Chapter Text
I just had to tell Percy the second I saw him again. Why wouldn’t he tell me, Yeah I didn’t tell him about my wedding, but he’s dying and that is not the same.
“And the truth thing worked on us too! Ugh! It was just so annoying.” I threw my jacket on to the bed. Nothing is going well for me. Percy better be on my side or I’m sleeping with Trinket.
“I’m sure it was fine dear.” he rested his hands on my shoulders, his right hand moved up to my head and undid the elastic I had tying my hair up. He moved slowly using both hands to slowly take it off and not pull my hair out.
“Percy, I told him we got married! He looked crushed! That’s not even the worst thing. He’s dying. Remember when we brought you back to life, something happened between him and The Matron and she cursed him. It was all along his arm, Percy!” he ran his fingers through my hair carefully undoing my braid. His soothing actions both helped calm me down, but also angered me more. I love him so much. He took my brush from my night table and started brushing out my hair. I relaxed my shoulders and almost fell into him.
“And Keyleth knew! That bitch didn’t tell me a thing. She’s getting a talking to in the morning.” I took the brush from him, annoyed at everything, and this calmness isn’t helping. I threw it at the wall with as much strength as I could gather. Everything was so stupid. I grabbed out blankets and fell down on the couch and wrapped them around me. Keyleth will be getting a earful from me.
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“Keyleth!” I barge into her room.
“Oh uh Ashari stuff.” She pushes the book on her desk off, and looks at me. She has bags under her eyes and doesn’t seem too focused.
“You knew my brother was sick!” She pushes her chair back.
“Oh- Uh, Oh Vax, I swear I’ve been wanting to tell you.” I grab her shoulder and push her back. Her eyes widen with fear while she avoids my eyes. She glances at the desk, hiding the books with her hand.
“We’ve got shit to sort out, you and I. So, we’re going to settle this the way Vox Machina settles things.” I put a bottle of booze and two glasses on the desk. Keyleth looks paler than when I first came in, but I pour the drinks anyway and shove one into her hands. “We’re going to drink it out.”
“What no I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Keyleth continues to look anywhere but me. “I’m not feeling so well.”
“Bullshit, drink it.” I push the glass into her again, and she finally drinks it. I down mine in one go.
“What were you reading about?” I ask, pouring us another round.
“Nothing, uh, just trying to- to learn about Ashari history.” I can tell she’s lying, it’s her greatest flaw, aside from horrible anxiety and self worth, but that’s besides the point.
“Sounds amazing. Drink.” I hand her the now full glass. She looks at me, begging to not drink it, but I don’t let her think she’s getting away.
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“So you disappear for a year, no contact, then all this time vax is dying from god herpes, and you don’t even think to tell me? He’s my brother! You horned twat!” We’d been drinking for an hours, so my words slur, which mean Keyleth, the lightweight, will answer my questions.
She laughs.
“I’m sorry! I forgot you were such close family that you neglected to invite him to your secret wedding! That made him so sad.” She takes a swig from the bottle. Oh. when I told him he had looked crushed. I hadn’t though about it from his side, he missed a moment of my life that he can never get back. I don’t want to hear her talk about his pain. I can’t hear it.
“I’m cutting you off.” I grab the bottle away from her. Taking a swig of my own.
“Cutting me o– off? I’m the voice of the shit damn Tempest! I cut yo– you off!” She summons a gust of wind knocking me to the floor. A book is thrown in my face. I choose to give in a just stay there for a second. “Oh my god. I’m so so sorry that– that got out of hand.”
I take the book off my face, and of course it’s open to a page of the Matron, That raven bitch is who caused everything to begin with.
“See this bitch always bossing Vax around. Pulling his strings.” I throw the book aside. Why couldn’t the gods be on our side?
“Literally. Ugh, I know. She gave him the blight in the first place, after re–reviving Percy. He won’t even ask why!” Finally she’s talking. I knew this would work, I just hadn’t expected to get so drunk myself.
“You know, there’s a shrine to the Matron in Whitestone, why don’t we go there ourselves right now.”
“Yes! Yes, this is something we have to do. Maybe we could stop for pastries. I haven’t eaten in a while.”
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“Wait what do you mean you haven’t eaten in a while?” I ask her while we stand in line.
“I’ve been really busy researching every–everything I can about the Matron, and I guess I just forgot.” That’s what she was doing. How long had she been sitting at that desk, just reading. She truly loved my brother. I’m grateful he has her.
“Get whatever you want, darling.”
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We barge into the temple, luckily no one is there. Candles around the base of the statue are lit. Keyleth walks closer, pointing a croissant at the statue.
“Listen up you fancy feathered fuck–”
“Tell her Kiki Tell her right to her fucking faceless face!” I yell, hopefully we can get an answer, maybe a solution from her.
“Yeah, I passed through fire, commanded the elements–”
“Go Kiki, You tell her!”
“And I’m so–” She chokes on her words. I’m not sure if drunk Keyleth is a good person to get those answers, hopefully she’ll give us pity. I get closer to Keyleth waiting for her anger to explode.
“Afraid.”
That’s not what I expected.
“Afraid that I can’t save the ones I love. I can’t–”
I watch from behind her as her voice breaks, her hand grip onto her lagging tighter. Her crown is close to falling off her head.
“I don’t understand why you did this to a man who champions you so fiercely. You won’t even tell him why he has to die, and leave me alone.” I let her do it on her own, but something reminded me of Vax when we were younger. Always wanted to be with me, and something changed within me. I ran up to Keyleth. She had tears falling down her cheeks.
I gently took her face in my hands, guiding her to look at me. She’d always been scared of fighting in the past, but this was a different kind of fear i’d never seen on her.
“You’re not alone, I will always be here for you. We can do this together. I promise, I will not go far from you.” She laughs, but I pull her into a hug. She didn’t deserve to go through this alone, or with Vax of all people.
“I’ll tell him you said that.” I don’t mind, he would understand. He would tell her the same thing without a thought. Oh fucking great. I turn my head a throw up on the floor.
“It wasn’t me this time.” She says with a smile. Maybe she isn’t such a lightweight anymore. “How’s that for an offering?” We laugh together. For a few moments it feels like nothing is wrong, but nothing ever goes well for me. Keyleth's laughs turn into tears again.