meeting vox machina and hitching a ride (chapter 21)

Chapter 21

In the heart of the woods, walking along a dirt road, was Ted who currently in his disguise, his enur persona, he then looked to his right, where the dirt road was as he crouched down, his eyes tracing the tracks of a wooden wheel. A fur hood shielded him from the elements, the chilly breeze nipping at his exposed skin. He grunted in contemplation, the earthy smell of damp leaves filling the air as he veered off the dirt road, staying within the cover of the dense trees as he learned his lesson. As he walked in stealth alongside the road, the distant sounds of rustling leaves and the occasional bird's song created a natural symphony around him.

However, his solitude was interrupted by the approaching rumble of a carriage. "Another carriage," he thought, his ears picking up on the distant clatter of hooves and the creaking of wheels. Stepping out onto the road, he removed his hood, revealing his face. "Whoa," exclaimed the driver of the carriage, a human with white, as he brought the carriage to a halt. The abrupt stop caused the occupants to jostle within.

"Why the hell did you stop, Percy?" grumbled the dwarf-like man with a guitar and elongated ears, visible chest hair peeking through. "We got company," Percy replied, looking at Ted. Ted, removed his disguise which was on for the majority of his time as he muttering, "There is no point in hiding my identity if the ride I'm about to hitchhike is going to take hours, heck, it might even cause more distrust between us" accompanied by a resigned sigh.

"Bandits?" questioned the red-haired elf, her eyes narrowing. "Doesn't seem like a bandit," remarked the half-elf male as they disembarked. "The legendary Vox Machina, right?" Ted spoke loudly, catching their attention. The halfling man beamed, "See, I told you our fame reaches far and wide," though he was promptly pushed aside by the half-elf woman.

"Who is asking?" she inquired with a guarded demeanor. "Just someone with the same goal as you," Ted answered, maintaining a cautious distance. "And what would that goal be?" queried Percy, the carriage driver. "Last night, how was the vomiting black blood?" Ted asked, earning surprised looks from the group. "Horrible," replied the dumbfounded goliath, who received a swift slap from the half-elf male.

"I was also attacked last night, and though I would have attributed it to conscience, I encountered a particular carriage leaving Iman. It was driven by a well-dressed gentleman with brown hair and small patches of grey," Ted revealed, the details causing Percy to frown. "And what is that to us?" Percy questioned, prompting a sigh from Ted. "I heard you got arrested," he continued, "a house arrest," corrected the red-haired elf, something that irked Ted a bit. "Fucking redheads," he grumbled under his breath, earning a retort from her.

"My point is," Ted resumed, "soon after receiving an eerie smile with pointy canines, I was attacked. I heard that you guys fought him before and got arrested for disturbing the 'political peace,'" he said, emphasizing the political peace part with a smirk. "And your point is?" asked the half-elf man. "My point is that my best option is you guys. If you're going after that vampire, and since he attacked me, I was hoping to return the favor. You guys seem to be headed the same way," he said, a confident smile playing on his lips as the team exchanged uncertain glances.

"You want to attack a nest of vampires?" asked the gnome, eliciting a smile from Ted. The atmosphere was thick with tension, the misty woods around them casting an eerie vibe. Ted responded, "Well, I was hoping to test the waters, see what they can do, you know, gauge their strength before coming up with a plan. But since you guys are planning on taking them on, and given the fact that you defeated a dragon, you might have a better chance than me," he said, his words hanging in the chilly air, creating a moment of contemplation.

Leaving Emon behind, the carriage carried Vox Machina and Ted on their journey. The bumpy ride made Ted ponder the trials that awaited them. Grog, the goliath, broke the silence with a question, "So, how did you defeat the banshee thingy?" Ted, staring out into the misty woods, responded, "Ah, burned them." The atmosphere inside the carriage was charged with curiosity.

"Any luck translating?" asked the red-haired elf, vexing the gnome. The gnome struggled with the translation, mentioning something about nasty necromancy. Ted, cressing his rings, grumbled to himself, "Ah, a vampire who is a necromancer. Why am I not surprised?"

"That is a lot of rings," remarked the half-elf male. Ted shrugged, "Trust me, it's not nearly enough," sighing with a sense of both weariness and anticipation. Vax, the half-elf, seeking to know more about Ted, asked, "So, Ted, I am Vax, by the way. What do you do? Are you a mercenary?" The interaction added a layer of camaraderie in the cramped carriage.

"I am a hunter, i mostly hunt and sell monster parts," Ted replied, recalling his shop. He sighed, "I hope not a lot of time has passed," indicating an underlying concern. "Ah, so you're an archer. That's cool," remarked the elf. Ted corrected, "I am sort of an all-rounder. I use all types of weapons, bows and blades—basically anything that shoots fast and hard." He realized his ambiguous choice of words, saying, "Oh, Percy is into guns. Too bad he's into women," eliciting a surprised look from Vax.

"So am I?" Ted answered, further surprising the elf. "Oh," he replied, hearing a smile in the voice of his twin sister, Vex. "Yeah, especially if she can kick my ass. She also has to be tall," Ted admitted with a nod. "You know, you and I have more in common than I thought," said the half-gnome, creating a moment of shared understanding.

Inside the carriage, despite the rocky ride, Ted meditated. Suddenly, he spoke, breaking the quiet ambiance, "We're being hunted." The misty woods outside set a mysterious backdrop. Vex acknowledged, "You noticed too," and as the carriage stopped, everyone disembarked.

A whining sound cut through the air, catching the attention of the group. The red-haired elf, vexing, approached the shadow of a wolf creature, her playful demeanor changing as a spectral arrow hit just where she was about to stand. "What the hell?" she exclaimed, turning towards Ted. He calmly remarked, "Although I am not a dog person, I know a predator when I see one," as the wolf stepped out of the shadow, revealing their supernatural nature. The atmosphere crackled with tension, setting the stage for an impending confrontation.

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A/N Ted and vex, HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM