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Why do we do these things? Trinket wondered as he followed Mom Vex to the hole in the floor. He glanced about, vigilant for any new threat. Why do we go to weird places and fight these monsters?
Trinket was proud that his family was strong and could defeat such beasts. He just couldn't understand why they went out looking for such things rather than lounging in the sun eating berries and fruit.
He understood that they had ran from the dragons, had abandoned their den. It was only sensible to run from a much larger, much more powerful predator. Trinket understood their anger and frustration at losing a good, safe home. Trinket figured they would be den-less for a while again.
But why then go to somewhere that a scary floating eyeball-thingy lived? Trinket huffed, still glancing about. Regardless, Trinket would go anywhere Mom Vex went. Always. Forever.
"Trinket? With me, if you wouldn't mind.", Percy called out.
Trinket checked that Mom Vex was still OK and that there were no new threats, then lumbered over to Percy. Percy indicated that he wanted Trinket to push on the lid of the coffin. This pleased Trinket; he was good at pushing! Together they pushed the lid off.
Trinket saw (and smelled - yuck!) a long-dead human inside and some shiny things. He knew Mom Vex liked touching and playing with shinies, so he sat down to wait for her, ever vigilant.
Shortly, Mom Vex came up to the coffin and looked in. Trinket saw her begin to look abut the coffin, just as Percy reached in to it.
Suddenly, a blast of ... black nothingness ... struck from the coffin! Percy ducked away but Trinket and Mom Vex were caught in the blast. It hurt! Oh, it hurt so much! Trinket could feel the life drain from him.
Gasping, Trinket looked about for the threat. And spotted Mom Vex lying motionless on the floor.
Mom! Trinket lunged at Mom Vex, glancing about for the cause of the danger. Seeing nothing, he nuzzled Vex. Mom! Get up! There is danger! Mom!
"Vex!" Percy ran over to Vex. Zahra, who had also seen what happened, ran over as well, skidding to a stop on her knees and pouring a healing potion into Vex's mouth.
But, Trinket had already smelled it. Death. Mom smelled like death. His heat-sensitive nose could feel that the heat had already drained from her. Unwilling to believe it, he gently pushed at her with his muzzle. Momma?
The healing potion did nothing. Vex lay lifeless, cold. Across the room, Vax exclaimed, "What the hell happened?" Zahra yelled, cradling Vex, "Kash! Do something!" Keyleth also yelled, "Kashaw!"
Trinket mourned. His Momma was gone - for the second time in his life. Something that he couldn't see, couldn't defend against, couldn't fight, had killed Momma. She was gone. He hadn't been able to protect her. Just like last time, with his first momma. He hadn't been able to protect her. He pulled back, head hanging in ragged grief.
Vax ran over, pushing everyone away and cradling Vex, feeling that she was already cold. "Wha...wha...wha? What happened? What happened?! I was only down there for thirty seconds!" Vax poured another healing potion, one of the stinkier, more-powerful ones, into her mouth. There was still no effect. "The fuck! Is going on?!", Vax screamed.
Trinket remembered all the times they had played in the forest, all of the good meals they had shared, all the times Momma had cuddled up to him for warmth when they slept, all the times he gave Momma back-rubs, all the times Momma had grasped his face and looked into his eyes and said "I love you!" with Trinket returning the feelings 100%. Those times were gone now. She was gone now. Trinket began to cry.
Kashaw also slid to a stop on his knees next to Vex and Vax. Spilling a fortune of diamonds on Vex's chest, Kash pushed Vax away, preparing for a ritual. Grasping the symbol of his goddess wife, Kash hesitated, worry across his face.
"What are you hesitating for?! Do it! Whatever the fuck you are going to do, do it!", Vax yelled.
"She could destroy everything.", Kashaw replied.
"Do it!", Vax responded in a low growl.
Trinket understood the feelings he saw and smelled on them. He was feeling them too. He wished his family wouldn't fight, but he understood the need to lash out; the pain that made it necessary. But, he didn't like it. Momma was dead. Momma was dead. He wanted comfort, but there was none to be found here. Not now. Trinket began to rock back and forth in his distress, moaning.
"What do you mean, 'She could destroy'? Whatdoyoumean?!", Keyleth asked, so upset that she ran her words together.
"Who is 'she'?", Scanlan asked, also joining those clustered around Vex.
Grog stood nearby, helpless to do anything. Trinket understood that feeling all too well.
"The dragons are going to be the least of your fears if she comes back, that's what I mean.", Kashaw replied.
"Kashaw, you're running out of time!", Keyleth said, voice wavering.
Kashaw sighed, determination settling on his face. "I'm gonna do it."
Trinket watched, drowning in grief, as the cleric began his ritual; watched as Kashaw's runic tattoos began to glow red, watched as the black energy from Kash's holy symbol spilled across Momma, consuming the diamonds, then sinking into Momma's body. Trinket jumped when Vex's corpse arched its back and lifted off the ground, floating. What were they doing to Momma's body? Did he need to stop it? What was going on?
Percy took out three shards of that green glass stuff, from that underground building they had visited not long ago, and placed it on Vex's chest.
Trinket was reminded that he had nearly lost Momma then too. She had seemed dead then, but she wasn't cold that time, hadn't smelled like death. Not like this time. Trinket watched as the family worked the ritual, the stink of desperation rolling from them in waves.
Kashaw's black energy flowed through the green shards, seeming to become stronger as the shards were also consumed.
Zahra, calling on her Patron for assistance, detached her moonstone from her staff and placed it on Vex's chest. The pale glow from the moonstone mixed and swirled together with the black energy, eventually combining into a grey energy that still flowed into Vex's corpse. But still, Vex did not stir.
Trinket saw as Uncle Vax's head suddenly jerked to the altar with the coffin on it. Trinket looked and could see a faint image of a black-robed woman, face obscured. Trinket could feel Uncle Vax's anger flow toward the figure. Was this what had killed Momma? Could Trinket attack it, make it hurt? Trinket reoriented himself, facing it and growling at the menacing figure. Trinket would make it hurt, make it suffer for killing Momma!
But, Uncle Vax did not attack, so Trinket held back, confused. Was this not the enemy?
Vax pulled his sister in close, glaring at the faint figure, and said "Take me instead, you raven bitch!"
Pouring off of Uncle Vax, Trinket could smell fear, frustration, grief, anger, determination, the drive to protect, and - just faintly - hope. Something was about to happen. Trinket continued to growl and glare at the black figure.
The faint image stared back at Uncle Vax and flowed off of the altar toward him. As she grew closer, it became apparent that the figure was adorned in black feathers, the face still obscurred. This was the Raven Queen. Trinket could feel immense power, whispering of death and the end of all things, emanating from the goddess and shrunk away, terrified. This was much much more powerful than the dragons. One did not attack such a thing - one ran. Trinket cowered, shaking, refusing to leave Momma's corpse and Uncle Vax's side.
The Raven Queen reached out her hand toward Uncle Vax and nodded.
Suddenly, the combined grey energy flowing into Vex surged in strength.
The Raven Queen nodded to Vax once again, then faded away.
Trinket's head whipped around as he heard Vex's intake gasp of breath. Momma! She was alive! SHE WAS ALIVE! Somehow, whatever the family had been doing had returned life to Momma! Clustered around her as they were, Trinket couldn't get to Momma like he wanted to. But he didn't want to push them away, vastly grateful that they had somehow saved Momma. Trinket bounced up and down in joy, huffing and vocalizing in his excitement.
Vex's eyes blinked as they focused on the faces above her. "What happened? I feel so cold.", she asked, weakly.
"You were knocked out," Vax replied.
Hugs were shared. Explanations were given.
"What?!", Vex exclaimed, horrified.
Finally, now that enough of the family had moved away, Trinket gathered Momma close, hugging and nuzzling her, and licking her face all over, overjoyed.
"Darling!" Vex's voice was exasperated as she tried to push Trinket's head away. "Alright! Alright! Your breath is ... lovely. OK. Uuugh."
More questions asked and explanations given. Trinket watched as Uncle Vax, somehow now wounded in spirit and soul, left the chamber rather than answer one of Momma Vex's questions.
Still cuddling Momma Vex, Trinket listened as the joyful-but-subdued family explained how Vex had died and then was raised again. Listened as a guilt-wracked Percy admitted to setting off the trap that had killed her. Listened as Kashaw hoped that his goddess wife was still contained.
And watched as they went to get the items in the coffin again. Trinket watched, very nervously. Last time they did this, something attacked them and killed Momma. Hyper-vigilant, Trinket was trying to watch everything at once as he and Zarha kept Vex from approaching the coffin.
Fortunately, nothing attacked them as they, after spending a very long time investigating the coffin, removed the leather armor and a black crystal teardrop pendant. Storing them in the bag that somehow holds everything, they left the subterranean place.
Trinket never left Momma Vex's side, pressed up against her. And he remained pressed up against her, even as they retired for bed.
As they slept that night in Whitestone, with Mom Vex curled up against Trinket for warmth, Trinket didn't sleep. He wouldn't. He remained vigilant all night.
Nothing would touch Mom Vex tonight. And if he could manage it, ever again.