grinned at Vesper’s visible astonishment. “Of course, they reel you in with that and then explain the price when you’re right about to buy. The color of your hair, three minutes of your dearest memory. A night with them, though who knows how long that night will have been when you get back.”

“Does that happen often?”

“Sometimes. They’ve only been coming for a handful of years, but the first time the Grey Hunt had to fetch fifteen people out of the Parchwood who were trying to follow them back through the gate, and old Gaffer down at one of the south farms went missing for months and came back saying it had only been an hour or so for him. He died of grief or fey-sickness or something before the second Highsummer came ‘round.”

“And fey-sickness is...?”

“What it sounds like.” Caspian shrugged. “They’re good at making people want to go back, even when you know better. I guess...it’s when you’re overcome with being not-here-nor-there. I’ve heard people say it like that, roughly, and I’ve always liked the phrasing.”

Vesper realized she’d relaxed into a fascinated slump. She made an effort to straighten, taking her chin out of her hand. “I guess for the rest of the year everyone must be warning everyone else not to do something stupid during Highsummer.”

“Pretty much,” Caspian laughed. “But the number of people hiding out in here with us has gone way down. People are getting more confident, at least in whatever friends they tag along with when they stay outside. Not that there’s no trouble - it’s only a matter of time. If it wasn’t the Lord’s son who was getting out of even bigger trouble with this whole deal, and if most people who go missing didn’t come back pretty quick, everyone would’ve thrown a huge fit about it by now.”

“People go missing regularly?” That, Vesper hadn’t expected. Scanlan had made her assume the situation was fairly under control - Caspian’s view didn’t exactly align.

“It varies from year to year.”

“That’s terrible.”

“Like I said - under other circumstances, Whitestone would’ve pitched a collective fit.” Caspian shrugged. “But most people here were here during the Occupation, too, so as long as the crops grow and what’s dead stays dead, Whitestone can put up with fey anarchy one day a year.”

Vesper was saved from having to reply to that by the front door opening.

Percy swept in with a breeze that smelled of something vibrant and strange. Cabal’s Ruin tangled around his legs with the force of it coming from behind. The door was hastily slammed shut behind him, leaving Vesper with only an impression of bright colors, the green of the trees outside, and a thick crowd in the street. As the door closed and the light dimmed again, Vesper saw a young girl behind him who looked remarkably like Elaina.

Her view was immediately obscured by everyone else in the room getting to their feet, accompanied by a great scraping of chairs. Even Caspian stumbled off his stool. Vesper hesitated.

“Morning,” Percy said, sounding more cheerful than he had in the Council meeting. It was not a high bar to clear. “I’m going to be in the clock tower - I assume the pipeline project is going well.”

“On schedule so far,” Ljos said, as people began to relax back into their chairs. The girl who was, presumably, the younger Vesper, discarded her jacket on the way over to the passage that led to the clock tower. “Thomasin’s busy with some of the new pieces right now. I can send Sam over once they’re finished to let you know it goes.”

“I’d like that. Is Saint here?”

“Yes, somewhere.”

“Send her over.” Percy nodded, and swept off again through the passage Young Vesper had already vanished through.

Ljos turned around. “Saint!” He bellowed. “His Lordship’s in residence!”

There was a scuffle and a thump like a pile of paper being knocked over from upstairs. Vesper looked up curiously as rapid footsteps moved across the ceiling, and then a figure dropped down the fire pole.

Vesper’s first thought was that it was Zahra, but she immediately discarded it. The tiefling had red skin, yes, but her hair was black and her horns jutted straight up instead of curling back. Julius, on the other side of the room, stared.

Luckily Saint was too busy vaulting over a table to notice. On her way over she snatched up a roll of tools, making Alexander shout.

“Hey! I need those!”

“Borrow mine, they’re upstairs!” Saint called over her shoulder.

“Why can’t you use yours?” Alexander demanded. Saint’s reply was a raised middle finger as she rounded the corner into the clock tower passage in a manner that, if she had been driving, would have been on two wheels. Her tail lingered in sight, thrashing like an excited cat, for a half second longer than the rest of her.

“Um,” Vesper said.

“Yeah, Saint’s the worst,” Caspian said. “The problem is she’s also brilliant with clockwork and anything with tiny tiny gears and shit. I think the Lord thinks she’s entertaining - that’s the only possible reason for why she hasn’t been fired yet.”

“Well, alright, I wasn’t expecting that much from you,” Vesper said. “Does everyone in here have such strong feelings about her?”

Caspian shrugged. “Depends who she’s stolen - my bad, ‘borrowed’ from most recently.”

“Like tools,” Vesper said, glancing over at a grumbling Alexander. He was mounting the ladder to the second floor.

“Yeah, mostly tools. She’s not really the worst,” Caspian amended reluctantly. “But if it’s not metal and doesn’t take an entire day to craft properly, she’s not interested in caring about it.”

“Huh,” Vesper, translating his words into an image of someone who had Percy’s mechanical singlemindedness and tendency to forget about the needs of living bodies and people, with an extra helping of irritability and the manners removed. No wonder Percy liked her; she probably never called him ‘Lord’ if she could help it. He’d be fascinated by her irreverence.

“Anyway,” Caspian said, “d’you want to learn how to cast Animal Friendship?”

“Oh, absolutely.”

It took Vesper several hours to get the hang of Animal Friendship, but she did manage to coax inside a cat that had been loitering in the yard. Caspian only let her practice on it after he’d checked to make sure it wasn’t a Fey creature, but it seemed to pass the real test when it willingly entered the iron-laden building. Caspian assured her that, even under a spell, no Fey would dare.

The cat purred and let Vesper pet it for a whole hour. Caspian said that the spell lasted for a longer time than that, but Vesper decided that she didn’t want to keep it against its will any longer, and the cat got up off her lap and daintily walked back out into the yard almost as soon as she’d thought it.

The first floor began to get more crowded. Saint was constantly running back and forth, retrieving papers, or specific tools, or her coat - once to retrieve it, another time to put it back. Thomasin eventually emerged from the forge room, sweaty and bearing several huge things that looked like metal PVC pipe segments. His two assistants took up a whole table laying them out, and anyone who wasn’t talking to Julius came over to talk very seriously about them.

By that time Julius had learned all he could possibly learn about the Engineer’s Guild, and Whitestone’s steam system, and anything else he might have asked about since. When Vesper pulled him away to keep her company on the less crowded second floor, he was attempting to explain programming to a group of people who had never and probably would never lay eyes on a computer in their lives. They seemed no less fascinated than an audience at home, Vesper thought dryly, though a great deal more confused.

“I think I was getting somewhere,” Julius said, hauling himself up onto the floor and off the ladder. “If programming was going to happen anywhere, here, Whitestone seems like the right place to start.”

“You’ve only ever been to Whitestone and Vasselheim,” Vesper said. “I’m sure in comparison to Vasselheim, Whitestone is the pinnacle of progress, but who knows what anywhere else is like.”

“Alright, fair point, but this Guild is pretty cool.” Julius let his gaze roam the second floor. “They must make all kinds of things.”

The second floor was more of an attic. The ceiling sloped sharply to each side, and instead of the semi-orderly shelves that were downstairs, a motley collection of furniture served to support an array of items in a nonsensical filing system. A couple large books were on one end of a long, low table, propped up by a third under one broken leg. A bench with flattened cushions was home to strange bits and pieces that somebody had forgotten to put away properly.

The room narrowed at one end into a smaller room, right by the window that overlooked the square. It was covered like the ones downstairs, but there were no candles on the second floor, just the strange magical torches. Below the window was a seat that was essentially a smaller, less stained version of the cushioned bench.

“I wonder what’s in there,” Julius said, regarding the cabinets that were mounted on the walls just outside the narrower section of the second floor.

“Maybe they have labels,” Vesper suggested. She went over to one side to investigate. Julius moved to the other.

“I’ve got what looks like people’s lockers,” he said. “This must be where they take breaks.”

“Maybe,” Vesper said. “This one’s labeled ‘spell components’. I wonder what they need magic for.”

“Enchanted items?” Julius suggested, joining her. “Damn. What’s in that one?”

‘That’ one was a cabinet squeezed into the corner where the walls met parallel to each other. It was as tall as two cabinets stacked together, which most of them were, and locked with three different padlocks.

“No label,” Vesper noted. “Mysterious.”

“Even the Guild has its secrets, it seems” Julius said. “I wonder what’s so dangerous that they have to lock it. This one says ‘blackpowder’ and it’s only got one.”

“Blackpowder?” Vesper looked where he was pointing sharply.

“Yes. Do you know what it is?”

“Yes,” Vesper said. “Gunpowder.”

“Oh.” Julius took a generous step away from the cabinets. “What are they doing with that?”

“Maybe they store it here for the Riflemen?” Vesper suggested. “It’s not like there’s no need for it.”

“I suppose. I didn’t even think about them needing, like, powder horns.” Julius waved vaguely. “‘Course, it’s all historical fantasy here, so I should’ve expected it.”

“Historical fantasy?” Vesper repeated, amused. “It’s still post-Divergence.”

“Sure, but who knows what’s the same and what isn’t. I still haven’t seen a world map anywhere - that planar map doesn’t count.”

“Neither have I,” Vesper said, thoughtful. “I wonder...”

She didn’t finish the sentence, and Julius didn’t ask. There was nowhere in particular for it to go, and anyway, what could either of them do but wonder?

“Do you know what time it is?” Julius asked. Vesper pulled her pocketwatch out of the borrowed dress’ deep pockets and clicked open.

“Nearly one,” she said. “Scanlan said they won’t leave til around sundown, right?”

“Right. And in the middle of summer, that won’t be til ten at the earliest.” Julius sighed and leaned against the table. “I wasn’t expecting there to be so much waiting.”

“What did you expect?”

“I don’t know. People throwing spells back and forth. Maybe a duel breaking out in the street.”

“Fey wandering the streets?” Vesper offered, glancing towards the curtained window. Dappled shadows were cast across it by the Sun Tree, and they shifted in a faint wind.

“Gods, I’ve been trying all day to resist the urge to look outside.”

“I know,” Vesper groaned. “What a hell of a thing to purposefully avoid! Did you overhear what Caspian was telling me about it?”

“No, what?”

Vesper repeated Caspian’s list of fantastical items. “Or something like that. I wonder if it’s all just meant to lure people in, or if some of them just like being in a different plane.”

“You shouldn’t have told me,” Julius groaned. “Now I want to go outside! How much do you think a glance would hurt?”

“I can’t tell what’s a reasonable precaution and people being superstitious,” Vesper admitted. “Scanlan said they’d been mostly the latter before, and this has only been happening for a couple of years. It could be that it’s not that dangerous.”

“Could be,” Julius repeated speculatively. Simultaneously, the two of them glanced at the window.

Vesper slumped over with a groan, pressing her face into her hands. “No, we can’t! That is such a bad idea.”

“If only they had games up here.” Julius moved a few of the larger tools and threw himself dramatically onto the cushioned bench. Vesper leaned against the table, trying not to sit on anything that looked important.

“Do you think they have board games here?”

“They must. If they can dig up twenty-sided die in ancient Egypt, it’s got to take more than magic to stop people from playing games.”

There came a patter of footsteps and a metallic clamor that Vesper recognized as heralds of Saint’s approach. Sure enough, a moment later a horned head poked into view, quickly followed by the rest of Saint as she leaped up onto the second floor. She either ignored Julius and Vesper or couldn’t be bothered to pay attention to them when work beckoned. Julius watched her like he was trying very hard to look like he wasn’t as she crossed the room and yanked open the cabinet labeled ‘Toolsets’.

“Do you know what’s in that locked cabinet?” Julius asked impulsively, giving up on pretending not to look. Saint glanced at him, then the cabinet. Vesper saw that her eyes were solid yellow.

“De Rolo’s old guns, probably,” she said.

“You call Percy ‘de Rolo’?”

“You call him Percy?” Saint retorted. Vesper caught a flicker of genuine curiosity cross her face. Quickly, though, she turned back to rifling through the tool cabinet.

“Touché,” Julius said.

“I didn’t know he kept his guns locked away,” Vesper said aloud, thinking back to her first visit.

“Doesn’t want anyone else getting their hands on them,” Saint said flatly. “Not that it’s much good now, with the Riflemen and Marquet selling to Wildemount.”

“Marquet selling, what, his guns-?”

“Look,” Saint snapped, “I’m a little busy, you realize? If this clock isn’t finished soon someone’s going to have an aneurysm. We’ve had enough setbacks without you distracting me.”

Vesper raised her eyebrows, but shut her mouth. Saint finally located whatever it was she was searching for, and was down the pole in a trice.

“Well,” Julius said. “You do know what she is, right?”

“A tiefling, I think.” Zahra had roughly matched descriptions in old history books and folk tales back home.

“Really?” Julius’s eyebrows shot up. “Are you sure?”

“As I can be.” Vesper shrugged. “Like I said in Vasselheim, the gods are a lot more present here. I assume the same goes for the other side.”

“Hopefully not too present.”

The volume of the music outside rose a notch. Downstairs, Caspian started drumming, as if to drown it out. The sounds of someone hammering away in the forge room started up as well. Evidently the Guild needed more pipe pieces, or something needed fixing. Or they really didn’t want to listen to fey music.

“I’m still so tempted to look,” Julius said.

“We’re going to just keep going back and forth with that until someone caves and looks, aren’t we?” Vesper asked.

“You’re the one who started talking about how it might not be that dangerous.”

“I was just thinking out loud,” Vesper protested. “Besides, you agreed.”

“You brought it up.”

“You - shut up.”

“Wow, how eloquent.”

Vesper wished she had something mildly painful to throw at Julius. “Do you have any ideas, or do you just want to complain?”

Julius thought for a moment. “We could Odysseus it,” he said.

“We could what?”

“Like with Odysseus and the Sirens. Everyone had their ears blocked up except him, and they tied him to the mast so he couldn’t act on the compulsion.”

“Do you have rope on you?” Vesper asked dryly.

“Don’t make fun of me, it’s a good idea. Whoever’s not looking can hold onto my arm or something and if things get weird, you can pull me away.”

“That very neatly transitioned into you being the one who gets to look.”

Julius rolled his eyes. “Or I can hold your arm. If you don’t want to, don’t.”

“No, I’m going to. Come help me.”

With Julius’s back to the window and his hand tight around Vesper’s wrist, Vesper tugged aside the curtain.

The square was a riot of color. The first-floor roof beyond the window blocked some of it from view, and the Sun Tree blocked more, but every inch of empty space between the buildings and the Sun Tree’s trunk had been filled with vibrantly patterned carpets, ramshackle stalls, and milling people. Smoke trailed up from some of the stalls, and patchy sunlight streaming through the leaves made the items laid out on the carpets sparkle.

The proprietors of the carpet shops varied wildly. Some, from the window, looked or at least passed as human. Others were far too small to be even gnomes, or dressed so strangely that the clothes obscured Vesper’s view of the person beneath. Some appeared to be alone until the twinkling lights strung on strategically placed tripods moved and appeared to pick an argument with the owner, clumping into what resembled an LED swarm of bees, if bees were nearly as large as the palm of a hand.

Vesper saw the musicians, dressed in patchily colorful clothes, grouped around the edge of the whitestone arches that guarded the Sun Tree. She could make out wild hair, bare feet, and the way the long points of their ears (longer than even Amani’s) poked out between tangled locks.

The crowd moved like a living being between the scattered stationary points. Some heads stood taller than most, and some had only gaps between people to speak for their presence. On any building more than two lots away from the Engineer’s Guild, figures had taken up residence on the low roofs and laid out more blankets and more trinkets. Vesper wondered who they were trying to sell to, and how many of Whitestone’s braver sort had climbed up to trade with them. It seemed like a good way to get pushed off a roof.

The Sun Tree, Vesper thought, had gone a bit yellow. Maybe it was just the sunlight beating down on the leaves. There wasn’t any reason for a tree to be changing color in the middle of summer. Looking to see if the bark had changed as well, Vesper spotted someone standing on the tangled roots.

“Oh!” She said. “It’s Keyleth! I wonder when she got here.”

“What, really?” Julius said.

“She’s down by the Sun Tree, in the thick of it.” Vesper squinted. “Well, not really. No one seems to be going past that stone ring around it.” Keyleth was turned away from the crowd, one hand resting on the tree’s trunk. “I wonder what she’s doing.”

“Let me see,” Julius said.

“Oh, give me another minute.”

“You’ve been looking for ages!”

“Fine!” Vesper let the curtain fall back down and pulled herself away, with what she thought was a reasonable amount of regret. Julius eagerly swapped places with her, pulling the curtain aside before she got a proper grip on his wrist.

“I don’t see her,” he said after a moment.

“She’s by the Sun Tree, unless she moved. Right by the trunk.”

Julius leaned in until his forehead was nearly pressed against the glass. “Oh, there she is. That cape she’s wearing is the same color as her hair, I thought she had a hood up. Ah, and there she goes.”

“She does?”

“Yeah, somewhere. Oh, wow, it’s like the parting of the Red Sea. Is Keyleth important here?”

“I think Vox Machina is in general,” Vesper said, restraining herself with all her willpower from looking over his shoulder.

“Makes sense, especially if Percy and Vex are members.” Julius frowned. “Is that string of lights moving?”

“If you’re looking at what I think you’re looking at, yes.”

“That’s crazy,” Julius said, sounding deeply fascinated. Vesper tugged on his wrist. “Hey, what’s that for?”

“Just checking,” Vesper said. Julius rolled his eyes at her and went back to taking in the view.

“I wonder who else is here,” Julius mused as he scanned the crowd. “If we’re just racking up personal acquaintances, it makes you think. Where’s Rosie hanging out?”

“Rosie?” Vesper repeated. “From HR?”

“Sure. I’d like to see what she’s up to here.”

Vesper snorted. “Not one of your friends?”

“No, I want to be able to tell them ridiculous stories, if I ever end up telling them about this, and that'll only work if I can make it up.”

“You’re such a doofus.”

“Definitely not,” Julius said, in the voice he reserved for business meetings. Vesper snorted. Julius shed the professional tone as he continued. “Maybe I’ll start smaller though. I haven’t seen Vax anywhere yet.”

Vesper’s smile fell. Julius, still looking outside, didn’t notice.

“Or is that a stupid idea for some reason you know and I don’t?” Julius asked when the silence began to linger. “Is he on some super-secret adventure?”

“Well-” Vesper began, awkwardly, and was interrupted by the clock tolling.

Both of them jumped at the sudden, reverberating clamor of bells. It took Vesper a minute to realize that it had to be the clock, a minute in which she thought with freezing certainty that it was an alarm of some kind. The bells, though, were too cheerful for alarms. The voices which were immediately raised downstairs were cheering.

“I thought the clock wasn’t finished?” Julius said.

“It is the Engineer’s Guild. That must have changed.” Vesper pulled Julius away from the window. Grabbing onto the pole without care for the fact that she was wearing skirts - petticoats hid a lot - Vesper slid downstairs and into riotous exuberance.

“It fucking works!” Saint bellowed, skidding into the room. Alexander, who was closest, threw his arms around her. Saint didn’t even seem to mind. A deep bell sounded as the clock tolled the hour, the echo of it reverberating through the building.

“Everything?” Casey hollered.

“Everything! It fits together like a fucking puzzle! I’m a genius!”

Vesper couldn’t help but smile as the other engineers whooped. Sam the halfling had gotten onto one of the tables and was dancing, cheered on by Jothi.

The doors of the Guild groaned open, swept out of the way by a cool breeze that rustled every paper in the building and tamped down the flames of excitement. Vex, in a grey cloak and backed by Trinket looming in the doorway, surveyed the room.

“Was that the clock?” She asked, a grin spreading across her face.

“Fuck yeah!” Saint said, pumping the air, and everyone cheered again.

Others were peering in behind Vex, Whitestone citizens curious and just as excited as the Guild members. Trinket sat down in the doorway, but he didn’t stop anyone from trickling in to fill the room. Vesper got out of the way of the pole before it got too crowded to move, and Julius slid down after her.

“Was that Percy?” Julius asked. Vesper looked back towards the doors, just in time to catch Percy as he swept Vex into a kiss. They both stumbled from Percy’s exuberant speed, turning as one unit as people laughed and cheered them on. Vesper saw Young Vesper in the hallway that led towards the tower, pointedly averting her eyes.

Someone wolf-whistled, and Percy finally broke away. He was flushed and grinning, a markedly different sight than the Percy of the Chamber meeting. He’d lost his coat somewhere in the clock tower, and his sleeves were rolled up far enough that his prosthetic was visible.

He said something to the crowd, but a gaggle of humans had pushed inside and were talking over him and one another to Thomasin, asking if the clock was really working and if it wouldn’t break again. Vesper pushed down her irritation and moved closer, slipping in between them and the table where another halfling had jumped up to dance with Sam.

“-maybe you won’t hide up in the tower all day and forget to come down,” Vex was saying to Percy.

“I don’t forget to come down,” Percy protested. “These things take up a lot of time-”

“Believe me, I’ve noticed.” Vex patted Percy’s face. “When’s the last time you ate, this morning?”

“Perhaps?”

    Vex laughed, and said, “You haven’t changed a bit.”

    “Well, food I can change easily enough.” Percy turned, and caught sight of Vesper out of the corner of his eye. Vesper didn’t look away. There was a moment where they merely looked at each other, and then Percy, his smile unfaded, turned away.

    Vesper didn’t think she’d ever seen Percy - the one she wasn’t technically related to, anyway - smile for so long, and especially look so happy around her.

    “Casey!” Percy called over the chatter that now filled the room. The Engineer’s Guild was taking advantage of the curious Whitestone crowd to lecture on their craft, and everybody in Whitestone seemed ready to hear about the clock. “Casey!” But Casey was busy entertaining a knot of curious townsfolk. Percy put one hand up to his mouth, seemed to realize that both were dirty with the grease of working with gears, and tugged the glove off his somewhat cleaner prosthetic hand. A piercing, two-finger whistle was enough to quiet the crowd and get people’s attention.

    “Casey, we’ve got a kitchen in here somewhere, don’t we?” Percy said. “Let’s all take a well-deserved break. For once, nothing’s about to fall apart if we look away for three seconds.”

    Vesper moved to the side as the rest of the room began to move. Guild members went in and out of yet another previously unnoticed side room, while most of the Whitestone citizens milled around, waiting for the promised food, or went back outside.

    “I hear you’re Vesper,” said a voice at her shoulder. Vesper turned, and found herself confronted with Young Vesper’s bright, focused gaze.

    “If I guess right, you are as well,” Vesper said. Young Vesper smiled.

    “Elaina said you seemed bothered by questions, so I’ll skip that,” she said. “But I wasn’t expecting you to be in the Guild hall.”

    “I was told it was a safe place to be,” Vesper said. “Full of iron and such.”

    “That’s true. But I’ve always thought it was boring in here.”

    “You’re not an engineer?”

    “No, I just come with my father because the tower’s a good quiet place to read. Quiet as long as he’s not in it, anyway, or mostly quiet if I stay at the bottom. Are you?”

    “Not in a way you’d recognize,” Vesper said. She’d never considered programming to be engineering, but they were both STEM fields. “It’s complicated to explain - so much of what I work with outright doesn’t exist here. But I’m sure Julius would give explaining it a go if you asked. He’s already tried with the Guild members.”

    Young Vesper scrutinized her. Despite her similarities to Elaina, Vesper could pick out differences in her appearance. Her ears were pointed the same way, but pierced more subtly, and she wore her hair half held back. The bodice of her dress resembled more Percy’s waistcoat and high collar than Elaina or Vex’s long open jerkins and dresses, and there was a little chain like that of a pocketwatch hooked through a buttonhole and leading into the pocket of her skirt.

    “Do you mind if I ask you questions?” Young Vesper asked.

    “I suspect Elaina’s already told you which subjects I don’t care for,” Vesper said, “so as long as you avoid those, sure. But I get to ask you some in return.”

    “How old are you?”

    “Twenty-five. Why?”

    “I was just curious,” Young Vesper said. “I’m only nineteen. I was expecting you to be...I don’t know, Father’s age at least.”

    “Sorry to disappoint,” Vesper said dryly. “I can assure you I wasn’t expecting to interact with any of Percy and Vex’s children for a good few years yet.”

    Young Vesper smiled again, a sideways affair that reminded Vesper strongly of Vex. “Elaina said you seemed uncomfortable in the castle,” she said. “What exactly do you do at home?”

    “I work for my family. Castles haven’t exactly been in vogue for...a few hundred years, I think,” Vesper said. “Mostly important buildings are made of metal.”

    Young Vesper raised her eyebrows, but asked, “You work for your family doing what?”

“Engineering-adjacent business. My parents run a company, not a city.”

“Why?”

“I suppose my father couldn’t think of anything better to do than run his father’s company,” Vesper said. “It’s a fairly big one. Not on the scale of a lordship, but I don’t know how corporations work here well enough to make a good analogy.”

Young Vesper had started nodding as soon as she’d mentioned inheriting the company, and trailed into a thoughtful stillness. Vesper took advantage.

“What about you?” She asked. “Were you hoping I’d know something about lordships so you could ask advice? Elaina was very helpful in explaining how you two had worked out your inheritances.”

“Like I haven’t had tutors telling me what having a lordship is like since I was five,” Young Vesper said dismissively. “I was curious. It’s not every day an aunt you’ve never met gets teleported in from an entirely different Material Plane, and Father wouldn’t tell me what you were like from last time.”

“I don’t know if I really count as an aunt,” Vesper said awkwardly. “After all, who knows how closely we’re actually related.”

“Those are answers I’d like to know! If a test existed to define blood relationships, how would it quantify you and I?” Young Vesper started talking faster, fiddling with the end of a lock of hair. “The spellwork at play here is totally untested, and I haven’t been able to find any viable sources for it, which means uncle Scanlan probably has the only remains of the inventor’s notes. Of course that means I can never read it, because he’s halfway across the continent on a good day and never remembers to bring it with him when he visits. But considering what it implies about the world at large, nevermind what it could be used for, I don’t really blame him for keeping it close to his chest.”

“You’re an academic, then,” Vesper said, surprised. With the name and everything, she’d expected Young Vesper to be a little more like herself.

“I suppose. I like to know things, and I’m good at remembering them once I do.” Young Vesper twisted her hair around a finger. “I have to be good at a lot of things, so it’s lucky for me that that’s the case. I want to go to university in Westruun or maybe Emon, but that’s probably not going to happen. What?”

“I’m sorry?” Vesper said, blindsided by the sudden question.

“You’re giving me a weird look.”

“I am not,” Vesper said. “You just reminded me of my sister for a moment. With the hair.”

Young Vesper considered the hair twined around her fingers. “I’ve never seen aunt Cassandra do that.”

“Wh - no, Cassandra’s never done that. I meant Whitney.”

“Oh.” Young Vesper considered the hair more intently, curiosity stealing across her face. “I didn’t know that.”

“Why exactly couldn’t you go to university?” Vesper asked abruptly. “That doesn’t seem like something you’d be held back from.”

“Mother doesn’t want me living in Westruun,” Young Vesper said, rolling her eyes, “and Father thinks Emon is still too much of a mess for the Lyceum to be worth it. Nevermind that Kaylie goes to the Lyceum and is fine, but I’m told I’m not allowed to use her as an argument for the standard of education given there.”

“Why not?”

“Have you met Kaylie? She could go to school in a barn and her only standards would be how much she could get away with before the teacher snapped.”

“That does sound like her,” Vesper said, unsuccessfully reigning in a smile. “But I don’t see why Westruun’s so bad. That’s where I went to college.”

“You went to college?” Young Vesper sounded surprised.

“Is that uncommon here?”

“It’s common enough that the schools stay open,” Young Vesper said. “But first you have to have the money for it, and a life that lets you be away from home for years.”

“That sounds about right,” Vesper said wryly. “But traveling home isn’t so difficult. Where I come from, it’s generally accepted that most people will go to college a couple years after graduating high school. Not that that stops anybody from doing whatever they like - Percy’s been taking a gap year for twice as long as most people.”

“What’s a gap year?”

“Oh - it’s also common for people take a year as a break after graduating before they move onto college. I guess some people are tired of being in school all the time.”

“You must come from a very different place,” Young Vesper said. Vesper could see unasked questions gathering up on the tip of her tongue. “Nevermind whatever high school is - I guess your Westruun would still be alright, if Emon never got destroyed.”

“Emon was destroyed?”

“In a very large dragon attack,” Young Vesper said. “That was before I was born, though.”

“Oh, dragon attack,” Vesper said. “Nevermind, I do know what you’re talking about. Loosely. I don’t see the connection between that and Westruun, though.”

“The east coast keeps trying to break off from Tal’dorei,” Young Vesper told her. “They have been for about as long as I’ve been alive. It’s not going very well, but Emon’s not good at stopping them, and Whitestone isn’t a particularly enthusiastic mediator since we’re so far up north. Westruun is at the geographic and political center of the whole mess.”

“Why would the east coast want to break off?” Vesper asked, bewildered.

“I don’t know. Because they can? The public reason is because Emon was failing to govern properly, which I believe, but Emon’s been employing the same hands-off policies in the Verdant Expanse and beyond for centuries, and they’ve never tried to secede. Stillben started the movement, so it’s probably the Clasp behind most of it.”

“Vesper!” Someone outside called, and both of them turned. Marlena, standing outside in her uniform, beckoned. “Your sister wants you back up at the castle.” The rifle slung over her shoulder was causing the crowd to give her a wide berth. Vesper couldn’t tell who was being respectful of the local guard and who was avoiding touching iron.

“Which one?” Young Vesper asked.

“How many twins do you have?”

“You said sister, not twin.” Young Vesper turned towards where she’d discarded her jacket earlier, then hesitated and turned back to Vesper. “I’ll - I’ll see you later.”

“Goodbye,” Vesper said, but by the time she got to the end of the word Young Vesper was halfway out the door with her jacket over her arm.

Vesper watched her go, then went in search of the food that was being produced from the Guild’s tiny kitchen. People ate and drank and laughed, and Julius tried again to explain programming, and Percy and Vex vanished in the crowd until enough people trickled out that Vesper realized they must have left.

The doors of the Guild were open - nobody had closed them after the influx of visitors, allowing a breeze to occasionally wander through. Evidently the engineers had lost some of their morning wariness. Vesper perched on the end of a nearby table, which was thankfully not being used (the engineers had either congregated around Julius or to work on assembling the pipe pieces), and watched people pass by outside.

Disappointingly, most of them seemed human. There were a smattering of halflings, but aside from the anachronistic clothing, Whitestone’s population was at a glance very like that of the Whitestone she’d visited for Cassandra’s college visit. The people laughed and clustered into friendly groups, they drank, they glanced curiously inside the Guild hall as they passed by. They could have been revelers at Ren Faire.

There was a hint of odd freshness on the breeze, true, but that could have been the nearby forest and the country surroundings as easily as it might have been the consequence of heavy fey presence. The music, slightly off-key, was distinctly human.

The only differences between one world and another, in that moment, was the way her dress was gathered so high up on her chest, and the shadow of worried loneliness that had tugged on her heart ever since she and Julius had arrived.

As the light faded from the sky, the Guild lit more and more candles to guard against the encroaching darkness. Capering shadows were cast against the windows from the square outside by the sun as it slowly sank behind rooftops and the tips of the Parchwood’s trees. The clock tolled several more times, right on schedule, and Vesper checked her watch near obsessively, wondering when the fey would pack up and leave the square safe to traverse. She was always disappointed by a difference of only a few minutes from the last time she’d checked it.

There was no shortage of food in the Guild, at least not until they’d finished handing around something resembling dinner, but there was a shortage of interesting things to do for anyone who wasn’t an engineer. Vesper wasn’t much of a storyteller, and there were only so many of Caspian’s songs she could listen to and fail to learn.

When there was a sudden, loud drumming of hooves from outside, everyone looked up. Across the square it sounded like a whole battalion of cavalry was passing through the town, whooping and yelling indistinct things. Vesper could only make out enough of the words to be relatively sure it wasn’t a language she’d ever heard.

“That’s the Hunt,” Caspian said, looking up with interest.

“Don’t be stupid,” Saint said. “They’re talking in Sylvan. It’s probably whoever came over going out as dramatically as possible.”

Alexander went over to the doors, which had been pushed nearly shut, and stuck his head outside.

“They are leaving,” he reported.

“On what?” Jothi asked. “I doubt they use horses.”

“Some of them are horses,” Alexander said. He paused, and then added, “I think.”

“Oh, good, you think,” Saint said sarcastically as the riders began to audibly move away. Alexander withdrew back inside.

“Feel free to take a look yourself,” he said. “But if they’re leaving, I’m going to head home. You guys are only good company for so long.”

Julius sidled up to Vesper as Alexander ascended the ladder. “Do you think it’s safe to go, or are we waiting for someone to let us know?” He asked.

“I don’t know if Scanlan’s going to come back,” Vesper said. “At the same time, who knows if they’ve all cleared out?”

“I doubt it,” Casey said, brooding over blueprints nearby. “But if you want to go, Thomasin probably has some scrap iron he can lend you to use as charms.”

“Does that work?” Julius asked.

“Not as well as being in a building full of the stuff, but yes.” Fiddling with an actual quill pen, Casey scratched a few notes into the margins. “Maybe turn your cloak inside-out - anyone lingering this late is most likely pushing it for the sake of finding just one more person to go with them.”

“You know, I think I’ll see if Scanlan turns up,” Vesper said lightly. Internally, she shivered at the thought of being trapped in the Feywild. Being accosted on the street after dark was a bad enough prospect without bringing fey creatures into the deal.

“What good would turning a cloak inside-out do?” Julius muttered under his breath. He turned away from the door, crossing his arms over his chest.  

“Don’t worry about finding every little answer so much,” Vesper said. “It’s probably a local superstition.”

Alexander slid down the pole with a squeaking hesitance, wearing a coat and a loose sacklike bag over one shoulder. Various Guild members called farewells as he made his exit, and Alexander returned them, but he paused just outside the door.

“Taking in the sights?” Sam called over.

“No,” Alexander protested. “Not that the Sun Tree doesn’t look nice - but I wasn’t expecting Vox Machina to be there, too.”

“They are?” Casey looked up with interest. Julius closed the distance between him and the door in a few long steps, and looked outside as well.

“Whoa, what happened to the Sun Tree?” Julius asked.

“It does that around Highsummer,” Alexander said. Vesper, interested, joined them as well, but they were blocking the door too much for her to look out. “Pelor must’ve been pleased with how the first day went off. Anyway.” He nodded to each of them, then put his back to the square and walked off down the lamplit streets.

“Well, I don’t see anyone else,” Julius muttered. He squared his shoulders, and walked out as well.

“Wait - Julius!” Scrambling, Vesper looked around and saw a small piece of triangular metal lying on the nearest table. Hoping it was iron, she snatched it up and went to join Julius.

The square was lit with lamps around the edges, just like the streets. Flames flickered inside the glass panes, illuminating the tree and the motley crowd around its base. It took Vesper a moment to realize that it was not the lights casting the Sun Tree in shades of yellow - the leaves had changed in the course of the day to take on fall colors early.

“Evening,” Julius called as the two of them drew closer to the tree. Scanlan, sitting next to Pike at the base of the stone stairs which led up to it, waved.

“Have a good Highsummer so far?” He asked.

“I’ll see what tomorrow brings first,” Julius said, “as I haven’t actually seen much of this one.”

“Fair enough.”

“What happened to the Sun Tree?” Vesper asked.

“It just does that,” Vex said. She was sitting just above Scanlan and Pike, lounging across the length of the stairs. “Traditionally, the further it gets into orange and not just yellow by the end of the day, the more you can be sure Pelor’s pleased with how things went off.”

“Won’t the leaves fall?”

“Sun Trees don’t lose their leaves until the new ones come in in spring. It’ll stay like this until winter. It always has, as far as I’ve seen.”

“What happens in winter?” Julius asked.

“They turn gold,” Vex said. “I guess it’s a Sun Tree thing.”

“Real gold, or...?”

Vex laughed. “Not anything that can be used to mint money. Pelor’s got to draw the line somewhere.”

“I figured I’d ask,” Julius said, unembarrassed.

“That must be beautiful,” Vesper said. “Back home, they’ve just got an oak tree in roughly the same place. It’s not exactly a striking sight.”

“Well, a Sun Tree sets a high bar.” Cloaked in more shadow than the rest of her companions, Keyleth spoke up from where she was perched on one of the roots. The top of the stairs had, at some point, been subsumed by the Sun Tree’s growth. Keyleth had her Spire laid across her knees casually. “I’m not surprised.”

“Of course you’d say that,” Vex said with a grin.

“It does look cool, though,” Grog said. He was the only one not sitting, instead leaning against the arches.

“I’m not arguing against that, Grog, I’m only saying.”

“It’s not fey, is it?” Julius asked warily.

“Gods, no,” Vex laughed. “Sun Trees are from Pelor’s domain. He planted it here during the Divergence.”

Vesper looked up at the gently rustling canopy, gentle yellows and oranges vibrant even past sundown. If she was going to believe that any tree had come from a god’s domain, it would be this one.

“I think I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” she said. “Highsummer in Whitestone seems fun.”

Scanlan snorted. “I can guarantee tomorrow is going to be a way scaled back version of anything that happened today.”

“Well, even so.”

“Are they all gone, then?” Julius asked. “We weren’t sure if it was alright to come out.”

“They’d better be,” Vex said. “Or else they’re going to get to the gate the wrong side of midnight.”

“I could whip up a storm to encourage them, if there are any hanging around,” Keyleth suggested.

“No, we’ve still got to head back to the house,” Vex protested. “How are we going to have an outdoors party if it’s raining?”

“Oh, true.”

“Outdoors party?” Julius questioned.

“It’s a Vox Machina thing,” Vex said. “We’re so rarely all in the same place nowadays.”

“If we’re going to do that, let’s go!” Scanlan said. “These stairs are digging into my ass.”

“Stop sitting on the corner, then,” Pike said, sounding amused.

“And give up this casual, effortless air? Never.”

“Then get up and come to my house,” Vex said, kicking him gently in the ponytail. “I can’t come down until you two get out of the way.”

The members of Vox Machina, legendary dragonslayers and god-fighters, meandered their way off the stairs like a bunch of tipsy sorority girls who had forgotten they’d meant to go anywhere in particular. Vesper was strongly reminded of the last get-together Keyleth had held, where everyone had said goodbye at least five times and lingered half an hour past the last ones. She held Julius back so they could linger behind the group as the other five made their casual way down the streets.

“You asked me to say so, so I will,” Vesper said in an undertone. “Vestige alert.”

“Really?” Julius said. “Which one?”

“Keyleth’s staff.”

Julius looked up with interest. The gem suspended in the crook of the Spire flashed every time Keyleth passed a streetlamp.

“In hindsight, I could have guessed that,” he said. “Is that the same staff thing we saw back home? The, uh, Spire?”

“Spire of Conflux,” Vesper said, “whatever that means. I assume so. Or at least, the one back home was meant to be the same.”

“And it lets her...” Julius gestured vaguely at the sky. “Make storms?”

“Maybe. I’m not sure if that’s a staff thing or a Keyleth thing.” Vesper shrugged at Julius’s incredulous expression. “It could be! All I know about her casting spells is she’s a druid and that means she has a handle on a lot of nature-y spells.”

“Like the weather?”

“Yes, apparently.”

Julius whistled. “I’d like to see that.”

“Well, maybe you will. We’ll see.”

Keyleth did not make any storms on the way back to the house, nor did she seem to attempt to. She, along with the others, stomped (while chattering joyfully) through the house and right back out into the backyard, only coming back inside to steal chairs from the dining room to assemble them, leaning in a crooked circle, on the lawn.

Ms. Fairfax went out to hand over a few bottles of wine, and through the door Vesper spied Grog withdrawing something that looked suspiciously like a cask of beer from his Bag of Holding. Vesper and Julius had withdrawn to the music room at the back of the house, to stay somewhere out of the way, but hoofbeats outside announced new arrivals, and Vesper went to see who else had come.

Percy entered at the head of a veritable flood of dark-haired children, most of whom immediately fled to other spaces. Young Vesper headed for one of the rooms Vesper hadn’t investigated yet, while Elaina tugged Ofelia into the parlor, and two boys Vesper had not seen before pounded upstairs, the taller chasing the younger and both laugh-screaming. Vesper assumed they must be Freddie and Leo, the only two names she hadn’t yet been able to attach to faces.

Percy brought others with him, two. Two adults who Vesper didn’t recognize trickled in behind the children, laughing at some joke which had been muffled behind the door.

“We’re out back!” Vex called, evidently hearing the chaos which had just entered the house.

“I guessed as much!” Percy called back, already crossing into the hallway which led to the back door. The other two made to follow him, and the first spotted Vesper.

“Oh, hello!” He said grandly. “Percy - are these your guests?”

“Hm?” Percy sounded halfway out the back door.

“We are,” Vesper said, “or rather Vex’s guests, since we’re staying in her house.”

“An excellent distinction to make.” Grinning broadly, the man came over to stick his hand out at Vesper. “The name is Taryon Darrington. I assume you’re Vesper, not Julius?”

“You never know, I could be Julius.” Vesper shook his hand. Taryon was a broad, blonde man with a vain sort of look, mostly because of his immaculately paired mustache and goatee. But he had a kind smile, so she was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Despite everything I’ve seen today, I’m surprised Percy has friends I don’t know from back home.”

“Drat, you guessed what I was about to ask.” Taryon pulled a face.

“Many have asked before you. Mostly Grog, though.”

“Sounds like Grog. Oh, this is my husband, Lawrence.” Lawrence, older and with more defined smile lines, gave her a small grin. Vesper nodded back. Lawrence cut a much more subdued figure; she liked him immediately.

“Is there someone out front?” Julius called, poking his head out of the music room.

“Out front as in, in here? Yes,” Vesper said, glancing over her shoulder.

“No, out front. I just saw Vex go around the house.”

Taryon and Lawrence exchanged a glance, then Lawrence headed back towards the door. Remembering her previous wanderings of the house, Vesper slipped into the drawing room to look out the front windows. The curtains were drawn, but it was easy enough to tug them aside and open the window slightly to let voices filter in.

“-know you’re there,” Vex was saying, standing just inside the gate of the yard. “Let’s just do this.”

“I didn’t wish to interrupt,” a silky voice replied. One moment Vex was speaking to an empty street, and then there was a man standing outside the gate. Or maybe he had always been there - leaning casually in a way that allowed him to pass unseen. Behind Vesper, Julius inhaled sharply.

The man, if he was a man, warranted it. From behind a red mane of hair his ears stuck out to a longer point than even those of the musicans from before, and his eyes had a feline slant to them. Or maybe it was simply a general strangeness in his face, which was enough to distract Vesper’s eyes from the complicated green clothing he wore. It swirled like silk and looked like nothing more than a lot of overlarge leaves sewn together. On him, it looked elegant.

He could be nothing but fey.

“Too late for that,” Vex said. “Well, Artagyn?” Vesper gasped as quietly as she could.

“Always so blunt,” Artagyn purred. “Another year past, another Highsummer nearly done.”

“Nearly,” Vex said pointedly. “You heard the clock same as me. It’s two hours ‘til midnight.”

“And thus, I have two hours left.” Artagyn threaded his fingers together, smiling. Vesper saw some design winding around his hand, or maybe a vine. Or a snake. “Worry not - I don’t intend to push our deal.”

“Any further.”

“You tell the best jokes.” Artagyn extended a hand over the fence - the one with the something-maybe-alive on it. “Another year gone, Vex’ahlia. I look forward to the next six.”

Vex raised her hand, and yanked off her archery glove. Vesper hadn’t realized earlier, but Vex had been wearing it since that morning.

The two of them - Vex and the archfey - clasped hands with a ritualistic seriousness. They remained still for a moment, and then Vex took a step away, breaking the contact. Artagyn’s mouth spread into a wide grin.

“Until Highsummer, Lady Vex’ahlia,” he said. “Until next year.”

“Get out of my city,” Vex said, and took Fenthras off her shoulder. Artagyn laughed, and sketched an overdramatic bow that sent his hair tumbling over his face.

“My business is not concluded quite yet,” he said, straightening. “I promise I shall not impose on your hospitality a moment longer than necessary.”

“To hell with ‘necessary’. You do what you want.”

“Maybe so,” Artagyn said, “but occasionally what I want is necessary as well.”

Vex lingered. Vesper saw one hand hovering near her quiver. Abruptly, though, she turned and stalked back inside. Vesper exchanged a bewildered glance with Julius as the front door was thrown open.

“Mom-” Someone said, but Vex cut them off. Vesper leaned back to look out into the foyer.

“One minute, Leo,” Vex said. “I don’t trust him as far as I can throw him.”

“You’ve said that before,” the first voice muttered. Leo, the taller boy from before, slunk past and darted out the door as if he expected to be stopped.

“Is that safe?” Julius muttered. Vesper shrugged, uncertain herself - Leo looked to be all of fourteen or fifteen.

“Six more years, huh?” A voice that Vesper assumed belonged to Lawrence murmured.

“Unfortunately.” Vesper leaned back again to see Vex with her sleeve pulled down, examining the hand she’d shaken with.

“Did it change again?” Taryon asked. Vesper looked as intently as she could, and saw the same snaking vinelike design traced onto Vex’s arm, curling around the side of her hand and into her palm. Tiny marks protruded from the central line - leaves, maybe, or flowers?

“One more filled in, again,” Vex said. “Artagyn’s a bitch.”

“It does seem like he’s trying to rub your nose in it,” Lawrence said, “but doesn’t he have one of these as well?”

“Because he wants it. I’m not into letting him get his kicks unchallenged.” Vex sighed, and pulled up her sleeve. “How long has it been, thirty seconds?”

“More like ten,” Taryon said apologetically.

“Damnit.”

“Is Leo okay?” A much younger voice asked. All three of the adults looked up at the second floor, and Vex’s annoyed expression lapsed into softness.

“He’s fine,” she said. “Go to bed, Freddie, it’s too late for you to be up.”

“I don’t wanna.”

“I’ll get this,” Lawrence said. He held up a hand to forestall the other two protesting. “Really. I may as well practice. You two go join the others.” He walked briskly over to the stairs.

“Might as well practice, huh?” Vex asked after a moment. Vesper could hear her smile, and see it in the was she conspiratorially leaned in towards Taryon. He swatted her shoulder.

“Maybe,” he said. “We’ve been talking. But let’s go out back like he said, I haven’t seen Percy all day.”

The two of them made their exit as well. Vesper looked back over to Julius, who was staring intently out the window.

“What’s happening?” She asked.

“Nothing much,” Julius said. “They’re talking, but for some reason I can’t make out the conversation. Leo looks like he’s staying about ten feet away, though, good for him.”

“And Artagyn is-”

“Going, going, gone,” Julius said. “Damn, I can’t even tell where he went.” As he spoke, Vesper heard the door creak open and then close, and Leo dashed past towards the stairs. “That guy seems dangerous as all hell. Why on Exandria would she let Leo talk to him alone?”

“The deal is to ensure that he doesn’t do anything to Leo,” Vesper said. “Maybe conversations don’t count as being done to him.”

“Still,” Julius said, “I wouldn’t want anyone I was related to going anywhere near him.” He finally turned around. “What’s left for us to do, then?”

“I don’t know,” Vesper said. “Go upstairs?”

“Where the kids are? Sure, why not. But,” Julius said, “can I ask you something first?”

“About what?”

“Nothing, just something Amani said. What was so dangerous about last time you were here?”

Vesper stared. “You have an odd definition of nothing,” she said, in lieu of answering.

“Alright, if you say it’s not nothing, it isn’t. What happened that wasn’t nothing, then?”

Vesper scowled, aware she’d been tricked in some way and not appreciating it. “The whole reason I ended up there was because people were doing illegal magic,” she said. “I suppose any powerful enough magician is dangerous.”

“And that’s it?” Julius raised a skeptical eyebrow.

“Why, what other questions do you have for you to demand answers for?”

“I’m not demanding answers, I just want to-” Julius switched tracks midsentence. “Nobody called the Slayer’s Take dangerous, and you got branded there! I want to know what the hell qualifies as dangerous in this world.”

“Magic,” Vesper snapped. “Monsters. Of which neither threatened me-”

“Except at the Take-”

“I am not talking about the Take with you anymore.”

“What, because you say so?”

“Because you’re not Father, Julius! You’re barely a year older than me, so stop trying to act like you’re the only adult.”

“I am not - I don’t think you’re a child, I just think you’re lying to me, or at least purposefully not telling me what you know I’m asking about.” Julius reigned in his aggravation, and continued in a more diplomatic tone. “I get that it’s not the most pleasant thing to ask about-”

“Don’t you dare use your business voice on me,” Vesper warned.

“Maybe I wouldn’t have to if every conversation with you didn’t feel like hostage negotiation for information.”

“You’re the one who keeps bringing this topic up,” Vesper said sharply. “I hate to break it to you, but ‘because I want to know’ is a shit reason. I am not going to tell you, Julius, so live with it.”

Vesper’s feet carried her out of the drawing room and, without her conscious input, onto the front porch. She had iron in her pocket, after all, Vesper reasoned as she sat down on the steps, and Julius knew better than to follow. If he didn’t, he’d better figure it out quick.

It was chilly outside, enough so that she wished she had her cloak. The street was far away, outside the border of the yard, so that she was on the periphery of the lamplight. Vesper curled her arms around herself, wishing for the first time that Cassandra’s dress wasn’t so light.

Why did Julius have to keep pressing? He always had to have the answer to everything, even when the question didn’t concern him. It never occurred to him that some things just weren’t his business. He was too used to being trusted with important things - by their parents, by people at work, by his friends who were taken in by his confident demeanor. Couldn’t he just leave well enough alone?

“Are you using that?” Someone asked.

“Using what?” Vesper demanded reflexively. She looked around - the voice had seemed to come from the bushes around the porch, but she couldn’t see anyone.

“That saltwater you’re getting rid of currently.” The voice was definitely coming out of the bushes.

“Why?” Vesper sniffed. Bad timing - it made her sound sad, which was the last thing she wanted - but it was that or let her nose drip all over.

“Saltwater’s got a lot of uses, you know.”

“I’m already using what I’ve got.” Having strange conversations with stranger voices, Vesper thought, might as well happen. “I’m not giving it away.”

“I have things to trade.”

“No, thank you.” Vesper hesitated. “...What kind of things, though?”

“Trinkets,” the voice said. Vesper caught a flash of something like bright, round eyes blinking behind the leaves. “Toys. The market is gone so you can’t buy them from anyone else anymore.”

“You’re being very vague.” Vesper sniffed again.

“I have a Babylon candle,” the voice said. “I have a bottle of dream and a vial of storm. And I have a good-luck charm, though it’s a very specific kind of luck.”

“What does a Babylon candle do?”

“It takes you places, if you know the words.”

“What words?”

“That,” said the voice, “is another trinket I have. The words come only for payment.”

“And the specific good luck?”

“Can be seen, after it’s bought. But it is good, assuredly. I don’t lie.”

Vesper, though it was silly to take a creature she couldn’t see at its word, believed it. “I might have need for good luck,” she said, “but I’m not trading tears for it.”

“Just a few would be enough.”

“No. I don’t even know what you want it for.”

“I am making a spell,” said the voice. “A spell for winter to keep the cold away. But it is difficult to make and I must travel far to find just the right circumstances. I have the petals of a fire-lily and the steam from a peasant’s porridge, but one of the things I still need is three tears cried ‘neath a summer sky. Please?”

Vesper sniffed again, thoughtfully. “And I suppose this will do absolutely nothing to me,” she said sarcastically.

“It does nothing except banish the cold when cast. If I wanted something to keep a hold of you, I would trick you into giving blood. Tears are better for salt than for identity.”

Despite her common sense, Vesper still felt certain that she was not being lied to.

“Would that be worth a vial of storm?” She asked.

The voice ‘hmm’ed. “Not for a storm,” it said. There was a definite presence of eyes in the bush, ones that flashed like a cat’s and had long pupils like a goat. “A storm’s more expensive. I got it for a wind-flower and a tupenny hum, and that’s a tupenny and a hum I won’t be seeing or singing again for a while yet.”

“Well...” Vesper thought. Absently, she reached up and felt the thin chain of the sunburst necklace she’d bought a few days ago. The metalworker had given her a card, alongside the discount. She could get in touch with them again, probably. “What about this?”

“What is it?”

Vesper unfastened the necklace and held it out towards the bush for examination. The tongues of flame and narrow lines radiating out from the center flashed in the lamplight.

“Is it iron?” The voice asked suspiciously.

“No, it’s brass.”

“Not iron underneath?”

“Not at all,” Vesper said. “My iron is in my pocket.” She slipped her other hand in to touch it, just to reassure herself. It was surprisingly cold.

“That for a vialed storm,” the voice decided, “and the tears for good luck. Yes.” A miniature hand, too small to belong to even a gnome, thrust a small handkerchief out of the bush. “Here. For the tears.”

Vesper took it gingerly, without touching the hand. The handkerchief was made of a fine material, and embroidered in one corner with a trio of stars. She wiped her cheeks off, figuring that at least three tears had been actually shed.

“The good luck, first,” she said, “and then I’ll hand this back.”

The voice sighed, and the bush rustled. The hand was thrust back out and deposited a small figurine of a cat onto the bottom of the stairs. It was an incredibly detailed calico, and as Vesper watched it stretched and sat down, curling its tail around its paws.

“She’s very good luck,” the voice said. “Now? Please?”

Vesper wrapped the necklace in the handkerchief, and put both down by the cat, keeping a wary eye on the bush. Politely, the creature the voice belonged to waited until she’d moved away again to snatch up the bundle. It made a pleased noise.

“Very nice,” it said. “I shall be warm enough, if I can find the last two pieces. Yes. Here is the storm.”

The hand returned and placed, very delicately, a corked vial that would not have looked out of place in a laboratory next to the cat figurine. The cat looked over, and batted at the cork.

“Don’t let it do that,” the voice said, and then the bush rustled extensively. Vesper scooped up the figurine quickly, and looked up in time to see a shadowy blur rush across the yard, squeeze underneath the fence, and start heading away in the direction of the Parchwood.

In Vesper’s hands, the figurine yawned, curled up, and appeared to go to sleep.

Vesper sat down on the bottom step, and looked at the vial. Inside it, a tiny thundercloud roiled, and microscopic drops of water battered the sides and collected in a tiny pool at the bottom that never seemed to get any bigger. Lightning occasionally forked down from the cloud, and each time before that the vial vibrated like a ringing phone with miniature thunder. The cork was tied on with string, and deep red wax sealed the string in place. There was no stamp, just blobby wax dribbled over the lip of the vial so it touched both cork and glass.

Vesper went to pick it up, and immediately recoiled with a muttered “ouch” as static electricity snapped out at her fingers. More carefully, she balled the fabric of her skirt around her hand and slid the vial into her pocket.

Stepping back inside, where Vesper could suddenly hear the tipsy laughter from the backyard and with a carpet under her feet, the whole ordeal seemed unreal. Vesper checked her hand, and the figurine was still there. The vial vibrated against her leg with a roll of muffled thunder.

Vesper meant to go upstairs and go to bed, but someone was talking. She paused halfway up the stairs, realizing it was Julius’s voice.

“But there are two empty chairs,” Julius was saying. “Who’s the other for?”

“A friend by the name of Tiberius, I think,” Lawrence replied. “I never met him, either, and I don’t think Tary did. He was killed in the fall of Draconia.”

“...I suppose if you hear about people going dragonslaying, it’s unreasonable to assume nobody ever died.”

“Considering some of the stories I’ve heard told, I think it’s a miracle this many of them are still alive.”

There was a lull in the conversation, punctuated by the muffled party still being conducted out back.

“Do you know what happened to Vax?” Julius asked. “You didn’t say...I mean, it’s fine if that’s too personal.”

“It’s not. He was Tary’s friend, not mine. Like I said, I never knew either of them.”

“Oh. So you don’t know.”

“Tary’s told me what he was told of what happened. I think he was testing to see if it sounded any more believable when he was doing the telling.”

“Was it?”

“Not really.” A chair creaked, like Lawrence was shifting his weight. “He was involved in some of what led to it. There was some threat the - how many - eight or nine of them were investigating. It dealt with this very ancient lich, trying to become a god or something like that. I don’t know how much of that I believe - I know it was a real threat, but it was focused over in Vasselheim, and I live in Wildemount, in the Empire. I never saw much of it.

“Anyway, after Tary left the group, they went to confront this threat, and it was much more than they were expecting. Tary says he was told that they managed to do very little, and several of them were killed almost instantly.”

“Several of-”

“That was my reaction. Yes. They’re skilled with resurrection spells, though nobody’s had cause to use them in years. But...” Lawrence let the sentence linger for a moment. “Well, I won’t be crude about it. Resurrection is nigh impossible if there’s no body to resurrect into. But circumstances being what they were - Vax was a paladin, I believe, of the Raven Queen - he struck a deal with her to return, temporarily. Long enough to finish the fight against this lich, or whatever he was at that point. But once the fight was over, and won, back he went.”

There was a long pause.

“Tary was distraught,” Lawrence said, softer. “I don’t think he was alone in that. I can’t really imagine, except to wonder what it must be like, to be able to bring back some but not all. And to lose him like that - to be so unsure of whether his leaving means death or just plain leaving. To constantly wonder if he isn’t gone, just kept apart.” Lawrence chuckled wryly. “Sorry, you didn’t ask to hear me get philosophical.”

“No, it’s...it’s alright.”

“I should probably go to bed. I’ve been told my talk wanders more often when I’m tired.” There was a longer chair creak. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight,” Julius echoed. A door clicked shut. After a moment, footsteps traced a path up the stairs to the third floor, where Julius was staying.

Vesper remained halfway downstairs a moment longer, staring at her feet. The cat figurine was biting into her palm from how hard she was clutching it.

Whatever she’d been expecting Vax’s story to be...well, her imagination wasn’t that vivid when it came to storytelling. But Lawrence’s version of events explained a great deal more than she’d been willing to question the group about, last time. Vesper could not help but think of Whisper, and the way they’d all reacted.

Had Vax-?

Vesper cut the question off before it could form fully, and went up to her room. But before she went inside, she glanced out the back windows, and saw that in the circle of chairs that had been set up two out of the nine were left empty, with untouched cups full to the brim resting on their arms.

On the back of one was perched a raven.

The cat figurine was still asleep, so Vesper edged it as carefully as she could off her palm and onto the bedside table, managing to not wake it up. The vial full of storm she put in one of the pockets of her purse, hoping it wouldn’t break.

Sleep came to her fitfully. Whether because of the general craziness of the day, or the sudden turn it had taken once Artagyn had left, Vesper lay waiting to fall asleep for a long time.

Waiting was preferable, perhaps, to what sleep brought with it.

Her dreams were confusing, and tumultuous. The Briarwoods - both of them - taunted her, one and then the other bearing a fanged grin. She opened the door to her apartment and found them there. She fled to her parent’s house, and twenty years had passed, and all her things were gone. Nobody but Percy and Cassandra was there, and they turned their faces away from her and pretended not to hear a thing. Fire ringed the house, and Sylas was outside the door-

Vesper, even half asleep, turned and muffled herself in her pillow as she woke with a shout.

She stayed there, chest heaving, as the dream faded away. It wasn’t any harder to breathe with her face in a pillow than it would have been to breathe with a stuffy nose, and she didn’t want to get up. At least Julius couldn’t have heard her.

And Sylas was dead. She’d seen him poof into mist, and the mist be dissipated by a shining Vex. But Vex had a bad habit of staying absent from her dreams.

A light weight landed on her head and moved across it. Vesper shifted, and the cat figurine leaped from her head to the pillow. It yawned, exposing a tiny tongue. Vesper watched it prowl across the pillow in circles, eventually curling up in a loose ball and blinking slowly like it was falling back asleep.

The light in the room was grey and watery, making Vesper think it had to be early in the morning. She was tired enough for that to be true. The light made the cat look less vibrant than the night before, though it was still colored with bright orange patches. Vesper extended a finger, and was disappointed to discover that it did not feel like fur, but like smooth clay.

If it could bring her good luck, maybe she should try sleeping with it. She felt a little better just seeing it. It was a little shorter than her finger, and warm despite its lack of actual fur.

The call of nature eventually drove Vesper out of bed, but when she returned for her robe to venture downstairs, she picked up the figurine and deposited it in the pocket. The house seemed quiet, except for the comings and goings of a few servants carrying clothes and opening windows to let fresh air in.

Vesper paused in the doorway of the kitchen. She’d been expecting it to be occupied, but Ms. Fairfax was an unknown quantity, and also busy. Luckily Ms. Fairfax spotted her hovering and said, “Another one up early?”

“Unfortunately,” Vesper said. Ms. Fairfax cracked a smile.

“You can wait in the dining room if you like, with Mr. Kyrkeby.”

“Alright,” Vesper said, wondering who Mr. Kyrkeby was. But in the dining room none other than Lawrence occupied one of the seats, sipping from a mug of something faintly steaming.

“Ah,” he said, “good morning. I wasn’t expecting company - the only reason I’m up is I’m still on Empire time.”

“Well, we’re both in our pajamas, so don’t feel the need to apologize.” Vesper sat down across from him. There was a pot on a silver tray on the table, and when Vesper poured herself a cup she discovered it was coffee. There was, thank the gods, little pots of cream and sugar as well. Lawrence watched with raised eyebrows and a faint smile as she dumped generous measures of both into her cup.

“Is there something in your pocket?” He asked, as Vesper drank deeply. “It seems to be moving.”

“Oh - a little charm I got yesterday.” Vesper withdrew the cat and placed it on the table. It stalked about, and pawed at a wrinkle in the tablecloth.

“Is it safe?” Lawrence leaned forward with interest.

“I was told it was good luck.”

“Are you sure?”

“Surprisingly,” Vesper said, “yes.” She scooped the figurine back up and put it back in her pocket, and turned her attention back to her coffee. Lawrence let her drink in peace, leaning back to attend to his own cup.

Ms. Fairfax did not make an appearance, but one of the servant girls came in with a tray of toast and bacon. Lawrence thanked her by name, calling her Alfdís - Vesper filed away both the name and the fact that he knew Vex’s staff that well for later.

Vex came downstairs just in time to potentially scavenge the last of what had been set out, wearing a robe made of expensive-looking material and (possibly) little else. She seemed mostly fixated on getting coffee, practically pouring it straight into her mouth. Restraint only took her as far as pouring it into cups - plural.

“Two cups?” Vesper asked.

“Don’t get judgy, one’s for Percy,” Vex said. She took a heavy swig from one cup, sighed, and refilled it with a heap of cream.

“I wouldn’t begrudge you the whole pot, judging by how late Tary came back up,” Lawrence said.

“Ugh. At least the Grey Hunt can take care of whatever’s still gone wrong from yesterday.” Vex took another gulp, contemplated it, and shrugged. Now that Vesper looked more closely, she guessed that Vex was at least a little bit hungover. In addition, the sleeves of her robe hung loosely enough that the tattooed vine snaking down her right forearm was exposed, letting Vesper get a very good look at it.

It was done in dark green, a simple line with the occasional flower blossoming from it. Tiny leaves accompanied them, and added to the relatively simplistic piece where flowers lacked. Vesper counted five flowers within sight, the two of them nearest Vex’s palm not outlines like the rest but filled with a bright blue color. Vesper guessed that there were six still left blank.

“If there was any day to take a break, it would be the second day of Highsummer,” Lawrence mused.

“As much as I have of it,” Vex said dryly. “Scanlan’s still asleep, but he’s nearly done with the spell scroll. All I need is to bring some residuum over and then I’m off to your place.” She toasted Vesper halfheartedly with one cup.

“Today?” Vesper asked, heart leaping into her throat.

“Yep. At some point. Which reminds me, I meant to talk to you about stuff from your home.”

“What kind of stuff?”

“Just generic stuff. I don’t know. Anything you think might be helpful. I don’t know where the hell I’m going to end up.”

“And you’re going by yourself?” Lawrence asked. Vex shrugged.

“Maybe. I might bring someone. I was going to ask Percy, but I think we’d both prefer him to stay here.”

“You both would?”

“Time differences between these places being what they are, potentially...” Vex shrugged again, mouth twisting. “It doesn’t seem wise for both of us to bail and leave Cassandra in charge of the kids and everything.”

“Ah,” Lawrence said. “Speaking of, I’m surprised I haven’t heard anything.”

“Oh, I guarantee you you’re about to,” Vex said wryly, smiling. “If Freddie isn’t up and wreaking havoc in half an hour, then he’s comatose and we need to call a healer.”

“At least now we’re forewarned.”

“Forewarned, sure. Ready, maybe not.”

“He’s not that bad,” Lawrence laughed.

“You only say that because you got him to listen to you when he was already tired out.”

“Mrrow,” said the cat at the window. All three of them turned to look, having entirely missed it jump up onto the sill.

“Why does that cat look familiar?” Lawrence asked.

“Oh my god,” Vesper said, and dug the figurine out of her pocket. Vex and Lawrence turned back again to watch as it hopped onto the table, functionally identical to the one pawing at the window frame.

“Well,” Lawrence said.

“Did you get that yesterday?” Vex asked.

“I did,” Vesper said. “There wasn’t an actual cat involved, though.”

Vex poked the figurine. It moved out of the way, then pawed at her finger. “Oh, it is one of those enchanted things,” Vex said. “Well. I guess you have a cat now. Have fun with that.”

“Excuse me?” Vesper said, but Vex was already leaving the room with her cups of coffee. The cat batted more furiously at the window. Lawrence, eyebrows raised, leaned backwards and undid the latch.

“Hey,” Vesper protested, as the cat leaped inside. It vanished behind the table, shortcutting underneath it to get close enough to hop onto Vesper’s lap. Vesper leaned back to give the cat space. It - she? The voice last night had said ‘she’ was good luck - purred, kneading its claws into her thighs, and settled down.

“I guess you do have a cat now,” Lawrence said. Vesper shot him a pointed look. “I’m just saying, if you got it yesterday, you should have expected more than just a nice toy. It might not even be a normal cat.”

“Thanks for the support,” Vesper said flatly. Despite herself, she scratched the cat behind her ears. The cat purred again; her fur was extraordinarily soft. The figurine had curled up on the table like it was sleeping. The cat in her lap was loafing, and seemed content to stay there.

“It could be worse things than a cat,” Lawrence said. “Were you really told it was good luck?”

“That’s what he said.”

“Maybe it was the good luck of having a cat, then.”

Vesper scoffed, but did not verbally object. The last pet she’d had was Clio the cat, and she’d had to be put down years ago. A fey-ish replacement was hardly the worst thing in the world.

“I’m going to go see if I can think of any advice to give Vex,” Vesper said in lieu of continuing the conversation, and did her best to sweep out gracefully. But she took the cat and the figurine with her.

Freddie made good on Vex’s prediction; Vesper heard, very quickly, a lot of running feet and excitable, childish shrieks outside her room. But she managed to avoid the chaos, if not the noise, and from the sound of it the rowdiest children were dumped outside to wear themselves out on nature. Occasionally shouts rose up from the backyard, once or twice intermingled with Percy’s much lower voice reestablishing order. Whenever he spoke, the noise level went down, but only for about three seconds.

The cat, who she dubbed Eutychia, was calm and content to laze on the bed while Vesper tried to think of things Vex might need to know. She might need to take a bus or train somewhere, though that seemed like a poor idea to Vesper, and who would accept gold pieces in lieu of dollar bills? Vesper formulated possible scenarios in her head as Eutychia walked over the backs of her legs and decided to take a nap on them.

Afternoon was just beginning when Vesper gave up on putting together any actually necessary advice, and went to find Vex.

Vex was on the front porch, in one of the stereotypical porch chairs Vesper hadn’t expected to find in Whitestone and with her feet up on a small table. Trinket was out front as well, serving as a pillow for Leo while he read. Vesper nearly hit Ofelia with the door when she opened it; the girl was sprawled out on her stomach, her little box of paints and a notebook open in front of her.

“Hey!” Ofelia cried.

“I told you to be careful, darling,” Vex said, as Vesper reflexively jerked the door back. “How ‘bout you scoot a little further away, alright? Come on out,” she said to Vesper. Vesper slid past the door without opening it any further than necessary, Eutychia not helping matters by winding around her ankles. “Any last-minute advice?”

“Is it last minute?” Vesper asked, sitting in the sole empty chair.

“In a way.” Vex put down her feet. “Scanlan’s finishing up the scroll, and Tary went to go fetch the residuum. Your brother went with him, by the way. I think he was lured in by the prospect of the Alchemist’s Guild.”

“There’s a guild for Alchemists as well?”

“Yes, though it seems like we mostly fund them to blow things up. Anyway. Do you have advice?”

“Some,” Vesper said, “though who knows what will end up being helpful.” She pretended, as she talked to Vex, that she did not notice Ofelia and Leo doing their best to seem like they weren’t listening in.

The talk went on a long time. Vex had a lot of insightful questions, and managed to pinpoint things that had not occurred to Vesper as anything someone would have to be told. They talked about public transportation, and social niceties; about the amount of weapons it was considered polite to carry in public (none, unless they were concealed) and what kind of clothing might attract only a small amount of attention. It was regretfully concluded that bringing Trinket was a terrible idea - regretfully on both their parts, because Vex was so used to having him at her side and Vesper had wanted to find out how her family would react to Trinket the bear .

Percy reappeared, Freddie in tow, as afternoon was wearing into evening. Freddie, clearly not as tired out as anyone would like him to be, pattered right past the gate, up the steps, and into Vex’s lap.

“I thought you left already,” he said, face smushed into the side of Vex’s neck.

“And miss saying goodbye to you? Never.” Vex patted his head. Percy stepped over Leo’s sprawled legs and mounted the steps, twining one hand with Vex’s to press a kiss to her knuckles.

“Tary’s not back yet?” He asked.

“He may be on his way,” Vex said. “But no. I’m in no hurry.”

“Neither am I.” Percy, if he had noticed Vesper, had eyes for nobody but Vex. “However long you’re gone for...”

“A few days has never translated into a few more days.”

“Even so. Whitestone will be waiting for you.”

“Obviously,” Vex snorted. “I’m the one keeping this place together.”

“Then let’s hope it is only a few days.” Percy kissed her knuckles again. “You’ve got everything together?”

“Mm-hm. All the old gear. I’m not sure who’s going with me yet, though.”

“You shouldn’t go alone.”

“Of course not.”

Freddie then decided he was bored of adult conversations and went to bother Ofelia, and in the course of disagreements over paintings and how they should be done, and attempts on Vex and Percy’s behalf to intervene before paints were spilled or poured on people’s heads, Vesper gathered up Eutychia and made a tactful retreat.

Vex’s venturing to Vesper’s home was entirely more personal than Vesper had expected. When Tary returned with the residuum and Scanlan brought down the finished spell scroll, along with a sealed envelope with a second that would allow Vex to return home, Vesper stayed out of the way. Whitestone’s de Rolos gathered on the lawn to see her off, and that was probably all the crowding Vex needed to deal with.

Vesper had done as best she could to help. From then on, it was up to Vex.

Chapter Text

In the wake of Vex’s messages, it was no surprise to anyone that a family meeting was hastily assembled. Breaking all sense of propriety, Vax and Keyleth were invited as well, given their relationship to the family via Vex and several people’s sneaking suspicion that they might somehow be involved in the whole mess as well. They were in the book, at least.

Vex, of course, brought the book.

“This is the Vex we’re talking to?” Ludwig had managed to grab the book from Percy first and was examining the portraits in the front with avid interest.

“Hey, share,” Oliver protested.

“Perhaps read it aloud,” Johanna suggested. “I’ve never had a chance to look at this either.”

“It’s a complicated one,” Ludwig said. “Lady Vex’ahlia of the first house of Whitestone - whatever that is - baroness of the third, grand mistress of the grey hunt, my god do these titles ever end. And then it says Champion of the Dawnfather.”

“It does?” Fredrick leaned forward, intrigued.

“Do any of those titles make sense to you?”

“Well, I know that traditionally the first house of Whitestone referred to the de Rolos, as their house held the lordship. I suppose if there is a first house, there must be a second and so on of other, more minor noble families.”

“She’s both, though,” Whitney said.

“Maybe it’s an inheritance thing,” Oliver suggested. “You know, fancy royal stuff. Like how the Sovereign’s heir is Princess but also Duchess of the Verdant Expanse.”

“Duchess of Cliffkeep,” Johanna corrected. “The Verdant Expanse holds different areas that different titles lay claim to.”

“Whichever.”

“But Champion of the Dawnfather?” Ludwig repeated. “Vex isn’t religious.”

“I’m not, but she might be,” Vex said. “Or it could be another Whitestone thing and not literal.”

“It could be both a product of Whitestone and literal,” Fredrick said. “Though I’d be surprised if it were. Whitestone’s history is dotted with Champions, those who claimed to receive divine insight and revelation from Pelor Himself. There was one at the beginning of the Alabaster War, where Whitestone broke away from the Wildemount kings, and several others who followed the original’s lead.”

“I didn’t know that.”

“I’m surprised to hear you say that,” Percy said. “I thought you might’ve heard of them before. The five Champions of Pelor are on the family crest - that’s what the stars are for.”

“OH MY GOD,” Whitney said, slamming her hands onto the table. Everyone else jumped, taken aback. “The watch!”

“The watch?” Fredrick repeated blankly.

“Julius was complaining about it! He said it looked weird because the crest on the front had one star too many.”

    “Oh,” Vex said.

    “Oh,” said Percy.

    Oliver whistled a long descending note, impressed. “I wonder how literal it is,” he said, “in a world with magic.”

    “Well, this says she’s half elf, so who knows,” Whitney said, reading over Ludwig’s shoulder. Ludwig looked down in surprise.

“She’s not even human?” He asked.

“Don’t say it like it’s a bad thing,” Oliver said. “I think it’s cool.”

“Obviously,” Whitney agreed, and looked up at where Johanna and Fredrick sat. “But what’s going to happen? How is she going to be able to get here from the nature reserve?”

“She is not,” Johanna said. “Kima and I are going out there to speak with her.”

“What!” Ludwig cried. “But I want to meet her!”

“What, am I discount Vex now?” Vex asked. Vax snorted, covering his mouth with one hand.

“You’re not half elvish,” Ludwig said.

“I think you’re lovely,” Percy said, squeezing Vex’s hand. “But technically, we’ve never met this other Vex. Mystery always intrigues.”

“And it could be dangerous,” Johanna said firmly. “Which is why we’re only bringing Percy.”

“What!” Ludwig immediately cried, backed by Whitney.

“Because it’s Vex?” Cassandra asked.

“Only partly,” Percy said. Cassandra turned to zero her gaze in on him. “Kima pointed out - and she did have a point - that it might be better to go with someone this other Vex would recognize easily. Which means either me, or Cassandra.”

Cassandra met his gaze evenly for a moment, then looked away, eyes downcast.

“We don’t look that different,” Whitney muttered, but it was a halfhearted complaint.

“How are you getting down there?” Vax asked. “I mean, are you trying to be sneaky about it?”

“I’ve considered it,” Johanna sighed. “We’re going to leave while Fredrick’s holding a meeting with the Briarwoods. They’ll notice I’m not present, but they may write it off. I’ve left work early before to finish other business.”

“Alone?” Percy asked warily. He hadn’t heard about that part of the plan.

“With the Board,” Fredrick said. “Or what remains of it. Just in case. And I believe it would be a good idea to get out of the city for a little while afterwards. We could go up to Lake Minaqua for a few days.”

“Again?” Oliver asked. Lake Minaqua was where Johanna and Fredrick owned a summer home that the family usually fled to in the hottest months. They’d already been once that year, after Vesper had come back from her first accidental trip.

“There’s no reason we couldn’t.”

“Plus it’s a gated community,” Cassandra said under her breath.

“I think that sounds like a good idea,” Keyleth said. “It’s easier to know about everything that’s going on in a small community than in a big city.”

“Is this our version of fleeing the country?” Oliver asked.

“Removing ourselves from a potentially volatile situation is a perfectly reasonable response,” Fredrick said.

“So, yes?”

“Oliver, please,” Johanna said. “It’s a complicated situation and taking a step away from it isn’t going to hurt anyone. It would make your father and I feel a little better if we had some distance from all this for a few days. Alright?”

“I like Lake Minaqua,” Whitney murmured into the silence that followed, as everyone looked sideways at everyone else. The specter of what they all knew had happened to the other de Rolos loomed over every talk of possible dangers, but it always seemed a faux pas to bring it up verbally.

“Well, as far as the trip to visit this other Vex goes,” Vax said, “you’re welcome to borrow my car if you want to be sneaky about it. I was invited down south to do some work with National Geographic, so I was going to leave it with Vex anyway.”

“I may take you up on that,” Johanna said. “Thank you.”

“Sure. It gets ornery if I let it sit around for a while, anyway.”

“When are you going?” Vex asked.

“Tomorrow,” Johanna said. “There’s no sense in sitting around and waiting for something to happen. I’ve taken care of the details; all that’s left is to meet up at the right time.”

“I wish you didn’t leave so early,” Vex whispered to Percy, late enough that he thought she’d fallen asleep already. “It seems like everything’s happening so fast.”

Percy blinked his eyes open, blearily regarding Vex. “Not because you’re worried I’ll be stolen away?”

“Well, if anyone was going to,” Vex said, and Percy snorted. “No, dumbass. You said yes, I’m not worried you’re going to ditch me before we manage to get married.”

“Well, I doubt your alternate self is going to be particularly dangerous to me.” Percy shifted to punch his pillow into a more comfortable shape, then lay back down. “If Vesper remembered right, which she did, and that Percy was like me, then that Vex probably likes me fine.”

“I’m not worried about her. Me. Whatever. I just feel weird.” Vex curled an arm under her head. “We spent so long waiting and waiting to hear more about Vesper and Julius, and now everybody’s running off and making plans.”

“Better than waiting, though.”

“Maybe.”

“Would it make you feel better if I texted you the whole time? Unless I’m driving,” Percy added.

“Your mom can drive.”

“I have to go pick her up, though. Vax left his car here.”

“Well, she can drive after that.”

“Sure.” Percy reached out to tug at Vex’s free arm. Obligingly, she rolled over to let him curl up against her back, one arm thrown over her waist. “I’ll be sure to take notes on other Vex, too,” he mumbled into her neck.

“I mean, obviously she looks as good as me. I wonder if the tattoos will be the same,” Vex mused aloud. Percy made an agreeable, thoughtful noise, eyes slipping shut. “No comment?”

“I like your tattoos,” Percy murmured.

“Are you ever gonna get one?”

“Ask me in the morning.”

“But you’ll be awake then and take all the fun out of it.”

“Mm,” Percy said, already halfway to falling asleep again. Vex smiled, out of his sight, and twined her fingers with his. Percy shifted, pressing himself closer against her, and sighed.

“Goodnight, Percy,” Vex whispered. Percy mumbled something in response. “Good luck tomorrow.”

    Percy, in Vax’s terrible car, drove by his parents’ house the next morning to pick up Johanna and Kima. Despite the heat and the fact that it let the car’s already poor air conditioning escape, all the windows were open - the car smelled pervasively of lavender. Percy had a suspicion it was covering up something worse, and only hoped it was the smell of age and rust, so he didn’t have to contemplate what he might be sitting on.

    At least he wasn’t in the backseat.

    Kima was, however, but as she slid into the car Percy only glanced back to see how shellshocked she looked. Her expression was more of a thoughtful scowl; it made Percy like her much more. Knowing that Johanna had explained everything, Kima seemed to be taking it in stride.

    “We’re meeting her in the nature reserve?” Kima clarified, as Johanna pulled out of the driveway. “Why?”

    “Because it’s where she is,” Percy said. “Inexplicably. She wasn’t sure of her own location, so I’m not sure it was a purposeful move.”

    “Hmm.” Kima leaned back, her brow furrowing further. “Is she meeting us?”

    “I texted her the details of what car we’d be driving,” Johanna said. “Based on what trails she was near, we’ll drive down one of the more isolated roads that passes by the outskirts and she’ll meet up with us.”

    “That seems like it could fall through easily.”

    “She was very sure that she’d be able to spot us coming.” Johanna shrugged, fingers drumming a beat on the steering wheel. “If it falls through, we can text her again. I’m told Vesper’s phone is still at over half battery - this other Vex isn’t using it much.”

    “I have to ask, do you just call her other Vex every time?”

    “It does get unwieldy, I know,” Percy admitted.

    “Isn’t there anything else you could call her? Full name? I figured Vex was short for something.”

    “It’s short for Vex’ahlia.”

    “There you go, then,” Kima said. “Your girl is Vex, our visitor is Vex’ahlia.”

    “It may still be confusing,” Johanna said, “but that works for me.”

    Most of the drive was quiet. In the passenger seat, Percy fiddled with his phone, repeatedly scrolling through the backlog of conversation with Vex’ahlia via Vesper’s phone. It was strange to see Vesper’s name attached to such poor spelling. But the conversation did come to an end - Johanna had switched over to texting Vex’ahlia privately, to the irritation of every de Rolo child, and Percy of course couldn’t see those messages.

    Percy texted Vex, just to clear his mind.

Vex

All clear so far. We’re about halfway there. 7:31

7:31 good luck ;) ;P

    Highways gave way to less trafficked roads, and those eventually to roads that ran through canyons of tall trees, greenery pushing in on all sides. The asphalt was not cracked or potholed, which seemed odd to Percy. It was hard to imagine a maintenance crew, all the way out here. The environment demanded an absence of technology, of metal and glass and concrete. Even driving through, on a road meant expressly for that purpose, felt like pushing it.

    ...Maybe Vex was rubbing off on him.

    Johanna came to a slow stop after about twenty minutes down the isolated road, parking on the verge.

    “I don’t see her,” she said doubtfully.

    “I would like to point out that I saw this coming,” Kima said.

    “It’s been three seconds, calm down,” Percy sighed. “It could be she’s just catching up, if she’s on foot.”

    “From which way?” Kima questioned.

    “We didn’t get that specific.”

    “So, any of them.” Kima twisted to look out the back window.

    “We could text her,” Johanna said.

    “Go ahead if you like,” Percy said. Johanna dug her phone out of her purse. Percy turned to survey the forest outside the passenger window. Greenish gloom hung underneath the canopy, shot through with sunlight. It didn’t look particularly evil, but his camping trips had not impressed him with a huge love of being in nature. Percy was glad to stay in the car. He wondered if Vex’ahlia was camping - did she love the woods as much as Vex?

    “I’ll let you know if she replies,” Johanna said, distractedly, as she typed.

    “Uh,” Kima said, “What is that?”

    Percy and Johanna turned as one to crane their necks and look past Kima out the back windshield.

    “Is that her?” Johanna asked.

    “I can’t tell.” Percy squinted. There was a figure in white picking its way along the verge towards their car, moving agonizingly slowly to Percy’s mind. Surely a jog or a power-walk would be acceptable.

    “What’s she wearing, a shiny t-shirt?” Kima said. “Fashion on their side must be weird.”

    “No,” Percy said, annual trips to Ren Faire allowing him to recognize the pattern the white clothes formed. “It’s armor. She’s wearing armor and forearm braces.” He barely stopped himself from calling them vambraces - his mother might know the word, but Kima wouldn’t.

    “Is armor usually white?” Johanna asked.

    “It could be dyed leather. Or perhaps painted metal. If it shines like that, I doubt it’s a tabard over armor.” In fact, there was some kind of jacket the figure was wearing over the armor, which only as she drew closer was Percy able to identify as a kind of open-front jerkin. But as she got closer, he was more preoccupied with identifying her as Vex’ahlia.

    The hair was dark enough, certainly. She braided it and hung it over a shoulder like Vex, though it dangled nearly to her waist, which was new. Her sleeves and vambraces made it impossible for Percy to spot any tattoos.

    “Is she armed?” Kima said aloud, abruptly. “That looks like a knife on her belt.”

    “Maybe.” Percy squinted harder, trying to make out details. There was an awful lot on Vex’ahlia’s belt. She looked to be wearing more than one. “I was looking at the bow.” The end of it stuck up over one shoulder, oddly carved.

    “Oh, that is a bow,” Johanna said. “I was about to ask.”

    “It might be stylized. I can’t tell.” Percy, on autopilot, typed out Vex spotted and sent the message, Vex's last text still open. His phone vibrated in his hand, receiving a plethora of exclamation points in response, as Vex’ahlia stopped a few feet away from the car.

    “I assume I’m in the right place,” she said. Her voice was shockingly identical to Vex’s; Percy startled when she spoke. “I’d know that hair anywhere.”

    “I’d like to think I’m more than my hair,” Percy said, leaning out of the window to speak to her properly. Vex’ahlia took him in with a measured look; he wondered what she was noting down about his appearance. “Do you want to get in, or shall we continue this conversation with you standing?”

    “If you have a seat, show me to it.”

    Kima leaned over and pulled the handle, releasing the lock on the back passenger door. She gave it a small shove; Vex’ahlia, taking the cue, pulled it open by the outside handle. She surveyed the door for a moment, testing the handle, and then ducked down to look inside.

    “Percy’d have a conniption if he saw anything like this back home,” she said. “Mostly because it was something someone else had invented.”

    “Wouldn’t it be fun to go back in time and invent the electric light,” Percy said dryly. Vex smiled, and stood up to pull her bow off her back before sliding onto the seat next to Kima’s. She laid it across her lap, sniffed, and froze.

“Lavender?” She said.

“There’s a reason all the windows are open,” Johanna sighed. “It’s Vax’ildan’s car. He must pack the stuff in here when he’s not using it. I don’t know why he doesn’t just hang up an air freshener.”

“I think Keyleth persuades him to use more natural stuff,” Percy said. “It does smell nice, it’s just...omnipresent. Are you alright?” He’d turned around and seen Vex’ahlia’s face.

“Yes,” Vex’ahlia said, producing a somewhat plastic smile. “I just - wasn’t expecting that. I suppose it explains why you told me to look for wings painted onto your car. But you must be Johanna.”

“I am,” Johanna said. “It’s so good to meet you. This is Kima - she’s been helping with our personal investigation.”

“Hiya,” Kima said.

“You’re Kima?” Vex’ahlia looked her over, surprised. “Huh. I wouldn’t have recognized you.”

“What, do I have white hair on your side too?”

    “No,” Vex’ahlia said, smiling more honestly. “You’re human here. It makes more of a difference than I expected. Plus you’ve got fewer scars.”

    Kima raised her eyebrows, and rubbed the so-called alligator-induced-scar on her chin. “That’s a hell of a thing to tell someone. I’m intrigued by this nonhuman me.”

    “Perhaps we can get into that another time,” Johanna pressed. “Do you mind closing the door, Vex’halia?”

    “Oh, sure.” Vex’ahlia tugged it closed.

    “Are we going to keep driving?” Percy asked. “I would’ve thought you’d want to keep your attention on the conversation at hand.”

    Johanna hesitated, drumming her fingers on the wheel.

    “We don’t need to keep driving,” Kima said. “I doubt anyone comes down this road often enough that we need to worry about it.”

    “Very well.” Johanna released the wheel and turned around to face Vex. Percy shifted as well to see her better, and noticed that the corner of her bow that he could see was styled like an antler. The string seemed to grow right out of the tip of it.

    “I’ve told you what we know from the police,” Johanna said. “Kima’s uncovered a little more, but it’s not a wealth of information.”

    “I think it’s a fair amount, considering what they’re not saying about themselves,” Kima said.

    “Remind me of the situation,” Vex’ahlia cut in. “I know what happened to Vesper and Julius, and you’ve told me how the Briarwoods tie into your family business. But why are they involved in your company in the first place?”

    “The Briarwoods own a company in a similar field, Whisper Incorporated,” Johanna explained. Percy noted that she didn’t try to go into programming - either she was in the mood for brevity, or it was a conversation they’d already had. “They approached us a little while ago looking to orchestrate a business deal. Nothing out of the ordinary. Their company is very small and not necessarily successful - Fredrick and I assumed they were looking to better their odds by associating with a more public and prosperous company.”

    “Which I believe is true,” Kima said, “but in a different way.” Johanna gestured for her to continue, and she nodded. “The Briarwoods are after profit, but I don’t believe they care how they get it. Legal or illegal, I mean. In all the digging I did I noticed they’ve had a bunch of failed business deals in the past - the reason their company’s unsuccessful is because they’re bad businessmen. But as it turns out, they’re very good con men.

    “They have some sparse info on themselves on the company webpage, but all it says about them personally, whatever isn’t phrased very nicely and neutrally to make them attractive to customers, is that they’re married and from Wildemount. Turns out they don’t get more specific than that because back in Kiev there’s an outstanding warrant for their arrest should they ever set foot in the country again.”

    “Kiev?” Vex’ahlia asked. Kima gave her a sideways look.

    “Western Wildemount? Up north? History of shitty weather and snow?”

    “Oh, so part of the Empire.”

    “What Empire?”

    Vex’ahlia raised her eyebrows. “The Dwendalian Empire? No?” Kima shook her head. “Huh. Never mind, carry on.”

    “Anyway,” Kima said slowly, “It turns out that back in Kiev they made something of a name for themselves with get-rich-quick schemes, Ponzi scams, you name it. Only ones who actually got rich was them. What makes this all the more surprising is that Whisper Inc. is legit. I took a look. They’ve been in operation for almost a decade. Most of that has been full of projects that go south, but nothing sketchier than anything a CEO desperately trying to wring a normal salary out of a failing company would do.”

    “That’s not a high bar to clear,” Johanna muttered.

    “Yeah, that would be my point. But the conclusion is it’s not technically illegal, not by current Emon standards, whatever the general public thinks of those standards.” Kima shrugged. “They’re sketchy, but genuinely trying to keep this business afloat. Doesn’t seem to be working out for them.”

    “How can they run a company if they’re wanted back in Kiev?” Vex’ahlia asked. “Couldn’t anyone find this information?”

    “Nope - that’s why my skills are in demand.”

    “But someone from Kiev could discover them, if there was a public place that said they were from Wildemount.”

    “I doubt Kievan officials are still interested in finding ‘em,” Kima said. “I didn’t get details, but it seemed like a lot of the money they stole was found and seized. They didn’t escape with all of it. Mind you, they probably still got away with a sizeable sum, but that’s got to be running dry by now.”

    “And so we find ourselves in this situation, perhaps as a result of that,” Percy said.

    “Not the worst hypothesis I’ve ever heard,” Kima said. “It could be that they’re trying to set up a legitimate deal, but then there’s the business with the bank robber. And, of course, Vesper and Julius.”

    “Yes, if we assume the second one was them.”

    “That’s what I don’t like about this situation,” Johanna said abruptly. “Assume. We’re assuming an awful lot of the Briarwoods. If the robber does work for them, more people have lockboxes in that vault than just us. And what if it wasn’t them who followed Vesper and Julius? What if they aren’t like their other selves?”

    “We already know that there’s a great deal of similarity between one version of a person and another,” Percy said, surprised. “It’s not a great leap to think it could apply to them as well. And Vesper thought-”

    “Vesper is still reeling from whatever happened to her last time,” Johanna said sharply. “If you haven’t noticed that, then you haven’t been paying attention.”

    “Unfortunately,” Vex’ahlia said gently, “whether the Briarwoods are or not responsible for these things, whether they are or not targeting you, it’s better to be prepared.” She let the silence hang for a moment and then said, “Assuming these Briarwoods are anything like the pair I was unfortunate enough to encounter, I think it’s safe to say they want Whitestone.”

    “The city or the company?” Percy asked.

    “Since you don’t own the city, the latter.”

    “But there’s no way they could buy it,” Johanna said. “Even if Fredrick and I were to - I don’t know, mysteriously die, which we will not - we own shares in the company. Those would still belong to the family.”

    “Shares?”

    “People buy shares in the company to invest money, which benefits the owners, in exchange for a voice in how it’s run,” Percy explained. “My parents own the company and own a controlling interest in shares between the two of them. The shares are willed to - well, I assume split evenly between the seven of us.”

    Johanna sighed. “Just you, Julius, and Vesper,” she admitted. “Any further than that and the shares would be split too much to be of any worth to you as individuals. I assumed that when the time came for our wills to be executed, you three would make sure everyone else was alright.”

    “Well - of course we would.” Percy was surprised, and a little flattered. If he’d ever imagined dividing up his parents’ things with his siblings, not that the idea had occurred to him before, he would have imagined a perfectly equal seven-way split. But of course that wouldn’t work in practice.

    “But these shares don’t have anything to do with who owns the company?” Vex’ahlia asked.

    “No,” Johanna said. “The founder starts with all of them, of course, and makes the decision how much of them to sell. Fredrick’s father started the company - he was the founder and original owner. Fredrick inherited his controlling interest in the company, and eventually became CEO. Er, the company president,” she clarified, on seeing Vex’ahlia’s well-disguised confusion.

    “Was his father not president?”

    “He was.”

    “So president of the company isn’t an inherited role.”

    “Not at all.”

    “It depends on the Board of Directors,” Percy offered up as additional explanation. “They’re all company employees picked by the CEO to advise him. Julius, Vesper, and I are all members as well as heading up other departments. So was my father, before he became CEO. It’s common, when the time comes to select a new president, for the Board to choose someone from among their own members. They’re most familiar with each others’ business sense, and what the position requires from a person, as well as who of the Board could best step up to the role.”

    “Wait, hold on,” Kima said. “You picked all three of your kids, who already work for you, to be on your Board of Directors?”

    “I didn’t hire you for business advice, Kima,” Johanna said. “I’m aware of what it looks like. The three of them are excellent employees, and I say that without bias.”

    “...So long as you’re aware.” Percy saw Kima lean back so she was out of Johanna’s line of sight, and roll her eyes.

    Vex’ahlia was thinking deeply, one hand propped in her chin and elbow on her knee. “There’s only one president, I assume,” she said.

    “Yes. Fredrick is president, officially, so I can make him do more of the work. But it’s a collaborative effort.”

    “If he wasn’t president, would you take over?”

    Johanna paused, and looked for the briefest instant at Percy out of the corner of her eyes. Percy pretended he didn’t notice.

    “I might,” she said, “for a little while. But who knows if the Board would choose me. If they were going to pick a successor for Fredrick, they might go for Uriel. He’s got more experience, and, well, he’s not so young. Percy and the other two are all in their twenties.”

    “Twenty-three isn’t that young,” Percy protested, out of a vague feeling that he might as well stand up for himself. Johanna gave him a Look that said, really? . Surprisingly, Vex’ahlia gave him the same one. Kima caught it quicker than he did.

    “What’s that for?” She asked. “You don’t look much older than your twenties yourself.”

    Surprisingly, Vex’ahlia laughed. “Oh, it adds another decade to my life every time someone says that,” she said.

    “How old are you, then?” Percy asked impulsively.

    “It’s a secret.” Vex’ahlia waited a beat, then laughed again. “No, I’m kidding. I’m fifty-one.”

    If Percy had been drinking something, he might have spit it out. As it was, he restrained his eyebrows from shooting off his forehead and said, “Oh.” That was one to text Vex about, as soon as he had a moment.

    “I have to say,” Johanna said after a moment, “you wear it better than I do.”

    “The elvish side does come in handy, on occasion,” Vex’ahlia said. Percy, who had latched onto the similarities before, noticed the sharp tip of her ear poking out from behind a sweep of hair.

    “I wouldn’t call looking young handy,” Kima muttered under her breath.

    “It’s not ‘looking young’, I actually do live longer than the average human. But anyway. If president-ship isn’t hereditary, I don’t see how it would be that difficult for someone to edge themselves in as president.”

    “The Board would never choose either of the Briarwoods,” Johanna said. “Maybe they wouldn’t immediately pick a new de Rolo, not if Fredrick was finished being president, but the Briarwoods are barely business partners yet. We’ve been holding off on finalizing anything - though they’ve been using these meetings to talk in circles as much as we have.”

    “They have?” Percy said. “I didn’t know that.”

    “It’s not important.”

    “It could be,” Kima said.

    “Regardless,” Johanna said firmly, “The Board is, at least, on our side.”

    Vex’ahlia did not look convinced. “If it came down to it, and neither you or Fredrick could be president, who of the de Rolos would be next?” She asked. “After however much time might pass between you and them.”

    Johanna took a moment. “Well, Julius is the oldest,” she said, “and he’s worked with the board for longer, because he graduated and came to work for Whitestone a year before Vesper did. But Vesper’s just as capable, and she’s very responsible. A little less comfortable at being a public face, maybe, but she and Julius as a pair work very well.”

    “I feel so flattered,” Percy said dryly. Johanna sighed, and patted his hand.

    “You’re on the Board for a reason,” she said, “don’t be offended that I don’t mention you. The other members wouldn’t have approved your nomination it if they didn’t think you weren’t capable, and I include Julius and Vesper in that category. But you’re more comfortable with numbers than people, you’re young, and you don’t have a degree in anything, much less in the department you run.”

    It was a fair assessment, and Percy stifled the faint sting it gave him. He didn’t want to be CEO, and he loved Vesper and Julius, but they were always just a step ahead of him in everything.

    “So if Vesper and Julius were not options,” Vex’ahlia said, “and something happened to cause you and Fredrick to also not be available or capable of being president, other options would be considered.”

    “Someone from the Board,” Johanna said. “And someone in our family would still own controlling interest, no matter what.”

    “Anyone can be bought,” Vex’ahlia said. “Or threatened.”

    “We’ve known them for years-”

    “And it wasn’t strangers who let the Briarwoods into castle Whitestone on my side,” Vex’ahlia interrupted. Johanna pressed her lips together and turned away, staring into the distance though the windshield. A tense silence descended.

    “I understand it’s difficult to contemplate,” Vex’ahlia said after a moment.

    “...It would be easier to be able to dismiss this as leaping to conclusions,” Johanna sighed. “That’s all. I don’t like to think about how much danger my children might be in.”

    “We know ahead of time, though,” Vex’ahlia said. “That’s more than a lot of people get. There’s time to think things over and decide what we’re going to do.”

    “What are you going to do?” Kima asked. “I was told this was your factfinding mission. What happens now?”

    “Formulate a plan, I suppose,” Vex’ahlia said. “I’m not sure. Normally at this point we’ve got someone’s attention and they send people to attack us and put us off the job, so we’ve got people to question. But I’ll need everyone to plan properly, and most of them are back home.”

    “Most?”

    Caw!

    Percy nearly jumped out of his skin, the sound was so unexpected. Johanna and Kima jumped as well; Vex’s hand flew to something at the back of her belt, and her posture tightened into a tense line. But in the next moment she relaxed - Percy almost thought he’d seen wrong - and leaned out the window, sticking her arm out so that a huge black bird could settle onto her wrist in a flutter of feathers.

    “What?” Vex’ahlia asked. The bird cawed three times in quick succession. “What? How?” If a bird could shrug, the one on Vex’ahlia’s wrist was.

    “Uh,” Kima said, as Vex’ahlia pulled her head back inside to twist around and stare daggers out the back windshield, “do you want to enlighten the rest of us? Because I could use a dose of knowing what the fuck’s going on.”

    “Someone’s coming,” Vex’ahlia said, not turning her gaze away from the road. “Were you followed?”

    “What?” Johanna said incredulously.

    “You got that from a crow?” Kima said.

    “She’s a raven,” Vex’ahlia said. “We worked the alarm out ahead of time.”

    “A raven is your early warning system?!”

    “Mother,” Percy said, low and urgently, “you don’t think it’s that pickup I’ve seen-?”

    “Let’s go,” Johanna said sharply, and pressed her foot to the gas.

    As the car lurched forward, old gears grinding into place, the raven squawked in annoyance and took off. Vex’ahlia pulled her arm back inside the car, still staring out the back as trees flashed past on either side.

    “You’ve been followed before?” She asked without turning around.

    “Once,” Percy said. “Maybe more.” He tapped out a quick message to Vex - someone should know.

Vex

We might have been followed. 8:09

We had time for a conversation but if we were, 8:09

they’re catching up                                                 

    Hopefully it’s a coincidence. 8:10

    “By a ‘pickup’?” Percy could hear the quotation marks.

    “It’s a type of car. Bulky, with a big space in the back for carrying stuff that hasn’t got a roof.”

Vex

8:10 shld i call someone???

8:10 stay safe

Father maybe? 8:10

    Vex’ahlia stuck her hand back out the window. Despite the speed the car was moving at, the raven from before swooped down and allowed itself to be bundled inside through the window. It settled on Vex’ahlia’s knee as a second one swooped in, nearly colliding with Vex’ahlia’s face.

    “Fuck off,” Vex’ahlia sputtered, pushing it away. It landed haphazardly on the back of the seat, near Kima’s incredulous face. “One for yes, two for no, is it a big black car with a big space in the back like a cart to carry stuff?”

    The raven on her knee cawed, once.

    “Shit, alright,” Vex’ahlia said.

    “What the fuck is happening,” Kima said. The road ahead of the car curved, rounding a thick copse of trees. As Johanna began to turn, Vex’ahlia said,

    “Stop. Here.”

    She sounded so authoritative that Johanna reflexively hit the brake. Vax’s car squealed in protest. Vex’ahlia barely waited for the car to stop all the way before she opened the door and was outside, kicking it shut behind her. The two ravens followed her out.

    “What are you doing?” Johanna demanded. With Vex’ahlia’s back to the car, Percy could see the quiver hanging from the back of her belt, and could easily see what she was doing when she took a single arrow from it and set it to the string of her bow. The ravens circled the car, unnervingly silent.

Vex

8:15 what’s going on

Very weird things. 8:15

You’re about ready to shoot someone with 8:15

an arrow.                                                          

    As an afterthought, Percy made sure his phone was on silent, then snapped a picture of Vex’ahlia. Her feet were planted firmly in the dirt, her arrow a second away from being drawn and ready.

Was it Percy’s imagination, or did the carved antlers of her bow seem taller and bristlier than a moment ago? Some kind of gem set into the eyes of the decorative animal heads around the grip gleamed in the low light.

“Vex’ahlia,” Johanna said. “Are we in danger?” Percy sent the photo.

“No,” Vex’ahlia said. She raised her bow and drew back the arrow. “You know, it’s funny. I was just talking about having someone to question.”

Beyond the trees, on the section of the road they’d just passed over, a pickup came into view.

Percy didn’t even see Vex’ahlia fire. There was a ripple of movement in her direction, and then she was gone, leaping between the trees in a bolt of white and brown. One of the ravens cawed and arrowed after her, vanishing among the shadows.

On the other side of the thicket which forced the road to curve, something tangled and green erupted up from the asphalt.

The pickup slammed to a halt.  The tires screeched, and the metal of the hood bent with a loud creaking, crumpling noise. The entire front half of the cab was swarmed with a growing mass. Were they vines? Percy couldn’t imagine where they’d come from. Movement was faintly visible behind the tinted windows of the cab.

“I’m calling your father,” Johanna said, phone already in hand. The second raven was perched on the hood of Vax’s car, head angled towards the crash. Vex’ahlia was perfectly still among the trees, only visible because of the sunlight that fell down sporadically and glinted off the pin in her hair and the gleaming white of her vambraces.

She’d drawn another arrow.

“Fredrick,” Johanna said. “That car Percy saw trailing him has shown up again. No, we’re not in danger, this other Vex, Vex’ahlia, is - is she saying something?”

“She said ‘get out’,” Percy said, watching in fascination. The three of them, still in Vax’s car, tensely watched the unfolding drama.

“I said get out,” Vex’ahlia called again. “You haven’t got a lot of other options.”

Slowly, the doors of the pickup opened. Out of the passenger side a tall, stocky man in a baseball cap dropped down. A moment later, a similarly built but mustachioed man came around the front. He stared at the overgrown hood, and reached over to try and wrench some of the vines away. Vex’ahlia’s stance twitched, the point of the arrow swinging over towards him.

“If you’re armed, weapons on the ground,” Vex’ahlia said. Johanna was narrating everything quietly to Fredrick, one hand still on the wheel.

“Smart lady,” Kima said quietly.

“What the hell are you talking about?” said Baseball Cap. “Did you do this?”

“What do you think?” Vex’ahlia said. Mustache wasn’t having much luck moving the vines. “You heard me. On the ground. Now.”

“We’re not armed,” said Mustache.

“Sure, and I bet you’ve never heard of the Briarwoods either.”

The silence that followed made Percy hold his breath. He couldn’t see what the two men were doing, but they weren’t objecting.

“You’re crazy,” Baseball Cap said.

Again, Percy did not see Vex’ahlia shoot. He saw her hand dip down for another arrow, and saw the way she had the fresh one nocked just as Baseball Cap was flinching. His cap was pinned to the now-cracked window of the pickup.

“I’m not going to miss if you take any longer to listen to me,” Vex’ahlia said. Apropos of nothing, Percy’s brain produced the thought that he couldn’t tell where the other raven had gone.

“You-” Baseball Cap grabbed for something under his jacket.

“Down!” Kima barked, grabbing Percy and Johanna’s shoulders and forcing them onto their sides, narrowly missing crashing their heads together. Outside, there was a sharp retort from a gun. A cry of pain followed, and a furious Caw! as the raven on the hood of the car took off. Fredrick’s tinny voice was demanding answers through the phone.

“Shit,” gasped Percy, “what-” But the words died in his throat as he raised his head far enough to see out the windshield, and saw that as the raven circled back around to head towards Vex’ahlia its shape was warping - changing into something much, much larger.

A huge shadow passed over the car. An unfamiliar voice cried strange words that were half lost in a gust of wind that rattled the leaves on the trees and made Vax’s car creak and rock threateningly on its axles.

“It worked!” Exclaimed the rich, unfamiliar voice.

“You sound surprised,” Vex’ahlia said.

“Spells are chancy here. You’re the one who brought that up.”

“No, I don’t know what’s happening.” Johanna spoke rapidly into the phone. “We’re fine - I don’t know if anyone was hit by that shot. I couldn’t see - oh.” She’d straightened enough to see out the window. Percy turned to see what she was looking at.

Over the slumped forms of the two men, and over the half crumpled hood of the car, an enormous eagle-like bird perched. It was easily three times as large as the pickup, one huge eye staring down at Vex’ahlia. A shorter form had joined her as well, one Percy didn’t recognize, dressed in rich purples.

“Did she kill them?” Kima said aloud. The huge bird shifted, rustling its wings, and changed again, warping into a smaller, redheaded shape.

“Oh,” Johanna said.

Percy swiped his phone screen to access the camera, switched it to video, and started recording. Then he got out of the car.

“Percy-” Johanna began.

“I’m just going to see what’s happening.” Percy heard another door open as he walked off the road, and a moment later Kima caught up to him. Leaves and twigs crackled under their feet. Percy adjusted his grip on his phone, trying to keep it as discreet as he could. He held it close to his jacket, one thumb in his pocket to keep it steady.

“What’s going on?” Kima called once they were close enough. “What happened to those two?”

“Just a sleep spell,” said the shorter figure, turning around and immediately double-taking. “Oh, whoa, I did not get the full effect of this Percy double through a raven’s eyes. That’s uncanny.”

“Thank you?” Percy said.

“It wasn’t a compliment, but good to know you’ve got that kind of thing in common with him, too.”

“Don’t be mean, Scanlan,” Keyleth said. Her difference from the Keyleth Percy knew was more obvious - intricate black tattoos curled over her shoulders in mesmerizing patterns, and the fingers of her right hand faded into smoky darkness. Percy wondered if she painted her nails to make them match. Did they have nail polish, in a world full of magic?

“I can’t help but notice that that guy has an arrow through his knee,” Kima said. Percy looked, and saw a spreading stain on Baseball Cap’s jeans around the shaft buried deep in his leg. He looked away quickly, turning so that the camera wouldn’t focus on it.

“He did try to shoot me,” Vex’ahlia said.

“Are you alright?” Percy asked.

“Fine - he hit the armor. It’ll bruise at worst.”

“Is that what that is?” Kima asked. Percy turned his head, and saw Vex’ahlia pry a flattened casing off her armor, just over where her breastbone was. A cold feeling curdled in his gut.

“Damn, what is that?” Kima said, eyebrows raised. “Kevlar? Enchanted?”

“The latter, but only partly,” Vex’ahlia said. “It’s dragonhide.”

“It is not,” Percy said, astonished enough to turn back around. Vex’ahlia grinned, the same privately pleased smile that Vex had when someone complimented a painting of hers.

“They sell things like that where you come from?” Kima asked.

“No, I got the killing shot so I got first dibs on the hide,” Vex’ahlia replied. “A friend of mine helped make it.”

“I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation,” the shorter man said, “but Sleep only lasts for a minute, so let’s get these two taken care of before they wake up, maybe?”

“Oh, yeah,” Vex’ahlia said. Keyleth produced a coil of rope from the bag Percy hadn’t noticed her carrying, and Vex’ahlia set about tying the two men up with her help.

    “Who are you, anyway?” Kima asked. The shorter man grinned.

    “Scanlan Shorthalt, at your service,” he said. “And to answer the question you’re about to ask, I’m a gnome. I hear you have a disappointing lack of them here.” For a gnome, he looked remarkably human - the only obvious giveaways were his height, given he was about three feet tall, and the squarish pointed ears. Percy wondered if all nonhuman races had pointy ears of some kind.

    Scanlan’s clothes were more outlandish than his face or stature - they were showy and obviously made to make an impression, as well as made in a style that Percy did not recognize in the least. Percy bit his tongue, and bit back the comment that was attempting to make itself said about the gnome’s beret-ish hat, tilted just so. He would have to ask Vex for a picture of whatever Scanlan she was friends with, just to compare.

    “Sure,” Kima said. “Gnomes, why not? Tell me, Shorthalt, what are you gonna do with these two?”

    “Find out what they’re here for, probably,” Scanlan said.

    “How?”

    “I have magic, it’s not hard,” Scanlan said. “Everybody likes me if I give them a reason. There’s no need to resort to, I dunno, pulling out people’s fingernails.”

    “Ew,” Keyleth said. “Do people do that?”

    “I mean, probably someone somewhere does.”

    “If you’ve got questions you want answers to, feel free to start a list,” Vex’ahlia said.

    “No, I just - ‘scuse me.” Kima moved past Scanlan, knelt down, and rifled through the interlopers’ pockets. It only took a moment or two before she triumphantly resurfaced with their wallets. “A-ha. They’ve got to have been carrying ID. I can find out plenty if I have their names.”

    “What, have they got their names written down in there?” Vex’ahlia asked skeptically. Kima produced a driver’s license from one wallet, and held it up. Vex’ahlia took it and held it up to the light, examining it critically. “Huh. What’s the point of this?”

    “Complicated to explain, if you’re not familiar with the concept of carrying ID,” Kima said.

    “Then let’s get these two out of here first,” Scanlan said.

    “I got it!” Keyleth volunteered. Vex’ahlia hauled Kima back by the back of her jacket as Keyleth again took on the shape of the huge eagle. Percy stepped back reflexively, buffeted by the wind of displaced air and the stirring of Keyleth’s wide wings.

    “Hold on, I’ve got to open the door!” Scanlan took a running leap onto Keyleth’s back as she wrapped her talons around the two men unfortunate enough to have gotten in Vox Machina’s way. Keyleth launched herself up from the ground - an impressive feat for such a large creature - and circled upwards, soaring away over the trees.

    “Someone’s going to see that and have a lot of questions,” Percy said.

    “Does she normally do that?” Kima asked.

    “Do what?” Vex’ahlia asked.

    “Turn into birds. Don’t think I didn’t catch the part where those two were the ravens from before.”

    “I wasn’t trying to keep that secret,” Vex’ahlia said. “And yes. Birds are her favorite shape to take, aside from Minxie. She likes flying.”

    “Is it a spell?” Percy asked.

    “Not when Keyleth’s doing it. It’s a druid ability, but I don’t remember what it’s called.”

    Percy was still staring up at the sky. “She was holding a staff earlier,” he said, “and she had that bag.”

    “Yes?”

    “Where did they go?”

    “I think technically she still has them when she’s a giant eagle,” Vex’alia said. “She has them when she changes back, anyway.”

    “That...doesn’t make any sense.”

    Vex’ahlia shrugged. “I don’t know. I’m not much one for shapeshifting myself. I don’t have the spells for it.”

    “I can’t believe I’m actually having this conversation with someone,” Kima said. “Also, just so my conscience can be clear - you’re not going to let that guy you shot bleed out, right?”

    “Probably not,” Vex’ahlia said. “Our healer’s not here, but each of us has at least a Cure Wounds on hand.”

    “I don’t like the sound of that ‘probably’.”

    “Well, the arrow’s still in there and damming things up, and Keyleth’s a little scatterbrained. Plus he tried to shoot me. I don’t know if either of them will be inclined to help him out.”

    “Are you?” Percy asked.

    “Absolutely fucking not.”

    “I guess that’s fair,” Kima mused, after a moment of silence. She knelt down, and retrieved the pistol from where it had fallen into a bush.

    “I don’t like the look of that,” Vex’ahlia said.

    “Most people don’t, when confronted with guns.”

    “Is it loaded?”

    “Let me,” Percy said, when Kima looked blank. He ejected the magazine, displaying the now separate parts to Vex’ahlia. “Now it isn’t.”

    “Those don’t look like bullets,” Vex’ahlia said skeptically.

    “They’re inside this. Once it’s fired, unless it jams or breaks, a new bullet is automatically loaded.”

    Vex’ahlia raised her eyebrows. “What a feat.” She did not sound impressed. “You’re familiar with guns, then?”

    “I go down to a range and shoot, sometimes, but I don’t have the free time for it very often these days. Vex has gotten me more into bows and arrows as well.”

    Vex’ahlia gave him an inscrutable look for a moment longer. All three of them were distracted by the return of Keyleth and Scanlan, the former quickly returning to human shape.

    “Hey, Keyleth,” Vex’ahlia said, reaching over and plucking the unloaded gun from Percy’s hand. “You mind dealing with this?”

    “Sure, I guess,” Keyleth said.

    “I thought Heat Metal might work.”

    “Oh! Oh, yeah, I can do that.” Keyleth passed off her staff to Scanlan, who was far overshadowed by it, and turned the gun over in her hands. “Huh. This is fancy.”

    “Sure,” Vex’ahlia said flatly.

    Keyleth switched to one hand and muttered a few words under her breath. Percy could not even attempt to understand them. The gem on the top of her staff caught the light for a split second. He could swear he saw a flame licking up from her palm, underneath the cool steel of the pistol.

    Then Keyleth shrieked, and dropped the red-hot gun.

    “Shit!” Scanlan leaped backwards and away from the volatile object, the staff falling to the wayside. Keyleth pressed her hands to her chest, bending nearly double. Percy took a broad step back, alongside Kima.

    “Why does this always happen?” Vex’ahlia was almost laughing as she put her hands over Keyleth’s. Percy saw a cool green light, for a moment.

    “Thank you,” Keyleth said, sounding strained.

    “Did you forget Heat Metal makes it hot?”

    “Oh, boy, that’s definitely about to set something on fire,” Scanlan said.

    Percy stepped back further as the three of them leaped into panicked, theoretical action. As Keyleth dithered, gesturing frantically, Vex’ahlia snatched up the fallen staff and used the end of it to bat the gun onto an empty patch of dirt, the force of the blow making the gun buckle and bend. Percy realized how hot it must have been, and backed away further. Vex’ahlia rushed to stamp out the flames that were blackening the leaves the pistol had fallen on. Keyleth pulled a genuine leather waterskin from her belt, and dumped it over the gun. A thick cloud of steam rose from it with a loud hiss.

    “Alright, next time we won’t drop it on the ground,” Vex’ahlia sighed. Keyleth made a fist with her tattooed hand, and the steam condensed back into water and dropped on the gun a second time, with similar results but a smaller cloud.

    “Next time Keyleth can remember what her own spells do,” Scanlan said, peering at the twisted metallic remains.

“Oh, fuck off.” Keyleth condensed the steam into water a third time; it pattered down onto what had formerly been a pistol and soaked into the dirt. “I never even use Heat Metal. I don’t have to worry about burning myself when I do Burning Hands.”

“Okay, that’s different, that’s an effect you cast on yourself-”

“Yeah, and I use it a lot more often than Heat Metal!”

“It’s called ‘Heat Metal’! What did you think it was going to do, give you a manicure?”

“Alright, let’s just go before this gets any stupider,” Vex’ahlia said.

“Now?” Percy asked.

“Unless there’s something one of you has forgotten to tell me?”

“I might have more information soon,” Kima said, waving the two pilfered ID cards. “And so might you, if you plan on talking to those two. More than one conversation is probably warranted.”

    “Well, you know where to find us.”

    “It may be difficult,” Percy said. “We’re going out to Lake Minaqua - we won’t be in the city.”

    “We’ll be able to find you,” Vex’ahlia said with confidence. Percy utterly believed her, for the two seconds he had before his brain started questioning exactly how she intended to find them.

    “I’m going to look around for a little while longer,” Keyleth said, “just to make sure no one else is coming. Give me a lift?”

    “Sure.” Vex’ahlia extended a hand, and a moment later a raven was fluttering off with the boost she gave it. “Scanlan, you mind taking us back?”

    “Not at all. I can spare a spell slot.” Scanlan winked at Percy, flourishing his hand as he gave a cocky bow. “See you.” With a snap of his fingers, he and Vex’ahlia were swallowed by a flash of purple energy and vanished.

    “I’m not sure I’m seeing right anymore,” Kima said.

“It does seem very unreal.” Belatedly, Percy pushed the button to stop recording.

    “That’s not the half of it, kid.” Kima crossed the space and knelt in front of the wreck of a pistol, gingerly lifting it. “Does it bother you that they basically kidnapped two people in front of us?”

    “Well, when you put it like that, it’s beginning to.”

    “Eh, just don’t think about it then. That’s working for me. Besides, they seem like relatively trustworthy people.” Kima contemplated the pistol. “Do me a favor?”

    “What?”

    “Take this up with you to that lake place and bury it. Better yet, drop it into the middle of the lake.”

    “I feel like I’m covering up a crime.” But Percy took the gun.

    “Would you prefer to try and explain this to the police?” Kima gestured at the spot where Vex’ahlia and Scanlan had vanished. “We should get back to the car before your mother has a conniption. And if you ever find out from Vex’ahlia how she knows this other Kima, get that story for me.”

Chapter Text

    Everybody

9:59 Percy sent a video.

9:59 Percy: There, now stop hounding me about what happened.

10:00 Whitney: Oh my god percy really??

10:00 Whitney: how???

10:00 Percy: Nobody objected.

10:00 Percy: Though I admit it’s unlikely they realized I was filming.

10:20 Cassandra: What’s a ‘minxy’?

10:20 Percy: I have no idea.

10:20 Ludwig: so, to sum up, these three alternates can, between the three of them, teleport, shapeshift, make cars crash by shooting magic arrows, kill dragons, and maybe enchant people’s minds?

10:20 Oliver: You’re forgetting the control water bits and whatever ‘heat metal’ or ‘burning hands’ are

10:21 Percy: I would assume they’re spells, and judging by ‘heat metal’, fairly self explanatory. Though how burning hands works without damaging the caster is beyond me.

10:21 Percy: As for the arrow, I have suspicions, but nothing concrete.

10:21 Fredrick: Well don’t keep it to yourself.

10:21 Percy: It’s just that my suspicions don’t make sense. But they could.

10:21 Whitney: like.............?

10:21 Ludwig: don’t leave us in suspense.

10:21 Percy: Well, none of you were there for it, but at Ren Faire the usual ‘Quest’ they had running was centered around the vestiges of Divergence.

10:21 Percy: One of which is a bow.

10:21 Cassandra: Vestiges?? Percy really.

10:21 Percy: And Vex’ahlia had a bow which, when fired, made vines grow up from asphalt fast enough and strong enough to stop a car in its tracks.

10:22 Johanna: You’re serious?

10:22 Percy: Well, the Ren Faire bow didn’t look anything like hers, but who knows how much research the prop-maker did.

10:22 Whitney: Percy.

10:22 Whitney: that would be the dopest thing

10:22 Whitney: EVER.

10:22 Oliver: do you think she was serious when she said she could find us in Minaqua?

10:23 Percy: Given everything else I don’t see why not.

10:23 Ludwig: creepy

10:23 Percy: And while we’re listing powers don’t forget that one of them was a competent enough magician to transport three people between realities.

10:23 Ludwig: yeah but apparently Vesper could do that, so.

10:23 Johanna: I have a question. Is that you slipping the magazine of the gun into your pocket, about ten minutes in?

10:23 Percy: I promise I was going to give it to Victor down at the range. I don’t even have anything to shoot it with.

10:23 Cassandra: Won’t he ask where you got it?

10:23 Percy: I doubt it.

10:23 Percy: Victor doesn’t care about anything, except when someone’s about to break a safety rule.

10:23 Johanna: My nerves thank you for the second half of that sentence.

10:24 Percy: Or damage a gun and/or bow.

10:24 Percy: Glad I could help.

10:24 Cassandra: I have a question too

10:24 Cassandra: Are we ever going to talk about Vesper being able to do magic?

10:24 Fredrick: When she gets home.

10:24 Cassandra: Which is...when?

10:24 Johanna: I suppose we’ll ask when we see those three again.

10:24 Vesper: Or now?

10:25 Vesper: This still has battery

10:25 Vesper: Good guess about fenthras

10:25 Whitney: IT IS NOT

10:25 Whitney: HOW DID YOU GET IT?!

10:25 Vesper: Got Keyleth to planeshift us into the feywild, got swindled into making a deal with this asshole satyr who gave us directions, stole it from a different asshole in a swamp

10:25 Vesper: There was a lot more but it was a while ago and I forget some of it

10:25 Ludwig: Is it in the book?

10:25 Vesper: Scanlan’s book? He says yes

10:25 Cassandra: But what did you to do the car?

10:25 Vesper: Entangle. I can cast it with an arrow shot from fenthras twice a day

10:25 Vesper: Now that I think about it those vines are probably still there

10:25 Whitney: Whoops.

10:25 Vesper: I mean I don’t give a shit

10:26 Johanna: While you are here, I would like to ask about Vesper and Julius coming home.

10:26 Vesper: Once we go back and let everyone know what’s up we could bring or send them back but I was under the impression you wanted to talk again before we left

10:26 Johanna: If you intend to return, we could easily have a conversation with everyone after you’ve done so.

10:26 Oliver: yeah I want Vesper back. she owes me big time for keeping MAGICAL SKILL a secret

10:26 Vesper: I guess if you’re into bard stuff sure

10:26 Cassandra: She’s a bard? How does that work?

10:26 Vesper: Don’t know that’s Scanlan’s area of expertise

10:26 Vesper: But if you want to cast magic you have to pick a path to start with and there are only so many ways to cast spells

10:26 Vesper: Hello this is Scanlan Vex is forgetting that only the most excellent and skilled can become true powerful bards and abfkdjsgfnmc,

10:26 Vesper: Hello this is Vex Scanlan is a cocky asshole

10:26 Vesper: Also Keyleth would like to know if you have any pictures of that lake place you’re going

10:27 Fredrick: What for?

10:27 Vesper: How else are we supposed to find you again especially if we leave

10:27 Oliver: What, like of the house?

10:27 Vesper: General area is fine unless you have a tree in front of your house

10:27 Whitney: that’s weirdly specific

10:27 Vesper: Keyleth is dictating she has developed a sense for the dramatic

10:27 Vesper: In case you were curious Keyleth is now complaining that I am blaming her for my shortening of her dictated sentences

10:27 Vesper: Blah blah scrying blah blah her teleport spells use trees blah see you wherever a picture helps will send Vesper and Julius along pronto

10:27 Vesper: Shit the battery thing says three

10:27 Johanna sent a picture.

10:27 Ludwig: Don’t you have a charger?

10:31 Cassandra: I guess not.

    “Damn.” Vex whacked the phone with her palm a third time, but the chat screen still did not magically restore itself. “Must be what Vesper warned me about.”

    “Is it dead?” Scanlan craned his neck to try and look. He was still sprawled on the floor where he had landed, after Vex had shoved him after he’d grabbed the phone. His feet were propped on the edge of her chair.

    “Must be. The screen’s gone black.” Vex tucked it away with a sigh.

    “At least I saw the picture,” Keyleth said.

“Yeah. But All the more reason to go back and hand it back over to Vesper, I guess. She probably knows a way to fix it.”

    “Back already?” Keyleth questioned.

    “I did tell you what they were saying, Keyleth. There’s not really a reason to stay. We got answers from those two - what else is left?” The two men had been lamentably ill-informed. They knew who hired them, but they’d only been told to keep an eye on Percy, and let the Briarwoods know if he had any habits in his schedule. They both believed that the job would end up being violent, but they only carried pistols because they liked being armed, not because they’d been ordered to.

The Briarwoods had indicated that they’d be giving other orders, when the time came, but the time had not yet come, according to the men. A Charm Person spell could only go so far - the Charmed couldn’t give information they didn’t know.

“Getting rid of them?” Scanlan suggested.

“Are we going to kill them?” Keyleth asked. “Other than a stunningly bad choice in employer, I don’t know if they’ve actually done anything wrong. And they were really easy to defeat. It would feel like kicking a kid. Don’t,” she said, suddenly severe, as Scanlan opened his mouth. Scanlan closed his mouth.

“You have a point, I guess, but I’d hate for them to run back and tell the Briarwoods about us,” Vex said.

“Oh, yeah.”

“Scanlan, you could Modify Memory them, right?”

“Nope,” Scanlan said. “That only does ten minutes of memory for each of them.”

“Could you cast it multiple times?”

Scanlan thought for a moment. “Maybe? Who knows how well that’ll work here, though. Sleep only worked for like, forty seconds.”

Silently, they each brooded for a moment.

“It’s so weird to have to estimate how much any given spell is going to not work,” Keyleth said. “I wonder why that’s such a given here. Did you feel what shapeshifting was like?”

“Like pulling teeth,” Scanlan said. “I know. Probably it’s for the same reason nobody does magic here anymore.”

“I felt it too,” Vex said. “Entangle worked slower than I’ve ever seen it work. I thought the car was going to get past for a second.”

“At least spells do work on this side,” Keyleth said. “Imagine if they didn’t.”

Another silent pause descended as each of the three spellcasters tried to imagine it.

“This world is strange,” Scanlan said. “Not just because of the magic. Haven’t you...felt it?”

“Yes,” said Vex and Keyleth simultaneously.

“It’s not right,” Scanlan said. “It’s like there’s something here that just...doesn’t work right, to allow magic to happen. The mansion’s missing half its rooms and the springs don’t flow. The number of rooms missing, and which ones they are, changes every time I look. And...it doesn’t feel right. The mansion or this world. It feels unstable in here, and outside I don’t feel like myself. It feels like something changed, just by us existing here.”

“Yes,” Keyleth said, her relief at someone being able to put it into words palpable. “It’s not a normal plane shift feeling, either. Other realms feel different, but this one feels like it made us different.”

“Maybe,” Vex said, “it’s - well, you know what we’re like. Adventuring makes you tough in a way that chopping wood every day  or training with a sword doesn’t. And I don’t think there are adventurers here.”

“What you’re saying is there can’t be adventurers here,” Scanlan said. “No magic, no monsters to fight. And if you don’t have magic, you can’t get more magically powerful.”

“No,” Keyleth said. “And - it’s like just being here has had an effect on us. We’re powerful, but in this world, there’s no way to end up like we have.”

“We can’t lose what we’ve already got,” Scanlan said, “but this world doesn’t want us to have it.”

A third silence descended.

“All the more reason to head back,” Vex said briskly, shattering the tense air with a loud, no-nonsense voice as she stood. “We’ve learned as much as we can know, without tracking down the Briarwoods themselves.”

“And those two men?” Keyleth asked. “We can’t leave them in the mansion.”

“Literally can’t, I’ll remind you,” Scanlan said. “They’ll just fall out when I dismiss the spell.”

“Why don’t we just bring them back with us?” Vex asked, exasperated. “We can shove them off on someone else - they’re not technically criminals - and stop worrying about it.”

“That seems kind of mean,” Keyleth observed.

“Well, the only other way we can stop them for sure from getting back to the Briarwoods is killing them, and that’s a lot meaner.”

“Could you manage it?” Scanlan asked. Keyleth frowned thoughtfully.

“If they’re not willing...” She said doubtfully.

“What if they were?”

“Can you manage both of them?”

Scanlan hesitated. “I could do at least one with heavy Charm,” he said. “We’ll just threaten the other one.”

“Alright, it’s a plan,” Vex said. “Let’s get our shit together and go before any more time passes back home.”

“I think I left my tuning fork in my room,” Keyleth said, and made for the stairs. As Scanlan stood to follow her, Vex caught his arm.

“Since we got here,” she said, “have you tried...?” She gestured to her forehead, in between her eyes.

“Oh,” Scanlan said. “No. I don’t know what would happen. You?”

“No. I don’t know either.”

“I doubt we’ll need those.”

“But we might.”

“Well, we’ll...” Scanlan hesitated for longer than his skill with words necessitated. “Figure it out when we get to that.”

“Sure,” Vex said, and let go. “And you’re definitely sure things won’t get lost in here if we accidentally leave something behind?”

“You brought like, three things besides Fenthras,” Scanlan scoffed. “Yes, I’m sure. If we can fail to leave two entire humans behind, without them falling out once I close up the mansion, you’ll get back whatever coins have fallen into the corner of your room or whatever.”

“Alright, alright. Just go charm the face off one of those guys.”

About half a day into Vex’s absence, Vesper went downstairs intending to use the backyard to practice magic, and found it already occupied.

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said, as Leo nearly leaped off the back steps in surprise. “I didn’t think anyone else would be out here.”

Leo, still holding one of his shoes, said, “I’m always out here this time. I mean this day of the week.”

“I’ve only been here for three days.”

Leo gave her a baleful look, and took off his other shoe to dump them both on the ground. Eutychia mewed insistently and shoved past Vesper’s legs to sniff around in the grass, and at the laces of Leo’s shoes.

“Don’t run off,” Vesper told her. Eutychia looked up, purred, and trotted off along the side of the house. “I said don’t-” Vesper gave up on the sentence and set off after Eutychia, scooping her up before she could wander into Trinket’s (occupied) pen. But to her surprise, it was not occupied at all.

“I thought Vex had left Trinket here,” she said.

“Elaina came and got him,” Leo said. “I’m not allowed to practice magic in the backyard while he’s here. It makes him think there’s a fight.”

“Ah, I see.” Eutychia wriggled and gently poked her claws into the skin of Vesper’s arms until Vesper put her down again.

“Is that a familiar?” Leo asked, as Eutychia went off to explore the rest of the yard.

“Is there a distinction between familiars and normal animals?” Vesper asked. “I’m a bona fide spellcaster, so I’ve discovered, and she’s my cat. That sounds like a familiar to me.”

“No,” Leo said, his tone patient in the passive-aggressive way that only teenagers could properly manage, “That would make her a regular animal companion. I mean, is she a familiar, like Find Familiar?”

“If that’s a spell, I don’t know it.”

“I guess not.” Leo sounded disappointed.

“I got her yesterday, from a vendor,” Vesper offered. “Does that count?”

Leo brightened up again. “Those ones that come as little charms? Elaina told me about those, but I’ve never seen them.”

“Really? I thought Highsummer had been happening for several years.”

“I’m not allowed to leave the castle during Highsummer.” Leo rubbed one hand with the other. “Not during the...well, you know which parts. Anyway, I’ve never actually seen one. Elaina said she was going to get one, to keep up with Vesper, but mom wouldn’t let her.”

“Well, as you see, mine is right here,” Vesper said. “And I have the charm as well. I didn’t know your Vesper had a familiar.”

“She learned the spell. Can I see-?”

“Sure.” Vesper dug the cat charm out of her pocket, and held it out to Leo as he rushed over. “Careful. I’m not sure how much of cats always landing on their feet extends to this.” She noticed, while Leo was paying careful attention to the clay cat sitting on his palm, that on his palm the stem of a flower straggled up from his wrist to bloom with yellow-red petals at the exact center of his palm. The colors were surprisingly vibrant, for someone with such pale skin.

“You match your mother,” Vesper said. “Sort of, at least.”

“Oh. Yeah.” Another unenthusiastic subject of conversation. Leo watched the figurine sniff at his curled fingers. “‘S from my patron.”

“Hm.” Vesper considered Leo, and put together what she knew of him and of teenage boys in general, especially moody ones. Oliver and Ludwig provided a wealth of background on such subjects. “You know, I really haven’t heard of Find Familiar before. Scanlan never mentioned it to me. Is there anything you could tell me about it?”

“Well, I know Vesper uses it a lot to avoid people when they’re trying to talk to her,” Leo said authoritatively. “She has a kestrel kind of falcon, and she can look through its eyes when she wants. But if you see and hear through your familiar, you can’t see or hear through yourself, so then she can say ‘oh sorry, didn’t hear you’, even though she’s doing it on purpose. Oh!” The figurine had tried to walk under his sleeve. Leo pushed it back out, visibly wobbling over the line between doing it quickly and doing it carefully. Vesper was surprised he was even attempting to take care not to break the cat. “Um, and I know that Lorraine does basically whatever Vesper wants. Her familiar, I mean, that’s her name. Familiars from that spell are technically fey creatures, too.”

“Somehow I’d guessed that much,” Vesper said wryly. Leo frowned.

“They can switch back between here and the Feywild, too,” he said. “You can dismiss them and call them back in any place you like. You could probably summon your cat back to you right now.”

“That’s very handy. But I think I’ll leave her to exploring for a little longer.” It seemed rude to just snap her fingers and summon Eutychia away from whatever she was doing.

“And you can summon her back from there if she dies, too. Familiars can’t technically die, they just...poof.” Leo’s hands twitched as if he meant to gesture and then thought better of it. “And they go back to the Feywild. So you can get her back from the Feywild by recasting the spell.”

“Huh,” Vesper said. “I wonder if it changes things, that I didn’t cast the spell in the first place.”

“Oh.” Leo looked down at the figurine, which was now kneading the base of one thumb. “I don’t know. Maybe keep the right things on hand. You have to burn a lot of incense and herbs. Oh! And if you cast the spell when it’s already there, you can make it take a different animal shape. Vesper made hers into a dog once, just to see, but I don’t think Lorraine liked that, so it didn’t last.”

Impulsively, Vesper thought of turning Eutychia into something that could fly and watching through her eyes. But ‘a lot of incense and herbs’ did not sound specific enough to let her cast the spell, and anyway she still liked cats best. She wasn’t sure how to care for a bird.

“That’s good to know,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Mm-hm.”

Vesper did not see what kind of spells he was practicing - she thought it best to give him privacy - but as she left, just to see if she could, she summoned Eutychia onto her shoulders. The cat appeared in an instant, with only a faint spit of magical energy. Feeling much more assured of herself, and a great deal more cheerful, she experimented with the limits of the spell until Julius came back from wherever he’d run off to - which turned out to have been the Alchemist’s Guild.

“I won’t say I understand either guild fully, but they’re fascinating,” he said. “Taryon’s trying to work out if they could make some kind of metal token with the travel spell inscribed on it, so Scanlan wouldn’t need to make a new scroll every time someone wanted to go or come back.”

“How’s it going?”

“I’m not sure.” Julius sat down next to Vesper, which is to say, he wedged himself in between her and the arm of the chair as much as possible until she gave in and scooted over. “Mostly the Alchemists and Engineers are arguing. Imbuing items with magic seems to fall under the umbrella of something called artificing, and nobody can agree which guild that falls under the purview of. But mostly the argument seems to be about which guild head gets to supervise. They’re right next door to each other, and apparently the Engineers are sore about them constantly exploding things just across the yard.”

“Only in Whitestone,” Vesper said with a grin.

“Only in this Whitestone, you mean.”

“Right. I keep forgetting about Whitestone back home.”

“You’re the only one who’s been there,” Julius teased. “How could you forget? Weren’t you doing all sorts of history research?”

“Poorly,” Vesper said wryly. “I’ve never been able to get through academic literature properly.”

“I do remember that being a major feature of your college era complaints,” Julius reflected. “You seem to be doing alright with magic, though.”

“That just sort of happened. I haven’t read much about the spells. I can do this now, though, watch.” Vesper had Eutychia poof from the windowsill, where she was soaking in as much sun as possible, to Vesper’s lap. Eutychia settled with a reluctant mrow and much kneading of Vesper’s legs with her claws.

“Oh good, your new cat is magic too,” Julius said.

“Very. From what I can guess, or find out, she might even be a little bit fey.”

“Is that safe?” Julius eyed Eutychia much more warily than he had half a second ago.

“If it’s not, it’s too late. I’m already in love.” Vesper scooped Eutychia up, pressing her face into the side of the cat’s fluffy neck. “I’ve been enchanted by her fey ways of licking her butt in my bed at three in the morning.”

“Gross,” Julius snorted, pulling a face.

“At least she’s got the idea of using the outdoors as her litterbox.”

“I suppose that’s just naturally built into the instincts of fey creatures.”

“Naturally.” Vesper smiled.

“What are you going to do when we go home?” Julius asked. “She seems like something that would want to stay.”

“I don’t see why the spell we used before couldn’t bring cats along, too, if it can bring multiple people,” Vesper said.

“Yes, but there’s no way you’re going to be able to keep doing that trick at home.”

“Says who?” Vesper asked, feeling defensive. She’d expected Julius to be impressed by the cat teleportation. “I’ve done some magic at home.”

“What? When?”

“Never when you were watching, don’t freak out. But I have.” With difficulty, Vesper added in her head, and only cantrips. “What?” Julius was simply looking at her, with the strangest expression.

“I never expected to hear you talk about spells and magic so earnestly,” he said. “Percy, maybe, if he’d read some book about it, and Cassandra for sure - but never you.”

“Oh, look at where we are, Julius. Is there any other way to talk about it?”

“All of this is because you did magic in the first place,” Julius said. “This world, this Whitestone - you interact with it all so effortlessly. I’m still stopping every three seconds to readjust my expectations of what’s normal and what’s not.”

“That’s normal-”

“And you know what someone should expect when they’re new here,” Julius finished. “Anyway, when do you think we are going to go home? We’ve been here nearly a week.”

“If by nearly a week you mean three or four days, sure, we have,” Vesper agreed, privately thinking that Julius was exaggerating. “I assume once Vex and the others return, we’ll know.”

“And what if that’s not for months?”

“Well, what else can we do? Scanlan is the only one in Whitestone who can make the right teleportation scrolls, and he went with her.” Vesper frowned when Julius sighed in response, and looked away. “What is it?”

“I don’t like waiting,” Julius said. “Just because you’re comfortable here, doesn’t mean I am.”

“I’m comfortable here?” Vesper repeated in surprise.

“You’re learning magic!” Julius gestured at the cat she was still holding. “You’ve got a fey pet and you already know everybody worth knowing in this city. And I’m sure the fashion doesn’t half thrill you. I just can’t get comfortable in a place where a version of me was murdered.”

“And you imagine I am?” Vesper asked sharply. “That that never bothers me?”

“You never show any sign of it.”

Vesper scoffed. “You know better than to say something like that to me.” Julius was always the one who’d complained most about her ability to keep a straight face, usually after losing money to her at poker. But for some reason, her reply made him look disconcerted. Julius gave her a long, searching look that Vesper turned away from after a few seconds. She felt his gaze still weighing on her.

“And what if what you’ve learned doesn’t last once we’re home?” Julius asked.

“Do you really think I’d trade a cat and a few spells for family?” Vesper asked. “Come on, Julius.”

“All right, maybe I’m projecting a little.” Julius’s voice ascended into a more cheerful register a little too quickly. “The guilds I’ve seen are pretty cool. You know, I think I’ve seen the other Vesper hanging around the Alchemists, once or twice.”

“You’ve only been to the Alchemists once or twice.”

“Nevertheless, she was there. I wonder if she got an apprenticeship with them? Isn’t that what noblemen do with their children? Send them off to apprenticeships?”

“I think you’re severely misremembering your history lessons,” Vesper said, turning with the changing conversation readily. “But maybe you can take some alchemical knowledge home with you.”

“I don’t think they would allow one-day apprenticeships.”

“You never know. Vesper might know something she’s willing to share - unless she’s a guild member?” Vesper finally looked back at Julius, one eyebrow raised in question.

Julius shrugged. “I have no idea if she is. But I’ll see if I can’t catch her later tonight, since none of them seem to be inclined to leave.” Percy and all five children had remained at the house rather than the castle ever since Vex left.

Young Vesper and Julius did end up spending a greater portion of the evening sequestered in a corner of the parlor, talking Alchemy in terms incomprehensible to Vesper. She was assured, at least, that Julius looked at least as confused as she felt when she caught a word or two.

Percy kept a close eye on the two of them, too, or at the very least on Young Vesper, but he could only watch so closely when two other children were demanding attention, and Elaina had no shame about badgering any of them to play board games with her until they acquiesced out of sheer annoyance. Leo alone was absent, having retreated up to his room to do who-knew-what.

Vesper alone, therefore, caught the looks Young Vesper threw at her father, like she was making sure he wasn’t listening. When she asked Julius about it later, he laughed and said, “She doesn’t want him to know she’s been doing experiments in her free time. Apparently she’s not meant to take things outside the guildhall, and especially not to work with them without supervision. But apparently she keeps some bits and pieces in her room.”

“Oh, no. Here?” Vesper asked.

“I think so. She assured me that none of it is dangerous in its present state, and it’s all stored safely.”

“This is like Oliver’s AP Chemistry class all over again,” Vesper sighed.

“Hopefully it’s not as bad as that.”

“Our only hope is that, somehow, she’s seen his mistakes from across worlds and learned from them.” Both of them laughed, remembering how some of Oliver’s home experiments had turned out. “Goodnight, Julius.”

“Goodnight, Vesper.”

    Vesper dreamed that night, and though it wasn’t a nightmare, she woke up unsettled and with the fading image of fire through the trees imprinted on the back of her eyelids.

    A full day into Vex, Keyleth, and Scanlan’s absence now, Pike and Grog came by the house to spirit away Taryon. Vesper gathered, from his complaints after he came back, that they’d recruited him for a vaguely friendly, no-holds-barred wrestling match. Lawrence seemed mostly entertained by the tale, and in truth Taryon bore no hurt any worse than a large bruise (though he had several of those).

Lawrence, while Taryon was gone, seemed to be the only person left in the house. Young Vesper and Julius had vanished into the depths of the Alchemist’s guild, and Vesper half expected Julius to come back talking about turning lead into gold. Leo had either vanished or was still shut up in his room, and the younger two were outside playing with Trinket. Wherever Percy had gone, he didn’t seem to think two preteens and a bear were a group that required supervision.

No one saw hide nor hair of Vex until late afternoon, when she screeched to a halt on her broomstick just before the front door and three seconds ahead of a breaking thunderstorm.

The Riflemen lingering on the porch saw her first, of course. Vesper saw her somewhere around seventh, when she came to look down into the foyer and see what all the fuss was about. The explanation of Vex’s sudden, and lone, return came in pieces as Vesper eavesdropped only slightly more obviously than Ofelia and Freddie, who were hiding around a corner.

Vex, Keyleth, and Scanlan had returned with two prisoners, ending up on the fringes of the city in the Parchwood. Vex had immediately shot off to warn the Pale Guard and the Riflemen of the situation, and two guards immediately set off at her order for the castle, to warn those there and prepare the dungeons. Percy had appeared out of nowhere, inexplicably holding a screwdriver, and was talking to Vex in a low voice when Scanlan walked in, expression as stormy as the skies outside and empty-handed.

The noise level rose significantly after he explained that the non-Charmed prisoner, seeing his chance, had made a break for it. In trying to capture him, Keyleth had summoned a storm and Scanlan’s attempted Hold Person had made him lose concentration on the Charm. The other had taken off in a different direction, and the driving rain now coming down from Keyleth’s spell confused their tracking efforts and made the Parchwood more difficult than usual to navigate. Keyleth had stayed out to continue looking - Scanlan had returned to, sullenly and with injured pride, break the news.

The remaining Riflemen immediately departed to guard the front and back doors, and to alert the Pale Guard. Vesper was considering trying to persuade Ofelia and Freddie to go back into their room when Keyleth burst in, also empty-handed and overflowing with apologies.

Amid the noise and arguing, Vesper saw Vex draw in a deep breath.

“Enough,” Vex said, and that was enough to silence everyone who remained. Except for Pike and Grog, all of Vox Machina stood below, most of them lacking armor or weapons. “This isn’t a matter for the Riflemen anymore. I’m going on a Hunt.”

Keyleth sucked in a breath. Percy straightened his stance. Lawrence cast a sidelong glance at Taryon.

“Are you sure?” Percy asked into the silence. Vex nodded, her fingers flexing around the grip of Fenthras.

“I’ll be back,” she said, and turned fluidly and left. A moment later, Vesper heard the back door close, followed by a fainter bearish grumble from outside.

“A Hunt?” Lawrence asked warily.

“A Hunt the likes of which the Mistress of the Grey Hunt is occasionally obligated to complete,” Percy said. He sighed, and put the screwdriver in his pocket. “She’ll come back when she’s done, though who knows how long it will take. Until then, the city needs to remain secure.” Vesper watched as he turned to the lone Rifleman still attending to the family, and began issuing commands. People began to disperse, carrying orders to other corners of the city.

“When she’s done,” Lawrence echoed, and turned to Taryon. “What does that mean? When they’re dead?”

“I don’t think it necessarily ends with death,” Taryon said. “I’ve seen her go out Hunting before. The Hunt ends when whatever threat is, well, a threat, is gone. Sometimes she convinces it to leave.”

“Hm,” was all Lawrence said.

“Taryon,” Percy called, “can you see if Vesper is still at the Alchemist’s-?”

“Of course,” Taryon said. “Lawrence?”

“I’ll come.”

    “And Ofelia,” Percy said wryly, as Taryon and Lawrence moved around him. A gasp and a noise like someone scrambling backwards told Vesper Ofelia had heard. “If you want to eavesdrop, it’s better not to show your face even when you think I can’t see you. You’re getting taller.”

    Vesper restrained a smile, turning to glance at the bedroom door that was hastily being eased shut - a contradiction the two children were managing quite well. When she looked back down, Percy was already looking in her direction.

    They held the mutual gaze for a moment, even through the darkness that was descending in the house. Upstairs, lights were turning on, and lamplight shone through the windows despite the clouds and rain. Percy opened his mouth, as if to say something, then turned away and without a word walked back into the depths of the house.

    There was no word from Vex, or sight of her, for a long time. Julius and Young Vesper were returned to the house speedily by Riflemen who quickly set off on other errands. Only Lawrence returned with them, Taryon choosing whatever duty of protecting Whitestone he was best suited for. Julius sought out Vesper immediately, and despite the way the night drew ever closer, refused to go to his own room and leave her alone. So Vesper stayed up late talking to him, and while they were having a stupid argument about which Power Ranger was cooler, Eutychia sat straight up with her ears pricked and looked at the wall.

    Both Vesper and Julius looked down at her, surprised at the sudden movement. Eutychia was looking in no particular direction, but focusing on it intensely.

    “That’s a normal cat thing, right?” Julius asked.

    “Yes, but she’s not a normal cat.” Curious, Vesper curled a hand around Eutychia’s chest and lifted her into her lap. Eutychia allowed it, but her gaze stayed fixed on the same spot. “Hm.”

    “I don’t hear anything.” Julius was listing to one side, he was listening so hard.

    “You know,” Vesper said slowly, “Leo told me that with magical familiars, the owner can look through their eyes sometimes. What if I sent Eutychia downstairs?”

    “Do you think you can do that?” Julius looked at her in surprise.

    “I could try.” Vesper scooped up Eutychia again, and put her on the floor. “Go look outside, please?”

    Eutychia trotted over to the door, and turned to look at Vesper expectantly. Vesper got up to creep over and open the door a crack. Eutychia slipped out, and Vesper went back to the bed.

    “I don’t know precisely how this works,” she confessed, sitting back down.

    “Looking through a cat’s eyes? I imagine not.” Julius did not comment on the way Vesper had grabbed his hand. Vesper smiled briefly at him, cheered by his casualness, and took a deep breath.

    If she had been able to obtain Eutychia, somehow via the charm, there had to be a way to accomplish the other parts of the spell that Leo had told her about. But as she tried to focus, she found that she could tell that Eutychia was sitting just outside the door still. Vesper frowned at the door, and blinked, and found herself staring at the other side of it.

    Eutychia’s point of view was lower to the ground. The thought had no sooner entered Vesper’s mind to try to look around than her line of sight moved, revealing the common room. Everything seemed slightly blurry and cast in strange colors, but a great deal brighter than Vesper would have expected the room to be. Eutychia’s night vision, and poor color sight, must have been affecting her own.

    Eutychia, with a thought from Vesper, went prowling off towards the thing she had been looking towards, since the common room was empty. As she came to the top of the stairs, Vesper could see through the bars of the railing and into the foyer below.

    The front door was closed, but someone was moving about very quietly inside. A human figure, in oddly modern clothes, was walking with deliberate slowness towards the door. Vesper sucked in a breath, trying to stay as quiet as possible. As she watched, he checked something through one of the front windows, then crept away again. He paused in the middle of the room, eyes cast downwards as if in thought. He did not seem to have seen Eutychia.

    A faint creak made Eutychia’s head swivel around. One of the bedroom doors had opened, and Ofelia was wandering out, rubbing her eyes.

    “Get back inside!” Vesper hissed. It was the strangest sensation - she could feel her mouth moving, but no noise reached her ears. Julius squeezed her hand, but said nothing. Eutychia hissed, which Vesper did hear, and Ofelia paused, frowning in confusion at the cat.

    “Don’t be mean,” she mumbled sleepily. She made to move towards the stairs, but a thought from Vesper had Eutychia pressing up against her legs, pushing backwards. That took her away from the railing - Vesper couldn’t see where the figure downstairs had gone, if they’d moved at all.

    Grumbling, Ofelia picked up Eutychia. Vesper grimaced, but other than making Eutychia try to wiggle out of a twelve-year-old grip without using her claws, Vesper could only strain to see where the mysterious person had gone. Ofelia went around the stairs, luckily, not down them.

    The person in the foyer was doing a good job of hiding. Vesper only spotted him via Eutychia when Ofelia did, as a wrong step set a loose floorboard squeaking loud enough that Vesper felt Julius’s hand move as he twitched in surprise.

    Ofelia paused. A moment of utter silence passed.

    “Hello?” Ofelia said. Vesper winced.

    “Go back to bed,” said the man downstairs. Vesper gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth - she knew that voice. Whoever was downstairs was one of the two that had followed her and Julius.

    Hands grabbed her by the shoulders, but Vesper could barely feel it over the tense beating of her own heart and Ofelia calling, worried, “Dad? There’s someone in the house-”

    Ofelia didn’t get through ‘someone’ before the man downstairs took off, feet pounding against the floorboards. Two doors crashed open simultaneously - the back door, unseen, and the door to the master bedroom as Percy tumbled out of it, still in pajamas and a loose robe, missing his glasses and with a wild look on his face.

    “Dad-”

    “Ofelia - get inside, quick.” Percy took Ofelia by the shoulders and pushed her into the bedroom. He seized a sheathed sword from where it had been sitting near the door, and pushed the door closed again. As his footsteps swiftly departed, and Ofelia clutched Eutychia tighter, there was a flash of light from outside and a crack like a firework exploding. Over it, someone cried, “Intruder!”

    “Vesper!” Vesper was jolted back into her own eyes as Julius shook her hard enough that she half fell off the bed. She had to grab onto his arm to stop herself from hitting the floor.

    “Wh - what?”

    “Thank god!” Julius’s expression was wild. “I’ve been trying to get your attention since you started! What the hell is going on?”

    “One of them is here,” Vesper said, heart still pounding. “The people Vex brought back - it’s the same two who followed us!”

    “What?”

    There was more shouting outside, now, and in the room next door there was a thump and a muffled voice cursing that sounded like Lawrence. Julius got up in a rush and threw the door open to stride into the common room and look out the windows. Others were peeking out their doors too - Freddie was hiding behind a door opened the tiniest crack, and the twins were taking up the whole doorway trying to get out at the same time.

    “What’s going on?” Elaina demanded.

    “Where’d Ofelia go?” Freddie asked. Suddenly troubled, Vesper made her own swift exit, heading towards the master bedroom. As she passed the stairs, there was a double crack of rifle fire. Vesper froze, and despite herself, looked behind her just to check that there was no sign of fire.

    Ofelia, when Vesper peeked inside, had migrated to the bed and was still clutching Eutychia. Eutychia mewed a greeting.

    “Are you alright?” Vesper asked quietly. Ofelia sniffed. Her face was buried in Eutychia’s side, and she was curled up in a shadowy lump. Vesper groped for a light to turn on, and found a magical gaslight which she could turn up to a suitable dim illumination.

    Ofelia did not respond, but once Vesper came inside properly, Eutychia wiggled out of her grip and trotted over to Vesper, mewing plaintively. The shouting outside was getting farther away, or maybe just fainter.

    “Ofelia?” Vesper tried. She hadn’t had to comfort an upset preteen since she was in high school - Cassandra at that age had always been very private, so it was never an issue with her, but Ludwig was a crybaby as a kid.

    “I’ll get this.” Vesper jumped - Percy had managed to sneak up on her. He’d lost the sword somewhere along the way back upstairs. Still as disheveled as he’d been when he left, he slipped past her, and easily scooped up Ofelia into an embrace. Vesper backed out as Ofelia started crying in earnest, feeling discomfitted and embarrassed and thoroughly off-kilter, and possessed with the childish desire for her father to be there.

    She’d thought that here, at least, the Briarwoods couldn’t reach her.

    “This is the one we have in custody now,” Percy said, when he’d finished explaining the events of the previous night to the assembled Chamber. As the second time in less than a week that they’d been assembled, the situation now seemed unusually dire to all of them.

“But what of the second man?” Asked Koryakov, who had attended to the whole story with a dark frown.

“Dead,” Vex answered. “The Hunt is finished.” She looked no happier to deliver the news. Learning that the prisoner who had escaped had broken into her own house in her absence had infuriated her, no matter how often Percy reassured her that he had been quick on the draw.

“So the question is, what do we want to do with the first man,” Thalsson guessed.

“Then it is a matter of city justice,” Keeper Yennen declared, and looked towards the head of the table. “Lady Cassandra?”

Cassandra was slow to respond. She sat ramrod straight, as always, with her fingers steepled over her mouth and her eyes downcast. Percy could read the tension in the lines on her face.

“This man is formally charged with breaking and entering,” she said, “is he not?”

“Also with attempting to murder a Rifleman,” Percy said. Cassandra looked up at him. “He stole a dagger from Ben Marov and tried to stab him in the throat.”

“And where this man comes from, he is a colluder with the Briarwoods.”

“Yes.”

“Then I want him dead,” Cassandra said, with cold certainty. “Do any here oppose this?”

No one spoke. Cassandra nodded.

“Have the Riflemen informed,” she said. “And while we’re on the subject, I would like to say that this business of crossing universes does not seem to have been anything but bad for Whitestone.”

“Brief danger, surely,” Koryakov protested. “The Riflemen and Lady de Rolo had the matter well in hand.”

“The fact that it was a danger - from those kind of people - is precisely what concerns me.”

“A danger they brought only because they were confronted by it in their home,” Vex’ahlia interjected. Cassandra glanced at her, eyes narrowing, and did not speak for several moments.

“Nevertheless,” she said, “Whitestone has had enough of the Briarwoods’ men.”

Vex’ahlia nodded, slowly.

“I want both who remain in the city sent back to their home as quickly as possible,” Cassandra said. “What judgement is passed on what aid we may send them, once they’ve returned, I leave to you, Percival. I will have no more of this. That is my final word.”

“Very well,” Percy sighed. He’d been anticipating something like that. Cassandra had been on edge ever since she’d returned, knowing that Vesper and Julius in Whitestone, and normally her vacations helped her relax a bit. “I’ll ask Scanlan how quickly he can put together another one of those spell scrolls.”

“Then our business is done.” Cassandra stood. With a great scraping of chairs everyone except Percy and Vex hurried to stand as well, though Keeper Yennen’s hurrying was understandably a little slower. As was their custom, while the others went out into the main halls of the castle, Percy and Cassandra went wordlessly into Percy’s office together.

“I was thinking about how many people these spell scrolls can feasibly transport,” Percy said conversationally, sliding behind the desk and sweeping up a pile of papers to organize them. “It might help whoever goes back over to take a few Riflemen.”

“Absolutely not,” Cassandra scoffed, sitting primly in the chair opposite his. “Whitestone needs the Riflemen.”

“Not all of them, not all the time. Whatever turmoil still lies to the south, we’re far away from it.”

“And what if time goes strange on their side, and they don’t return for months?”

“Then we send only a few who are willing and aware of the risks.”

Cassandra observed him as he shuffled the neatened papers into a drawer. Percy made a mental note to leave himself a note to remind himself where he’d left them.

“They’re not really Vesper and Julius, Percival,” she said. Percy stiffened, stopping midway through closing the drawer.

“I understand their origins,” he said quietly, and shut the drawer. “They are not our siblings. That does not mean they are not Vesper and Julius de Rolo, nor does it mean they do not need our help.”

Cassandra’s mouth thinned. She laid her hands neatly in her lap, and straightened her posture to further impeccability.

“Then it is purely your business now,” she said. “I won’t have anything more to do with it.”

“A fact, or a promise?” Percy asked mildly, and then added when he saw Cassandra’s face, “No, don’t answer. I know. I can have them out of Whitestone by tonight.”

“Good,” said Cassandra, but she sounded tired rather than pleased. Percy’s gaze lingered on her, though his hands moved with nervous energy, straightening this and that on the desk.

“I apologize for the situation,” he said. “Normally you’re able to relax a little more when you come back from a vacation.”

Cassandra scoffed again. “Hardly. This city never rests, and I came back on the first day of Highsummer.”

“This is more than that, or else you wouldn’t be taking it so personally.”

“Oh, shut up.”

“It’s my office.”

Rolling her eyes, Cassandra got up and made to leave. But when she was at the door, Percy said, “Cassandra.” She paused and looked back at him.

“You know that if anything resembling the Briarwoods ever tried to come here,” he said, “I would do everything in my power to stop it?”

“I would be disappointed in anything less,” Cassandra said. She nodded, once and sharply, and swept out.

Chapter Text

    Vesper and Julius left late at night, wearing the clothes they had arrived in and carrying mostly what they had brought with them. With Vex’s tip and Scanlan’s magical proficiency, Vesper had a spell scroll in hand, the image of her family’s home in Minaqua firmly fixed in her mind, and Eutychia draped over her shoulders.

Vesper felt more nervous, somehow, than when she’d been using the same spell to escape gun-wielding strangers. But it was over just as quickly in a less stressful environment, and once they were past the requisite void of blackness she and Julius immediately tripped and fell off the stairs.

“Ouch!” Vesper cried as she hit the ground. Eutychia shot off with a yowl, and Julius said “Shit!” as he banged his head on the polished wooden floors.

The two of them lay there for a minute, panting. Julius started laughing after a moment, breathlessly, and Vesper levered herself into a sitting position to give him a raised-eyebrow, what-the-hell look.

“I am so goddamn glad to be back here,” Julius said, still laughing. “Gods! That spell doesn’t let up, does it. Is it broken like the last one?”

Vesper lifted her hand. “It is.” Unsurprisingly, the array drawn so neatly had scorched itself into the paper. “At least there was no broken glass this time.” Scanlan had dusted the whole paper in a fine glittering powder of residuum, fine enough that it only barely pricked at Vesper’s fingers. It had fused into a thin, marbled sheen of glass over the paper, so that Vesper didn’t dare try to fold it.

Julius pushed himself up as well, to look curiously around them. “Someone should have heard and come running by now,” he said. “We must have beaten them here.”

“Should we text them? Plugging in a phone is an option now.” Vesper stood up, and put the paper with the array aside on the bureau table that had stood for as long as she could remember just next to the stairs. The house seemed oddly empty, with only the noise of her and Julius and no suitcases or boxes or backpacks clogging up the entryway.

“Oh shit, yeah. Can I borrow your charger?”

“After I use it on my phone, yes.”

Julius stuck his tongue out at her. Laughing, Vesper went to find an outlet. She had to dump her purse out to rifle through everything inside it and find her charger cord - the vial of storm, which she had nearly forgotten, rolled out and almost fell to the floor. Vesper caught it at the last minute, and it delivered a solid shock to her hand.

“Ouch! Sonofa...” Vesper stuffed it back into a side pocket. Shaking out the unfortunate hand and wincing, she located the cord and left the mess on the kitchen table. Her phone obliged her with the manufacturer’s logo when she plugged it in, but obstinately refused to be quick about turning back on. Vesper gave up on it for the moment - it had died twice in four days, after all - and turned to survey the kitchen. Everything was clean and pristine, if slightly dusty, and of course all the cabinets were empty.

“I can’t stay in these clothes,” Julius called from the entryway. “I’m going to see if the Kokals are still here, they might have clothes we can borrow.”

“What the hell are you going to tell them?” Vesper shouted back.

“I’ll think of something!” Vesper could hear his overexuberance in the way the door crashed open. She smiled to herself. Fresh clothes didn’t sound half bad - one could only spend so many days in tie-on petticoats and dresses that Vesper suspected had been meant to be worn with corsets underneath.

Vesper gathered up her things and went to find her usual room - though in their vacation house, she usually shared it with Cassandra. The closet, however empty, provided a space to hang the cloak and overdress from her Vasselheim outfit, and she could strew her things over the desk for now.

On a whim, Vesper peeked in the pocket that held the vial of storm again. It still roiled, crackling with static on the outside and inside. Vesper wondered if whatever enchantment kept it sealed inside would wear off, now that she was home. Scanlan had taken her aside before they left to say some very particular things about what he thought of how magic worked in her home world.

...It probably would have been smart to ask about that before she’d left. Oh, well. Hopefully it wouldn’t be long before Vox Machina followed her and Julius.

Vesper realized, belatedly, that she hadn’t seen Eutychia anywhere. She went and looked down the stairs, but Julius had already vacated the entryway and nothing, animal or human, was wandering through it.

“Eutychia?” Vesper called. No response. Eutychia? She tried, probing for the flicker of a response she’d gotten when she got the familiar to do tricks and favors before. It felt somehow less effective. Vesper sighed, and raised her mental voice, hoping it wouldn’t be like shouting at a deaf man. Eutychia, I’m not angry, but come here!

“Mrrow.” Eutychia was, abruptly, winding between her ankles from behind. She looked up at Vesper, for all intents and appearances a regular cat.

“That still works, then,” Vesper told her, “but don’t wander off, please.”

Vesper took off her shoes and went to put them downstairs, trailed by Eutychia. Julius was back after only a few minutes, proudly carrying a bundle of clothes - he’d pretended that he and Vesper had come back ahead of the rest of the family, and by accident left their suitcases behind. Vesper didn’t protest that the excuse made them look silly or incompetent - the light summer dress was a relief to change into.

Then Vesper picked her phone back up and called her father.

By the time it finished ringing and no one had picked up, Julius had managed to turn his phone back on and both of them had gotten significantly more worried.

“Do you think something happened?” Vesper asked.

“I don’t know.” An alarm started going off on Julius’s phone, and he hurriedly shut it off. “None of them said anything, but I don’t know if they would have even met him. They would have, wouldn’t they? Did they text him on your phone?”

Vesper switched over to messages. “A lot in the group chat, it looks like. And Mother.” She certainly didn’t have sentence structure that bad. However clever Vex was with words verbally, on a phone that fell through without strategic commas.

Inexplicably, Julius snorted. “Oh, we’re stupid,” he said.

“Feel free to enlighten me,” Vesper said pointedly.

“We’re told that everyone’s going to be at Lake Minaqua, but nobody’s here yet, and Father isn’t answering his phone. They’re still driving out.”

“Oh,” Vesper said, consumed with relief. She laughed a little herself - it was much simpler than the ideas her subconscious had been throwing out. “Geez. Alright, then, let’s not call Father.” Fredrick always drove on their family road trips - Johanna only took over if they were going exceptionally long distances, but complained that long car rides made her sleepy and anyway Fredrick didn’t mind driving.

    Julius was already calling Johanna. Vesper scooped Eutychia up into her lap and started scrolling through her own message backlog, wondering what Vex had said. Johanna picked up, however, before she got very far.

    “Hi!” Julius said, breathlessly, and then laughed. “It’s really me, yes. I - yes, Vesper’s here. We’re fine.” He listened for a moment, then pulled the phone away from his ear. “They’re pulling over to talk. I’ve been asked to put you on speaker.”

    “Fine with me.” Vesper put her own phone aside, sensing she wouldn’t get anything more done with it. Julius fussed with the settings on his, and a moment later the tinny clamour of at least six de Rolos issued through the speakers.

    “Give me a minute,” Johanna said, distant enough that she must have turned to talk to someone else. “Your father is finding a parking spot, I want him to be able to talk too - oh, Fredrick, there’s a rest spot.”

    “How far away are you guys?” Julius asked.

    “What was that?” Johanna’s voice increased in volume. “Oh, one minute, I’ll put you on speaker as well.” The background volume increased substantially.

    “IS VESPER THERE,” Whitney was hollering. “I HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT MAGIC.”

    Vesper rolled her eyes to disguise the way her chest tightened at the prospect. What had Vex told them? Everything? Julius, the fucker, laughed at her misfortune.

    “Yes, we’re both here,” he said. “Did you think one of us was going to get left behind? Magic doesn’t have a maximum capacity. Hell, Vesper brought a cat.”

    “Did you say a cat?” Fredrick asked.

    “Why?” Johanna asked, over the clamor going up in the backseat.

    “Vesper, you wanna take that one?” Julius asked, looking up with the smuggest look on the face of the planet.

    “No, thank you,” Vesper said, giving him a look full of daggers. “It’s a long story.”

    “Now I want to know,” Whitney complained.

    “It can wait,” Johanna said. “Are you two alright? Where are you?”

    “Vex - the other one - told us you were going to be in Minaqua,” Julius said. “We appear to have beaten you here.”

    “Magic is cheating,” Ludwig called from the backseat.

    “Maybe so.”

    “How long has it been?” Vesper asked. “For you, I mean.”

    “Almost two weeks,” Fredrick said. “Why? Was it different for you?”

    “Six days, by my count,” Julius said. He was smiling broadly. “I was worried it would have been far longer here, honestly. Two weeks. That’s lucky.”

    “Does this mean technically your birthday should be a week later?” Cassandra asked.

    “I...maybe?”

    “Are you alright?” Johanna pressed.

    “We’re both fine,” Vesper said, “I promise. Nothing crazy happened to us specifically.”

    “That’s not ‘nothing crazy happened’,” Fredrick observed.

    “I’ll tell you that story, since Vesper doesn’t want to,” Julius said. “If you’ve got the time for it? How far away are you?”

    “About an hour out,” Johanna said. “Frankly, I’m alright with delaying the story an hour if it means we can catch up to you two. But Percy won’t be here until tomorrow, Vex is busy with some commission.”

    “I wanna hear the story,” Whitney yelled.

    “Whitney, shut up,” Oliver said.

    “Tell them we brought their stuff!” Cassandra said.

    “Our stuff?” Julius repeated.

    “We assumed Vex would be sending you back soon, but we didn’t know how soon,” Johanna said. “I took the liberty of deputizing and having some things packed for you two, since you wouldn’t have any of your things. I hope you don’t mind, we did have to go into your apartments for it.”

    “Is stuff clothes, or...?”

    “General things you would’ve packed for a Minaqua trip.”

    “And we brought Vesper’s box,” Cassandra said loudly.

    “My what?” Vesper repeated. Did she have a specific box they could be referencing?

    “Yeah, that box you were keeping that other-world book in.”

    “What Cassandra’s trying to say is,” Ludwig said, as Vesper’s eyes widened, “that she found that book you posted pictures from while we were checking your apartment to make sure you were really missing, and she thinks whatever else is in the box might be important. But we didn’t really look at anything else in there, promise.”

    “We’ll be there soon,” Johanna said firmly, before either of the two of them could respond. “Will you two be alright by yourselves for an hour?”

    “Of course,” Julius said. “We’ll see you in an hour.”

    “Alright. Goodbye, temporarily.” Johanna hung up. Julius raised his eyes to Vesper.

    “Your box?” He said, making air quotes around ‘box’. “What else was in it?”

    “Oh, why do you care?” Vesper asked. “The book. The dress I had, in all its bits and pieces.”

    “Your Ren Faire one?”

    “Yes, that one.”

    “So you did get it over there,” Julius mused. “I wondered, but I forgot to ask.”

    “Where else would I have gotten it?” The borrowed sundress, Vesper was slowly beginning to realize, itched along the sides of her torso where the hems were. The tag scratched between her shoulderblades.

    “I don’t know. I found a person to get clothes from.”

    “Whatever.” An hour, Vesper thought, could not pass quickly enough.

    Julius was so on edge, as the minutes ticked by, that every noise of a passing car had him leaping out of his seat or dashing to the nearest window. Vesper, who had set herself up in a far more strategic position with a view of the road, was not much better off - every glimpse of a bumper made her heart race, only to end with her disappointed as the car attached to it revealed itself to be too small, or the wrong make or color.

    And hour passed, then an hour and a half. Johanna texted to say they’d stopped to get groceries for the evening. Julius took to pacing in a tight circle in the entryway. Eutychia used Vesper’s lap as a bed and kept her glued to her chair. Even so, Vesper leaped to her feet when the familiar van rounded the corner.

    Eutychia’s yowl of complaint was drowned out by the slam of Julius throwing the door open. Vesper rushed to follow him onto the porch. The van screeched into the driveway and hadn’t even stopped completely before Cassandra was tumbling out of the side door, Ludwig hot on her heels.

    The six of them collided, by degrees, on the porch. Cassandra’s arms were wrapped around Vesper and it was probably Ludwig’s hand on her shoulder; Johanna had thrown her arms around the both of them, and Fredrick’s hand was ruffling her hair. They only broke apart when Cassandra pulled back and said, “Okay, now can we look in your stupid box?”

    Vesper burst out laughing. Ludwig ran back to pull the box out of the car, and Whitney went back for her phone before she accidentally left it in the cupholder for good, and in the sudden rush of people unpacking Vesper managed to take the box and stow it upstairs without anyone noticing in time to call her on it.

    That wouldn’t last long - she shared a room with Whitney and Cassandra while they stayed in Minaqua, after all - but it lasted long enough for people to start pestering Julius instead.

    Julius had zero compunctions about sharing what had happened. In his haste to sum up their stay, though, he skipped over more than a few details. Vesper listened in as she helped Johanna put the groceries away.

    Koryakov and Thalsson disappeared from the narrative entirely, as did Vex and Percy’s kids. Kaylie became a tangential and controversial figure; Highsummer in the retelling was twice as much of a production as it had really been. Vesper wondered if he was making up carrying around a piece of iron with him, or if she’d missed him pocketing it.

    “And you didn’t even get anything?” Whitney demanded as Julius was recounting hearing the fey cavalcade leave from inside the Guild.

    “It was frightening! People had gone missing before! But I didn’t, no.”

    “What’d Vesper do?” Oliver asked immediately.

    “I have no earthly idea, but she ended up with a cat, whatever happened.”

    “Is that why you said you brought a cat back?” Whitney shouted into the kitchen. “Where is it?”

    “Behind you,” Vesper said, nudging Eutychia in the right direction. Whitney turned around with a start to find Eutychia curled in a calico ball on the windowsill, to all intents and appearances having been relaxing in the sunshine for a good while.

    “Magic is cheating!” Ludwig yelled again.

    “Cheating on what?”

    “Was that really magic?” Johanna asked. “Vex was telling the truth?”

    “Well...yes?” Vesper shrugged, putting on a politely confused face. “I don’t really know how, but, yes.”

    Johanna raised an eyebrow, and put a hand on her shoulder. “Don’t be afraid of saying so, Vesper. I’m impressed, not frightened.”

    Her mother had an absolutely uncanny way of putting her finger on exactly whatever issue was bothering Vesper, even when Vesper herself was unaware of it. Vesper relaxed, a nervous smile flickering across her face. “I just don’t really know what to think of it. And it’s not like I’ll ever use it-”

    “USE IT,” Whitney said.

    “Whitney, eavesdropping is impolite!” Johanna called, then lowered her voice. “I say, if you can get away with it, why not use it? Even if somebody notices they’ll never guess what really happened.”

    “Mother.”

    “I’m not advising you to break the law, I’m telling you to be discreet. I don’t know what would happen if you started conjuring cats in the middle of the street.”

    “Eutychia is just one cat,” Vesper said, exasperated. “She doesn’t multiply when no one’s looking. And I don’t conjure her, she just...moves where I ask.”

    “Magically?”

    Vesper cast a look back into the living room. Whitney, Oliver, and Cassandra were all crowded around Eutychia, and Julius was telling them something in an undertone. She raised her hand, and with a snap summoned Eutychia to her shoulders.