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Grog POV

The entire crowd cheering for me as I'm in the arena. Enjoy slaughtering every gladiator in the fight with the craven edge as it sucks their blood. It was better than cutting butter, though I wish I did have some.

    Everybody shout my name as the crowd went wild and I laugh for my victory. I was about to pick up my sword, but suddenly I saw the sword was stuck on Pike as she cough blood before she gasp and look at me with terror in her eyes.

Pike: (Terror.) Grog...

Then I see blood cover the entire ground like a lake, but made me froze is that I saw all my friends are dead.

(YN death too.)

Grog: (Frighten.) No...

The craven edge laughs from satisfaction as it slowly drains Pike's blood as she groans in pain. Suddenly I hear a familiar voice, one I never thought I'd hear again.

???: Yes.

I turn around and saw him as he grins evily. My heart beat speeds up to see him again.

???: You've made a herd proud, Grog.

Grog: (Frighten.) Please....no.

Pike: (Dying.) Why!?....GROG!!

Grog: No!-

I wake up in the middle of the night in the woods and see everyone is sleeping as I breathe heavily.

Before I realize it, the sword was right next to Pike who's sleeping.

Craven edge: (Creepy voice.) More...

I quickly grabbed it and move it away from Pike before I see myself on the reflection of the blade.

Craven edge: More...

This got me more worried but its the only weapon I have.

Time skip to morning

After sleeping through the night, we continue our journey to find the sphix. Or was it six? I don't know, I forgot.

Vex: Ah what a lovely morning to find a Sphinx.

Oh, so thats how you pronounced it. I yawn for being tired because of the nightmare before Vex ask curiously.

Vex: Didn't get enough sleep?

Grog: Huh? (Stammer.) Of course I did. (Fake chuckles.) Lots of sleep with really nice dreams where no one died.

Craven edge: I hunger...

I quietly shriek and I grab the sword before speaking to it.

Grog: (Whispers.) Quiet, you! I got nothing for you to eat right now.

Craven edge: You will feed me...

Grog: Ugh. Okay, okay.

Pike: Who you, uh, talking to, big guy?

Grog: Uh, no...the-the trees. (Chuckles.) Yeah, Keyleth taught me. (Laughs.) Um...good luck with the termite, tree.

3rd POV

Grog passes Scanlan and Pike to catch up as both of them started to have conversation while walking.

Pike: Hey, Scanlan.

Scanlan: Hmm?

Pike: Uh, you notice Grog acting strange?

Scanlan: I mean, he's real dumb. Its kind of hard to tell.

Pike: Well, its just...(Sigh.) He's so focus on that sword. Maybe YN is right about Grog with that sword.

Scanlan: Oh come on, Pike. (Smirk.) You can't fault a guy for... 🎶 Playing with his sword now and then 🎶

Pike: (Groans.) Why can't you ever just be sincere?

Scanlan just shrugs it off before he catches up with the rest while the others are having conversation.

Keyleth: (To Vax.) Your armor, you, um...getting more use to it?

Vax: Hard to get use to a relic of the Goddess of Death.

Keyleth: Still, you have her vestige now. Maybe you could ask her for help.

Vax: Ask the Matron of Ravens? Somehow I doubt she'd listen.

YN: Life and death are patience like a tree. Enough to listen everything.

Keyleth: Yeah, you could try.

Vax: Hmm.

Vax was quiet but YN decided to change the subject.

YN: On a bright side, least your armor is better than mine where it got burned from our last fight.

Vax: shouldn't you get rid of it and get a new one?

YN: It belong to my mentor. From his prime age, of course. He was a bastard sometimes, but then he's like a father to me. Well, to all of us.

Vax: Weren't there more like you?

YN: Yeah, there use to be more of us. But then they were killed.

Keyleth: How? I thought you guys are skill at fighting.

YN: Its...complicated. How it happened, I guess you could say most of us never knew the hidden picture until it was too late. Sometimes I wish I could've done something to stop it, but I was just a kid that time.

Keyleth: Must've been rough.

YN: Its how witcher life was before I became a witcher. They can hate us, but in the end there's always another monster.

Vax: Including dragons.

They all chuckle as they're near the cliff and saw the mountain that's split in half.

Keyleth: There it is. Rimecleft.

Vax: The place I saw in that vision.

YN: Surprisingly a Sphinx would live in this entire cold place.

Keyleth: The entire range is eternally cold. Well, except for Pyrah. There's a myth about it, actually. A thousand-

Scanlan: (Shivering.) Uh, m-maybe we just save the myth? My balls are ice cubes.

Vax: Hard to believe we're gonna find a Sphinx in this forsaken place.

YN: I don't mind the cold. Its good for your muscles after training.

Vex: (Shivers.) I'm as cold as a corpse, and I'd rather not repeat that experience.

Suddenly Percy puts his coat oh her to keep her warm.

Vex: Oh, no, Percy. I didn't mean...

Percy: No, please take it. I'm fine.

Percy looks away to hide his blush as keyleth smiles to see their relationship. Both Vex and Percy couldn't help but smile.

Keyleth: Hey, um, YN? It feels cold, can I use your cloak.

YN: Can't you use fire magic?

Keyleth: But its too cold for me to use it.

YN: (Sigh.) I guess it can't be helped. Understandable though.

YN remove his cloak and give it to her to keep her warm. But in truth, his cloak is comfortable for her. After that, she created fire to keep everyone warm

Scanlan: Oh, hey. Neat trick.

Vax: Yeah, not bad.

Scanlan: That kind of brings me back to Silas. Remember when you, uh, melted his face off.

YN: Ah yes, a satisfaction to see one less evil vampire threatening innocent people.

As they continue to walk, Grog shakes off the shivering before continue walking.

Grog: (Smiles.) I like cold. (Laughs.) Makes my niffles tingly.

Pike: So, uh...how you feeling, buddy? 'Cause, you know, lately you've been real fixated-

Grog: (Interrupt.) Oh, yeah, just a sec, Pike. Come here.

Grog picks up Scanlan who's still shivering by the cold.

Scanlan: Hey, whoa. Grog, what are you...?

Groh: Don't you worry, Scanlan. (Picks up a cloth.) Uncle Groggy's gonna keep you warm.

Scanlan: Hey, hey, no, I-

Just then, Grog carries Scanlan on his chest like a baby.

At first Scanlan wants to get off because it was embarrassed, but it was cut short when he realize its warming him.

Scanlan: Huh, this is actually kind of cozy.

Grog pat Scanlan head before Pike tries to have a conversation with him.

Pike: But, Grog, that sword seems to-

Grog: (Ignores.) Oh, you want a bouncy? Come on.

Grog racewalk to catch up with the rest while Pike concerns grows more by Grog ignoring her. Soon they all stop to see a tall pillar.

Keyleth: Uh, guy?

Vex: What's this now?

YN: Some kind of pillar, but why would it be here in the middle of the forest?

Keyleth then notice there are writings on it, next to the skeletons.

Keyleth: Ancient runes? What do they mean?

Percy: I believe I can read some of it.

Vax: (Scoff.) Of course you can.

YN: (Sarcasm.) Oh you're welcome to try translating it, Vax.

Vax: Oh yeah, its simple. Here says: (flip off YN.) "Fuck off doggy."

YN: Huh, now that I think of it. Its a warning, saying: (Flip off Vax.) "No birds allowed, fucker."

YN and Vax flip each other off while Percy translate the ancient runes.

Percy: "Seekers," I think, or "fools"? "This land..." Ah. "Flee this land, for dangers come from...from paradise"?

YN and Vax stop as they were both trying to figure out of what it means.

Vax: Cryptic warning. How Sphinx-y.

Pike: "Paradise." That could mean "heaven," right?

Vex: Like up in the sky.

YN: Maybe its a riddle of a guidance.

Vex gets an idea and pulls out the broomstick before she fly's off.

YN: Man, I wanna fly on that broomstick.

Keyleth: I thought you like riding on me in my bird form?

YN: (Blushes.) Oh, well, uh, I just thought I'm too heavy for you. Because of the equipments. Speaking of which.

YN sees a corpse that has a armor. He then picks it up and removes it before equipping it.

Pike: Um, why are you taking that?

YN: I respect the dead, but he won't be needing it. At least until I can get my equipment repaired.

Just then, Vex returns with news of where to go. They follow her to a wall of the mountain

Vex: This is where I saw the entrance.

Grog: (Confused.) Uh, that don't look like no door.

YN: The eyes can lie easily.

YN steps up and as soon as he touch the wall, his hand went through as he enter. Vex did the same before calling the rest to enter. As they did, they end up in a gigantic cave.

They continue onward as they look around the place.

Grog: Uh, anybody home?

The cave echoes grogs voice before Percy ask.

Percy: What is this place?

Vax: A temple, an old one.

Scanlan: Aren't they all?

Vax: Not this old. Built before the divergence. Before the calamity between men and gods.

Vex: (Curious.) How do you know this?

Vax: I just...know.

YN: Its the armor. It must've somehow gave you knowledge the moment its bonded with you. I mean how could we be here without the vestige?

Vax: True.

Suddenly YN medallion vibrate aggressively before Keyleth's fire disappear and they heard a growl echoing through the cave.

???: Very smart, and yet not smart enough to heed my warnings.

Percy: Oh, not this again...

YN: Ready yourself...

The growls are close as they circle together to find whatever it is. Suddenly something was about to kill them until Vex quickly spoke.

Vex: We were sent by Osysa!

Something landed in front of them and it stops. Revealing himself to be another Sphinx.

Kamaljori: My mate sent you? Its been centuries.

Scanlan: Yikes. Oh, but, hey, she wasn't like, with anybody else, if you're worried.

The Sphinx growls as YN smack Scanlan's head before he speaks.

YN: He does not speak for us. But we're Vox Machina, we seek knowledge against the dragons.

Kamaljori: I am Kamaljori. Keeper of a knowledge you seek. But before I reveal it, you must prove your worth in a challenges.

Percy: Challenge. Yes, we sort of assumed. What did you have in mind?

Kamaljori walking circle around them.

Kamaljori: Mm...how confident. Then I shall let you choose. Conquer the 70 Death Gorgons, survive the Endless Labyrinth of Misery, or wound me.

Keyleth: (Smile nervously.) Sorry, back up. Did you say wound you?

Kamaljori: In my eons of life, I have never felt pain. Your challenge is to inflict an injury. (Face down at them.) Any wound will do.

Pike: Uh, give us just a sec.

As soon as she finished, the group huddle up to discuss and vote on which challenge will do.

Grog: Guys, Death Gorgons sound cool as fuck. (Grin.) Let's do that one.

Keyleth: Wh-what? No. Wound the Sphinx.

Scanlan: That dude is as old as time, and he's never felt pain? Never stubbed his toe, poke his eye, never had an ingrown hair on his peen? You wanna fight that?

YN: What if we feed him enough food with poison inside?

They all slowly look at him disappointed.

YN: What? Dudes gotta eat somehow. Sheesh.

Percy: We don't have to defeat him, just hurt him.

Vax: Ugh, any one of us should be able to land a single hit, for fuck's sake.

They all nod in agreement as Vex speaks for the group.

Vex: Okay, your Sphinx-ness? Hmm. We choose to wound you.

Kamaljori: A shame. The Gorgons have been itching for a battle.

Grog: Oh, so can we change and-

Before Grog could say anything, YN, Pike, and Scanlan tries to shut him up by beating him but not severely.

Pike: We choose to wound you.

Kamaljori: Very well, then.

The Sphinx eyes glows and teleported them and they realize they're in some kind of void.

Vex: Where are we?

Keyleth: We're in another dimension.

Kamaljori then appear on a temple and speaks.

Kamaljori: Each of you will have the chance to wound me in a one-on-one battle. Who dares to go first?

Scanlan: Oh, uh, how bout Vex?

Pike: (Disappointed.) Really, dude?

Everyone look at him disappointed but Vex decide to go since she does owe him a favor. Fortunate Vax stops her after he shoved Percy away.

Vax: I'll go. I'm not letting anything happen to you again.

Vex: (Worried.) You won't be able to overpower him.

Vax: (Scoffs.) Brawn's not really my thing. All right, I'll go first.

Vax approaches the Sphinx, preparing to fight on one-on-one.

Vax: Right. Let's do this, Sphinx.

Kamaljori: The Deathwalker's Ward. You've been touched by the Matron of Ravens.

Vax: What do you know about that?

Kamaljori: A heavy burden, being the Matron's champion. Fortunately for you...

Vax throw his knives at him, but Kamaljori simply uses his shield to block it.

Kamaljori: You won't live long enough to feel its weight.

He deflect them back to its owner. Vax easily dodged them but he was soon off guard as the Sphinx blasted him