"Well, this is...great." Zia broke the somber silence that had fallen over the dejected group. She sat on the outer edge of the makeshift circle between Pike and Keyleth.
"Greats not the word I would use." Percy denied with a sigh of his own adjusting his glasses that he just finished cleaning.
"Does this mean we're officially banned from every tavern in Emon?" Keyleth asked looking as sickened as they all felt.
"Only the ones who remember us." Zia answered, smoothing out her skirt freeing it from dust.
"Everyone remembers us, Zia." Vex waved a dismissive hand her way. The elf hugged onto Trinkets neck. "We're Vox Machina!"
"You say that like it's something to be proud of." Zia ran her gloved hands over her hair in an attempt to get out any remaining debris that lingered in her purple locks.
"You don't think it is?" Vex challenged, the look she gave Zia as pointed as her half-elven ears.
"Well..." Zia started carefully, "...no."
Everyone looked at her, even Scanlan who'd just finished getting his clothes back on.
"Oh don't look at me like that you guys. It's really not." Zia sighed. "Our reputation...it's starting to precede us."
"So?" Vex challenged. "What's wrong with becoming well known?"
"Nothing," Zia denied tilting her head. "Except for the fact that we're becoming well known for the wrong reasons."
"Surely it can't be that bad." Percy protested.
"There's a saying that's been going round after the last job. A catchy little jingle a couple of two bit cronies started..." Zia played with a tassel on her skirt. "Cmon...we've all heard it. Hire Vox and you'll pray to get done in by the pox."
"Okay, that is pretty bad." Keyleth frowned clutching her staff. "But the one I heard goes a little more like hire Vox Machina to get the job done and you'll wish you hired a fox or a hyena to eat your son."
"Wonderful. We've got no money, no place to live, and fuck all for prospects." Vax rested his chin in his hand. "Not to mention those awful rhymes to contend with." Vax groaned. "By the gods."
"Well perhaps if someone didn't accidentally decapitate the last fellow who hired us." Percy glared pointedly at Grog. "Such sayings wouldn't have spread faster than a rat carrying scurvy."
"I apologized, didn't I?" Grog asked as he played with his stolen hand. The big guy didn't seem all that down or even sorry for what he'd done. "And those tunes didn't have nothing to do with me."
"An apology doesn't fix the fact that we're running out of options now." Zia frowned.
"I'll admit you're right about that." Vex sighed. "We have a mountain of debts and," She shook the small sack in her hand. "Oh good. Three silver to our name. We need a job. Anything at this point."
"I mean, if protecting carts from swindlers and killing goblins for gold isn't getting us anywhere, I don't know, maybe... maybe we could try doing some good this time?" Pike made the suggestion hesitantly, a part of her knowing it was about to be ill received.
"Nah..." Vex, Vax, Percy, Scanlan and Keyleth all chorused.
"Boring." Came Grog's subsequent denial.
"Like what?" Zia tilted her head in curiosity actually entertaining the idea much to Pike's surprise.
"Oh." Pike tapped her fingers together. "Uh...I don't know. I actually hadn't gotten that far...maybe a holy mission or some volunteer-"
STAI LEGGENDO
The Legend of Vox Machina: The Curse of Zia Zircon
FanfictionZia Zircon. The final member of Vox Machina. Her skin was made of stone. Her amethyst eyes-quite literally crystallized- were more enchanting than any real gemstone one could dig out of a mine. Her hair of the same hue shimmered as if it was at war...
