THE SCENE WAS chaotic, ghoul type looking things were crawling all over the mess hall of the Greyskull keep. She grunted when one suddenly shoved themselves into her stomach, Korelia growling as her nails sharpened and eyes turned green.

"Keeper!" Vex shouted, being the first to notice the girl. The princess swung her staff, waves of magic flowing out and pushing the ghosts back with the light coming from it.

"The light keeps them away!" Scalan shouted, looking at Korelia expectantly to save them. Korelia wiped the black tears from her eyes and looekd over at Keyleth who hid under the table.

"Keyleth!" Korelia suddenly yelled, grunting as a large amount of magic resonating from her staff.

She watched the elven girl clump her hands together and resonated light from her own magic. With a shove to the ground, the blue jay a top of Korelia's staff lit up as well, becoming a make shift lantern.

Keyleth yelled, shoving her hands in the air to get the light to shine through out the room. The ghouls began to bubble and scream, trying to get away from the bright light. An arrow was shot and hit one in the head, the rest of the group watching on as they were finally able to touch and knock down the monsters.

"Now!" Vex yelled, running to get the ghoul who was at the door.

Korelia rushed over to Percy as he shoved one down to the ground from it's perched postition on the wall. With loud growls, she used the end of her staff to hit the ghoul over and over again. Blood splattered on her clothes and Percy's legs as the human also smashed it's head in. Everyone began to attack the ghouls trying their best to dismember them.

Keyleth suddenly kneeled over, the light giving out and the elf panting in exhaustion. Korelia stepped over the ghoul she had been bashing, rushing over to Keyleth to help the girl up from the floor. Percy was quick to also make his way over, helping both girls get their bearings. The monsters suddenly began to disappear in clouds of black smoke, everyone watching with bated breaths as they left out of sight.

"Where did those foul things come from?" Asked Captain Jarett, looking exhausted from the fight.

"We told you the Briarwoods." Keyleth spoke from in between Korelia and Percy.

"And no doubt they'll be sending more." Korelia glanced over at everyone. "You can't stay here."Jarett grunted, turning with his sword in his hand and glaring down at Vox Machina, almost as if he was going to challenge them.

"Don't make us fight you too." Percy warned. Captain Jarett stared them down, deciding what would be best.

"You intent to stop those who did this to my men?" Jarett asked, waiting for an answer.

"You have my word." Percy spoke with confidence, determined to stop the Briarwoods for what they did.

"Than go." Jarett answered, putting his bloodied sword away. Vox Machina relaxed their shoulders, glad that they would be able to move with their vengeance.

"Give them hell." Captain Jarett said, allowing all of them to pass through the door. "And wish me luck trying to explain all this."

Korelia allowed the group to walk out first, seeing as Jarett seemed to give her a confused stare as if waiting for her to say something.

"You're working with them now?" Jarett asked, head tilted to the side.

"Have been since the dragon!" Korelia tried to laugh, an awkward on coming out instead. She sighed looking down at the ground.

"Sovereign Uriel has been compromised. He is under some hypnosis placed by Sylas Briarwood. With him under an influence, the entiredy of the kingdom is under a large possibility of getting attacked by other forces."

Captain Jarett nodded, looking out over at Vox Machina making their way to their rooms to address their wounds and the black blood on their face. Korelia took off the mask from her face, the Captain standing in shock at who was behind the mask.

"Princess." He asked in shock. Korelia used the sleeve of her cloak to wipe at the blood on her face, drops of water forming from her magic to help ease it off.

"What are you doing out of the castle!? Here especially!?" Korelia shushed him in a hard manner, not wanting the others to hear.

"Stop shouting, I'm right here." Korelia told him. "I'm here because of personal reasons."

"Besides, literally just said the Sovereign is under a hypnosis. My father's life had been tampered with and I want to fix it. Just like you want to save the kingdom, I do too."

Captain Jarett took in a deep breath. "It's not going to be easy explain how you died."

"I don't think I'm capable of that." Korelia smiled. She wiped her mask off once more, moving to place it back on and grip onto her staff.

"Be careful out there."

"Of course."

Korelia walked out of the mess hall, going to the front door of the keep to look out at the rising sun. She waved her hand, the muck and blood on her clothing from the fight disappearing all together. Taking in the sun, she took a breath hearing Vox Machina talk amongst themselves behind her.

"No goodbye?" The princess turned around, watching as Percy turned to his friends, who were waiting for him.

"I'm going to Whitestone."

"Odd you wouldn't think your friends won't be going with you." Percy looked at Korelia behind him.

"If we beat Sylas, his charm on Uriel will fade." Keyleth told the human, determined to go with him.

"And we can clear our names." Scanlan added. "Honestly I wouldn't last a day in prison with this face. Look at me; I'm a snack."

"We're all with you but no more secrets, alright?" Vex warned, shoving a finger onto Percy's chest.

"Understood, thank you." Percy said looking at his friend before turning to Korelia. "All of you."

When the group turned to walk out of the building, something suddenly came from the sky, crouching down on the ground in front of them. The man stood up from having landed on the floor, face devoid and emotionless almost.

"Opium." Korelia acknowledged, the white and blue haired male giving his master a nod of his head.

"It's you!" Pike shouted, pointing at the man. "You saved me last night from the Briarwoods."

"Nice to cordially meet all of you. My name is Opium, I am the Gate Keeper's familiar." The man answered, his voice deep and trusting. Vex smirked, shoving an elbow into Keyleth in a teasing manner.

"Oh, wow. You're like really handsome." Keyleth said, red blush blooming on her face when the man gave her a charming smile.

"Thank you."

"He's not that handsome." Vax grumbled, arms crossing in a pouting manner.

"The Briarwoods had a pit stop at a cemetery. Probably was where those ghoulish things came from." Opium spoke to his master, waiting for her to give him further instructions.

"You followed the Briarwoods?" Percy asked.

"Aye. After your whole fiasco, I set out to follow them. I've been keeping tabs on them for a while now." Opium told the human.

"My whole fiasco?" Percy glared.

"So they really did send those things for the book than." Vex said, trying to defuse the tension. "How long have you been keeping tabs on the Briarwoods?"

"Not long officially. I have been hearing stories about Whitestone for a while now. The familiars tend to share stories often."

"Told you, guys, this book was a big deal." Scanlan scoffed, reading over the pages that he could see. "Not that anyone ever listens to me."

"May I see it?" Opium asks, hand out stretched to take a look at the book. Once Scanlan handed it to him, he skimmed the pages trying to remember if anyone had said something about it.

"Can you read it?" Keyleth asked.

"Not quite. I'll be sure to ask the other familiars if they know anything about it."

"Thank you, Opium." Korelia spoke to her familiar, the man giving her a nod of head.

"Ah, what do you want?" Scanlan asked Jarett who stood at the entrance to the keep.

"Here." The man spoke handing Scanlan back his instrument. "Watch where you point that thing."

"See. A snack." Scanlan told Vax as they passed by the two.

Opium took off into the air, Keyleth smiled at how he magically turned back into his blue jay form. While the group stood looking over the horizon Korelia decided to tell them about having to go back to the castle.

"I'll meet you outside of the city. I have to tell everyone of my departure."

"You sure the castle won't miss you that much." Scanlan joked, the princess giving a chuckle.

"To an extent." She laughed.

"We don't need your help if the castle needs you that much." Vex crossed her arms, like she usually does when talking to Korelia.

"Wasn't it you who told Vax to use the feather to ask for their help?" Scanlan mocked, causing everyone to laugh at his teasing. Vex smacked the gnome on the head, grumbling about how it was a heat of the moment thing.

"That's so?" Korelia said once she finished laughing. "As someone who is loyal to the Sovereign. He's been magically attacked which means Emon and most of Tal'Dorei is vulnerable to destruction without him. I've said it before, this is my home."

"Very well," Percy began. "Meet us on the road leading to Whitestone."

Korelia gave a nod of her head, climbing onto her staff and taking off to head back towards the castle.

Word Count: 1622