"Stop!"

The twins and Isona run away from the guards in an alleyway. They skid around a corner,Vax running into the wall. They approach a entrance way,Vax gasps when he sees the guards,Isona yanks him back. They wait for a moment,then take off running again.

"Over there! Come on." They hear the guard yell,but they've already disappeared towards Gilmore's. They go around the back and stop at a grate in the wall. Vex attempts to open it,they hear the guards get closer. Keyleth,in the form of a squirrel,climbs off Isona's shoulder and into the grate,where she opens it from the inside. They climb in and close it just as the guards run by. They climb up through a hatch and enter Gilmore's shop.

"Oh,man,being bad is so exciting." Keyleth says as they walk around the shop. Suddenly,they where entrapped in a purple orb,the lights in the store turn on. They hear someone clear their throat,they turn around to see Gilmore behind the front counter.

"Ooh,crime doesn't pay,but it is entertaining." He says as the group smiles sheepishly at him. Gilmore snaps his fingers and the group falls to the ground,with Vax landing first,Isona on top of him and Vex and Keyleth on top of her.

"Uh,we weren't breaking in or anything. Just you know sort of on the run."Keyleth says they all stand.

"A quick stop at your store on our way out of town." Vax tells him.

"While it was closed. I assume you were going to leave an IOU?"

"Of course darling,you know us." Vex says as they all walk past him.

"All too well." Gilmore chuckles. The girls walk around together as Vax looks at daggers at the counter. He picks up a wooden stake as Vex throws down arrows on the counter.

"I'll take these enchanted arrows."

"And as much garlic as you can spare." Keyleth adds as she places a box on the counter. Isona places some healing items she grabbed down.

"Ugh,I don't want to know. No,that's a lie. I absolutely want to know. What's this all about?" Gilmore questions,leaning on the counter.

"We kind of pissed off a vampire." Keyleth answers.

"And our healer's out of commission." Isona adds. Gilmore hums and waves his hand around with his purple magic.

"Then may I suggest the addition of something special?" A small bottle appears in his hand. "Holy water. One of the only things truly known to stop a vampire. Well,that a direct sunlight."

"We'll take all the holy water you got." Vex says.

"You're looking at it." Vex sighs.

"I'll need to grab a few more things then." The girls turn around and go back to walking around. Isona walks over to the books.She skims them and stops when she sees a book all about vampires. She picks it up,but a crash makes her turn. She sees Keyleth sitting in a trunk with her two pointer fingers caught in a finger trap.

"Need some help,love?" Gilmore asks her. She lets out a nervous chuckle.

"I'm fine. Thanks. It's okay. I'll just stay this way. For forever." Isona smirks at her. She places the book on the counter and walks over to Keyleth as Gilmore calls out how to get out of the trap. She helps Keyleth up and helps her out of the trap.

"Oh cool. Thanks,Isona." The close freinds smile at each other.

"No problem,Key."  Vex walks to the counter.

"Sir Gilmore,for your freinds,how much is this going to run us?" Gilmore simply smirks at them.

***

"Oi,slow asses!" They hear Scanlan call. They run towards the rest of the group,who was riding in a worn down cart,with Percy driving. "Check it out. We got a good deal on the cart. Practically,literally,a steal. How'd you guys do?" Vax climbs on,helping Isona and Keyleth up. Vex goes to sit next to Percy.

"Let's just say I'd hate to see what Gilmore charges his enemies." Vex answers. Percy snaps the reigns and the cart leaves Emon. Isona places the healing items in her bag and grabs the book on vampires and cracked it open. After reading for a bit,Vax leans over her shoulder.

"Read anything interesting?" 

"So far,its stuff we already know." Isona answers,not looking up from the book. "Can only be killed by holy water or a shit ton of sunlight. Oh look! Not only can they turn into bats they can turn into mist."

"Fascinating." Vax says sarcastically. Isona rolls her eyes. "Does it say anything about their charm ability?" Isona flips a few pages

"Uh,lets see...ah here. Charm is an ability all vampires posses,its an ability that allows the vampire to control another creature,uh...charm is not truly broken until the vampire that cast the spell is dead. That's pretty much it,why do you ask?"

"For Uriel,of course." Vax says. Isona nods,not noticing his slight uncomfortable stance. They pause when they hear grunting,the couple turn to the end of the cart to see Grog,grunting and sniffling.

"Oh,please tell me you're not shitting in another cart." Vax sighed and went to sit next to Grog.

Hours passed as they travel through a foggy and withered forest. Isona had put away her book and had fallen asleep on Vax's shoulder,only to be jolted awake when the cart suddenly stopped. The sound of a twig snapping makes the group tense,they all stand in the cart and look around. Footsteps sound from behind the cart,a large dog like creature walks out of the bushes.

"Oh,poor little puppers." Keyleth coos as she and Isona walk over to it.

"Are you hurt little guy?" Isona asks. The creature lets out a growl and walks out of the shadows,blood pours from its mouth. Keyleth lets out a shriek as she and Isona back away,Vax moves in front of them. Two more of the creatures walk over.

"What the fuck are those?" Grog asks. 

"A gift from Lady Briarwood." Percy answers. The horses neigh as another creature walks in front of the cart. It unhinges it jaw and out shoots a vine like tongue,it wraps around Scanlan and yanks him out of the cart.

"Scanlan!" Vex shouts. The creature takes off running,they follow after it in the cart. It jumps over a rift,Keyleth makes a vine bridge for the cart to cross. The creature leads them up a rocky mountain.

"Come on Percy,faster,hyah!" Vex yells at him as she shoots arrows.

"This thing was not built for speed. And did you just hyah me?" Percy snaps the reigns. Two of the creatures run to the back of the cart.

"I'll take the big one." Grog says.

"I'll take the other big one." Vax tells him. The creatures jump on the cart and on to Grog and Vax. Keyleth and Isona stand near the front of the cart,watching the creatures attack Grog and Vax. The one fighting Vax pushes him against the cart,making him hand halfway out. It bites his arm,making him cry out.

"Vax!" Isona shouts. She runs forwards and shoulder checks it off of Vax. Keyleth comes up beside her and lets out a loud growl. Grog splits the one attacking him and pushes the other one off the cart.

"That's for Pike! And me! And maybe Scanlan cause he probably won't survive!"

Vex takes one of the enchanted arrows and shoots one of the creatures,making it explode. Grog lets out a loud laugh at that. 

"Um,are they going over the cliff?" Keyleth asks. Isona then notices that they are indeed,heading straight for a cliff.

"They're not the only ones!" Vax exclaims.

"It's got Scanlan. We have no choice!" Percy yells.

"I am not dying to save that gnome.Get me closer!" Vex tells him. She ties a rope to an arrow and shoots past Scanlan.

"You missed!" Scanlan shouts.

"Let go of the book,dumbass!" Vex shouts back. Percy tries to stop the cart.

"Off the cart!"

"But the horses will-" Isona's words where cut off as Grog grabbed her and Keyleth and jumped off the cart. They roll on the ground as the creature,cart,and horses fall off the cliff. Vex and Percy pull up the rope,only to see the rope cut,with no Scanlan.

"Scanlan."

"He didn't make it."

"Neither did the horses." Isona whimpers. They sit in silence as they grieve.

"Rise,mighty Scanlan. Rise!" They look up to see Scanlan floating up on his magic purple hand.

"Yeah,when I die,it'll be the way the gods intended. Chocked to death by a disgruntled pimp."

"Careful what you wish for." Vax tells him as they fist bump.

"And don't think I didn't hear you not crying for me,Isona." Scanlan says,pointing at said girl.

"I was going to! After I grieved for the horses." She shrugs.

"We lost everything." Vex says. 

"Not everything,I got my bag." Isona says,holding out her small bag. Vex gives her a deadpan look.

"Well,I mean,at least we still have our holy water..." Scanlan trailed off when he saw the bag with the holy water,promptly falls off the cliff. They group runs over,trying to catch it,only to fail.

"Perfect." Vax sighs as the bag crashes to the ground.

***

The group walks for a while,before coming upon a clear area,Vex announces they should make camp. Keyleth gathers some small sticks and lights them on fire,though it was more like an explosion. Isona has Vax sit in front of her and grabs some bandages and disinfectant from her bag. She can hear Scanlan and Grog mess with a magic scroll behind them.

"This may sting." Isona tells Vax as she pours the disinfectant on the bite mark on his arm. 

"What do you think is the future for us?" Vax suddenly asks. Isona raises an eyebrow as she pats the wound dry.

"For us? Or Vox Machina,us?"

"Us,us." Isona purses her lips in thought as she picks up the bandages.

"I guess it depends if we live through all this." She starts,and begins wrapping Vax's wound. "If we live,I don't know,hopefully we're still together,I don't plan on breaking up anytime soon."

"Good,neither did I. What about marriage." That makes Isona pause. She doesn't answer right away,tying off the bandage.

"That's something I haven't thought about. Maybe one day. All done." She stands and walks over to her bag. The couple doesn't notice the look Vex gives them.

***

Darkness fell upon the sky. The group gather around a bigger fire. Laughing  as they tell stories about their strangest kill. Isona puts a hand to her chin.

"I guess my strangest kill be...oh! I killed this one guy who was convinced he was a dog."

"What? How?" Keyleth laughed.

"Yeah! I mean,he full on walked on his hands and knees,and even barked! He scared me when he started running towards me,on his knees,so I panicked and stabbed him in the face." Everyone laughs at that.

"What about you Percy? What's the worse monster you've faced?" Vax asked.

"They're in Whitestone. And we'll all be facing them soon." They group look at each other in uncomfortable silence.

"Buzzkill."     

The twins leave the group to gather more sticks for the fire. Vex glances at her brother.

"I heard you talking to Isona." She says. 

"We talk to each other a lot." Vax chuckles,not yet noticing the serious look on Vex's face.

"I heard you talking to her about marriage." Vax finally looks up at his sister.

"Yes? Why? I thought you loved Isona."

"I do." Vex stands and puts her hand on Vax's shoulder.

"I do. But marriage is a huge commitment. Are you sure you're ready for that." Vex starts to walk back to the group. "Is she?"

***

After sleeping on the ground,the group wakes up the next morning and continue to Whitestone.

"Almost home. I never thought I'd see it again." Percy speaks up.

"What's Whitestone like,Percy?" Keyleth asks.

"Yes,what should we expect?" Vex questions.

"It's beautiful. Lush. Orchards always in bloom,thanks to the sun tree. They say it was planted by the Dawnfather a thousand years ago. It's even engraved in on our family crest. A symbol of the de Rolo's ties to the city. At lest it used to be." Percy turns around and begins walking away. Isona runs up next to him.  

"We're going to help you get it back." She says.

"All of it." Vax agrees. They walk a little further.

"We're here." Instead of the lush and beautiful city,the see a dead and run down city. Isona can even see the sun tree,its branches empty of leaves.  

"What have they done?" Percy says in a shocked tone. They walk through the gates to the city to see the streets empty.

"No guards?" Vax observes. They ready their weapons as they walk the streets.

"Where is everyone?" Grog asks. They look to see a few people on the street. As soon as they see the group,the turn and walk away.

"Uh,no offence,Percy,but your towns kind of creepy as shit." Scanlan tells him as they start walking again.

"I need to find Keeper Yennen."

"Who?" Vax asks Percy.

"A holy woman here. She will know what happened." He answers as they turn the corner. They gasp when they see a guard,they quickly hide behind a wall. Just as they gasp in relief,a giant walks by.

"We're not safe here. Come on." Vex tell them. They take off running down the street,but stop when they notice Percy staring at something in shock. The group walks over and gasp. Isona slaps a hand over her mouth, eight people hang from the sun tree,the people are dressed like them.

"It's us."