To Baldur's Gate

Chapter Two

While the elf was distracted by Shadowheart, I twisted out of his reach and grabbed onto his knife, straddling his waist and pinning him down to the ground under us. Now, I held the weapon to his throat and gave him my most charming smile.

"Why don't we put our toys down and talk like adults, hmm?" I asked. I relished the surprise on his face while also wanting to smack that delicious smirk off his mouth.

"If the lady insists," he answered. I released my hold on him, but kept the knife, waiting for him to strike again. He stood, giving me a mock bow with the grace of a dancer. "My name is Astarion. I do apologize for that, but I am in dire need of some answers."

"I'm afraid we don't have many of those," Shadowheart chimed in, ever helpful. As if on cue, the tadpoles in our brains woke up and decided to talk to each other. Astarion's hands went to his head and he groaned. My pain was no longer unbearable, more a dim throbbing. Through the tadpole, I could see in his mind: dark streets, long alleys, and crowded bars. A seemingly lonely existence.

"What was that?" he asked after a few moments.

"The tadpoles in our heads can communicate with each other," I explained once again. "We all seem to be linked by them."

"We have illithid tadpoles in our minds? How do I get it out?" Astarion asked. His tender voice was edging with panic.

"I don't know. If it stays, there's a chance we will turn into mindflayers," I responded. After a few beats, Astarion began to chuckle, surprising both Shadowheart and me. I looked at her as if to ask What's wrong with this guy? She could only shake her head and shrug.

"Of course I would turn into a monster. Perfect, just what I should have expected." He met my gaze and held it, forcing me to look at his beautiful face.

"You can come with us," I blurted before I even knew what I was saying. "Shadowheart and I are going to explore the area and see if anyone can tell us where we are." As soon as the words left my mouth, Astarion gave me an angelic smile and I had the terrible sense that I had fallen into his trap somehow.

"Thank you, love. I think I'll take you up on the offer," He answered. He held out a hand and I reluctantly returned his knife. Our fingers brushed for the tiniest of moments and the red hue of my skin contrasted with his ghostly complexion so vividly.

"Are we done here?" Shadowheart called to us, already walking forward without me. Astarion and I shared one last look before following her along the path created by years of use.

The instances where I had gone to the lands above were far and few between, so I basked in the sunlight as we walked, holding my arms out to the light, and soaking in as much of it as I could.

"Do you not get out much?" Astarion asked, eyeing me with an amused expression. He could laugh all he wanted; I didn't care.

"Growing up in the Underdark is its own special hell," I responded. "The few times I managed to sneak out were rewarded by lashings. I never gave up trying though."

Astarion was silent for a long while. Then, he sighed and tilted his face up to the sun, allowing the rays to fully weave through his silvery hair. "I understand trying to run away from something. And the sun does feel good after so long in the dark."

I wondered why an elf would choose to live in the darkness, but before I could ask, the three of us stumbled upon a swirling mass of a portal stuck on the side of a cliff.

"Hello? Please, if you can hear me, help me out!" A male voice from inside the portal called out to us.

"Gods, where are these people coming from?" Shadowheart muttered to herself. "Tav, do you know anything of glowing portals?"