Chapter Text
Astarion is still dazed as Lae'zel shoots up, pulling herself from Shadowheart's grasp. The two women shout at each other, with Karlach attempting to separate them, but he cannot comprehend it. Loud ringing bounces along the inside of his skull. It's reminiscent of the head injuries he would receive under Cazador's iron fist.
Halsin mouths something at him, and he rubs his temples. Suddenly, the Druid hauls him to his feet with Wyll's help.
Lae'zel has dashed out of the room, Shadowheart, Minthara, and Karlach following her.
"Astarion, you must stop her. Kill her if you must; she jeopardizes your whole party's safety!"
Astarion blinks sluggishly as Sebastian's unfamiliar words rattle his mind.
Vaguely, he's aware as his body moves with the group, Gale worriedly glancing him over as they follow Lae'zel through the winding halls of the creche.
Eventually, his hearing returns to him. They've caught up to Lae'zel, who shouts at what seems like a commander. He can't help but wonder if the Dream Guardian restored it to him so as not to hinder his actions.
But, before he can react, the gith turns and wrenches his pack away. His eyes shoot open in surprise.
"Lae'zel!" He shouts, already aware of what she's doing.
The artifact pulses in her grasp, and the other Gith freezes in awe.
"Y-You've found it?! The weapon?! Finally, the crusade can end!" The commander says, holding her hand out to Lae'zel. "Give it to me!"
Shadowheart shakes with fury, reading her mace and shield.
Silently, Gale mumbles some words under his breath.
Astarion's tadpole writhes in anxiety or perhaps a promise of ceremorphosis.
Lae'zel snarls and pulls the artifact back, her eyes narrow at the commander. "I will hand it to Vlaakith herself! Not someone who couldn't even find it in the first place and who has traitors amongst her ranks!"
The commander's eyes widened, and she reached for the artifact but was almost repelled—the other gith yelps in pain and glares at Lae'zel, holding her hand in shock.
"Tch! You can wield it, but I cannot?!" The commander says in anger but also acceptance. "Find the Ch'r'ai W'wargaz in the captain's chambers; he will summon our Queen immediately. Go." She spits.
Satisfied, Lae'zel moves toward the entrance, but Shadowheart catches her arm.
"You cannot be serious! Lae'zel, that machine almost killed you-Your God won't-" The cleric recoils at Lae'zel shrugs her grip off.
"My Queen will cleanse me! Do not doubt her! That Ghustil was a traitor. Don't you dare attempt to sway my faith!" Lae'zel hisses, holding the tip of her blade to Shadowheart's chin.
Shadowheart faltered, not moving, before a frown settled on her face. "Fine. But do not be surprised when we are left to die."
Lae'zel's blade trembles for a moment before she stows it. "To the Captain's chambers."
Astarion briefly glances at the others; they all stand with various concerned looks on their faces. Surprisingly, Halsin, who has remained behind him this whole time, rests a hand on Astarion's shoulder.
"We should follow. If need be, we can retrieve the artifact by force." He says quietly.
Karlach shifts from one foot to the other in nervousness. "Fine, but will Lae'zel let that happen?"
Minthara frowns and looks at the floor. "Most likely not. While her death would be regrettable, she might not provide the opportunity to spare her."
There's a tense silence amongst the group before they slowly begin to trail after the Gith.
"You're making a mistake."
Astarion winces; it does not go unnoticed by Wyll, who gently nudges his side as they walk.
"Astarion? Are you alright? I know when Lae'zel was in that...thing, it gave me a wicked headache, but it's cleared up by now." Wyll says softly.
Astarion waves his hand lightly. "It's fine- just a migraine."
The warlock raises a brow but doesn't press it any further.
Soon, they reach heavy wooden doors guarded by several Gith.
At their approach, the doors swing open.
An older Gith man stands at the center of the room, smiling at them with his hands crossed behind his back.
"Lae'zel of Creche K'liir, our Queen, informed me of your arrival." He then holds out a hand to Lae'zel, who's eyes are wide. "You have retrieved the artifact where others could not."
"Vlaakith...knows of me?" Lae'zel whispers under her breath, placing the artifact in the Gith's hand.
An enormous magic circle behind him comes to life when it touches his hand. The artifact floats into the air, and Astarion feels his stomach drop.
The projection of a massive Gith appears, grasping the artifact. Her eyes glow an ethereal gold, and she gives off a divine aura.
"My Queen!" Lae'zel says, immediately kneeling and bowing her head. The Gith turns and glares at her companions, who slowly move to follow her, kneeling alongside her.
"Lae'zel of Creche K'liir, I've heard much about you from your past instructors," The God Queen's voice booms, filling the whole room. She then smirks at the adventuring party. "The istik companions you've collected are well trained. As expected of an extraordinary Gith."
Lae'zel's breathing briefly becomes erratic out of nervousness and sheer awe. "Yes, my Queen. Thank you, my Queen." She says quickly.
Vlaakith lets out a small laugh, toying around with the small artifact in the palm of her hand. "There is only one problem. Lae'zel, to truly be cleansed and claim your place amongst my honor guard, you must do this last thing for me."
Lae'zel bows her head. "Anything, my Queen!"
"Kill the parasite that resides within the Astral Prism. It's a threat to the Gith Empire and must be destroyed," Vlaakith says, her voice quivering with rage, before shifting into an overtly righteous and disingenuous tone. "Do this, and you will be cleansed. Do this, and you will forever be immortalized as one of my Knights."
"Yes, my Queen!" Lae'zel cries out, her passion and genuine belief in this obvious lie blatant.
"Good," Vlaakith says before her form fades. The Astral prism floats down and suddenly opens, a portal forming between the scattered pieces. "Enter the prism and kill the parasite, my most faithful; you and your party will be rewarded."
Lae'zel quickly rises and turns to her party, her face severe and deadset. "Do not defy my Queen. We shall kill the parasite and be cleansed."
Astarion's brows furrow, and his undead heart thuds in his chest out of fear.
"Do not make the wrong choice, Astarion."
This time, the Dream Guardian speaks in Cazador's voice. Or, it's a ghost of his past. Either way, he trembles in fear.
~
The inside of the prism is the same as his dream. This is where he saw Sebastian, or whatever had plucked his shape from some of his worst memories.
Dead Gith litter the floor along with weapons that look centuries old. A large cave with a looming mouth stands in front of the group.
The starry expanse of the Astral Plane stretches endlessly around them, and the gravity feels light on their bodies. The group gathers their bearings, but Astarion stares ahead at the cave.
"Why does this feel…somewhat familiar?" Wyll ponders aloud.
Gale nods and places a hand on his chin. "I've visited the Astral Plane many times, but this location- this feeling- it's too recent in my memory to make any sense…"
"You are not strangers to my domain within the Astral Prism." Sebastian's voice is no longer confined to Astarion's head, instead echoing around the startled group.
Lae'zel pulls her sword from its sheathe and holds it out defensively. "Where are you parasite?! I shall remove you in the name of Vlaakith, The Undying Queen!"
"You genuinely believe her words? Despite her intentions to kill you once you leave here? I have kept you safe, prevented you from turning into Mind Flayers, and awoke you to save Astarion when one of your companions had lost all sense." The voice is somewhat agitated, and Astarion shuffles uncomfortably when his companions toss pointed looks at him and Minthara.
"Astarion, come to me in the cave. We shall discuss my fate and what is to come. I trust that with our further communication, we can come to a peaceful agreement."
"Me?!" Astarion blurts out, looking bewildered. "I have the diplomatic abilities of a war criminal-why me?!"
"You've been communicating with it this whole time?!" Shadowheart shouts, outrage clear.
"Not entirely by choice! The bastard would flood my mind and completely overwhelm me!" Astarion retorts, crossing his arms and glaring at the cleric.
"Why didn't you tell us Astarion?" Gale asks, concerned. "This…person could be dangerous, and now they want you alone." The wizard frowns.
"I…I didn't know how to tell you all." Astarion says quietly, squeezing his arm with anxiety. "Just- I'll go talk to the bloody thing." He turns without a word despite his group shifting after him.
Wyll moves towards Astarion but is stopped by an invisible force blocking the entrance to the cave. "Astarion! Wait! We should do this as a group! Please!" The warlock shouts, fist banging against the shield.
Halsin places a comforting hand on Wyll's back. "We will be there if he needs us. The voice requested that he only go for a reason." The Druid says quietly, but a bit of fear leaks into his tone.
The spawn squeezes his eyes shut and pauses briefly before walking further into the dream guardian's home.
The last thing he hears of his group is Karlach's shout: "Remember! If he does anything fucked up, ill rip his head off!" It's almost enough to distract him from the pit of dread in his stomach.
~
Sebastian sits on a bench, staring into the vast expanse before him. He wears a tunic, similar to the dream before, and his expression is relaxed- at peace.
"Sebastian…?" Astarion asks, creeping forward from the mouth of the cave. "No…you…tell me why I shouldn't kill you right where you stand?" Astarion says, brows furrowing as he unsheathes a dagger, quickly coming up behind the dream guardian and pressing the blade to his neck. His heart races with fear and adrenaline, but he tries to remind himself this is a fake.
Slowly, the dream guardian tilts his head back, eyes locking with Astarion's—Sebastian's eyes.
"I've done everything I can to help you. If surrendering is the only way to earn your trust, then I leave my fate in your hands." The dream guardian says softly.
Astarion's hand trembles before he pulls away and sheathes his dagger quickly. "Spit out whatever plan you have to avoid the wrath of Vlaakith and my companions, please."
The Guardian smiles and stands, turning to Astarion and moving closer. The spawn watches him with narrowed eyes but doesn't move back.
"I will continue to shield you and your group from the Absolute. All we must do is keep the Githyanki from taking the prism where we reside now." The Guardian waves his hands expressively, ever coming closer to the vampire, who only tenses more. "I can reveal more soon, but you must trust me for now. They will attack you as soon as you leave. Show Lae'zel that I am her ally; show them all, Astarion."
The dream guardian smiles and, without a word, pulls Astarion into a gentle embrace. The vampire spawn trembles and doesn't pull away. He's shocked and in pain.
"I know you can do it, Astarion. You've always been such a charmer, your words moving people like enchanting music. Names lyrical on your tongue…" Astarion shivers at that. Sebastian had loved hearing his name spoken. "Go to them. We will see each other soon, within your dreams."
Astarion nods stiffly and pulls away, turning without a word and heading back towards the cave.
The Dream Guardian watches him with a smile.
~
Astarion reaches the end of the cave and peers out at his companions. They stand, whispering fiercely amongst themselves. He can't make anything out, but rather than try and overhear, he takes a moment to still himself.
Astarion is not a whimpering coward. He's more than his past. It's beneficial to ally with the dream guardian; its penchant for taking hurtful forms be dammed.
Astarion strides out of the cave, doing his best to look unbothered. It takes an annoying amount of courage to keep the front up as his companion's eyes snap to him, and he's quickly pulled into the fold.
"Did you slay it?!" Lae'zel immediately hisses.
Shadowheart turns and glares at the Gith. "Obviously not; otherwise, we would be turning into Mind Flayers." She says bitterly.
Gale, of course, has to speak up, "Well, that's only if it's telling the truth."
Both women glare at Gale, and he holds his hands in mock surrender.
"I'm just saying!" Gale says quickly, huffing in response to the animosity.
"Quiet. Let Astarion speak." Halsin grumbles, fixing the group with a firm look before turning to Astarion and quirking a brow.
The spawn straightens up before clearing his throat. "Well, to answer your question, Lae'zel, no, I did not kill him. I almost did, but he laid out a convincing argument." The Gith's eyes alight in rage, and she looks as though she might swing on him, "Before you chop my head off, listen. The creche has been instructed to kill us; they never would have let us leave this place. Even if we go and lie about doing Vlaakith's job, they'll turn on us." He says, eyes narrowing. "I'm all for a good double cross, but not when my ally is in their line of fire."
Lae'zel frowned at that, her expression turning from rage to one of what Astarion thought was fear. It's somewhat stomach-churning to see the gith so moved.
Shadowheart's hands curl into fists, and she crosses her arms. "I'm not surprised. Even our Dark Lady has secrets worth killing for. But at least we know the risk; Vlaakith has lied to you."
Karlach hesitates before gently laying a hand on Lae'zel's shoulder. "Listen, Lae, it'll be alright-" The Gith shrugs the handoff and turns, trembling slightly.
"Don't touch me." She spits, and Astarion frowns. It reminds him of himself. "Let's leave this disgusting place. I will face my judgment if Vlaakith deems it so."
Karlach pulls her hand back, and Minthara glares at Lae'zel. "Don't be such a fool-"
Wyll shakes his head. "Stop this bickering. We leave, and we prepare for a fight. If this dream guardian is right, then we have a new ally; otherwise, be ready to beg for forgiveness."
"Vlaakith does not grant forgiveness. She grants death." Lae'zel says with a sense of finality before exiting through the portal.
With a bit of hesitance, the group follows.
~
"-and for that, you have been sentenced to death." is the first thing that reaches Astarion's ears. Immediately, he squints to adjust to the different lighting and realizes they are surrounded. Vlaakith is gone, and the other Gith have their swords drawn.
"Ch'r'ai! I have not even given my report! What is the meaning of this?! Where is my Queen?!" Lae'zel shouts, anger and fear evident in her voice. Her eyes are wide despite her group's warnings.
"She will not answer you, traitor. Feel the sting of her blade." The Ch'r'ai cries out. He raises his great sword, ready to strike, and Lae'zel doesn't move, her shock rooting her in place.
There's a loud crash of metal colliding with metal. Sparks fly, and before the blade can fall on Lae'zel, Shadowheart lets out a cry and blocks the blow with her shield, knocking the Ch'r'ai prone. She whips her head around to the rest of the group with urgency. "Don't just stand there! Fight!"
With her rallying cry, the crew immediately launches into combat. Even Lae'zel snaps out of her stupor and pulls out her weapon, ducking around Shadowheart and taking her blade to the Ch'r'ai's arm, slicing it clean from his body.
Astarion immediately uses his misty step amulet and drops down behind an archer at the other end of the room, dispatching the enemy with a quick stab to their back.
Multiple psionic spells fly through the room, intermingling with Wyll's Eldritch blasts and Gale's lightning. Over the chaos, he hears Halsin let out a feral roar and Karlach's scream of rage. An armed Gith guard swings at him before he has time to think about it. He barely dodges in time before striking back and stabbing clean through the man's stomach.
There's a sharp pain in his shoulder, and he lets out a cry as a crossbow bolt lands in his shoulder. He spins around in a rage, and three different crossbow archers point at him, reloading their weapons.
Astarion frantically pulls on the amulet, willing it to work, but the enchanted jewelry is out of uses. He curses and looks up from his futile efforts, "Shit! A little help over here!"
"On it!" Gale cries from across the room; a giant cloud materializes over the group of archers just before they can skewer him with arrows. Bolts of lightning rain down on them, turning them into burnt corpses.
Astarion can't even make a snarky comment before another Gith charges him, pinning him to the floor. The fighter holds his blade up, and with a scream, he stabs down at the spawn. With a quick movement, he moves his head out of the way, the blade sinking into the floor where his head once was.
With eyes wide, Astarion rolls away and reaches for a fallen dagger before the Gith punches him across the face. His head hits the floor hard, and he groans in pain, spitting out blood from a busted lip. There's the sound of the blade being freed from the stone before giant pounding footsteps run toward him.
Halsin charges forward with a roar in a split second, swiping the Gith off of him with a massive bear paw. He stands over Astarion defensively before leaping toward the enemy to finish him off.
Dazed, Astarion watches blearily before rising from the floor. "Gods. Lae'zel wasn't joking about her upbringing..."
Minthara turns and wrenches a blade out of Gith's stomach with a brutal scream. "Get to fighting! Kill them all!"
Astarion picks up his daggers and spots the Ch'r'ai struggling to hold off several swings from an enraged Lae'zel. "With pleasure." He leaps towards the two and sinks his daggers into the Ch'r'ai's back, paralyzing him.
The head Gith screams in agony before Lae'zel brings her blade down on his head. Blood spatters over both of them, and the forces of the Gith soon fall apart.
Exhausted, Astarion gasps for breath and sits back against the blood-slicked stairs. "Gods. Please tell me we don't have to exterminate this whole creche." He groans, eyeing his companions.
Halsin shifts back into his elven form, and Karlach's eyes return to their standard color. Gale, untouched and unbloodied, turns his nose up at the mess and gently pushes a body away from him with his foot. "I would prefer not to; my spell slots are running quite low."
Wyll hangs his head and pants in exhaustion, leaning against a marble pillar and eyeing them warily. "I don't imagine anyone knows a way out without notifying everyone?"
Lae'zel, who stands over the Ch'r'ai's corpse, stares down at it blankly. A silence falls over the group before she shifts and looks up. Her lips are pressed into a tight frown, and her eyes are focused. "Typically, we fashion several exits for each creche in an emergency. This place is no different."
With that, the Gith leans down, wrenches the circlet from the Ch'r'ai, and glances over it. "Hm. Yes, this should do it." She puts it on, much to Karlach's disgust and Minthara's fascination. The Gith turns to one of the brick walls and chants something, holding her hand up. A magical shimmer briefly bends the air in front of the stone before a purple smoke finally appears and grows. It expands into a glowing purple, the colors inside reminiscent of the Astral plane they had just visited.
"There. Now, let's go." She says without any further input.
Astarion quirks a brow and sighs, getting up and strolling over to the portal. "Thank the Gods. I would love to take a bath and get some damn rest..."
Shadowheart stands there, unimpressed, with her arms crossed. "So, even though you didn't trust us before, we're supposed to trust you now? What if that leads to a trap or the hells themselves?" When she brings this up, Astarion is halfway through the portal.
"What? It's not like she's changed. She's still Lae'zel, though; things are pretty toasty through here." He says casually, nonchalantly pulling his arm in and out of the portal.
Lae'zel opens her mouth to retort, shooting a glare at Shadowheart, but her argument seemingly dies in her throat. She growls and goes back to focusing on the portal. "Shadowheart, do not needle me. We must leave before my kin come and slaughter us like vermin."
Surprisingly, Shadowheart seems somewhat satisfied and nods before walking up behind Astarion. "Well, best get going then."
With that, she shoves Astarion through the portal.
He falls through with an indignant yelp we can only pray wasn't heard by his companions as he lands on soft soil.
Fresh mountain air fills his lungs, and he looks up blearily to see they're outside the temple, a ways away from the main entrance to the creche. A large full moon hangs in the sky, and the quiet rustle of the nightlife flutters around him.
Astarion lets out a sigh and stands up, brushing himself off. There's a brief sound of the ripping of space fabric before Shadowheart appears behind him, letting out a small chuckle at his state.
"Apologies, Astarion, just in case it was a trap. I didn't necessarily want to be the first one through." The cleric says, snickering.
Astarion only rolls his eyes and huffs. "You're the worst, you know that?"
~
The rest of his companions make it through the portal individually; Lae'zel, the last, still wears an unsettlingly calm look. However, all of them are too tired to press the gith further on it.
Instead, they put their last bits of strength into settling up a camp for the night, pitching their tents and lighting a fire to keep them warm. Gale graciously casts a couple of charms to clean everyone off before they all break into survival rations; no one wants to try to cook that night.
Things are quiet even for Astarion, who thought everyone in their group was too chatty and felt that the silence was golden. Everyone seemed too lost in their thoughts, mulling over the day's discoveries. He glances at Wyll, whose mouth is pressed in a deep frown, eyes unfocused and gazing at the fire. Then, his eyes flick over to Gale, his nose buried deep in a book, but his brows are furrowed, and his eyes squint at the text as if he's having trouble reading. Finally, he looks at Halsin, who stares at the temple in the distance, seemingly lost in thought.
Astarion sighed and felt the call of his bedroll; even if he did not need rest, turning off one's brain for a few hours always had its perks. Astarion prepares to bow out and say his goodnights before slinking to his tent, but there's suddenly a large rustling in nearby bushes.
Everyone immediately snaps to attention, grabbing the weapons they had not truly stored for the night. While Astarion is startled, he is not surprised; neither are his companions, who were all so seemingly dazed.
Lae'zel growls and moves closer to the bushes, brandishing her greatsword. "Who's there? Show yourself, or I'll have no problem separating your head from your body."
There's more rustling before two large gith emerge, one bearing a large scar across his face. Lae'zel tenses and drops into a battle stance but freezes when the strangers hold their hands up in surrender.
"Lae'zel of Creche K'liir, we've spoken before. We mean you know harm, kin." The man with the scar states, continuing to walk toward Lae'zel.
She hisses in response, "Why should I trust you, Voss? I've been labeled a traitor. Your only goal is to kill me!" She spits, and Astarion catches the tremble in her voice. He can't tell if it's sadness or fear.
The Githyanki, Voss, lowers his head before falling to one knee. "I swear to Orpheus, Prince of the Comet, that I will not slay you kin. I do not follow Vlaakith. She has scorned me just as she has scorned you."
Lae'zel relaxes slightly at that, and following her lead, everyone lowers their weapons. "Prince of the Comet? The one from those fairytales meant for hatchlings?"
"He is not just a fairytale but the true heir of Gith. Our savior from the tyranny of Vlaakith." Voss says, looking up at Lae'zel. Her eyes widened slightly, and the other Gith continued, "Vlaakith had him imprisoned. She took over his rightful position while claiming she knew the secret behind overthrowing the Mindflayer Empire. Everything she has done has been to secure her power, subjugating the children of Gith once more!" He cries out passionately.
"This...this cannot be true. You tell lies!" Lae'zel says, holding her greatsword to Voss' throat.
Astarion's eyes go wide, "Lae'zel, don't be too hasty-"
He's cut off when Shadowheart rests a hand gently on Lae'zel's trembling arm. "Lae'zel, it sounds like he's telling the truth. She was going to put you to death no matter the outcome. Is that truly what a good ruler does?"
Lae'zel quivers before jerking away and sheathing her sword. She lets out a cry of anguish, "Tsk'va! Then what does this mean?! Does this mean everything I've done has been for a corrupt God?! That all my teachings, all my kin that I've slain to claw my way to her attention, all of it has been for nothing?!" Lae'zel cries out.
Voss rises. "No. It has not been for nothing; you have been tricked; all Githyanki have been tricked. Now, you can help us uncover the truth. We must free Orpheus. We must free our kin, Lae'zel." He says solemnly.
Lae'zel's brows furrow, but she calms, looking up at Voss. "Then I have no other choice. Either I will be chased by Vlaakith's followers, swarmed until I'm gutted for my actions. Or I help put an end to her. Cut her out, root and stem." She says, and Voss only nods in response.
The Githyanki fighter pauses before nodding back. "Then what do you need of me?"
Voss smiles and pulls a map from his pouch. "When you reach Baldur's Gate, find me at Sharess' Caress. From there, we will free our Prince, then our people." Lae'zel takes the map, and Voss places a fist on his chest. "May the comet guide you, Lae'zel. Until Baldur's Gate." With that, Voss leaves with the other Githyanki, and Lae'zel watches, silent.
The camp settles slowly, eyes trained on Lae'zel, who clutches the map in her hand.
After a few moments of silence, she turns to the group and huffs. "We must rest. Our journey to Moonrise Towers continues tomorrow." Her words have no animosity or hidden anger, just pure exhaustion. She then marches over to her tent and unceremoniously prepares for rest.
The camp seemingly breathes a sigh of relief, and Astarion can't help but relax.
While he still had many questions, this was a start. At least now, they all had a common goal: Moonrise Towers, then back home to Baldur's Gate.
Home. Where Cazador still lurked, waiting to get his hands on him once more. A bridge he would have to cross when they got there.