Vax'ildan feels like he's hallucinating.
His vision is hazy, and lights from the trees interweave and weld to shield the swampy bog from the gloomy, overcast sky. He can feel his sister's warmth through her tattered leggings that are sopping wet in some places. She's prattling on and on, thinking out loud about what is going on in Stilben after moments of arriving and being attacked by a Shark-Speaker.
The sharp, piercing pain from the great white's teeth clamping down on his chest and right torso was immense, and they were out of potions, elixirs, and anything helpful for an open, ever bleeding wound.
His head began to feel light, and Vax rolled his head to the side where his eye caught sight movement from the brush 5 feet away. His senses were dull, but he still took notice as a reddish-brown squirrel scurry on up, getting closer to the twin and sitting upon its hind legs. The mammal's ears perked forward, and its nose twitched, probably smelling blood from the injured half-elf man.
"Shit, you're losing too much blood." Vex'ahlia curses as he searches for some sort of clean enough cloth to help slow down the bleeding.
But Vax's eyes never leave this squirrel. He's curious to see that this usually timid animal is showing such bravery. Vax's eyes began to feel heavy. Fuck. This is probably what death feels like.
The squirrel moved two steps closer and with its left little paw, lifted it and held it in place. As if the small creature was waving in greeting.
"Fuck me, I'm definitely hallucinating if I see a squirrel waving at me." Vax's words were slurred.
A tilt in the head and a look on the small, furry face that seemed to say, 'Why is this person not waving back?'
Vex shifted her legs and gently placed her brother on his sleeping pack to keep him propped up. "Yup, that definitely sounds like you're hallucinating. I need to get you into town. Maybe we could scavenge for a healer of some sort."
One second, there was a tiny squirrel; the next, there was green smoke and lights shimmering. From out of the smoke and lights appeared long wavy ginger red locks that fell over skinny shoulders with antlers connected to a white-bone-like headpiece. Tiny speckled freckles flowed in random patterns around the slightly tanned skin shown at this female's shoulders, neck, and cheeks. A loose green dress and leather neckpiece with a long wooden staff that twines and twists toward a large green gem of some kind at the top. Leather and cloth armbands that stop at her mid-hand. The last thing that catches Vax's attention is the beautiful spring green eyes.
Those eyes remind him of simpler times, back when he could adventure off in a nowhere town and come back home to a warm and loving mother who never tried to stifle who he and his sister were dreaming and wishing to be.
The beautiful stranger is coughing from the quickly dissipating smoke, and tears began to well up at the corner of those large green eyes.
Vex within half a breath has one of her arrows cocked and aimed at the stranger, "How the fu- Who are you?!" The panic in her voice is obvious. She must have felt startled with being snuck upon in her comfortable terrain.
Vax, still dizzy and weak, slowly tried to sit up and grab at one of the daggers in his belt to help out as much as he could in his current condition. He was still stunned at how this female morphed from the tiny squirrel he saw just moments before.
Byroden had multiple adventures pass through, and he saw some travelers look similar to the female before him and his twin. Maybe there was a connection of some sort.
"W-W-WAIT! Don't shoot! Please I-ugh," The young female scrambled, both hands up, palms flat, and staff between her right elbow. "I come in peace..?" Her voice cracked at the end. She is showing clear signs of panic and fear. Which is understandable with a skilled archer as his sister pointing her weapon with pure intention to mortally wound and or kill if needed.
Vex did not let up her defensive position, and from Vax's position, he could see the creasing of her forehead and the tiniest twitch in her right eye. Vax lulls his head back to face the antlered stranger.
"State your business quickly before I decide to shoot first and ask questions later." Vex's words were cold and blunt.
The female's face paled, and her bottom lip began to wobble. Just like the prey staring back helplessly at the predator about to strike the killing blow.
"I-I mean you two no harm," she stuttered out. "I was just trying to pass through this town without anyone really taking notice of me." She looks at Vax. "Then I saw what happened with you two, and he was injured, and I thought I could heal him."
Vex lowered the bow a few inches. "What would you want in exchange?" Vex's eyes narrowed.
The ginger-haired female shakes her arms and head back and forth quickly, "No exchange needed! I just thought, well- um, my name's Keyleth, by the way." She outstretches her right hand.
The twins share a glance at one another, a silent conversation exchanged between them.
'Do we risk it?'
'What the fuck else could go wrong?'
The two siblings quickly discern that this animal shape-shifter slash possible healer did not know how to withhold or bargain their way out of anything. From their many travels. The twins knew to never state any damning information, especially ones name for any deals because it could all too soon come back to bite you in the ass.
The twins finishes their shared moment with a shoulder shrug, but Vax winces a bit from the movement.
The female. Ke-something or other takes a few steps and crouches down. "It's okay, I'll try to be as painless as I can." Her voice and soothing, and it reminds him of softer days when he'd lay in bed ill, and his mother would tell stories of heroic adventures and deeds over the soft glint of their tiny fireplace. Green meets brown, and the grip that Vax has on the hilt of his dagger, which is still slippery with blood from earlier, loosens, and he finds his shoulders laxing.
She quickly inspects the gaping wound and pulls a few items from her bag before she collects them in her cupped hands and spits in them. Vax visibly winces, and his lips curl up in disgust. The girl chuckles under her breath, "It is gross to think about, but I promise it all has a purpose." She mushes all the items in her hands together before she gently places them on the open wound.
Vax felt a gentle coldness, and before he could protest, his chest began to glow a bright translucent green, almost like sunlight if the color were to be green instead of golden yellow. The sparkling, glimmering lights only lasted for only a moment before Vax felt the exhaustion and the pain lift off of him like taking off a heavy blanket during a cool winter morning. When she lifts her hands from the wound, the light is gone, and all that's left is a mossy coating and what appears to be scar tissue on the outskirts of the coating.
He presses his fingertips to the wound and little taps it a couple of times before expecting his fingers then back to the young female's face, his expression of awe and amazement with a hint of confusion.
"There you go," a hushed exchange as she uses her staff to help herself stand back up.
Vax was wonderstruck. For the first time in his life, his mouth locked into place. His mouth went dry, and his mind was racing with endless words he'd wanted to say but somehow couldn't send those words to his mouth and make it move to work. After he and his sister cut all ties to their past, Vax'ildan was always good at using his charms and words to convince people in whatever way suited their situation and survival. He never once has had difficulty talking with women before now.
His sister came to his side and investigated the newly healed wound. "How did you?" She asked.
"I'm a druid from one of the Ashari clans," she explained. "I just used some natural herbs that are commonly used for healing while adding a little magic to close up and heal the wound." Her hand went to clamp on the back of her neck. "Sorry I couldn't take away the scarring, but at least now you aren't bleeding out now." She shifted from foot to foot.
She must still think we are going to attack her, Vax thought. The half-elven male smirked at the druid, "Nah, no worries." He works himself to get to his feet, but he is still a little light-headed and stumbles a bit. "Besides," Vax continued. "I think this scare makes me look more badass."
That got the female to giggle, covering her red splotched face.
Vex placed herself in front of her brother, "I should really thank you. If you hadn't healed my brother, I don't want to think of what could have happened to him."
The female druid shook her head, "Oh please, no need to thank me." She turns her head toward an opening within the trees. "I hope you two have safe travels."
Vax placed his traveling pack over his shoulders. "You as well."
She lifts her hand in an awkward wave, so similar to when she was in squirrel form, and Vax can't help himself and lifts his hand to return the gesture.
The three individuals part, and after looking over his shoulder to see if he can see the druid for the fourth time since they started walking, Vex smakes him on the head. "Get a hold of yourself."
Rubbing at the back of his head turns toward his sister with his jaw still slaxed, "So ugh, what was that druid's name again?"
"How the hell should I know? I wasn't really paying attention to that." She saunters forward, leaving a stunned Vax, who is glancing one last time at an empty bog opening. Vax shakes his head and follows after his sister.
—
The twins finished the job they were sent to do in Stilbein rather quickly, but they were in desperately in need of supplies, and they agreed to stay in the city for their always-agreed-upon three days. Vax, however, couldn't get the ginger-haired druid from his mind. Those bright green eyes and freckled splattered face haunted him in the quietest of moments. It was becoming a problem.
Out of morbid curiosity and also to kill some time before his late night job, Vax walked out of town back toward that grassing swampy shore where his life had been forever changed. As he entered the overcast of trees and walked about thirty feet into the path, his elven ears picked up on a murmur of a cheerful voice in the distance.
Vax leaned his back against the tree and peered his head around and saw a similar green dress bent over some tree roots.
Vax reverted back to hiding behind the tree, collecting himself. A few deep breaths in to calm the slight tremor that traveled to the tips of his fingers. He snatches up one of his daggers and checks his reflection in the blade. No stray mud sploteches on his face or clothing, and his hair was nice and shiny after taking a bath after having gone frequent days without one.
He gathered up some courage and quietly slipped from behind the tree and said, "Excuse me, Miss, is there anything I could do for you? Maybe some dragons that need slaying?"
Tension filled the young druid's shoulders. She slowly began to stand, and she then bolted to her left, away from the stranger's voice, not risking to turn to and see who spoke. The only words that escaped from her lips were, "No! Th-Thank you!"
Vax pursued after her, "Wait! Wait, I'm sorry. I just-" he extended his stride. "I just wanted to know who you are," he his stumbling over himself and his words. "You helped me out before, and I just wanted your name. Please! Who are you?"
She dove behind a tree, and by the time Vax grabbed the tree and looked, she was nowhere to be seen."
"Damn it all." He muttered.
He got the hint that she wouldn't come out to see him, so he began his journey back towards Stilben. When he was almost five feet from the edge of the bog, a squirrel ran around his feet in hurried circles. He stopped walking to inspect this strange action from this creature. When he stilled, the squirrel ran in front of him, and much like a few days ago, the antlered druid appeared from green smoke.
She gasps out, "Hold on," she coughs. "I forget sometimes that some people can't understand me while I'm in my wild shape."
Vax was dumbfounded. She ran after him after he made an ass of himself.
She placed a gentle hand on Vax's shoulder, and he winces, "Sorry, sorry." She smiles. "So, I'm sorry for running off like that." She brings her staff closer to her face.
Vax blinks, and heat rushes to his face. "N-no, I'm sorry for scaring you." He rubs at his arm. "I really did want to know your name. I believe you told us that day, but I was still sort of dizzy and couldn't remember it."
She blinks but smiles wider. "It's Keyleth," she answers. "Keyleth of the Air Ashari."
"Keyleth," Vax echoed. Smiling just a big as Keyleth, "I'm Vax'ildan, but you can just call me Vax."
For a few moments, awkwardness washes over between the two new acquaintances. But by the end of a small little banter and conversation, Vax and Keyleth entered the town together, and Vax was coming up with a million different ways he was going to explain to his sister that they would have a new member joining them from now on.