Vex POV

We continue our journey to the Fey realm to seek the next vestige. Soon we've arrive to what appears to be a swamp.

Keyleth: This place...I feel darkness. I can connect with the plant roots, but I only sense...sadness...longing. What did this to you.

YN: Whatever did this, no good thing comes from swamps. This I know.

I crouch down and touch the black goo to examine it until we suddenly hear a echo voice.

???: My heart...

Vax: Do you hear that?

Garmelie: (Panic.) Don't listen to him!

YN: To who?

???: Felt the pain...

Garmelie: (Cover his ears.) Clear your heads. Block it out. Oh!

The echo travels through the swamp as it hisses.

Vax: What the hell was that!? (Grabs Garmelie.) We're not fond of surprises. Start talking.

Garmelie: Oh, its fine, its fine. The Shademurk is home to a cursed Archfey named Saundor. But as long as you don't submit to his voice, his sadness won't turt you.

Vax: Ah, how reassuring.

YN: Just ignore the voices and we'll be fine.

I couldn't help but wonder what the voices mean and what is he trying to say until Vax called me.

Vax: Stubby, keep up.

I catch up with my friends before I hear him called my name.

Saundor: Vex'ahlia...

I try to ignore it while we keep moving, soon we arrive to where there's more of those black goo.

Garmelie: As promised, the Shademurk Bog.

Vex: Whoa...

I look around and notice the large tree is bigger than any other around the swamp.

Vex: Fenthras must be in that tree.

3rd POV

Vex moves ahead and YN medallion suddenly vibrates, picking up a powerful magical threat.

YN: I don't like the look of this place.

Just then, Saundor whispers echoes through Vex.

Saundor: Vex'ahlia...come closer...

Vex walks above the black goo and the others notice that she's being lure towards the tree, as if she's being controlled.

Percy: Vex? Are you all right?

Keyleth: Ah, she doesn't look all right. Ah, Vex, wait up.

YN: I don't think she can hear us.

Vax tries to stop his sister, but his feet sunk in the black goo.

Vax: Vex?

Others try to catch up with her but the black goo is slowing them down.

Vax: How is she passing through this muck?

YN: This is definitely Saundor's doing. No doubt.

Percy: Vex'ahlia!

Vex couldn't hear them at all, all she can hear are Saundor whispers while she continues to walk.

Vex: Can you hear me?

Saundor: Not only hear you...See you...feel you...I can understand your pain...if approval you seek, your father will never give it.

Saundor then opens the tree, offering her to enter which she did while others try to catch up.

Saundor: But a fellow lost soul can. I await, dear one.

Percy: What is this!?

Garmelie: (Nervous.) My cue to leave. You won't see Garmelie again!

Garmelie quickly disappears.

Percy: Vex'ahlia!

Vax: Vex, wait!

YN: Vex, stop!

Keyleth: Don't go in there!

As soon as she enters, the tree shut itself, blocking her friends from entering to stop her.

Vex POV

When I enter the tree, I saw the insides of the tree has a large space than it looks from the outside.

Saundor: Child of the lost...Saundor's madness and pain has found you.

He then reveals himself with a smile to me from inside of the tree roots as I approach him on a leave that lifts me up.

Saundor: Sweet, broken Vex'ahlia... Unwanted daughter.

Saundor: I understand you...

3rd POV

Back with the others outside of the tree, the try to break in through the tree but to no avail.

YN: Damit, this'll take forever to break in!

Percy: Stand clear!

Percy uses his weapon to create a opening for them to go through.

YN: Up there!

They saw Vex is above with Saundor at a distance.

Vax: Sister!

Vax was about to stop her but the vines quickly catch him as well as the others and it covers their mouth from shouting at her.

They try to break free from the vines but it won't let go easily. YN then uses his hidden blade to start cutting the vines but it will take a while since the plants were too strong.

Vex POV

Vex: How do you know so much about me?

Saundor: (Smiles.) The moment you touched my sickness, I knew everything.

He offers me a hand and I hesitated at first but I accepted it. But when I touched his hand, he gave me vision. Visions where my father is actually happy for me and approved me as his daughter. It warmed my heart to see my father hug me.

Saundor: (Smiles.) You can rise above your trembling destiny. I have seen many things. And I can grant many gifts.

I couldn't help but smile of everything he could grant for me. But for the moment, I thought I head Percy calling my name, but Saundor interrupted me.

Saundor: But being abandoned by love can be liberating. You've been a good daughter.

I was crying from sadness but he wipe the tear away for me.

Saundor: You've tried. But it will never be enough. You will never be enough.

Vex: (Depressed.) If I could pull the blood of him from my veins and give it back, I would.

Saundor: (Smiles.) I could grant that wish. But it is not what you need.

He raise his hand and show me the Fenthras bow attached to the vines.

It was beautiful bow to see. And my hopes to earn my father's respect.

3rd POV

Meanwhile with the others that are trapped in the vines, YN is almost done freeing himself and Vax notice YN is trying to break free. He tries to communicate Keyleth to grab his knife from his waist. Keyleth nods and tries her best to reach Vax's knife.

    Back with Vex, the Fenthras bow move towards them before Saundor introduce it to her.

Saundor: Fenthras, however, this bow could earn his respect.

Vex: What would you ask in return?

Saundor: Only what you long to give. We would be perfect together, dear broken Vex'ahlia.

Saundor wrapped the vines around her legs without her noticing.

Saundor: I can fix you. Make you whole again. And all I need from you...is your heart.

Saundor face is close to hers as if they were about to kis-

Vex: My heart?

Vex immediately pushes him away while glaring at him.

Vex: My heart is someone else's.

She punches his face as he fell while everyone was surprise to see her back to her senses.

Saundor: No. You're making a mistake! Please. You need me!

Vex: You could never give me what I need.

Vex walks away as Saundor gets angry.

Saundor: Bitch! You're just like the rest!

He attacks her with his vines but she manage to evaded them before she starts fighting him. Saundor uses the Fenthras bow against her and they trade arrows at each other. YN finally free himself as Keyleth grab Vax's knife before cutting herself free. They both free the rest before they go help Vex.

Vax: Sister!

Suddenly they were blocked by a gigantic earth wall before 2 giant tree monsters emerged out of the wall.

YN: Ah, fuck!

YN summons his spear before throwing it at the tree while Vax did the same with his knives. YN tap the ground with his spear to blow the tree monster up. But one just grows back while the other splits in two.

YN: Oh crap...

The tree monster tries to hit them but they quickly back up at a safe distance.

Vax: Dam things don't bleed! How do you fight a tree!?

YN: Were you born under a rock? We kill it with fire!

Keyleth wasted no time but to prepare her fire magic.

Keyleth: I need you three to keep them busy.

They nod and they got ready to fight them.

Vax: A little fire would help, YN?

YN: (Drinks elixir.) I've slayed dozen of leshens, but not all 3 at once.

YN uses a large Yrden to trap the three of them. But the third one notice it and got out before it uses its vine as a whip against YN, but he quickly dodges them before charging at it while the others deal with the rest. He heats up his sword to cut the vines easily before uses Igni against it.

    Burning it down easily before chopping it to pieces. Unfortunately he used too much of his fire to kill one. He then notice the others are having trouble with theirs, so he help Percy who's close.

YN: Percy!

Percy notice he threw some kind of jar filled with black oil at the tree monster. Once it splattered on the monster, he shoots it as it ignited fire on it. Burning the creature down until it dies.

Percy: Thanks for the help.

YN: (Elixer wears off.) Only one left.-

The tree grabbed Vax and threw him at Percy. YN grab and heat up his sword before charging at it. It uses the vines against him, but he evades them until a vine caught him from underground before it punches him enough that he landed next to his friends.

    The tree monster grows its arm back and grew bigger to finish them off with one blow. But suddenly Keyleth slices it with her fire giant form before it could.

Keyleth punches it away from her friends as it quickly retaliates and charges at her. But Keyleth quickly creates a portal on the tree monsters chest before jumping through and burn the monster from the inside before she jumps back out. Once it dies, she fell on her knees from exhaustion before turning back to her original form.

Keyleth: (Panting.) And that's how you fight a tree.

YN: Have I ever told you that you're always beautiful when your fire up?

Keyleth blushes but it was then cut short by an explosive nearby.

Vax: Sister!

Percy: We have to help her!

Vex POV

After struggling to fight against him, loosing my quiver, and my broken bow, I had nothing else to fight with against him until the vines quick grab and choke my neck. Saundor the approaches me while holding the Fenthras bow.

Saundor: (Smirk.) Not so tough now, are we?

My friends arrived but the vines then cut them off their path.

Percy: Vex'ahlia!

Saundor: Alone and afraid. Now you realize the truth.

I couldn't help but to give up, I had nothing else to fight him with.

Vex: (Tears.) I think I do. I realize... Your words are as empty as your corrupted heart.

Right when I finished my sentence, I stabbed him to the chest with the arrow head that Percy gave me.

As Saundor is dying, his body begins to collapse and melted until all was left is the black goo and the arrow head but more importantly, the Fenthras bow.

Vex: Fenthras...

I pick it up before my friends arrived just in time for all of us to leave the tree.

3rd POV

They leave the tree, finally obtaining the Fenthras bow from the dark swamp.

Percy: We should return to Syngorn. Bet you're eager to show your father that.

Vex: Actually...I'm not ready. I don't think I can talk to him again. Not yet.

Vax: (Comforts her.) Don't let him get under your skin, Stubby. He is who he's always been.

Vex: I know. And so am I.

YN: If we're not going to Syngorn, then we should figure out getting back to Tal'Dorei and find the rest of our friends.

Percy: Agree.

Just then, they hear Garmelie laughing who's sitting by a tree branch.

Garmelie: (Smiles.) What a show. I usually hate the theater, but that had it all: drama, action, family shame. And beast bonding, that's a plus.

Percy: I distinctively remember you saying we'd never see you again.

Garmelie: Yes, I did. And you won't because you lot...

He disappear and reappear next to Percy upside down.

Garmelie: (Smirk.) Are going home. Cheza.

Garmelie snap his finger, creating a portal that will take them back to their realm.

Vax: How the fuck?

Garmelie: You had given me more entertainment in the last two duskes than I've had for millennia. So, I figured you deserve something in return. This should take you back to Tal'Dorei.

Percy: (Confused.) What are you, really?

Garmelie: Excellent question, fancy-pants. But I'm afraid it'll have to wait until the next time. Portal's closing.

Vax: Ah, shit, right. Everyone through!

YN: Urgh, I hate portals.

They all jump through and Percy was the last and speaks to Garmelie.

Percy: The Fey realm is definitely better in the books.

Percy then steps through the portal. Once it closes, Garmelie turns back to his original form with a smile.

Artagan: Travel safe, friends. Stay alive.

He snap his fingers and disappears.