03x08 - The Siege of Emon

[bunniefuu]

[footsteps approaching]

[guard] Halt. What are you... Hey!

-[blows landing]
-[guard cries out]

[adventurous music playing]

Okay, door's open.

All right, which one
of these prisoners is the mark?

I told you, cult leader.
Big payoff if we bust him out.

Psst. You, there.

Happen to be some sort of cultist?

[Percy] I beg your pardon?

Other cells are empty.

This must be our arsehole.

[Percy] If you're looking
for the raving mystic,

you missed him by two days.

Seems confinement didn't agree
with his constitution.

Ooh.

Uh, yeah. Gross.

Damn it. Guess we can
kiss that reward goodbye.

Maybe not.

You don't seem like
you belong in a place like this.

[Percy] Funny...

you do.

We're a bit short on funds,

and you talk like you come from money.

If we break you out,
how much would it be worth?

A small fortune, I daresay.

If I weren't flat broke at the moment.

A detail you might have withheld
until you were free.

Why bother lying?

You'd learn so enough
I've not a silver to my name.

In fact, I am totally alone in the world.

Perhaps you can relate.

[quiet dramatic music playing]

It turns out, when you hit rock bottom,

the truth is your only bargaining chip.

Admitting you need help,
it changes people's hearts.

You're sh*t at negotiating.
You know that, right?

But you are brutally honest.

You might need
that sort of honesty someday.

[Vex inhales]

Very well.

Let's see where the truth takes us.

[cell door unlatches]

What's your name, anyways?

[theme music playing]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

-[quiet dramatic music playing]
-[crows cawing]

[Yennen] The people of Whitestone
are no strangers to loss.

Grief has become
our most familiar neighbor.

And yet, the sorrow of this tragedy

is somehow crueler than the rest,

as our cherished brother,
friend and noble son

has been stolen from us anew.

Like his family, Percival de Rolo

was a man of deep devotion to his home

and loyalty to its people.

And though not religious,
he believed in Whitestone

with every fiber of his being.

His heart found meaning in our history,

but his mind illuminated our future,

spending the hours and minutes of his life

carving our legacy with
the unwavering chisel of time.

When we kneeled, broken, Percy stood tall,

reminding us that hope
is a flame worth fostering.

And though today we say goodbye,

the Dawnfather will keep
his eternal spark alive

in all of us.

In his name we pray.

Deliver the light where darkness dwells.

[all] Deliver the light
where darkness dwells.

Deliver the light
where darkness dwells.

Deliver the light where darkness dwells.

[somber emotional music playing]

[moaning mournfully]

♪ ♪

[Scanlan panting]

What happened?

Where's Percy?

[sobbing]

[Percy] There's a reason
I've been pressing you about this.

I'm in love with you.

[groans]

[sobbing]

♪ ♪

Sister.

I couldn't say it.

I wasn't strong enough.

[Vax sighs]

You're the strongest person I know.

[Vex] I was worried how he'd react,

how you'd react.

I closed off my heart
when I should have opened it.

Gods, I am a bad luck charm.

[Vax] Why would you say such a thing?

My love ruins everything it touches.

The idea of feeling
that strongly again terrified me.

And now... Percy never knew.

Of course he did.

He may have been an aloof,
indignant arsehole,

but Percy was sharper than I.

And every time you gazed at him,

I knew.

You did?

You'd be a fool to miss it.

And that man was no fool.

Even so, what was unsaid

will remain so.

How can I live with that?

How can anyone?

[Vex sobs]

♪ ♪

-[footsteps approach]
-[knock on door]

-Hey.
-Hey.

Is Vex okay?

Are you?

I'm sorry for running away.

From us.

Come inside.

[emotional music playing]

The future has frightened me for so long.

But it's a future
which hasn't yet been written.

And I'm starting to think
fate is what you make it.

It's okay to be scared.

But we can face anything

if we're together.

I don't want to be alone tonight, do you?

I haven't wanted to be alone most nights.

[flames crackling]

It's not your fault, Scanlan.

I-I could've stopped you from leaving.

Why didn't you?

When all options are terrible,
you go with your heart.

Yeah.

And what happens if that fails, too?

[ethereal tinkling]

[grunts softly]

[inhales sharply]

[raspy breath]

-[screeching]
-[gasping]

[panting]

[Raishan] There's still a way, you know.

[Vax] The hell do you want?

To offer condolences...

and plan our next move against Thordak.

Oh, you've got some f*cking nerve.

Our deal is off, remember?

A handful of his spawn
have already hatched.

Dozens will follow within days.

Unless you want Tal'Dorei
to perish as your friend did,

I suggest we rekindle it.

We need time, we're grieving.

My sister's a shell of herself.

I hadn't planned
on burdening you with this.

But it's time you knew the truth.

About your family...

and Thordak.

[sobbing]

Vex, we need to talk. You...

What's all this?

I'm useless to you all right now.

Distracted.

I need to clear my head.
Trinket and I will...

Vex'ahlia, you can't.

The pain you're in...

it's not the first time
you and I have felt it.

What? W-What are you...?

Oh, the tales of destruction
Thordak tells.

Boasting of the cities he's burned.

Port Callavon, Gremedash.

Byroden.

[gasps]

[Raishan] Yes, your hometown,
if memory serves...

Mother.

[Raishan] Your fate has been tethered
to the Cinder King

since you were a child.

It's time you stop ignoring it.

Thordak is your destiny.

[Vax] That grief,
it froze us both for years.

Maybe our whole lives.

And losing Percy might very well
do the same.

If we allow it.

What are you saying?

Stubby. We may be able
to avenge both of them.

[exhales softly]

A dozen juvenile dragons
wiped out Whitestone.

And according to Raishan,

Thordak's nest will hatch soon.

-If they do...
-We're f*cked, in every single hole.

It would be bad, yes.

Nobody trusts her less than me,

but we didn't listen to her last time
and it got Percy k*lled.

But taking Emon from
the most dangerous dragon in the world?

You've tried that before.

Unless you have some army hidden away,
what would be different?

What if we did have an army?

Oh, boy. Grog, I told you
not to eat Percy's workshop paste.

What? No, I mean,
everywhere we've been,

-we made friends.
-Yeah, and enemies.

Well, yeah, sure, but if Thordak wins,

friends, enemies, they all suffer.

This is bigger than Whitestone.

Evel Tal'Dorei.

He's right.

Maybe I could convince the Ashari to help.

We could ask Zahra and Kash
and Vasselheim.

And Earthbreaker Groon. [chuckles]

That guy's a beast.

[Allura] A compelling idea, Grog.

But you're talking about
a handful of scattered fighters.

I doubt it would be enough.

[defeated sighing]

How about 1,000 Syngorn soldiers?

Um, that would certainly
make a difference.

Then what are we waiting for?

[screeching]

[stirring, triumphant music playing]

[screeching]

-[electricity crackling]
-[grunting]

[thunder crashing]

[soldiers grunt]

[loud grunt]

[growling]

[roars]

[laughing]

Damn it.

Why do I always have to be the bait, Zee?

Because, my darling Kash,
you are just so damned attractive.

That is absolutely correct.

All right, come on,
let's haul him back for the reward.

[Vax] And how much
will the Take pay you for him?

One hundred gold? Fifty?

No. [chuckles]

Twenty-five.

What if you upgraded
to something a bit scalier?

Ha-ha, you talking dragons?

No, no. No. No.

Last time we got involved with you lot,
we nearly got k*lled.

Come on. Don't you want
a shot at redemption?

Or at least a much bigger bounty?

All right, we know we owe you.

But near death and certain death
are quite different.

Sorry, me and Zee? Package deal.

Speaking of...

where's your sister?

[birds calling quietly]

So, you've done it.
Acquired the Fenthras Bow.

I suppose you've come
to receive my praise.

Lovely seeing you too, Father.

But no, I don't need approval.

I seek something much harder to give.

Ooh. Our armies?

I've heard you're gathering forces.

But I'm afraid that's quite impossible.

Thordak can have Emon, for all I care.

Our forces must remain here
in defense of Syngorn.

Your military is the easy part.

Oh.

Then what do you wish of me?

I want you to admit the truth.

The dragon k*lled Mother.

Elaina.

I spent years thinking
her death was my fault.

That, somehow, we were the reason
you sent her to Byroden,

and if we hadn't been born...

...she might still be alive.

And you know why I believed that.

Because you did, too.

You blamed us for her death...

Nonsense! I never said any such thing.

You turned your back on your children!

In our moment of need, you shut us out!

Left us to fend for ourselves
in a world that consumes love and hope.

The only advice you ever gave
was to guard our hearts,

to let no one in.

And now I know why.

It's because you were too proud
to admit you loved her.

Her death hurt you as much as it hurt us.

That's your truth.

That was long ago.

[soft inhale] I've moved on.

I haven't.

You taught me my love was poison.

I learned the lesson so well,

I kept the one decent man
who shared his heart at arm's length

until it was too late.

And now I would give anything to hold him,

to tell him how I feel...

to not be the callous fool you made me.

But everyone's pain is their own.

And he's gone.

Vex'ahlia...

I'm sorry.

This is my only bargaining chip, Father.

The truth. [sniffles]

If you've any love left for me,

or for Mother,

then march to Emon and prove it.

And if not for us,

think of those who will occupy this world
when you are gone.

If anything's left.

[Velora laughing]

[contemplative music playing]

[screeches]

Kash and Zahra declined our invitation.

Will this be enough?

[Keyleth] I'm here.

No matter what happens,
we'll face it together.

Not my fate. Not yours.

Ours.

[Pike humming]

Huh?

[humming continues]

W-What are you doing?

Oh, uh, sometimes singing calms my nerves.

This is Kaylie's song.

Your lyrics are beautiful, Scanlan.

Did you show her?

No.

And I won't.

I tried being a father
and a part of this team,

and I failed at both things.

Maybe there's a solution.

Yeah, there is.

No more distractions.

-[curtain opens]
-[Grog] Uh, guys?

You got to see this.

[exciting music playing]

Wha...

[commander] Company, halt!

[Vax] Holy sh*t.

She did it.

[commander] Forward march.

[roars]

[indistinct chatter]

[ballista captain] Roll it back!

[archer captain] Loose.

Very well, our soldiers are at the ready.

What is the plan of attack?

We'll wage a two-pronged as*ault.

Your Syngorn army, Groon's warriors,
as well as the Whitestone Pale Guard.

We'll march through the city gates,
engaging Thordak's spawn head-on.

The Firetamers and Arashari in front
to shield against flame attacks.

Allura and I will also lend our magic
to the cause.

And while the ground forces
engage Thordak's offspring,

Vox Machina will use the distraction
to reach his lair.

How will you get inside?

I've scouted it.
We'll approach from the air.

[Raishan] That won't work.

His children guard it now.

[gasps]

-And who might you be?
-She's, um...

-W-Well...
-An informant.

Her name is Larkin.

Uh, codename, that is.

There is an unprotected back entrance
to Thordak's lair.

A tunnel by the cliffs
too small for a dragon,

but large enough to get inside.

And you assure us the tunnel will be open?

I pledge my word.

So, we take out the small ones,

while you use your vestiges on Thordak.

Plus the plate, if I can get it to work.

It's... it's a sound plan, Lady Vex'ahlia.

[Yennen] But will it work?

[Vex inhales] It has to.

[dramatic music playing]

[Syngorn commander] Infantry, form up.

Um... [clears throat] Good luck out there.

Uh, it's an honor to have you on our side.

The Stormlord is by your side.

That's all you need.

[thunder rumbles]

[Vex] All set, Grog?

Vex.

[sighs] I'm sorry I wasn't there.

I know, Scanlan.

After today, maybe we can all
forgive ourselves.

You ready, sister?

For Percy.

For Mother.

For Exandria!

[soldiers] For Exandria!

For Exandria!

[dramatic music playing]

sh*t. Down!

[Vax] Well, no getting in that way.

[tense music playing]

Smoke but no fire. How's that work?

And no resistance.

You'd think they'd notice us by now.
Or at least notice me.

[Vax] Thankfully, we still have
Raishan's entrance.

And if it isn't there?

I see it.

Land there.

[soldier coughs] So much smoke.

[soldier 2] Can't see a thing.

Hold.

♪ ♪

[ominous chittering]

Wyrmlings!

Mages to the front.

Take positions.

[ballista captain] Ready ballista!

[gurgling exhale]

W-Why are they not attacking?

[low rumble]

Do you feel that?

Oh, f*ck.

[dramatic music playing]

[Keyleth] No.

She sold us out.

It's sealed?

-[sizzles]
-[grunts] Still hot.

Thordak must have melted it shut
less than an hour ago.

Grog, can you punch through this?

[concerted grunt]

But it won't be quiet.

[yells fiercely]

[low rumble]

Damn. I'm stronger than I thought.

I don't think that's you, big guy.

g*dd*mn it.

I told you we couldn't trust her.

Wait. Then that means...

-Father.
-[Thordak growls]

[people screaming]

[roars fiercely]

-[dramatic music playing]
-[screaming]

He left his lair?

[screaming]

Oh, gods.

What have I done?

[theme music playing]

♪ ♪

Chirp.