Chapter Text
Percy had never much cared for the taste of ale, far too bitter and heady for his liking, but when that was all the tavern had to offer, beggars could certainly not be choosers.
A tankard slammed on the table wrong side up and Vex barked a triumphant laugh.
“I win!”
Beside her, Grog slammed his tankard down with enough force to shake the table, a resounding belch echoing across the noisy tavern.
“That’s no fair,” he rumbled, swiping the back of his hand across his pouting lips. “You cheated!
“Certainly not, darling.” Vex purred, smirking up at him. “I just got better than you.”
Grog growled, before slumping in his chair with a crossed-arm pout. Pike, face flushed with drink, reached up to pat his meaty arm comfortingly.
“It’s okay, buddys.” She hiccuped. “You’ll kick’er ass next round.”
Percy set his tankard down with a grimace and a hard swallow. “Ugh…how do you all do this so often? Three rounds and my head is spinning…”
“That’s the beauty of high alcohol content, De Rolo.” Vax patted his back sharply and Percy lurched, forcing himself to swallow back the urge to gag. He scowled blearily at the half-elf.
“It’s great.” Keyleth giggled on his other side, hugging her tankard to her chest. “We get, like, so drunk so fast. It’s really fun.”
“I’m not so sure that’s a good thing.” Percy murmured, looking into his half-full tankard.
He didn’t normally join in on their raucous drinking games, settling for a few glasses of wine to take the edge off while he marveled at the other’s ability to put away their body weight in drink. Tonight, however, he’d decided to throw himself into the ring for a change. Perhaps he’d merely been caught up in the atmosphere of surviving a particularly long and grueling job before they’d made it to town, or maybe the way Vex and Vax had their particular talent for coaxing him into any and everything with a few gentle touches and sly words that made his bones melt and his chest flutter and his logic become utterly obsolete. Or maybe it was simply the fastest way to drown out the demons still threatening to sink their claws into his new life and drag him kicking and screaming back under the murky surface of despair. Whatever the reason, tonight he chose to try ‘letting loose’ as Scanlan liked to so aptly put it.
A choice he was sorely starting to regret.
Suddenly, a finger hooked under his chin and his face was pulled back towards Vax, a lopsided smirk on his lips.
“Come on, Scrawny. Aren’t you having fun?” He purred, leaning in closer. “You do look rather delicious all flushed like this. Perhaps we should get you tipsy more often.”
There his heart went, fluttering in his chest like a flock of startled birds. His face felt hotter than the sun at high noon, his mouth opening and closing with no sound, but half-choked breaths. Vax’s grin only widened, until a tankard flew across the way and slammed into the side of the rogue’s head.
Percy jerked back, blinking in surprise as Vax doubled over, holding his cheek with a cry of pain.
“What the fuck!?”
Vex narrowed her eyes at her brother. “Hands off, brother. I seduce him, not you.”
“I called dibs, you greedy brat.” Vax hissed, rubbing his sore jaw. “And did you seriously just throw a tankard at my face?”
“I’ll gladly make it an arrow next time, if you’d like.” She challenged.
Vax scowled. “You do not get both Kiki and Freddy, Vex’ahlia. That’s not fair.”
“Too bad.” Vex stuck her tongue out. “I’m the hotter twin anyway.”
“Mine!” Keyleth declared, throwing her arms over Percy and nuzzling against his shoulder.
Percy yelped, nearly falling over as Keyleth draped herself half-over him. He flushed further, thoroughly confused, his glasses skewed on his nose.
“Why is everyone suddenly trying to seduce me?” He asked carefully, already regretting the question.
Scanlan laughed, leaning back in his chair. “Because you’re hot, and apparently a half-elf magnet.”
“And this is why I stray when you lot are drunk.” Percy grunted, gently dislodging himself from Keyleth’s clingy grip. “Bunch of fiends, you all are.”
“It’s all in good fun, Scrawny.” Vax teased, throwing his arm around the gunslinger and pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Besides, you make it easy.”
Percy opened his mouth to speak when the tankard in his hand was snatched and he turned just in time to see Pike chugged the rest of it.
“Hey! That was mine,” he protested.
Pike burped as she set it down, grinning up at him. “Snooze you loose, De Rolo.”
Percy decided he was far too sober to deal with this and pushed himself up from his seat.
“I’m getting another drink.”
“Oh! Get me one!” Grog cried.
“And me!” Pike added.
Vex leaned back in her chair with a laugh, one leg crossed over the other. “Why not order another round, darling? And a water for Kiki. I think she’s had enough.”
“What?” Keyleth whined. “But I’m fine. I’m not even that drunk yet!”
“And we’d like to keep it that way.” Vax smirked. “Someone needs to be the responsible one. Also, best to keep your stomach contents on the inside this time, no?”
Keyleth glared at him, keeping her half-full tankard close.
“Grog, go with him. He’s going to need more hands to bring the drinks.” Pike elbowed Grog playfully in the side.
“You got it!” He hoped up, no where near as drunk as the others, and come over to pat Percy on the back, nearly barreling him over in the process. “Let’s go, Percy.”
Percy coughed, adjusting his skewed glasses once more as he held the back of his seat to stay upright. It took him a second to get his bearings, not used to being this tipsy.
“Right.” He grunted. “On we go, then.”
The two made their way towards the bar, far more crowded now than it had been upon their arrival some hours before. It seemed quite a few parties had taken refuge inside the tavern that night, some with the burly build of mercenaries like themselves, others collections of traveling merchants, or people merely passing through. As he and Grog waited for the crowds to thin enough to forge a path to the counter, Percy felt the prickling itch of being watched. It was a feeling he knew all too well, one that set his nerves on edge, honed his mind just enough to fight through the creeping fog of drunkenness.
He ducked his head slightly, making a show of adjusting his glasses as he scanned the edges of the lenses for any sign of danger. At first, nothing caught his eye, merely gaggles of patrons and bustling barmaids trying to get everyone’s orders in a timely manner. He shifted closer to Grog, a slight angling of his stance. There. Four rather unsavory looking travelers situated in the furthest corner of the tavern, their eyes straying back towards where their party was situated. Percy clocked a barbarian, a tall and muscled woman with tattoos running the length of each thick arm; a red toned Tiefling spinning a dagger around his finger; an elven woman with a longsword strapped to her back; and a human man, light hair shorn to his scalp and a scar sliced through one eye.
Given their tattered brown cloaks and single round of drinks, Percy could deduce they’d either not been there for long, or they had no intension of spending the night unawares. Either way, he didn’t like the furtive glances they kept shooting his friends’ way. He needed to get back to relay the information to Vax, the rogue more equipped to keep the trouble at bay. He could tell Grog, but the half-giant was already three tankards deep and while not inebriated, the risk of him handling the situation with his fists instead of tact was too great a chance to take. It would certainly be a quick way to solve their problem, but they’d come to town to cash in a bounty with the hope of finding a job or two in its place. The last thing they needed was to cause a scene and risk being thrown out of the tavern, or worse, the town.
He really didn’t want to spend another night in the forest.
No, Percy simply resolved to keep an eye on them himself. Half listening to Grog’s rambling about his determination to beat Vex and reclaim his drinking title, the gunslinger slipped subtle glances towards the would-be-bandits and their friends. It wasn’t long before the crowd thinned enough for them to forge a path to the bar. Percy kept his eye on the targets for as long as he could, before having no choice but to abandon his task in favor of saddling up to the counter.
“What can get for you?” Asked the pretty blue Tiefling manning the bar.
Percy cleared his throat and replaced his pensive frown with a polite noble smile.
“Could I trouble you for another round of ale?” He asked. “7 tankards in total, but make one mostly water, with just enough ale to taste.”
She gave him a knowing look. “Tricking a friend?”
“You could say that, yes,” Percy chuckled. “At the very least, I can make her believe she’s still drinking with the rest of us, and get some water in her in the process.”
“Clever. I’ll be right back, handsome.” She winked.
Grog pouted. “Aww, she didn’t wink at me.”
“She might not have thought we were ordering together.” Percy reasoned. “After all, would you think it by looking at us?”
“Guess not.” He snorted. “You are pretty limp and scrawny compared to me.”
Percy shot him an unamused look. “Gee, thanks, Grog.”
“You’re welcome.” Grog said. “Don’t know what I did though.”
He sighed, shaking his head. While they waited, he stole another glance towards the table and his heart sank when he realized twowere missing - the Tiefling and the human. His muscles stiffened. Shit. When had they moved? Where had they’d gone? He shifted, quickly scanning the bar, but it was too crowded for him to see anything. Dammit. Where could they have gone?
“Something wrong, Percy?” Grog asked worriedly.
Percy frowned, sighing as he turned back to the bar. “It’s nothing, Grog. I must have just been seeing things.”
“I do that sometimes.” Grog said thoughtfully. “Lights are tricky. Makes your brain do weird things.”
“That they do.”
Percy tapped his fingers impatiently on the bar, wanting to hurry back to warn the others just in case. It wasn’t much longer before the woman reappeared, another bar maid in tow to help with the order.
“Here you go, handsome.” She said.
“Oh, we’re together.” Grog said suddenly, pointing between him and Percy. “Not like, together, together, if you know what I mean. But together. I’m helping.”
The barmaid blinked at him in surprise, and Percy dropped his head in his hand. He was so not drunk enough to deal with this. Luckily, the barmaid took it in stride and smiled up at him.
“That so?” She purred. “Well, you going to help him pay for all these, big guy?”
“Uhh.” Grog blinked. “I don’t really do that. See, I-“
“Just…add it to the tab under VM.” Percy cut in. “May I ask what the total is thus far?”
“Let me check.” She pulled over a book, flicking a few pages until she found the right one. “Here it is. VM…tabs 2 gold, 4 silver. Make that 8 silver after this.”
Percy grimaced. Vex was not going to be pleased when she heard that. She preferred their tabs staying under a gold, and they were down to their last three as it was. It would be irresponsible to leave the tab much longer, but they were enjoying the night and really, they deserved it. The last week had been spent traipsing through the forest to take down a monster for their contract, and the two before that crossing the country for hope of a good payout for a nice meal and a warm bed. A night of fun had been sorely earned.
He had an idea. He really shouldn’t and Cass would surely give him an earful next time they were in Whitestone, but she had said to use it in times of emergency. Saving them all from the wrath of a furious Vex’ahlia seemed emergency enough to him. Percy dug into the inner pocket of his coat, pulling out a folded slip of paper. He slid it across the counter, keeping his voice low.
“When the tab closes, be sure to send the bill to the De Rolo’s of Whitestone. It will be handled in full by the morning.”
The Tiefling’s eyes widened as she looked at the slip, the crest of the De Rolo’s embossed on the center.
“I’ll take care of it.” She said quickly, snatching the slip in case he changed his mind.
“What’d ya do that for?” Grog asked as he easily gathered the majority of the tankards in his large hands.
“You’ll thank me later when Vex’ahlia isn’t trying to wring all our necks for carelessness.” Percy said, gathering his tankard and the one for Keyleth. As they turned to go rejoin their friends, he took the opportunity to sneak another glance towards the table of thugs, the two bandits still missing. Frowning, he did a sweep of the tavern as they pushed through the throngs of patrons vying for their spot at the bar, but he didn’t see either of them, nor the figure he slammed into.
“Watch it!” A gruff voice sneered before he was shoved back, hitting into someone else as his ale sloshed on his coat in the process. Something sharp burned across his chest and he yelped. Before he could get his bearings, he was shoved again, stumbling on awkward feet. For a moment, he couldn’t tell which way was up, or which way was right, tipsy mind too disoriented by the push of bodies much too close for comfort. Just when he half-feared he might get trampled on by an angry mob of drunks, a large hand curled around his middle, pulling him free of the crowd.
“I got’ya Percy.” Grog’s voice filled his ringing ears. Oh, good. So he wasn’t going to be crushed after all. Percy blinked a few times, clearing his panicked mind.
“You okay?”
“Quite.” Percy shook his head for good measure, before smiling slightly up at the half-giant.
“Thank you, Grog.”
Grog grinned, practically preening at the praise. “Course. That’s what I’m here for.”
They made their way back towards the table, Percy still keeping an eye out. Something wasn’t sitting right about this whole thing. The two of them arrived just as Vax and Scanlan were beginning to walk away, pausing at the sight of them.
“There!” Scanlan cried. “See, Vax. I told you you were worried for nothing.”
“Is something the matter?” Percy approached Vax as Grog slipped over to the table to distribute the drinks.
Vax heaved a sigh, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. “No, just…the two of you were taking a while, and with that crowd, I might have gotten a tad worried.”
Percy couldn’t help the way the words made his heart flutter. He ducked his head, fighting a smile. “I was with Grog. Have some faith, at least.”
“I have plenty,” Vax tapped the armor of his Deathwalker’s Ward. “Just…not in crowded taverns.”
Percy hummed, setting down Keyleth’s ale flavored water before her. She eagerly discarded her empty tankard to take up the new one. Vax and Percy returned to their seats.
“Did any of you happen to notice a red Tiefling pass by?” He asked, voice pitched low. “Or perhaps a human with a scar across his eye?”
“That’s oddly specific, darling.” Vex sipped her ale, arching a brow. “Trouble we should be aware of?”
“I’m not sure.” Percy admitted. “I had a strange feeling while we were at the bar. It appeared a group of would-be-bandits were watching our table.”
Vax frowned. “And those two wandered?”
He caught on quick, but Percy expected nothing less of the keen-eyed rogue. He nodded, taking a sip of his ale.
“It could be nothing,” Percy reasoned. “After all, four of them and seven of us seems hardly a risk to take.”
“If they think we’re drunk enough, maybe they’d risk it.” Vex murmured, shooting a look to her brother. Percy knew that Vax would be on alert now, his ale going untouched. The others lapsed into comfortable conversation, teases and laughter easing some of the tension. Perhaps, he’d been worried for nothing. After all, they could have just been patrons themselves.
Maybe you’re just a bad person, that voice in his mind hissed. Judging others. What makes you so special to be all high and mighty? As if you are any better.
Percy shuddered and chugging a few deep gulps of his ale to chase the thoughts away. He paused and winced. Oof. It tasted even more bitter than the last round. He looked inside his tankard, not being able to notice any difference, the liquid maybe a touch darker. Great. He must have gotten the dredges of the barrel.
Down the table, Scanlan shoved Pike playfully and she in-turn bumped into Keyleth with a laugh. The Druid squeaked, being pushed into Percy’s side by their antics. His tankard was halfway from his lips when Keyleth jostled him, ale splashing on his coat once again that evening.
“Bollocks.” Percy cursed, shaking out his sleeve.
Keyleth winced, pulling back. “Sorry.”
“It’s alright, Kiki.” Percy assured, wiping off his coat with a sigh. “This coat has already had its fair share of difficulties tonight. I’ll need to get it cleaned here soon.”
“We’ll see about getting you a new one,” Vex said. “Perhaps, one a little more water resistant?”
Percy made a face. “Haha, very funny, Vex’ahlia.”
She grinned over her tankard. “I do try, darling.”
The party lapsed into comfortable conversations, chatter branching all around him. Grog and Scanlan were eyeing a few of the more generous barmaids while Pike and Keyleth were singing a bar song along with the table nearby. The watery ale seemed to be doing its trick, at least. The Druid seemed far less drunk than she had been before, not that she seemed to notice. The twins huddled together, doing their usual twin…thing, Vax’s eyes doing a lazy sweep of the room every now and again. All in all, it wasn’t too bad a night, everyone pleasantly tipsy and relaxed. A well deserved respite.
Percy felt a smile pulling at his lips, relishing the easy evening with friends. It felt goo knowing he’d helped make this happen. A chance to give back to the ones that added so much to his life that was once filled with nothing but loneliness and despair. Sure, it would come with a lecture from his little sister later on, but it was worth it. He began to speak, only to stop as a wall of vertigo slammed into him with the force of a giant’s fist. The world tilted and his stomach turned and Percy had to fight to swallow back the bile threatening to crawl up his throat. He didn’t understand. He’d felt fine just moments before. The shift was disorienting, and Percy pressed fingers to his temple, a weak groan slipping from his mouth.
Be it heightened elven hearing, or the twin’s particularly keen sense of awareness, but two pairs of hazel eyes snapped to him in an instant.
“Percival?” Vex called worriedly. “What’s wrong?”
Percy, desperately wishing not to spoil the fun, took a deep breath to settle himself, willing the sudden feeling of unwell to settle. When it had, he forced a smile in her direction.
“Nothing,” he said, hoping his voice sounded far less strained than it felt. “Just a little drunk.”
“Freddy, you’ve gone pale.” Vax frowned, his brows furrowing in the way they do when he’s on the verge of fretting. His hand cupped Percy’s cheek and it took everything in him not to sink into the warm touch. He felt cold all of a sudden, and so very tired.
Percy quickly, and reluctantly, shook off his touch, leaning away. “I’m fine. Really. Simply had a bit too much to drink, is all.”
That was it. He wasn’t used to drinking ale, let alone four rounds of it. Percy wasn’t one to get drunk often, not caring for the way his mind smoothed at the edges and his limbs wobbled. It was merely the unfamiliarity of the alcohol burning through his system. Nothing more.
Vax clearly didn’t believe him. His hand moved to press against Percy’s forehead, his frown deepening.
“Percy,” he started, “You’re a bit…”
Nope. He was fine. He was fine and he would prove it.
Percy pushed himself up quickly, the movement pulling the eyes of the rest of the party. His legs wobbled, knees threatening to collapse right back down. His stomach clenched. He shot a look to the table of bandits, finding that they were gone, their table being whipped down. Some of the tension in his chest eased. Good. Maybe he had been worried for nothing. Percy straightened his posture with a little difficulty, fixing his coat.
“I took care of the tab in advance,” he told them, “Tonight is my treat for a job well done.”
“Wait, really?” Scanlan grinned. “Thanks, Percy.”
Grog elbowed Scanlan gently with a wink. “We should ask those pretty ladies if they’d like a drink.”
“I like your thinking.” Scanlan and Grog scrambled away from the table.
“Hey! Bring me back one!” Pike called.
Percy’s lips twitched in amusement. He cleared his throat. “I think I’ll turn in first. This has been fun, but a bit much for me.”
“Percy,” Vax stood, frowning. “You can’t just leave. What about-“
He paused and Percy knew he saw the empty table as well. The gunslinger smiled reassuringly, and pressed Vax’s half-empty tankard into his hands.
“See? False alarm.” Percy reassured him, squeezing Vax’s arm comfortingly. “It’s a good night with good friends. Stay. Enjoy it. I’ll be fine.”
Vax’s frown deepened further. He hated that look on the half-elf’s face, the way he looked both suspicious and hurt at the same time. He hated lying to his friends even more, playing on their emotions, manipulating the conversation, but it was the quickest and easiest way to get the desired result. It was for their own benefit. At least, that’s what he told himself.
“Fine.” Vax relented with a heavy sigh. “But take Kiki with you. She’s had enough for the night herself.”
Keyleth whined, hugging her empty tankard. “I don’t wanna go yet.”
“Too bad.” Pike pushed Keyleth up. “You’ll thank us later.”
Vax plucking the tankard from her grip, kissing her forehead affectionately.
Percy wasn’t thrilled about the idea of watching out for Keyleth and himself in his unwell state, but he couldn’t exactly argue without making a bigger problem that he couldn’t talk his way out of. So, he set a hand on Keyleth’s back, guiding her alongside him.
“We’ll see you all back at the inn.” Percy assured Vax, giving Vex a small reassuring smile as he ushered Keyleth out the door.
——
The night was cool, the breeze crisp, spring starting to give way to summer. Though to Percy, it felt more like winter had reared its bitting chill once more. It took everything for his limbs not to tremble and shake, his joints aching with the strain of staying upright. Keyleth hummed absently beside him, oblivious to his inner turmoil, and he was all the more thankful for it.
He was fine. There was nothing wrong. He was alright. And if he kept telling himself that, it would be true. He would make it true.
As they trailed down the street from the tavern, the noise grew more distant and the town seemed eerily quiet. Light posts burned with low flames to illuminate their way, Keyleth tapping her staff against the ground with their every step an echoing tempo. That prickling feeling of being watched started to tickle up his spine once more, but this time it was accompanied by a faint burning ache in his bones. Keyleth’s foot caught on a crack in the road while she wasn’t looking and she yelped, pitching forward. Percy’s arms shot out to catch her on instinct, steadying her on her feet once more.
“Perhaps it’s best to focus on the road ahead of us and less on your singing, yes?” Percy clipped, sharper than he intended
Keyleth flinched, looking at him sheepishly. “Sorry. Sorry. I wasn’t trying to-“
She paused, eyes widening. “Percy, your hurt.”
“What?” He followed her eyes to where his shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, surprised when he saw a small bruise bloomed across his skin. Percy frowned. When in the hells had he gotten hurt? He didn’t remember anyone brandishing a weapon in the tavern, and Pike had healed all their injuries after the bounty. A vague memory came back to him, when he and Grog were pushing through the crowd. He’d been shoved pretty hard, a sharp ache in his chest, but he’d forgotten all about that in the ease of drunkenness. Perhaps, someone in the tavern had been testy that evening.
“So I am.” Percy blinked. “It’s nothing series, just a bruise. I’ll tend it when we get…back…”
His words slurred, the world once again turning on its axis, sharp and sudden, but this time he hadn’t the strength to ward against it. Percy swayed, fingers going numb, tongue too heavy in his mouth. His knees gave out, cracking hard on the ground, and Keyleth yelped. She dropped beside him, supporting his weight.
“Percy? Percy!” She cried, whatever dregs of drunkenness she’d had left quickly vanishing, replaced by anxious concern.
Percy wanted to reassure her, to clear that fear from her voice. It stuck a cord within him, that forever raw wound carved by Cassandra’s cries when the Briarwoods tossed his half-conscious body into their cold hard cell after one of many nightmarish torture sessions. Gods, why was it so cold? He shuddered, leaning into her touch, hand slamming into the ground to both ground himself and prevent from toppling over. Now that awareness had been brought to his wound, the pain was making itself very much known. The burning he’d felt before, it was coming from the knot in his chest, a gnawing, aching kind of pain. Like acid being poured into his bloodstream. He grimaced, panting heavily. He’d been able to push through the first wave, fight through sheer force of will alone, but this one was stronger, itself fighting back with every attempt Percy tried keeping it at bay.
Something was wrong. Very, very wrong.
“Look what we have here.”
The two of them turned just as all four of the would-be bandits Percy had seen in the tavern stepped out of the shadows and into their path. Dammit. He knew he’d been right to mistrust them. He should have known better than to let his guard down. He should have listened to his gut better. The four bandits surrounded them, looking rather pleased with themselves. Percy shifted as he forced his body upright, putting an arm out in front of Keyleth protectively. Subtly, he gripped Animus at his side.
“Who are you?” Percy demanded despite his horse voice, bleary eyes narrowing. “And what do you want?”
“Us?” The Tiefling laughed, twirling a knife on his finger. “No one special, really. Just a few louts about to become very rich.”
The barbarian woman snorted. “Exactly. So let’s say you drop the tough guy act and just come with us quietly. If you do, we won’t have to hurt the little lady.”
Keyleth sneered, gripping her staff. “Fuck you. You aren’t touching him!”
“You really gonna take four of us in your state, kid?” The human scoffed. “I won’t say no to a fight, but it won’t matter none soon anyway. That tranq in your friend should be hitting real soon.”
Percy frowned. “Tranquilizer? But how…?”
The Tiefling held up a half-empty bottle of green liquid. “All it took was a little shove, and a hefty splash in your drink while the big guy wasn’t looking. You made it too easy, rich boy.”
“Yeah, who’d have thought the Lord of Whitestone would be chumming it up with a group of too-bit mercenaries in a town like this?” The barbarian laughed. “Must’a been pretty desperate.”
Shit. Shit. Shit. Percy’s stomach sank. These assholes hadn’t been after his friends, they’d been after him. He’d been pegged as a noble the moment they stepped foot in the tavern. That’s why they’d been watching the party. Not to look for a moment to strike all of them, but for the moment he would step away. And like an idiot, he’d given them the perfect payout they could ask for by brandishing the De Rolo crest.
Oh, he was so stupid. So, so stupid. It would be one thing if his stupidity had only fucked himself over, but now Keyleth had been dragged into it too. No. He refused to allow her to face the consequences for his oversight. He forced himself to let go of his gun.
“You-“
Percy cut Keyleth off. “Alright, I’ll go with you. Only if you leave her unscathed.”
“Percy!” Keyleth argued, but he shot a pleading look. Listen to me, he thought desperately, just this once. He knew he didn’t have much time, whatever they’d given him weighing his body down by the second. His chest ached and it was getting harder to breathe. His skin burned and prickled with heat and he really didn’t want to throw up in front of these people. He had a plan, he just needed to pray to the gods that Keyleth would go along.
Thankfully, his prayers were answered as Keyleth nodded slightly.
“Come on.” The human grabbed Percy under the arm and yanked him to his feet. He gasped, stumbling into the man’s grip. The world swam and he had to swallow hard against the bile in his throat. He wasn’t going to last long at this rate, but all that mattered was getting Keyleth to safety.
“All you nobles are the same.” The Tiefling sneered, coming over to tip Percy’s chin up with his blade. “So full of yourselves. Think just because you got money you’ve got more of a right to do what you please. See how high and mighty you are when your life finally has a price to it.”
“I know what my life is worth.” Percy spat, flexing his hand, thumb pushing the clips off his glove, letting the leather fall away. “Unfortunately for you, it’s not much.”
Percy grabbed the Tiefling by the chest and yanked the cord for Diplomacy. Before anyone could react, electricity coiled throughout the man’s body, his back arching as he choked and seized.
“What the-“ His elbow reared back, slamming into the scared man’s face. Percy lunging out of his grip the second it loosened.
“Keyleth, run!” He ordered, tearing a small bag of black powder from his coat. He grabbed her by the arm, pulling her up as they dashed down the street.
“You fucker!” The barbarian roared, charging after them. “Get back here!”
“I’ll have to pass.” Percy threw the bag at them at the same time as he pulled Retort from its holster, turning long enough to shoot at the bag.
“Cover your ears.” He told Keyleth, pressing her into his chest for cover as the bullet struck the bag. An explosion rocked the street, shockwaves barreling them over and across the sidewalk. Percy’s ears rang from the explosion, but he could still faintly hear the screams of pain from the barbarian.
Smoke billowed out from the blast, making his eyes water, stinging his lungs. Percy coughed, panting heavily.
“K-Kiki…are you…alright…?” He coughed out.
Keyleth pulled away, coughing as well. “I…yeah, I’m fine, but Percy, you-“
He shook his head. “Come on…we need to get out of he-“
He coughed, and coughed again, and suddenly he couldn’t stop. Percy leaned over, hacking into his hands.
“Percy!?” Keyleth quickly blew the smoke away from them, rubbing her hands on his back. “Come on, breathe, Percy. Breathe.”
He tried, but his lungs ached and his chest scream. He lurched suddenly, a wet hacking cough and something splattered in his hand. He shakily pulled away, blurry eyes widening at the little spots of red on his glove.
“Well, that…isn’t good…” he murmured, just as his eyes fluttered and his body swayed and he toppled over onto the street, darkness a welcomed embrace.