#i was torn between either this or when vax got disintegrated but this won because oh i have thoughts

[firepassed]

MORTAL

pain. the pain that hits her form even before she drops to the ground from her elemental form. she feels herself loose balance, but she's determined, and she stands her ground. never in her life has keyleth felt this much pain. shes died before, yes, but that felt like suddenly blink her eyes, unable to open them, then nothing.. then an ache. this? this felt like she’s been ripped apart.

is... is that what's happening? is she dying? what will the rest of vox machina think? will they be able to feel it? and what will happen to her people?

no... no she's taken hits like this before. certainly this feels different then anything she's been attacked with before, but she knows what she's doing. even if she's a little out of practice, she's got things to do, and people to protect, her eyes briefly shifting out to orym's mercenaries, trying to see what they are doing, how they are, expecting the attack on her to be ending and that she will be able to patch herself back up but she doesn't get the chance.

-another strike. she's, the voice of the tempest, the half-elf, is on the ground, and still being hit and hit time and time again. she feels blood filling her throat and the world spin, her hands grasping on the ground to try her best to keep awake and aware, trying to fight without fighting, even as her vision is beginning to blur. blurring vision or not, it's hard to deny the sudden chill in the air, hair standing up on her arm, then the sight in front of her.

...vax? coming to walk her into the beyond? then why is he...?

" don't you even dare. "

an unconscious answer. he's here. he's protecting her. beyond the veil the champion of ravens is here for her. with her.

somehow, though it felt as though it was slowing, her heart began to thunder inside of her chest and she feels herself steadying, trying to heal herself so that she might stand and stand beside him, though she does not even have a chance to note that it's not working as it should as suddenly her vax'ildan is screaming. and transforming... and is gone... her entire being wants to scream, to shout to cast, to do something to save him---

but she can't even move to react-

and then she wakes, the memory having her mind aching and pounding in her head, and though the tempest still feels weak, and as she stands her legs shake threatening to give out on her she moves and gets to work.

it felt as though she is still being torn open, like the blade still carves into her, cutting into her mind, body, heart and soul. blood still drips from the five deep gashes all over her body, she can taste it in her mouth, feel it soak the loose bandages that had been wrapped around in attempts to do to what arcane healing could not, she feels the sweat dripping from her head, hopefully something she's bringing about on her own as she sits on the floor, besides her open window, and not her getting rest as she knows she ought to. in her lap, a notebook, in her hand, a feather, hand shaking as she tries to think on what to write other than to my most dear friends...

how is whitestone?

something happened?

is everything okay after the solstice?

are you both safe?

vax is -

im sorry it's all my fault

i am afraid and scared and beyond that, extremely angry and i think i might die and you need to know something before i do

frustration bubbled inside of her, hot tears prickling at her eyes that drips from her eyes, one hitting the paper a second after a spot of deep red hits the paper, keyleth muttering a curse as she rips out and crumbles up the letter and lets it join the pile that is on the ground. for a moment, she lets her head rest in her hands, not caring if ink spilled on her face, not caring about anything as she tried her best to keep herself together and unable to do so, instead staring at the empty ledge that is unfamiliar, but echos the very feeling she feels inside of her chest.she sniffs. she swallows, and tears still slip unashamed, unembarrassed, wondering if perhaps with the blood still seeping gently from her wounds if perhaps the matron might give her fucking ear with the blood still seeping on the occasion from her wounds. wouldn't that be amusing?

' if you kill me now, i will despise you even more than already. and i will throw everything in my power at you when you come to collect me. ' do. she thinks and she scoffs, her eyes looking beyond as though she might see a raven, familiar or not but again, there's nothing. it doesn't matter. so she instead tries something else to offer. ' if you kill me now, you will never get him back. you need me .' the thought making a smirk stretch on her lips, the goddess of death having something they both understand about each other now, the main difference between them being she is going to do anything and everything that she can even if she must keep true to her duties.

and one of those duties is to vox machina, to her family. and so again she writes---- and when she finishes, she goes through the motions to send it, snowdrop and a blue hyacinth inside the envelope alongside the letter .

dear percy, i know you both are very busy almost constantly but something has happened. i would come to you to make things easier on everyone, but i know not if i can at the moment. i need your help. i need vex's help. and i might need vox machina's help but i know i for sure need the both of you here as soon as you are able. write back if you can, when you can. keep safe. i love you both so very much and give my love to the children. - keyleth

send MORTAL for a scene from my muse's past in which they had a brush with death, either themselves or someone close to them