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A Few Minutes Earlier
Xander's POV
"How bad is it that Grog got woken up?" He asked watching the grey skinned mountain of muscle stride with purpose to the door being banged on.
"Bad enough that I'm going to start packing." Scanlan replied before running off to do just that.
"There're three things that keep Grog in a good mood." Pike said looking a little stuck on what to do, "Food, ale and a good ten hours sleep. If he gets those he's pretty much harmless but if he doesn't…"
"His violent tendencies pop up?" He asked having heard enough to know that the axe wielder LOVED killing and smashing things.
"Yep!" Pike replied his words tipping things towards a decision, "I better try to keep him from killing anyone."
You learn something new everyday.
Sure he wasn't all that pleasant if he didn't get at least six or seven hours of sleep but he'd never gone homicidal if someone woke him up earlier. He'd growl at them, give them a piece of his mind but in the end he'd either go back to sleep or find some caffeine to get him through the day. Grog it looks like responded with something heavy, sharp and built to cleave things into two pieces…sometimes more if he was motivated enough probably.
Deciding that seeing the big guy go all homicidal on whoever was banging on the door would probably only add to their problems he walked to help Pike. From what he'd learned during his time with Vox Machina the Arms of Emon tended to only care about violence that happened within the city as long as no innocents were harmed. That meant that if they ran into a band of thieves on the roads leading away from Emon or were in tunnels dealing with a goblin problem they could use as much force as they liked. Highway bandits were all too common outside of the cities of Tal'Dorei so dealing with them in any way made the roads safer making things easier for the Arms.
As for the goblins and other monsters out there they were a clear and present threat to the good citizens of Tal'Dorei so no one really cared if they got killed.
Though according to Pike the definition of what was or wasn't a monster tended to change from region to region even if Sovereign Uriel decreed otherwise.
The price of living in a world where info only travelled as fast as a horse could go and only if someone wanted to spread the news.
"You want something Turd Nose?" Grog asked having since opened the door to reveal the one doing the banging.
From what he could see the group of four standing outside were an odd mix of being well outfitted with gear while at the same time being haphazard in the area of personal hygiene. Sure part of that seemed to be because of their efforts of the last while to clean Scanlan's sheets that he'd shit in thanks to his improvised payback but most was on the quartet alone. All men they looked quite angry at getting shit dumped on them and probably wanted to give the one responsible a good thrashing for payback but that wasn't happening one way or another.
Vox Machina might not be like most mercenary groups but he could see bonds of friendship building between all of them. For something like this there was no way they'd let a group of strangers pound on Scanlan and neither would he. It was an accident plus he was sure some time in a bath house or even the nearest river would get most of the stuff off of them without too much trouble.
"The 'ead of whoever dumped shite on us fer starters!" Growled the likely leader of the group who sounded like Lieutenant Rasczak from 'Starship Troopers', "Then we're gonna take wha'ever looks shiny as compensation. Got a problem with that?"
He expected some kind of response from the big guy but instead all he saw was the axe wielder's shoulders shaking causing the guys outside to chuckle thinking it was fear. Considering some of the things he'd seen Grog fight and how much of a battle maniac the ale lover was he knew that this was far from the truth. Seeing his Bag of Holding near the door he grabbed it before elbowing his way in front of the member of Vox Machina.
"Look guys I know you're pissed! I would be too if a bucket of shit got dumped on me but you're not thinking things through." He said doing his best to sound reasonable and helpful, "Start something here and it's gonna wind up costing ya more than it'll help ya."
"Oh? Why is that?" The leader asked who even looked like a more muscular and scruffy looking Ironside in armour.
"Well for one thing a fight's just going to bring the Arms down here looking to find out what's going on. I think we can both agree that keeping those tin plated twits outta this'll keep the day from taking a bad turn." He replied figuring most mercs wouldn't have a good opinion of the Arms of Emon, "Plus you gotta think about what happens after. A bath, someone to clean your armour and clothes so it don't stink and then of course making up for wasted time that coulda been used finding a way to make some silver. A pretty sure way of havin' your day completely ruined."
"An' I suppose ya got a better idea?" Thug Leader asked sounding quite skeptical.
"Yep. For one thing you can have all of this." He replied pulling out some of the more valuable salvage from Vox Machina's last job, "Sell this to the right merchant and you'll have more than enough silver to cover cleaning up with some left over for a few rounds of ale. As a bonus I'll throw in this chart that I know you'll find helpful."
The leader of the brute squad took the chart and started looking it over but judging by the random flickers of incomprehension he didn't quite understand how this was a good thing.
"I asked around to some of the ingredient and material suppliers here in Emon what they'd be willing to pay for herbs, monster bits and the odd magic item." He explained keeping himself from sounding condescending or provocative, "They gave me this info. Think about it: now you can get paid both for killing things AND from selling everything they got that's valuable. EVERYTHING. Some extra silver never hurts right?"
With the blanks filled in and with the help of the detailed drawings of the various bits the leader of the Brute Squad looked more happy than he'd been but still hadn't lost his scowl entirely.
~Time to go for the kill.~ He thought before asking, "So is this enough to let this entire mess slide? Consider it a sign of respect from an amateur to a professional."
That did it.
"Looks like at least one o' you shit stains knows 'ow to treat yer betters." The leader said tucking the chart beneath his armour, "Since I'm such a nice guy you all get a free pass today. C'mon lads! We got better places to be!"
With that the quartet of angry strangers walked off and the crowd that'd begun to gather also dispersed leaving just him, Grog and Pike standing in front of the place they called home. He let out a sigh of relief that his bribe worked because he really didn't want to think about what would've happened if Grog had lost it. As it was his unexpected intervention had stalled the big guy's mind for the time being but he knew he'd need to persuade the mountain of muscle as well.
"Sorry about waking you up Grog." He said with genuine regret, "I was just trying to get back at Scanlan and things got a little outta hand. First three rounds are on me next time we find a good bar?"
The war of impulses was pretty much obvious on Grog's face as the member of the Goliath race no doubt debated whether he wanted to bust heads more than he wanted three mugs of ale. It wasn't quite a sure thing since he knew the bug guy liked fighting pretty much the same as he liked drinking but he was willing to bet on things following the path of least resistance.
"Deal. I'm goin' back to sleep." Grog replied his earlier anger and bloodlust giving way to the fog of sleep.
With that the grey half-giant turned around, leaned his axe against the wall and then went back up the stairs to where his room was to resume fathering Zs. As one both he and Pike sighed with relief that there'd be no Grog rampage today even as he began to add up the silver he could get ahold of in order to pay for the three rounds he'd promised the big guy. He hadn't given the 'Angry & Unkempt' guys everything or even the most valuable stuff but he'd need to be careful not to sell things that he didn't have the right to.
"Nicely handled." A voice said causing him to turn and see both Vax and Vex approaching, "That could've turned into a real mess if Grog had lost it."
"Yes, yes, that's all well and good." Vex said looking at him with irritation, "I'm more concerned about you cluing in those idiots about our second source of income. We can't really afford to lose the silver and it'll only get worse if the rest of Emon find out how much selling monster bits pays. What were you thinking?!"
Figures.
If there was one thing that he could safely say about the siblings it was that neither of them liked anything that cut into their odds of survival. Vax was a little more laid back about it while Vex tended to let you know precisely how much she didn't like it. Fortunately while he wasn't perfect about it he'd learned a few things from hanging this with this group when it came to talking your way out of difficult situations.
"I was thinking more than you are. We've got nothing to worry about!" He replied with a smirk he only partially felt, "In fact if things go like I think they will we just might be able to count on an INCREASE in profits."
"Bullshit! If anything it'll go the other way once they find out you're the one that sent those four turd stains their way."Vex said immediately dismissing his claim.
"Tsk, tsk. Honestly Vex you're not thinking this through enough." He said not losing his confident expression, "Yes they'll go to the vendors and yeah they'll make some money off of what I gave them but it's what'll happen next that'll be a big help for us. Vax? How do you think those four'll react once they realize how much silver they can make selling that stuff?"
"They'll make sure to strip everything off of their future kills and pump it for all its worth." Vax replied looking like he was mulling it over in his head, "They'd be stupid not to."
"Yeah but remember the only reason we don't have supplier paid mercs coming down on us is because I'm showing restraint with how much and how often I sell stuff." He said pointing out the first thing that came to mind, "You think those four'll do the same?"
"Probably not." Vax conceded having a low opinion of the quartet.
"Doesn't mean that the people who buy from us won't slam the door in our faces when they found out it was Vox Machina who sent those scruffy goat herders their way." Vex said still looking irritated but less forceful with her words.
"And how'll they prove it?" He asked feeling a little more confident, "That chart's not in any of our handwriting and what're the odds anyone'll believe that a member of Vox Machina willingly gave up a flow of silver freely? 'Generosity' after all isn't exactly a word people think of when they think of you guys."
"So they'll get too greedy and people'll laugh at the idea of us giving stuff away. I can see that." Vax said sounding like he was willing to entertain the idea, "But how do you figure it could net us some more silver?"
"Simple." He replied before putting his harebrained logic to words, "If you just had a group of jerks come in and rudely try to pump you for money and then lie about one of your reliable sources how'd you react?"
"I'd tell them to get lost and never come back." Vax said being perfectly honest with his response, "But I'd also be friendlier to the sources I knew I could rely on."
That was when Vex's expression changed as she no doubt began to think up ways that Vox Machina could take advantage of things.
"Yep and if you guys can work on some good lines to use on them we just might be able to get the shop owners to pay us a little more silver than usual." He said feeling mildly smug with his quick thinking.
With this the two siblings looked at each other using nonverbal means to communicate with each other. It didn't last long but when they seemed to finish their discussion Vex finally lost her annoyed look.
Mostly.
"Not bad." Vex said with a more neutral expression, "I'm pretty sure you pulled most of that out of your ass just now but it could work. Just don't pull that shit again without running it by me. You're a servant NOT a member of Vox Machina."
That stung a little but it was still the truth.
Any time Scanlan or someone else introduced the group he was never mentioned as a member to any employer potential or otherwise.
With that the half-elf woman walked into the house leaving just him, Vax and Pike standing in the open air.
"So…what exactly caused all this?" Vax asked moving onto another topic of discussion, "I saw the soiled bedsheet, the shit covered goons and an angry Grog but I can't put it together."
Ah…yes…that…
"Um…I might've gone a little overboard with a bit of payback I sent Scanlan's way." He replied honestly figuring the Gnome or Pike would spill the beans sooner or later.
"This I HAVE TO hear." Vax said sounding like he wouldn't allow any skimping on the details.
"Fine but let's get inside and get the whole group together." He said deciding to get things over with swiftly, "That way I only have to say everything once."
It'd be touch and go but he was pretty sure it'd turn out okay.
Though he'd probably have to watch out for Scanlan's payback because shitting yourself in a bed would put a pretty big dent in his ladies man image.
Still worth it for what the Gnome had sent him into at the spring though.
A Little Over a Half Hour Later
Vex'ahlia's POV
"Well…that was…weird." Keyleth said after Xander and 'Willow' had left to sell the herbs her servant had collected.
"That's a fucking understatement." She said not liking what'd been revealed, "I'm beginning to wonder just what sort of fucked up village those two lived in and if we want any more weirdness rubbing off on us."
"I'll admit it's a lot to take in Vex but it's not that bad." Pike said sounding a little more optimistic than was smart, "Willow can disappear when she needs to and other than that nothing's really changed."
"Nothing's really changed YET you mean." She said not willing to concede that she might've gone a bit heavy with her words, "A shit teleportation and now giving someone Xander his best friend's spirit as a familiar? No one capable of magic on that level's going to just forget about them and who knows what else they did that's just waiting to drop on us."
"We can talk about what ifs and maybes all we want but we'll only drive ourselves mad." Percy said with his usual bitch face aloofness, "Xander's been an ideal roommate and Pike has already told us she senses nothing evil about Willow. I say that until something conclusively troubling happens we take the wait and see approach."
"Percy's right. Xander hasn't complained about anything you've asked him to do and actually helped us find a way to make more money." Keyleth said showing where she stood on the matter, "I don't like these surprises anymore than you do Vex but they're not Xander's fault."
Even though Grog was absent due to needing his beauty sleep she could guess that the Goliath would either not be smart enough to realize how bad things could get or not care. Grog was the definition of dumb muscle so while he could grasp the simple things it was a waste of breath trying to get the more adult concepts to click in his head. He'd probably just side with Pike.
"What about you Scanlan?" She asked figuring she might at least have an ally in the Gnome.
"I think it's all crazy but honestly I kinda like it." Scanlan replied with a carefree grin, "She's definitely easy on the eyes!"
Figures the Gnome would go with that angle even if the familiar was lacking any bits to fuck with.
"Bbuuutt you got a point about the strange stuff that's happening around Xander." Scanlan said in a rare moment of seriousness, "People don't get familiars like Willow or drop out of the sky everyday. Who knows what'll happen next."
Looking from each present member one by one she could tell that if the matter went to a vote it would not end in favour of Xander getting banished from their midst. Too many were willing to take the wait and see approach rather than play it safe like she wanted. It didn't change the fact that the unknown could be deadly especially to her and Vax since that was all she really cared about. Ever since they'd left their 'father' and lost their mother the only ones they could rely upon were each other.
No one else.
As such they'd watched each other's backs, avoided situations where the danger was too much for them to handle and knew when to cut their losses on a job. Joining forces with Keyleth and the others had simply made good business sense with each of them providing something that could allow for more profitable jobs. If the risk outweighed the gain then they'd abandon the lot of them for someplace safer.
Still with so little in the way of funds and resources leaving now wouldn't get them very far at all.
Thus she made a decision.
"We'll let things play out for now." She said giving away none of her real thoughts, "But only if he keeps us in the loop about any more 'surprises' he finds out about about and doesn't cause things to turn completely to shit. Agreed?"
Nods all around comforted her a bit but she'd be sure to remind them of this moment if they hesitated later on if things turned to shit. However she could tell her brother had something more to say but at least he had the sense to wait until the others were safely out of earshot before saying anything.
"Coming on a little strong there." Vax said with light warning, "Dropping in on you and Willow is strange but it's not like he turned into an undead plague monster. Neither moment hurt anyone or cost us anything."
"Don't tell me this doesn't feel a little off to you brother." She said reminding her sibling of how often their feelings on a situation had saved them from trouble, "There are too many questions unanswered where Xander is concerned. Up until now I didn't have a reason to give it more than a passing thought but with Willow's grand debut I think that might've been a mistake."
"Chance is a part of life sister." Vax said with reason in his voice, "There's no way to avoid it completely."
"Maybe not but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try." She said with her own bit of wisdom, "Chance favours no one Vax and will stab you in the back as easily as it would aid you."
"Xander's done nothing to cause us trouble." He said sounding as though he'd made his decision, "Until he does I can't back choosing to kick him out."
A nod was all she gave him since it would be pointless to do anything else.
She was no fool. She knew she couldn't do anything with Vax against her and even if her brother had chosen to side with her getting their way in spite of the others would be costly.
Those were bridges she wouldn't burn without solid proof.
She may look at life as her and Vax against the world where only the two of them mattered but that didn't mean she'd be stupid about it. Things, people, places…these could be useful and profitable when utilized correctly. A smart person weighed the odds, the pros and cons, before making the best possible decision for themselves regardless of how others might respond. Morality after all wasn't a universal constant but rather something each person decided for themselves or adopted from people they trusted. As far as she was concerned she only needed the morals that would keep both her as well as her brother safe while at the same time making them as different as possible from her father's people.
If other people disagreed or gave them 'the Look' for thinking that way then they could go fuck themselves.
She'd long since learned not to count on or care about anyone but herself or her brother.
A Few Days Later
Xander's POV
"So what's the job again?" He asked as he finished packing up their camp as was his job.
"A village that's part of the Shalesteps sent out a call for help because supposedly a monster's been attacking them since the beginning of spring. Butchered animals, destroyed homes and a handful of people dead." Vax replied as the others tended to their own duties, "They're offering a reward for whoever can rid them of the monster."
"How much?" He asked since knowing that would let him know if another tavern binge was in their future.
"A little over six hundred silver plus a provided place to rest and food to eat." Vax replied not sounding impressed but not scorning it either.
No drinking binge then.
He'd accompanied them enough times to a tavern to know how much each of them drank so when added up with the usual price tag on a mug of ale it amounted to more than six hundred silver. Looking around at the other members of Vox Machina he could tell that those more easily influenced by coin weren't entirely satisfied with the amount while the rest seemed happy enough. Not entirely unwarranted since anyone who's lived a long time where what they earned barely kept them alive would want to improve their situation as fast as possible. That meant preferring to take jobs that paid the most and that they could feasibly succeed at completing. Six hundred silver, if it was anything like American dollars, wasn't a lot and would probably barely cover basic living expenses. If only one person were to get the reward he could see it being enough but divided amongst Vox Machina or poured into a group fund it wasn't enough.
"Any idea what the monster is?" He asked hoping to improve the moods somewhat, "If it's something valuable enough we could probably double our money once I sell off the bits and pieces."
"The job posting didn't say other than it not being able to do things in one go." Vax replied with a shrug of ignorance, "Lots of claw marks and hacking but no sign of anything being bitten in half."
While that did bode well for their ability to handle whatever came their way it also decreased the odds of him harvesting anything valuable. Sure there were some things that were small yet deadly with bits that would fetch decent coin but what were the odds the thing attacking the village was one of those. Still the various shop owners and vendors had been kind enough to give him a good idea of what to look for and how best to preserve the bits so that they'd still be worth something by the time the group got back to Emon.
"Doesn't hacking mean tools like a stone axe or something?" He asked frowning in thought.
"Sometimes. Sometimes it just means the monsters claws aren't that sharp ." Vex replied as he finished packing up the camp, "Probably clawed at the cows over and over again. Then of course there's the chance that the villagers know nothing about describing wounds and got it wrong."
True.
You'd expect someone who fought and killed and hunted to be able to tell the difference in the various wounds that existed as well as what caused them. Whether it was because they inflicted the wounds themselves with their own weapons or were taught what to look for by someone more experienced.
Simple farmers and villagers though wouldn't have the experience or know how for identifying monster inflicted wounds beyond the absolute obvious. Cuts made by the tools they used they'd be able to recognize but anything else would be pure guesswork.
"I hope it's something big!" Grog exclaimed sounding interested in what was to come, "Been too long since I got to kill something as big as me!"
"Don't worry Grog." Pike said with a smile at her friends enthusiasm, "We'll make sure you get first crack at it whatever it is."
"YES!" Grog cried out with joy at the promise.
~Definitely a battle maniac.~ He thought not knowing why he was surprised.
All the sense of one too since he'd yet to see any instance of the Goliath axe-wielder not charging a target head on. It was one thing to charge something that you'd fought and beaten before or knew enough about to formulate a decent plan. It was another to not care about the particulars of what you were fighting or if you'd succeeded in killing one in the past. True some people were naturally gifted in the right areas that they could prevail with Grog's sort of attitude but those were few.
Or at least he figured there were few since it was often those people who became heroes before going on to become legends.
The members of Vox Machina…
…maybe if they got their acts together and dealt with their personality quirks they could become heroes but becoming legends usually required that you pull off a feat it'd take along time to match.
Not happening with this bunch.
Hours passed but right around sunset they finally set eyes on the village that needed the help of Vox Machina. He phrased it that way because he wouldn't actually be taking care of the monster along with the rest of them. It wasn't that he wasn't willing but one of the first things that he'd learned upon arriving in this strange new world was was that his experience helping Buffy didn't count for much. While he was apparently strong enough to swing his sword one handed he was still at the point of 'the pointy end goes in the other guy' in terms of skill. It was a credit to his intellect and experiences on the Hellmouth that he hadn't immediately assumed that the Halloween changes had made him some badass.
He needed to learn how to use his sword before he could even think about fighting by their side.
"This is…quaint." Vex said as they entered the village clearly unhappy with the substandard housing.
It was a step down from the buildings in Emon but what'd you expect with the materials that you could find in the area. There was nothing like concrete so stonework needed to be done with chisels and probably some kind of mortar along with whatever wood could be harvested from the trees they could find. This wasn't like back home where you could get everything you needed from a nearby store and get it delivered the same day. You pretty much had to harvest everything yourself unless you lived close to a major city.
"You can deal with what they offer or you can camp outside. Me? I want a solid roof over my head and a reasonably comfortable bed." He said laying out the bare facts in front of her.
"You do realize that any beds they have are likely inhabited by bugs and at best the sheets have been washed once a month don't you?" She asked rhetorically even as she made clear her true concerns.
"As opposed to sheets that probably haven't been cleaned before you guys set up shop in the building and might even have had rats shit on it." He said pointing out that the house they were squatting in had likely been abandoned for quite a while.
Abandoned buildings were havens for all kinds of insects and vermin after all plus if Vox Machina were using sheets that they found in the building they probably hadn't been washed in a LONG while.
"We've slept in worse sister and with any luck it's only going to be for a couple of nights." Vax said trying to dispel his sister's discontent.
"I'll make sure of it brother." Vex said making him think that she would be extra diligent in finding the monsters and killing them if it meant they'd be leaving sooner.
Looking about the village he could spot some signs of the monster attack in the form of damaged fences, blood that he hoped belonged to animals spattered about and what could be claw marks in some of the larger bits of stone he could spot. If the size of the claw marks and the thickness of the fence pieces were any hint the monster was at least the size of a horse if not a bit bigger. Though looking at the damage he was seeing he had to wonder if there might be more than one monster roaming about.
"How is it no one saw the monster?" Keyleth asked even as the villagers outside sent glances their way, "Anything that could do this would have to be pretty big."
"Could be a lot of things. Could be its too fast for people to see much, could be it can turn itself invisible, could be it has some cloud of smoke stuck around it OR…" he replied tossing out some possibilities, "…the whole lot of'em were so scared they just stayed in their homes and didn't see anything."
"I'm thinking it's the last one." Scanlan said with a bit of contempt as the fear was evident on their faces, "They look like all it'd take would be a shadow they don't recognize."
While the contempt was a little uncalled for in his opinion he didn't disagree that the fear was the best possible reason for not having a good description of the monster. These were villagers after all who probably hadn't had anything worse to handle than a few wolves harassing their cattle. Anything scarier or more dangerous than that would be enough to make them find the nearest bed to hide under.
"We should meet with the village elder first to find out if anything's happened since the job request was sent out." Percy said being all business as usual, "They might've learned more about the monster."
No on objected so they proceeded down the street until they arrived at the biggest and best maintained building in the village. There were only two guards out front though it'd be more honest to call them reasonably muscled farm hands with pitchforks for weapons. It didn't take'em long to notice Vox Machina and while they did try to look professional the goal wasn't quite met.
"We're here to see the village elder." Vax said coming to a stop in front of the guards.
"And you'd be?" One of them asked trying to sound all intimidating.
"Vox Machina. We're here to solve your monster problem." Vax replied while the rest put their best faces on for appearance purposes.
This got the attention of the two guards.
"O-of course. This way." The more honest guard said gesturing for them to enter the building.
The inside of the building wasn't too bad with flags hanging from the second level of the building denoting clan symbols or perhaps the history of the village. It didn't look like it was a case of the village elder keeping all the good stuff to himself while the people he was responsible for suffered so that was a good thing. Eventually they arrived at a large dinner table but given the papers on it as well as the people around it he'd say it was more a situation table for managing the village.
At the head of the table was a man that looked to be in his early sixties and if he had to guess he'd say the guy was a retired member of the Arms of Emon. A comforting fact since it meant that the village hadn't been entirely helpless before the monster but whether it was old age or a debilitating injury there were obvious limits to what the old soldier could do.
"Elder? We have visitors who say they're here to deal with the monster." The honest guard said a respectable distance from the other end of the table.
"Are they now?" The elder asked sounding like Sean Connery, "Well it's about bloody time! I sent a messenger to spread word of our monster problem two months ago and you lot are the only ones to show up."
"Clearly good sir WE are of superior moral fibre compared to the other warriors of Tal'Dorei and could not turn a deaf ear to your need for aid." Scanlan said stepping forward to be the centre of attention as usual and charm the elder, "We came as soon as we found the job posting."
While no longer as angry looking he could definitely tell that the elder wasn't ready to cheer to the heavens that help had arrived.
HELL! The old man looked to be barely willing to give them a chance!
"Well at least it looks like you'll last longer than any of my people would against this beast." The elder said implying that Vox Machina would have to work to prove their worth, "Glen? Take'em to Robert's place. He won't be needin' it anymore and it's decent enough for this lot."
"Right away elder." Glen the honest said with a bow to his boss before turning to Vox Machina, " This way if you please."
"Well that was a fine how-do-you-do." Vax commented sarcastically before turning to Glen, "I was hoping for a little more talking and a lot more questions answered."
"Please forgive Elder Michael. He was once a member of the Arms of Emon before an injury to his leg forced his retirement." Glen said fishing for understanding, "Since he was chosen to lead our village he has done much to improve the lives of all who live here. However when the monster began to attack he discovered the one thing he could do little to protect us from. He can barely walk around the village and speed is definitely something that is needed against this monster."
"So you've seen it?" Pike asked pouncing on the positive development, "What is it? What does it look like?"
"I have only caught glimpses of it and seen the aftermath of those unlucky enough to stand in its way." Glen replied a haunted look on his face, "It was larger than a bear for sure but faster than anything I've ever seen before. It shouldn't be possible for something that big to move that fast! It's also vicious because whoever it comes across it kills in almost no time at all."
"Did it look like it ate anything or bite anything off of them and take it?" He asked offhand unintentionally slipping into Scooby research mode.
However this only caused the rest of the group to stop in their tracks and turn to look at him as though he'd sprouted another head right there in front of them. Reviewing what he'd just said he realized that even for those in the business questions like that would be a little odd.
"What? If it ate something we're dealing with a meat eater and maybe something that specifically likes eating people instead of animals." He explained hoping it'd clue them in, "If it took an arm or a leg with it that could mean it's bringing whatever it is to someone or something else or it could be more intelligent than we think that likes taking trophies."
Well this did dispel some of of the confusion on their faces but some still looked at him as though they were wondering where the hell the questions had come from.
"My home wasn't any safer than the rest of the world. We had monsters to deal with." He said hoping they could get past the strangeness of his previous statement, "A teacher of mine knew a thing or two about dealing with them. One of the things he taught me was if you don't know what's doing the killing learn what you can from the mess it leaves behind. It won't be much but it's better than nothing."
That did it.
The looks of inquiry and confusion left the group to be replaced by consideration and dare he say the beginnings of plans.
"We'll have a look around after we get settled." Vex said taking charge of things.
"Right. Right." Glen said shaking his mind clear of any thoughts, "This way."
It didn't take long for them to reach 'Robert's place' but when he saw it he had to wonder if they'd actually get any work done at all.
Why?
Because unless he was mistaken Robert must've been the one in charge of brewing the ale for the village because he saw barrels of all sizes not to mention other tools of ale making outside the house.
"YES! Now this I like!" Grog exclaimed in joy before rushing to the front door of the house no doubt in search of booze.
"Grog hold it! The door's probably-" he yelled but before he could tell the big guy that the door was likely locked the Goliath simply yanked the door open no doubt breaking the lock.
"Thank you for leading us here Glen." Vex said sounding like she wanted him gone sooner than later, "We'll let you know if we need anything later."
Needless to say after seeing Grog's display of strength the village resident was all too happy to leave obviously not possessing a strong enough backbone for stressful situations. By the time the rest of them got inside Grog had already found a barrel with ale in it and was guzzling it down like a champ.
"Slow down Grog. The guy who made the ale's dead so once whatever he's got here is gone you won't get to drink anything else 'til we're back in Emon." He warned the big guy before he drank the house dry, "That could be days from now if we can't find the monster right away."
This made Grog pause for a moment but then he just resumed guzzling the barrel until it was bone dry before letting out a burp that half the village must've heard.
"Don't worry Xander! We'll find the monster and kill it in no time." Grog said not sounding worried at all, "It'll show up sooner or later and then I get first crack at fighting it."
He didn't even bother saying anything choosing instead to explore the house for a place to sleep and lay out some of the things Vox Machina would probably need later on. Grog was a great guy and knew his way around an axe but his simple way of thinking made changing his mind a challenge.
Not in the sense of trying to come up with a thorough argument but rather trying to keep it simple enough that the muscle of Vox Machina could follow the train of thought.
~Not my job anyway.~ He thought climbing the stairs to the next level of the house, ~I'm just the pack mule and support guy. Let the others keep Grog on track.~
The Site of the Latest Attack by the Monster
Percy's POV
"How long do you think Vex'll keep calling Xander her servant?" He asked even as he inspected the ground around where the latest victim of the monster perished.
"What do you mean?" Pike asked even as she used 'detect magic' to see if there was anything mystical that the monster might've left behind.
While there were beasts of a non-magical sort that caused trouble wherever they went there were also those with magic in them either naturally or because they were created with this in mind. If Pike could help determine if the monster was magical or not it'd help eliminate quite a few from their list of possible suspects. Just like Xander had mentioned the previous day even if they didn't know what the monster was examining each attack location and what few corpses were still in good enough shape to be useful a rough picture could be formed. So far it didn't look as though anything was coming up so that was definitely leaning things towards a non-magical monster.
"She told us that he would be her 'servant' until he paid off his debt but I think we can both agree that he's more than done that by now." He replied moving onto another spot that looked like it'd yield results, "But instead of telling him he can leave she just keeps piling on jobs for him to do."
"You think she's taking advantage of Xander?" Pike asked cancelling her use of 'detect magic' to look at him.
"Maybe but I'd prefer to think that she might be getting him ready for something." He replied letting out at least some of his thoughts, "Training often means adding to the difficulty level gradually to make the person stronger."
"Training? You think she's planning on officially making him a member of Vox Machina?" Pike asked making the logical leap.
"Maybe but it could be something as simple as making sure he can manage on his own once the 'debt is paid off'." He replied laying out two possible paths, "I'm sure you've noticed that Xander's a bit clueless about certain things. If he left us today I'd be worried about the trouble he'd get into."
"You're not wrong but he did say his village was pretty far off with not much close by." Pike said recalling Xander's many mistakes, "It's easy to learn things when you live someplace with a lot of people coming and going but it's a little different if no one comes by your village for years."
"If it was just information about the world and the people in it his mistakes would be understandable but there are certain things that are universal no matter where you live." He said pointing out the mistakes he was thinking of, "Vex might have picked up on this as well and is trying to help him in her own way without being obvious about it."
Personally he was more inclined to think that the half-elf woman was grooming Xander to join Vox Machina but he couldn't dismiss the short term possibility. As much as Vex and Vax might act as though they cared only about each other he'd witnessed signs that they were not above taking altruistic action from time to time. Personally he thought that if Xander could be given the proper instruction he could indeed become a valuable member of Vox Machina and certainly a stabilizing force. Unlike the current roster he did not appear to possess any eccentricities or vices that might cause problems so that already put him above both Scanlan and Grog. The two handed sword wielder also had proven to be perceptive in seeing things that the rest of them had overlooked such as selling harvested parts of kills for money. Up until the young man's arrival they'd mostly been relying on the money provided at the end of the jobs or what the siblings had 'liberated' from unsuspecting travellers.
It by no means cleared their group's debts and he doubted it would do so anytime soon but it was a decided improvement nonetheless.
~If Xander could learn to use his sword as well as Vax handles his daggers we might actually be capable of better jobs.~ He thought thinking of the jobs that'd had good rewards but that they were forced to pass on.
While he'd been able to stretch what silver he'd earned enough to maintain his Pepperbox pistol as well as his tools he knew that his more ambitious designs would require greater capital than he'd likely obtain using the old methods. If they were able to aim their sights higher with the addition of a new member all would benefit improving the groups reputation in the process and that could only be called a good thing. While the others might laugh it off he knew all too well that the reputation of Vox Machina was pretty much bottom of the barrel as the saying went. True they had accomplished some jobs well enough to get paid but the rest always had something happen that left them without the promised payment.
He was sure that if Xander could be trained up to be a worthy addition there'd be a chance to turn their reputation around and perhaps be semi-respected by Tal'Dorei.
It would be impossible to become fully respected because the sort of sacrifices that'd be required of the others would take a small fortune to make happen.
Hmmm…better make that a LARGE fortune considering Scanlan's habits.
"I think it'd be nice to have someone in Vox Machina that we didn't have to keep an eye on." Pike said continuing to survey the area, "Vex and Vax are willing to do almost anything to get money, Scanlan's probably going to have every husband and boyfriend in Tal'Dorei after him eventually and Grog's a good guy and all but he doesn't always think things through."
"Indeed. Keyleth might be less trouble prone than them but her inexperience and lacking confidence can cause problems every so often." He said agreeing with the flaws of the others, "If we could add Xander to our number of minders we just might be able to keep from being blacklisted from every tavern in Emon and every respectable employer in Tal'Dorei."
"Think we should help?" Pike asked turning to face him.
"That might be for the best. A summary of the various races of Tal'Dorei, the culture as well as customs of the more numerous ones and perhaps a few lessons in etiquette." He replied slightly grinning at the thought of having someone with knowledge of refinement to speak to.
"Etiquette?" Pike asked with some confusion.
"If we wish to make more silver we're going to need our employers to be fairly well off." He replied explaining his reasoning, "That means wealthy merchants, nobility and possibly the heads of various clans. Such people need to be handled with care and an understanding of their station in society. The others would think it perfectly okay to just sit them down and haggle the details over a pint of ale."
"Yeah…we're not exactly overflowing with people that know how to handle the elite." Pike said looking like she'd already thought up some ways things could go bad, "I could probably spar with him so he can learn to use his sword right. Grog would just get carried away and hurt him."
True.
Grog would start out the match with every intention of holding back while helping Xander to use his sword but eventually would lose himself to the heat of battle. Honestly sometimes Grog acted like an overgrown child and the only one who could reign him in was Pike most of the time.
"Then it's settled." He said concluding his examination of the area, "Once this job is done Xander's education begins."
Pike nodded at this and actually seemed to be looking forward to it a bit.
He was too if he was being entirely honest.
The Former Home of Robert the Ale Maker
That Night
Keyleth's POV
"So what've we found out?" Vex asked as all of them sat around the dinner table.
"Whatever the monster is it's not magical or demonic." Pike replied after sipping a bit of ale, "I checked everywhere I could think of and there weren't any traces of either. Unless someone went around and cleansed each spot afterwards that is."
"I doubt any one of these goat humpers could cast a spell to save their lives." Scanlan scoffed making his opinion of the villagers' magical aptitude clear.
"That's pretty obvious 'cause if they could they wouldn't need us." Grog said taking a big gulp of ale afterwards.
"Judging by the lacking signs of a struggle Glen wasn't mistaken when he said this monster would be swift. Aside from all the blood and dried innards there was nothing I could see to indicate the victim put up much of a fight." Percy said painting a fairly grim picture of the latest victim's final moments, "Given that the nearest source of cover was more than fifty yards away the monster would have to have crossed the distance in a very short amount of time to keep the man from running."
"Vex and I looked over the remains, what remains there were that is, but fortunately it looks like we're not dealing with an intelligent monster." Vax said looking a bit green at the memory of his examinations, "All the bite wounds and claw marks were random. If something's smart enough to want a trophy they're usually particular about what'd make a good one. Looked to me like the monster just wanted to rip the idiot limb from limb."
"Isn't that a bit odd too?" Xander asked from a chair off to the side, "Most animals only attack if they're hungry or threatened. Monsters back home were pretty much the same especially if they didn't have a decent brain in their skulls."
"It is a bit odd but it could just mean the victims did something to especially provoke it." Percy replied after a moments consideration, "Trespassed into its territory too deeply or perhaps killed one of its young. It's too early to tell without knowing precisely what we're dealing with."
"You find anything out Keyleth?" Vex asked turning to look at her.
"A little but most of the animals ran away the second they sensed the monster's presence." She replied remembering playing to her strengths while investigating the area surrounding the village, "The trees and shrubs gave me some but it was more like feelings and impressions. Whatever the monster was bloodlust was rolling off of it enough to make the flowers wilt. But the strange thing is that the monster didn't wander around the village looking for prey. It was more like it'd attack anyone it found in specific areas."
"That would imply that someone is influencing the monster." Vex said a frown on her face, "Might be marking the attack locations with a scent that'll provoke the creature. But why? What could anyone get out of terrorizing a two cow village like this?"
"Shits and giggles?" Xander proposed with a bit of uncertainty.
"Maybe but psychos like that usually like more group involvement." Scanlan stated like it was a staple of the trade, "Not this whole strike from the shadows shit."
"Maybe someone's using the monster to draw in desperate mercs so they can kill'em and rob'em?" Xander said tossing another possibility out, "People like that are either easy marks or so hungry for money that they can be tripped up easily enough."
~Well that fits us pretty good.~ She thought with mild disappointment, ~We're pretty desperate and we're not exactly careful sometimes.~
"If that's what's going on then whoever's behind this is in for one helluva surprise." Vex said a confident grin firmly in place, "And it gives me an idea about how to handle this sooner rather than later."
"Do tell." Percy said dryly and not without due cause.
"If they're expecting incompetent mercenaries we give them incompetent mercenaries." Vex explained never showing doubt in her words, "Dangle tempting bait in front of them and right when they think they have us cornered we show them that Vox Machina is far from an easy mark."
"And if they're not an easy mark either?" Vax pointed out since it was true that they didn't know who they were dealing with.
"Then we'll deal with it. It's better than just wandering about the forest hoping we find their camp." Vex said with a bit of an edge, "We can hardly protect them from this creature when we don't know when or where it'll strike. If we can lure it from the village to a place of our choosing we'll have the advantage."
"And how're we going to lure the monster and its handler away from the village exactly?" Percy asked obviously not a fan of the group's habit of making it up as they went.
"Simple. Scanlan and I will go about the village and make it look like we have more money than sense." Vex replied sounding like the details were coming together in her mind, "Whoever's doing this has to be watching the village or walking through it at some point. We make sure word makes the gossip rounds and then head off into the forest. With a gift wrapped group of prey there's no way whoever's behind this won't strike."
"Sounds like a plan." Vax said supporting his sister's idea, "I'll slip out in a few hours and scout out the woods for a good place to spring the trap."
"Where you've got ale you gotta have a tavern." Scanlan said with a smile, "I'll find it and get things going with the witless wealthy routine."
"Just remember not to go overboard with the drinking." Vex warned with a sharp gaze at the Gnome, "The whole thing'll fall apart if they figure out we really are broke."
"Don't worry! If there's one thing I can do it's making people believe there's more to me than meets the eye." Scanlan said his confidence in abundant supply.
True.
Scanlan had a knack for talking a good game and could drag it out for quite awhile as long as nobody caught on enough to poke holes in his 'stretched' truths. That's why it'd be good if Vex got involved after some momentum was built up since it'd allow the two of them to play off one another in front of an audience. Vex would also make sure Scanlan didn't go too far with the boasting since too big a lie was easily seen through.
"There are some…things I can probably make to help us out." She said deciding to volunteer something to the planning, "Some powders and oils could mess with the creature's senses enough to confuse it. Maybe give us an opening?"
"Do it and send Xander if there's anything we don't already have bagged." Vex said nodding in support, "The attacks have all happened at night so as long as there's sunshine he'll be fine."
"From the monster? Yes. From the one controlling it? Maybe not." Xander muttered with her being the only one to catch what he'd spoken.
He had a point.
Even if they had made some decent deductions that's all they were: deductions. Until they were proven right or wrong anything could happen. Still it wasn't like they could do much to make it safer for Xander since none of them could make a talisman or cast a spell that'd work when they weren't around.
~Maybe when we get back to Emon we should find him a trainer so he can use that sword of his.~ She thought glancing at the weapon hanging on Xander's back.
Even if he only did support jobs for them that didn't mean he'd be safe from danger and given how clueless he seemed about Exandria he'd need help if he ever left Vox Machina. Maybe she should go a bit further in teaching him about the various beneficial plants that existed in Tal'Dorei. He'd already shown that he could find them without making many mistakes and with the extra silver he was bringing to Vox Machina he could support himself if he knew more. From her travels on her Aramente she'd learned much about what plants existed outside of Zephrah so she'd be able to teach Xander quite a bit so long as he didn't go someplace too remote.
Something to think on.
Three Days Later
An Hour or so Before Sunset
Xander's POV
"Have fun storming the castle!" He said to himself as the rest of Vox Machina walked into the forest 'to seek out the monster'.
For the last three days the group had been doing their best to do the prep work for Vex's plan and as of this afternoon it'd been decided that the goals had been met. With Scanlan and Vex doing most of the work word had spread through the village that Vox Machina had money as well as a few valuable items on them. When asked why rich mercenaries would take a job that paid so little the response had been on a whim they'd decided to give Pike's desire to 'do some good' a try to see what it was like.
Vax on the other hand had scouted out the forest for almost half a days walk from the village for an idea spot for confronting the creature and its possible handler. None were perfect but the rogue had managed to find a spot that would give them the edge so long as no surprises popped up. Last night, after making sure that no one was eavesdropping, he drew out the layout of the spot before the group began picking out the best spots for each of them to be for the ambush. There'd been a bit of arguing thanks to the personalities and egos of those present but eventually a rough plan was drawn up with a few contingencies for good measure.
Keyleth fortunately had been able to make a dozen or so mixtures with the plants they'd been able to get ahold of so when they encountered the creature it could say goodbye to its senses of smell and sight. The only drawback of course was that the mixtures weren't creature specific and could backfire if someone's throw was off. He'd helped her with the prepping so he had a pretty good idea of how effective they'd be and he definitely wouldn't want to be hit with the finished product.
Now with Vox Machina off to put their plan into motion he'd been left to mind their temporary accommodations as well as be a distraction if the creature hit the village. While he'd like to think that this wouldn't be any different from patrolling back in Sunnydale he knew it would be. For one thing this new world had a whole different assortment of monsters, demons and magical creatures most of which only bore a vague resemblance to their counterparts from his reality. Also he didn't have a Slayer for backup so unless he came up against something any person with a sword could take down he'd be in a bit of a pickle if anything happened. The best he figured he could do was get the attention of anything that tried to attack the village and keep it until the gang made it back from their trip to the woods.
Strolling through the village he could see the locals beginning to wrap up whatever they'd been doing before heading to their homes to lock up. Apparently whatever the creature was that'd been attacking it wasn't strong enough to bust through their doors or make new ones in whatever wall seemed convenient. He could see the fear in their eyes and while it wasn't quite at the point of them doing something stupid he doubted that they'd jump in to help if he needed it. Even the people the village elder had drafted into being guards would probably stick close to their posts rather than help and honestly he couldn't blame them. Better to get yelled at for not doing your job than get killed by some creature that'd already gained quite the body count.
Having explored the village himself he'd already drawn up a patrol route for the night that'd allow him to cover the most ground while minimizing the risk of leaving anyplace unguarded for too long. It wasn't perfect, he was only one person after all, but with his experience in Sunnydale and some logical thinking he was satisfied with the route he'd come up with.
Time passed but he didn't let it dull his awareness of the area or his resolve to pick out anything odd immediately. He knew better than to act like a long tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs but he also knew that with how fast the creature supposedly was the first warning might well be the last warning. As one hour turned into two without any sign of Vex and the others returning hr began to wonder how things were going in the forest. They should definitely have reached the ambush point by now so odds were high that now it was a waiting game for the beast and its handler to pounce.
He tried not to think of the possibility that the handler wasn't interested in money and had a thing for making the helpless suffer.
He mostly succeeded.
Mostly.
It was as things became three hours though that a new sound entered his range in the form of a mix of footsteps and something more solid. Turning to the source he was pleasantly surprised to see the elder walking towards him with clay bottle hanging from his free hand. As per usual the guy didn't seem to be in the sunniest of moods but he doubted that the old soldier had come all the way here just to chew him out.
"You're not sitting your ass down drinking the rest of Robert's stock so I guess that's something in your favour." The elder said after coming to a stop in front of him, "Your friends are taking their own sweet time though."
"There's a lot of forest to cover and since they don't know what it is that's killing your people they gotta check everywhere." He said defending Vox Machina to the elder, "They told me that if they don't find anything by midnight they'll head back here."
"And they left you to keep us safe? I feel safer already." The elder said only half meaning it from the sound of it.
"Something is better than nothing elder." He said with resolve, "I promise that I'll do everything I can if the creature attacks."
The elder seemed to measure him with his eyes viewing not just what was obvious but what might lay beneath the surface. In the end a sigh accompanied a choice before the clay bottle was held out as an offering.
"Nice to know at least one of you actually cares about more than silver." The elder said with a forced attempt at a polite grin, "Have a sip. Some of Robert's best before he got turned into a bloody mess."
Looking at the offered bottle he took only a moment to consider things before taking the offering and taking a small swig of the contents. He didn't love the ale like the members of Vox Machina did, Tony fucking Harris saw to that, but it just seemed impolite to refuse the old soldier's gift. Letting the liquid slosh about in his mouth a bit so he could take stock of its flavour he then swallowed it finding that it wasn't all that bad. It didn't make it onto his top ten drinks list but it wasn't the repulsive swill he'd come to classify all alcoholic drinks as.
"Not bad. Robert was a skilled brewer." He said handing the bottle back to the elder, "It's a loss to the village that he was taken from this world."
"True. Robert and I came to the village around the same time." The elder said putting the cork back in the bottle, "Me after retiring from the Arms and him after being run out of his study under a master brewer in Whitestone. We'd each dedicated ourselves to our callings only to be forced to leave it behind because of the opinions of others. The people of the village were kind enough to take us in and eventually we found our place here. Now it's just me."
"It's never easy when you lose someone you've known a long time." He said remembering the day after he'd staked Jesse, "You never really get over it. All you can do is keep moving forward in their memory and wait for your time to join'em."
"I can only hope that it will be in a way of my choosing. Not all of us are so fortune." The elder said before turning away to leave, "Fare thee well young warrior."
Watching the old soldier hobble off hindered by the lingering effects of the injury that forced him out of the Arms of Emon he found his opinion of the man improved. Some people were bitter and angry because they thought they were entitled to feeling that way while others actually had good reason for feeling the way they did. If he suffered an injury that caused the Scoobies to kick him to the curb he'd be mighty bitter himself and it'd only be worse if the people he cared about were in danger with him being in no position to help.
~If I ever get my adventuring days ended I hope the monster kills me.~ He thought with complete honesty, ~Like the old guy said 'sometimes death is better'.~
~^Maybe for the one dying but not for the people he leaves behind.^~ Willow thought from her place within him or from inside the pocket dimension she vanished to.
It surprised him for a few seconds since his best bud had been silent since they'd left Emon. When he'd asked her what was up with the silent treatment she'd told him that she was trying to get a grip on her new body without showing it off to anyone with a set of eyes. He'd done the same thing once the shock of finding himself in a new world had worn off so he didn't begrudge her doing the same. It'd been through some careful testing that he'd found out that the changes to his body were more than just its appearance. He was faster, stronger and more agile than he'd ever been back in Sunnydale but he had a feeling this was just the beginning. It'd be way too convenient for him to get max stats right from the beginning so he figured that he could get even stronger if he dug in for some real training.
How much stronger? Damned if he knew.
Still with this fresh start he felt like taking a chance and pushing things as far as he could. Maybe here, in this world, he could become something he never could've back home in Sunnydale.
Maybe this time HE could be the hero.