continuing the herald!reader verse bc i got sucked into tlvom/cr and now here we are
i am sad bc we didn't get a winter's crest episode so i am writing a small snippet (it's also just slightly leaning towards romance but ultimately not the main stay of this fic, you can see it as platonic or romantic either way)
first post here
-
Delilah’s notes lie in front of you on your lap. Old texts accompanied by what you guessed was her recent add-ins scribbled in the margins filled the page. There were sketches of skulls and other totems of the whispered one accompanying them. Magic curls around your fingers as it flips the pages for you, you didn’t want to risk tearing it with how worn the book looked.
The more you read the further you grew horrified. The way she held no qualms over unleashing a potentially world-ending thing and the fact that she seemed even gleeful made you angry. (You resist the urge to shudder at the memory of her calling you its herald.)
A knock at the door makes you jump, and quickly you shut the book and hide beneath the mattress of your room; pretending to take one of the unfolded blankets that lie on it into your hands like you were making your bed.
The knock sounds again.
“It’s open!” you call, raising up the blanket as you bring the corners together. Simultaneously you're trying to steady your breathing so you didn't look like you were caught doing something you weren't supposed to.
The door opens just a little more forcefully than needed, with a loud creak of the wood making you wince just slightly.
A sheepish Percival stands behind it, entering the bedroom you were given in order to rest up after the ordeal with the Briarwoods. Sleeping on a comfortable bed for the past few days was much appreciated after being away from the keep for so long.
"Good morning," you greet, finishing in folding the blanket and leaving it on the corner of the bed, "Did you sleep alright?"
"Ah, yes, ahem, I have," you quirk an eyebrow at his stammering. surprised that Percy, of all people, is stammering out his words for some reason.
You give him a curious glance, "Is everything alright?"
"Perfectly in order, the preparations for the festival are well underway and-"
You suddenly gasp, startling both yourself and Percy, "Oh no, I completely forgot I was going to help Keeper Yennen with the some final preparations today. You don't think she's still waiting is she?" You worry at your lip, serves you right for staying up as you read over the notes. Helping the holy woman completely split your mind.
"Oh god, I'm sorry Percy, here I am rambling in front of you, did you need anything?"
At this, Percy smiles, or at least tries to in his own Percy-unique way. But then he shakes his head, "Not right now anyway, but I could accompany you to the square, I know we've only been in Whitestone for a few days but I feel like it was focused more on recovery and resting."
You can't help but feel a little embarrassed because he was right. You all hadn't really had time to explore the city in between making sure none of the Briarwoods lackeys remained to threaten the tentative safety of the city again.
So you put on your coat, already changed into much more appropriate clothing for the day, as well as your gloves. You both step out into the chilly day.
(Percy offers you his arm after you nearly slip, and you hold it with a near iron grip, failing to notice the flustered tint to his ears).
Thankfully, the city of Whitestone seems to just be waking up now too. And wake up it did!
A few stalls lining up on the Main Street, vendors that had received word of Whitestone’s safer atmosphere gladly coming to help in what way they could, along with a few tourists they brought along. Locals who had recognized you quickly approached with grateful looks. One elderly woman took your hands into her own, gently giving them a squeeze and then hugging you tightly (if you looked misty-eyes after that, Percy didn’t say anything).
Children were peering at you curiously, bursting into giggles as your magic gently sparked like small fire crackers safely before them. They seemed to look at Percy with as much awe too. Too young to truly understand who he was but knowing he was why it was no longer dark and gloomy.
You look at Percy from the corner of your eye and see his shoulders relaxed for the first time in a long time. The corners of your eyes crinkle as you grin.
“What are you smiling at?” He jests.
“You.”
Your answer takes him aback, which causes you to laugh. “To think just about a week ago we were fighting off the undead to free this city and now here we are, enjoying Winter’s Crest.”
He hums, “Yes. I... I almost can’t believe it.” Something in his voice sounds sad, but free, in a way that the grief that had been shrouding him for so long could weigh him down so heavily now, but now lifted because he had been able to avenge his family.
Your free hand reaches up and gives his arm a squeeze, “I think they’d be really proud of you, Percy.” It didn’t take much to realize who “they” were.
He swallows, and nods.
You both continue on your way to meet Keeper Yennen, the city of Whitestone still waking up and preparing for the festival.
-
“Are you sure this is no issue for you?” Percy’s expression seems almost troubled.
Your hands are raised before you, decorations floating upwards to the Sun Tree, where bodies had previously been left to serve as “demonstrations” finally being removed and laid to rest, tying slowly around the branches. Blue and white ribbons along with some fresh flowers (courtesy of Keyleth) were added alongside them, in honor of their memories.
You turn your head to meet his look, while still assisting the team decorators, “Percival. When I said I could, I meant it. It’s nothing strenuous, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
“Fine, but do let me know if you begin to feel fatigued,” He huffs.
You nod with some laughter, “Alright.”
The decorations are fastened by those waiting in the trees, and with a flick or two more of your wrists, the decorations that were a bit too high to reach previously were now easily fastened.
"Besides, I can't be too tired, when I know I'm being treated to the VIP tour treatment by the Lord of Whitestone himself," You grin, "I'm sure that's a rare opportunity in of itself."
Percy laughs, looking abashed, but he doesn't seem to disagree with your words.
"Well, when you're done, we can continue the tour."
This time it's your turn to laugh.
Arm in arm with him once more, you both continue your "tour" through Whitestone, the joys of the Winter's Crest festival accompanied by your friends enjoyment through the different games and entertainment, any doubts about what you had found in Delilah's notes began to fade from your mind.
— back again with the herald!verse, but this time with special guests
nav.
!! major c3 spoilers !!
(also implied poly wooooo)
you enjoy the cool breeze that always seems to linger about whitestone. although perhaps that was due, in part, to your preference for longer sleeves and sweaters. but hey, after everything you’ve done and been through, you deserved to splurge on comfy sweaters.
an idyllic life was not one you had believed were in the cards for you. (a far more grim part of your mind thought you’d perhaps die a puppet like delilah briarwood, and by extent, vecna had intended.) but alas, now here you were, occasionally working at the slayer’s cake with some old friends and enjoying a simple thing like lounging around with a book in one hand and a warm cup of tea in another.
only when you sense a person, persons, that is, outside of your home, you know that something will change. you don’t like the way the comforting breeze settles into an ominous chill.
taking a simple cloak hanging off of the rack near the door, as whitestone itself was a bit colder than everywhere else, you brace yourself for whatever awaits you outside.
well, it wasn’t a random assortment of adventurers that you were expecting. in front of them, percy, without his cane and instead a long rifle slung over his back. immediately you’re concerned.
you step out, door shutting behind you as you raise a hand and place a simple charm to lock it.
“percival, what happened?”
he swallows deeply and begins to explain.
you considered yourself a rational person. especially now that you matured and seen and experienced many things. nothing could break that reason you believed you had.
except when they mention delilah briarwood, your palms feel clammy, your hands tremble. ringing begins in your ears.
you hear your name being called. sounds muddled as you step forward.
"you brought her here? of all places?" your voice sounds like your own, but also doesn't. familiar red wisps curl around your fingers, your breathing quickens.
there's a woman with lilac colored hair, her expression desperate, "we had no other choice, she's-"
with a flick of your wrist, she's bound by the red wisps that had been curled around your fingers, your nostrils flared as you all but stomp in her direction. the other members of her party had their weapons raised.
"there is always a choice," you snap, your glare stops her midsentence, "you should've left her as she was. and let the scourge of delilah briarwood die with her."
a fireball is launched in your direction, and your features turn confused for a moment as you hear some animal screech, your other hand keeping the woman in place while the other redirects the fireball.
the momentary confusion gives you clarity, and the holding spell is dropped, your heartbeat rings in your ears. a hand on your shoulder almost makes you jump.
you turn to percival, and he almost flinches, before remembering the company of strangers, when his expression schools itself into the usual collectedness. your own expression is wounded.
the group before you senses the need for privacy at least, and you readily ignore their hard stares, a green haired woman assisting the one you captured.
vex'ahlia takes your shaking hands, giving them a soft squeeze, which you return in an almost instant. (damn, when had she arrived?, you think)
your breathing begins to slow.
"i know this might be too much to ask of you, especially considering the risks" he begins, "but if possible..." trailing off when you inhale sharply.
"they will not be receiving any of my help," you cross your arms in front of your chest, your shoulders squared, "but if she makes a reappearance because of what they are going to do, i will do all in my power to destroy her."
percival and vex'ahlia share a look, before the lord and lady of whitestone accept your answer.
you bite your lip, "after everything that delilah briarwood did to you, to me, everything, you would risk such a thing and for what? what of the children?" your silent question follows 'what if they were next?'
percival stiffens, "I know."
with a wave of your hand, your plain clothing changes to familiar armors and leathers, your eyes trained on the group some feet away knowing that they were attempting to listen.
"then you know why in good conscious that I cannot help," you adjust the gloves on your hands, "but I will protect whitestone."
percival reaches for your hand, which you allow, placing a kiss to your knuckles before brushing his thumb against them, "and I will forever be indebted to you for it."
(i watched tlovm, that’s my only excuse lmaooo also some wv references abound, plus it’s a bit of a doozy.)
nav.
-
if there was on thing you truly detested in this moment, was remembering that you still had sweet rolls stored away at the keep. you would have definitely preferred lounging around in your robe while eating them, not being here fighting for your life (again).
"percy, dear, you're truly one of my beloved friends and i value your companionship more than anything, but why the hell did anyone in your family not tell you about this underground shithole?" your tone is saccharine and you smile gently.
although your smile drops as you're quick to duck and roll out of the way from an incoming spell sent by delilah briarwood. the eeriness from the dark magic she utilized made a chill crawl on your skin. you could've sworn you heard screaming too.
your own spells could barely counter, but you were more focused on protecting your friends from the black magic than actually getting a hit in.
from the corner of your eye, you see scanlan running around, fuck, of course, he was silenced.
the glow of pike’s magic at least gave you the assurance that he was at least okay.
you try your best to make your way further up the stairs, bursts of red erupt from your hands, but they barely make a dent in the other's defenses. however, from what you can see, her expression unnerves you. gone is the smirk, replaced by a knowing one as she eyes your magic. she continues fighting with one hand, the other viewing a compass she had taken from a side pocket of her dress.
"welcome, herald."
you look at her confused.
"sorry lady briarwood, you must have mistook me for someone else," and you don't let her respond, gathering your magic and sending it her way in a wide wave (wincing as you feel yourself getting weak, nonstop magic use was, in fact, not the best thing to do before fighting on some temple that would summon something that could end the world).
she's disappeared from your gaze, and your eyes dart around searching for where she could have teleported herself to.
"you truly do not know of your role here?" her voice is but a whisper in your ear, and you just barely turn as her magic feels like a punch to the chest, sending you crashing to the floor some feet away. air burns your lungs as you wheeze. you just barely stand on wobbly feet, you see her dark magic headed your way, and while you brace yourself with your arms in front of you, you know you don't have enough time to cast anything.
you catch someone screaming your name. and you curse, closing your eyes.
but the pain does not come.
instead you see the magic simply stop before you. previously dark in color, you see it slowly turn into the magic you wield, the weariness that you had felt slowly fade away.
your eyes squint at the sudden brightens that comes from what you thought was nowhere, only to find keyleth standing, one hand on her staff and the other raised high- grog holding a struggling sylas and you have a feeling on what they’re going for.
only when you see the ashes of what remained of sylas briarwood, do you think that maybe you guys can win this.
-
okay... so maybe you were lying to yourself a little. with the now widowed lady briarwood locking herself away in some chamber, and nothing working so far as lock picking goes (even grog looked a little disheartened when his axe bounced off the door, sympathetic pats from you and pike helped slightly).
“alright,” you clap your hands, gathering the group’s attention, “how do we want to do this? because lockpicking, no offense vax, is not exactly working in our favor.”
“well if you all shut up and let me work-” he begins to retort, only for a sudden vacuum of air to throw the doors that had been previously impermeable shut, open. it sucks in debris of small rocks and bricks that were a result of the battle, but percy, who’s eyes you noticed were an eerie black, pushes forward.
various voices call out for him, only for the calls of worry to fall on deaf ears. you all needed to stop delilah from summoning this ‘whispered one’ anyway, but percy’s erratic behavior only served to up the ante on the pressure.
you share an uncertain look with keyleth, reaching out as you give her hand a gentle squeeze. “if you can literally become the sun,” you begin lightheartedly, “you can do anything.”
she smiled weakly, “yeah, yeah you’re right.”
there is no time for further conversation, as the glow of the altar only continues to progress and an unnatural lightning crackles around the lady.
you keep to the sides, as everyone remains in the center path, gaze strictly on what delilah focuses on, a... spinning orb? it begins to take shape of a distorted figure.
it’s familiar.
your palms sweat.
“so you have come to your senses,” delilah calls, “no matter, i will welcome the whispered one with or without your help.”
you remain silent, eyes only focused on the apparition. however you did it the first time, you pray you can absorb that magic again.
you don’t even realize that vex’ahlia shot an arrow that strikes the other woman in the back, without even looking at her direction, you continue forward.
delilah’s cries for the whispered one to reveal itself to you all go unanswered. her tone becomes desperate.
“this can’t be all there is!” she screams. you hear the shot of the pepper box.
then, you hear something calling your name.
in your trance like state, you simply, reach forward, and magic flows through you. so do visions.
destruction, emptiness, death. the whispered one is their progenitor. you see your friends, despite valiant efforts, defeated or dead. you’re nowhere to be found.
as you look around, you realize why you’re not there. because, as delilah had said, you were the herald. dutifully fulfilling your role in preventing anything from getting in it’s way. the obstacles? Vox Machina.
you could only fall to your knees in silent terror as you realize what you would do.
“-__!”
the magic continues to flow through you, until all that remains is the spinning orb. you feel something wet trickle down your mouth and towards your chin. but you cannot stop.
“____!!”
you look up, and your friends look at you concerned.
the spinning slows, runes grow surround it. you pray they hold up. you weren’t going to kill them, not your friends, your family.
delilah’s gaze is pure venom. but you don’t find it in yourself to care. the runes are done, the sphere is sealed.
you would not be the signal of the whispered one’s return, not today.
you step around the altar anyway, the unsettled feeling lingering in the back of your mind. stumbling on the last step as you fall to your hands and knees. you hear droplets onto the cobblestone, ah, it was your nose bleeding.
you’re given a hand by percy’s sister, cassandra, you nod gratefully as you wipe your nose with the back of your hand.
when you notice, you’re quick to move towards the twins and keyleth, kneeling beside them (oh your poor knees, you were truly putting them through the ringer today, huh).
your hand brushing against keyleth’s forehead as her breathes stagger. you curse yourself for getting distracted, you search your own bag for something, anything that could help your friend while pike heals her.
pike’s apparition disperses, and dread only gnaws at you all further.
you try and soothe her with your magic, only for nothing to happen, wisps of it barely touching her. even scanlan can barely conjure up the giant hand, as it seems to flicker in and out. carefully you all move away from the spinning death orb, runes still glowing brightly around it.
dark veins grow on keyleth’s skin as she’s once more laid gently on the ground.
so you try again.
to your relief it works, the veins recede for a moment, but as you pull your hands away, they quickly return as they went.
“i think i can hold off the corruption for now,” you warn, “you need to act quick.”
and with scanlan’s creative, for a lack of a better word, rhymes, what begins to heal her is a quick concoction of dirt and spit. you almost find yourself laughing again.
the respite, as short as it was, is quickly put to an end when once more, black smoke gathers around percy, his mask donned, and pepper box raised.
it’s keyleth, now conscious, who reminds everyone that percy isn’t himself.
“he’s not in control,” she murmurs weakly, repeating it for you all to hear.
“i know, i know, but right now you’re not in any condition to fight, we just have to trust them to get our percy back.”
she nods, her head droops slightly, you tilt her head back up.
“stay awake for me, kiki,” you whisper, her eyes flutter open. the two of you can only watch as a literal demon crawls from the smoke at percy’s back, taunting the group. your hands glow, ready to defend keyleth and yourself.
you make eye contact with scanlan, as the giant hand dissipates before percy can shoot at it again, delilah drops unceremoniously on the floor.
which is where you lead, using your magic to move delilah so that scanlan could aid the twins and grog.
the bard casts an illusion to hide you and keyleth while you do.
you don’t know anything about the demon that has taken the reins of your friends body, had you the energy, you’d gladly kick its ass (and possibly percy’s for worrying you all). you have no choice but to hope that he reaches his senses in time. lest he be lost to the demon forever.
-
all it took for percy was shooting himself in the foot, metaphorically of course. in a literal sense, it was his hand. the smoke dispersing in the air.
and you let the shield protecting yourself and keyleth drop, but a hand is still tentatively raised.
both briarwoods having been dealt with, whitestone was now free.
“so uh, spinning ball of death there? is that something we’re gonna talk about or what?” scanlan quickly points out, as you all prepare to go back above ground.
you let out a wheeze of laughter despite yourself, before it becomes a cough. percy reaches to grab a handkerchief or something for you, but you wave it off.
“what’s there to say?” you shrug, your voice raspy, “it’s sealed off for now, no one’s getting near it or touching it.”
“right...” scanlan looks only a little unconvinced but only just. you inhale, closing your eyes while sensing the runes still holding strong.
you open them again as scanlan tosses the pepperbox in the vat of acid, percy’s indignant squawk echoing throughout.
“do you know how long that took to make?? and the resources it took?” you could have sworn you saw a pout on his lips.
his arguments are proven naught, as the demon that had attached itself to him through that weapon quickly tries to escape the acid, only to burn away with it in the acid as well.
“well, i’ll be damned, thank you, scanlan.”
you and vax share a look, him using his hand to cover his mouth and you hiding a laugh with another cough.
while you all continued to trek to the above ground, you still couldn’t help but give the ziggurat more glances, delilah’s words echoing in your mind.
you sealed off the orb, yes. but you still felt uneasy. before you all left whitestone, you’d be sure to scour through the materials delilah had left behind. perhaps reading through them would give you the answers you needed, or at least a jumpstart.
