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Something feels off as Vax wakes up in his… their bedroll.
It doesn’t take much for him to realize why. It’s colder inside. And there’s one less person.
Where did she go?
Did someone take her?
That thought is what convinces Vax to quickly don the Deathwalker’s Ward and step outside of their tent.
The sky is still dark, but dawn is, at best, just a couple hours away.
Doesn’t explain where she could have gone.
He does a quick scan of their campsite.
It hasn’t been long since they both set out together on their own.
The last stop on Keyleth’s pilgrimage, her Aramente.
They were to travel across the Ozmit Sea, to the remote village of Vesrah, home of the Water Ashari.
According to what Keyleth had mentioned prior, it was said to be built on top of the water between three islands, partially submerged, with its inhabitants spending much of their lives standing in shallow water. The architecture is said to be quite beautiful, though she hadn’t seen it for herself. Vax can only hope that there is truth to what was said about the place.
Vesrah was also one of the last places her mother had last been seen. With no sign of her after Pyrah, this would be her last chance at uncovering her whereabouts.
She must be feeling distraught about it. This is about her mother, after all, and she’d been essentially chasing after her mother’s shadow this whole time while trying to make the path her own. Such pressure should never have been forced on her shoulders.
And yet, she’s taking that responsibility seriously. Her strength of will had carried her this far.
Vax eventually spots her quite a distance away, sitting cross-legged along the edge of a cliff. Was she meditating? Did she fall asleep?
Or is she simply incapable of sleeping because of the anxiety behind their shared sojourn?
Regardless, Vax walks towards her. The only indication that she’s aware of his approach is a slight turn in his direction without fully looking back.
“Sorry,” Keyleth says simply. “I couldn’t sleep.”
Well, that answers one question.
“I was worried. But I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
She gives him a nod, most likely permission to come closer, and so he sits right behind Keyleth, pulling her in and holding her close.
“Thinking about Vesrah and your mum again?”
She nods. “That, and many other things. Though that’s nothing new.”
She says that with a self-deprecating tone, chuckling as she does as if trying to lighten the mood. It’s not working.
“Kiki… what’s wrong?”
The Tempest-to-be sighs and leans back, enveloping herself further into his embrace.
“I had a nightmare. About my mom leaving and… it was… horrible.”
“I’ve had those too,” Vax admits. He’s no stranger to nightmares, whether it was about his mother’s death after the attack on Byroden, his sister’s brush with the beyond in the Matron’s sunken temple… or the many times he had dreamed about Keyleth’s own demise in many different ways. The final fight with Raishan had felt all too real, and the image of what he believed to be her disintegrated ashen corpse played in repeat a lot ever since.
Keyleth looks back at him, shifting slightly. “I know. You want to talk about it?”
Gods, what is he even supposed to say to her? Tell her that he’s dreamed of her death over and over? He can only pray that those other times were merely dreams and not another vision of things to come.
Such a vision had nearly torn them apart for good, after all. Damn the Matron for not making things clear.
“Eventually,” he says instead. It’s too much to talk about at this point. Besides, he’d rather focus on Keyleth’s well-being right now.
There’s a knowing look on her face, she can clearly tell that Vax is holding something back, but she seems to relent and accept his answer for the time being.
It’s for the best. This whole trip is about her. He can’t weigh her down like this.
Instead of a millstone holding her back, he’s going to be an anchor keeping her steady.
Still, it’s not enough for her to fully drop the issue. “Do you need anything?”
“I've everything I need,” Vax assures her. And he’s being truthful without needing to leave things unsaid. Just her being here is enough to settle his nerves.
“I don’t wanna move from here yet, you know?”
He knows. So on impulse, Vax wills out the jet-black plumage of his wings. And on command, he wills the wings to encompass the two of them. Surprisingly, the wingspan is big enough to thoroughly surround them, blocking out anything else.
It’s as good of a safe space as he could provide.
“Is this all right, love?”
Instead of responding right away, Keyleth whispers something under her breath in that ancient druidic cant. And then, from within their personal feathered bubble, hundreds of tiny lightning bugs begin dancing in the air, illuminating the two of them.
“Yeah. This is just fine.” She then turns again to look him in the eye. “I’ve everything I need too, right here.”
Vax leans in to give her a quick peck before putting his head atop Keyleth’s. And she in turn is much more relaxed, tucked away in this makeshift haven as the lightning bugs continue to dance.
There’s still a couple hours until dawn, last he checked. But they’re in no rush. They can afford to take their time.
Perhaps they don’t have all the time in the world, but what they do have is good enough for them.
Vesrah and the Water Ashari can wait.
If Keyleth needs a bit more time just traveling together with him, he can provide that for her.
If need be, he’s willing to die for her. Willing to risk it all for her.
He’s done it before, and he’d do it again.
Because she’s worth it all, for good or ill.