3rd POV

Right when Percy was about to kill her, Cassandra immediately stop her and he misses. This anger him that she defended someone who murder their family in cold blood.

Keyleth: Percy, what are you doing!? She's unarmed!

Percy: So was my family.

Cassandra: Percy, she may have something we can use. They kept her alive for a reason.

Vex: Um, mind telling us who the hell this is?

Percy: Dr. Anna Ripley. Another Briarwood pawn I'm about to remove from the board.

Percy point his pepperbox at her as she chuckles.

Ripley: And here I thought you were the intelligent one. We're both engineers, Percival. We know the value of knowledge.

    You must be curious as to the information I possess.

Percy: Not that curious.

Cassandra: (Stops him again.) Brother, wait.

Percy: Why should I!?

Cassandra: I've been with the Briarwoods for years, and I know next to nothing about their motive.

Percy: (Sigh.) Fine. Interrogation. Then she dies.

Vax gets to work as Scanlan want to talk in private with Percy along with Keyleth and Pike while Vex looks back worried about Percy.

Scanlan: Percy, hey, love ya pal, but we gotta deal with this smoke thing. I mean, you are legit fucked up.

Percy: (Scoff.) Not this again.

Keyleth: Its been getting worse. (To Pike.) Pike, uh...can you device anything.

Pike: If Percy will let me.

Percy nods and kneels down to her level before Pike place her hand on his chest to see the problem. Soon she sees black smoke with a little bit of fire around him as if he's burning yet doesn't flinched.

Pike: Percy? Look at me, please.

Percy looks at her but it wasn't him, it was something else.

Pike: Percy?

Suddenly it shouts as it grabbed her arm and quickly eats her. Soon she immediately back away while sweating from nervous.

Pike: I...don't know what it is! But something is clouding your soul. We need to get you to a temple.

Percy: Really? With the rebels at the gates and the Briarwoods in this castle? Have you all gone mad!?

Keyleth: But if something is wrong with you-

Percy: Your concern are appreciated, truly. But we must press forward. (Sign.) As soon as this is over, I will sort it out.

Percy leave but he was stop by Pike questioning him.

Pike: Will you?

Percy: ...I swear on my family's name.

He continues to leave and just in time for the cage to open for Percy to tie Ripley's wrists before interrogating her.

Percy: All right, talk. You work for the Briarwoods. Why would they imprison you?

Ripley: (Chuckles.) Would you believe I had moral objection to their plans?

Percy press his pepperbox directly to her heart.

Ripley: It was a simple transaction. They needed engineer, I needed a patron to fund my experiments. When my job was complete, I thought it was time to leave. They disagreed.

Percy: And why am I not simply shooting you, heading to the throne room, and doing the same to them?

Ripley: Because, Percival, they aren't there. Their concern lie with the ziggurats.

Grog: Da what?

Scanlan: Oh! The-the zippertwat!

YN: (Correction.) Ziggurats.

Scanlan: Ziggurats! That-that thing in the skin book of evil!

YN: (Correction.) Necromancy book.

Scanlan: Necromancy book! (Gasp.) It all make sense!

Grog: It does?

Scanlan: No, not really.

YN: What does this have to do with the Briarwoods? What exactly is their goal?

Ripley: I don't know. But their ritual, whatever it is, it'll happen there. And the ziggurats is not up. Its down.

Keyleth: Oh, the dark power I sensed through the Sun Tree's roots.

Cassandra: (To Percy.) I think she's telling the truth.

Percy: I don't trust the word she says.

Percy aims at Ripley's head until Cassandra stops him one last time.

Cassandra: Then trust me.

Percy hesitate but still hold up his weapon.

Ripley: If you let me live, I can take you there.

Percy: Fine.

Percy leave and Ripley sigh from relief before Cassandra speaks to her.

Cassandra: We're only sparing your life because you're useful to us. For now.

Ripley glares at her before Cassandra leaves, but soon YN notice something was different from her. Her eyes seems different than the last time he saw. But he shakes it off, probably because of Pike glowing light makes it look different.

Ripley: I need my bag.

Percy stops her and takes the bag before look inside if there's anything she'd use to escape. Soon he sees a broken material that looks similar to his pepperbox. He takes it for himself before dumping the rest of the junks out of the bag which Ripley was disappointed.

Percy: Shall we go then?

Ripley: (Chuckles.) Never thought you and I would work together.

Percy: At the moment, you are the luckiest person in the Whitestone. 'Cause you're at the bottom of my list.-

YN: (Interrupts.) Okay, you big brains are done with reunion? We got some shit to deal with. (Scoffs and mutters.) Fucken hell.

They continue onward as Scanlan speaks with Cassandra.

Scanlan: (Smirks.) So, uh...(Clears throat.) Cassandra, was it? Seeing as how we're two unattached adults-

Suddenly Percy stops him with a glare look.

Percy: No.

Scanlan points his arm disappointed.

YN: Jesus, Scanlan, lay off with it.

Scanlan: With what?

YN: I don't think you're her type. Ya too short.

Scanlan: Oh, yeah? Well, what's your type?

YN: Eh, probably someone beautiful as the nature it.

After a few minutes of traveling through the underground and passing through the traps, they made it to what seems to be a family tomb.

Ripley: We're getting closer.

Percy: For your sake, you best hope so.

They look around and see a lot of tomb.

Grog: (exclaimed.) Stand back! That stone person's armed!

Vax: Uh, that's a grave.

Vax takes a closer look as he ignite his knife to see better.

Vex: Where are we?

Cassandra: Our family tomb. It holds generations of de Rolos.

Suddenly YN medallion started to vibrate as the tombs open itself.

Vax: Uh, we've got visitors.

Vex: Wait a second. Did lady Briarwood raise all the dead?

Soon the zombies appear out of their tombs.

YN: Oh great, more of Percy's family reunion here.

Cassandra: Uncle Nathaniel?

Keyleth: (Smile nervous.) Uh, hi! I'm Keyleth, friends with your nephew. Oh, god, you smell like shit.

Keyleth exclaimed and blast a wind at the zombie. Everyone started to fight them as Pike blast her light beam at one.

Pike: (Grunts.) This is wrong.

Grog: Oh, I know. (Grin.) Isn't it great!?

Grog started to enjoy killing the zombies one by one with his bare hands. Soon he grab the last 2 bash them together while enjoying the bones showering him as he laughs.

Keyleth: How long is he gonna stay like that?

Vax: No telling, really.

YN: Least he's enjoying it, I mean after fighting the horde of zombies of course.

Percy: Drop it, Ripley. Now.

Everyone saw Ripley has a sword and Percy's forcing her to drop it.

Ripley: You still think you can do this without me? (Sigh.) Percival, I'm not what you should be worried about.

Ripley drops it as Percy lower his pepperbox while still glaring at her.

Percy: I have more than enough to go around.

Ripley: Fine. But you'll regret this.

Soon Ripley leads them out of the family tomb and then there's a heavy door in front of them.

Vax: Mind giving this a shove, big man?

Grog: Oh, I'm sorry. (Smirk.) Could you say that again?

Vax: (Face palm.) Oh, gods. "Oh, Grog. You are so mighty and I am so weak. How ever can little old me survive without you?"

Grog: (Smirk.) Well, since you asked so nicely.

Grog opens the doors for everyone. Suddenly YN had his hidden blade towards Cassandra throat as everyone were shock.

YN: Okay, no more games, what are you up to?

Keyleth: YN, what are you doing!?

YN: Something is not putting the pieces together. And I know you have something to know about it.

Cassandra: (Surprise.) What are you talking about?

Percy: Have you gone mad, YN? That's my sister!

YN: She's not telling us something important. I know it.

Vex: How do you know?

YN: My instincts tells me she can't be trusted.

Percy then points his pepperbox at him, telling him to drop his blade.

YN: Percy, I know she's the only family you got, but we shouldn't trust her. Why would the Briarwoods keep her alive?

Cassandra: Because they had use of me-

YN: Bullshit, killers would leave their prey to die in the middle of nowhere. This I know.

Percy: Drop. It.

YN: Not until we know exactly why the pieces aren't together. The resistance were weakened before we arrived, convincing Percy to lead them, could've escaped long ago, and the Briarwoods wouldn't just keep her unless she's useful like gold. Their not welding together.

YN looks at her while holding his blade to her throat.

YN: Tell me now or else-

Suddenly Vax punches him and kicks him to the stomach before YN collapse. Just when YN was about to get up, Cassandra immediately kicks his head, knocking him out as Percy aim at his head.

Cassandra: You saw how mad he is, we can't let him loose.

Pike: Wait!

Percy: Pike, I know he helped us a lot but-

Keyleth: we'll just tie him up and he'll stay here. Once we're back, you guys can decide what to do with him.

Grog: Oh, can I kill him?

Pike: Grog, no!

Grog: (Sad.) Aw man.

Vex: we've wasted enough time, let's remove his equipment and just tie him up.

Percy: Fine, tie him up.

They nod and Vax remove his swords and his hidden blade before Keyleth tied him up with her vines. They then press further beyond the door.

Ripley: Some of my best work. This far below Whitestone, it took ages.

Vax and Vex stop for the moment to whisper in private.

Vex: I don't trust her.

Vax: You don't trust anyone.

Vex: Well...except you.

Vax: Funny way accept showing it sometimes. (Leaves.)

Vex: (Sigh.) Oh, gods.

Scanlan: Hey uh, just to point this out before we go get ourselves killed, we do have evidence now. We could drop this whole thing. You know, go back and fight our day in court.

Keyleth: Oh, and abandon the revolution we caused?

Percy: No, whatever the Briarwoods are planning down there, we must end it.

Scanlan: Right, right, yeah, yeah. (Scoffs.) Dumb suggestion Keyleth.

Grog: Yeah, I'm disappointed in you keyleth.

Keyleth: Wait, what? No, Scanlan's the one who said...

Keyleth sigh in defeat before catching up to them. Soon they arrive to an unknown place.

Keyleth: Okay, uh...Percy? Any idea what we're looking at?

Scanlan: (Excited.) Its a drug factory! We just hit a jackpot.

Scanlan picks up a handful of white powder.

Scanlan: Anybody have a pipe?

Percy smacks his head to stop him from doing something stupid.

Percy: I'm fairly certain that would be an unpleasant trip. This is residuum. The pipes must carry acid for its chemical refinement process.

Vex: Looks like they're making a lot of it.

Vax: Why so much?

Percy presses his pepperbox at her to talk.

Ripley: This was Anders' domain. I only helped them with the ziggurat.

Keyleth: Uh, what the heck is this for?

Keyleth takes a look at the hole to check. Suddenly Percy's pepperbox started to smoke and he sees the sixth name. His eyes became widen to see the name revealing itself.

He look at Cassandra and sees that she's across the room to where the other exit is.

Percy: Cassandra!

Without saying anything, she pulled the lever down and both gates are closing.

Percy: (Shock.) No...

He ran to stop her but Vax ran faster and slide through the door before it closed. He grab his knife and she grab her sword.

Vax: Percy. Tell your sister to quit taking the piss before I forget my manners.

Percy: Cass, what are you doing!?

???: Excellent work, dear.

The Briarwoods appear out of the dark.

Vax throw his knife at Silas, but he simply tilts his head to dodge the knife while he smirk.

Silas: Bit of a slow learner.

Vax was about to attack again but soon Silas uses his manipulation charm on him as Vax stops and does nothing.

Vex: No! Brother!

Percy: (To Cassandra.) Why are you doing this?

Cassandra: You did this to yourself, Percy. The day you left me lying in the snow, choking on my blood like a hunted animal. My brother abandoned me.

Percy then spotted her eyes a trace of Silas charm before she joins the Briarwoods and Vax.

Cassandra: I have a new family now. One that transcends death. One that will never leave me...I am a Briarwood.

Percy collapse to his knees and hold his face as he sobs.

Keyleth: This whole time, YN was right...?

Pike: (Glares at Ripley.) You!

Ripley: I'm just as trapped as you are.

Delilah: (Smirk.) I must say, I'm quite surprised to see you out of your cage, Anna. A delight that you've gone and gotten yourself recaptured.

Silas: (Smirk.) Poor Ripley. Always the unlucky one.

Ripley flips Silas off as Vex hits the door.

Vex: Stop! If you value your lives, you'll let my brother go!

Delilah: I'm afraid life is far more valuable to you than it is to us.

Delilah leaves as Cassandra follows.

Silas: Don't fret. We'll take excellent care of him. Be a lamb, would you?

Vax presses the button and the hole sealed itself as the acid is released.

Pike: An acid trap? Oh, real fucking original!

Vex: Vax! Brother! Wake up! Its me! Wake up!

Vax didn't say anything and he leave to join the Briarwoods.

Scanlan: Wait! C-come, come on! Don't you at least want to see Grog die?

Grog: Hmm?

Vax ignores them and continues to walk away. Soon the acid is close to them.

Keyleth: Uh, guys?

Ripley: There must be a way out of this. Anyone have a plan?

Pike: Vex?

Vex: Why are you looking at me? Percy, a little help?

Percy did do anything as he was recently broken by his sisters betrayal.

Vex: Right, well...um...try to stop the acid!

Scanlan: Uh... Fuck, uh, oh! Pike! Can't you just, you know, pass through walls?

Pike: I'm not a ghost, Scanlan. If I break the connection, there's a chance I won't be able to come back.

Scanlan: Well, uh, oh! What about the witcher?

Pike: We literally knocked him out, we'd be dead already by the time he found us.

Grog: Then let's get to smashing!

Grog and Pike tries to break the door but to no avail.

Grog: Welp, I'm out of ideas.

Ripley: The feed pipe! If we can cut it off, it might buy us some time.

Vex: And how do you propose we do that?

Keyleth gets an idea and uses her vines to stop the acid pipe. Everyone was cheering from relief but it was cut short as the acid starts to leak more and it accelerates.

Vex: All right, new plan. Stay out of the acid!

Scanlan create a magic hand and everyone got on except for Percy.

Pike: Percy, get over here!

Percy didn't do anything as the acid gets close to him.

Grog: Aw, great, Percy's broken. Come here, you limp noodle.

Grog grabs him and brings him on Scanlan's magic hand before it rises up.

Scanlan: It won't hold for long, so unless you want to go swimming, we need to come up with something fast!

Vex grabs Percy's collar shirt and slaps him.

Vex: (Shouting.) Perch, snap the fuck out of it!

Percy:....

Vex: We came here risking our lives for you. Be here for us.

Percy: What's the point...? She's gone again...

She place her hand on his cheek.

Vex: Maybe. But the people in this room, we're not. We will never abandon you.

Percy got back to his senses.

Vex: You want your sister back.

(Stop at 1:05.)

Grog: (Grin.) I'm going in!

Grog took of his drawer before he dives in, but suddenly the acid begins to sink down by itself as it caught everyone surprised. Once the acid was gone, Scanlan magic hand disappear due to his exhaustion.

Vex: Did the pipe shut it on its own?

Percy: No, someone must've shut it off from outside. But who?

???: When I say things aren't welded together, and I mean it....

They all look back to where they came from and see it was YN who has his equipment and pushed the button.

YN: I always trust my instincts.

Everyone(except Ripley.): YN!

YN: Good to see you guys in one piece.

Keyleth: How did you manage to escape from the vines?

YN: (Shrugs.) I chew my way out. Let me guess, Cassandra back stabbed you guys?

Pike: Yeah, you were right all along.

YN: Wait, where's Vax?

Vex: Under Silas charm.

YN: Now that, I didn't see it coming.

Percy: Guess I owe you an apology.

YN: You owe me helluva more than that.

YN approaches to Percy with a serious face.

YN: Pull that shit again, and I'll toss your toy straight to the acid.

Vex: Let's just go while we still can.

YN: Uh, Grog, why are you naked?

Grog: Oop, forgot my drawers.

Grog gets his drawers back and puts them back on before he joins the others.

Vex: Where does this lead?

Ripley: The ziggurat.

YN: Along with the Briarwoods I believe.

Percy: Cassandra.

They wasted no time and ran to the ziggurat, one where the final battle will take.