The day had been peaceful, and the evening was mild. Vox Machina was enjoying a trouble-free evening.
Vex and Vax had ventured out to survey the surroundings. Percy had doubts about the usefulness of the thing. There were no signs of monsters in the area, and they hadn't encountered anyone in ages. Grog had brought them a good pile of logs and, once his job was over, had gone to bother Scanlan, under Pike's supervision. Only he and Keyleth remained.
He should have been the one to start the fire. A bit of gunpowder and presto, the problem would have been solved. But Keyleth had come to him with the pleading look of a sad puppy, and she had begged him to switch roles for the evening. She wanted to practice her fire spells for her Aramenté. That's why he found himself cleaning the area, a task typically reserved for Keyleth. A simple wave of her hand was often enough to finish the job in seconds.
Straightening his glasses, Percy set on cleaning the area around the campfire. Keyleth was focused on the spell in her hands. She managed to create a spark, but it lacked the strength to ignite the fire. Whenever Keyleth attempted to intensify the flame a little bit more, it would go wild again, which would scare the druid and cause her to instinctively snuff out the fire.
After several unsuccessful attempts, Keyleth stopped. She put her head in her hands, clearly frustrated. Percy felt a twinge of concern. Seeing his friend in such a state didn't sit well with him. He momentarily abandoned his cleaning task and sat down opposite her, facing the unlit fire.
"Keyleth," Percival spoke softly.
The Ashari looked up at Percy with pleading eyes, tears glistening on her cheeks.
"Don't doubt yourself, you'll get there," he reassured her.
She sniffled loudly. "But how? I don't... I'm not confident enough for that. Nothing I do ever works!"
Percy couldn't bear to see her so hopeless. He was convinced that she had the potential and the strength to bear the future that awaited her. Not only did she have tremendous potential, but she also was a good person. Ignoring the dirt on the ground, he settled down next to her on the ground.
"You can't start from scratch. First, you need to create a workspace." He arranged a few twigs to facilitate a starting point for the fire. He added a handful of dead leaves for good measure. Keyleth looked at him with admiration in her eyes, and Percy couldn't help but feel a pang in his heart. She reminded him of Cassandra at times. "Then, breathe. You already know how to make fire. You just need to keep it going long enough for the wood to ignite. Better a long and steady effort than a big punctual discharge. Patience is key."
Keyleth nodded. She was hanging on his every word as if they were those of her master. She fidgeted to find a comfortable position, then placed her hands in a semi-circle above the space Percy had prepared. A flicker of flame appeared but, despite her efforts, it still wasn't powerful enough to start the fire.
Percy didn't want to distract the Ashari, but he was watching the development of the situation with undisguised interest. He leaned over to see better. Keyleth was straining on her spell, yet the wood still refused to catch fire. The feeble flame was almost out, and it kept weakening in her hands.
Percy remained silent. Words, even encouraging ones, would break Keyleth's concentration. The effort was taking its toll on the Ashari. She was growing forgetting Percy's wise words and put all her efforts into a burst of energy. The flickering spark transformed into a sudden eruption of fire. It exploded in her hands, consuming the twigs and dead leaves within seconds. Keyleth recoiled in surprise, loosing control of her spell. The fire grew wild. It bounced off the log before shooting directly at Percy's face.
In that split second, no one had time to react. A streak of fire surged towards Percy, and he instinctively fell backward with a sharp cry. Flames engulfed a whole side of his face. His survival instincts kicked in, and he desperately tried to smother the flames with his hands, but apart from that he couldn't think anymore. He screamed, unable to find any respite from the searing pain. Hands tried to grab him, whether to help or restrain him, he didn't know. The fire was driving him crazy. He was lost in a haze of relentless torment, struggling against unyielding fire.
Suddenly, a bucket of water was poured over his head. He stopped thrashing about. The burning sensation still lingered within him, as if his face was still engulfed in fire. Fortunately, Pike's healing magic swiftly went to work, mending his burns and bringing relief to his tortured skin. Percy clenched his teeth, enduring the discomfort as the spell took effect.
"I'm sorry Percy. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to...! I didn't want to hurt you!" Keyleth's voice was the first to emerge from the haze, filled with remorse and apologies.
"It's…alright." Percy coughed, his vision still blurry. His glasses were gone, lost in the chaos. "I'm fine. Thank you, Pike. Why does this water smell so bad?" That was ale he was covered in. Not only was he smelly, but he was also sticky.
"That's all I had." Grog waved something to his right, probably his empty mug.
Scanlan patted his shoulder. "Don't worry, big guy. I'm sure Percy is grateful for your sacrifice."
"That was my last one..." Grog was on the verge of tears.
Percy sat down and dusted himself off. Everyone was gathered around him, which bothered him greatly. "Yes, thank you, Grog. Thank you, Pike. Has anyone seen my glasses?" There was an uncomfortable silence, and then Keyleth gave a little "Um…" that didn't bode well. She handed him his glasses. He took them, thanked her, and immediately understood the reason behind the awkward silence.
"What is this?" They were his glasses indeed: the unmistakable large lenses in the center was proof of it, but the frame was completely twisted. The glasses were too misshapen for Percy to use them again. He sighed. Those were the only ones he had. He would have to remember to buy a spare as soon as possible. He reassured the others, told them he was fine, and retreated to the nearest tree trunk. Sitting there, he dedicated a good portion of the evening to meticulously cleaning the melted metal off the lenses, salvaging whatever utility he could from them. Once cleaned, they could still be useful.
He was almost finished when he saw movement approaching. Keyleth had joined him. Even half-blind, it was impossible to mistake her. She was the only one who would fidget like that.
"Do you need something, Keyleth?"
"Oh!" She startled, then fiddled with her staff. "No. Well, um... I want to do something for you."
Knowing Keyleth, it could be all or nothing. If it were Scanlan, he would have refused without notice. Instead, he shifted from his seat, implicitly inviting her to sit with him. Keyleth settled down as if sitting next to a wild animal. Percy simply wiped his lenses.
"Hmm... So the frame melted, huh?"
"Yes," Percy answered. "I will use a different alloy next time. Something that doesn't fear the fire as much."
Keyleth hummed without responding. They remained silent for a moment and, as Percy was carefully stowing away his lenses in a pocket, Keyleth reached out.
"Can I see them? I, um... I'd like to try something."
Percy handed her his lenses. She took them with infinite care, then placed them directly on the ground. Percy flinched inwardly. He made a clicking sound with his tongue but made no comment. All his good cleaning seemed to have been in vain.
Keyleth focused, determined to succeed this time. She had a spell at her fingertips, and this time it was clear that she had it under control. Frowning with concentration, she commanded the forces of nature to comply with her will. Green vines sprouted from the ground near the lenses, gracefully encircling them. Percy flinched again, afraid that the lens would shatter, but he refrained from saving them. Keyleth wouldn't intentionally harm them. Moreover, she was handling the vines with the utmost delicacy. You could see that the earlier incident was still fresh in her mind.
The vines lifted the lenses, morphing into a shape that Percy didn't recognize until Keyleth plucked them from the ground. She gently detached the stems from the ground and dusted off her work. She had crafted him a new pair of glasses, made out of plants, by encircling the two lenses with fine, sturdy vines.
"Here. I hope they fit you..." The shape was a bit clumsy, but Percy managed to put them on. It was nice to see clearly again. On his right, Keyleth was wringing her hands and biting her lips. The earlier incident had deeply affected her, more than Percy had initially thought.
"They will do just fine, Keyleth. Thank you very much."
"Oh! Um, well, it's nothing. It was my fault, so um... it's nothing."
He placed his hand on her shoulder and waited for her to calm down. "Your willingness to fix your mistake is admirable. I appreciate it. It will be much more enjoyable to walk without tripping over every branch."
Keyleth breathed out, and all her excess energy dissipated. Percy moved on to another topic, to which Keyleth timidly responded. They talked until the Ashari became comfortable with him again.
And if the boys made fun of him because of his vine glasses, he didn't mind. In fact, he continued to wear them longer than necessary. He waited for the vines to wither before buying a new frame, even long after they had returned to the city.