Finding Home - BushelBabe - Baldur's Gate (Video Games) [Archive of Our Own] (2024)

Chapter 1: Sand down my pants

Chapter Text

The gentle pressure on her shoulders, rocking her, the voice above whispering, “Belle, wake up!” were so familiar to her younger self that she screwed her eyes shut tight & whined “I’ll be up in a minute!"
She rolled over, now half awake, realising that she couldn’t have heard that voice, because it had died twenty years ago. That meant she’d had a dream of him, which was both nice & sad, because she hadn’t had one in the last few years. It refreshed the sound of his voice, his presence & she felt her breath hitch in a little sob.

A gust of wind blew past, carrying the smell of smoke with it, stopping her grief in its tracks. Acrid smoke. sh*t, had she left the stove top on in the kitchen? She sat bolt upright, her head connecting hard with another head so that she both felt & heard the ‘bong’ sound.

“sh*t, f*ck,” she hissed, holding a hand to the sore spot, just as she heard someone else exclaim the very same thing. In that impossible voice.

She opened her eyes, all blurry from her welling tears of pain, to see someone on their arse opposite her, also frantically rubbing their head. Squeezing her eyes shut & blotting them hard with her pyjama sleeve, she reopened them, pulling a long face to right her still watery vision.

Her vision clarified, the someone in front resolving into that of an older man. What was an older man doing in her bedroom? In pure fright, she scuttled backward, sand pouring into the crack of her arse as her pyjama bottoms rode down her legs. She looked down. Her bed was covered in sand. No, wait, where was her bed?

“Jesus your head hasn’t gotten any softer, has it?” the old man was grumbling, crawling to his knees to stand up.

Huh?

She looked up at him. He was dressed in what looked like cotton & leather shirts & pants, looking like someone who’d been out in the willy wags way too long. His hair was salt & pepper, unkempt, his face lined deeply by skin exposed to the sun for too many years without proper protection.

His grey, watery eyes were fixed on her, a mixture of disbelief & absolute joy colouring them. Her mind suddenly skewed left, superimposing a younger version of this man over the top of what she was looking at.

“Dad?” her voice had gone high, shocked & hurt & wanting to believe, but unable to, because he’d died, he was dead, twenty years in the past now.

“Oh, my girl, I can’t believe … I thought it was you I’d seen …& it was!” he came lumbering over, falling to his knees by her, his hand hovering over her shoulder, as if too scared to touch her in case she disappeared.

She turned her head to view the leathery hand, the one she’d studied as a girl when she would just sit in his lap, committing it to memory. It was the same, bar age & some new scars. She whipped her head back to confirm he was still there.

“Dad?” she tried again, her voice a touch firmer this time. Hang on a tick, if he were dead, & she was with him now…

“Am I dead?” she shrieked, making him wince at her sudden shrillness.

“No & you still have a voice too.” He stuck a finger in his ear, wiggling it.

“Then what the f*ck … where the f*ck…you’ve been dead!” she screamed at him, suddenly surging to her knees, pushing him back by the shoulders. She absentmindedly hoiked her pyjamas up over her bare arse, but it only made the sand fall further down the pant leg toward her knee. She barely paid it any mind.

“I’m not dead, girl, I didn’t die! That night, something appeared out on the waters, like a giant, spinning hole! Sucked the whole boat in. I ended up here & I’ve been stuck here ever since!”

What he said barely registered. They’d held a funeral, she’d grieved, gone to counselling for years, had had to treat depression because of it & now, what? It was all for nothing?

“You didn’t try to get back?” she yelled, just angry right now. It wasn’t sinking in that she currently wasn’t in her bedroom, nor that her dead dad was back, or that they were currently surrounded by massive, broken debris & burning meat on an otherwise idyllic beach.

“Of course I did. There was just nothing I could find here that could get me back.”

He sounded sincerely sorry. And sad. She reached out to touch his cheek. The warmth & laxity of his skin were real. She looked up into his eyes, eyes that he’d passed onto her. How often over the years had she wished for something exactly like this to happen? More times than she could count. Her emotions welled up, slapping away all thought, so that she suddenly wailed, hurling herself at him in a huge bearhug that he reciprocated just as enthusiastically.

His sure hold on her, his strength that she remembered him possessing, patting her on the back rhythmically spurred on a sobbing so deep she thought it’d never end.

But it did as soon as someone behind them cleared their throat, sending her whirling around in surprise.

“Ah, you survived.” Her dad said to the newcomer, backlit by the sun so that Belle had to hold up a hand to shade her eyes just to make out the figure. “Good to see.”

“I did. Sorry to break up your little reunion, but we should get moving out of here. We’re in trouble & the sooner we can get help, the better.”

It was a female, the accent somewhat reminiscent of posh English.

Belle’s dad helped her to her feet. She didn’t’ let go of his arm, but was shocked to see now that they were outdoors somewhere. She hadn’t left her little flat; had she been kidnapped….holy sh*t. Her gaze had swept the scene, her eyes showing her now what her brain didn’t want to register.

Metal, flames, meat, electricity sparking from wires within the meat …. & the girl in front of them, eyeing Belle in as politely a disdainful manner as possible. She was done up in some sort of rock n roll armour, shockingly familiar. But it was the giant tentacles strewn everywhere around them, above & out into the water, that made her give out a single, loud snort of laughter before she clapped her hand over her mouth.

“Is she alright?” the girl asked, co*cking her head at Belle’s dad.

“She’s fine; just in shock. She’s, ah, come a long way.”

Belle reached forward & poked the girl in front of her, just to confirm her existence.

“Belle, you shouldn’t poke other people,” her dad chided her gently, reigning her back in. “She may have suffered a hit to the head,” he apologized to the dark haired girl, who was now glaring at Belle.

“I suppose I can quickly heal her, if you’d allow?”

Her dad chuckled good naturedly.

“No need for that, she’s fine. Honestly. Let’s get moving.”

“Dad?” she whispered when the girl in front had pulled ahead, looting actual dead bodies strewn about everywhere with not a care in the world about the ick associated with doing that.

“Yes, Belle?”

“Can you pinch me? Hard?”

“Why would I do that?”

“Cause I think I’m having an incredibly vivid dream.”

He obliged, gently.

“No, harder, it’s got to hurt!”

He sighed, pinching her nearly enough to draw blood.

“Ow, sh*t, not that hard!”

“You said hard – “

“I know what I said, jeez.” She rubbed her arm while never taking her eyes off the young woman ahead.

“Dad”

“What, Belle?”

“That girl … I know her name.”

He looked down at her, still clutching his arm.

“Didn’t we introduce ourselves?”

She shook her head.

“Nuh-uh.”

“Then, how do you know it?”

“Remember all those computer games I used to play that you hated me wasting my time on?”

“Ohh yeah – I’d forgotten about those.”

“Welll – this is one of those games” she whispered quickly.

“Sorry, I don’t quite get you.” He looked at her patiently but confused.

“Dad, I’ve been playing a computer game for the last few months. Mainly for the sexy parts in it, but it’s cool otherwise.”

“Belle!” he sounded absolutely scandalised.

“What? I’m 40 & divorced, it’s a healthy way to get some romance in. Anyways, this. Is. The. Game.”

He turned over what she was trying to tell him, his logical brain turning it over & over like a rubric’s cube.

“How far along in the game did you get?” he asked slowly & she knew he’d clicked onto her meaning. He’d always been one for thinking outside the box, solving puzzles & dilemmas, being the wall she’d wailed to when she couldn’t solve her own problems. It was incredibly liberating to be older & now on the same wavelength as him.

“All the way. About four times I’ve completed it now, from different perspectives. I know who she is!”

He looked from her up to the girl who was now foraging plants for potions.

“Can we trust her?”

“For now we can.”

“With our lives?”

“Yes. She needs us, well, you, more so, alive.”

“How long for?”

“I’ll let you know if we need to worry.”

He nodded. Looked back down at her clothes.

“Unicorns? Still?” he grinned down at her. “But, we’ll have to get you some gear you can actually survive in out here.”

“Gus,” Shadowheart called out. Belle guessed that they must have met on the ship before she awoke. Ugh, which meant she had a tadpole in her head, too. Her gorge rose & as Shadowheat loped over, turned her head to puke on the sand. The cleric rose an eyebrow at Belle, ignored her & continued to address her dad.

“There’s more intellect devourers, just beyond there,” she pointed around the rock beside them.

“Right. You stay behind, Belle. Shadowheart, follow me.”

Belle waved them off, still hunched over with hands on knees, waiting to see if she’d puke again. She heard them dispatch the walking brains, then her dad reappeared to fetch her.

“You ok?” he asked, concerned, rubbing her back. She could have purred at the comfort that gesture conveyed.

“Is she going to be a liability?” Shadowheart came back round the corner, cool bitchiness in full effect.

“You’ve no idea just how valuable she’s going to be.” Her dad could give the coolest ‘stand down bitch’ vibes, his eyes going all slatey when in full dad protection mode.

Shadowheart held up her hands in defence, but didn’t look convinced. They set out past the dead brains, Belle very much not looking at them as they walked by. She causally pointed out the Cartlidge chests & the bodies she so wasn’t going to touch because, gore & blood & more puking for her if she touched them.

The crates just beyond the broken hull of the ship (which smelled strongly of ozone), actually contained some destitute clothing that she changed into behind a broken piece of hull. Halfway through undressing, she remembered just where they were. She turned slowly, her eyes tracing their way up the path to the top, where she could just make out another pod. f*ck. She knew the little murder hobo had seen her dad & Shadowheart take the brains out, but was he still watching? Going red, she turned her back deliberately, wondering if she should just moon him while she was there & half naked anyway.

Deciding to take the higher road, she quickly finished up. The elven shoes didn’t quite fit, but they’d do for now until something better came along. She wasn’t going to get rid of her pyjamas, they’d be great to change into for the night, so warm & snuggly, so she bundled them up & tucked them under her arm.

“Done?” her dad asked & she nodded.

“Dad?” she didn’t think she could say that enough right now.

“Hmm?”

“There’s a survivor up there. I saw movement.” That was for Shadowhearts benefit. She lowered her voice. “Don’t go near him when he asks for help. Don’t hurt him, he’ll join the team. But just - be careful.”

Her dad nodded again, patting her arm.

She followed the other two, already regretting the shoes as she could feel them pinch her toes. The other two pulled ahead, so she stopped to take them off & hobble up to the top of the hill. The conversation was already taking place. Neither her dad nor Shadowheart went anywhere near the pale elf, instead standing there with their arms folded.

“That’s not an intellect devourer, friend, but a wild boar.” Her father was pointing out.

The pale elves eyes found hers as she joined the group. From here, they looked ruddy brown, so she guessed that’s why he could get away with one of the signs of his affliction, for now. But a momentary smirk caught the side of his mouth at her appearance before disappearing. Holy sh*t, the little sh*te had been watching! She should have gone with her gut instinct! She wanted to throw something at the pervert, but all she had were her pyjamas (not gonna happen) & the elven shoes. Shoes it was. She threw them at him.

“Hey, what do you think you’re doing?” he raised his voice, shielding himself. He needn’t have worried, her aim was so poor the shoes had bubkis chance of hitting him.

“Sorry, you had some flies hanging round your head” she waved a hand around her own head to demonstrate while giving him a saccharine smile.

“Don’t people just help these days?” he asked the air in general.

“Say, you were on the Nautoloid. I remember passing your pod. I would have stopped to help, but it looked like you were passed out. Glad to see you made it out alive.”

God bless her dad & his tact.

“Yes, well, I supp – “ he stopped mid-sentence as he & Shadowheart both writhed in pain as their parasites said hello. Her dad looked back at her, eyebrow raised in question.

“It’s the parasites. They connect, showing images,” she said quickly while the other two were affected. It looked painful, & not something she would be looking forward to experiencing.

The connection broke, freeing the two of the bond.

“What in the nine hells was that?” the elf yelled, clutching at his forehead.

“That was disgusting. Let’s hope to keep that under control in the future,” Shadowheart was ice cold compared to Astarion’s theatrical voice.

“At least now I know you were in the same position & not in league with those beasts.” said Astarion.

“We’re not thralls, if that’s what you meant. Look, we’re all in the same boat here. We need to find a healer & get these things out asap. We don’t have long before it’s too late, so we should all work together.” said Gus.

Belle was impressed at her dad’s knowledge of Mind Flayers. If only he’d been that interested in her interests years ago they could have spent more quality time together. She wondered where he’d picked it up from while here in the Forgotten Realms. Which was way too weird to think about, so she closed the door on that train of thought for now.

“Hmmm, I suppose… sticking with the herd isn’t such a bad idea. Alright. I accept. My name’s Astarion. Lead on.” he gave a little wave of his hand as if he were royalty.

“Pompous arse,” Belle muttered under her breath as she passed him.

“That may be, dear, but I know yours at least is nicely rounded.” He muttered right back at her as he passed her to go wander off in front.

She stopped in her tracks, mouth open. Not five minutes in & he’d already seen her half naked. How in the hell did that happen? Was there a god of irony here who was now keeled over in Tashas’ Hideous Laughter? Fuuuck, if her dad had heard him say that, there was no need of him finding out he was a vampire, cause he’d stake him just for having seen what he did.

Jumping when her dad called her over his shoulder, she continued to hobble after them as quickly as she could.

The goblins in the road didn’t have much on them apart from some daggers that her dad handed to her, telling her to treat them like steak knives if anything were to get in close to her. She missed the subtle there & gone flicker he gave Astarion as he said it. The healing potion he handed to Shadowheart.

“Thanks, but I can heal myself.” She told him, stowing the potion anyway.

“Give it to someone who can use it then” her dad said. Shadowheart looked at Belle.

“No, she’s like me. Won’t work on her.” He explained, much to her disbelief.

Belle co*cked her head at him in question.

He dropped back to explain.

“If you’re aware of the game, you're aware there's energy here they utilize and call magic.” he said quietly.

She nodded, twirling her finger to hurry him up.

“That energy doesn't work on me. It somehow nullifies, disappears, whenever it comes near me. The healing potions work so quickly on others because of the magic used to combine the ingredients. Otherwise, it’s like drinking a herbal tea.”

Oh. Oh sh*t.

“No healing?” Oh, good lord, she wasn’t going to last the next 48 hours. Hang on.

“No magic at all?” she gasped loudly, earning her more weirdo stares from the two natives.

“None. Sounds bad, but I’ve managed to survive for 20 years without it. In fact, comes downright in handy at times. You see – “

“What is wrong with that portal?” Shadowheart interrupted, pointing at the strobing purple neon light ahead of them.

Gus frowned.

“I have no idea, I’ve never seen one act like that before.”

Belle, meanwhile, practically skipped over to it, giving Astarion stink eye as she passed him.

“Hello?” she called into it.

“Hello? Hi? A hand, anyone?” Gales voice echoed up out of the whirlpool as he stuck his own hand out, flapping it around wildly.

Belle considered it. Rubbed her chin deep in thought about it. Decided what the hell and did it.

The crack resounded loudly as she slapped his hand. The resulting sting made her hiss & shake it vigorously.

“Ow, geez, I should have clarified & said a helping hand!” she chuckled as he shook his hand trying to clear the pain. Had she looked behind her then at the pale elf, she would have seen a little glimmer of approval in his eyes. But she didn’t because he was currently on her sh*t list.

Gus came over to help, asking her permission with a quick look before gripping the proffered hand & yanking the wizard out of the hole. Gale emerged with a popping sound, much like a cork from a wine bottle.

Belle watched the introductions, struck by how similar it was to the game. Her mind wanted to go down a rabbit hole and explore how & why Earth should have a game detailing this particular set of events, but that opened up a whole can of worms she wasn’t willing to explore right then. Because, if she did, she’d start wondering why she couldn’t have ended up at Hogwarts fighting Voldemort instead of in the wilderness with a parasite in her brain. Shadowheart was right; she was a liability here.

She was brought back to the present when Gale grabbed her hand, pumping it enthusiastically. Aww, he was already nicer to have met than the other two.

Yes, she’d romanced Astarion, he was hot, what did people expect? But, in real life, she’d known straight away he was in the ‘f*ck not marry’ pile. Even with his character progression he was a big ol walking red flag. She’d never been interested in the other romances. Had tried Lae’zels, which was just as spicy as Astarions', but at least Lae’zel wasn’t lusting after power left, right and centre. Still, she shouldn't even be thinking that right now. She blamed the situation, knowing what these people were packing under their clothes & her state of horniness from not having slept with anyone in nearly eight years.

Reigning in her wandering brain, she took off with the others, the path curving slightly around. Not far from where they’d pulled Gale free, voices raised in argument could be heard. Once more, Gus flicked Belle a ‘should we check it out’ look. She nodded imperceptibly which was as loud as a shout for him. He turned them off the trail, toward the argument.

She drew up the rear, just in case. There was no telling if these situations would actually escalate into a fight or not; no real dice here, no stopping for insight checks. Just what normal people did in any situation in day to day interactions. In all honesty, she really couldn’t fight her way out of a wet paper bag.

Gus chatted amicably with the two tieflings, immediately putting them at ease. She had always admired that about him; she emulated it in her own client interactions within her own business, but could never pull it off as casually as him in social settings such as these. The thought of her business, how her employees were going to rock up to work tomorrow with no her there to run it, made her stomach clench in anxiety. She knew there was nothing she could do about it, but she wished there was.

The two tieflings brushed past her as she was wishing for a mobile phone, satellite coverage between spheres & the ability to text in sick, when Lae’zels sibilant voice rang out, demanding to be let down.

Automatically, Belle called out.

“A simple please goes a long way.”

Everyone turned and looked at her.

“What?” she shrugged. “Miss Manners count sometimes.”

They glanced at each other, then back at Lae’zel. With his back turned to her, she missed the lip hook Astarion sported at the thought of telling the gith to watch her manners.

Gus & Gale both managed to help Lae’zel down from the cage without simply opening the bottom of it & dumping her arse out of it. Belle wandered over, nodding at the gith through the introductions. She liked Lae’zel, but the woman took work to warm up to anyone. They all did, which was fair, because, as of right now, they were all just a bunch of strangers thrown together by the weirdest of circ*mstances. Vowing to keep that front & centre of her mind so her own bitchy judginess was somewhat contained, she motioned her dad to head down toward the ruins by the beach.

Herding them all seemed to come naturally to her dad. She could see him becoming the papa bear of them all. Maybe that burden could ease for him when Halsin (she tried not to drool & mainly succeeded) joined them later. She was now kicking herself for not getting around to the bear in the woods scene. If she ever got back, she promised herself it would be one of the first things she did.

‘Why not try the real thing?’, her personal horny devil whispered from her shoulder.

‘Because that’s technically illegal,’ she told it right back.

‘Only on Earth … hehehe’

Kicking the sick motherf*cker off her shoulder, she concentrated (again), on her surroundings.

“There’s bandits in the ruins,” she informed her dad. Quickly filling him in, it then struck her that she was fulfilling the role as the groups’ Hermoine Granger. Fine with her, as maybe that meant they could skip some of those mind numbing side quests going on.

For instance, Mayrina had volunteered herself to Auntie Ethel, so would it matter if they just … left her there? Did they really need to uncover the secret Shadow Druid plot? She didn’t think so. Plus, she knew the time constraints surrounding ceremorphoses had been suspended within the game, allowing & encouraging world exploration, but did that in fact now apply to this situation? She’d been horrified to learn that the point of no return was a single hour, which they’d already well & truly exceeded. No, for the sake of expediency, they needed to race through the acts like someone had lit a firecracker under their arses.

She had a feeling she shouldn’t tell Gus about that, either. He’d always been a ‘stop & help your fellow man’ type, whereas she’d been more the ‘help thyself to help others.’ This was a case of ‘help thyself’ if ever she’d come across it.

Gus talked the bandits out of attacking, citing monsters as the reason they should leave. Quickly.

While the others explored the area, she headed down to the locked door, rapping on it loudly & clearing her throat.

“That you, Gimblebock?” a rough male voice asked through the door.

“Quick, Gimblebock triggered a trap, he’s hurt, he needs help!” she said in her best panicky voice. Considering it immediately after, she felt it needed work, but it seemed to do the trick, as the idiot inside unlocked the door & waited for them to enter.

She jumped a mile when Astarion murmured right beside her ear.

“Smooth work.”

She whirled, punching him in the shoulder. And then pretended she just did not feel those muscles beneath his lightly padded armour.

“Don’t f*cking creep up on someone like that!” she breathily yelled at him & slunk off when he grinned at her.

“Doors open,” she thumbed behind her when Gus came running at her squeaky yell. She sat down outside, knees drawn up while listening to the fight going on inside. Gus had explained her sitting out as she had no fighting experience. Which was the truth. But then he’d said ‘none, nada, zip, zilch etc.’ Way to go rubbing in how bloody completely useless she was. And for how long they were taking, they must be now also exploring those rooms inside. Without her.

“f*ck this sh*t,” she muttered, grabbing up the small backpack she’d found, stuffing her pyjamas in & strapping it to her back along with the (please god do not have any bedbugs inside it) bedroll.

Grabbing her daggers, she entered the doorway, which plunged her into immediate darkness. Closing the door behind her with a foot, she gave herself a minute to adjust to the near pitch black surrounding her. It might have been more than a minute. 40 year old eyes weren’t as good as 20 year old eyes. Stepping forward, she slipped, only just catching herself before tumbling arse over head down the couple of stairs leading into the room beyond. Looking down, she saw a big, wet patch of black liquid. Only, in a certain light, it looked more red than black.

Oh, oh f*ckin sh*t. Blood.

“Ewww” she whimpered, biting her lower lip in disgust.

Grabbing hold of the small banister, she eased her way down, sliding her bare feet over the crumbly stairs to try and clean them off. Her eyes fell on the dead bandit, who had a nice pair of boots on. At least he was at the bottom of the stairs, meaning she didn’t have to wade back through the mess.

She squatted, picked up a dead heavy foot, then awkwardly measured it against her own. It seemed to be right, so she yanked it off, falling backwards as it slipped free. Not stopping, she peeled the other off too. Looking now at her feet, she ripped off some of the bandits shirt, cleaning off the gunk on her feet & prayed to the god of hygiene that no fungal anything's lurked within the boots.

Slipping them on, they fit her feet pretty well but felt tight around her calves. Did they not have a standard clothing size system here? Standing, she stomped to get her feet settled, then, looking around the room, found a torch, lit it from one of the smoking candelabras & set forth into the hopefully already cleared out dungeon.

Following the trail of dead bodies, she soon came across the would be saviours of Faerun, running around & yelling at a bunch of skeletons. Skeletons had always been a bit of a question mark for her. Reanimated corpses. Yeah, right. They were nothing but bone held together with tendons that dried up over time. Remembering one of the Scary Movies she'd seen years previous, she really thought that the character, Brenda, had the right of it in not being scared of them.

She threw her torch at the closest one to her, gaining it’s attention. She wasn’t scared at all as it swung around to hiss at her, like a pissed off cat. It sprinted for her & as she readied her daggers, it dropped suddenly less than two paces from her, as if it’s invisible strings had been cut. Well. That was a bit of a let down. Damn thing sh*t its pants before she could even get to rearrange it. She looked up to see the others taking down the last one left standing.

“Belle!” Trust him to see her before anyone else. But it was nice to have someone on the constant lookout for you.

“Hey, this one was just cactus. What happened?” she kicked at the pile of bones before her.

“Oh, yeah, that happens with me, too,” Gus replied. “I think it’s to do with our being from Earth –“

“Oh, there’s nothing at all ominous about the huge sarcophagus just sitting here, undisturbed” Astarion’s voice drifted out from the concealed area behind Jergals statue.

“For f*ck sake, don’t leave him alone, he’s probably already looted all the good stuff” Belle swept by Gus, rubbing her forehead.

Everyone crowded into the tiny room, reminding Belle of being squished into a little elevator. She just hoped no one farted. Gus & Gale both did the honours of releasing Withers from his tomb, &, wow, watching a desiccated corpse just float around was something else. She kept looking for the little wires that might have held him up. Withers addressed himself to Gus as if none of the rest of them existed. Still, when asked about the cost of a human life, she piped up.

“Tree-fiddy.”

Why did everyone look at her every time she opened her mouth?

“Done.”

Wait, what?

“Huh?” he seriously didn’t’ just accept that, did he?

“I shall meet you all at the appointed time …” he didn’t even finish his sentence before just walking out the door. Just like that.

The raised eyebrows pointed in her direction caused her to pipe up.

“I just saved you all a sh*t tonne of gold, you should be thanking me!”

Everyone pretended Withers wasn’t walking around & muttering to himself as they just raided his lair. Gale found the accounting ledger of the gods, which just popped open when Gus went near it. She was beginning to understand what he’d meant to being a magic nullifier having it’s perks. Her eyes slid to the dead skellies. Slid over to Withers. Her evil chipmunk brain wondered .. but no. Gus had been near him, & he was still alive & kicking… well, kicking… shuffling…an image presented itself of Withers needing a walking frame. Or a gopher.

There was one last room to clear, the one with all the traps unnecessarily placed all together just to hammer home the tutorial.

“I think Astarion should have the honours of disarming those traps. He has such delicate looking fingers, great for such… dexterous work… “ she battered her eyelashes at him, tossing him the trap disarm kit she’d found earlier.

He caught it, eyes flicking briefly to Gus before he replied.

“Oh, it’s absolutely my … pleasure.” He matched her tone.

Later, when he’d finished (it took ages, she didn’t know trap disarming wasn’t just a quick little minute thing & its done, the game lied!), he made sure to swing by her when Gus was busy with the others chatting about setting up camp in the ruins for the night.

“I had no idea you had such an eye for detail. Let me enlighten you; trap disarming is not the only thing dextrous fingers get up to.” And off he sauntered, as if he hadn’t just said the filthiest thing she’d heard personally in years. Oooo, he was trouble! But that part of her, that evil little part that thrived on mischief, that cheeky part that had lain dormant for too long, used her lips to smile. Game on, motherf*cker, it said.

Chapter 2: Faerun needs a Richard Branson

Chapter Text

They all retreated to Wither’s antechamber, where he could still be heard, muttering to himself somewhere off in a dark corner. She felt kinda sorry for him. Poor old guy needed to take his meds & go to bed.

“We’re all just going to ignore the mummy, then?” Astarion commented at large, his head fixed unnervingly on the dry, dusty ramblings.

“He seems harmless” Gus said quietly, concentrating on building a small fire out of whatever material he was scraping together in the tomb. Turns out, you could use bones as fire material, provided they were dry enough, which those of the fallen skellies appeared to be.

Astarion stared at the corner Withers was addressing for a while more before shaking himself, resolutely turning his back on him. Belle had watched this from the corner of her eye. She made a note to self: Astarion is freaked out by mummies.

She’d managed to unfurl her bedroll with little trouble; it was like an old-time sleeping bag, with natural materials & buckles instead of nylon threads & zippers.

“I’ll help you roll it up again in the morning; I remember you having trouble doing that when you were younger,” Gus smiled at her & she smiled back her appreciation of the offer. She hadn’t been camping since before his disappearance and would probably need the help.

There turned out to be very little in the way of food items to chow down on that night, just some dried, spicy salami looking meat (gross, she hated both spice & salami) & hard, crumbly cheese (even grosser). She decided to forgo eating & had a couple of cups of wine instead. It was dry & tasted, ugh, she shuddered, just like vinegar. She glanced at Astarion at the comparison, wondering if perhaps he was a connoisseur of fine liquor instead of an imbiber of wine.

It didn’t jibe at all with her that vampires here could drink alcohol as well as blood. She was an old time Anne Rice fan & that woman’s description of vampires had forever sealed their constitution in stone for her. It should have been impossible for Astarion to consume anything but blood, but, ‘reasons.’

“Before we turn in, I was thinking that we all might benefit from learning a bit more about each other, just in case we find ourselves in each other’s company longer than anticipated.” Gus had sat down around the fire, inviting the rest to follow. Gale sat cross-legged beside him eagerly enough, but the three more evil aligned of the group appeared much less inclined to do so.

“I’ll start. My names’ Gustave, Gus for short. I’m a ranger, bounty hunter. Lived around the Sword Coast for the last 20 years. You should all know that I have an odd ability where I can’t use magic. Nor can magic touch me, so if I’m injured, you’ll need good old triage to fix me up. This young lady here is my long-lost daughter recently reunited, Belle. She also seems to be immune to magic.”

“Oh, I think I’ve heard of you. Didn’t you show up in Waterdeep years ago, seeking help with that condition? Yes, yes, I remember, all sorts of magic users showed up to test your claims.” Gale’s face lit up with remembrance. “If you don’t mind, I’d very much like to have a crack at that immunity myself.”

“Go to town,” Gus said.

“Thanks. Well, my name’s Gale, of Waterdeep.” He bowed from his waist. “I have a … condition … where I’ve had to sequester myself away from socialising in the last year or so. Nothing catching, I assure you,” he quickly added as Astarion & Shadowheart both leant away from him. “I’m just apologizing in advance if I come across as … eager … when chatting with any of you.”

Awww, he was just shoooo cuuuute!

“Shadowheart. I’m on a mission for my order. I need to get back to Baldur’s Gate as soon as possible.”

Everyone waited for more, but she’d clamped her jaws shut.

“Lae’zel, of Creche K’lirr. We need to get rid of these parasites as soon as possible. My people have a means of extracting them. We need to focus on finding a nearby creche. After that, we can all go our separate ways.”

Nice.

“Oh, what’s there to tell? I’m a magistrate back in the Gate. It’s all very tedious,” he looked at his fingernails with boredom as he delivered his little lie. She wondered then if he remembered being a magistrate, of if he just knew because Cazador had told him. Her brain wanted to dive down that big ol rabbit hole again, but it was her turn to introduce herself.

“Belle. Like dad here, not native to Toril. I don’t even know how the Mind Flayers made it out so far as Earth, to be honest, being shielded as it is away from the other Realms, so I’m guessing wormhole? Maybe? And Lae’zels’ right, we need to get rid of the tadpoles asap, we’re already way past the point of no return, which suggests these tadpoles are different from normal ones, but who knows how much time’s left before we all sprout tentacles – “

Gus cleared his throat. She snapped her mouth shut. Information overload & oversharing, all bundled up into one big bag of ‘oh she really is insane’ looks from the others.

She sat up primly, sipped at her vinegar & stared at the fire.

“On that note, I suggest we all get some rest. Does anyone want to volunteer for first shift on watch?”

Astarion volunteered, not at all to her surprise. She knew he was starving. Not much she could do about it, seeing as though healing potions didn’t work on her. If they did, she would have volunteered her blood. He may be on her sh*t-list, but she didn’t want him hungry; she knew what that felt like.

She’d carefully checked the bedroll earlier, even asking Gus if there was any way to tell if there was an infestation. He’d double checked for her, assuring her it was fine. She wanted to get changed into her pyjamas, wanted to peel off the boots to make herself more comfortable. But a tiny part of her brain suggested that, if she needed to get up in a hurry in the night, it’d be better if she were already dressed & not too deeply asleep. She thought of this voice as Gus’, as its advice was always logical. It only spoke up rarely, so she heeded it when it did.

Grabbing the backpack stuffed with her p.j’s, she used that as a makeshift pillow. It was uncomfortable, but she knew she now had to get used to it. Plus, even if she didn’t, a few sleepless nights would eventually result in her passing out from exhaustion soon anyway.

The bedroll was surprisingly thick underneath her, to the point she doubted she’d feel little stones or pebbles poking through from the underside.

Gus was near her & listening to his deep, even breaths (what was it with men that, as soon as their heads hit the pillow, they fell asleep?), she felt an odd emotion bubbling up. She wanted to cry at that indelible sense of his presence; him taking up space had a feeling; one she’d missed back on Earth.

‘Go to his grave, you’ll feel him there,’ so many people had told her. She had, closing her eyes & trying to sense something, anything. But there had been nothing there. That missing sense was now back, right there, she could feel him for the first time in forever.

The tears pricked her eyes & she pressed her hands into them. She’d cry later, when & if she had time, on her own, where she wouldn’t embarrass herself in front of these emotionally stunted barbarians.
She was still awake when Astarion quietly woke Lae’zel for the next shift. She estimated four hours had passed. She’d heard him wander off there for a bit & felt a tiny bit sorry for him, knowing there were only rats in here (besides them), for him to eat.

Lae’zel took her duties seriously. She really did admire the woman. Maybe she’d be willing to teach Belle how to use an actual weapon. She pictured herself swinging a sword around, something like Beatrice out of Kill Bill. That’d be cool. The sad reality was, she’d probably skewer herself before any enemies.

About three in the morning, her bladder let her know it had held on long enough & needed to go, now. Only, that presented a dilemma. f*ck, just even going to the toilet here was worth more trouble than it should be. No toilet paper, no flushing toilets, no sewage system (out here at least). Where the f*ck was she meant to go that not only wouldn’t be heard by everyone, but that she could steer everyone away from on their way out just in case they caught the smell?

She thought it through quickly. Getting out of bed, she found one of the skellies nearby, ripped off it’s decaying fabric robe & toddled off about three rooms away. Choosing a corner where no one was likely to go near, she dropped her pants (getting some underwear would be nice), squatted awkwardly while holding onto the stone wall, and let it rip. Grunting as she hauled herself back up, she wiped herself with the skelly rags & made sure she hadn’t splattered on the boots. Last thing she wanted was to have that smell following her around.

Trotting back & feeling much better, she met Lae’zels eye. The gith lifted her chin at her, before resuming her watch, mainly of Withers, who had taken up just standing there & staring, near the edge of the camp, still as a statue. He had a lights on but no one’s home look about him. She imagined that Jergal had other places to be, not just baby sitting this bunch of misfits, & he’d currently vacated the building to check on his other business. She was tempted to walk up to him & wave a hand right in his face, but thought she should get some rest, even if she couldn’t sleep.

Laying down on her other side gave her the view of Astarion in his zen position, fingers curled to touch thumbs. His head full of curls was nearest to her. She could just reach out & mess those curls up while he was zoning…. but she knew damned well at this stage he’d know it was her. His retribution could be … scary.

Curling her fingers into a fist to fight the urge, she forcefully closed her eyes. Maybe they’d have to end up tying her up to stop her from messing with everyone.

The next thing she knew was that she was being shaken gently awake.

“Belle, time to rise & shine.”

“…. just gimme a minnn….”

Gus turned from her to answer someone’s question.

“She was never a morning person.”

Pulling the backpack over her head didn’t work. Everyone made too much noise, being so inconsiderate of her trying to sleep!

“f*ck” she snarled, yanking it finally off her head so she could crawl blearily into a cross legged sitting position. She was immediately presented with a mug of steaming black water that smelled somewhat of tea.

“No milk, unfortunately. Or sugar. But it’ll wake you up.” She snatched the mug, inhaling the steam, kicking at her brain to wake it up.

“What a wonderful morning! All that sunlight just streaming through the wall right there, makes one feel alive!” Astarion was stretching & grinning like a cheshire cat. At her.

What an asshat.

“Then go & enjoy it. Just don’t go getting sunburned. You’re awfully … pasty.” She gave him a great big ol smile right back.

“Speaking of pasty, those eyebags are quite prominent this morning. Did someone not get enough sleep?”

How dare he! She’d invested a lot of money over the years on her skin through her business!

“Quit it. No one’s interested in you two bickering. Finish up, Belle, we’ve gotta move out.”

She wanted to throw the dregs of her tea in his smarmy face. Eyebags, her arse!

They all waited on her, Gus helping to chivvy her along. Heading out, she turned her head to find Withers just drifting along behind them. Was that how it worked? He just followed them around like a balloon bobbing along behind them on a string? She dropped back to see if she could get anything out of the old god but wasn’t going to hold her breath.

“What’s up?” she greeted him. He turned his head to look down at her. It felt like actual weight settled on her at his gaze.

“Um, you know I know … everything, yeah? So, uh, I guess I’m after the how & the why.”

“Once thou learnst how to keep thine tongue to thyself, then mayest I speak freely.”

Oh. Ouch.

“Not my fault my man. You know it’s an actual, diagnosable condition back on Earth?”

“I’m aware. For now, find solace in reuniting with thine father.”

“Okayyy, will do,” she snapped off a salute at him, putting on some speed to get away from him. She wasn’t sure if that was better or worse than she’d expected.

“What’d the mummy have to say?” Astarion whispered as she went to pass him, cutting his eyes back at Withers.

“Go ask him yourself” she shot him a bright smile, dropping it the minute she was past him.

“Fully awake, now?” Gus asked her as she caught up with him, a twinkle in his eye as he greeted her.

“No. Why hasn’t someone come up with fast food chains here?”

“Missing the carbs already, huh?”

“Coffee. Sugar. Chocolate. Convenience.”

“I know. It’s a lot to get used to. They do have those things, the sugar & whatnot. But not much outside the larger cities.”

“Is there any improvement in construction, or innovation? Or is it stagnant?”

“Belle” he knew exactly where her mind was going. “You can’t just come in & become the next Richard Branson of Faerun.”

“But the money, dad, the moneyyyyy! It'd be soooo easy, they have nothing!"

He hesitated. “Well, maybe if we get through this, we can think of something.”

She grinned. Excellent.

“Don’t you want to get back to Earth, though?”

“Well, I suppose, I do have responsibilities….”

“…. Is mum still ….”

“Yeah. She’s fine, dad. Remarried.”

“…. oh….well….I suppose I was technically never coming back, so ….”

“She still loves you. We both did. Do. God, this is confusing.”

He smiled gently. “I love you both too. Always did.”

She wasn’t going to cry, so she changed the topic.

“Up ahead, there’s a druid grove. They’ll be goblins.” She lowered her voice so it wouldn’t carry. f*ck Withers, she could be discreet when needed.

“How many?”

He dropped his voice too.

“Dunno. Less than 10, I think. There’s a worg & a bugbear with them.”

He nodded, halting the others. He explained how there could be trouble ahead, he’d seen some recent tracks. Then volunteered Astarion to head out with him to go scout out the sitch. The rouge whined about it, but followed, head down, looking like a cat with its ears flat & tail swishing.

“So, Gale. Wizard. Waterdeep. What’s the city like?”

“Oh, it’s wonderful. A fantastic melting pot - “ he subjected them all to a travellers guide version for the next 15 minutes.

Shadowheart feigned interest, but Belle saw when her eyes glazed over. Lae’zel, on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested, stopping Gale frequently to ask more questions. Hmmm, she briefly wondered if Gale could physically handle the gith if she sicked her on him.

Gus & Astraion appeared shortly after, reporting there was an ambush being organised & that they needed to be ready for trouble. Belle was, once again, left out of the actual fighting, on dad’s orders. That was it, she’d approach Lae’zel that night to start her ninja lessons.

He left her a good five minutes out of the way of the fighting. Said he’d send one of them to collect her when they were done. She gave him a stiff hug, conveying what she felt about it all.

She didn’t have time to scratch herself when Shadowheart wandered back to get her.

“That was quick” she said, surprised.

“It was a skirmish, nothing more. No one got killed.”

“No injuries?”

“Gale got hit in the leg with an arrow, but he’s fine now.”

Man, healing would be so handy!

Shadowheart didn’t bother with small talk on the way back, answering any of Belle’s questions as abruptly as she could.

The blood was everywhere, soaking into the ground while the bodies were being moved out of the way by some tieflings. Nice to see the druids giving two sh*ts about their own front entrance. Sidestepping the liquid, they headed in under the gated bridge. The heavy stones above weighed in heavily above her, & she consciously relaxed her shoulders, telling herself they weren’t about to fall on top of her.

The sounds of men yelling at each other made Shadowheart run off. Belle kept her own pace, knowing what was going on. She didn’t expect to see her dad in the middle of the two, however, fist in each of their shirts, telling them to calm the farm. It was kinda heroic to see it.

He tossed each of them apart, hands still held out to stop them again if necessary. She wanted to applaud.

She listened with half an ear as they got the save the tieflings quest. Gus, naturally, agreed to help them immediately, earning him Astarion’s bitchy little comment of being merely messengers.

“Dad, can I have some money?” she asked him when he finished up.

He blinked, then snorted.

“I haven’t heard that in years.”

“Yeah, same reasons, too. I need clothes. And basic necessities. And food.” She shrugged, sorry not sorry.

He was already digging into the pouch tied to the inside of his belt. He tossed it to her.

“Try & haggle. Don’t just accept what they ask.”

“Gotcha. Thanks. You’ll wanna head down that way.” She pointed down past the little halfling trader.

“Right. Meet back here in about two hours.”

She waved, heading down toward the other area where she could get some food & hopefully sanitary hygiene products from Ethel. She assumed that the hag sold soaps & beauty products alongside her potions. She’d much prefer dealing with her anyway than the obnoxious halfling.

Shadowheart & Gale followed Gus like little baby ducks, Lae’zel behind them, not so much following as carving her own path that happened to coincide with theirs.

Astarion was looking between the two paths, head swinging back & forth. Belle hoped he’d follow Gus; she was still salty about the eyebag comment.

Dismissing him, she followed the path down & around, soaking in the atmosphere. The closest she could compare it to would be an area set up in a theme park, like Diagon Alley. But she knew that if she pulled doors open here, there’d be more to find than just fibre glass sprayed on behind the doors, spoiling the illusion.

The smell of cooking stew wafted over to her, & she drifted over like Withers to where the little old tiefling lady was stirring away in a big ass cauldron.

“Here you go lass, get that into you,” she was greeted straight away with a bowl thrust at her. It smelled earthy & meaty & divine.

She burnt the top of her mouth on the first go but didn’t blow on it too long before she was gobbling it up, also burning her tongue.

“That was fantastic, thank you so much. Do you require payment?”

“No lass, everyone who’s hungry can have a portion. Just glad you liked it” she gave the warmest granny smile!

“Well now, isn’t’ that interesting! I haven’t seen one of your sort for the longest time now!” the higher pitched voice of Ethel grabbed her attention as the hag addressed her. Belle stepped over to her.

“You know I’m a …. tourist?”

“Of course I do sweetie, your aura’s all different. Unique. There's nothing else like it. The only thing spoiling it is that little bugger you got in your brain juices.”

Ethel had pitched her voice low, but it still seemed shrill.

“I can take care of it for you, for a price.”

“Nah, you can’t.” Belle leant forward into the sour sweat smell emanating from the woman. She tried & mostly succeeded in not gagging.

“It’s been touched by netherese magic.” She whispered.

Ethel recoiled instantly, like she’d smelled sh*t on Belle’s breath.

“Oh, oh no. No, no I can’t do anything. However, you seem very informed for someone from a backward little mudball. No offense sweetums.”

“None taken, I think.”

“You know, I may not be able to help with that head problem, but, if you survive, you can always come back & see me. I’ve helped a couple of your kind return before. For a price.”

Belle’s little evil chipmunk brain took over. Her smile widened, showing all her teeth. She leant further into Ethels stink.

“How about I let you keep Mayrina’s baby in exchange for your help getting me back to Earth?”

Chapter 3: Wyll is a Nice Boy

Chapter Text

Later in the afternoon, everyone reconvened after their variously scheduled grove activities. Gus herded them outside the confines, stating that tensions were too high for them to camp there safely. Picking a likely spot about 10 minutes out, he quickly issued orders to the group, giving this person that duty & that person this duty. Belle ended up as some sort of quarter master, in charge of camp supplies; everything from the food to the equipment, & even the gold. That was fine by her; good, in fact, as she was used to managing things like that. It was something she could do.

She noted the new addition to their party, one Blade of Frontiers.

Once the camp had been set up to her father’s standards, he’d motioned her over to Wyll.

“Wyll, my boy, this is my daughter, Belle.”

Wyll’s eyes lit up. He gave her a deep bow.

“My pleasure, my lady. Gus has told me much about you over the years.”

Huh, lady. Huh, his pleasure. Clearly Gus had embellished a bit.

“You know each other?” that was interesting, though not out of the realm of possibility.

“We’ve travelled together before, yes. Wyll was just a baby when I first met him.” Was that something akin to fatherly pride she saw flash in his eyes? She wasn’t jealous; in fact, she was delighted. Belle was an only child, & her dad had always wanted a boy. Good for him finding that with the heroic Blade.

“Eighteen is not a baby, old man” Wyll shot back good naturedly.

“Everyone below my age is a baby.”

“How old are you now, Wyll?” Belle asked. She couldn’t remember; either she’d forgotten or not looked it up in the first place.

“Twenty-four.”

“Still a baby then.” That scrapped Wyll of her list of possibilities. There was being a cougar, then there was babysitting.

“The way Gus here implied, I thought you’d be … uh … more mature.”

She grinned.

“Nice save.”

He smiled.

“I try. But seriously, not to pry, but ….”

“No, Gus is right. I’m nearly double your age.”

Wyll nodded thoughtfully.

“Earth mustn’t be as harsh as Toril, then.”

Awww, a compliment!

“Dad told you about Earth?" It’d be nice to not have to beat around the bush with everyone about where she was from.

“Wouldn’t shut up about it. I think I may be an expert in it.”

Belle laughed. Wyll might be off the table, but there wasn’t anything wrong with being friends with him.

After their chatty introduction, Gus once more pulled her aside.

“Catching up with my daughter after all these years.” He threw out to the group at large, giving her a one-armed hug & hauling her away.

“That’s not …” she began.

“Shhh.” He’d put a finger to his lips. “Tell me about what you’ve been up to since I saw you last.”

That hard knot was suddenly there again, working its way quickly up her throat. So many things had happened she’d wished he’d been there for; walking her down the aisle; seeing her start a somewhat successful small business; & little things, like the first Aurora Australis she’d ever seen. Would she have chosen her ex had Gus been there? It was only hindsight that showed how wildly incompatible they’d turned out to be; would his insight have saved her 20 years of misery?

“Oh pet, I’m so sorry to have not been there. I really wish I could have been. It’s no consolation, but there’s not a day that's gone by where I haven’t thought of you both.”

She twirled her finger at him, that knot so huge it was strangling her. She needed the topic changed.

Gus cleared his throat, wiped at his own eyes briefly. Pausing, he closed his eyes, co*cked his head, & waited. She took that brief pause to study his aged features. Haggard, but otherwise in good health. She looked to his beard, her fingers suddenly itching to grab a pair of scissors & give it a good trim. There should come a night with nothing else to do in camp; she could give them all trims if they wanted.

“Good, no one followed. Some of them have long hearing, if you get my drift,” he hooked a thumb back at camp. Belle snorted. One of them had supersonic hearing. In fact, she plucked his sleeve.

“We should keep walking. Just in case.”

They ambled through the woods, just like they’d done on weekends before she’d hit the age of ten, Gus pointing out the native vegetation that could come in handy in case of wound or infection.

“This should be far enough. Now. There’s a lot going on at that grove. Power struggles & hatred make for a volatile mix. Normally, I wouldn’t get involved (that was surprising to hear), but considering this is a …. um … something that has already happened that you know about, I thought some consultation would come in mighty handy right about now.”

She nodded her agreement.

“There’s just so much going on here, dad. Like, I’m up to over 400 hours in playing the game & still discovering stuff. But I’m pretty sure, for the sake of getting these things out of our heads, we need to uh, ignore the … help …. some people ask for. A lot of it is just to up experience or for some sort of reward.” God this was hard; Gus had never liked games, never understood the appeal or the mechanics, being a hands on outside woodsy person all his life. She needed to simplify.

“We need to focus on getting rid of the parasites. In game we’re given time to explore everything. I’m worried that, this being … real … we may not be afforded that luxury.”

Gus was still, fingering his chin, eyes narrowed.

“You’re saying we can’t help everyone who needs it.”

She shuffled her feet.

“Yeah. You seemed to know about Mind Flayers. Picked it up somewhere I’m guessing. But we should already be changed by now.”

“You know what makes these critters different to the average kind?”

“Of course I do. I could trace you a big red arrow to exactly where we must go to get this fixed. What you have to know, though, is it’s going to be really, really difficult to get the job done. Those misfits of misfortune back there are going to be central to helping. We just have to get them working together on the same page.”

“A team.”

She nodded. She'd done a good run & an evil run. The evil run had left her feeling disturbed. It wasn't in her to be like that naturally. So, she wanted to aim for the good endings. And if anyone could do that, it was him. He … inspired people to do their best. His solidarity, encouragement & logistics had been a cornerstone of her growing up. Pity it hadn’t rubbed off on her so much, but she appreciated it in him.

“Well, I suppose that leaves us with: what do we do next?”

“What did you find out?”

“That we need to rescue an Archdruid, Halsin. I’ve heard of him, but never had the pleasure of meeting him.”

“Me neither.” She sighed. All those muscles. Gus snapped a thumb & finger in her face.

“Belle! Regin it in! You know they don’t’ have safe condoms or morning after pills or anything like that here, yes?”

“Oh my god, dad, I’m 40, not 17! I know how to look & not touch!” What he said made sense. They probably had magical equivalents, but magic went bye-bye around her & him.

“That’s as may be, but you’re still my daughter & I will not have you making eyes at the first random guy that just comes along. It’s called a rebound, & it’ll just hurt the both of you.”

Being fathered for the first time in so long felt … just plain weird. She felt it didn’t sit quite as comfortable with her as she thought it might have. And she hated being chided.

“Fine.” She grated through her teeth. She’d just have to do it where he couldn’t see.

He peered at her closer for a moment. He didn’t look satisfied, but what else could he do at that point?

“Back to topic, then.” He straightened.

“Alright. We go pick up Halsin. He’ll give us the next piece of the puzzle. We follow that. We should check in at the end of every day. I can fill in all the missing pieces & you can work on getting everyone pointed in the right direction.”

“What about this creche the gith keeps insisting upon?”

“It’s a red herring. That thing she’s talking about kills its victims. There’s no cure other than ordering the elder brain to kill its babies.”

“There’s an elder brain involved?” He’d gone pale, rocked back on his feet.

“Um… didn’t I say that? And it’s being controlled, sorta, by the Dead Three?”

His mouth dropped open. Sooo, he had heard of them. And she hadn’t told him yet. Ooops.

“Aaaaand, there’s a Netherese crown involved that’s mutated our little taddies?”

“What the f*ck have we stumbled into?” he rubbed his face. She didn’t like how much colour he’d lost.

“Dad, it’s fine. I’m like a counterweight to that, because I know everything they have planned. Just thank your lucky stars there’s no big white dragon-born with amnesia lurking about.”

He fell on his bum.

“Dad? You ok?” she knelt beside him.

“What’s wrong with the dragon-born?” he wheezed. Belles’ blood dropped ten degrees.

“What dragon-born, dad? I haven’t seen one!” No, she’d chatted all polite like with Ethel, bagging a deal to return to Earth along with soaps & other hygiene products that the hag really should utilize on herself, before going to observe (perv) on Dammon for a while. She hadn’t gone anywhere near the inner grove, because, frankly, the place bored her to tears. There had been no big hulking lizard in any of that.

“We found him back at the grove. Nettie the healer was with him. I promised him we’d pick him up tomorrow before setting out again, because he’s also infected.”

Oh lordy oh sh*t they were in deep do-do now.

Chapter 4: Washing my Pits

Chapter Text

Her father, good man that he was, after hearing what she had to tell him of the Bhaalspawn, took it in stride & still insisted that they try to help him. Their chat lasted until just after sundown as she had also decided to also inform him that Astarion was a vampire spawn, seeing as he was so amicable of Durge. They quickly sketched out how to deal with the two. Personally, she was scared sh*tless of Durge, & therefore insisted her dad could deal with him. With lots of rope at nighttime. And maybe Gale could reinforce it with an all-powerful hold person.

Apparently, Gus was happy with that arrangement, as he’d had dealings with vampire spawn in the past & had a bit of an attitude about them. He’d been somewhat surprised to discover just how much they were controlled by their masters; most people apparently weren’t aware that spawn were just puppets, their actions carefully controlled, & also that, given a chance, weren’t total monsters. No wonder Astarion had kept correcting the difference in people about ‘spawn’ & ‘master.’

“We’ll have to nut out more tomorrow night, but, for now, we’ll make our way to this goblin camp.”

Gale already had dinner on, & the smell punched her in the gut. It was simple fare made of simple provisions, but a hell of a step up from spicy meat & hard cheese.

She helped him dish it up & divvy it out to people. Even took a plate over to Astarion, who took it with his nose in the air, but appearances had to be maintained, for now. She leant down.
“If you don’t want it you don’t have to eat it. Just tip it out behind your tent.”

His eyes followed her as she straightened, &, for once, he didn’t say anything.

After everyone finished dinner, she helped Gale clean everything up & pack it away back in the trunk. With no dish washing liquid handy, this was achieved by having everything rinsed in a big tub & scrubbed out with salt. Barring salt, she’d been told to use sand. Good lord, she was gonna come down with a case of the Faerun Farts before long. Maybe she should have grabbed more soap from Ethel for the dishes; at least it would appease that voice in her head if she saw suds.

Everyone gathered round the fire again at Gus’s call. She felt like breaking out a ukelele & singing ‘kumbaya.’ Not that she was a bard. Oh, yeah, Alfira. She’d have to keep an eye out for the poor thing over the next few nights.

“So” her dad clapped his hands. “What we’ve discovered is that our best chance for now is to find the druid, Halsin.”

Wyll, unspoken, laid out a map of the area. What an organised person he was!

“Last report was that he got taken by the goblins who’re holed up here.” Wyll pointed it out on the map while several others leant over to see. “It’s several days walk from here.”

“We should be heading for the creche – “

God the woman was like a terrier with a bone.

“We will, once we’ve rescued the druid.” Gus smoothly cut her off.

“I heard there was a wise woman near here who might be able to help.” Shadowheart piped up.

“No, no, we shan’t be bothering her” Belle gave a high-pitched sound in the approximation of a laugh, flapping away Shadowheart’s suggestion.

“Why not? Any port in a storm, I say.”

“And I say I’ve already exhausted that option. Wise woman’s a no go.” Especially if she wanted Ethel to keep her side of the bargain later.

“Alright. Fine. Forget I said anything.” She leant back, shadows seeming to cloak her in her sulkiness. f*cking emo. The sooner she could Selunite Shart, the better.

“If we make a beeline through this abandoned village, it’s about a six-day round trip.” Gus was calculating the distance on the map. “Belle, do we need more supplies?”

“Yeah, mainly food. And what passes for wine here. I think we’re fine otherwise.”

“We’ll organise that at first light, then. There’s another traveller who shares our affliction; I promised him we’d swing by & pick him up tomorrow. A dragon–born, just so you know. He looks like he’d be handy in a fight.”

Gus deliberately avoided Belle’s gaze at this. She was having some major issues with accepting durge into the group. She knew the bloke had his fans, knew that without him, none of this would have happened. Now she had to put her money where her mouth was & trust her dad to take care of the psycho. She consoled herself with knowing she could always plant a dagger in his back if it became necessary. This was, after all, a dog-eat-dog world.

And speaking of, after Gus dismissed them, she made her way over to Lae’zel, who had set up her grindstone already. Where the f*ck had she pulled that thing from, anyway? There was no way she’d had it on her yesterday.

The cool yet harsh metallic sound was ok at first; it was only as it carried on it started to grate on one’s nerves.

“Where’d you get that?” She forgot to address Lae’zel properly, & the gith only glanced up at her, painful retribution etched in her eyes.

“Can I fix your makeup?” she tried a different tact. Lae’zel stopped the pedal, the stone grinding to a halt.

“It is not makeup, istick. It’s battle paint.”

“Oh. Can I pretty it up? You’ve got amazing eyes, & –“

“What do you want? I’m busy.”

“Can you teach me how to swing a sword?”

“No.”

That was quick.

“Why not?”

“It would take a lifetime of dedication to teach you the art of swordsmanship. We gith are taught from the moment we can walk how to hold a practice –“

“I’m not asking for the art to be taught; just how to stab someone with it.”

But it was still disappointing to know she didn’t have time to be taught how to be samauri lady.

“Ask the Blade. His form is more … stabbing … than mine.”

Ohhhh yeah. She hadn’t thought of that.

“Ta. Oh, if you want your hair done, I can do that, too.”

She waggled her fingers at the gith, whose eyes had narrowed to evil slits, before trotting off to try her luck with Wyll.

He readily agreed.

“Yay!” she gave him a hug in her excitement, doing a happy dance as he snorted laughter at her.

“I’ll have to find you a properly weighted short sword, but it shouldn’t take too long before we can start on that.”

“Thanks, Wyll” she toodleooed him & made her way back to her tent, grabbing up her bathing gear to go have a quick wash before jumping into her bedroll.

She headed for the small stream nearby, but not too close to camp, dumping her dry stuff down on a dry rock & peeling off her clothes to get access to her bit’s n pieces.

Hissing as she stepped foot in the stream, a litany of ‘oh sh*t oh f*ck this is f*ckin cold f*ck me’s’ fell from her mouth.

Snatching up the soap & flannel, she quickly splashed herself, soaped up the cloth, washed her crevices, splashed off the suds, & stepped out to dry off quickly before putting on the better clothes she’d purchased earlier that day.

The clothing fit different here, no stretchy material, no zippers, very little buttons. Sat different, too. She kinda liked the outer garment that served as bras here; it sucked in her middle to give the illusion of a waist. Twisting & turning, she thought she looked quite nice in it, all things considered.

Grabbing up her things, she headed back toward camp, passing Astarion who was obviously heading there for the same reason. Thank f*ck she’d finished up when she had, or he’d have copped another eyeful. They nodded at each other brusquely in passing.

Settling in for the night, the sounds & movements of the group slowly died, until everyone bar the one on first watch were settled in. Astarion had, once again, volunteered for the duty. Once again, she was still awake when he disappeared for a bit, & still awake when he returned.

Would durge’s presence set Astarion off so that they’d have two murder hobos feeding off of each other's energy to deal with? She sighed, shifting over onto her side. Of course it would. She drifted off earlier than she had the previous night, but kept waking up at all the little, unfamiliar sounds. Nature sounds. No sounds of traffic, buzz of electricity or distant voices to be heard. It carried weight, she found, listening to it.

Like clockwork, her bladder informed her it was around three in the morning & to empty it. Rolling out of bed, she grabbed up a rag from the ones she’d been hoarding for just such an occasion, crept outside, & headed downwind of camp. Finishing up quickly (the air was frigid, & she wanted to crawl back into the warmth of the bedroll), she quietly made her way back to camp, only to become aware of someone whining. It wasn’t loud, but it was high pitched, like they were having a nightmare.

Stopping, she concentrated on where the sound was coming from. Pinpointing it, it suddenly came to her she should have been expecting it. The question was, did she ignore it, or go & wake him up?

Her goodie two shoes conscience told her that, even if he didn’t appreciate being woken up & told he was having a nightmare, at the very least, it would stop him from having it. In that moment she hated the dichotomy of her brain as she picked her way carefully over to his tent. Unlike the game where everyone’s tent flap was open all the time, here, they had more common sense, & had them closed. She carefully untied the cords holding it shut, & poked her head in just to see if he was still in the throes of that awful nightmare.

He was in that weird zen position, flat on his back, fingers touching. But the look on his face was one of pure terror. Forgetting her reservations, she swiftly entered the tent, kneeling by his head. She placed a hand on his shoulder, this time forgetting to ogle at the hard muscle beneath.

“Astarion,” she whispered, pushing at him gently. His face pulled into a sharper look, twisting away from her.

“Astarion” she tried again, squeezing his shoulder, “wake up. You’re having a nightmare.”

“… ungh … no…. leave me al …” His words were broken & agonizing.

“C’mon, bud, wake up … or kick him in the nuts, you can do it …. “ she shook him a bit more firmly, trying to break him free of this unwanted trance.

His panting reached an all time high, & he suddenly sat up, throwing her hand from his shoulder as he gasped, sucking in large lungful’s of air that he in no way needed to survive. He stared at the far wall of his tent, & she gave him a minute to come back to himself.

He then rounded on her, eyes glaring. She’d expected it, of course.

“What are you doing in my tent?” he spat at her.

“You were having a nightmare. I woke you up to stop it. I’ll leave you be, now you are.”

She rose slowly, treating him much like an animal that would lash out at any moment.

He watched her every move as she exited the tent, & she could still feel him glaring through the flap even as she tied it back in place again. She turned & headed back to her own tent, knowing full well she wasn’t likely to drift off now until near dawn, when she’d simply have to get up & start a new day all over again.

Chapter 5: Chivalry isn't dead, it just moved to Faerun

Chapter Text

The voices drifted into her ear canal, all blurring together.

“Someone wake up Belle.” Shadowheart.

“I’m not doing it; did you see her when Gus did it?” Gale.

“I’ll do it...” why did that last one sound awfully gleeful about waking her?

Her tent shook as someone yanked open the ties to the flap. It was fine, if she lay here, they’d leave her alone.

The flap got thrown back. The sunlight streamed onto her face, casting anathema on her.

She squished her eyes shut even tighter, hissing like the Wicked Witch of the West did when exposed to water.

Still fine, no one had said anything directly to her yet.

“Wakey wakey dear, it’s another glorious day, & you’re being so lazy just lying in like that!”

Nope, he wasn’t addressing her.

She turned her head into the stuffed backpack she now used as a pillow. Said backpack was yanked out from under her head, leaving it to ‘thwonk’ hard onto the ground beneath her.

“That’s it, you’re f*cking dead meat!” she growled in a possessed voice, fully intending on putting him back in the ground for good. She sprang out of bed quickly, much to his surprise, & leapt at him, hands held out to throttle him.

He grabbed her wrists, easily restraining her even though she poured all her meagre strength into trying to get at his neck.

“Now now, while I do like this type of early morning greeting, I think it best you pour your energy into just getting through the day, hmmm? Those late nights of yours are wearing on your complexion.”

“Bite me” she snarled at him. She f*cking hated mornings.

“Was that an invitation?… but no. For now, how about you get that brew into you & settle down?”

The high falsetto, cheerful f*cking tone was not enjoyable to wake up to, no matter how many others would argue the point with her. How he managed to wrangle her down onto a log & thrust a cup of tea in her hands she couldn’t track; one minute she was a feral mess, the next she was sipping tea.

“I’m volunteering to wake the beastie up from now on” he announced to the group at large. “That was invigorating.”

“f*ck you, you f*ckin’ smarmy arse f*ckin’ bastard” she told him eloquently. He mimed for her to continue drinking her tea.

After fully waking up (she realised morning Belle was a completely different person to everyday Belle), & brushing her hair & teeth (another little difference was that toothbrushes weren’t used widely either; what they had were hard little sticks with splits in the end where boars bristles were placed, & that was if you were rich; otherwise, most made do with the chewed end of sticks & some bicarb soda; she was gonna be f*ckin Johnson & Johnson rich when this was over!) she secured her smaller travellers pack over her back, flicked Astarion the bird, & started off after the others back toward the grove.

She had an ominous feeling passing back through the entrance again, because they were picking up durge. Ugh, she felt nauseous at the thought. Signalling Gus, she pleaded off going with him to go secure more rations instead.

He nodded his understanding, signalling for Wyll to go with her before moving off to go & collect the dragon born.

Heading back down to where Ethel had her own little stall set up (sans Ethel that morning), she found the little old tiefling lady, out bright & early, handing out breakfast to those in need. It was only porridge, but had dried fruit mixed in with it. Not having had much to eat for brekkie earlier, she accepted a small bowl.

Scoffing it down, she handed it back, then offered twice the amount of gold of what the small portions of food on offer were worth. Stuffing it all into another pack, she swung it over her shoulder.
“No, let me carry it,” Wyll offered, seemingly charmed by her gracious display of forking over gold.

“Oh, well, if you’re offering…” she quickly handed over the pack. No one had offered to do something like that for her in years. She was strangely touched by the gesture.

“Let’s see what the blacksmith has in stock.” He walked her over to Dammon, also up bright & early, before the two fell to discussing what Belle needed. There wasn’t a lot to choose from, but after handing her three different types of short swords & seeing how she hefted them, Wyll settled on a plain pewter looking one. Personally, they’d all felt the same to her, but she’d bow to his superior knowledge in this instance. Dammon turned out to be way too fair in his prices, according to Wyll, which immediately put the blacksmith in the Blades good books.

“I think the others will be ready by now,” he led her back up the short hill toward where he’d just been training kiddies yesterday, while she swung her new sword around, grinning like an idiot.

“Wyll?” she suddenly hung back, eyeing the top of the rise warily, her momentary pleasure at owning a sword disappearing.

“Yes?” he paused, looking back at her. Saw her worry. He frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“Um, the dragon-born that dads invited to travel with us …. he may be a bit …. unhinged. Head wound. Can you help dad keep an eye on him, just in case?”

“Not a tadpole inflicted head wound, I take it?” he looked mildly concerned.

She bit her lip, shaking her head.

He glanced back up the hill where voices were now drifting down to them.

“Not a worry. Do I need to be discreet?”

“For now. Yes please.”

This man was a gem. Her father’s influence combined with his own upbringing had made a fine, young, (waaaay to young), gentleman.

Offering her his arm (oh my, chivalry, where have you been?) she accepted, & they met the group at the top of the hill.

Durge stood out like a McDonald’s sign, high above the rest of them. He was big. Brawny. Snow white. And looking like he was surrounded by kittens. The look in his eyes was one of … she couldn’t put her finger on it. Like he was … happy … to be surrounded by little people he’d be otherwise delighted to murder. Stabby-stab.

“There they are. Belle, this is uh, well, he can’t remember his name right now. Amnesia.” Gus tapped his head.

“He looks like a Brian.” She replied in greeting. Damn mouth.

Gus looked up, waaaay up, at durge. Mouthed the word. Grinned.

“How’s Brian sound to you?”

Durge narrowed his eyes, obviously testing it out. Shrugged.

“Better than ‘hey you’,” he replied in a low, gravelly voice.

“Brian it is. For now, at least.” Gus clapped him on the forearm, which was nearly level with his head.

Belle couldn’t help but stare at the dragon born as Wyll politely introduced himself. Apart from never having seen one before, his sheer size was … awe inspiring. Fear inducing. Puke provoking? She wasn’t sure she’d gathered enough provisions now just to keep him fed, either. Oh, well, there was gonna be roasted dwarf at the goblin camp; maybe he could chow down there.

“It’s rude to stare,” smarmy pants had sidled up behind her like an unwanted blow fly.

“Jealous I’m not staring at you?”

“Hardly. Just thinking that I now owe you two visual displays of my own. I do hate to be in anyone’s debt.”

Her neck felt like it was on rusty gears as it turned to him. She was met with the smirkiest smirk yet.

“You didn’t...” she sounded like she was speaking through sand.

“Oh, I most certainly did. Not by choice, you understand, but you do seem to be in the habit of undressing whenever I’m around.”

That was it. She was going to sic durge on Astarion. He could be his first victim. She suddenly flashed him a murdery smile, the same one she’d given Ethel. It wiped the smirk clear off his face.

He hurried away from her, glancing back frequently. She kept it pasted on there until he disappeared up behind Gus somewhere.

“I think he likes you.” Wyll noted laconically.

“Astarion only likes Astarion. I’m just entertainment.”

“If he bothers you too much, let me know. It wouldn’t take much to deter him … “

“Oh, he’s not bothering me. He’s pissing me off. There’s a difference.”

Wyll tried figuring that one out but gave it up as a bad job before steering her after the others as they left.

Back at the camp site, it didn’t take ten minutes before Brian came ambling over to her for a chat.

“How can I help?” she asked, channelling Gale.

“Gus said I should ask you about, well, my condition.” He did not look sheepish, she told herself. Bhaalspawn did nothing but think in terms of who would look best covered in the most stab wounds. And, for f*ck’s sake, she leant out way past Brian to peer at her father, who was busy whistling & looking at everything bar her.

Leaning back in, she kept her voice neutral.

“Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on what you’re asking.”

Both of them jumped a mile when Withers bobbed in beside them.

“Some journeys’ are about self-discovery, as is the case here. Forget that she knows anything, for anything from her lips is but dribble.”

“Oh. Um, well, sorry for asking,” & the big lumbering slab of muscle slinked away.

“Did you just tell durge that I have loose lips?” she was not having a good day.

“No.” he lied through his parchment lips.

Ladies & gentlemen, Jergal was a f*cking comedian.

“Are you ready to spill about the Earthling knowing everything?”

“Are thine lips sealed?”

The silence between them grew.

“…no disrespect & all, but you need to go bob off over thattaway…” & she pointed away, far away, from her.

Chapter 6: Survivor: Faerun

Chapter Text

The woodlands were lovely. She concentrated on the nature surrounding her. The wind through the trees; the rustle of the bushes they passed by; the tinkling of the nearby stream as it wove its way over shallow rocks. Sounds of birds & the quiet chatter drifting back to her from the people in front. There was something about grounding oneself to help calm a pissed off disposition. All she needed was some Zen spa salon tunes on Spotify & she’d be right as rain.

Having shade thrown at you by a god was … humiliating. Not that she considered Withers a god as such. Very powerful ancient insect creature, yes. God, no.

But the mummy man had made it plain that he knew about her. Quite a bit, too, going on his scathing comments of her inability to keep secrets. She knew how to keep secrets, damn it! It was the oversharing the desiccated dickhe*d was referring to & it made her mad. She hadn’t come all the way to Faerun (actually, she hadn’t chosen to come here at all, because, if she’d had a choice in fantasy destinations, this certainly wouldn’t be it) just to be met with obnoxious attitudes surrounding her behaviour.

Belle just wanted to help. Even durge. Needed to, now that she shared their dilemma. She wasn’t an idiot; she knew you couldn’t just show up & state to random people you’ve just met that you could help them because you knew everything; not just about all the shenanigans going on surrounding the tadpoles, but all about the individual’s deepest darkest secrets & fears? Of which none of them had confronted themselves yet? Puh-leese. They’d think her a raving lunatic & throw her in the nearest chasm.

It was why she wasn’t treating Astarion like he belonged in bubble-wrap. She took him as she found him, ignoring all the things she shouldn’t know about him but did. A lot of Astarion’s growth took place from his own realisations. She knew damn well why Jergal had stopped her from saying anything to Brian. To treat her at face value was just a plain old insult.

Throwing a glance behind her at the floating Withers, she found him watching her intently. Narrowing her eyes at him, she turned back around, intent on ignoring him for the foreseeable future.
She heaved a sigh of relief that sounded more like a groan when Gus called time for a break, not so much as sitting on the ground as collapsing. She wasn’t in terrible shape, had managed to keep fit to a degree through the years, but this was more walking than she’d done in the last month. Man, the map didn’t show the scale of these places.

She was hungry, but with only trail rations on offer she didn’t want her mouth puckering up at the amount of salt used to cure jerky here. Her fault: she hadn’t been able to find any decent fruit for sale back at the grove. And as meticulous as she’d been in game of rummaging through every crate & barrel to score a mountain of camp rations, in real life she felt bad about randomly going through someone’s possessions. Like, what was the go? Did all those random crates & such belong to people nearby? If so, why were they just stacked there with no one guarding them? It was hard to distinguish between unowned crates & crates that belonged to someone. There was no red highlighter to guide her here to show her if she was stealing or not & she felt a bit stupid for asking, even her dad.

“Roll out” she heard Gus call.

“Whyyyy meeee?” she whined, hauling herself to her feet & stumbling off again, feeling like she was on the set of Survivor: Faerun.

Not having had a watch or mobile on her when abducted, Belle was having to estimate the time. The others seemed to be quite lax, relying on ‘dawn, midday, afternoon’ etc. She was used to precise time. She wanted to know when it was 9:45 or 12:15, both a.m. & p.m. She heavily estimated it to be around five-ish in the afternoon when they reached grove side of the bridge that led across to the abandoned village of Moonhaven, seen distantly through trees on the horizon. She peered at the far end of the bridge, but there didn’t appear to be any Aradin or his team there just milling about, waiting for her party to get near them before triggering the cut scene.

The party flew into action, everyone setting up their little tents around the makeshift fire, just left of the bridge. Gus had taken up a permanent position to her right, Astarion to her left, the others in the same order as that first night, except Brian, who had taken up a position after Gus’s tent. She wasn’t sure she wanted durge that close to her. Sure, he seemed nice enough, now, but this was the dude that found love with cadavers & feasted on dead flesh, sooo…

It was nice, sorta, to be falling into a domestic routine with Gale, prepping & cooking dinner beside him & dishing it out & cleaning up after. It felt normal. Grounding. Gave her opportunity to get to know him. Gave Gale an opportunity to get to know her. She got the feeling Gale was scared of her. She wasn’t giving out Minthara vibes, was she?

Wyll collected her straight after dinner, once again going through her stances. He didn’t add anything to it, saying she needed to get this bit right first before the hacking & the stabbing could occur. She was sweating by the end of it, her muscles trembling just from standing upright. She desperately wanted a hot shower. Or a bath. The idea of sudsing off again in the nearby stream just wasn’t as appealing tonight. Especially after inadvertently giving Astarion another eyeful the night before. She knew perfectly well he hadn’t gone out of his way to catch her nude, but he had gone out of his way to rub it in that he’d caught her. f*cktard he was.

She collapsed face first onto her bedroll, half in & out of her tent, & didn’t even bother crawling into it. Tonight, she was gonna sleep well. Within minutes, she was snoring. And it seemed like just minutes later, her gods damned bladder once again informed her it was roughly three in the morning & time to ‘get up bitch & empty me.’

At some point in the night, she must have rolled over, because the front of her was cooler than the back. If she could prolong getting up, she might just get lucky & drift back to sleep. She went to scratch an itch on her cheek, only she hit something solid in the way. Her hand splayed out as it encountered the fluffy solidity & her eyes sprang open in surprise.

The red eyes looking right back down at her were just as round as hers in surprise. Oh. No.

His face backed off so quickly she could almost have been mistaken by its closeness to begin with.

“No – no … it’s not what it looks like ….”

He crabbed crawled backward as she sat up, giving him an ‘are you serious?’ look. She didn’t know what to say. Honestly, she really hadn’t thought he’d try it on, or maybe he’d go for one of the others.

Deep down, Belle didn’t know whether to be flattered or offended. She had two head canons going on for the bite scenario. One was that Astarion saw Tav, (or whoever), as the weakest of the group, therefore dispensable if he killed them while feeding. The other was that he felt something like trust (but nowhere near as strong as what the word implied) in the person to not kill him should they wake while he tried to feed. Interestingly enough, when she’d gone down the rabbit hole of vampires & their spawn in dnd lore, Astarion displayed every single tragic trick a vampire used to lure in it’s victims, including the seduction & trying to talk his way out of being hurt. She remembered the line she’d found, stating that, deep down, all vampires were cowards.

“I wasn’t going to hurt you … I swear … I just needed … well … blood….”

She watched him as he intentionally let the firelight gleam from his fangs. Belle wondered which it was that had made him decide on her.

“You know I can’t heal, yeah? I know you heard that discussion. Planning on draining me dry in my sleep, were you?”

“What? No, of course not! I just need a drop, I swear … all this exertion, it’s making me weak, I can’t think properly … if I just had a little blood, I could think clearer, fight better ….”

“I’m sure you could.” She dragged a hand down her face. Luckily, she was too tired right now for her shoulder devil, who was busy chanting at her to just ‘let him f*cking suck you dry, you don’t need the blood, f*ck the blood, he can have it!’

He didn’t respond. He wasn’t backing off; she hadn’t said no, nor had she raised an alarm. He was in full survivalist mode right now, the slight promise of blood overpowering his more primal instinct of self-preservation.

“Please …“ he pleaded, voice broken. She’d never heard it from him before. There was no cajoling going on, just desperation.

“Hang on a minute.” A thought had occurred to her. She rolled back into her tent, grabbing a small, very sharp knife she’d found for ‘just in case situations’. Along with a freshly boiled rag & a small tin cup, she remerged, Astarion standing now, casting glances between what she was doing & the rest of the sleeping camp. Her eyes darted to where Lae’zel should be on duty.

“She’s gone wide,” he told her in his soft voice, making a circle with his hand, answering her unspoken question of where Lae’zel had disappeared to. She took that to mean she’d widened her patrol of the camp.

Nodding, Belle then motioned him to follow her just a ways out behind her tent. He didn’t ask questions, his eyes flicking between the items she placed down on a fallen log. Knife. Bandage. Cup.

“Oh. I see.” He put it together.

“When did you last feed?” she asked him all business like, rolling up her sleeve.

“Last night. But it’s only been small animals. I need something more ... robust.”

“Hmm-hmm. Why me?”

He knelt before her, watching her work meticulously.

“If you must know … you … your aroma … smells the most … enticing.”

Her eyes flicked up to meet his, slate to red. Made sense. In a way. Her blood would be the one most free of infections, the one with the most immunities, the one who’d had the richest diet of not just healthy proteins & minerals but a good share of carbs. A third head cannon appeared. He just wanted the nicest smelling food.

“Why haven’t you alerted the others?” he asked suddenly.

His question came as a bit of a surprise. She’d been functioning on autopilot with him, she realised, too used to his scripted lines & responses. Having something new meant she got to now make her own choice of response & there was a lot more options available than just three or four.

She picked up the little knife, honed to scalpel sharpness. It had just been sitting in the bottom of a basket she’d kicked over. She held it up in the moonlight, admiring the glimmer on the metal.

“You’re pretty hungry, yeah?”

“That’s an understatement. But yes.”

“I can’t stand to see people go hungry.”

He waited for a further explanation. None came. He blinked.

“That’s it?” he said.

“Pretty much. I can’t give you much. Turns out I need it to live, too. Not that it’s much consolation to you right now, but, if I could give you more, I would.”

“You’d let me bite you?”

She nodded, bringing the knife to her wrist.

“You’re f*cking annoying, Astarion, but it turns out, I like annoying.”

She slashed across her wrist, making sure to keep the wound shallow enough to draw plenty of blood, but not deep enough so she’d bleed out. It pattered down into the little clean tin cup. She’d always been funny about blood. She could deal with others in a crisis, touch it, clean it up no worries at all. When it was hers…

“Ugh. Tell me when the cups full.” She had to look away.

A cold finger touched her fist. She glanced down to see him wrap his pale fingers gently around hers, turning her hand so not a drop of blood was lost outside the cup. Her eyes flicked up to his, where she could see in the moonlight, they looked entirely black.

Chapter 7: Paranormal Activity

Chapter Text

Belle knotted the rag tightly over her wound while Astarion consumed the life blood she’d poured him. She concentrated on securing the knot so she didn’t have to acknowledge the low moans coming from him. It only took a couple of seconds for them to stop, thank god, as they sounded utterly debauched! Not having heard moans like that since her first boyfriend at the tender age of seventeen, she looked back up to see him licking the inside of the cup. Oh, look, her bandage needed more attention!

He replaced the cup on the log. Daring to look again, he was now wiping the blood smile left around his mouth& licking the remaining traces from his fingers. She was never going to be able to burn these images from her brain. Her shoulder devil was drooling.

“Better?” she cleared her throat.

“Mmmm, that was …delicious. It’s no wonder he forb –“ he snapped his teeth shut, refusing to continue the sentence. She let his slip slide.

“…. good. Hopefully it helps.”

He closed his eyes, head tilted slightly back.

“I feel …. clear. In my mind. Thankyou.”

He looked back to her before getting to his feet.

Ooooo, she got a delicious & a thank you! Kinda made up for the sh*tty day she’d had.

“Now, if you don’t mind, I need to find something more … filling.” He turned to leave, striding off. Oh, his posture had changed, look at that back!

“Later tater” she called softly, as he disappeared into the tree line. Maybe he wouldn’t be such a sh*t from now on….

She quickly checked the bandage to make sure no seepage was occurring. None could be seen. The knot was as tight as she could get it without cutting circulation.

Getting to her feet, she held her wrist up to her chest to mitigate bleeding & stood there a minute longer to make sure she wouldn’t pass out. Feeling ok, she made her way back to the front of her own tent, & stopped in her tracks when she saw Brian, standing still in front of his own tent, staring at Shadowheart. It was the single most scary thing she’d seen since watching Paranormal Activity.

Every nerve in her body tightened instantly; she’d never had such a visceral body reaction before in her life. It made her muscles tense & vibrate. Her concentration narrowed to a laser point. The aura he put out was one of such malice she was surprised she couldn’t see it.

Belle had no idea why she did it; her body had taken over completely at this point. She bent down, picked up a sizeable rock she hadn’t even laid eyes on until right then, & piffed it straight as his head.
It made a hollow sound as it connected & bounced off his scales. He didn’t even flinch. f*ck. Why had Gus ignored her instructions on tying this guy up? He was murder incarnate when he was like this. And although she wouldn’t cry a river if he offed Shart (at least, not as she was right now), she couldn’t condone waking up in the morning to such a grizzly sight.

To her immense relief, Lae’zel had wandered back into camp & had woken Wyll to take the next shift. Both had noticed at the same time as Belle there was trouble, & surrounded the large dragon-born from each side. Wyll looked over at her, made sure she was unharmed, nodded, & tried talking to the murderous lizard.

“Hey there, big guy. Feel like laying back down?”

The reptile head turned, ever so slightly, & now regarded Wyll with what she could only assume was the same stare he’d levelled at Shadowheart.

“If you refuse to comply, we will tie you down” Lae’zel informed him. She’d make a great police woman.

“He was meant to be anyway. Why isn’t he bound?” Belle contributed.

Neither glanced at her, not taking their eyes off the beast lest he suddenly attack.

“Gus couldn’t bring himself to do it” Wyll answered from the side of his mouth.

f*ck a duck he hadn’t taken her seriously enough!

“Is he even aware?” Lae’zel asked, eyes narrowing at Brian.

“Nah, he’s something like sleepwalking. But, for f*ck’s sake, don’t go near him!”

“You and I are going to talk tomorrow, Earthling. I have questions.”

Ok, maybe Withers had a point ….

“It would take the whole camp to restrain him if he fought. I will continue watch duty if you take over watching the Brian.” Lae’zel addressed Wyll.

“Are you sure? You could wake Shadowheart, or Gale, to take over instead?”

The gith snorted.

“Useless as tit* on a dragon, both of them.”

Oh. Didn’t dragons have tit*?

“Go to bed, Belle. Don’t worry, I’ll wake everyone up if necessary.”

Brian just kept up that murderous stare, fists clenched.

“You sure?” she asked, uncertainly.

“Positive. I’ll make sure he’s restrained every night from now on.”

“Get Gale to do a full body bind on him.”

“A what?”

Oops, wrong fandom.

“Hold monster, or beast, or whatever it is that will restrain him.”

Wyll nodded, planting himself, every line of him ready to move if necessary.

She crept into her tent, leaving the flap open. Wasn’t any way she’d sleep comfortable with the proverbial door closed, not being able to see danger approaching if necessary. Wasn’t any way she was gonna sleep at all for the rest of the night as it was now, but she could at least lie down & rest.

The nudge to her shoulder only brought fuzzy awareness to her mind. Nothing else happened, so she started drifting again.

“No, no, time to wake up.”

“…fuggorf…”

“I’m sorry, I don’t speak Earthling. Now, here.”

A hot cup was thrust into her open palm.

She cracked an eye open. Silver hair & a grinning grinch face. Lovely. Apparently, he’d been serious about waking her from now on.

“Leave. Me. Alone.”

“I would, but I can’t. Seeing you all feisty like this is … delicious.” He invested that with so much double … no … triple entendre her eyes popped open.

“You're such a dork, Astarion. Get outta my way.” She sat up, blowing & sipping on the hot brew.

“I heard there was some issue surrounding our new recruit last night. Do tell.” He leaned back on his elbow.

“You’re a gossiper.” Blow. Sip.

“I am. How else am I meant to keep up with camp activities?” He wasn’t ashamed in the least.

“Brian slept walked. End of story.”

Astarion seemed hung up on the wrong thing as he asked her,
“Where on earth did you pick that name from?”

“A dog.” Blow. Sip.

“You’re as bad as that floating mummy with your short answers.” He looked down his nose at her.

“Don’t you dare compare me to him!” She shot him an evil, hurt glare.

“Then elaborate.”

“There’s nothing to elaborate. Just … don’t trust him a night-time.” She was trying very, very hard to prove Withers wrong, now.

“Like you were good enough to trust me?” he lowered his lashes at her, peering through them. She didn’t trust that look, hot as it was.

“That’s completely different! You’re an asshat, he’s …. uh … “ she wanted to say ‘dangerous’, but she had a feeling that would offend him.

They glared at each other for a few moments, before he broke the silence & she cheered (mentally) that she’d won!

“I think you know more than you’re letting on.” He finally accused her.

She sighed.

“Brian has an acquired brain injury. People like that can sometimes lose control of themselves. Doing weird & dangerous things at times & not remembering it. I know you like weird & dangerous sorts of things, just … beware, is all I’m saying.”

Belle was fully aware of the ‘Astarion & Durge were meant for each other’ trope. Once more, she’d delved into it only to find that the writers had simply had more time to spend on the two having dialogue than with the other characters. It was simply more fleshed out. She was worried, though, because Astarion was drawn to danger & trouble like a moth to flame. Brian was just as likely to murder Astarion as the rest of them, no matter if they were made for each other or not. Her brain tried to slew sideways into the mechanics of f*cking a dragon-born, but she pulled it back viscously.

He pondered her answer.

“What on earth did you do on … uh… Earth?”

Looked like she wasn't the only one whose brain went down rabbit holes.

“Helped pretty people like you feel better about themselves.”

Mulling that over, he tried to find the Faerunian equivalent.

“A … courtesan? You were a courtesan? I mean, I believe it, you’re quite delectable, but your demeanour …” had his entire tone changed with her in just one sentence?

What the f*ck was a courtesan? Why did it ring a bell? How had she gone from eyebags to delectable?

“Visitor,” Gus called out at large, alerting everyone someone was approaching.

Chapter 8: Pai Mai

Chapter Text

Aradin & his little troupe had spotted them in the middle of the night as they’d arrived at the other end of the bridge. They’d called by to warn them away from the goblin camp, chatting away to Gus on a more amicable level than that displayed back at the grove with Zevlor.

Belle listened with half an ear. After emerging from her tent, Astarion taking her mug away from her after she’d finished it, she beelined for Gale, who cowered at her approach. She wasn’t that scary, was she? Plus, Astarion was the one copping morning Belle now, not the rest of them.

“Can we have a quick chat?”

He hesitated, didn’t receive an outburst from her, & acquiesced. She led him off to the other side of the camp away from the others.

“You heard about last night?” she asked him, voice low.

“Some. It must have been a frightful sight – “

“He’s dangerous, Gale. More than you know. He needs to be restrained each & every single night, from dusk till dawn. I told dad, but he didn’t take me seriously.”

Gale was watching the others while listening to her, his eyes darting back to the dragon-born again & again as she spoke.

“Not that I don’t believe you, Belle, but what evidence do you have to support your claims? So far, apart from sleepwalking, there’s been nothing to indicate that.”

“Oh? He hasn’t randomly told you he’s having urges to kill people? Hurt them? Uncontrollable urges?”

Gale looked more uncomfortable as she hammered each point home. Shifted his feet.

“He … uh, he may have ….”

“Then just trust me. Please.” She gave him her most sincerest look she could muster.

He studied her face for a moment. Sighed heavily.

“Fine. But it means moving him away from Gus. You two with your magical black hole ability is quite fascinating, & absolutely frustrating at times.”

She gave a tiny happy squeal at someone else taking her seriously.

“Thanks Gale. You’re the best wizard I know!”

“Aren’t I the only wizard you know?”

“That’s beside the point.”

They got to cooking & organising brekkie for everyone. Aradin concluded his chat with Gus & took off. Hopefully they wouldn’t run into him in Baldur’s Gate. She didn’t hate him like she did the little trader Aaron (obnoxious little sh*t he was), but his opportunism would make a very short life for him if they did. Then evil chipmunk brain spoke up.

After everyone packed up camp, she drifted through the ranks to fall in beside Astarion.

“Oh, hello, what can I do for you?”

Looked like her rating was on the up & up.

“I’ve been thinking.”

“Don’t burst a vessel.” He told her seriously, only to smile, very slightly at her, taking the sting of the barb away. Huh.

“Shoosh. That diet of yours; have you fed on any delicacies apart from the one last night?”

His eyes lit up in the evilest gleam she’d seen yet.

“No, but there’s been little opportunity.”

“What if I pointed out particular delicacies for your perusal?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t decline that.”

Her smile widened. So did his. Sorry npc’s who’d pissed her off, but they were now on the menu.

“I was soooo hoping you’d say that” she parroted one of his lines.

“You know, I like this side of you.” his looked at her appraisingly. She preened a bit. Placed a hand on her chest.

“I have a need to be fulfilled; you can fulfill it. Two birds one stone.” Her mind whispered at her to sic him on durge. She soothed it by telling herself if Brian murderised anyone, she would.

“Sooo, how are we to go about this, then?”

“When we’re near the items in stock, I’ll tell you.”

“Excellent.”

“Otherwise, the sooner you share your little dietary requirements with the others, the sooner you can also choose your own vintages. For example, in the goblin camp. Large selection there.”

“You seem very confident that they’ll all be as magnanimous as you were…”

She sighed. Pitched her voice even lower.

“Astarion, dad knows. Wyll knows. Gale suspects. Lae’zel knows. The other two have no idea.”

“What?” he shrieked, & she had to grab his arm to keep him from fleeing on the spot.

“If they were gonna kill you or run you out of camp, they would have done so already. Now shut it!”

He clamped his mouth shut, shooting furtive glances at the travellers in front.

“The fact they haven’t speaks volumes! They need you, & they know it!”

He looked to her; eyes all feral & wide.

“I won’t let them.” She meant it, too. Astarion was way too versatile for them to get rid of. In a way, she’d found him better to have in her party when playing the game than Shadowheart or Gale.

He slowly nodded.

“You're certainly scary enough, but, if they kill me, I’m coming back to haunt you.” he threatened.

“Then we’ll just get to annoy each other even more” she gave him a reassuring smile & a little rub on his (oh so f*cking tight!), bicep before letting him go, trusting he wouldn’t just exit left.

“Tonight, I’ll do it tonight. Just … you’d better be right.” He muttered before they both dismissed the subject.

Letting him be for now, she jogged up to Gus for a reckoning before they hit Moonhaven.

“I see you’re making friends … “ he opened with.

“You didn’t listen to me” she accused flatly.

“Belle, he seems harmless…”

“I know what he seems. He’s not. We’ve had this chat. He was looking at Shadowheart like lamb chops last night. You didn’t see it.”

Gus, she remembered, could have slept through an earthquake once his head hit the pillow.

“Gales’ promised to hold him at night magically. I’m dealing with Astarion; you deal with durge. And, speaking of, Astarion’s going to confess tonight, so you’d better accept him for it!”

Gus looked sheepish at her telling him off. There were only a couple of occasions she could recall where she’d had the right side of an argument with him, & they’d occurred just before he’d disappeared. Realising one’s parents were fallible was such a blow to one’s world view it could forever change it. It had with hers; younger Belle had worshipped the ground Gus walked on, until she’d discovered he was just as flawed as her. Welcome adulthood.

“Alright, Belle, alright. I don’t like it, but I promise to make sure he’s restrained. You wouldn’t happen to have a way I might approach it with him?”

“Uh, yeah, tell him he went to attack one of us & frighted the sh*t out of us. White lies go a long way.”

He nodded his head sorrowfully. Then pointed up the trail.

“Anything we need to know about the village?”

She quickly filled him on the position of the goblins & the ogres, telling him to just kill them all. She didn’t find any benefit to gaining the ogre horn, had never used it nor missed the using of. And having a larger party at her disposal meant greater fighting power. Hehehe, f*ck you spell slots & turn based play!

Letting Gus figure out the mechanics of who should go in first etc. etc., she suddenly spied the dead boar by the side of the road. So did Gus.

“Move on dad, nothing to see here.” She told him as he veered toward it.

“Just want to see how it died.”

“It was exsanguinated.” She hissed, trying to steer him back.

“Plain English Belle, I’m not that smart.”

“Drained dry of blood” she whispered fiercely, the others catching up.

He glanced at the boar, then back at Astarion.

“Oh. Oooohh, right.” He quickly moved away from the dead animal.

“What’s that?” Lae’zel wanted to investigate.

“Dead boar. Looks like natural causes” Gus cut in smoothly before breaking up the team into scouts, melee & ranged attackers. Belle, once again useless, got to hang back twiddling her thumbs. Ignoring the looks from both Lae’zel & Shadowheart, she broke out her sword & started practicing the stances Wyll had been showing her. f*ck them, she’d get to a level where she could contribute!

“Thine dedication is becoming of thee.”

She jumped a mile as Withers spoke up. Why did she keep forgetting he was always there? Was it a trick? Or was he just really boring?

As casually as she could, she propped the sword over her shoulder like she’d seen the others do. Her shoulder joint protested loudly at the awkward weight, so she made it seem like it was her choice to lower it.

“A compliment. My my, how unexpected.”

“Do not let it go to thine head. Thou still hast a way to go yet.”

“Why are you so insufferable? Is it just you? Do you get a thrill out of it?”

“It is both mine nature & my station. Thou wilst learn.”

“Well, I’ll take that to mean it’s not in my immediate future to die.”

Wither’s eyes gleamed. Was that … approval?

“See? Thou canst’ use thine brain … when thoust triest.”

“I got enough of this sh*t in high school, man. I try, I always try, I just get … side-tracked.”

“Those with many lines of thought often do. It is a rare trait; one I will see honed.”

Oooo, that was a bit too Pai Mai for her liking.

“You done? I’d like to get back to practicing.”

Chapter 9: Escape Room

Chapter Text

Gale was sent to get her. She’d expected him covered in gore from head to toe, but she reminded herself he must cast prestidigation after every bloody encounter.

“Anyone hurt?” she quizzed as they headed on in past the decrepit gate. Vaguely, she understood she was asking if Gus was hurt.

“No. Well, Shadowheart was, but not anymore” he wiggled his fingers in explanation.

Nodding, they met up with the others at the well. The ground inside the village was muddy & slippery, as she found out as she nearly performed the splits, grabbing onto Gale’s sleeve & sending them both to the ground.

“Thank god I don’t have balls,” she commented as they straightened each other, Gale going red & disentangling himself from her quickly.

The little gnome, Barcus, was hanging around, finishing up chatting with Gus.

“Hi there,” she intercepted, “I’ve heard a lot about you. Can we have a quick chat, please?”

He eyed her suspiciously, before nodding cautiously, as she led him just off aways from the others.

She didn’t lower herself to his stature, no matter how much she was tempted to. He wasn’t a child & didn’t need to be patronized like that.

“Your reputation precedes you, you know. I’ve heard you’re quite the genius.”

“Really? I mean, I do like to dabble, but that’s quite … nice …. to hear.”

His face brightened considerably under her praise.

“I’ve quite a few connections who have heard some interesting things you’re working on.” She encouraged.

“Oh, I’m always working on something or other.” He smiled shyly.

“So I’ve heard. One of your experiments, I must admit, set my own brain on fire with its possibilities.”

“Oh …. ?”

“Hmmm-hmmm,” she leant down, just slightly, conveying confidentiality for just the two of them.

“Magic rune powder.”

His face closed instantly. That was fine. She’d planted a seed there for now.

“I’m afraid I don’t know what you’re talking about.” He said flatly, & very politely, as he backed away.

“I’m sure; but my interest is in its application. If we see each other again, I hope to discuss it further.”

He looked at her distrustfully before turning & hightailing it out of the village.

She felt pretty smug with herself. This is what Raphael must feel when he was planting his seeds around, too. No wonder he enjoyed his job!

Rejoining the others, she spied Astarion casually throwing a large, palm sized shiny purple rock up in the air, over & over.

“Are we ready to head out?” Gus addressed her suddenly.

“What? No, haven’t you explored the buildings yet?”

“No, there doesn’t seem to be much left here.”

“Well, we need to investigate that building, right there. There’s something you might have missed. In the basem*nt. In the secret chamber behind the basem*nt.”

He gave her a wuthering look.

“Who should go down there?”

“Me. Wyll. Astarion. Lae’zel.”

He sighed.

“Fine. Make it quick.”

He called to others, letting them know that, on a hunch, they should check out the old apothecary shop. Belle led them in, feeling like a mother hen.

“What are we looking for again?” Astarion asked, bored, as he picked up an old, ornate silver mirror. She saw him raise an eyebrow, look around quickly at the others, then stow it in his pack. God, he was such a peaco*ck!

“Anything of value. Saaay, isn’t that a trapdoor?” How convenient of her to just spot it like that!

Lae’zel did the honours, going down first, followed by Wyll, then Astarion, then herself.

“The view from here is lovely” his voice floated up to her as she descended.

“You’re lucky she doesn’t rip your head off in the mornings, Astarion,” she heard Lae’zel defend her purity.

She looked down quickly to see him at the bottom of the ladder, grinning back up at her shamelessly.

“I could hawk a logey on you from this height. I wouldn’t miss.”

“I have no idea what that means, dear” & he sauntered off to go investigate the basem*nt.

Reaching the bottom, she looked around in the dim light. Wyll graciously handed her a lit torch, seeing as how she’d forgotten to bring one with her. She gave him a quick smile before zooming around the perimeter of the basem*nt, making a half-assed effort to look like she was rummaging.

Everyone else was being too thorough. i.e. taking too long.

“Oh, what’s that?” she called brainlessly & loudly to the room at large as she found the not so hidden switch.

At the promise of hidden treasure, Astarion materialised by her side to see what she’d found.

“It looks like a switch”, he said, going in for a closer look. “It’s not trapped.” So, he pushed it.

The wall near it ground loudly, stone over stone, as it slid sideways, revealing a hidden passage.

“This is so coooool, I never got to do escape rooms back home!” Belle said excitedly, letting the more capable fighters in first.

No one answered, probably because they were concentrating on a possibly dangerous situation.

The little area opened to reveal a grassy area, covered with coffins.

“Well, that’s always a good sign,” Astarion muttered, readying his bow.

Belle crept right up behind him, peering over his shoulder while the other two carefully kicked open the coffins, one by one.

On the opposite side, a loud crunching explosion suddenly drew all their attention as a skellie jumped out of its box.

She couldn’t help but jump herself, even though she’d half expected it. Wyll started firing fire at the thing as it hissed and brandished its sword & Lae’zel went in charging like a bull at a gate. Astarion started to lose arrows at it, faster than she’d thought possible, & she was momentarily distracted by how that made his light armour pull & tug against his back. During that distraction, skellie decided to charge right at her & Astarion, except, when it got close to them, it suddenly crumbled.

Everyone stopped what they were doing. They all looked from the skellie to Belle.

“Oh yeah, I’d forgotten” she said, eyes growing wide, stepping out from behind Astarion & heading to the nearest coffin.

It rattled briefly as she approached. Wyll lifted the lid quickly, & they found a dead skellie inside.

“Well, this makes it easy, then” she muttered, simply walking around the rest of the coffins. Two more rattled, & that was that.

“I wonder what else that ability of yours can negate” Astarion said thoughtfully as he raided the last coffin near where she stood.

“I know, right? If it negates magic, which means the weave, does it negate everything to do with the weave?”

That line of questioning had them both looking at each other, the ramifications of that not lost on either of them.

Shaking herself free of that massive thought, she stepped away to go speak with the magic mirror. The others followed quietly.

The floor length mirror looked just like an ordinary mirror as she peered at her reflection. sh*t, Astarion had been right, she was puffy around the eyes! That was it, as soon as someone found cucumbers, she was bagging them!

Aaaand …. Shouldn’t the face have appeared by now?

co*cking her head, she gave it the count of five. Nothing.

“Hello?” she said, rapping on the glass.

“Are you expecting an answer?” Lae’zel questioned impatiently.

“Ob-vious-ly not” she replied, gesturing for the gith to shatter the glass.

Surely her ability wasn’t that strong …. was it?

Stepping through into the room beyond was like stepping into whacky dinosaur bones exhibit in a museum. They were everywhere! The giant one in the middle of the room warranted a good minute just staring at while the others went off to do their looting thang.

“What have we here?” Astarion murmured, kneeling to apply the little tools he kept handy to the trapped gate.

Belle came swanning in beside him, kneeling right next to him & peering way too close at what he was doing. He paused, looking down his nose at her.

“Do you mind, I’m trying to work.”

“Don’t mind me, I find this fascinating.” She didn’t back off.

“I do believe I’ve offered you a demonstration of my dextrous fingers before.”

Only her eyes slid up to his. His were obscured behind his lashes, looking like they were smouldering. She didn’t buy it. Astarion had honed his bedroom eyes into an artform. But his body language, or rather, the aura he gave off, said something else entirely. Being in the beauty industry, the type of industry that called for close body contact; how to touch people to instantly put them at ease; how to pick up on if they were on edge; meant she’d developed a finely honed instinct to what she could only call ‘aura’ around people.

Belle was beginning to believe he meant what he’d stated later in the game; all his promiscuous jibes were deflections. He didn’t know what to say once she’d refused to move away from him.

She slid out of his way. He hesitated only a moment before getting back to work. She tried a different tact.

“Astarion?”

“What?” he asked, annoyance in his tone now as he twisted the little tools.

“Can you teach me that?”

“I’m not a teacher.” He said flatly, tongue poking out the edge of his mouth as he tried to concentrate on unpicking the lock safely.

“There’s always a first time.”

He swore as the lockpick broke.

“Over there. Now.” He pointed at the other side of the room for her to go retreat to.

She slunk away, resolved to annoy the sh*t out of him until he gave in & taught her how to pick locks.

Chapter 10: Killing the Necronomicon

Chapter Text

Belle let him work, disarming the traps holding the tome of Thay while she skulked in the corner. Watched him while he grabbed the tome & re-entered the main living area, turning it this way & that as he studied it.

“How do you open the bloody thing?” he muttered.

“Yes, open the cursed book Astarion. Over there, way over there.” Lae’zel pointed to the corner opposite her while she rolled her eyes at him.

“I think we should give that to Gale.” Wyll added, looking at the tome like he wanted to bury it.

“No. He’s not getting it” Astarion hugged the book to him like it was a precious babe.

“Oh look.” Belle pointed out as she re-approached him. “Purple gem eyes. And an open mouth. I wonder – “ She stopped mid-sentence, because, as she neared him, the purple gleam in the eye gems winked out & the book popped open.

Her mouth popped open.

“That abilities’ proving to be quite convenient” Astarion approved, flipping through the pages lazily. Not a whisper of guardian spirits or purple tentacle light emanated from it.

“I just killed the Necronomicon!” she gasped, still flabbergasted.

“You did! Does it extend to other magical items? Armour, weapons, jewellery, safes?” he’s eyes gleamed with unspoken possibility.

“I have no idea. Guess we should check that out at some point.” If it did extend to them, did those objects reclaim their magic once she was out of range? It hadn’t killed anyone’s connection to the weave in the group, so … maybe?

“Took you long enough” Princess Shart commented acridly as they emerged from the basem*nt.

“Eat my shorts” Belle retorted, earning a glare from Gus, who clearly remembered the Simpsons.

“Can we move out now?” he asked her gruffly.

He dropped in beside her, lowering his voice. Astarion was making a show of having found the tome in front of Gale, who began inching his way in beside the rouge.

“Yeah, except, now that I think about it…”

“What, Belle?” he appeared to be the one having the bad day now. Younger her immediately felt bad, her anxiety setting off, trying to find a way to make her dad happy again. Adult her told younger her that he was a grown ass adult who could handle his own bad days perfectly fine on his own, & that it wasn’t her fault he was having one. It was nice having adult her present; it was the first time she’d told younger her that she didn’t need to be in charge anymore. Her need to please melted away.

“Well, there’s another person we need to pick up. In game, you could just leave her there until you went to get her. But, if we just leave her there now, I can’t see her hanging around just waiting for us to come get her.”

Gus tried to work out what she’d said, almost going cross-eyed in the attempt. Finally, it clicked.

“Oh, for the love of … Wyll” he barked, & the Blade came trotting over on command.

“Lay the map out lad, we may need to reconfigure our plans.” He shot Belle a baleful glare. “You. Me. Talk tonight.” He shooed Wyll off before continuing.

She nodded, anxiety back & squirming in her gut. Trying to speed run this was turning out to be harder than she’d initially thought.

“Where?” He barked at her, pointing to the map.

“Back up here.” She pointed just south of the toll house.

“It’s roughly the same distance to there as the camp. We could swing by & pick this person up on our way back.” He said, studying the map.

“Yeah, & normally, you could. But would you hang about just waiting, just cause? Not to mention, there’s people after her right now. She could take them, but what then? More hanging around?”

Gus’s eyes flicked over the map, thinking.

“f*ck. Is she that important?”

For that comment to come from this man, meant he was feeling the stress.

“Yes dad, she’s that important.”

He twirled a finger to Wyll, indicating him to come back & roll the map back up.

“Who’re we talking about?” he asked, having overheard some of it.

Ohhhh. Ummmm.

Belle opened her mouth to explain who it was. Over Wyll’s shoulder in the distance, Withers suddenly popped into view. He was giving her that very weighty stare he seemed to reserve just for her. She closed her mouth slowly. Seriously?

“I heard tell from one of Aradin’s crew about someone near the toll house who’d also been in the Nautoloid. Thought we ought to check it out before we hit the goblin camp.” Her tone was slow & even, & she kept her eyes on Wither’s the entire time. He nodded once when she’d finished, then became boring again & disappeared. What a kill joy.

“Ah, that would probably be for the best.”

Did he really just swallow that drivel? Shrugging mentally, they followed Gus out of the village onto the road leading toward the toll house.

Just outside the village, the barn, THAT barn, came into view.

Belle bit the insides of her cheeks. That itch was back in full force, the one that had caused her to slap Gale’s hand, only now ten times worse.

Gus looked back to her with a questioning brow when he saw the barn. This was it. Decision time. She gave a single curt nod. Then had to scoot to the back of the group to keep from giggling maniacally.

He approached the barn, the others close in behind him.

Belle hung back. Gus went to open the door but must have heard the noises issuing forth from within. Frowning, he put his ear to the door. He recoiled quickly at whatever he’d heard, giving the door a disgusted look. Shot his head around to give Belle a raised eyebrow.

“Oh, let me, they sound dis-gus-ting,” Astarion saved the day, stepping forward & throwing open the doors, a devilish grin plastered across his face.

“What do you think you’re doing?” came a strangled, guttural voice from deep within the barn.

“Nothing, sorry, we’re just leaving,” Gus tried to close the doors back on the rutting pair within.

“I think I’m going to scrub my eyes out. With salt.” Gale left the rest of them to it quickly.

“No fair, desire gone” the poor lady ogre with the biggest tiddies Belle had ever seen wandered out, dragging the bugbear behind her. Bras really needed to be invented here as well. She added it to her growing list of entrepreneurial take overs she had planned for Faerun if she couldn’t get back to Earth.

Otherwise, Belle could commiserate with ogres’ sentiment. Her ex had been pretty poor at performance, too, often destroying anything remotely approaching a romantic interlude.

Lae’zel hadn’t been bothered in the slightest by the scene presented in full, gory detail – had, in fact, simply gone in to check the barn quickly.

Shadowheart had gone a whiter shade of pale, leaning heavily on the corner of the barn, shaking her head slightly, eyes wide & staring into the distance.

Astarion – well – everyone knew how he reacted. Much like her, doubled over, hands on knees in the throes of cackling insensibility.

Brian had no idea what to do, so was just standing there, watching the two lovebirds retreat, scratching his head. Dude had led a sheltered life, she realised suddenly. All murder & no fun.

Two feet planted themselves in front of her. She couldn’t straighten, doubled over in hysterics the way she was, just grabbing hold of Gus’s arms as he stood there, promising retribution.

“That was … was … “ she broke down again.

She felt his arms shake. She didn’t know if in laughter or anger. It made it funnier.

“Warn me next time.” He sounded like he was trying, valiantly, to not laugh along with her.

“Aaan…d sp…spoil the suppp….prise?”

“Belle. They could have attacked.”

“There were plenty of you to take care of it.” She slowly regained her composure, wiping her eyes as they streamed tears.

“This was in the game?” he asked, looking back at the barn.

“There’s low level p*rn in the game – you can mod in these sex scenes –“

“Enough, Belle, I don’t want to know.” He cut her off before she could explain further.

“I know what they’re all packing” she sung song as the group re-joined together.

“Shut it.”

“Yes dad.”

Belle quickly let Gus know about the dagger in the meat at the top of the hill; someone might make use of it, & it was right there. Brian accompanied him. Durge seemed to have taken to following Gus around like a duckling. The little duckling ripped the dagger out of the meat as if he’d pulled it from water.

Continuing on, she couldn’t believe it actually took roughly two hours of mindless trudging before they reached the broken bridge. Everyone surveyed it before they retreated. It was a much larger break than just jumping across was going to be able to achieve in crossing it.

Discussions started on how to get across as the wind picked up. Belle wrinkled her nose as a smell accompanied it. Had someone farted?

Suddenly, a crack sounded in the clear air, echoing hollowly, sounding much like when a plane broke the sound barrier. She automatically looked to the skies, shielding her eyes. Dropped her hands sheepishly when she remembered where she was.

Back down the road aways, a circular opening appeared, something made of what she could only think of as ‘non-light’ that still shone brightly. A tall man stepped out of the hole. An elegantly dressed man who started sprouting prose as soon as he’d reached them.

Raphael had entered the sh*t show.

Chapter 11: Apparition

Chapter Text

Belle hung back, studying the devil as he approached. Handsome, just as in game. Confident posture as he strolled toward them. This was a being who knew how & what to offer others; how to intrigue, ensnare, but he exuded the most malevolent aura she’d ever felt in her entire life, barring Brain’s the other night.

In game, she’d loved Raphael. He was one of her most favourite characters. His voice acting was as superb as Astarion’s (probably why she liked him so much). She’d even given him the crown in one of her playthroughs, fully expecting him to take over everything & not at all surprised when he revealed that exact intention. What did it matter to her he wanted all of creation? It wasn’t her creation, so she could be gracious in handing it over.

But now? This creature, this devil, wasn’t at all what she’d expected. She felt pure repulsion at his nearness. Raphael wasn’t the nice devil she’d thought he was. Belle had to do some quick foot work in her own mind, reshuffling some plans she had half baked going on up there, so that nothing, absolutely nothing, relied on this … person.

He was currently waxing poetic with Gus, who obviously felt the same way, going by his guarded, defensive posture. The others in the group didn’t look too sure what was going on or who this guy was based on their quizzical looks being thrown at each other. Lae’zel was the only other one to have her hackles up; she kept scenting the air & didn’t like what she found there, judging by her screwed up face.

After chatting about his cats & foxes, Raphael lifted his hand, snapping his fingers together, & apparated them straight to his House of Hope. It was exactly how Harry Potter had described the sensation; like a fishhook just behind the navel, pulling you through a tiny hole where your extremities got spaghettified before ‘pop’, you arrived at your destination. Not a nice feeling, as it left her head ringing & her fingers & toes tingling as if they’d only just regained circulation.

The others were all shaking their heads as well, so it wasn’t just her not used to sh*t like this.

Raphael faced them, his hands clasped behind his back as he welcomed them & invited them all to partake of the lavish feast he had prepared for their arrival.

The smell of roasts, dripping in gravy was thick in the air, permeated by sweet apple pie, cranberry sauce dips & fragrant soft cheeses. Her mouth watered. She hadn’t seen a spread like this in quite a few years now. She inched over to the table as Astarion stood on her foot, halting her. She looked back at him. He shook his head, once. Her hand reached out behind her, not caring what it snatched from the table. He grabbed her other hand, hauling her away from the tempting food while Raphael started his temptation of Gus.

“Don’t take anything from here!” he whispered at her fervently, eyes darting back up to the portrait above Raphael & back down at her.

But she was starving! His eyes pleaded with hers before she nodded, sulky at not being able to eat any of the nice food. He released her hand but stood by her, totally not ready to stop her should she lunge for the table at all. Regrettably, he was starting to know what she was like.

Raphael ‘poofed’ into his devil form, which was absolutely impressive and downright diabolical. His malevolency skyrocketed. He didn’t care for them, they were simply tools to be used to get the crown, to be discarded when they’d fulfilled their use. Or enslaved like the others he kept here. She finally understood why Karlach had been so vehement in retrieving the pact she’d gleefully signed away that one time.

Gus handled the situation well, she saw. He didn’t flinch at Raphael’s transformation & looked thoughtful at the devils’ words of being their saviour.

“Well, I thank you for your warning, devil –“ he began.

“Please, call me Raphael, after all, you and I have a way to go. Why not on friendly terms?”

Gus hesitated.

“Raphael. You’ve given us much to consider. We’ll indeed take your advice in looking for alternatives first, &, if the time comes, we may have another little chat.”

“Excellent! I do so enjoy making new friends & allies! But, for now …” he lifted his fingers again, snapping them, sending them all away … except her.

f*ckin sh*t f*ckin f*ck balls!

“Um, I think you forgot me?” she put up her hand like she was back in Grade 3.

“I didn’t forget you, little Earthling. Why don’t you take a seat, have a bite to eat while you & I have a separate chat, all our own?”

“Oh, I’d love to, really, but I’m on a diet, you see, & all those calories & carbs ….” She could heed advice when given to her. Especially from Astarion, & especially when he’d given her such a sincere plea, giving her puppy dog eyes.

“Tut tut, all that effort, gone to waste. Well, maybe next time,” he swept his hand grandly, & the food just disappeared. Into thin air. Just like that. What a neat Jedi trick!

“But, please, take a seat. I have a proposal, just for you.”

One of the chairs moved itself, flinging itself behind her, ramming into the back of her knees so she collapsed onto it.

“What the f*ck, this isn’t Ghostbusters!” she grunted, unable to pry her ass away from the seat of the chair.

“I don’t know what that is” he waved away her reference. “No doubt some weird little Earth thing. Now. Down to business.”

He clapped his hands together before rubbing them vigorously & leaning down so that his face was level with hers. His breath was hot like steam, smelling vaguely of the hot springs in New Zealand.
“You’re going to ensure that the crown is delivered unto me. In exchange, I will send you back to Earth.”

She gaped at him.

“You know I know?” she asked him the same question she’d tried to ask of Withers.

“Of course I know. It’s my job to know. What do you say, hmmm? You know what you’re doing, you’re already guiding the others through dear old daddy. Just continue doing so, &, at the end, hand the crown to me. I promise I’ll spare Earth once you do; they won’t know a thing that goes on.”

He chuckled.

“They haven’t for a long time now, anyway. So, it’ll be the same as it has been in forever.”

Fuuuuck, think Belle, think! Right, there was a loophole.

“I want Gus sent back too.”

He smiled, revealing every single sharp tooth lining his mouth. She shied back from that carrion look.

“Done” he purred, no bartering, no cajoling. He must really want that crown something bad!

“I won’t promise anything just yet; it’s early days. Things might change between now & then, circ*mstances etc. Plus, I might die. I have it on good authority I can’t be bought back.”

“And I have it on good authority that fate won’t let that happen. So, what’ll it be, little Earthling?”

What was so damn important that the very gods & fate itself had promised her to see this thing through without her kicking the bucket? She was guessing it was some sort of perverted, cosmic entertainment to them, like an episode of Seinfeld.

“I am disinclined to acquiesce to your request. For now. When you contact dad again, I’ll let you know if I’ve changed my mind.”

She expected his smile to drop from his face like a hot potato. Instead, if anything, it widened.

“I always did enjoy the tougher clientele. It makes it that much sweeter when they finally do accept my deal.”

She opened her mouth once more, only he clicked his fingers in her face, sending her reeling backward, through space & time, to land on her butt, back on the road where everyone rushed over to her when she finally reappeared.

“Belle!” Gus threw his arms around her, bear hugging her. His scent, the scent of dad, of safety, of authority, surrounded her, & she wrapped her arms around him, burying her head in his shoulder. Her heart was pounding crazily, because she’d just told a devil ‘No’. She’d always had trouble with confrontation; not a good thing to have when dealing with the public, & now she couldn’t understand how she’d been terrified of Karens, but an actual, live f*cking devil she’d been able to turn down? What the f*ck was wrong with her?

“What happened, what did he want?”

He pulled her away to look at her face, his thumbs running over her cheeks.

“He wanted a separate deal, one that, if I fulfilled, he’d send me, us, back home afterward.”

“Back to Earth?” Wyll clarified. She nodded, looking up at him.

“What was it?” Gus asked.

“I can’t’ – it was confidential. He did something where I can’t mention it.” God, she was sick to death of lying.

“Alright, ok, well, it’s just another thing to add to our growing list of ‘deal with later.”

He stood, helping her up.

“For now, I think we break early for camp. There’s lots to discuss. It might take the rest of the day. In the morning, we’ll deal with that.” He nodded at the broken bridge.

Heading off the road a way, they found a likely spot & began resetting back up camp for the night. Belle struggled in trying to push aside Raphaels’ deal. It was so tempting – but that was what a deal with a devil was all about, wasn’t it? She was in no way excited to take him up on it. Plus, she still had Ethel by the short and curlies as a backup plan.

“You didn’t eat anything, did you?” came Astarion’s voice as she was on all fours, half in & half out of her tent, spreading out her bedroll.

“No, Astarion, I was a good girl.” She sighed.

He knelt by her as she crawled out.

“A tempting offer. To go home, I mean.” He continued, reaching such levels of sincerity she had to wonder if this was a shape changer already.

“I know. But not one I’m likely to take. Once upon a time, I would’ve. Not now.” Yeah, like three playthroughs ago.

Something shifted in his expression, like a shadow disappearing from his countenance.

“If you don’t mind me saying, I’m glad to hear that.”

“Really? I thought you couldn’t wait to get rid of me!”

“Please, I volunteered to look after your beastie self in the mornings. I certainly wouldn’t have if I didn’t think something of you.”

Oh woooow, where the f*ck was this coming from? Not that she was complaining, in fact, her shoulder devil was making kissy faces at him right now. Was it the blood offer? It had to be; she couldn’t think of anything else she’d done to warrant this turn around.

“That’s morning Belle” she flapped it away.

“It has a name?” he asked, his eyes starting to look more mischievous as they bantered.

“It does, but it won’t respond to it. Say, does Faerun have coffee?”

“What’s coffee?”

She stared at him, horrified. She’d been holding out on the hope it existed here.

“Uh, never mind. I think returning to Earth may be in my best interest.” No f*cking wake up juice? Not on your nelly would she stay in a place without it!

She noticed the shadow return to his face.

“Are you alright?” she had to ask, because something was clearly bothering him.

“I’ve been thinking –“

She gasped, hands clapping to her mouth, eyes rounding.

“Oh, ha-ha, very funny” he drawled.

“I know. I’ve been waiting for it, you left yourself wiiiide open, my friend.”

He paused when she said that.

“Is that what you think we are? Friends?”

“You are really starting to frighten me. Where’s all this …whatever this is…. coming from?”

“Well, if, in a few days, we rescue this Halsin, our time travelling together will come to an end. I’m not sure if I’m ready for that. You’re quite the ally to know, after all…”

Christ, things were out of order. And, honestly, shouldn't he be targeting someone else? Someone more powerful? Like durge (perish the thought!), or, even, ugh yucko, her dad? Rubbing her head, she interrupted him.

“Do you honestly think a druid is going to be able to cure a tadpole that is no way a normal one that easily?”

“I – do you mean he can’t’? Why are we bothering to rescue him, then?”

“Because he’s been studying them. He’ll know something more about them than we do. Ergo, we rescue him to see what he knows.”

“Oh. I see. Well then, never mind what I just said.”

He went to stand up.

“Astarion.” She stopped him, plucking at his sleeve.

“What is it?” he paused.

“I’ll be hanging around a while yet; getting back to Earth is not going to be that easy, I’m afraid.”

“…. good. I mean, not for you, but … still. I was hoping we could continue awhile longer together.”

She nodded at him. He nodded back.

“You!” came Lae’zels’ sibilant hiss. How could she make vowels sound sibilant?

“What?”

Astarion left quickly as the gith approached.

“You know stuff you’re not letting on. I demand to know what you do!”

Oh sh*t, couldn’t she get a break?

Chapter 12: Man of Steel

Chapter Text

The headache kicked in when Lae’zel was halfway through accusing Belle of being a clairvoyant, something she called a ‘senja’si’.

“I’m no ones’ sensei” she shot back, pointing at the giths chest.

When they’d both figured out what the other meant (lots of mouthing of words & eye rolling’s later), she conceded lizard lady had a point. How mighty convenient of her to have raised it, in fact. Made it possible to gloss over future knowledge she might let slip.

Lae’zel wanted her to convince the others to head straight for the creche. Belle rubbed her temples, the ache reaching out into her upper jaw.

“We’ll get there. But other things have to come first. The, uh, the visions said so.”

“Then we survive ceremorphosis that long?”

It was the first time Belle had heard something else other than scorn or downright contempt in the warriors voice. Hope?

“What is wrong?” Lae’zel immediately went on alert as Belle starting working her jaw, fingers digging into the joint as the ache worked its way down into her molars.

“Headache. Started when you came over.” The gith could interpret that how she wanted.

“Is there any nausea? Sweating? Aches or pains?” The concern was clear.

“No, Lae’zel, it could just be coming up to ‘that time of the month.” She often got migraines coming up to period time. Just one more thing to put up with & grin through being a woman, because taking a day off work for period associated symptoms wasn’t recognised as a reasonable excuse.

“I don’t know what that is.”

Fuuuuuck, she really needed to write an encyclopedia for these people. Maybe Gale would help?

She was in no mood to discuss the ovulation cycle with the gith.

“Periods. Bleeding once a month. To have a baby.”

Lae’zel wrinkled her nose.

“We gith – “

“I’m aware you don’t. If you don’t mind, I need to talk to dad.”

Lae’zel closed her mouth, concern etched in her eyes as she turned away.

She’d spotted Gus on his way over while talking with Lae’zel. He’d poked his head into Astarion’s tent & had been there an awfully long, awfully suspicious amount of time. What on earth was he discussing? What on earth was Astarion replying with? She narrowed her eyes at him as he approached.

He held his hands up placatingly before reaching her.

“Before you say anything, I just had a chat, a nice, friendly little chat. Set some ground rules … & some boundaries.”

“What’d you say specifically, old man?” she was gonna flay him alive if he’d upset her little vamp. She was the only one with that privilege, because he was an asshat & needed to be pulled into line occasionally.

“Nothing bad, Belle. Simply stated that we all knew about his nature, & that he shouldn’t feel like he’s not welcome because of it. And, that he shouldn’t feed on any of us, without explicit permission.” He hesitated. “A couple of other things, but that’s between us.” He looked back at Astarion’s tent. “What other powers has the tadpole granted him? Because, frankly, he doesn’t act like any spawn I’ve ever come across before.”

“You think he acts like that because of tadpole powers? Dad, that’s just him.”

“He’s very …”

“Bitchy.”

He nodded.

“As far as the taddie is concerned, in his particular case, it's been a blessing. It broke him free of his master, allows walking in the sun, access to running water & to peoples’ homes uninvited. I did a bit of digging into it, & all his teeth may have been sharp before being infected, now it’s just the fangs. I think he also may have lost spider climb & regeneration.”

“Are you telling me he’s basically human?"

“I think so? You know, apart from being undead & needing to drink blood?” Her headache spread to the base of her skull. She shifted, acid reflux kicking in, & she gave voice to a deep burp.

“Ugh, sorry, must be something I ate.” She rubbed her head again. “Got anything resembling Panadol here dad? Aspirin? Nurofen? Any pain killers that don’t use the weave?”

“Belle? What’s wrong?”

“I think it’s that time of the month coming on.”

He looked her up & down.

“You’ve gone pale, hun.”

“That happens, dad.”

“Hang on, I’ll go get you something, hang on.” He zoomed off, returning in record time with a cup full of water he was stirring something powdery into.

“Get that into you.”

Trusting her dad, she upended the cup, chugging it. Vile, musty & almost pissy tasting water coated her tongue. She gagged & it took all her effort to get her gorge under control.

“What in the f*ck was that?” she spluttered, licking her sleeve to try & get rid of the taste.

“A fungi concentrate. Better than Panadol. It’ll hit you hard in about 20 mins, so we need to quickly sketch out our plans now before it does. After that, you’re out for the night.”

He sat her down, grabbed out the map Wyll usually carried around, & got her to quickly fill in the quests on the other side of the bridge, & the position of enemies. Her eyes were growing heavy before they finished, her headache floating off somewhere, hopefully to annoy Withers. Reality started looking mighty watery at that point.

“Tha’s good sh*t” she slurred at him.

“I know. Go lie down, I’ll fill the others in on what to expect.”

“He’s not gonna run off, is he?”

“Who?” he helped her to crawl back into her tent.

“Ass-tarion.” She collapsed onto her bedroll.

“No, Belle. He’s stayin’.”

“Good, cause he’s my asshat.”

“Ummm, good to know? Should I be worried?”

“Naaahhh, all good da.”

“Get some sleep.”

“Nigh’”.

She fell into a daze, where high pitched ringing kept turning into people’s voices, only to fade off again. Her fingers, toes & tongue felt all tingly. She tried to move them, for them to only twitch at her command. Her stomach churned.

The ringing became clearer after a while. Morphed into some sort of new age hippie music. The grass under her face was soft, but tickly. She didn’t remember going to sleep on grass. Her eyes flew open, & she saw some old Greek (or Roman, it could have been Roman) ruins. Columns & broken stone walls. The grass beneath her was purple. Oh wow, Gus had given her magic mushies to chase away the pain.

Rolling over & sitting up, she froze as she realised she wasn’t alone. About ten steps away was a figure, standing there, arms crossed & regarding her silently. It looked like someone had drawn a human charcoal subject, then smeared it everywhere, obliterating any details. Once it saw she had sat up, it drifted toward her. She watched, bemused, high as a kite from what Gus had given her.

Very quickly, the charcoal figure changed. A long, red cape unfolded behind it, billowing gently. Then a dark blue body suit grew over its skin. Black hair sprouted from it’s scalp, it’s skin became pale & the bluest eyes she’d ever seen watched her serenely. An ‘S’ symbol bloomed on its chest. No. f*cking. Way.

“Superman?”

There in the mental flesh was the man of steel, gliding toward her, wearing a smile that could melt the knickers off any granny.

She leapt to her feet, raced over to the figure, & buried her face in his pecs. For a mental projection, he felt solid enough.

“Don’t you dare sprout tentacles!” she growled at him, voice all muffled in between the giant chesticles where she'd buried her face.

“I have no intention at this stage. You wouldn’t like it.”

Eeeeek, he sounded just like him!

“No, no I wouldn’t.” She looked up at the cerulean blue eyes. Day-um if the emperor didn’t get it right!

“f*ck me” she whispered quietly, reaching up to touch the jaw line that could cut paper.

“We really don’t have time for that” he replied, grasping her hands which had started their exploration over the rest of him.

“Uh, you could call on me every night, in this form, you know?” What was a little wet dream between friends?

Superman chuckled.

“You work quick. But, honestly, that’s not why I’m here.” He guided her over back to the grassy patch.

“I’ve said this before, & I’ll say it again. You know I know you know I know, yeah? I mean, you can read the depths of my mind, so you know I know everything? In which case, there’s nothing hidden from you anymore, & with the pathways available, you’ve got a lot of ammo to work with."

“I admit, your mind has been more … convoluted … than the others. All those pathways. It made for an interesting read.”

“It makes for an interesting game. Won game of the year! You should be proud!”

“To think that Earth has somehow developed a type of clairvoyance is, indeed remarkable. My kind do not usually bother with such backwater worlds, especially one’s so inaccessible.”

Was he dissing Earth? Ex-queeze her very much!

“Who you calling backwater?” Her jaw jutted forward.

“Not Earth, at least, not anymore. The fact they’ve reached the realm of studying quantum physics in such a short amount of time….remarkable! You should make sure that no other illithid finds this out. It would not be … good … for your planet.”

“How am I supposed to do that?”

He shrugged.

“That’s helpful.”

“I am sorry. All I can offer is, help me put a stop to the elder brain & the dead three, & I promise to help you find a way to protect Earth from other illithids.”

Oooo, he was good! He presented a problem & a solution. While getting her to help him. Hat’s off, Balduran!

“I’ll help, as long as you consider freeing Orpheus sooner, letting him guard us all instead of keeping him a slave in here. If you read my mind, then you’ll also know it’s a win-win situation. You get what you want, the gith get what they need, we all go home happy.”

Superman’s brow furrowed while he rubbed his chin.

“I did encounter that scenario while in there. I personally would never have entertained it, never thought Orpheus capable of working with an illithid. Your mind shows otherwise.”

His expression cleared, though his eye remained troubled.

“I will consider it more, before making a decision. For now, I have halted your ceremorphosis – “

“Why was it so much like period symptoms?”

Superman balked at the question. Honestly, he’d just plumbed her mental depths & not expected something like that? Just how good a mind flayer was he?

"I – I cannot say. Only, it is now halted again, with the mental shield in place. I will come to you to discuss more strategy as needed, when I can.”

“Nah, go to my dad, he’s better at that sort of thing.”

“You’re the one aware of my true identity, as well as access to knowledge of many pathways that will yield success. It makes more sense to come to you.”

sh*t, really? She hated this sort of responsibility! She barely coped owning & running her own small business, let alone getting in the pilot seat of stopping the Grand Design.

She huffed. Crossed her arms.

“Fine” she allowed. “But only if you continue to look like as you are now.”

“Up to a point; it becomes inconvenient after awhile.”

“Five more times then.”

“Three.”

“Four.”

“Done.”

Chapter 13: Head Butts

Chapter Text

Unbelievably, even to her, Belle woke early the next morning, the pre-dawn light filtering through the canvas of her tent. She felt great! Energized! Like she was in her late teens again! All those pesky little aches & pains one grew to live with as one aged had simply vanished, leaving her body feeling young again! She went to roll out of bed, groaning as those aches & pains came flooding back the moment she moved. Ah, well, it was nice while it lasted.

She supposed the combination of the ‘fungi concoction’ & the emperors …uh … whatever it was he did; she wasn’t a hundred percent sure on what that was technically … had contributed to her getting a good night’s sleep for once. She wondered if the stuff Gus had given her, was addictive, for … science reasons. It had possibly been the worst tasting thing she’d ever consumed, but the effects were pretty rad.

Sitting up, she got a whiff of herself. Oh, pew-yew, she could smell the stuff she’d drank last night, now seeping from her pores. Combined with sour sweat smell, she was getting ripe! Time for another quick wash off, then. Grabbing up her shower gear & fresh pants & shirt, she only had the one corset thing, so had to make do with using it again over the top of the fresh clothes.

Poking her head out of her tent, she spied Lae’zel, doing some Highlander sword stretching exercises. Wyll might be somewhere on patrol, she guessed. No-one else seemed to have stirred. Emerging, she headed on past Astarion’s tent. She stopped as an admittedly evil little idea occurred to her. Grinning, she grabbed up a water canteen by the fire & very carefully, very softly, lifted the flap on his tent, her tongue peeping out the side of her mouth.

No one was home. sh*t! It was such a good plan, too! If she had to guess, she would say he was off hunting somewhere. Well, no use in drawing attention to it. Dropping the water canteen, she squinted as the sun breasted the horizon. It wasn’t a common occurrence for her to be up this early & she wasn’t used to the brightness. Feeling like a vampire herself, she shielded her eyes as they watered, turning left, out of camp, to go & try and find a way down the embankment leading to the stream nearby.

Roughly thirty minutes later of stumbling & crashing her way through the underbrush covering the embankment, it finally plateaued enough for her to reach the water. Her head was down to watch her footing the entire time, & she only lifted it as she approached the water. And swivelled on her feet to head straight back where she’d emerged from, her face going blotchy red.

“OhmygodI’msosorry” her voice came out high pitched in her embarrassment of having caught him unawares, like she’d stubbed a toe. She’d seen him open his eyes before she’d about faced.

The image burned into her retinas was of Astarion, naked as the day he’d been born, facing the dawn with his arms outstretched to greet it. The sun had reflected off his skin, making him glow. Combined with his silver hair, the man looked like an angel of death, beautiful & deadly. Why hadn’t he covered up at her less than graceful approach? She must have sounded like a herd of elephants crashing her way down to him! He’d been facing her way & she’d seen ev-rey-thing!

And, stupidly, her mind chose to focus on that morning coolness had no effect on shrinkage factor for the undead. Her mind’s eye zeroed in on it, while she chanted at it to concentrate on something else, anything else. But her mind refused, because, it had been a while since she’d seen a willie, so it was a novelty.

So, while she blundered her way back up the embankment, clutching her bathing gear in one hand, the other out to balance her, her mind focused in on his co*ck.

‘Was it more purple, or bluer?’ it asked her, analysing the colour.

‘It doesn’t f*cking matter, go back to camp, rinse off later!’

‘Yes, but, if we look at the skin under his eyes, it matches, don’t you think?’

‘Gale will be up now, let’s help him with breakfast!’

‘Do you think it’s pigmentation, or blood supply?’

In the middle of such an argument with herself, her emotions sawing back & forth between embarrassment, hilarity, morbid curiosity & the heat that had bloomed, not just in her cheeks but in her middle, her tadpole decided to wake up & knock heads with his.

She had no idea that you didn’t need to be in eye contact for that to happen. Her tadpole must have found what she’d been concentrating on peculiar, because it felt like her mind expanded, extending an invisible force, like a tube of clear water, taking some of her consciousness with it, to go & ask his ‘hey, buddy, is this normal?’. She felt it hit him with soft force, enveloping his mind, & his own consciousness connected with hers, the two mixing like coloured dye.

And she wasn’t oblivious to what her tadpole shared with his. She’d thought, going on the game, that you were simply presented with brief visions, snippets, of the other’s past without being aware of what was shared from your end. Not so. No, her tadpole took what she’d just been fixating on, & shared that gleefully with his tadpole.

Not only that, but it also took all the interactions she’d ever had with downstairs equipment (both men & women) & shared that across the connection. Having done what she’d done for a living for the past twenty-four years, that was a lot of puss*es & doodles she’d waxed & lasered. Many, many more than the roughly thousand people that Astarion had bedded. sh*t, she’d be falling behind in her kpi’s if she had less than a thousand a year.

But now, his tadpole woke up & said, ‘well now, that’s interesting, here’s what I found that looks like what you’re talking about.’ And then…she saw Astarion in sooooo many positions, fingers working holes, his mouth at work sucking, licking, biting (but not drawing blood because that was forbidden), people making use of his hole (& not just with their body but with objects, sometimes objects that were way too big or …. sharp), people biting him on the balls or even his co*ck … & how he’d crawled up & died inside at every interaction, how he’d pushed everything away, everything aside, because he couldn’t say no, it wasn’t an option, to balk was to incur the wrath of Cazador …

She wrenched her mind completely away from that, breaking that connection, severing it. Panting, she felt tears pouring down her cheeks. Wiping them away viscously, she looked at her own hand that was shaking uncontrollably.

Never, ever had she thought of it in those terms. She’d only ever vaguely thought of it in terms of plain old vanilla sex with those victims of his. The level of depravity she’d just seen, just experienced, she felt like the one who’d been violated.

Belle had always saved the spawn, sending them into the under dark. Thought she was doing the right thing, that every single one of them were innocent. More than half of them had used Astarion in such a feral way, as if he’d just been an animal to f*ck & hurt & leave for dead afterward. Even the ones’ who might have presented themselves as decent during their daily interactions, when lured back, & told that they could indulge any fantasy they’d ever hid away in their deepest, darkest selves … did so.

And Cazador’s presence, not seen, just felt, permeated every single one of those memories, like his very aura increased the violence in an act that should have been fun, or intimate & trusting. A loving act that became an act of hatred, despoiling it. No f*cking wonder he wanted to ascend. She finally, finally understood it.

And how the f*ck could she look him in the eye now? He’d be aware of that horror having being shared, just as she was.

Sniffing, she straightened. Glanced back down the embankment. He was finishing pulling his silly, frilly & what she found darling shirt back over his head, letting it fall over the scars decorating his back. He wasn’t looking her way, seemed fixated on the stream in front of him.

He had the right of it. How could they just approach each other with ‘hey wassap?’ after seeing that? What the hell had he thought she’d done, as well? God, it would have come across as torturing people.

She was pretty sure waxing as a job didn’t exist in Faerun; if it did, it’d be a primitive form & found in the Middle Eastern equivalent. Ergo, she was some sort of BDSM master.

Snorting at that thought, she left, funky smell to be dealt with later.

Arriving back at camp, she dumped her stuff inside her tent & went to help Gale, who gave her a tight little nod.

“You OK?” she asked as he seemed a bit subdued this morning.

“Oh, yes, I’m fine, weird dream visitors in the night aside.” He continued chopping the bacon on the wooden board.

Oh, yeah, Superman. Glad for the distraction, she quizzed him about it.

“Me too. Was yours really, really good looking or what?”

He considered it as he continued chopping.

“More ethereal than good looking. I take it that we shared the same dream, then. What do you make of it?”

“It’s the person shielding us from turning into mind flayers. You can trust them, to a point. I personally wouldn’t consider eating any more tadpoles, but if you want to, be my guest.” In her opinion, Gale was the only one who looked hotter as a half illithid, so she wouldn’t be all that averse if he decided he wanted to.

“Is that those senja’si abilities Lae’zel elaborated on last night?” he paused, looking more interested in her now than in all the time they’d spent together in domicile bliss.

“Yeah, that’s them, all right.” She guessed the lizard had taken the liberty of sharing that with group at large. Now she got to repay the favour & share something about the gith to the party at large, when she could be bothered.

He nodded.

“Then I’ll take your advice with due consideration. What else would you know about this person.”

“Don’t set your mind in stone on how they’re presenting themselves. It’s a projection. A very hot, very convincing projection, but not the real them.” She sighed lustily.

“I take it yours was to your liking then?” he seemed amused at her sigh.

“I invited him back every night, but I think I scared him off.”

Gale went red at that. Wooow, he was easy to embarrass!

“Sorry, Gale, just ignore me when I say stuff like that. It tends to slip out.”

“No apologies necessary, Belle … but I appreciate it, all the same. And, moving forward, I’ll try my best to ignore your more … colourful displays of your personality.”

He paused, his brow crinkling as he put down his knife, his hand going to his chest & kneading it.

“Oh sh*t, are you having a heart attack, or is it gas?” It was a Netherese orb attack, she knew that, but she had to watch her mouth. She’d already slipped once today, not but a few minutes ago.

“No, no, it’s that condition I have. I think I mentioned it when we met?”

“Maybe? I can’t remember. Is there anything I can do?”

“No!” he said quickly, digging at his chest now. He looked up at her. “Neither you nor Gus can help. One of the others, if they can go to my tent, I have a golden mask sitting on top of my trunk. Get them to bring it to me. You’ll have to wait over there with you father.”

She nodded. Made sense, especially seeing as how her & Gus were magical black holes. She beelined for Shadowheart, simply because she appeared to be doing nothing but her little prayers right now, so Belle figured, two birds one stone. Stop Shart praying to the wrong Goddess & get her to retrieve a magical artefact for Gale to consume.

Belle sketched in quickly the situation with the near Sharran, who didn’t look happy to be disturbed, but then, when did she ever look happy? Girl needed to get laid. Barring that, do something fun like go on a rollercoaster or retail therapy.

She retreated to the far end of camp, just outside Gus’ tent. She could hear him inside, grunting & smacking his lips & all the normal morning sounds most men made to announce to the world at large they were awake.

“Hey dad,” she called as she sat by the tent to let him know she was alive after the night before.

“Belle! Morning; you ok now?”

“Yeah, thanks for the magic mushies, worked a treat. How’s your dreams?”

He poked his head out of the tent.

“Funny you should ask, I dreamt of mum last night. We were in this weird Roman place, & she was talking about the tadpoles.”

Oh, f*ck her, she was gonna cry, hearing that on top of what she was currently trying to ignore she’d witnessed in her head earlier. She sniffled, nodded, & concentrated on Shadowheart thrusting the gold mask at Gale. Huh, turned out it was the golden shapeshifter mask.

“It wasn’t mum, dad. Don’t freak out, it was the mind flayer protecting us all.”

He toppled out of the tent.

“What?”

“He uses the shape most attractive to us to put us at ease. Don’t worry bout it. He’s generally good people, insofar as we can trust him to do right by us; as long as we help free him entirely from his elderdbrain. Which happens to be the one producing these mutant taddies.”

“Bloody hell, how do you keep all that in your head? There’s so much to this!”

She shrugged.

“I dunno how to explain it to you, dad. There’s so much that’s changed in just twenty years. The internet was only just getting started in a big way when you … left.”

“What’s computers got to do with this?”

“I learnt everything about what’s going on now through them. The game’s on computer, as well as other devices. If it ever becomes relevant, I’ll explain it. Otherwise, we’ll be here until the elder brain wins before I could cover everything.”

She watched, fascinated, as Gale took the mask, holding it in both hands & in front of his chest. It glowed light blue & disintegrated like it had been left too long in acetone. As it did, she felt something backwash over her, like a tugging sensation, there & gone. Weird. But it didn’t repeat, so she dismissed it.

“I keep thinking I’ve seen everything this place has to offer. Shows how wrong I am.” Gus had watched it as well. He clapped a hand to her shoulder, using her to lever himself up to his feet.

“Time for brekkie, then to hit the road again.”

“I found a place to cross, bout half an hour that way.” She nodded in the direction she’d taken earlier on her disastrous attempt to get clean.

“Good girl, saves us time.” Belle felt a glow at the approval she’d just received, melting some of the horror away that had clung to her in the aftermath of her tadpole waking up. Getting up, she packed up her tent, had a bite to eat for breakfast even though she had no appetite & tried to pretend she didn’t notice when Astarion wandered back into camp.

Chapter 14: The Wonderful Wizard of Waterdeep

Chapter Text

Trudging back through the gully where her tadpole had woken & shared things it never should have, Belle resolutely looked anywhere but where the others were in front of her. More specifically, she avoided the bobbing silver cloud of hair toward the front of the party. Every time she caught sight of him, those images cascaded back down through her mind’s eye. She didn’t think she’d be able to eat now for the foreseeable future.

They ended up having to scale the other side; it was too sheer for them to find anywhere to scramble out safely. Low & behold, that’s where the ropes came in handy. She almost smiled, wondering why’d they’d provided ropes for you to find in game but not having any use for them. Brian also came in handy, being the one at the top of the gully to haul everyone up, one by one.

“Uh, thanks,” she told him, peering all the way up into his crimson eyes. She expected a flash of dark, murderous intent. Instead, she got a quick, bright flash of gratitude.

“You’re welcome” he replied, his oddly cultured voice in stark contrast to his dragonish features & what she knew lie within him. His lips curled slightly in a little smile. Alriiiighty, then. Nodding at him, she fell to the back of the queue as they resumed walking, heading right.

The day had broken out hot & clear, a warm, intermittent breeze kicking up & covering them in a fine layer of road dust. It mixed with her sweat, creating grimy areas & settling in the creases of any exposed skin. Adventuring was the pits! Who’d do this for a f*cking living?

The smell hit them when the breeze wafted past once more. sh*t & piss & blood & guts.

“Oh, uh-uh, you guys can deal with that, I’m out.”

She went to stand resolutely by the side of the road, arms crossed. The others looked back at her, & she made shooing gestures at them. No way she wanted to go stab dying hyenas & deal with ravenous gnolls. Let them do the honours. Only she probably shouldn’t have, because now she was alone her mind once more presented her the horror show again from this morning.

“Withers,” she called out, biting her lip & staring at the other side of the road.

“Dost thou require something?” he materialised beside her.

“Can you wipe memories?”

“No.”

“Please? My head’s gonna replay what I shouldn’t have seen until I’m desensitized to it. That could take a long time. Time we don’t have if I have to concentrate on other things.”

She heard him heave a dry sigh.

“Cans’t thou not bear his pain? It is but a single life, after all.”

The tight knot she’d felt in the base of her throat all morning crept up higher.

“It’s too much – I had no idea, no feeling, for all that … suffering. It’s too much for a single life.”

“His is not the only one – far from it – to bear such pain. Pain & suffering, if handled with grace & shared with those that care, lead to growth of the soul. But to ignore it, hide from it or mask it leads to stagnation, regression & repetition.”

“That man deserves his revenge” she said thickly, wiping her eyes as they began streaming once more.

“Is that for thou to decide?”

And wasn’t that a doozy of a question! It had been for her to decide, every time she’d played the game, in the seat of both the protagonist & the omniscient being in control. Ascend him or not, knowing where each pathway would lead.

“It’s not up to me, is it?” It dawned on her, only now, that while she might be privy to all that helpful information, she could no more control how these people reacted to situations than make those choices for them when they arose. She could only be there for them, if they wanted her to be. Belle realised she needed to up her A game in forging relationships with them if she wanted to influence them toward their best selves. Which meant being genuine. How scary.

The others returned, who knew how much later, maybe midmorning, covered in blood & gore.

“Anyone hurt?” she called out as Gus came over to stand beside her while Gale cast prestidigation on the others, cleaning them up quick smart.

“Just some cuts & such, nothing serious.” Gus assured her, wiping off his daggers on some rags before throwing them casually away on the road. He caught sight of her face.

“You alright, hun? Did something happen?”

“No, I’m fine. Just got a kick up the pants by Withers is all. I’ll deal with it.”

“Do I need – “

“You don’t need to do anything, dad. It’s fine. I’m a big girl now, I just have to act like one.”

He studied her a moment before nodding.

They started out again, Belle walking as far out from the path as possible once they hit the hyena massacre. Were they native to the area? It didn’t strike her as a place that was natural to them, but then, what did she know, really? She wasn’t a geek on the intricacies of Faerun & had only become interested in it again because of the game. The only other time she’d had anything to do with dnd was when she’d been a girl & read the Dragonlance Chronicles, which, she was pretty sure, wasn’t even set in the same world.

“Hey, Gale?” she asked him as he was ahead of her.

“Hmmm?”

“You heard of a Drizzt Do’urden? Or a Raistlin Majere?” She remembered the names, but not the specifics of who they’d been.

He tripped, whipping his head back round to her so quickly she could have sworn she heard it snap.

“Whoa”, she ran up quickly & grabbed his arm, helping to steady him, then stepped away quickly so as not to subject him to her aroma.

“How does an Earthling know those names?”

So, that was a yes.

“You’d be surprised. I’m surprised we seem to know. But that knowledge is presented as fiction, so no one really believes all this is real.” She waved her arms about indicating where they were right now, but also Faerun at large.

They started walking together, albeit Belle keeping the personal distance between them & then some.

“They’re fictional?” His brain gears sped up. It was interesting watching how quickly his brain worked. Not so much when he put two & two together.

“Does Earth know about Toril? About Faerun? …. Us?”

Whoopsie.

“Whaaaat? Nooo, of course not!” She gave a high falsetto laugh.

“Forgive me, but you’re a very bad liar. Is this where you get your fore knowledge from, then? Fictional means on Earth?" He looked hurt. Great. Puppy dog hurt eyes from Gale did not sit well.

Recalling her talk with Withers, she took a deep breath in. Genuine. She was the epitome of genuine. Breathed out.

“We know. But we don’t believe. Nothing like magic exists there, so we make sh*t up. No magic, gods, aliens, elves” (she nodded ahead to Shadowheart & Astarion), “wizards, clerics, vampires etc. etc. Just humans. Just us. No one & nothing else.” She knew people believed in gods back home, but, with no evidence, she didn’t present it as such.

Gale looked thoughtful. Then sad.

“Thank you for sharing that. I imagine you’ve been told not to by our erstwhile scribe companion. I appreciate it. I can’t imagine how … lonely … that must be for you all.”

“Yeah, well, there’s a modern theory going around that we’re all lacking spiritually & it’s leading to epidemic sized problems of disconnection & depression. I think we’re losing ourselves with no clear direction or purpose. We make up for it with addiction, work, losing ourselves to things that aren’t in the end healthy for us….”

“There’s more to you than meets the eye, Belle. I had no idea your thoughts delved so deeply.”

“I try to not let that show. It scares people when I do. Most people I know don’t like to think that deep, or don’t understand why I do it. I don’t either; I can’t help it, it’s just something I’ve always done. To find out later when you’re older that most people don’t think like that is … isolating. So, you stop sharing that part of yourself, so you can appear to fit in more.”

“I find most don’t like it when I get enthusiastic about a topic, either. To cut oneself off from their enthusiasm, however, seems to me like you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face.”

This was turning out to be the best chat she’d had in years! Gale was not only listening to her but reciprocating with his own anecdotes & experiences. A deeply buried part of her moved slightly in response. Opening up herself to others had been stamped out of her years ago by someone to whom she should have been closest with. This was… nice. To listen, share & be heard in return.

She gave him a small smile, a genuine smile, that he returned.

Chapter 15: One Hundred Thousand is a Big City ...

Chapter Text

Early that afternoon they stopped for a short break. Something to eat, drink & a quick rest. Belle still wasn’t hungry, so settled for draining most of her canteen while sitting in the shade of a scrubby bush.

The heat was reminiscent of early summer in Australia, sharp, but easily dispelled by the shade or the breeze. She could feel the slight burn of the sun on her nose & cheeks. Wishing for sunscreen & knowing it was impossible to get her hands on some, she noted to herself to ask Gus if aloe vera existed here, & if she could get her hands on some.

Her wrist, the one she had bandaged up, started itching. She glanced down at it, just to make sure it wasn’t weeping through the cloth. Nothing to be seen, she eased the bandage, trying to ease the itch by putting pressure on it. She had to end up flicking her hand to confuse the nerve endings, which finally settled it down. Looking up, she inadvertently met Astarion’s gaze, fixed on her. They both looked away quickly at the same time.

Feeling awkward & out of sorts, she got to her feet without protest as Gus called out to them all to get moving once more. Shadowheart had swapped places with Gale in the queue, so that now the cleric was the one in front of her. Belle pondered whether to gather up a handful of stones to flick at the woman in front, simply to take her mind off the funk it was in. It’d be entertaining but would do nothing to foster a good relationship with the woman.

Running through her knowledge of the Sharran who wasn’t, all she could remember was that Shadowheart liked some sort of night flower; she was as poly as Halsin & a terrible shot even at point blank range. Admittedly, the character was not her favourite & so she hadn’t spent a lot of time with her as a companion. Shart was pretty much a blank slate for her. Ok, blank slate it was. Start from the start.
“Hey, Shadowheart, is that your real name or stage name?”

The dark braid swung only slightly to the side as the woman deigned to acknowledge her.

“I chose it.” She replied in that ‘why are you talking to me, commoner?’ voice that rubbed Belle the wrong way.

Biting back her immediate retort, she tried again.

“Ok … you’re from the Gate, like Astarion, yeah? How big is it?”

Shadowheart sighed.

“In terms of what? And please, I’m not a tour guide like Gale.”

What. A. Bitch.

“Population.”

“Roughly 100,000 people. It’s smaller than Waterdeep, but still substantial.

“Only 100,000 people?”

“It’s a large city.” She narrowed her eyes, then asked her own question.

“How many people live in … I assume it’s a city. Where you live?”

“Just over 5 million.”

Shadowhearts’ eyes widened in disbelief at what she’d just heard.

“I beg your pardon?”

“It’s not even our biggest city.” Belle couldn’t keep the smugness from her reply.

“You’re telling me … “ she fell back to fall into line with Belle;

“ … the city you live in, one single city, contains the same amount of people as … as Thay?”

“If Thay has roughly five mil, then yeah?” she shrugged nonchalantly.

“How many people does this Earth, contain?”

“Roughly 8 billion. We’re incredibly overpopulated.”

Shadowhearts jaw dropped open. She corrected the oversight immediately but couldn’t keep the awe from her eyes.

“I heard you telling Gale that you have no gods there. None at all.” Shadowheart switched the topic out.

“That’s right. Well, none like what you have here. People have their belief & religious systems, but we don’t get any displays of anyone being there on the other side. No one has personally met a god, face to face.”

The cleric’s eyes darkened as a thought occurred to her. She went quiet, focusing on following the others. That turned out to be the end of their conversation. Not as satisfying as Gales’, but a start, she supposed.

The toll house came into view later in the afternoon. Her mind had numbed itself with the hypnotic sameness of the scenery they’d been passing for the last few hours, so at least she hadn’t had to put up with the visions from that morning. Of course, as soon as she realised she hadn’t thought about it, back they came with a vengeance. Wondering if she could bash out those visions & feelings on a tree trunk, or even a nice, flat rock, she followed the others blindly.

Gus led them down the trail that split off toward the stream. She’d wanted, desperately, to tell both Gus & Wyll that it was Karlach they were picking up. Gus, so he’d be prepared to step in & deal with Wyll; Wyll so that Gus wouldn’t have to step in & deal with him. In the end, she’d bit her tongue, letting them have their free agency. All she could do, should Wyll decided to be a dick about it, was help Gus in restraining him.

Belle noticed some of the leaves on the nearby bushes were brown & dry, as they stood out clearly against the greenery. Dead. Scorched, even. Looking forward, she could see the stream coming into view. Rushing forward, she bolted past the others, shoving her way to the front with Gus, squeezing herself in past Brian (whom she tried desperately to not touch, those hands & arms had been deep in rotten meat), & Astarion (whom she also tried not to touch, because he didn’t need any more touching from anyone), resulting in her feeling like the meat in a grinder.

She was, in turn, bowled out of the way by Wyll, who’d also rushed forward, brandishing his sword & yelling his ‘advocatus diaboli’ schtick. Belles’ adrenaline kicked in, slowing everything down, including her thought process & so, she grabbed the warlock in a tackle from behind, & wrenched him backward on top of her. She wasn’t a petite or even small woman, average would be best to describe her, but Wyll was nothing but muscle, & as he landed on her, it drove all the air from her lungs, winding her severely.

Her chest pinched down hard, & wouldn’t relax, no matter how much she gasped & clawed for air. She was only vaguely aware when Wyll’s weight disappeared, because she could roll to the side in an effort to re-gas her lungs. She heard yelling. Feet moved & stamped all around her. Someone started rubbing her back. That was nice. Her eyes were streaming tears, making her vision swim.

Once she could drag in a sip of air, she could also then push herself up into a sitting position. Wiping her eyes & face with her sleeve, she continued to gasp air until it became easier.

“Better?”

She looked around at Gale, who’d been doing the honours. That was nice of him, but ... mental note to self, make sure Gale didn’t fall in love with her. Knowing this bunch of misfits, all it would take would be a sneeze to set them off.

“Thanks, dude.” Keeping it friendly, but not seductive. That was her mission.

“I don’t know what that is, but I’ll presume it’s something friendly.”

“That it is, that it is.”

“That was awesome, you should’ve seen the look on Wyll’s face!” A huge red blob squatted down beside her. “I’m Karlach, by the way; I’d shake your hand, but I’d burn it off!”

Belle looked up, & up, (why were there so many giant people here?) & found the smiling face of her second most favourite character beaming down at her. She thought she’d react all excited to see her. Thought she’d be over the moon. She was but, instead of matching Karlach’s energy, she opened her mouth & started bawling her head off instead!

“Oh, that’s no good, are you hurt?” Karlach’s concern just made it worse!

“I I’m a-all goo-ood. Just nee-ed a crry!”

“Ohhh, that’s fine, hang on a tick!”

Belle buried her face in her hands while Karlach went all Mama K on the rest of them, including Gus, & herded them back up the trail away from her. She came stomping back down, squatting beside Belle again, obviously comfortable on waiting this stupid crying fit out.

“If I had something that wouldn’t catch fire, I’d give it to you”.

“I’ve got my sleeve.” She held up the now saturated arm.

“I think you need to swap sleeves.” There was just the right amount of amusem*nt to her voice.

“I’m sorry, I don’t know what came over me. Everything’s just been …”

“A sh*t-show? Ballsup? Clusterf*ck? I, personally, can relate.”

She looked up to Karlach, heatwaves baking off her, holding a hand to her chest. Now it was quieter, she could hear the infernal engine, clanking away in the tieflings’ chest.

“Yeah, a legacy of being of being sold to the hells” Karlach looked down to her own chest, having followed Belle’s line of sight.

“I can’t imagine. I’m glad we found you, though. Welcome to the tadpole survivor’s society, where we’re all f*cked & f*cked up.”

Karlach’s’ smile split into a grin.

“Sounds like I’ll fit right in then.”

Chapter 16: Gus Steps In

Chapter Text

Gus led the band of hotheads back up to the base of the hill where the path forked. He was worried about Belle, but not overly concerned. He would have been more concerned had she continued bottling everything in & not displayed an outburst before much longer. It was good for her, & he suspected that this Karlach would be good people for her.

The odd lot of companions took the opportunity to break. Wyll went to brood off on his own. That was fine, too. He was a good lad, his moral compass strong and compassion for people laudable. Personally, he couldn’t understand why Ravenguard had been so quick to dismiss his own son. He suspected he’d let his own pride get in the way as he’d gotten higher in the Gate’s politics. If he ever caught up with him, he’d love to give him a piece of his mind …

Brian sat down beside him, knees drawn up, plucking at a blade of grass. For a Baahlspawn he seemed quite complacent to Gus. Still, he didn’t want to make any more mistakes that led to like what had occurred the other night. He’d hated having to tell the large sorcerer that they had to tie him up, even more that he’d been threatening the others. The look in Brians' eyes had been a mix of confusion, sadness & resignation. And a flicker, there & gone, of something darker. It had to have been this ‘killing urge’ Belle had warned him about. In response he’d since been tossing up whether it’d be a good idea to let Brian go in killing things to his hearts content to get it out of his system; or if that might not feed that need to kill.

The two ladies headed to opposite sides of the group. No love lost there, but he found it ridiculous they couldn’t see how similar they were & just work together. They’d be quite formidable in combat if they did that. He’d been chipping away at them both, planting seeds here & there to wake them up to it. For now, he’d wait to see if anything sprouted from it. If not, he might suggest they simply punch it out one night, no weapons allowed. He loved that about Faerun; some problems were actively encouraged to be sorted by fisticuffs.

The biggest problem, as far as Gus was concerned, was the spawn, who flopped down in the shade, sighing heavily & making a show out of it. He didn’t like how quickly a bond had developed between Belle & the vampire. Tapping his upper arms, his mind worked at ways he could keep the two separated without making it obvious. Despite Belle’s suspicions, he had yet to warn the spawn away from her. Being blunt wasn’t always a smart tactic & often backfired in these types of matters.

It didn’t help matters that his daughter had hinted at what had happened over the last two hundred years to him. It meant this had to be handled like surgery. Carefully & precisely. Right now, what could he give the spawn that would ingratiate him to Gus, while taking him away from Belle?

He ambled over to the spawn, who peered up at him as he stood over him.

“Oh hello, what can I do for you?”

Good lord, he would have had those fangs knocked out of his mouth if he’d been on Earth, back in Gus’ younger days. The foppishness would have been enough to label him a poof, & that would’ve been that. In his time in Faerun, Gus had dealt with so many different sorts by now he’d grown used to it, but he wasn’t sure how to fit that in when thinking about this … man … with his daughter. Luckily, that wasn’t going to be a thing, if he had any say in it.

“I need you to go with Wyll & scout the toll house. Go, see, come back. Think you can do that?”

“Really?” he whined. “We’ve only just stopped.”

Gus didn’t react, just gave him a ‘look’.

The spawn sighed theatrically.

“Fine, fine, I suppose I could.”

He heaved himself to his feet with more mutterings & dragged his feet heavily over to Wyll, where he pointed back at Gus. Wyll turned, nodded, & the two took off.

Gus sat, waiting for them to return. He spied red movement coming up the path, which resolved into the giant tiefling woman & Belle, winding their way back up the path.

“All good, daddio” Karlach waved to him, going to pat Belle on the back but remembering at the last second & turning the gesture into running her hand through her own hair instead.

Belle came & slumped beside him; her face blotchy from crying.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to.” She mumbled to him, her voice snotty sounding still from the outburst.

“Don’t be. It’s a bit much, what’s happened in the last few days. It had to come out sooner or later. You aren't hurt, are you?” He wrapped her in beside him, warmth spreading through him as she lay her head in his shoulder, shaking it to indicate no. Gods, he’d missed this! His little girl, all grown up now, & by some miracle reunited with him in another world. He wasn’t a stupid man, he suspected there was something more than coincidence going on, but what that might be eluded him.

He glanced down at her hand, clutching his arm, where the indent of a ring remained on her wedding finger. It looked recently removed. One of these nights, he was going to make sure he caught up on what had happened to her over those lost years. Surely things would settle down enough to allow that.

Wyll returned shortly afterward, the spawn following. That was something else Gus had noted; he always followed, never led. Too used to being told what to do. He frowned at the thought. He might not like the idea of something between his daughter & the spawn (they hadn’t noticed anything; thank god they both appeared blind in that area), but he hated power trippers lording it over others. He’d seen enough of it back on Earth, let alone here, where it seemed to be tenfold in comparison. He sighed mentally. Looks like he was gonna have to teach the spawn to think for himself.

“What’d you find?” he called to them. He felt Belle shift before burying her head in his chest.

“Four. They appear to be on their guard, but exhausted. We could take them now, before nightfall, if you wanted.” Wyll gave his report, the spawn pretending to look everywhere but at his daughter. He had to mentally settle his hackles before answering.

“Let’s f*cking go!” Karlach stood enthusiastically, making a fist.

“Some of you. The rest will be on standby. You” he pointed to Karlach, who voiced a ‘hells yes’, fist pumping the air;

“Brian” the dragon born looked up, gave a ‘who, me?’ look before standing & moved to join Karlach.

“Lae’zel” who just nodded, folded her arms & waited, &, finally,

“Astarion”.

“What? Why?”

Gus made himself look into those blooded eyes.

“Easy. Fresh blood. Go to town.”

The spawn’s expression changed, going from mild annoyance to one of hungry killer.

“When you put it like that …” he turned to the others, “…what are you waiting for? Let’s go, already!”

Blood. Blood was the way to the spawn’s heart. He’d offer the spawn as much blood as he wanted, which would negate any need for him to go anywhere near his Belle.

Chapter 17: Sausages, Again?

Chapter Text

Belle distracted herself from the worst day she’d had yet by setting up her tent. Finally, after that was completed, she could go & wash off with not a chance of stupid coincidental sh*t stopping her from doing so. Once more grabbing up her fresh clothes, soap & rags, she trotted off down the trail to where they’d found Karlach.

Thank god they’d found the tiefling woman; Belle wouldn’t have known where to look afterward had she not been there. They may have run across her later at some point, but the big red woman was an asset they couldn’t do without, in her humble opinion.

Putting her things aside, she stripped off her outerwear, peeled off the boots & waded into the water up to her knees. f*ck she couldn’t wait until she could bathe in hot water, this was getting old, quickly!

Scrubbing herself thoroughly, she untied the knot on her wrist to check the wound. It had clotted, looked a bit red with inflammation but otherwise no sign of infection. Flexing her wrist, it felt tender, but that was normal.

Drying off as much as possible before heading out of the water, she slipped on the fresh, no-colour cotton shirt. Peering at the ground, she stood on some rocks instead of simply stepping out onto the mud, not wanting to smear mud down the insides of her fresh change of pants. Balancing precariously, she managed it, silently cheering her own efforts. It was the small things, honestly.

Stamping the boots back on, she headed back up the trail where she could smell cooking food wafting back down to her. Was she hungry yet or not? Hurrying along, she crested the rise, & saw Gale & Gus cooking side by side. Looked like her night off. Fine by her. She wondered if Shadowheart had any good vintages stashed away, & not just the sh*t shared out from what they’d all managed to find.

Dumping her gear back in her tent, she went to check. The goth girl was cross-legged once more outside her tent, eyes closed & fingers working over what looked like a rosary. She wondered what sort of prayers one would offer an evil goddess. ‘Goddess bless me with forgetting sh*t’ didn’t seem like a good choice to her. Maybe these idiot Sharrans needed a dose of ADHD to really understand what that was like.

“Yo” she greeted as she approached.

Shadowheart sighed, cracked an eye open, closed it & resumed her prayers. Belle recognised a dismissal when she saw one.

“You wouldn’t happen to have anything sweeter in the alcohol department rattling round your tent, would you?” Just because she was dismissed wasn’t an actual reason to leave.

“For the love of … “ she slammed down her beads & glared at Belle.

“Do they do anything? Is it like a system where you can contact your goddess directly & she answers straight away? Cause I know of a better system –“

“They’re for meditation. I use them to mediate on my goddesses’ edicts & teachings, but on also how I can better serve her. It also allows me to calm down, so I don’t end up killing camp mates.”

“Ohhh, like a zen garden. Gotcha.” The threat floated right on by the goalkeeper.

“Whatever. And no, I haven’t found anything sweeter than sawdust out in the middle of nowhere.”

“Bugger. Is there anything sweeter than the piss we’ve been swilling? In the Sword Coast, I mean?”

“There’s several, actually.” She held up her hand & ticked some off. “Golden Sands Brews; Highwater Ale; Luiren’s Best & Belbuck to name a few. Like the sweeter ones, do you?”

“I do. You guys got co*cktails here?”

Shadowheart looked intrigued but shook her head.

“OMG when we get to Baldur’s Gate, you, me Lae’zel & Karlach are gonna have a girlie night in while the boys can go bugger off somewhere. I’ll teach you how; it’s gonna be the best night!” she squealed in excitement at something to look forward to.

The light caught Shadowhearts’ face just right, & Belle might have seen it hike into something other than resting bitch face.

“I – I don’t think I’ve ever had a ‘girlie night’ before. It doesn’t sound half bad. Could we leave the gith out of it though?”

“No. Can you imagine a drunk Lae’zel? That would be worth ignoring wanting to kill her for!”

The cleric considered it without committing.

“Anyways, I think I’m going for an early one. I’m f*cked!” she toodle-ooed Shadowheart, who half raised her hand before she caught herself, dropping it like a hot stone once she realised what she’d gone to do.

“Belle, come here a moment” Gus called her over to the fire, looking like he was dishing up sausages onto a plate. He handed it to her as she sat beside him, but she refused.

“I’m sick of sausages, no offense dad.”

“You need to keep your strength up, hun. I bet this is a lot more activity you’re doing now than you were used to back home.”

“Well, yeah, but I’m not a big fan of fatty beef products anyway. Makes me queasy. You eat it” she shoved the plate back at him.

“I’ll have to try to get some more ingredients so I can prepare a more refined menu” Gale commented, from the other side of Gus.

“All good Gale. I just wanna hit the hay; today’s been … tough.”

“All right sweetie. I want to see you eat brekkie in the morning though, ok?” Gus replied, his tone brooking no argument.

“Yes dad. You’re such a worry wart!”

“Someone’s got to look out for you. And I suppose the rest of this bunch.”

“You’re such a dad, dad. At least there’s boys here you can go do all those boy things with you tried with me.” She laughed. “Remember the time you tried to teach me how to use a shotgun?”

Gus paused, recalling the incident. Mirth lit up his face.

“I remember having to stop you from swinging it around at me whenever I asked you a question.”

“I remember you shoving the barrel to the ground when I did.”

“What’s a shotgun?” Gale asked, intrigued.

“Use your taddie, dad. Show him.” She got to her feet, dusting off her backside from the debris on the log.

“You can do that?” he asked, dubiously.

“You can. Used to be a penalty for doing so in early access, but they removed it for the full game. Go on, use that little sucker like a movie projection. Little f*cker should earn it’s keep, anyways.”

“Are you sure there aren’t any side effects?” Gale asked her, worry etching his countenance.

“Some humanity, I think. We’re all lacking to a degree in that department anyway. Don’t say you’re not” she pointed a finger at the wizard who had opened his mouth to protest. “I’m senja’si, remember, I know things from your past as well!”

“You’re an impossibly well-informed Earthling, not a senja’si.” He pouted, subdued by her threat of knowing things about him she shouldn’t.

“I’m beginning to like the sound of it. Better than ‘fraud’, which is what we generally refer to clairvoyants as.”

Sounds began to filter down through them all from the path leading up to the toll house. Belle looked up but couldn’t see the returning party yet. And she was in no way ready to see Astarion at this point. She didn’t know if she ever would be after that morning. Which was sad, because she liked the weird love/hate thing they had going on.

“I’m going to bed. Wake me if anyone’s dead” she dived back into her tent, tying up the cords quick smart.

She told herself she was not avoiding him, but of course she was.

Chapter 18: Cone of Silence

Chapter Text

It was Gus who woke her the next morning. Not that she wasn’t happy to see him, but she felt a pang that her backpack hadn’t been wrenched out from under her head. Was that weird? That was weird, right? She didn’t have time to even bitch at him before he thrust the cup of tea in her hands & left her to her devices. She sighed, staring at the roof of the tent until the cup grew too hot in her hands & she put it down so she could sit up & stare at the wall of the tent instead.

The usual bustling & voices could be heard outside the tent flap. She watched it unenthusiastically. Uh oh, looked like her dopamine hit of finding herself in Faerun had run its course. All she had to look forward to now was more f*cking bush hiking, killing goblins, then the tiefling party, where she would get drunk & hide herself away in her tent to avoid temptation. Or, maybe, she could entice Halsin to go for a walk in the woods with her. That could work, couldn’t it? And, if not, there was always some hottie tieflings’ she could fling herself at.

Ugh, birth control, though. And safe sex! f*cking hell this world sucked at times! There was probably an herbal remedy to it, but she’d have to hunt one down, which she couldn’t be bothered with. She chugged the tea, threw the cup at the now doused fire, narrowly missing Wyll, & wrestled her tent into messy submission, all the while swearing at it as if it had offended her.

She felt like one of those cartoon characters as she fell into last position (except for Withers, wherever the f*ck he was hiding behind her), the ones with the gloomy rainclouds poised above their heads, pissing down rain on them. They walked & walked, the scenery did it’s thing in not changing much, snippets of conversation not involving her drifted back to her on the breeze.

“I’m bored. Can’t I go home? Withers, can’t you zap in some f*cking motorbikes or cars, or even some f*cking nukes? Let’s go nuke the bitch, get it done with so I can go chill with Netflix!”

Gale looked back at her as if she’d gone mad. Well, she had! With boredom! Withers didn’t even bother answering her on that one. f*cking mummy man who’d gone & f*cked up everything. How did one go about f*cking over a god of death, anyhow?

She was lost in thought on that subject when it slowly became apparent that she wasn’t walking by herself anymore. The elegant arm swinging beside hers was certainly not hers, & she didn’t own jewellery like that. She looked to her right, where a woman now occupied the space previously taken up by air.

“Who the f*ck’re you?” she politely enquired of the lady, draped in a beautiful dark dress that Belle wouldn’t have minded for herself. At a f*cking ball. Who goes bush walking in a f*cking evening gown?
Gale, surprisingly, didn’t look back at her. Maybe he’d had enough, or just come to the conclusion that she was having just another bad day & it was better to leave her to her own ramblings.

“I’m the one who organised your transportation here.” Her voice was all echoey, reminiscent of Withers. Belle narrowed her eyes at the bitch.

“Great. Now send me home. Now.” She didn’t care who this one was, she was sick to death of gods & goddesses & devils. All they did was take your life & upend it, no answers given as to why.

“Jergal did warn me, but I must say, your vocabulary … I’m not accustomed to being referred to in such a manner.” There was no inflection in her tone. None. It was like she was a newbie teenager at their first debate club, reading the lines verbatim from their notes.

“Get used to it. I’m not genuflecting for the likes of you or any of your kind. Why am I here?”

The elegantly dressed goddess (Belle knew all about how one presented oneself & how that could be used as a weapon; used to put someone in their place; used to make others feel like they should bow & kowtow to the better dressed ones; she simply imagined this woman dressed like the rest of them; worked a treat) turned to regard her. The whiskey-coloured eyes were wise, & deep, and utterly human looking.

“I know who you are” Belle said, suddenly superimposing a purple glow over this woman. She stabbed a finger at her. “You’ve got some nerve calling on me when you’ve left him in limbo” she thumbed at Gale, who was absolutely oblivious to his own goddess strolling along behind him.

“Gale has a lot to learn if he intends to fulfill his role as my chosen. It is for his own benefit that I do this.”

“You didn’t think to tell him that?”

“Do you think me simply telling him would change him? Gale’s hubris must be tamed from the inside; he must know it in his bones. Suffering leads to change; change leads to true growth of the soul.”

Where had she heard that before? And why were they deigning to share this with her? Why not Gus? He was Tav, after all, she was just along for the ride. Speaking of,
“Whatever. Why am I here? Do I have to suffer as well to lead to this change? This growth? For what purpose?”

Mystra’s face changed, warmth suffusing the previous stillness she’d displayed.

“He is right. You do see beyond, when guided. Many, many more do not. To answer your question: just like your father was brought here for his purpose in this, you have your own to fulfill, at the end. I simply wanted to call in to check your progress. Personal curiosity, shall we say.”

Belle stared at her, waiting for more. When it became clear no more was forthcoming, she couldn’t help herself.

“That’s it? That’s all your going to tell me?”

“For now. Yes.”

“How come your magic still works around me? Shouldn’t the weave collapse in my presence?”

Mystra’s lip curled up on one side.

“You’re not strong enough for your ability to work on me like that. Yet.”

And she ‘poofed’ out of existence, the air collapsing back in, making a little sound like someone slapping a cheek.

Yet? What the f*ck did that mean?

“Gale?”

“What?”

Now he could hear her. Made sense Mystra had covered them with the cone of silence.

“You’re goddess sucks, man.”

“Where in the hells did that come from? Are you looking to get killed, because, if she heard that, you’d end up on the pointy end of a lightning bolt. Seriously, just because you don’t have gods like ours on Earth doesn’t mean you can go around slandering them here.”

“And yet, I’m still here. Funny that, isn’t it?”

He looked around them, looking like he fully expected a lightning bolt out of the blue to smite them where they stood.

“Just promise me you won’t go mouthing off at any of the deities here. Or devils…. or any other entity you can think of.”

“Maybe. It depends on if they’re dicks or not. Most of them have been, so far.”

“Just because they’re … not what you’re used to…”

“Say it. Say they’re dicks. You know you want to.”

“I will not!...even if they are” she heard him mutter under his breath as he turned resolutely back around.

She felt better, now that she’d led Gale into sin with her.

Chapter 19: Yeenoghu

Chapter Text

Gus halted them all as they approached the last group of gnolls before they started the trek to Waukeens’ Rest, planned for the next day. Belle was in a mood where she thought she might like to see, in real life, from the safe vantage point of as far away as possible, what the other’s looked like in a fight. She spied an elevated, craggy outcropping & sat down in a little, hard to spot area that gave her a great view of the area below. Gus cautioned her to keep quiet & not draw attention to herself. She nodded on her way over.

The outcropping was just out of range to be effective for any of the others to use (not that the magic users in the group would come anywhere near her when fighting, her ability noshed away all their magic supply so that they were useless in a fight).

She watched as her dad swept wide of the gnolls & kept clear of the others, readying his bow as he went. This was freakin’ awesome! The others spread out, crouching & skirting the edges of the aimlessly wandering gnolls. She could just see the entrance to the cave from where she sat, & wondered if they would end up freeing the trapped Zentarim or let the gnolls feed. Either or, in her opinion. Secretly, not so deep down, she was hoping one of the others would go tadpole to tadpole with the gnoll leader & command the bitch to eat herself. That would be so, so gross, yet oddly satisfying to see.

At a signal from Gus (how weird to see everyone just obey his commands like that; not like her, god no, she remembered telling him he was a horrible parent at one stage when he tried telling her what to do when she’d been sixteen), they launched their attack; arrows & spells flew through the air, whistling or making odd, compaction sounds as they landed; someone had launched a thunder bolt arrow, & the explosion was fantastic!

Before she knew it, she was on her feet. Fists clenched, she was bouncing on her toes, hurling abuse at the gnolls in between hollering encouragement at the fighters. It was like watching your favourite footy team live at the stadium.

She looked down in surprise at her feet as a gnoll suddenly sprang up, snarling & stinking to the high heavens. Her jaw dropped as an arrow blossomed between its eyes & it toppled backward & off the crag. She looked up to see Astarion, bow raised, who’d just saved her life. Her face broke out in a grin, & she gave him the thumbs up on both hands.

“My hero!” she yelled & was surprised to see him flourish a bow in her direction before going back in for more murdery fun. She chuckled, suddenly feeling a hundred percent better than yesterday. Then she saw Brian, in brainlock with the gnoll leader, both trembling & snarling, vying for dominance.

‘Make it eat itself’ she projected (well, thought she did; if anyone had looked at her then they might have thought her constipated). But something must have got through, because, next minute, it started tearing into its own arm.

“Oh, ewwww, so disgusting” she breathed, watching avidly as it literally consumed its own limbs, hands, feet & what it could reach of its legs. All that was left was a writhing torso, snarling up at the white dragon born as he reached down & casually ripped it’s throat out, stuffing the throat back into the jaw of the beast. “So f*cking cool.” She kinda wished she coulda’ had that ability when dealing with some rotten clients at times back home.

She trotted over to them as they looted the corpses or cleaned off their weapons.

“What’d you think?” Gus asked her as she approached.

“You couldn’t hear what I thought?” she’d been yelling loud enough.

“I could. And I thought I’d warned you to keep quiet & not draw attention to yourself.”

“All good. Only one got near me. Astarion killed it. Dead. One shot. Right here.” She pointed between her eyes. Out the corner of her eye she saw him hold his head higher & preen a bit. Nice. Hopefully that meant they could go back to sh*t-stirring each other. Gus, on the other hand, gave Astarion a look from under his bushy brows. She couldn’t quite interpret it. It wasn’t one she was familiar with. Her dad ended up nodding to him, once, before turning to deal with the cowardly Zentarim who were only now emerging from the cave.

She, however, was full of energy from having witnessed them fighting. It made her want to buckle down & practice harder to get to a stage where she could at least stab something. She took out her own sword, unused as yet, looking at it critically as the sun twinkled off it. Looked to the carcass of a nearby gnoll. Had never stabbed a humanoid creature before, & they were already dead, sooooo….

“Why are you stabbing it? It’s dead, dear.” Astarion asked her in his ‘you’re really, really weird & I’m just gonna point it out to everyone’ tone.

“Get the feel of it” she replied, pulling out the sword & stabbing the beast again, in a different spot. “I’m great at filleting fish or chopping up a chook, but a majority of Earthlings don’t go round like you lot getting all stabby with other humans.” She paused, sawing the sword back & forth, making the corpse issue forth some funky sounding squishes. “Actually, depends on where you are. Certainly not from where I’m from.”

“You live in a city of over five million people, & you don’t stab each other?” Shadowheart had been listening in.

“Well, there’s murders, but they’re always investigated. Generally, though, no.”

“Did you just say five million…” Astarion had turned to Shadowheart, who nodded.

“One city” she said, holding up a single finger. “One.”

Belle ignored them, really getting into the stabby stabby now. She hit something that belched out an enormous stink.

“Ok that’s enough of that” Astarion grabbed her & hauled her away from the deflating corpse.

Chapter 20: Twenty Years

Chapter Text

Inside the cave it had seemed redundant in setting up the tents, so they’d just laid out the bedrolls in a wide ring around the larger fire Wyll had got going earlier. Gus had taken the opportunity to catch up with Belle, asking her what she’d been up to for the last twenty years he’d been absent. He handed her a cup of sour wine.

Sipping it & pulling a face, she answered succinctly.

“Got married, then divorced. Started a business. That’s pretty much it. Oh, found out I’m neuro-spicy, too.”

“Belle.”

“Hmm?”

“Care to elaborate?”

She sighed, running a hand through her hair & taking a large swig of the foul drink.

“It’s a long, exhausting story, dad. I settled at an early age for what turned out to be Mr. Not Right for Me. Someone who was more about presenting masks in public than about substance in a personal relationship. A workaholic that never took the time for us, even for birthdays or special occasions. He believed that me asking those things of him was selfish of me. Plus, turned out, after many, many years of lack of intimacy, not just in the bedroom, but emotionally, he was asexual. I believed it was me. That I was in some way horribly undesirable. And he reinforced that by not answering my questions as to what I’d done wrong. Would have been nice to know that before committing myself to a life of celibacy, & being told I was too much in asking for a shred of affection like a cuddle or the touch of a hand.”

She finished off the cup & tilted it toward Gus for a refill. He obliged, looking sad.

“People have it way worse, I know that. There wasn’t physical abuse. Just … absence. Neglect. For twenty years. That’s ok. I worked at understanding a lot of it before I left. In a way, my understanding was the catalyst for me to leave. He wasn’t a bad person; just bad for me.”

“Oh Belle, I’m so sorry. What’d mum think of all this?”

“Mum … didn’t help. She … sort of took his side. She’d say stuff like ‘if you only tried harder’, or ‘maybe if you kept the house cleaner’. She implied it was my fault that he was treating me that way. Sorry, dad, I know you love her, & I do to, but I …. don’t like her. She’s what we call toxic, these days.”

She watched him sigh, rubbing his creased eyes with his age spot covered hand.

“I should have been there. I could have done something … “

“Like what? You remember, don’t you, I could never be told I was wrong. I look at it as a really long lesson I had to learn in order to grow ….” hold the phone, that seemed to be a recurring theme, lately.

“You were a teenager. All teenagers behave like that, thinking they know everything, & the parents know nothing.”

“Maybe. Maybe not. We’ll never know now, anyway. Can we not talk about it anymore, please?”

She hated talking about it. She felt like a whiny little bitch who shouldn’t complain because she had nothing to complain about.

Belle felt that, for all that could be gained from the experience, was that she now knew better. Not everything, & not everything was any one persons’ fault. It was just … life. And, right now, she’d somehow managed to break free of her old one, for a time, at least, & dive headfirst into navigating herself through this bit of it.

All in all, she didn’t think she was ballsing it up too badly; she’d wait until Act 3 before finding that out, anyway.

Chapter 21: Drinking Game

Chapter Text

And after that exhausting exercise (much more exhausting than traipsing around the bush for the last few days) Belle got drunk. f*ck it, she deserved it, & future Belle could worry about the hangover she’d suffer in the morning. She normally didn’t bother drinking now; but it didn’t mean she didn’t know how to do it when she wanted to.

She’d convinced Shadowheart, who needed no convincing whatsoever, to go & get a bottle of cold wine for her out of the magical fridge they carried around.

“Need a drinking partner?” the cleric had offered as she’d handed over the bottle. Belle looked up at her from her cross-legged position on her bedroll.

“You know what? Absolutely! Pull up a chair!”

She waited until Shadowheart had selected her own beverage, before re-joining her.

“Are you any good at drinking?” Belle eyed the goth challengingly.

“You’ve got to be joking. I can hold my own” Shadowheart accepted the challenge.

“Show me, then.”

Shadowheart took a long draught from the bottle, gasping & wiping her mouth as she downed a third of it in one go. She smiled viscously at Belle.

“You’re turn.”

Belle upended the bottle, having given it a sharp flick as she did so. The entire bottle disappeared down her throat in less time than Shadowheart had taken for hers.

The half-elves’ eyes widened in disbelief.

“How in the goddesses name did you do that?”

Belle gave voice to a deep, ladylike burp that reverberated throughout the cave.

“I’m an Aussie, hun, you’ll never outdrink one of us.”

“We’ll see about that.”

She tried to emulate what Belle had done, only ending up wasting the wine, having half of it pour from her mouth as she couldn’t keep swallowing fast enough.

“Lightweight” Belle commented good naturedly. “Wanna know how it’s done?”

She went to get up, only both ladies were presented with a bottle each. Looking up, Astarion was offering them more, with an encouraging, evil smile.

“I have got to get in on this” he commented, pulling a third bottle out of who knew where & seating himself beside the both of them. All three uncorked the bottles.

“Right. Trick to downing it quickly. You’ve got to get the liquid moving fast, like a tornado. Kills the resistance going down.”

She showed them the flick of the wrist. Astarion got it straight away, Shadowheart took a couple of goes.

“Good, that’s good. Now. The tricky part. You’ve got to … erhm… suppressyourgagreflex”

She kept her eyes on Shadowheart saying that. The other woman took a hot second to understand, & simply nodded. Astarion, however …

“Easy”.

Of course he’d say something like that, in that tone, the one he used for picking locks.

“Well then, you’ll be a natural at this, won’t you” she replied, facing him, Dutch courage kicking in now that the alcohol was starting to worm its way through her veins.

His smile deepened as he tilted the bottle at her in a ‘cheers’.

“The winner slams their bottle down first. Conditions are no spillage …”

The snort beside her was enough for her to drive her elbow into him; lightly, of course.

“Oww, watch where you’re putting that thing” he rubbed the area excessively. He then followed with, “I may need you to kiss it better, darling.”

“Oh, for the love of … will you shut up or f*ck already?” Shadowheart stabbed her finger at Astarion while rolling her eyes at Belle.

“I beg your pardon, I’ll have you know –“ followed right on top of

“Whaaaat? That is so not happening!”

They glanced at each other, then looked away quickly.

“Nope, no, back to drinking” Belle insisted, her face glowing. With alcohol. Juuust alcohol.

“Right, well, let’s do this then.” Shadowheart looked smug at her little dig. And to think, Belle thought she’d started to like the woman.

“Where was I?” Belle asked.

“Spillage, dear.”

“I’m f*cking warning you” said Shadowheart, glaring at Astarion.

“Right. Um, & nothing left in the bottle. Ready?”

They both nodded, hands poised to give the flick.

“Three. Two. One. Go.”

They all upended the bottles, letting the wine pour down their throats in a torrential stream. Belle slammed down her bottle first, followed quickly by Astarion, then Shadowheart.

“Oh, eugh, that’s terrible.” Astarion wrinkled his nose as he wiped his mouth.

“How the hell can you drink alcohol anyway? I’ve been meaning to ask. Because, frankly, that does not add up.” Belle questioned him.

“How in the hells should I know? I’m not an expert on vampire physiology. Besides, I don’t think anyone’s ever bothered studying it, let alone wrote a dissertation on it.”

“I’m going to get another bottle. Do you two want a refill?” Shadowheart interrupted, unfurling herself, only very slightly unsteady on her feet.

“Yes” Belle answered.

“I think not” Astarion told her. “It’s just swill.”

Belle leant over, plucking at his sleeve. He turned to look at her. Oops, she was closer than she’d intended. She pulled back, only, he followed her. Ok, then. Blinking owlishly, she asked,

“Would it make it taste better if it had blood in it?”

His pupils blew wide just at the mention. He flicked a glance down at her wrist.

“Well, it might. I’ve never tasted it before when mixed. But, your father, darling, is sitting right over there.” He nodded, ever so slightly, at Gus.

“What about just a few drops, then?”

He hesitated before answering her.

“Why? I mean, why are you offering? I’m not complaining, mind you … “ he trailed off, seemingly at a loss to continue.

“To make it taste better?”

His eyes flicked over her face; looking for what, she didn’t know.

He finally answered.

“Alright, then. But don’t make it obvious you’re doing it”.

“I am the picture of covertness.” She said, placing a hand over her heart. Leaning back, she faced away as she burped again. That was the other secret; get rid of any air as quickly as possible so it didn’t get stuck & make drinking impossible.

She heard him bitch behind her about being glad his digestive system didn’t work like that anymore. Shadowheart presented the bottles once more at her return, seating herself & removing the cork.

Belle did so as well, half falling & crawling to grab the little scalpel knife she kept tucked away in her bedroll now.

“Gotcha” she told it, rolling back into a sitting position.

Shadowheart, (Selune, or whoever, bless her), eyed what Belle was about to do, but kept her mouth shut.

Poking her tongue out, she flicked the knife over the tip of her thumb, squeezing the welling blood out into the wine bottle. She massaged her thumb, trying to get as much in there as possible before her thumb started going numb & white.

“Righto. Here you go” she said, swapping bottles with Astarion.

He held it up to smell it, the moan he gave so low it vibrated in his chest. Both ladies ignored it.

“Ready?” she gave the countdown once again, flicking her wrist on go, & slamming her bottle down, seconds after Astarion had.

“You swallow too slow” Belle pointed out to the cleric. “But good job, not everyone can do this.”

“On that note, I think I’m done.” Shadowheart got to her feet, turned, & walked carefully away, with a pronounced lean, back to her own bedroll.

“You done?” she turned to Astarion, who had meanwhile picked up the empty wine bottle, held it up to his mouth & tapped the bottom of it for the dregs.

“Unfortunately. That certainly helped the flavour” he tipped his head at her thumb, & placed the bottle back down, giving her a smile from the side.

“Somebody should study what happens to alcohol in vampires. It’d be interesting to read. Earth has various theories on the constitution & what you lot are capable of, but it varies from source to source.”

“I thought you said Earth only contains humans.”

“It does. And lots & lots of stories. The vampire genre is huge. All I can say is, thank god you don’t sparkle in the sunlight.”

“Sparkle? I don’t sparkle. Glow, yes. Sparkle, no.”

“I know …” whoops, that went too close to the other morning.

He leant in towards her just a tiny bit more.

“So you saw, did you? I thought you might have. Naughty girl.”

“That was totally unintentional. I had no idea you’d gone that way. Anyway, what were you doing flashing off everywhere when you couldn’t not have heard me coming?”

“I did hear you coming. And I thought that it had been quite unfair of me to have seen your delectable self & not return the favour.”

“You are so lucky I’m drunk right now & immune to your bullsh*t.”

“Is that so?” he reached out, & stroked her hand with a single finger, causing huge knots of gooseflesh to wind their way up her arm. She looked down, utterly fascinated at the response. It was exactly like being a virgin & never having been touched before.

“Astarion.” She said quietly, “I know you know what I saw that day. Don’t do something you don’t really want to be doing.”

Thank all the gods that be for alcohol, because there was no way in hell she’d have said that to his face while sober.

“I’m aware.” He continued to stroke her hand anyway, seemingly fixating on it & losing the seductive quality he had but a moment ago.

“Then why …”

“Why not? As you’re so fond of saying, just because.”

“Oh.”

“Your skin really is quite warm. I like it.”

“Yours’ is freezing.”

“Comes with being undead.”

“No sh*t.”

She watched as her own hand, seemingly entirely on its own, ever so slowly turned over while his own finger paused in its ministrations. When her palm presented itself, he let his own fingers brush the mounds & valleys it contained lightly. The tension built, her palm buzzing & tingling at the attention it was being paid. When it got too much to bear, she closed her hand around his fingers, her heat thawing his coolness.

Chapter 22: Hangover

Chapter Text

Her tongue felt like carpet the next morning. She could taste the rank, swamp-ass gas left by the wine. Her stomach felt like it was swaying from side to side, & she wasn’t even moving. Why the hell had past Belle thought this would be a good idea? If she could, she’d go back in time & wring the silly bitch’s neck.

Someone was poking timidly at her shoulder.

“Ugh” she communicated to them.

“Belle? Gus said you’d need this” Wyll. Why was he shouting? She wanted to snarl at him & rip his tongue clear out his head. But Wyll was too nice a person to be subjected to morning Belle, let alone hungover morning Belle. No, she couldn’t do that to him.

She flopped one arm over her eyes, which felt like cotton wool stuffed sandpaper, & flopped the other arm out, hand open, to receive whatever it was Gus had entrusted Wyll with giving her. It was another cup of whatever the hell her father had concocted. Smelled a bit like minted fairy floss.

“Hang on” Wyll told her as she upended most of the contents on her face instead of into her mouth. He took back the cup, lifted her head, & let her sip from what was left. It left a chalky coating in her mouth & on her teeth.

With her head pounding, she rolled off the bedroll, moaning & groaning, so that Wyll could roll it back up for her while the potion had time to work.

“I’m surprised you’re still alive. Three bottles of wine in under fifteen minutes. You could drink a sailor under the table.”

“Don’t ….. talk…..” She whispered, reaching out a hand & splaying it against Wyll’s face, grimacing at having to talk herself. The quality of the wine she’d imbibed was as bad as one she’d drank as a teenager, a cheap & nasty brew that you could only abide because it was sweet going down.

She didn’t see him glance at her & nod. She was aware when he got up & left. Now, if she could only sit here & nurse her head for the rest of her life, she’d be fine.

“Hair of the dog, darling” Astarion commented gaily as he wandered by her, awake & chirpy as ever at this ungodly hour of the day. She couldn’t even muster the massive amount of energy needed to throw a dagger at him. If she had a dagger. She must find one, for future situations just like this.

“She doesn’t need that, Astarion.” She heard Gus answer him, his tone warning him it was wrong to suggest it.

“It’s a proven method of curing a hangover.” She heard him retort.

“So’s a bullet, but you wouldn’t suggest that.”

“Well, I might. Depends on whom I’m suggesting it for.”

“Would you suggest it for Belle?”

Silence filled the cave. She heard him sigh softly before replying.

“…no. No, I suppose not.”

“Perhaps think about what you’re saying & whom you’re saying it about before opening your mouth next time.”

Oh good lord, she remembered that tone from when she’d been a teenager. If her head wasn’t wanting to separate from her body right then, she might have lifted it to give Astarion sympathy. Hearing someone else on the receiving end was, however … hilarious.

They headed out shortly after, Gale thrusting a stack of fried bacon at her, & she noshed on it as they wound their way around to Waukeens’ Rest. Her brain had exited the building once the potion had kicked in (Gus needed to sell this sh*t back home; he’d make a killing) leaving her gloriously thought free most of the morning. No gods stopping by to shoot the sh*t, no one narking at her. It was almost peaceful bar the nausea that kept coming & going.

The mid-morning rest was a welcome one; the sun seemed to be gradually getting hotter as the days wore on. She found a nice, flattish rock, sat down with her head hanging down, telling herself the headache was definitely not trying to creep back in.

She was bumped to the side slightly as someone came & sat beside her.

“So. You told me last night you’d tell me today what you know of my scars.”

Crap, had she? Her head gave a throb as she tried to recall any bit of conversation where she’d said that.

“Did I?” she asked him thickly, wondering now if she wouldn’t throw up, after all.

“You did. You wanted to compare them to your own, actually.”

Oh f*ck, she hadn’t, had she? Her stomach lurched with the thought.

“Mine aren’t written in infernal.”

No, hers were old surgery scars, right back from the first two years of her relationship.

“You said that. And that you couldn’t read them; but you knew what they were about.”

She couldn’t believe (well, she could, if she stopped to think about it), she’d told him. Well, at least this cut Raphael out of manipulating him, she supposed.

“I didn’t senja’si you, did I?”

“You did. What wonderful information you must have access to.” He’d gone all contemplative on her. She imagined a marching band going by, cheering ‘here comes the manipulation’.

“Will you be fine with the short & sweet version? Cause I think I’m not far from hurling.”

“Short and sweet is fine. For now.”

“It’s a binding ritual. Part of a contract between your master & Mephistopheles. He’s going to sacrifice you & others so he can become the first Vampire Ascendant. Excuse me.” She dashed off into the bushes, where she tried to puke as quietly as she could.

Chapter 23: Transactional Cuddles

Chapter Text

She felt better after having a chunder. Washing her mouth out with water, she re-joined the others. Astarion was still sitting where she’d left him looking pensively off into the underbrush.

Gus called them to start out again. Everyone shifted, falling into line behind her father. Who knew this would be a militaristic holiday?

She caught up with Astarion as he went to re-join his spot up near the front.

“Hey, walk with me a bit” she said, touching his shoulder.

He looked down at her, & she could see he was a million miles away. She filed that look away, so she knew what to look out for in the future, just in case. He nodded, joining her.

“I’m sorry for knowing about your scars. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It doesn’t bother me you did; you'd seen them anyway. For the longest time I thought they were just the ravings of a madman. To know they mean something, though… that bothers me.”

“I imagine it does.”

“All those years …” he continued, “… & that … bastard … was laughing at me.”

There was nothing to say to this. So, she just listened.

“I can’t believe … Infernal. Do you know what he told me it was?”

“No.” Yes.

“A poem. He carved it into my back over the course of a night. If I moved, if I screamed, or cried or made any sound at all, he’d stop, heal the wounds he’d made already, & start again.”

f*cking hell, hearing this in person was … just horrible. She’d had others over time confess to abuse of all sorts; the salon environment & developing trust in ones’ therapist made them a safe person to open to … it eluded her right now how she’d suddenly become Astarion’s safe person to confess to, what with screaming at him like a harpy & calling him names, but maybe he’d sensed her empathy, like all the others.

“Can you tell me about him? Or is that too much?”

“About Cazador? Why?”

“It helps to give voice to it, sometimes. Or not. It’s entirely up to you. I’m not interested in him as a person or his motives. I’m interested in how you perceive him.”

“Oh, I perceive a monster who needs to be destroyed.” He was utter viciousness suddenly, his posture bending, arms reaching out & ending in hands clenched like claws. He was entirely feral for a moment. This was the caged beast who lived at the heart of Astarion as he was right now. All she wanted to do was bundle him off & cuddle it out of him.

Then he straightened.

“But that will have to wait until we deal with these parasites, I suppose.”

“It’ll come.”

“Will it? Or will he find some way to drag me back? He has, before. Once, years ago, I broke free. I managed to get quite a ways out to a town; I can’t remember the name. I holed up in the tavern there. He found me that very night. Sent the other spawn to fetch me. That earned me a three-year stint in the kennels.”

He turned to her fully as they continued walking.

“The kennels are where he kept the more unruly spawn. I spent a lot of time there. When he got sick of torturing us, he had Godey take over in his stead.”

Christ those flood gates had opened wide, hadn’t they? All the hate & fear were now spilling out everywhere, & she doubted he could control it right now. This was exactly like a cyst that had been left to fester; apparently, she was the one to come along & lance it.

“I know for a fact that if you stay here – with us – he doesn’t get you.” No, that possibility came later in Baldur’s Gate. She also knew for a fact that if he left the party, he was as good as dead.

“That little foresight ability of yours? How interesting.” He paused. “How much information are you privy to that you don’t let on?”

Holy moly who said he wasn’t as sharp as Gale?

“Um, a bit.” And then some.

“So, you know more about this Ascendent ritual.” He wasn’t asking.

“Just a tad.”

His lips quirked upward just right; his eyes heavily surveying her through his lashes as he swayed toward her.

“I wonder what it would take to make you … want … to share.”

Was it her, or did he just subtly present his body in the best possible way for her to purview him? She was strongly minded of jewellery presented just so under the light of the showcase. Suddenly, Astarion's seduction techniques became icky. Belle found she no longer liked it; give her serious Astarion like he'd been last night when they'd just talked, or smart arse Astarion, or Astarion who was spewing bile & acid everywhere. They were real; not this caricature he'd been forced to present to the world.

There was no way he knew that what he was doing wasn’t what he actually wanted to do right now. And it was her he was propositioning, not any of the others. The others didn't know what she did. Ergo, it was her sacred mission to make sure he navigated his own way to freedom & autonomy. But she'd have to start on his terms. Astarion understood that if he wanted something, he had to give something. So, she'd give him something positive.

“Cuddles.”

“Ohh … into that sort of thing, are we? I suppose …I could do … that.”

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic. Must be too out there for you. I understand it’s not to everyone’s taste…”

“I didn’t say no. Cuddling is … fine. Especially if it leads to other things, darling.”

It sure did … more cuddling!

Chapter 24: Shopping

Chapter Text

Before they could work out the logistics of achieving that, what with Gus hovering over them in camp, a smell of smoke wafted by.

“There’s a fire” Astarion muttered, looking into the nearby sky at the plume of dark smoke that had started to billow upward. He was poised to run to the front of the group but hesitated for a moment to lean in close to her, & Belle copped full on seduction mode from him.

“I’ll see you later, lover” he purred before sprinting off.

Noooo. Wait! Whaat? She hadn’t meant that, had she? Had he construed it as that? OMG he had, hadn’t he!

Her jaw popped open. A high-pitched, girlie giggle issued forth. Her insides set themselves on fire.

“Not to interfere” Gale interfered, “but I’d be wary around that one, were I you.”

She giggled at him, then clapped a hand over her mouth, nodding frantically at the well-intentioned advice. He gave her another worried look before heading off to join the others.

The group took off at a run, while she followed at a more sedate pace, trying & failing miserably to get the hysterics that threatened to take over, under control.

No-one had ever called her lover like that before. Not with that promise of fulfilling ones every desires. No-one had ever called her lover. Her experience of men calling her anything was ‘darl’ or ‘hun’. Ausssie men were not that imaginative, nor that romantic.

Her mind replayed it over & over, till she thought she might burn to a crips. Shiiiit, how was she going to get through the rest of the day until they broke for camp? She wasn’t going to be able to look him in the eyes without going tomato red. And she had a feeling he’d intended that. So, what did one do in this situation? Avoid the one causing the distraction. She would ignore him & not go near him. That’d work, right?

‘You’re a f*cking twat’ her shoulder demon looked down its nose at her. Yes, yes, she was, no denying it.

Some rando bumped into her as she approached the rest, & didn’t even apologise as they ran off, god knows where. Shellshocked, probably. She wandered into the gates, the smell of smoke thick in the air. The breezy gusts kept most of it down.

A large group of people milled around the front doors of the larger, inner complex. At Gus’ command, everyone moved out of the way, letting Brian & Karlach take a side each of the double doors, &, kicking in unison, smashed them off their hinges. She clapped, because it deserved it. Karlach threw a grin over her shoulder at Belle before diving into the building, along with durge, to go & rescue the people trapped within.

She made a note to check out the kitchen for supplies before they left. She could steal some kitchen supplies without guilt, surely? Speaking of supplies, the wash room was just standing there, wide open to the public. Ducking in through the debris, she gathered up all the soap she could find lying around, & the towels. She was sick of using rags to dry off with & no one stopped her from helping herself. Not that there were many people left hanging around by that stage. Of the one’s not killed; she wondered where the rest of the staff had gotten off to.

Dumping her finds near the water fountain, she went back in, having spotted oils lined up on a shelf above the tub. The tub itself was like nothing she’d ever seen before. Read about in other fantasy/medieval novels, yes. She had a quick look at the mechanics of it, just to satisfy her curiosity & to distract her hormones.

The tub was draped in a material covered in wax, by the feel of it. She guessed it was to keep splinters out of more sensitive parts of the human anatomy, because the tub itself was made out of wood. Scattered buckets were insulated, by the look of it, to carry heated water to fill the tub with. No running water, no plumbing. She remembered seeing one in Act 3, somewhere, so plumbing was available, just not in the wilds.

‘You and Astarion could –‘ her mind whispered.

‘shut up shut right the f*ck up’ she told it back.

It toddled off, flipping her its version of the bird by giving her images she hadn’t asked for; both of them in the tub, her, naked & wet & hot from the water, leaning back into him, his arms encircling her, his hands working his way down her stomach, onto her upper thighs while he trailed that mouth of his down her neck….

Viciously uncorking the bottle of oil she’d snatched down from the shelf; she took too deep a whiff of the aroma wafting out of it & ended up coughing, spluttering & watery eyed. At least it blew the image in her head away with its potency; a mix of spearmint, chilli & cumen. Disgusting!

“Phwaar” she dropped it, rubbing at her eyes until they cleared somewhat. The smoke clinging everywhere didn’t help, so she quickly grabbed three of the bottles for later testing and beat it out of there.
“What’ve you been doing” Gus stopped by her as Florrick & the Fists swept on by, heading back to Baldur’s Gate. Those Fists, police, militia, whatever they were, looked a lot tougher than what she was used to seeing back home. Scarier.

“Shopping” she replied, kneeling & going through & sorting what she’d found.

“Gotta get it somewhere, I suppose” he said, brushing a hand back through his unruly salt & pepper hair.

She paused as her mind went in the gutter at his very unintentional gutter like statement.

‘Stop it’ she scolded herself, before focusing once more on packing everything away in the chest.

“Did they get out the dude with the dowry?” she enquired.

“Karlach did. She’s wanting to return the ring to him.”

“She would. Heart of gold. It’s no good to you or me, but one of the others might find use for it. Or she could return it, I suppose.”

“I think it’s too late for that. Astarion, as soon as he heard, disappeared after it.”

Of course he would have. And of course she blushed at the name.

“Belle, I want you to stay away from him.” He told her suddenly.

He’d knelt down beside her, eyes scanning the yard to make sure they weren’t overheard.

“Dad, I’m a big girl now –“

“He’s not good for you.”

She thumped the trunk down. Hard. Sat down on top of it.

“Dad, I settled for a man who I thought would be good for me. I wasn’t madly in love with him, but he came across as a stable, secure, white picket fence type of guy. Little did I know just how boring & lonely ‘good for me’ could be. Astarion’s fun. I like that about him. And can you please let him wake me up again in the mornings? He handles morning Belle the best out of all of you.” She knew he’d been the one steering Astarion clear of doing that.

He gave her side eye as she told him she wasn’t going to heed his advice.

“Have you ever heard of a rebound, Belle.”

“Duh. Had that already. Several times.”

“He’s got so many … issues….”

“Don’t we all?”

“I don’t like it.” He shifted uncomfortably.

“Dad, I don’t plan on anything happening with him. But, if it does, let me handle it, ok?”

She leant over to place a warm kiss on his weathered cheek, & gave his hand a quick, hard squeeze.

“But thank you for looking out for me.”

“You never could be told” he muttered, squeezing her hand back. “If he ends up doing something to hurt you …. I’ll kill him.”

“Hmmm, if he kills me, then you kill him. Deal?”

He huffed, resignedly.

“Deal.”

“Is there anything else we should do here?” Gale had given them space & had wandered over at the conclusion of their discussion.

“There’re a few stashes lying around. We should get those. Check out the rest of the buildings for anything worthwhile.”

“There's Drow armour there, anyone want it?” Belle pointed out to the corpse nearly hidden in the bushes halfway between the gate & the bath house.

“Oh, so there is. I could never fit into Elven gear myself, but Astarion or Shadowheart might be able to” Gale wandered off, &, when he was far enough away, used his magic to strip the armour from the corpse.

“Zentarim hideout?” Gus asked her, getting to his knees, both knees firing off pops at the same time.

“Get the stashes first. I marked them on the map. I’ll meet you out the front of the hideout.”

She wandered off, but stopped as she spied a lady corpse who appeared to be her build. There was light armour on her, which might fit her. Kneeling again (her own poor knees weren’t liking this, creaking at all the usage they were being subjected to), she studied how the armour was strapped on. Belts & buckles over a padded jacket.

Undoing it all took a while, then she had to awkwardly manoeuvre the corpse around to work the armour off. She finally succeeded, but when she turned it back around the right way, she had no idea what went where. She felt her frustration rising.

“What are you doing?” Shadowheart emerged from the depths of the building proper, only to find Belle holding up & staring at the armour, perplexed.

“How the sh*t does this go on?”

The cleric sighed.

“No armour on Earth?”

“Not like this. Modern armour’s all Kevlar, bullet proof. Goes on like a vest. This is… medieval.”

“Medieval? What’s that?” She motioned for Belle to follow her, back into the bathhouse & up the stairs where there was a modicum of privacy.

“Our history. Old history. Faerun is like our old history, with some modern elements flung in, because people like their guns. You've yet to have your Industrial Revolution."

“You’re calling us backward now? People might think you’re insulting us.” Shadowheart helped her get her tops off & get the light armour on in its place.

“It’s not an insult. It’s just an observation. And an indication I’m too used to convenience & modern society.”

They both worked on the buckles until it was done up tight.

“How’m I supposed to get this thing off at night?” she suddenly realised it would take two people to sort.

“You either sleep in it … or I’m sure Astarion will help” she replied, coyly.

“Jeesus, there’s nothing going on! You people just wanna see things that aren’t there.” She accused, swinging her arms to settle the armour.

Shadowheart looked amused.

“And someone’s in denial.” She lowered her voice. “Personally, I wouldn’t trust him; but he seems to like you well enough.” She hesitated before saying more. “I’m not used to … looking out for others … but, if you want, I can kill him if you ever want me too … “

Good lord, he was on everyone’s hit list!

“That won’t be necessary” she rushed to assure the bloodthirsty little half-elf, “…but … thanks?”

Shadowheart nodded awkwardly, then ushered them back down the stairs. Looking for the others yielded them up near the Zentarim hideout.

“Finally,” Lae’zel uncrossed her arms, impatience in every line of her body.

“Sorry, new clothes” Belle apologized. Shopping for free was a concept she could get into.

Wyll made a sound of approval.

“They suit you” he smiled at her.

“Thanks” she smiled back at him.

“Alright, let’s go” Gus did the honours, letting them in to the darkness within the building beyond.

Chapter 25: Please Don't Call me 'Dear'

Chapter Text

The smell inside reminded Belle of old mines that had been turned into modern, olden day attractions. Earthy, cold & musty. The smell of caves wafting up from beneath. They all crept in quietly, until the guard called them to halt & give the password, uncertainty in his voice making it quaver & crack. Gus answered, allowing the guard to relax & ushering them in.

She was tempted to take her time to rummage through all the boxes & barrels, but between Lae’zels’ impatience & still not being one hundred percent on just helping oneself, she let it slide. They wound their way through the stacks of shelves, the guard holding the trapdoor open for them as they climbed down the wooden ladder into the abandoned looking lair beneath.

Gus raised his eyebrows at her once they’d all reached the bottom & started spreading out.

“There’s no one here; they’re further in” she whispered. He nodded, giving the signal for everyone to loot the sh*t out of the place. With so many going for it at once, it took less time than it did in game to strip the place bare. Belle joined in, because everyone else was doing it, & her fear of being caught reasoned that, if they were caught, she could blame it on one of the others.

Heading toward the gloomy corner, she realised she wasn’t going to be able to see f*ck all down here without a torch. Going back for one on the wall, she got Karlach to light it up for her with her thumb, (cool trick, having a lighter thumb!), & investigated the cupboard. It was a simple lever hidden in behind the doors, so she reached in & pulled it. The clanking & grinding of the chains pulled the secret door upward, revealing the passageway beyond as more dank air rolled out to wash over her.

Everyone filed in, Belle pulling up the rear as usual.

She’d filled Gus in on what she could remember of the situation down here. The trapped entrance, then dealing with the leader. She may have left the painter out of it. They weren’t going to use the elevator inside the hideout to get to the Underdark, they’d decided; once they finished up with the Goblin camp, they’d head back there & go through the old Selunite post instead.

Gus directed Astarion into the passage to deal with the traps. She was itching to go & watch, despite also wanting to avoid him. She really wanted to know how to disarm traps & lockpicks, had wanted to know how since she’d been a little girl & seen it on some old television program. But the sight of him, working his way through the traps, the look of concentration on his face, made her stomach lazily flip flop. She rather liked that look, she found. It was more … honest … than his seduction attempts.

When he’d finished, they all traipsed down, through the barred gate & into the first chamber of the larger cave complex.

“Halt!” a female voice rang out. Once more, Gus took over, doing the honours of dealing with the Zentarim leader.

Belle went over to watch the painter at work. He was trembling as he painted, making a mess out of the canvas. If he were on Earth, it’d probably fetch a fortune. He glanced up at her, did a double take, & started pleading with her to get him free.

She crossed her arms.

“What’s in it for me?” she asked him with no intention on wasting their gold on him.

“Why, I could get you generous compensation from one of the top patriars in all of Baldur’s Gate.” He replied, making it sound like winning the lotto.

“What sort of compensation?”

“Gold, of course, & lots of it. I’m a very famous painter, you know. You might have heard of me? Oskar Fevras.”

She scratched her head.

“Nope. Never heard of you.”

Was she enjoying this? Maaaybe. It wasn’t every day you could just screw around with someone for the f*ckery of it.

“Well, not everyone is as civilised as the rest of us.” Yay, fighting words!

“If that’s the calibre of your paintings” she pointed to the mess he’d been working on, “I’d say it’s no wonder no one’s ever heard of you.”

He glanced at the painting & grimaced at it.

“It’s not my finest work, but I can’t paint under these conditions. Please, you must buy me from them!”

“I don’t need a slave, thanks.”

“But I could offer you so much!”

“Like what? Paintings I don’t want nor have anywhere to hang?”

“I’d hardly call the gratitude of a patriar nothing!”

“But you’re not the patriar, right? You’re just some down on his luck artiist. You lot are a dime a dozen.”

He had gone apoplectic on her, the red suffusing his face slowly turning it beetroot. It was a lovely shade. He should use it in his painting. He turned, addressing someone behind her.

“Please, you’ve got to make her see reason!”

“Don’t look at me” Astarion said, amusem*nt leaking from him, & making Belle straighten her spine. Her spidey senses had not picked up on him being there! “I’m just here for the show. Do keep going, dear, he looks like he might have an aneurysm any second.”

“I’m afraid I’ll have to pass” she told the painter quickly before grabbing Astarion’s bicep & hauling him off aways.

“Are you always going to sneak up on me?” she hissed at him, letting that oh!, so fine arm go.

“Am I always going to get this reaction?” he asked, intrigued.

“You could have let me know you were there. Made a sound or something. Deliberately breathed, maybe?”

“And spoil the fun? You don’t know me at all, do you?”

“You’re going to give me an aneurysm if you keep doing that! I’m old, frail, not long for this world.”

“Did anyone ever tell you that you exaggerate?”

“Yeah. But seriously, there is one thing I’m going to ask you to stop doing.”

His face lost all amusem*nt. Became serious.

“Oh?”

She took a deep breath.

“Don’t call me dear. Please.”

He looked confused.

“I know people use it as an endearment, or flattery, but there’s a segment of the male population back on Earth who use it all the time. Quite frankly, it’s just creepy & icky & leaves you feeling … weirdly violated. Or it does in my case. So, yeah …”

She could see something in his expression where that had hit home. He replied slowly, picking his words.

“Duly noted. Moving forward, you won’t hear that from me again.”

“Thankyou.”

He nodded, still looking troubled. Now feeling awkward, she wasn’t quite sure where to go. She stepped back toward the painter, who was watching the rest of the group & trying to capture Wyll’s attention; stepped back, looked at Astarion; still troubled; then turned resolutely over to the two Zentarim who were busy loading up all the valuables for moving.

God, she’d just blown everything with him, hadn’t she? She hated conflict, hated bringing up her own needs & setting boundaries, because that meant upsetting someone, & an upset someone was someone who wouldn’t like her, & now Astarion would decide he didn’t like her, not that she cared in the slightest….

“Can I see your wares?” she barked at one of them, anxiety churning in her guts, & began the process of weeding out what the party needed & bargaining back & forth with what they had managed to scrounge together over the last few days.

Settling on some more armour, a couple of weapons, a handful of scrolls & magic arrows, she gave them in return all the junk items they’d collected, plus some gold. Job done, she motioned for Wyll to take it all, as she’d just destroy any of the magic that might be in them if she touched it.

Gus had forged the necessary connections needed for later & so they headed out of the cave, raided what they could for any other items needed in the kitchen & storage shed, then started off back along the road, keeping an eye out for a likely place to cross, hopefully before nightfall. Belle doubted she’d get those cuddles in when they rested next.

Chapter 26: New Year's Eve

Chapter Text

It was nightfall before they stopped, hastily setting up their bedrolls around the fire instead of breaking out the tents. It had taken hours to find a spot, way back down near the bridge, in fact, before being able to cross over to the other side.

A hasty meal was thrown together, Belle opting for a fruit diet now they had stolen some from the kitchens at the Rest. A couple of apples & oranges did her, even though her stomach cried out for protein. She just could not stomach the spicy dried salami on offer any more.

Heading back to her bedroll to call it a night (Astarion hadn’t come near her after her asking him what she had; so, definitely not any cuddles tonight, probably not ever, now, sadly), when the wind shifted, sucking along the ground in a manner she’d never witnessed before. She tracked where it was flowing to, following it back toward …. Wyll.

The rivulets of air currents combined near him, the look on his face saying it all as he recognised it & so did she. Quick, could she roll a boulder in on the gathering whirlpool of darkness? Throw their scraps down it? Take a dump in it?

They all stood back as the darkness formed into solidity, turning into a black, tarlike substance. Smelled like tar, too. It resolved quickly into a black, marblesque statue that suddenly flashed red flame, eating the tar in an instant so that Mizoura, posing & stretching her wings, was revealed in all her blue skinned, showing off her tit* glory. Impressive entrance, small rack, she noted.

“Oh gods, not you!” Karlach groaned, looking disgusted at the sight of the devil.

“That’s no way to greet an old friend, Karlach. Zariel sends her regards. She said to let you know that when your little holiday is over, you have a lot of work to catch up on.” She tsked at the tiefling, shaking a finger at her.

“I’m not going back. Ever!” the tiefling growled, clenching her fists & looking furious.

“Don’t say things you don’t mean, sweetie. But I’m not here for you.” She turned to regard Wyll.

“There you are you unruly pup. Looks like I’ve been too lenient with you.” She grabbed the air, yanking it, & Wyll tripped as he was pulled forward on an invisible leash.

These devils pretended a civilized air, but they feasted on others pain, suffering & misery. She could feel the barely suppressed glee Mizoura took in taking Wyll to task. It seemed to her that the suffering that energized them was not the same suffering as what Withers & Mystra had talked to her about.

The suffering the devils inflicted was purely to cause prolonged pain, without said pain leading to anywhere but more pain. No growth, no enlightenment, just suffering that begat suffering. And here she thought there was little difference between the gods & the devils here. Showed her.

“Do you really have to? I mean, the horns look good on him, so if your intention is to humiliate him, trust me, it backfires.” f*ckn sh*tn f*ckin hell, why couldn’t her mouth just get sewn shut during these encounters?

Mizoura paused, looking slowly around at Belle. Wyll made a terrified sound, unable to give voice to anything. Apparently, he had had his mouth sewn shut.

“Ohhh, the little Earthling. Give me a second, dear, I want to have a chat with you.”

Her hackles rose at being called dear again, even if it were from a female source. God how she loathed that endearment!

Mizoura turned back to Wyll, ignoring Belle for the moment, & delivered unto him the sexy set of horns. She winced as he got covered in tarry goo beforehand. It didn’t look pleasant. Warm, but not pleasant.

Mizoura suddenly released Wyll who went flying backwards, side eyed Belle, lifted her fingers, snapped them & apparated them elsewhere.

She looked around wildly at what looked like a little Parisian tea house; white iron wrought seats & tables with little white vases filled with pastel flowers carefully placed around them. She was seated opposite to the blue skinned devil who was sipping calmly from a little, beautifully decorated porcelain cup.

Belle went to get up but was stuck once more to the seat of the chair.

“Not again” she muttered, trying to wobble from side to side, unsuccessfully unsticking her butt from the seat.

“Try the tea dear, it’s imported from Chultan.” Mizoura continued to delicately sip her own beverage.

“No thanks,” she spat, remembering Astarions’ warning on not consuming anything a devil offered.

Mizoura shrugged.

“Your loss.”

“Why am I here?”

“Because I’m curious. You’re all the talk of Avernus, dear.”

“Don’t call me dear.” She said between clenched teeth.

Mizoura slammed down her little porcelain cup, smashing it.

“I’ll call you whatever the hells I want. You are not in charge here!” Her visage of teasing sophistication dropped instantly. Belle glared at her. Mizoura glared back. After a minute, the devil broke eye contact. Being proficient in non-verbal communication with others she didn’t care much for, Belle recognised that as some sort of win. Interesting.

“Zariel wishes to extend an invitation to you to visit her at her Flying Fortress. I believe she has a proposition for you.” Mizoura leaned over the table delicately, finally getting to the point. “If I were you, I’d accept. It’s not often the Lord of the First makes these kinds of offers to mortals.”

Why in the hell was a f*cking Arch Devil wanting to say hi, now? It made no sense to her, none whatsoever. Where was Gus’s invitations?

“I’m sorry; I’m currently busy on another adventure right now. If you could leave me your contact details, I’ll get back to you as soon as possible. Until then, please send me back.”

Mizoura winced, waving her hand & disappearing the smashed cup & spilled tea. Belle wished she had jedi devil powers, too. It’d make getting the remote for the t.v. so much easier at home.

“I will pass on your message. Be warned, her patience in these matters is … short.”

“Duly noted.”

Mizoura looked away, snapped her fingers & sent Belle back to camp, dumping her on her arse again. She was beginning to think they were doing that deliberately.

The camp was in an uproar, half of them trying to get to the bottom of Wyll’s newfound sexy looks, & the other half looking like they’d been stumbling around in the dark calling her name.

“Belle” Gus cried, falling to his knees beside her, running his hands over her to make sure she was not just there physically, but uninjured.

“f*cking bitch could have put a cushion down first” she winced, her arse sore from the impact.

“What’d she want with you?” Wyll came careening in next, horns & all, looking entirely guilty for her disappearance.

“To extend me an invitation. Zariel wants to see me.”

Everyone went quiet. Then all hell broke loose.

“No, no you can’t go …” Karlach implored.

“Why are all these devils interested in you…” Gale questioned.

“You’re only an Earthling….” Lae’zel sneered.

“Oh, Belle, I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault…” Wyll moaned.

“Why are you all carrying on like it’s my funeral? I told her no, in the politest way possible.”

Gus groaned, burying his head in his hands.

“Should we be readying for a devil attack, now?” Gale asked, stepping back & firing up spells so that he’s hands caught on rainbow fire.

“What? No, no everything’s fine. I have no idea what it’s about, only that she has a proposal for me.”

“What else are you hiding? You must be hiding more than you’re letting on! An Arch Devil taking an interest in you?” Lae’zel stabbed a finger at her.

“I really, honestly, have no f*cking idea…”

Mystra had called on her. A goddess. A major one. What the f*ck were they after from her?

“Gale, reinforce the perimeters. Shadowheart, Wyll, help him. Move the bedrolls in closer. No one goes outside the perimeters tonight. Brian & Karlach, take first watch. Astarion & Lae’zel the second. I’ll do the last with Wyll.”

“Dad, it’s not that bad, no-one like that is coming …”

He leant forward to whisper.

“This did not happen in your game, did it?”

“Well … no… but that doesn’t mean….”

“Yes, it does. It’s off script, Belle. Anything out of the ordinary needs to be treated as a major threat. And they’re after you, specifically. Not any of the rest of us, outside the tadpole business. There’s something more they’re after. From you. Do you think they’ll stop just because you told them no?”

Well, when you looked at it like that ….

“No going outside the perimeter” she sulked.

He nodded, squeezing her shoulder, & left to set up some sort of traps or some such with Wyll.

Once they were done, Gale & Shadowheart performed some awesome light show magic to protect the camp. If she squinted, she could almost make believe it was New Year’s Eve, back on Earth.

No one got much sleep that night. Belle sat for a long time, cross legged on her bed roll, alternatively gazing at the fire or indulging in staring matches with Astarion, who had set up opposite her. His expression was unreadable. But it passed the time & she got to study that beautiful face of his, so win-win for her.

God knows what he thought of her face; he was either finding it so ugly it was fascinating, or so fascinating it was ugly. She didn’t consider herself ugly; but she wasn’t on Shadowhearts’ level. Even Karlach & Lae’zel were a cut above. But she didn’t mind; it didn’t bother her at all now, having dealt with beautiful people most of her adult life & coming in second fiddle to them.

After a while, even Astarions face flickering in the firelight became … not boring, never that, but she needed a change of scenery. Lying down, she stared at the stars overhead, trying to place where the Milky Way would be right then. The moon here had a scattering of visible spots spread across its circumference; the Tears of Selune. Which got her thinking…

“Hey Lae’zel” she called out softly, knowing no-one was sleeping but not wanting to piss them off too much.

“Speak. But make it quick.”

“Do the gith know of Earth?”

“We have studied it in the past. Our records indicate that there is nothing worthy of more investigation in that sphere.”

“What do the records say?”

“That is not for outsiders to know.”

“I’m from Earth, Lae’zel. Just tell me.”

She heard the gith shift uncomfortably.

“ … fine. Earth contains little in the way of technology; so little magic as to be ineffective; and a stagnant population cultured in make believe stories based on fear.”

“And when were these records taken?”

“Around seven hundred years ago.”

Okey-dokey.

“Your records maybe out of date. We’ve evolved past that.”

“There’s no advancement in any society, race or culture in any of the spheres we’ve studied that show evolvement in that short a period of time.” Lae’zel practically told her she was lying.

Belle held up a hand & ticked off a few things.

“Immunisation against disease; cures against disease; bio-weaponry; nuclear energy; mobile technology using satellites, cable & fibre optics; quantum physics; entanglement theory ….”

“You lie!” she spat at Belle.

Belle looked at her upside down as she saw Lae’zel sitting up, focused on her.

“How do I know those things if I am?”

“Even if you are telling the truth, the scale on which you’re claiming to have evolved your technology … it’s impossible!”

“Clearly, it’s not. But d’you reckon it might be what the devils are after? Earthlings that can produce such advanced technology in such a short amount of time?”

The gith frowned, turning over the possibility presented to her.

“…it may be… “ she allowed, finally, troubled now.

“But why Belle? Why not both of us?” Gus asked as he lay there, listening in.

‘Gus has his purpose; you have yours.’ Mystra’s voice whispered in her mind.

“Who knows? They’re devils. They’re capricious.” she replied, slumping back on her bedroll.

“What’s Quantum Physics?” Gale asked, completely lost on a tangent of his own.

“Lae’zel can fill you in, being the expert” Belle filled the silence quickly, doing her civic duty in making sure that pairing came about. She shouldn’t, but she couldn’t help it; she shipped them, shipped them hard.

“I suppose, if you’re interested… “ Lae’zel actually sounded like she wanted to! Yee-haw!

The camp fell silent again after that, & she caught some light male snores coming from some sectors, indicating some of them had managed to rest somewhat. Not her, though. She watched the sky as it shifted in luminosity, the quality of the light changing subtly between one blink & the next. Thoughts of gods & devils & what they wanted ran through her mind, but still no answer was to be had.

Chapter 27: The Rite of Divine Ascension

Chapter Text

The hike back down to Moonhaven was uneventful. Boringly so. She hadn’t got a wink of sleep last night & her eyelids felt like bricks. Quick, she needed some tunes to keep her awake! She started humming a tune, an oldie but a goodie, before breaking into singing shortly after.

“We’re on a road to nowhere; Come on inside; Takin’ that road to nowhere; We’ll take that ride.”

Followed by;

“I’ve paid my dues; Time after Time; I’ve done my sentence; But committed no crime.”

“Were you a bard back on Earth?” Gale threw over his shoulder at her.

What a compliment! She’d only ever been told she sounded like a strangled cat from her ex!

“No. I inflicted pain on others & got paid for it. Beauty is pain, after all.”

“That …. actually explains a lot.” He paused. “Have you ever heard of Loviatar, perchance?”

“Yes, Gale. No, Gale, I’m not a subscriber. I can show you what I mean through the taddies, if you wan…”

“No, no, that won’t be necessary” he hastily cut her off.

“You know … you can always cut the que… I’m sure Lae’zel won’t mind if you use this quiet opportunity to go question her on Quantum Physics ….”

His face brightened considerably as he agreed, hurrying off to pick the giths brains. Excellent, step one of Operation Get Gale Laid was in full swing!

“For someone in denial, you’re quick to be setting other’s up” Shadowheart, now next in line, commented to the bush she was currently passing by.

“De Nial is a river in Egypt, my good cleric. How’s all those little secrets of yours going, by the way? Lonely? Would they like some company?”

Shadowheart dropped back instantly to fall in beside Belle.

“Hint at that again & I won’t’ hold back.” She threatened, fingering the little dagger she kept in her belt loop. Yay, Shadowheart was looking for a scrap!

“Fisty cuffs? Bitching back & forth? Am I to take Lae’zels’ place on your hit list?”

Shadowheart peered at Belle closely from the side. Then, slowly, a smile flitted onto her face.

“I see. Did you think setting a boundary would scare him off?”

Yes, yes, she did. Was she taking it out on the others? Never! (Absolutely she was!) And had Shadowheart been eavesdropping? She was beginning to suspect that nothing was sacred with this group.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” she said, prissily.

“How come you’re so mouthy with beings you shouldn’t be, but can’t say what you want with people closer to you?”

Alright, that backfired big time.

“I have a death-wish. You should move back into position now. There could be enemies out there everywhere, surrounding us right now!”

The cleric smirked.

“That’s a poor attempt at deflection.”

“Why do you want to know when you won’t even share anything about yourself?” Belle demanded, turning the tables on her.

Shadowheart considered this for a moment.

“You’re right. Fair enough. A secret for a secret.”

No, wait, that’s not what she’d meant!

“This artefact” she carefully dug it out of her belt & held it up for them to both look at in googly-eyed awe, “was a mission that I was sent on to retrieve. Now that I have retrieved it, I need to get it back to Baldur’s Gate.”

She re-pocketed it quickly, then looked expectantly at Belle. What in the sh*t was she to say to that?

“Um, I haven’t had sex in nearly a decade?”

The half-elves’ eyes nearly dropped from her head.

“I beg your pardon?”

“You heard me. Not my choice. I was married to someone who wasn’t into the more intimate parts of a relationship…”

“Why didn’t you go get yourself other partners?”

“What? You don’t do that when your married!”

“Sure you do, heaps of couples do it all the time.”

“They’re not meant to!”

Something clicked then for the cleric.

“Oh, my goddess, you’re loyal! How adorably sweet of you! And utterly stupid.” She lowered her voice.

“Why don’t you bed Astarion? He’s basically begging you to, & you could do much, much worse. Besides, it doesn’t have to be anything other than a bit of fun with him.”

Belle was staring at the little goth as if she’d never seen her before. Was everyone reading the room but her?

“I …. can’t. I … like him…. too much….” The truth fell from her lips despite her trying to hold it back.

“Well well well, two secrets for the price of one.” She smiled darkly at Belle, patted her on the cheek & drifted back up the line to where she belonged. Shadowheart, Belle concluded, was a master manipulator.

“Thou finally admitted to liking him” Withers popped in, making his unwanted self observable & proving her point from earlier.

“I am so not in the mood for you right now” she snapped at him. “Why are you so interested in people’s love lives, or lack thereof, anyway?”

“The red string of fate is always a fascinating one to observe when it manifests.”

“Don’t… just don’t. Just because I admitted to something that’s only hypothetical means in no way anything will or even should eventuate from it.”

“The seeds have been planted, little Earthling. It’s too late to stop the sprouting process now.” He seemed kinda sad saying that to her. And, little Earthling? She was forming pet names left, right & centre.

“You’re still not going to tell me anything, are you?” she asked him, not expecting an answer.

“Not about what thou art asking. But thou mayest ask one that has been formulating in that brain for quite some time now; from even before arriving here.”

What in the sweet Jesus was he talking about?

“Please explain.” She looked at him blankly.

“It is on the nature of the Rite itself.”

Her frown cleared as she realised what he was getting at.

“Noooo, really? And you’ll give me an answer?”

“Yes.”

Holy dog balls, this one really had been bugging her for the longest time now!

“Why isn’t there a Rite of Divine Ascension?”

Belle was all about duality, & it had occurred to her one night that the Rite, being profane in nature, might have attributed to Astarion’s more devilish turns of personality & loss of humanity. Sure, the sacrifice of seven thousand souls would have definitely contributed to that, but she felt there was something more going on there.

“Because, there is no one god who will willingly craft one. Not for vampires. It is not worth it to them; due to the nature of the corrupted soul living too long inside the one body paused in time, once that soul passes, it no longer belongs to any god & ends up in the Wall of the Faithless.”

“Isn’t there a god of the undead who’d be willing to do it?”

“No.”

“Really? I thought there were gods for everything?”

“The current one is on his way out. It leaves us with a demon who possess the Portfolio of Undeath, stolen eons ago. Needless to say, if he offered one, that would also be a Profane Ascension.”

Oh. There went her half-baked plans for later of encouraging some god somewhere to craft one for her.

“It doesn’t mean a new god could not be created who may entertain the thought.”

Oh? She looked up at him hopefully, waiting for more.

Nothing more came.

“See this?” she told him, holding out her band of grey hairs sprouting from the widow’s peak on her forehead. “You’re the cause of this!”

Chapter 28: Evil Astarion & Spicy Belle

Chapter Text

They set up camp just outside of Moonhaven, nearer to the little flowing stream out the side of the lefthand gates. This time the tents went up as there was plenty of daylight left. By this time tomorrow in the early afternoon they’d hit the Goblin Camp.

Belle told Gus when he enquired it wouldn’t matter what time of the day they hit it, it was full of goblins & they should just massacre they’re way through the lot of them. She pointed out on the rough map they’d drawn of the compound where there were groups to take out, what they needed to achieve before taking those groups out & how to take them out i.e. the Wyrven poison in the communal ale tub the goblins would all be drinking from.

The others milled about, listening in & nodding away as Gus worked out the logistics of the ranged, melee & sneak attacks.

“Beastie could join in. Serenade them. It’d make their ears bleed if nothing else.” Astarion cuttingly gave his scathing review of her tunes from earlier that day. Asshole!

She blew him a kiss that was intended to slap him when it landed. But instead, she saw that the act stunned him for all of a second. She saw it! He covered it up in the blink of an eye with a smouldering smile at her.

“Oh, ewwww, get a room! Poor Gus, we need to move your tent, like far, far away from those two” Karlach rolled her eyes at the pair of them while her dad had a conniption while she herself went bright red & spluttery. Astarion fled the scene as Gus threw him shade. Shadowheart approved. Lae’zel just looked across at Gale as an idea took root. But Karlach, now? These people were starved for some K-drama!

Later, after everyone stopped throwing amused looks at her & Astarion, who finally disappeared off somewhere, unable to bear the scrutiny any longer, Wyll once more practiced sword work with her & she told him the horns were fine, they were great, he’d get used to them, maybe they could add some cool jewellery to them; she then helped Gale prepare & cook up a stew.

After that, she went to her little box of sh*t she was keeping trinkets & such in, dug out the large lock she’d found the other day & the lockpick kit she’d also found, stared at it, & gathered up her meagre courage. Ignoring the racing of her heart caused by anxiety, gripping the items with white knuckles, she turned & trotted off to find Astarion. Who couldn’t be found anywhere.

“For f*cks sake, anyone seen the pale elf?” she called to the group at large.

“He went off thattaway” Karlach pointed further off toward the stream.

“Thanks.” She turned to leave.

“Do I need to give you the birds & bees talk?” the tiefling called after her, tongue in cheek.

“Excuse me, I’m older than you, been there, done that. I think I’ll be fine.” She retorted. Holy sh*t, why couldn’t big red keep her mouth shut? Belle had had purely honourable intentions, nothing to do with getting laid, & now her mind was sleazing its way through the gutter. Fantastic.

Karlach grinned, giving her the thumbs up. Shaking her head, she turned back around & continued on. On the way past Astarion's tent, she ducked her head in to make doubly sure he wasn’t in there, & good lord, the poor man had hardly anything in there; a plank of wood on the ground, a dirty looking blanket, empty bottles with congealed blood everywhere & a stack of books. That was it. She’d peered back out at the set up he had going on outside.

A nice little table where he had placed both the hand mirror & another upright mirror he’d found somewhere; cushions scattered over a couple of nice rugs (where the hell was this stuff coming from?) & even a couple of pot plants. Kudos to him keeping them alive; she considered herself a black thumb who murdered plants just by looking at them. Leaning back in once more highlighted the juxtaposition. If that wasn’t a metaphor for the man himself, she didn’t know what was.

Making a mental note to make sure another bedroll was found for his tent, along with more blankies & some cushions he could actually use in there, along with a chest where he could hide & store his food supplies, she gathered up all the old bottles & dumped them by Gale.

“Can you clean these out with magic, please?” she asked him as he plucked one up, shuddering at the contents. He sighed.

“If I must.”

“Return them to his tent when you’re done, yeah?”

Gale nodded, not looking at all enthusiastic about the chore. She didn’t blame him. Globulous blood was not the prettiest of substances to look at.

Continuing down the path to where it eventually led to an embankment, she was halfway down before she came to a halt. Oh, for the love of… not again! She didn’t react like last time; this time, she felt more exasperated than anything. Clearly, this was going to keep happening, whether she wanted it to or not.

He had his head thrown back, eyes closed, arms spread to the sides as he once more soaked in the rays of the sun. Buck naked. At least this time he was facing away from her. His skin, she noted, did indeed glow in the light, reflecting from him & creating an aura. Fallen angel vibes radiated from him.

The scars stood out on his pale flesh, ruddy & raised. Her mind fixed on that a moment, her education in skin indicating to her that keloid scars could mean a dark-skinned ethnicity in his background. Or not; it could simply be that those wounds had been carved so deep they’d been left unable to heal flat. Her eyes drifted to his peachy butt. Ok, the other’s might be onto something…

“You know you can still get sunburnt, even if you don’t burn to a crip now” she interrupted his sunbathing. Man was like a lizard, honestly. “Considering where you’re getting a tan, that might hurt over the next few days.”

“If you wanted some alone time, darling, you only had to ask” he purred over his shoulder at her. Interestingly, he didn’t turn around. Which was oh-tay by her, because that ass of his was sooo foine!

She spied his clothes behind him, fetched them & handed them to him over his shoulder. He took them, putting on his pants while she watched the water in the stream. But he stopped before putting his shirt on, turning to her & stepping over closer to her. He could look down at her from this angle, & he used it to full advantage. The air between them instantly thickened.

“Well, look at that, we’re private now. No one around. We could always just … take our time. Get to know one another a little better.” That voice he was using, it was doing very naughty things to her brain & insides…

He reached up, letting his fingertips trail down half an inch away from the skin of her cheek. In not touching her, it made her want him to, a hundred-fold. She wondered if this was a learned technique, or taught technique? Men did not know how to do this unless they had been shown, in her experience.

She grabbed his hand, stopping him from the implied caress. What the f*ck was she going to do with him now?

He looked at her hand, bringing it to his lips, (which were freezing!), where he ghosted over her knuckles, eyes never leaving hers. And she saw, straight away, he wasn’t there. It was the classic ‘lights on but no one home look’. Jeeesus!

“Astarion” she took her hand away, as much as she didn’t want to. He blinked, then frowned.

“What is it?” he asked slowly. “I thought we could have a bit of fun…”

“We can, I mean, we could…”

“Then I don’t see why ….”

“I know. Just stop for a sec. I want to talk.”

His whole demeanour changed. He backed off, turned sideways & put a hand on his hip.

“If you don’t want this, that’s fine. I’ll just find one of the others…”

“Astarion! Don’t be like that! I like you! But I don’t want to do something … you clearly don’t want to do!”

Like a switch, he changed back again.

“But I do. And I like you too, you know. I’d like to explore this little thing developing between us. Have a little fun with each other. Admittedly not in front of the others, especially Gus… but we could always sneak off like this on more occasions…”

She gave up. Right now, it was like butting her head against a brick wall.

“I’ll tell you what you want to know. It’s information that pertains to you, anyway, & you can do with it what you wish.”

“….what?” his brow creased.

“I’ll tell you all about the Rite. Then you’ll have a good, long while to have a think about it before catching up with your former master.”

“….why?” he asked, clearly not trusting her at her word.

“Because I want you to know that when I say I like you, it’s not for your body. I mean, you’re beautiful, of course, but that’s not the sole reason why I like you. I want you to come to understand that I like you for all sorts of reasons. So, I’ll give you what you want. I can’t tell you every last little detail; some of it I don’t know myself.”

She’d promised herself to not sway him on the Ascendant vs. Spawn issue, & she wouldn’t, even if Withers had hinted that she could get a Divine version. But if he chose Profane Ascension, she knew she couldn’t be around him. His choice, yes, as it was hers.

“Don’t be ridiculous. No one gives anyone anything for free, ‘just because’. The world doesn’t work like that” he spat at her, grabbing his shirt & jerking it over his head & torso. Bye-bye muscles, she sighed inwardly.

“Sometimes it does. Sometimes it doesn’t. Your world view, until now, dictates that it doesn’t. I want to show you that, sometimes, it does.”

He spluttered. “What does that even mean? Surely you want something in return…”

Well, on second thoughts…she held out the lock.

“You can teach me how to pick locks.” She looked up at him. He was staring at the lock. He swept his eyes up to hers, searching for the hidden trap. Not finding any, he reached out & picked up the lock from her hand.

“You’re serious” he stated.

“I am. I’ve always wanted to learn. You’re an expert. Teach me. And I’ll tell you about the Rite in return.”

“I … “ he huffed, flustered, but zeroing in on what he thought was an easy win. “Deal.”

“Good. Great.” She found a place to sit down that wasn’t damp. He followed & sat beside her. She pulled out the lock-pick kit & handed it to him.

“I take it you’re a complete novice in this?” he asked haughtily, opening the kit & placing out the little tools within.

She nodded.

He began simply by running through the tools, their names & what they were used for. They moved onto how to hold the tools, which he was surprised to find didn’t take her long to pick up.

“You’re not the only one with dextrous fingers.” She wriggled them at him, earning her a smirk. A genuine smirk, she was glad to see.

It took about an hour for him to show her how to use them on the lock before she could do it herself. It involved a lot of frustrated name calling at each other, & lots of inadvertent touching as he placed his hands over hers to guide her movements properly. How he moved those frosty fingers of his around so easily was beyond her. Hers went stiff the colder they got. Finally, the lock clicked open.

“Not bad, you didn’t even break a pick” he gave her rare praise, smiling himself at her efforts.

“You should see some of the tools I have to work with back home. Just as fiddly. If I f*ck it up, I hurt someone.”

“Sounds dangerous.”

She laughed.

“It is. You only hurt someone once though; you make sure to never do it again.”

The twilight had crept in while they’d been concentrating on picking the lock.

“Oh, sh*t, I suppose we’d best get back.” She looked around at the darkness creeping in.

He looked around, just noticing himself the change in the quality of the light.

“I usually start prowling at this time.” He muttered. He looked to her. “Staying in the shadows of buildings until full sundown. Or in the corners of more ... dubious ... establishments”

“Must be strange, change in routine & all.”

“It is. All of this is…”

“I promise you, you don’t go back to him.” She lay a hand over his cold one gently, giving it a small squeeze. She went to withdraw it, only he curled his fingers around hers. He was looking at their clasped hands now, seemingly as mesmerised as she’d been the other night.

“Really?” he finally asked.

“Really. You have to stay with us, the group, though. Wander off on your own….” She shrugged, looking down as he started slowly stroking his thumb over her flesh again. She shivered, slightly, as his coolness left patterns on her skin.

“Then I guess we’re a team.”

“We are.” She acknowledged.

“Tell me later.” He said quietly.

“Hmmm?”

“About the Rite. After we rescue this Halsin. Tell me then.”

“Oh, ok ... I could have tonight…”

He shook his head.

“I…. don’t think I want to hear it … just yet.”

He looked up at her, but she could barely make anything out in the twilight now, let alone read what he was thinking.

“Well, I better get you back to camp before Gus comes along to stake me.” He got up, & actually held a hand out to her to help her to her feet.

“He wouldn’t. It’s a dad thing.”

“I’m not too sure about that. I’ve never had to deal with a vengeful father before, & I’d rather not start now.”

“Really? You were that good at covering your tracks?”

They started back to camp.

“You ask the oddest questions.” He paused. “I like it, actually.”

“I think being here’s unlocking a side to me I never knew existed. Or, I did know, & just had to mask it for so many years I forgot all about it.”

“I’m all for the unmasking, especially if it leads to corruption” he gave her an evil smile.

“See, that’s something I like about you. You unapologetically let evil Astarion out to play.”

“Well, he is fun, darling.” He paused, thinking. “I quite like morning Belle. She’s so … spicy” he gave a shiver at that.

“That she is. And you get to deal with her again in the mornings, that is, if you want to...”

“Ooo, has the taboo has been lifted? Good!”

“Where’ve you been?” Gus thundered at her as they re-entered camp, Astarion exiting stage left immediately.

“Learning to lockpick” she threw him the lock.

“What?” he looked confused, holding up the lock like it’d bite him.

“Where’d you think I was?” she challenged him, chin up.

“Not in camp. Not where it’s safe. Where evil…. devils… can get a hold of you.” Yeah, right, replace devils with vampires & she knew exactly what he’d been thinking.

“Trust, father mine, is the foundation of any good relationship. You need to practise it.”

She tossed her hair in the air, satisfied with that barb, & bounced over to her tent, snatching the bowl of food held out by Gale in passing.

Chapter 29: Kindness & Generosity

Chapter Text

Belle waited out the rest of them as they settled in for the night. Having finished the stew (Gale’s mum should be proud of him, he did a bang-up job of throwing things together & making it tasty; no wonder Tara wanted him married off!) she opened up a book she’d found at the Rest that’d caught her eye. Shoplifting was not something she usually condoned, but, when in Faerun …. She could read it, but was she really reading it, or was the tadpole interpreting it for her?

Concentrating, the words suddenly lost meaning, swirling apart, & forming back together into symbols she’d never seen before. Surprise led back to the words snapping back into place where she could read them. Sneaky little sh*t! It also meant that she wasn’t really speaking the same language as the others, didn’t it! Although Gus probably was, having been here long enough to have learnt the lingo.

‘Oi, can you hear me?’ she mentally shouted at the parasite. Could it hear her? Could it answer her? She felt its drowsy awareness turn to her & she realised it had been napping!

“Imma gonna f*ckin kill you & your mum” she threatened it. She felt the mental equivalent of a yawn & a rolling over to its side. f*ckin’ little gobsh*te! She wished she could spank its arse!

The noises continued to die down until all she could hear was the crackling of the fire & night noises of nocturnal animals. Poking her head from her tent, she looked around. Astarion was on first shift, looking out toward the gate leading to the goblin camp. A grin bloomed on her face; she’d been wanting to test this theory for awhile now.

“Psst, whatcha doin?” she whispered, so low as the wind couldn’t carry her voice to him.

And hot damn, his head co*cked to the side slightly. Combo super elf-vamp hearing. Who needed more power, he already had impressive power!

She watched him as he crossed his arms, turning back toward the gate.

“Nice arse” she whispered. He turned his head to smirk at her, then turned & headed her way.

She looked up at him as he stopped by her tent.

“You’re as nocturnal as I am. And, yes it is” he twisted to check out his own arse.

“I was always a night owl. Would you like to come in? Not that you need the invitation now. But there’s nothing between here & the goblin camp to keep an eye out for.”

“Not even devils?” he squatted beside her.

“f*ck em. Deal with it if it happens.”

“I like that plan. Nice. Easy.”

She moved out of the way, &, after he checked to make sure no one was looking, crawled in after her.

“Welcome to my home away from home” she whispered, sweeping grandly at the small interior.

“Lovely” he commented, & started plucking at everything he could reach.

She reached over & shut the flap, affording them a modicum of privacy.

“I’ve been meaning to ask you something.” She began, sitting cross-legged across from him.

“Oh? This could be either very good, or very bad.”

“Exciting, isn’t it? Not knowing what the f*ck’s gonna come out my mouth?”

“Deranged, certainly.”

“Like minds, Astarion.”

“… I can’t argue that.” He grinned at her.

“Have you fed recently?”

Any mention of blood set him on fire. He swayed forward, & she imagined he was staring at the pulse point on her neck.

“I haven’t broken what I promised your father, if that’s what you’re asking.” He sounded slightly defensive.

“That’s not what I’m asking. I’m asking if you’re needing more blood.”

“…It was you…you cleaned out my stash.” He accused.

“It was disgusting. You shouldn’t leave that around, it’s unhygienic.”

“And yet, it was mine.”

“I was only thinking that you could replenish it within clean bottles. That was all.”

He opened his mouth, closed it, considered what she’d said.

“I suppose … you have a point.”

“And you have two. Which leads me back to if you’re hungry.”

“Always. It never disappears.” He admitted.

“That’s because you haven’t been well fed. So. I can use my other wrist, if you want…?”

She brought out the cup & the knife, poised to slash at his say so. Instead, he reached out, quick as lightning, grabbing her unaffected wrist. He then plucked the knife out of the other one, tossing it aside.

“If you’re offering, I’d like you to trust me to do it.” He brought her wrist up to his lips, still cold, letting them ghost over her pulse while he gave her bedroom eyes. The candles she had lit earlier flickered in the small tent.

She swallowed, hard, the intimacy of the gesture not lost on her. But she was awkwardly reaching across the space, her arm thrust out straight. It would quickly become uncomfortable at this angle.

“Ok….” She replied slowly, shifting herself so she knelt beside him, facing one way while he faced the other so that she could bend her arm into a more relaxed position.

“Good girl” he murmured against her skin, making her shiver. It was the same tone he used when ascended, telling Tav she was a ‘bad girl’ for trying to read his mind.

She could feel the skin along his jaw as her fingers curled while she consciously relaxed her muscles. It was cool, yes, every part of him was, she guessed. But it felt just like fresh shaved skin, sans hair; slightly rough, male skin. It wasn’t smooth & soft like a female’s. She let out a soft breath as her body recognised this as a ‘not client’ & could therefore respond how it saw fit. Which was with all the hormones in her arsenal firing up.

“Ready, darling?” he purred against her wrist.

She nodded, not trusting her voice right then. Belle expected him to just bite down. It was what she was preparing herself for, her mind’s eye throwing up images of how he’d plunged his teeth into Tav’s neck that first night, how savage & rough it had looked.

Instead, he pressed his lips against her flesh firmly, dragging them up & down the delicate skin. And then… he added his tongue, wetting the flesh, so that he was sliding his lips over her.

“What….what are you doing?” she whispered, squeezing her eyes tight shut, trying to block out the feeling.

“Preparing your veins, darling. I’ve been thinking about the difference between feeding … & dining.”

“Oh.” Sounded legit. Also sounded like he’d been reflecting on some things, which couldn’t be a bad thing, right? Unless, of course, one happened to be the one he was experimenting those reflections on….

He went back to his ministrations, only now adding in a suck here & there, & a slight nibble when he sucked her flesh in. She swayed slightly against him, the feeling building too much for her to remain upright. It didn’t matter how much she was telling herself this was his method of consuming food; the point was, it was too intimate an experience for her to equate it as anything but Astarion giving her attention & pleasure.

His free arm wrapped around her waist, securing her to him tightly, binding her. It felt … like security. It was then he suddenly bit down at the same time, as he’d sucked harder at her flesh, causing what felt like anaesthetic to be injected straight into her veins.

She hissed in pain, trying her hardest to keep her muscles loose, waiting for that initial pain to fade. In the meantime, she buried her head in his shoulder, eyes still squeezed shut.

And then, after he’d let the blood fill his mouth, he swallowed. She heard him moan, low & throaty, before he took a massive draught straight from her veins. This was not like going for a blood test, where blood was gently let into little vials. This was an industrial vacuum cleaner sucking out a vast amount all at once, causing her to swoon & go lightheaded instantly. He could literally drain her dry, if he wanted to, in about four massive swallows.

She could feel him shaking against her, his grip turning to bands of iron, securing his source of nourishment to prevent it escaping. The sharp coldness started fading in her wrist, replaced by a pleasant buzzing sensation as her nerves were put to sleep. The feeling very quickly crept its way up her arm, causing her to relax fully against him. It fully felt like a huge hit of morphine, leaving her all floaty & bemused, not at all concerned right now if he continued using her as his personal juice box.

He blew air out of his lungs raggedly, ready to take another big draught from her. He could, she’d allow it. He did so, & at the height of it, released her suddenly. The panting, moans & other little sounds of satisfaction & delight would have otherwise caused her to throw herself at him, red flags be damned, if she weren’t on the verge of passing out. She couldn’t even move right now, feeling much lighter, both physically & mentally.

She felt him lick her wrist, cleaning it up, causing her to give the tiniest little mewl in response.

“Ah ... Ambrosial…” she heard him say to himself in awe. His grip on her shifted & loosened, & she was surprised as he lay her down, posing her limbs so she wasn’t all crooked on top of her bedroll. He took her wrist, tying something to it before knotting, tightly. Very different than just stalking off into the night & leaving Tav to fend for themselves after feeding…

She felt a blanket being placed over her next before she sensed him bend down by her ear.

“….thankyou … you’re overly generous ….”

That was her, spreading kindness & generosity to all who crossed her path….

Chapter 30: Let the Thing Be Destroyed

Chapter Text

The smell of the brewed tea wafted up her nostrils, strong & potent. Still not as good as coffee, but beggars couldn’t be choosers.

Her eyes cracked open, the light of the sun only having just breasted the horizon, washing the interior of the tent with pale grey colours.

“Interesting … no beastie this morning.” Astarion looked almost disappointed, waving the tea back & forth under her chin.

“Someone bled that bitch away.” Her voice was gravelly from dehydration.

“Well, I’ll have to keep that in mind then, won’t I.” he responded, moving away as she heaved herself up.

“I’m surprised you controlled yourself.” She muttered, grabbing the tea as he proffered it to her again.

“Darling, I’m hurt. I’m the epitome of self-control.” He lay a hand across his chest, feigning sad eyes at her.

“You were last night, thank god. I’d be flat out for the count today if you hadn’t been, & I, for one, am looking forward to the goblin fight.”

“Oh, I do like that bloodthirsty look on you. It’s so becoming!”

“Are you always this chipper in the mornings? How the hell do you get by on just four hours a night of meditation? Not sleep, but meditation?”

He ignored that to focus on a question of his own.

“You say ‘hell’ instead of ‘hells’. Does Earth only have the one?”

“Pfft. Depends on which religion or myth you refer to. But with no proof, there’s nothing there, really. A lot of us believe it to be a state of mind rather than anywhere concrete.”

“A place with no hells. Or heavens. How utterly bizarre.”

“Says the creature who couldn’t possibly exist on Earth.”

“As I said; bizarre.”

“Get a move on, people” they heard Gus call out at large. He may or may not have been indicating them directly. She had a feeling he was second guessing himself at letting Astarion back on ‘wake up Belle duty’.

“Thanks” she said, handing him back the mug. He took it, crouching low to exit the tent.

“Oh, no, thankyou. For last night.” It was the second time he’d thanked her now; he reached out, brushed a strand of hair out of her face, tucked it behind her ear, flashed her a smirk & disappeared. Rawr! His fingertips had been warmer, she noticed as she followed with her own fingers the path he’d used. Only a little, but noticeable.

She wolfed down all her brekkie, then had second brekkie, trying to replenish what had been taken from her last night. Gale noticed.

“Are you alright? You’re all pale this morning.”

“Crimson wave’s comin’ in, if you must know” she retorted. He looked at her blankly.

“Aunt Flo?” still nothing. “Red badge of courage?” blank.

“My periods!” she shouted at him.

“Oh. Ohhh” he went round eyed & red.

“Oh, my god, Gale, were you really that sheltered?”

“My education didn’t extend into euphemisms pertaining to a lady’s time of the month” he protested.

“I didn’t realise I’d have to edumacate you on that!” she facepalmed.

“You really don’t have to go to the tro –“

“Yes, I do, how else are we to communicate?”

She turned & headed off, feeling smug to have deflected his question like that. She saw Gus heading over, probably to apologize to Gale for her behaviour. Well, he was Tav, & that was a Tav thing to do, she supposed.

Once more wrestling with her tent, she finally got the bitch into some form of rolled up mess, stepping back so Gale could shrink it down to an itty-bitty thing that could be stacked into the communal chest that Karlach & Brian managed to carry between them.

“Hey, Brian” she called out to durge suddenly, gripped by a whim. Surprised, & a bit wary, he turned to face her.

“You’re a sorcerer, yeah?”

“That’s correct.”

“So, your magic is more instinctual than Gales?”

“Also correct.”

“If I told you of a spell I know, would you be able to perform it instinctually?”

“I suppose… it depends what sort of magic it would take to cast it.”

“Oh, I think you might have a natural affinity for this one. If you can cast it, it’s a one-shot spell. It should take out anything short of a god.”

His eyes lit up like ruby slippers.

“That sounds … interesting…”

He dropped back in line to amble along beside her. Her fear of him had diminished over the last few days, not having him mutilate anyone in their company obviously helping. Observing him, he seemed … happy … to have fallen in with them.

Gus had adopted him, & she could only wish now that her dad came around & included Astarion in that. These broken people all needed that positive influence that her dad seemed to provide in abundance. He seemed to have an inexhaustible well of it, & little hesitation in sharing it (well, in most cases that didn’t involve her being maybe, possibly, interested in one of them).

“You’ve heard Gus & I aren’t from here, yeah?”

He nodded, the light reflecting off his snow white scales. She noted some gave off a holographic rainbow reflection in the light; it made her itch to coat them in shellac to give them extra shine.

“Well, on Earth, we have a myriad of stories with different magical systems. I’ve been thinking, if Faerun has proven to actually exist, it stands to reason that the others do, too.”

He shrugged.

“That may be, but converting those systems into one the weave here supports may be impossible.”

Oooo, he was quick! Well, he was the one to have come up with the whole Absolute scheme, so it was reasonable to assume that something had been left over from that hole in the head he’d received.

“True, but if we can find a work around, this particular spell is quite formidable.”

He considered it.

“Describe it to me.”

“It’s an insta-kill. Intent, skill & power is everything. From what I could understand, it instantly separates the soul from the body, leaving not a mark on the corpse. I doubt you could use any form of resurrection to bring them back, either. Once it’s done, you’re caput.”

“A soul separation spell. There are ones here where you can chip away at the soul to achieve the same outcome, but it’s not instant, nor permanent.”

“It may be in the name. It roughly translates as ‘I sever’; or; ‘let the thing be destroyed’.”

She told him the name. He took it in, rolling it around in his head, a dark, hungry look suffusing his features.

“I think there’s something to this” he gave her an evil smile, a smile promising retribution on his enemies, once he figured out who they were.

“You’ll need to practice it; I’m not even sure if it’ll work; but if it does, I want a promise in return.”

“I would imagine you would.”

“Promise me you’ll resist your urges on people who don’t deserve them. Otherwise, go to town on those that do.”

He went stiff. Still.

“Has Gus –“

“Dad didn’t break any confidences. I know … stuff. You will, too. In time.”

And didn’t that give Withers’ vibes? She felt like slapping herself.

He looked down at her.

“Then, I’ll get to practising.” He fell behind her, deep in thought, turning that puzzle round & round in his mind.

Arming durge with Avadakedavra was a stroke of genius on her behalf, especially if he could get it working. If she couldn’t use magic, she was gonna make damn sure those around her who could had access to some mighty fine spells this world had never seen.

Breaking at lunch around about mid-day, a white dog came bounding into camp, introducing itself giddily to everyone, sniffing & snuffling. Scratch. Nice to see him, she supposed, even though she herself wasn’t a dog person. Karlach was over the moon, even if she couldn’t touch him. She kept baby talking to him, feeding him scraps so he’d keep coming back to her.

Once they took off again, he’d decided to accompany them, running off & always coming back, sniffing around & generally making himself known. Their party continued to grow.

Chapter 31: To Be, Or Not To Be

Chapter Text

About mid-afternoon the sounds of primitive drums & music drifted & thumped their way back toward the group. Sounded like doof-doof music back home, she thought. About half an hour after that, voices shouting, laughing & generally being raucous could be heard. The land around them started looking beaten down & scrubby, like nature itself was rejecting the presence of the goblins, or who they had been recruited by.

The checkpoint came into view, the rickety bridge making them have to go single file to approach. She’d read enough to know this was a tactic used to thin out any large groups of enemies approaching, making them easy to pick of if they presented a threat.

Gus approached the alert little goblin seneschal who was accompanied by a massive beast; a Worg. It was on eye level with Gus & began wrinkling back it’s snout as he planted himself in front of them both, crossing his arms & exuding an aura of authority. It even made her want to sit down & pay attention to him.

“Lookit’ this, Klaw. Supper, delivered right to our door.” The goblin commented up at the Worg, who growled in response, drooling. “Unless you’re ‘ere for another reason, f*cksh*te.” He leered up at Gus, who threw out a hand to stop Belle as she belligerently stepped forward, ready to go toe to toe in a slinging match with the little bastard.

“I’m here to see the drow, Minthara” he recited from what Belle had told him.

The little co*cksucker recoiled at the name.

“Oh, well, er, go on in. And, er, excuse the ol’ squinty eye, havta’ give it to all the visitors, dontcha’ know…” he winked rapidly at them all as they passed by, looking like he was having a fit.

“Little prick” Belle muttered, looking back over her shoulder at him, wishing she could go back & practice her stabbing techniques on him. How dare he call her dad a f*cksh*te?

They entered the compound proper, the sounds & smells thundering into them all at once.

“Ah, drink it in! That sweet, sweet chaos!” Astarion turned, breathing in deeply, a look of utter bliss on his face.

“Are you serious? All I’m breathing in is the smell of goblin piss!” Belle didn’t know what the f*ck he was on about. It was that rank & thick you could taste it on your tongue.

They all turned to regard Volo, cowering & stuttering over his badly improvised lines as he started repeating himself again. The idiot wizard had his back turned to them & hadn’t noticed their arrival yet.

After days & days of near silence, the cacophony now surrounding them was driving an ice pick into Belle’s brain. There were goblins everywhere! Her senses were getting overstimulated immediately. Gus gave the signal, a dip of the head, indicating everyone to spread out, & to cover the territory they’d been assigned to deal with.

Belle stayed close to Gus, getting to enjoy Volo’s masterful recitation yet again as they moved around to the front of the dias. Karlach & Gale went off to see if the owlbear cub had ever left it’s mother & somehow ended up here with the goblins; Brian & Wyll went off to scout the right hand side of the compound & to eliminate any stray goblins they found out there past the walls before circling back in toward the bbq pit; Astarion & Shadowheart wound their way above the battlements to go & take out the beasts up there. Lae’zel drifted through the crowd, looking intimidating & making sure everyone carried out their appointed tasks efficiently.

Volo spotted Gus, making him lose his place in his recital yet again. He floundered, looking fearfully from her dad to the lady goblin eyeing him suspiciously.

“To be or not to be, that is the question” Belle orated loudly into the silence, turning & backing up on the platform, bumping the so-called expert on everything out of the way. She continued when he froze.

“Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings & arrows of outrageous fortune, or to take arms against a sea of troubles, & by opposing, end them?”

The silence continued, the goblins gawping up at her, until….

“That was …. lovely….” One cried out, starting to clap, followed by others, until she got a standing ‘O’ from the little beasts. Who would have thought they liked Shakespeare?

“For the Absolute!” she cried out, fisting the air, the lot of them following her lead in various cries of ‘in her name.’

Christ, she’d have them eating out the palm of her hand given a day with them. An army of goblins…. that sounded appealing, actually. She briefly wondered if she could get Gus to change their plans from annihilation to subjugation. Looking down at his face, she kicked that idea to the curb. Getting down from the dias, he lowered his voice.

“Since when did you like getting up in front of others to speak?”

“Since life threw me a curveball & landed me in a backwater place where I can’t even use magic.”

He stood back, watching as Volo was ushered off the stage hurriedly by his little lady friend, the idiot whispering “Save me” as he passed by.

“I wonder if she has her wicked way with him” Belle mused, looking after them thoughtfully.

“That” he shuddered, “is an image I can do without.”

“She’s just the right height for giving - “

“Belle. Focus.”

“I am. All those sharp teeth, though …”

“Will you behave!”

“You’re no fun.”

Brian wandered over to them, casually looking around pretending nonchalance, but those smart eyes of his seeing everything.

“They’re just about done on the roof” he said quietly, rubbing his chin.

Gus nodded.

Out of nowhere, two other vapid humans had joined their little gathering, just imposing themselves upon them.

“Isn’t it wonderful, how many different people the Absolute is bringing together? You must be so proud, all of you, to be Chosen as her True Souls” the woman, Brynna, Belle recalled, said.

“It must suck to not be chosen” Belle answered.

“Well, we’re hoping that by proving ourselves worthy, we might one day also become True Souls.”

“Oh, if I could, I’d gladly give you that status now, friend” Belle clapped her on the shoulder, winked at her, & wandered off. Gawd, what an idiot!

She saw Shadowheart & Astarion shimmy down the ladder & wandered over to them, stopping short when she saw that Astarion’s face was covered with blood dripping from the nose down. It was in his hair, on his jacket &, as she saw when slowly drew closer, even up his nose.

“Oh. My. God. What the f*ck?”

He looked dazed, eyes glazed over, swaying more alarmingly than Jack Sparrow.

“This one” Shadowheart thumbed at him, “decided to do most of the honours.”

“How the hell are we gonna get him cleaned up?” she whispered furiously to the goth while grabbing him by the jacket & turning him around so he wasn’t facing anyone.

“I’m right here, you know” he protested, then giggled.

“You’re drunk?” oh sh*t, not what they needed right now.

“No, at least, I don’t think so” he replied, tipping alarmingly to the other side.

Desperate, she looked around for something to clean him off with. Nothing. Grabbing her sleeve, she spat on it & started scrubbing the blood away, Astarion making drowning cat sounds, wincing & trying to push her away from him.

“Will you stop it!” he finally managed to finangle her away. She’d only managed to smear the mess around more.

“Are they gonna notice?” she turned to Shadowheart.

She looked around at the goblins.

“I doubt it. They’re murderous little beasts themselves.”

Alright. Fine. Let him wander around like it then. She side eyed him as they turned & ran into Wyll & Lae’zel.

“What in the hells happened with him?” Wyll winced at Astarion's appearance.

“He decided to get drunk.” Shadowheart answered disgustedly.

“I think it’s an improvement” Lae’zel said, appraisingly.

“f*ckin elves, think you rule everything, go round all high n mighty” the goblin up on the stage carrying on about how good he was had noticed them.

“That’s because we are better” Shadowheart shot back, hand on hip & advancing on him. Belle looked at Wyll, who shrugged, & decided to follow her, so the rest did, too.

“Not for long. Now that we got the Absolute on our side, all you’s ‘ll be below us. Go on. Kiss. My. Foot.” He pointed imperiously at his mud encrusted, filthy toes. Looking at it, Belle shuddered.

Astarion pushed Shadowheart aside, eyeing the toe himself.

“Let me” he hiccoughed, kneeling.

“Oh, no, don’t-“ Belle tried to step in & stop him, only, Shadowheart stopped her, shaking her head, dark amusem*nt tinging her eyes.

She saw him dip his head downward, but she had to look away. Aint’ no way that mouth was going anywhere near her anymore until it had been scrubbed out, disinfected & bleached. At least three times.

“Why you little… you tryna’ … I’ll f*ckin kill you … “ the goblin threatened, sounding incredibly pissed off about being turned on.

“Imma go … & sit out there…” Belle pointed outside the wall where it’d be safe for her to be while the rest of them took care of the rest of the goblins. That image of Astarion kneeling & giving the goblin toe pleasure for a f*cking ring, was giving her icky vibes again. Hopefully, the view across the way might clear her head & heart a bit.

Within half an hour of that, she heard a massive amount of puking going on, indicating the poison having been delivered to the cauldron, followed by shouts, clanging weapons & the sounds of magic whizzing around. She sat on the edge of the cliff, swinging her legs & waiting for someone to come & collect her.

She looked at the sleeve she’d used to try & clean him up with. Blood smeared it in streaks. She didn’t begrudge him feeding; it was the effects of the over-feeding & what it led to, with him having no hesitation in sucking that ring off the horrible little sh*t’s toe.

Knowing he was hedonistic & seeing it were two different things. He still had no hesitation as yet in lowering himself to achieve an outcome. It'd come, hopefully, but it was still sad to see. Deciding to not judge it, but also making sure his mouth was clean before she’d let him anywhere near her again, she tried to let it go.

It was Brian who came to fetch her. She looked around as he squatted beside her.

“Any luck with that spell?”

“Not yet. It’ll take time, if ever.”

“It’s bright green, if that helps.”

He gave her a small smile.

“All necrotic type spells are, even ones of a spiritual nature.”

Oh. Ok then.

She got up, waving off his attempts to help her to her feet. She was still too aware of where those hands had been in the past to want to touch them so soon.

“These urges, do they ever go away?” he suddenly asked her as she stood up. He sounded tired.

“They can. But you’ll have to suffer them until we get to Baldur’s Gate.”

He closed his eyes, pained.

“I … I’m sorry.” She made an on-the-spot decision that may result in her losing anything she had (maybe) been developing with Astarion.

“If… if you need to talk to someone who ….can understand… speak to Astarion.”

He opened his eyes, & looked down at her, searching for her approval.

“Really?”

“Yes. Out of all of us, he would understand the most.”

Her heart clenched. But she wasn’t planning on staying here, was she? Eventually, she’d leave, & they’d still be here, & … they might have each other….

He nodded, once, his expression clearing.

“Thank you. I think I will.”

She nodded, swallowing thickly, ignoring the hot prick at the corners of her eyes as she followed him back into the courtyard.

Chapter 32: Take it like a Man

Chapter Text

Entering the relative quiet interior proved to be easy. With a quick “Minthara” thrown at the sentry, they were given free entrance. Stupid little creatures. Lack of leadership & chain of accountability was the problem here, Belle figured, once again running through how she’d order a military operation like this if she were in charge.

In the larger chamber beyond, Gus halted them while the goblins around only glanced at them before continuing their own business, disinterest writ large on their faces.

Splitting them once more into groups, he nodded at them when satisfied. Gus, Gale & Wyll were to take out Gut as well as go deal with Roah, & maybe start gathering their end of Act 3 explosives cache; Karlach, Brian & Lae’zel were to deal with Ragzlin & release the spideys if they could; Belle, Astarion & Shadowheart were to deal with Minthara. Well, mainly Shadowheart & Astarion. Belle was to take out the eye & be on watch for other goblins if they appeared.

Once that was done, then they’d rescue Halsin, release Volo & the poor kid on the rack, & maybe the goblin leader if they could be bothered.

Her little group headed off up to the left, where she glanced at the poor boy currently being tortured. She winced as he let out a particularly blood curdling cry as a goblin cracked him over the knees with a blunt looking object, but he wasn’t likely to die in the next hour or so. Or so she told herself.

Passing by an alcove, a tall, blonde emaciated man covered in bruises & healing wounds drifted straight into them. Oh. Him. She’d forgotten about him.

“Ah, visitors. Have you also come to help the goblins in delivering their ministrations? I, myself, find them to be a bit… obtuse … in the finer concepts of applied pain.”

“What in the hells is he talking about?” Astarion leaned over to ask Belle, none to quietly.

“You are sheltered, aren’t you? This is a priest of Loviator” Shadowheart pointed out to him.

“Quite. I am Abdirak, high priest in Loviotars’ church. I was hoping to impart a bit of culture here, but, alas” he looked around at the goblins, deep disappointment etched into the sharp lines of his face.

“Aren’t you cold?” Belle asked, unable now to focus on anything except the nipplies he was showing off.

“My child, temperature is but another discomfort to overcome in her name. When one is free from heat or cold, it opens up vistas of enlightenment not normally available to the mundane.”

“Righto. I’ll take your word for it.”

Abdirak leaned in closer, peering at her eyes, taking a deep breath in. She leaned away the same amount, wanting to form the crucifix in protection.

“Why, you’ve experienced pain, deep, abiding pain, have you not?”

“No, nope, no pain, all sunshine & rainbows here. But Shadowheart here has experienced that pain.” She sidestepped, thrusting the protesting half-elf at the priest.

“No, I haven’t! I-“

Belle swung her around to face her.

“Yes, you have. You should receive penance. I’ve heard the rewards are worth it!” She swung her back around again, shoving her at the priest.

“Hmmm, somehow I don’t think watching Shadowheart is going to be as … appealing .. as if you took the punishment.” Astarion had wandered off to peruse the table all laid out with tools & weapons & wandered back to stand aside, appearing quite disappointed.

“You could always take it, lord knows you have plenty to get off your chest.”

“I’m afraid not, darling, I prefer to watch these things, not participate.”

“Well then, Shadowheart it is” & she gave a final shove, the half-elf glaring daggers at her over her shoulder.

“Take it like a man… “ Belle gave her a toothy grin & thumbs up. And had to leave when Abdirack chose the mace, ironically, as the weapon of choice.

Leaning against a column, she watched as Gus & the others disappeared to go & quickly trade with the Zhentarim trader across the way. Behind her, she heard Abdirak getting into the swing of things, Shadowheart getting colder & colder in her snide comments to the priest about the lack of strength in his arm. She did sound pained, however, earning an eager reply from the pin-head wannabe.

She was surprised when Astarion joined her after only briefly watching the spectacle going on in the room.

“I thought you’d stay for the show” she said, studying how the blood was crusting everywhere on him. She didn’t find it disgusting, exactly …

“Egh, it was boring” he whined, seemingly more sober now than earlier. “You, on the other hand” he leaned in closer so she got a good whiff of the drying blood on him “I would have enjoyed watching. Writhing uncontrollably, your mouth falling open … do you know how close pain looks to ecstasy?” His eyes smouldered at her in the dim light. She looked at his mouth, the spell broke, & she turned away.

“So, you’re a voyeur. Not a participator. One could be disappointed in hearing that …”

“I never said that … & it wouldn’t take much to persuade me if it were just the two of us…”

She sighed, glancing at him. No, she wasn’t going to pursue this conversation any further.

Shadowheart emerged from the alcove, healing herself before coming over to Belle, slowly adjusting her armour & looking murderous.

“You & I have things to discuss.” She said very, very quietly.

“But don’t you feel good? Like you’ve been cleansed? Blessed, even?” she stressed the word, turning to the cleric & ignoring Astarion, who looked put out.

“Regardless, I’m not sure it was worth it.”

“Oh, it’s so worth it. It lasts & lasts. Gotta love a deity who doesn’t leave you in the dust, all lonely & forgotten.”

Shadowheart shot her a suspicious glare.

“Shall we go? I’m done.” Astarion bitched.

They took off, turning the corner, the signal the others had waited on. Belle took out her sword, intent on murdering the floating eyeball while the other two took care of the goblins & Minthara respectively.

Chapter 33: Blood Kink

Chapter Text

Walking up just shy of the floating sphere, she peered at it curiously as it peered back at her. Wondering who was watching on the other end, she stepped forward, causing the magic holding it up to come unravelled, dropping it like a bowling ball onto the floor, smashing it to pieces. The other two surged forward, Astarion quickly dispatching the goblins while Shadowheart missed half the time. Honestly, Belle felt like she could do a better job at this rate than the cleric.

Taking up position this side of the makeshift walkway across from Minthara’s office, she watched as the other two quickly engaged the drow as she bared down on them with her dual wield short swords; quickly showing off how much more proficient with them than what Astarion was as she fought him off ferociously. Wishing she could recruit her then & there on the spot, she winced as Minthara got a blow in, steadily wearing him down, despite him juiced up on fresh blood.

Shadowheart kept trying to fire off different spells, but that woman couldn’t hit a fish in a barrel. She dropped her spells, moving in with her mace. And, incredibly, the drow kept the both of them from landing a single blow.

“Just hit her already!” Belle yelled out.

“Already trying!” Astarion yelled back.

“Try harder!”

Holy sh*t, Minthara knocked back Shadowheart with a blow to the head to concentrate on Astarion, going hammer & tongs on him.

f*cking hell, she was going to have to step in at this rate. She braced, ready to charge in, waiting for an opening.

Finally, Astarion landed a blow to her middle, knocking her back. Belle charged in, skidding to a halt just before reaching the drow, who was recovering already.

“Look, it’s Orin the Red!” she screamed, pointing & staring in horror just behind Minthara. Be damned, the woman turned on the spot to see, exposing her neck. It was all Astarion needed, as he lunged at her, winding himself around her like a cobra, bearing her to the ground as he latched on & took a massive draught from the dark elf. She struggled valiantly, but ultimately futilely, in his grip.

Shadowheart wandered over, having already healed herself, again, from the wound the dark elf had inflicted on her. She glanced down at Astarion as he fed once more.

“Oh, that’s … no” Shadowheart turned away, disgusted.

“Really? You don’t find that … hot?” Belle was surprised to find that she, herself, kinda did.

“No. And … definitely no. Why, do you?”

“Whaaat? Nooooo, not me!”

“Keep telling yourself that.” Shadowheart looked grossed out & had to wander off back over the bridge.

She looked back down at the feeding vampire, who seemed to be sort of half passed out on top. She had to end up toeing his shoulder to get him to let up before he killed her. She squatted beside him once he detached himself, panting & just lying there, his eyes heavy & looking like he was ready for a nap.

He had fresh blood dripping down his chin, mixing with the older, drying blood. He was a bloody mess.

She reached out, scooping it up with a single finger. He let her, looked at her finger, then leant forward & wrapped his mouth around it, sucking the blood off as he watched her intently, until his eyes closed in exhausted ecstasy.

“Ohmyf*ckinggod” she breathed as he used his tongue to circle her finger before biting down gently & releasing. Apparently, she could forget all about wanting him to clean that mouth out first.

“I’ve never tasted drow before” he murmured. “She was dark … bitter… not like you, darling.” He was quick to reassure her as he opened earnest eyes.

“I’m not offended. You go ahead & broaden your palate.”

He looked relieved.

“I knew I liked you for a reason.”

“Hmmm. You’re gonna need a bath after today.”

“Offering to wash my back? I won’t say no.”

“You’re impossible.”

“But, oh, so loveable.”

He looked down at Minthara.

“What do we do with her?”

“Leave her. Oh, wait, take her armour, its abilities suit you.”

They both got to work stripping it off of her. Once that was done, she stood up & walked away, vaguely aware that Shadowheart had placed herself up on the wall overlooking the Worg pens, firing down at the goblins on the other side. She was at it for quite a while. Belle crossed her arms, leaving her to it as the woman clearly needed the practice in hitting what she aimed for. She kept flexing the finger he’d just sucked with his now hot mouth. It tingled & flared. Why she’d done that she didn’t know; her body just took over & smacked her good self down.

Astarion came over when he’d changed into the purple drow’s armour.

“What do you think?” he asked, doing his little circle work, arms held out so she could take it all in.

“Nice. Very flattering. Gives assassin vibes.”

“I thought so too.”

“You two are getting worse, I swear” Shadowheart called down from the wall. “If you’d care to rescue the druid, the way’s clear.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about” Belle shouted back up to her.

“I think she’s talking about us.” Astarion said quietly, watching her but pretending to adjust his gloves. There was a flash of vulnerability, there & gone. Was he … was he wanting …. validation?

She stepped over to him. He didn’t move, letting her in to his personal space. She searched his eyes, waiting for that moment when the light switch would turn off. Slowly, she tilted her head up to his, keeping her eyes on his.

She ghosted over his cheek, the heat of the life essence he’d just consumed radiating from him. The smell of blood was strong, metallic where it had dried already on his skin. His hand came up, his thumb stroking her jaw, then he closed the distance, letting his lips touch her cheek, oh, so gently, & moulded them ever so slightly to kiss her there.

“Oh, whoops, sorry” Karlach had entered the room & performed a 180, pushing the others back out who had followed. “Nothing to see here, move on” her retreating voice could be heard yelling.

They broke apart at the intrusion, looking to see where the others had gone. Looking back at each other, she noticed not only that he hadn’t gone anywhere mentally, but that she was getting the softest of smiles that lit his face.

“That.. that was nice” he breathed.

“It was. I mean, I liked it” she replied softly.

“Well, I suppose we should join the others.”

“Hmm-hmm”.

She was just a tad distracted right now, all gooey & burning up inside. He’d kissed her! Well, she wasn’t going to let him kiss her on the mouth right now, but the cheek should be fine, right? Her shoulder devil was telling her to take it on the mouth, goblin toe jam be damned!

“Everyone’s waiting” Karlach called out from the other side of the wall.

“f*cking hell” she muttered, slinking over to the ladder. Astarion moved in behind her, momentarily trapping her against the ladder, causing her insides to erupt. He leant in to whisper in her ear.

“I would very much like to sneak away soon.”

He topped it off with nuzzling quickly at her ear before releasing her.

“Up you go” he purred, as if nothing had just happened.

“You. Are a very. Very. Bad man.” She scolded him over her shoulder before heaving herself up.

“I know. But I think you like that.” He answered quietly behind her.

Chapter 34: Emperor Superman

Chapter Text

Halsin was tall. Halsin was impressive. Halsin had a receding hairline that caught Belle’s attention & she tried really hard to un-notice it. Not that she had anything against receding hairlines, but it shattered the illusion she’d held about him as she saw his scalp flashing through the thinning hair as he moved. Ah, well, another one bites the dust.

She only paid half a mind as Gus explained the situation to him, the other half of her mind following Astarion around as he poked & prodded & rummaged through the general sh*t laying around everywhere down here. No! She had to focus!

‘On what?’ her brain whispered.

‘His arse’ she whispered back, eyeing it as best she could in the gloom.

Truth was, there wasn’t much left to do now. Tidy up the loose ends, agree to meet Halsin back at the grove, kill the remaining goblins & scoot on out of there, as far as their legs could carry them, back into the night. No-one wanted to remain anywhere near the camp after having just massacred it in greetings.

Only the bedrolls were set up that night, no fire, people collapsing like cut trees; the men in the group (most of them) starting to snore within five minutes. Gus still insisted on sentries, ‘devil’ this & ‘devil’ that being his excuse.

She didn’t even know when she passed out, only that she had, when hippie music started wafting around her, punctuated by the sounds of far-off explosions.

She sighed.

“If you have tentacles I don’t want to talk.” She said out loud.

“This counts as the second visit. You have two more to go before I reveal my true self.”

“I’m aware of what you look like. Is there anything you need or are you just wasting my Superman visits?”

She cracked an eye at him.

“I never waste visits. I don’t have enough energy to do so.” He sounded tired. But looked ravishable.

“So? What’s up then?”

"I wish to discuss Orpheus."

Hot diggity! She sat up.

“Go on” she urged. He gracefully glided in beside her, before sitting down, spreading the scarlet cape out behind him.

“It goes against my instincts, but considering what you have shown me, it appears we may be able to pull this off sooner rather than later; if we can get him to co-operate.”

“Do you need moral support? I’ll help, I wanna speak to –“

“No, that won’t be necessary; at least, not at first.”

No fair! Orpheus fascinated her, & she wanted to pick his brains about a few things.

“I will wake him & speak with him. Let him have time to consider m – our, proposal.”

“Dude, you can take the credit, I don’t care” she waved away his slip up. “But how are we going to get the Orphic Hammer to free him?”

“I do believe I saw a pathway in your mind where you can break into Raphael’s House.”

Oh.

sh*t.

Chapter 35: Sharing's Caring

Chapter Text

The hot tea shoved under her nose the next morning was accompanied by not just a chipper sounding Astarion, but an excited sounding Astarion. God, she hated morning people!

“Will you hurry & wake up?”

The morning light spearheaded into her pupils, making her pull faces as well as ‘I’m melting, meeeellllttting’ sounds & try to dive back under the blanket, but Astarion was back to full sh*thead glee & pulled the blanket clean off of her.

“Leave me alone!” she wailed, turning onto her front to bury her face in the cushion Gus had thoughtfully stolen for her from Gut’s chambers (it was clean, he’d made Gale clean it, he was quick to assure her).

She quickly grabbed the cushion with both arms as he went to yank that away, too. That resulted in the next minute or so of him darting around & trying to steal away the cushion while she was cocooned around it. Then he threatened to upend the tea on her.

“Fine” she yelled, unfurling & sitting up, snatching the brew away & giving him daggers while he looked supremely smug & haughty about it all.

Before she’d even been able to blow on the steam, he started talking.

“I had the most interesting dream last night. Our visitor promised the most delicious powers these tadpoles can provide us. All we have to do, is consume more.”

f*ck-a-duck, looked like the emperor was still going to try & persuade the others toward illithidhood, despite knowing she knew what he was about. She knew misery loved company, but that was taking it a bit far.

“Yeah, then get varicose veins all over our faces. I’ve seen what that looks like. I, for one, will pass.”

“Oh, darling, you’re being too short sighted. What’s a little … discomfort … when one gets the power to control others in return.”

What the f*ck had he told Astarion?

“You wanna see what it looks like? I can show you, right now … if I can fire up the little prick” she muttered, wondering if the tadpole could work on command like that. Hers seemed extra lazy, for some reason, only ever having shown an interest in genitals once before & nothing since.

“You’re willing to use it to show me visions, but won’t use it to extend those powers? Tsk, I’m disappointed.”

She ignored his power tripping & conniving in favour of harassing her tadpole, pretty much doing to it what Astarion had done to her just a few minutes ago in waking her up, only mentally.

“They’re not all they’re cracked up to be, honestly. Most of them you can do if you have the right spell or scroll or potion anyway.”

“But … magic doesn’t work on you, does it? Not like for the rest of us.” He sidled over to her, presenting himself at an angle most pleasing before trying to persuade her over to his point. “You could have these powers; do things you’ve never done before. Wouldn’t that be worth a little risk?”

“Nope. I‘ve invested too much into skin care to then have to treat that” she replied, concentrating inward & probably looking cross-eyed.

“Argh, why are you being so boring? I thought, out of everyone, you’d be willing to at least entertain the idea.”

Being called boring was nothing new to her. She got it all the time for refusing to go out & do anything that resembled socialising.

Ah, that got it. She’d still been poking & prodding the taddie all the way through the conversation. It finally seemed to wake up & understand what she was after & obliged. That weird sensation of expansion billowed out from her head toward Astarion, engulfing & entwining with his mind, & she directed it, somehow, focusing in on what she could of his pixelated self; how he argued against consuming any parasites later due to not wanting to put his body through any more changes; or, accepting & having the dark veins engulfing his eyes & face, leaving them bruised & mottled looking, obscuring his facial features.

Her tadpole got all excited, though, at chatting away to his, & wanted to show more, share more, share everything it could find because this host knew things, things about the future it shouldn’t, & sharing was caring in an illithid colony …

His tadpole found it interesting that it’s future host’s self wanted no part in it, went rummaging as to why that was, & threw images & feelings at her of how Cazador had trained him in the ways of servitude for a spawn & the resultant lack of power over oneself thereafter; he wasn’t allowed to ask questions; wasn’t allowed to have questionable facial expressions; wasn’t allowed to have opinions; wasn’t allowed to go outside the palace without permission; wasn’t allowed to talk to others unless those others were targets; wasn’t allowed to own any possessions not given him by Cazador (& there was little given); & any & every time Astarion messed up & forgot, even the smallest, tiniest little detail, would result in swift, brutal punishment … it went on & on, Cazador peeling away everything a person could be so that all that was left was an obedient puppet.

He tore the connection apart.

The momentary ache it left behind caused her to grind her palm into her forehead, grimacing before it receded.

“Take the damn tadpole” she said, at the same time as he said,

“I don’t think I want it anymore ….” Followed, after a moment, by “Was that … me?”

Chapter 36: Lobo

Chapter Text

Had she cracked onto the method for controlling Astarion’s lust for power? Simply show him cause & effect in how it directly related to him?

He’d gone all quiet after she’d confirmed that, yes, that image he’d seen had been him, sorta, if he thought about it in an animated, realistic painting kind of way. After that, they’d set out once more, &, left to herself again, wondered if she were doing the right thing. With any of it.

Because, really, she shouldn’t be here. She was a wild card, an unknown, a danger with the knowledge she possessed. But did that mean Gus shouldn’t be here, either? It was pretty clear he was Tav, the whole game was about him … & durge. How the hell was this meant to play out with two lead characters & a casual game player who had taken a bite from the proverbial tree of forbidden knowledge?

Getting a headache trying to figure it all out, she gave it up as a bad job when they stopped for a break around mid-day. They were still roughly a day & a half off the grove going at the pace they were. Gus had told the others several times they were welcome to use the waypoints to fast travel back, but none of them had taken him up on the offer.

Setting off once more, they passed the village again, deciding to stop the other side of the bridge leading back toward the grove.

As they approached the cross-roads just before the bridge, just on twilight, a strong smell of rotten eggs wafted toward them. Belle, at the back of the line, couldn’t believe how fast everyone reacted, one minute all casual strolling, the next, weapons bared & magic all fired up. She got yelled at to stay well behind the lines as the rest all spread out, searching & waiting for something to reveal itself.

Backing up toward the broken-down wall that led into to the village, she bumped something with her foot that whimpered at her. Looking down, she saw she’d nearly stepped on a puppy.

“Oh” she said, surprised, bending down to pick up the little creature. It had very short hair & was shivering in the cool night air.

“Awww, wookit ooo” she baby talked it just like Karlach had with Scratch. She didn’t mind puppies, even ones as ugly-cute as this. She cradled it to her chest, a faint waft of the putrid smell clinging to the puppy’s fur, then wondered if it was sick; it seemed to be running a temperature. It whined up at her, giving her large puppy-dog eyes.

“Where’s your mumma? Or are you all alone? That’s ok, you can come with me, I’ll look after you” she held it up, examining it in the evening light. Looked kinda like a pit-bull, or a ridge-back. It had a collar, she noticed, with a little circular tag on it. She couldn’t decern anything from it in the light right now. Tucking the puppy back into her chest, she started patting it behind the ears, waiting for the others to realise there was nothing out there & stop being sooks.

Wyll came back to check on her after about five minutes. Saw her cradling something. Asked what it was. She held it up to show him. He went five shades paler, which was impressive.

“Put. It. Down. Belle.”

“Why. Wyll. It’s. A. Puppy.”

It was going to sleep in her arms, liking being cuddled.

Not turning his head from her, he held out a hand behind him, sending a bolt of something back towards the others, alerting them that they should convene on the area.

“How about you give it to me, hmm? I’ll look after it for you.”

“You lot can have Scratch; I’ll keep this one. He’s sooo cuuuute!” Not really, but he was puppy cute! She cooed down at it while the others emerged into the clearing.

“I found the problem” Wyll shot back over his shoulder to Gus as he came bounding on in, pointing at Belle.

“I beg your pardon, I’m difficult, yes, but a problem?”

Gus, meanwhile, was slowly advancing on her, hands held out & down to the sides, eyes trained on the pup.

“Hun, you need to put the puppy down – it’s a dangerous breed.”

She raised an eyebrow at her dad, then down at the pup, who was now snoozing in her arms.

“Dangerous my arse. I’m gonna name him … Lobo.”

“Is that a hellhound?” Karlach said loudly into the silence.

All hell broke loose, everyone moving in toward her, trying to take the little guy away from her, so she stuffed the pup down the front of her armour as best she could.

“It’s a puppy, have you all gone f*cking mad?” she yelled, while the puppy’s claws dragged along her skin, not hurting but making her cross her arms over her chest to stop him from moving around too much.

“It’s a hellhound, they’re sent by the higher ranks in hell; it’s after you!” Gus tried to explain.

“Do you see any devils around? You’ve gone devil mad! It’s all by itself & I want it!”

“It’ll kill you.”

“It might lick me to death.”

“I say we keep it. Train it up to take out our enemies.” Astarion put his opinion forward.

“I’m with you” she went to stand slightly behind him, not at all using him as a shield against the others.

Gus looked like he was gonna pop a vein. Wyll stepped in.

“Look, they can be trained, but only by really powerful hell spawn. It’d be best if we get rid of it, now, before it grows up & becomes a threat.”

“You do & I’ll euthanise you,” Belle pointed a finger at him.

He looked confused.

“I think she means murder,” Astarion grinned, thoroughly enjoying the bickering & turn of events the evening had presented.

Belle got her way, only because she refused to remove the pup from inside her armour. It crawled around, poking its little head out to breathe, then promptly fell asleep again.

They set up a fire, only rations & leftovers on offer for that night, & she went for a little wander around the perimeter of the camp, feeding the puppy little nibbles of food it barely woke up for but still ate anyway.

When everyone seemed to have settled in a bit more after their bitch-fit, she sidled in beside the fire, digging out the collar on the little guy to study the tag she’d found on him. Etched into the metal was a Triquetra; the three overlapping arcs flashing in the firelight. Frowning, she tucked it back into her armour; just one more weird thing she put under the ‘deal with later’ pile.

She waited until just about everyone had fallen asleep, sitting there cross-legged, listening to the sounds of their breathing. Easing herself up, she wandered away to let the little guy out for a toilet break.

He only looked to be about eight weeks old, too young to be fully toilet trained.

“First devils, then a hellhound. You’re full of surprises, aren’t you” Astarion had crept up beside her while she watched the pup sniff around. He sounded ... thoughtful.

“I have no idea what’s going on. Nothing like this happened back home. Not that it could.”

“Clearly something is. I guess we’ll just have to wait to see what that is.” His eyes gleamed in the reflected moonlight.

“You ever seen a Triquetra before?” she asked, ignoring the plans she could see him formulating.

“A what?”

She bent down, grabbed up the puppy who struggled it’s widdle pudgy wegs, before tucking him away in the crook of her elbow & fishing out the tag, showing it to him.

He frowned, reached out & ran a finger over the symbol.

“No. But there’s so many lost & ancient symbols here, who knows what is what or belongs to whom.” He withdrew his finger.

“It’s on Earth. This symbol. It’s old, really old.”

“Well, does it mean anything?”

“It can mean the phases of life. Maiden. Mother. Crone. A couple of other things.”

“On a hellhound? Someone’s playing games.”

Chapter 37: Foster's Flop

Chapter Text

Luckily for the pup she was at the back of the line; she could let him down to wander along beside her, sniffling & snuffling all the foliage & secret scents that dogs could detect. Plus, he could pee freely at will.

“Interesting.”

Withers popped in, observing the dog.

“No, really?” she deadpanned.

The puppy turned at his intrusion & yapped at him.

He held out a hand, & the pup floated up in front of him, the tag pulling out away from the collar.

“Ah. I see.”

He floated the pup back down, letting it get back to its busy business.

“I’m not even gonna bother.”

“It’s a calling card.”

“What?” she asked, surprised he’d actually volunteered information.

“The hound is a present. A … goodwill gift. Thou mayest keep it, there are no strings attached.”

“How … who….?”

“They will tell thou, when the time presents itself.”

She was getting used to this she found, as she didn’t tell him to f*ck off.

Then, they were back at the spot they’d first camped at near the grove. Thank f*ck for that. Gale magicked her tent up for her as she went off to find a likely spot to go & have a wash. All the grime, blood, bad egg smell from the puppy, b.o & sweat were clinging to her. It felt like an inch worth of crap encased her.

Deciding on the beach where the harpies had been (thanks tieflings for clearing them out; druids, she was beginning to discover, were a lazy f*cking crew), she picked her way around the cliffs a bit, just to afford herself some bloody privacy.

She still wasn’t used to bathing in cold water, unable to just take her time & relax. After cleaning her crevices at least three times (no clinical deodorant to be had nearby) she hurriedly dried herself off & got dressed, before deciding, f*ck it, she was gonna lay down on the part of the beach where she was & soak up some rays herself.

Several hours later, just as twilight was beginning to creep in, she came to, not realising she’d drifted off, feeling all logy from laying there so long. Felt nice, though. She was probably gonna have a sunburn, but they’d be in the Underdark before very long, plus the Shadowlands, so a bit of sun now wouldn’t kill her.

Lobo had followed her everywhere, even staying by her side as she snoozed. What a faithful little champ he was!

Wandering back out of the grove & into camp it looked like several someone’s had been busy, as there were more lamps lit than normal, & wine bottles galore stacked up against the big rock in the middle of the camp.

Karlach came bounding over to her, only briefly giving the hound a glance before dismissing it.

“Hey, chuckles. Check it out” she rapped her chest, the infernal engine no longer rattling, sounding nice & smooth as it worked rhythmically away. No doubt about it, Dammon was a master crafter to be able to fix that thing in just a few hours.

Karlach, meanwhile, pulled Belle into a huge hug.

“I’m so happy! I can hug, shake hands, get laid…. speaking of, who should I get with?” she was laughing, but Belle could hear the tears underneath.

“I dunno” she mumbled into the tieflings boobs as Karlach forgot to let her go.

“Oh, sorry” she let Belle go quickly, smiling from ear to ear.

“All good. Bigger rack than Mizora’s” she commented, earning her a wicked grin.

“Damn right. But I don’t wanna talk about that bitch.”

“Hmmm. Whom. To. f*ck.” She tapped her finger against her chin, starting to size up everyone in immediate view.

They both peered around the camp, not at all concerned at how predatory they looked. Next minute, Shadowheart had joined them, also scanning the field.

“We’re not all horny, are we?” Belle commented.

“f*ck yes we are” Karlach continued to scan.

“We all know who you have lined up, anyway” Shadowheart said dismissively.

“Go f*ck a bear” she told the cleric.

“Go f*ck a bat” the goth retorted.

“Ooo, nice one!” Belle complimented her.

“I rather thought so.”

“Ladies, ladies, we’re not here to argue; we’re here to pick a suitable playmate for yours truly. Ten f*cking years since I got laid, can you believe it?”

“Belle can” Shadowheart commented, smirking.

“Really? At least I’m not the only one. You & I, we’re breaking the drought tonight!” Karlach swung a massive arm around Belles’ shoulders, bearing her over to the wine bottles.

“I dunno … “

“Don’t you dare back out on this one, chuckles. You owe it to yourself, your country, & your f*cking puss* to get laid!” Karlach poked her hard in the chest before reaching down & grabbing up three bottles & leading them back over to Shadowheart.

“Besides,” she continued, uncorking the bottle with her teeth & spitting it out like a bullet before taking a massive swig, “Astarion’s a looker, & the tension between you two, s-woon!”

“Astarion is … uh … nice … “

“Spare me. Astarion would manipulate blood from a stone if there was something in it for him.” Shadowheart gave her opinion.

“Then he’s in good company” Belle shot back, earning her a tipped bottle from the cleric to cheers with.

“I dunno, I mean, he seems to like you well enough” Karlach added, finishing off her wine & heading back for a second bottle.

“Holy sh*t, I think I have a contender” Belle gaped after her at how quick the wine had disappeared. She turned to Shadowheart. “Why aren’t you sizing anyone up?”

“Who says I’m not?”

“I says you’re not. Are there any takers?”

“Not really, to be honest. These tieflings are too … homely … for my tastes.”

“No one at camp? Wyll? Gale?”

“Not Astarion, if that’s what-“

“I am not!”

“Anyway, if Karlach wants to open her eyes, I think she’ll see Wyll quite likes her.”

“Oh, I missed that one.”

“That’s because you’re distracted by the pale elf.”

“Am not.”

“Are too.”

“Are Lae’zel & Gale gonna f*ck?”

That one caught the cleric off guard, & she inhaled the wine the wrong way, making her choke while Belle thumped her hard on the back until Shadowheart fended her off.

Later again, after Shadowheart went back to her tent to give resting bitch face to anyone in her general vicinity & Karlach had been pointed in Wyll’s direction & let loose like a bazooka, Belle drifted aimlessly around, eavesdropping on various conversations the little groups were having as she passed them by. She may or may not have been avoiding someone’s tent.

The problem going on in her head was that the tiefling party was a major milestone in game of really starting anything with Astarion. He’d practically already invited her to be with him beforehand anyway, but the problem was, she wasn’t sure she wanted to just now. She’d only been in Faerun roughly a week, week & half tops.

No matter what she might present to the others, she wasn’t one to just have casual sex willy nilly with still near strangers. When she’d been young & stupid, yes, but not now. She wanted sex, lots of it, but on her terms, with someone who really cared about her as much as she did them.

The other problem she had was that she knew too much about what was going on with him. Knowing too many things were not helping the situation at all. It was causing a Foster’s Flop of the mind.

If anything were to develop (which it maybe, kinda, was organically), she’d prefer to let that take its course rather than rigidly sticking to what happened in game verse. She was finding she was placing too many expectations on the night, based on what she knew. It’d be nice to just … let things play out as they would, without forcing anything.

And that was the crux of her problem. She felt that if she went & chatted with him tonight, it would be forced & lead to something she’d feel bad about later; all she’d be able to focus on was the litany of dialogue options scrolling through her mind & his responses (hilarious as some of them were). So. What to do about it.

Short answer was nothing. Have something more to drink, go chat with some people, maybe go tease Shadowheart some more. It was turning out they had more in common than she’d originally thought.

She paused by the trio of siblings as Roland went to perform his little fireworks display, which, of course, didn’t work because she was too close to him.

“Sorry” she muttered, wandering off so he could stop panicking.

She saw Gale brooding into a cup, lost in thought. Her eyes cut across to Lae’zel, who was busy with … was … was she cleaning out a skull? No wonder no one was approaching her, giving predator vibes like that.

Her eyes found her dad standing next to Halsin, their posture similar as they stood in that male way of arms crossed with a casual lean to them. Looks like they were deep in conversation about something. Both being nature lovers, it was probably something about that.

Sigh. She wasn’t really in a party mood. Belle realised this night wasn’t so much for her or her companions benefit as it was for the tieflings to express their gratitude after being scared for so long; an opportunity for them to relax & have a bit of fun before they started out once more on the uncertain road ahead of them toward Baldur’s Gate.

Well, she wasn’t going to butt her head up against a brick wall any longer. Heading for her tent, she entered, flopped down on her bedroll & started playing with Lobo to wait the night out.

Chapter 38: Ice-cream & Chocolate

Chapter Text

Belle kept forgetting that she wasn’t in the game at the oddest of times; as the protagonist, it was up to you as the player to approach everyone to drive the story forward. In real life, others could, would & did move themselves around without sitting on their arses waiting for sh*t to happen or others to act first.

Having her tent near to Astarions’ had afforded her the opportunity to eavesdrop when it presented itself, in the form of two younger tiefling women, one of whom was desperately & none to subtly throwing herself at him.

Frowning as she continued her hand wrestling with Lobo, who was enjoying the gentle rough housing, biting her fingers in return, she could hear the woman throwing out pick up lines one after the other, much to the mortification of her friend, who sounded like she was unsuccessfully trying to drag her away from the situation.

Even when Astarion flat out denied her, telling her to go sniff around someone else, she retorted that he was the only one worth sniffing around. Sounded like someone couldn’t take no for an answer.
“I am so sorry, she’s had too much to drink…” the desperate friend was saying apologetically.

Belle wanted to step in. Wanted to go & punch this woman, whoever she was, for being so pushy. Growing up in Australia, however, she’d seen plenty of these situations after a late night out at the local pub. Stepping in was never a good idea. Plus, Astarion was nasty enough to put an end to it himself.

“Oh dear, you really are as thick as a brick, aren’t you? You’re repulsive, repugnant &, not to mention, you need a bath. Now, if you’ll go far, far over in that direction, I’d be most grateful.”

Wooow! That was … eloquent … She gave him a mental tip of the head for that one.

She heard the pair scramble off, one chastising the other as their voices disappeared.

Lobo paused in his mouthing of her fingers, looked up at her, sneezed, looked surprised then went back to trying to bite her again.

“That’s right, you kill those fingers dead!” she encouraged him, not realising she’d spoken out loud until a few minutes later, Mr. Eloquence stuck his head in.

“There you are. I’ve been wondering where you got to.” He crouched down low.

“Hiding.”

“I don’t blame you. This so-called party isn’t exactly what I’d call the height of excitement.”

“Meh.”

“Mind if I join you?”

“If you want.”

She rolled over before moving over, allowing him room to crawl in & position himself beside her, propped up on an elbow. He’d brought in a wine bottle with him (he was as bad as Shadowheart), & took a mouthful, grimacing at it.

“Living in hope still?” she asked.

“Always. I thought you would have been out there, drinking with the others.” he made a wide, sweeping gesture out at the party beyond.

“I thought about it. But I’m not really in a party mood tonight. Honestly, I just wanna be at home, curled up & watching movies, eating ice-cream & chocolate.”

He gave her a withering ‘please explain’ look.

After comparing, to-ing & fro-ing in getting to an understanding of what she meant, he considered it.

“Really? That’s what you want to do?”

“Why not?”

“Where’s the excitement for a job well done?”

“I didn’t do much. You lot did.”

“Let me rephrase; where’s my excitement for a job well done?”

Here we go, she thought, giving a mental eye roll.

“Didn’t you just send excitement packing not half an hour ago?”

“Heard that, did you? Darling, I’m not at all interested in anyone who throws themselves at me like that.” He was trying to convey more in the dim light of the tent as he said that.

She didn’t know how to answer, so she turned her concentration back to Lobo, who was now between them & chewing on the blanket of the bedroll. The silence stretched.

“You really aren’t in the mood, are you?” he said slowly after a while.

“Not really.”

He reached out a hand, scratching the pup behind its ears.

“We don’t have to do anything, if you don’t want to.”

She waited for the ‘but trust me, you do want to.’

It never came.

Chapter 39: Morning After

Chapter Text

She ended up getting the Karlach version of the tiefling party with Astarion, the one that happened before one fixed her chest.

They talked. Everything from how did an Elven child become a magistrate (forged documents & connections in high places from being a type of bounty hunter); to what her job actually entailed other than inflicting pain & being paid for it (once he understood more he was quite interested in it, especially the massage & skincare); to how to take over & rule Faerun through industrialisation & how to murder a vampire lord in three easy steps.

He left before morning, apparently getting early morning munchies. She lay there for a while, ignoring the need to pee, replaying how animated he got at times (not flamboyant, but intensely interested in some subjects) & there were flashes of his dorkiness starting to show. Belle smiled, relieved to find that their time spent together was something she could look back on & not feel like she’d been used or used in turn.

Unable to fight it any longer, she left the tent, picking up Lobo to go with her, to go relieve herself. Coming back, she could smell food cooking. Heading to the source, she spied Gale, up & cooking already.

“Need a hand?” she asked, looking at the spread he had going. Lots & lots of greasy meat & eggs were piled up on skillets of all shapes & sizes, the stale bread toasting on long forks over the fire pit.

“No, I think I’ve got it all” he checked it over to make sure he had, indeed, not forgotten anything. He was dressed in his casual purple camp tunic, which exposed his neck, & when he moved …

“Oh, my god, is that a hickey? Did you get lucky, Gale?” she squealed, pointing at the bruising on his neck.

His hand flew up to the area, his face going dark red.

“No, I … of course not. Besides, it’s not polite to ask.”

“It’s not polite to show off when one has been laid, either. Was it Lae’zel? Please tell me it was Lae’zel!”

“Why are you so interested? Besides, I spotted Astarion leaving your tent earlier, so I’m not the only one ….”

She threw back her head & laughed.

“You did! Oh, my god, you so did! My man!” she held up a hand for him to high-five. Then she had to pick up his hand to show him what she wanted him to do, high fiving apparently just one more thing these people did not know about. He winced when she did, so there were more bruises underneath that tunic.

“So. Was it good? I’ll bet it was exhausting!”

“I am not sharing my personal experiences …”

She turned & wandered off, leaving him spluttering, to go & ask Lae’zel about it, throwing him a grin & a wink over her shoulder.

The gith seemed happy, but she was polishing that skull, so it may not have been post-coital bliss she was experiencing.

“How was he?” she demanded as she walked up.

“Soft. I may have broken him.” She got her answer. Lae’zel didn’t even looked phased at being addressed so bluntly.

“Gonna go back for more?”

“If the mood strikes me.”

“You go, girl.”

The gith gave her an ‘I don’t know what that means’ expression. Belle was getting used to it by now.

“Who’s the skull belong to, anyway?” it was getting a really nice shine to it, actually. Almost pearlescent.

“The hobgoblin from the goblin compound.”

Belle snorted. Fitting.

She took Lobo for a wander after that, coming back in for brekkie when everyone was up, some worse the wear for others. Karlach seemed happy & peaceful, so obviously got what she’d been after, too.

She caught Belles’ eye, made a finger poking through a hole motion, then pointed at Belle, raising an eyebrow.

Belle shook her head, smiled & shrugged, making quacking talky hands at each other. Karlach’s eyebrows shot up, found Astarion, once more back in camp & reading a book to avoid everyone, then back to her. Mouthed ‘wow’. Belle mouthed back ‘I know, right?’

Once everyone was gathered, (including Halsin, she noted, who had apparently slept in the camp rather than back at the grove), Gus gathered them all together so everyone could listen in to the druid explain about Moonrise Towers & the Shadowlands.

“So, whoever’s controlling the parasites resides there. At last, an end in sight,” Astarion commented lowly.

She opened her mouth to contradict that, only Withers accidentally on purpose poked her in the ribs as he disapparated in from wherever it was in the ether he usually hung out.

“Ouch, motherf*cker, that hurt” she cried, rubbing her ribs & glaring at him. Being poked with a bony finger hurt! Everyone looked around at her outburst. So, she glared at them, too, motioning them to continue.

They continued gathering their information while she backed away, only Astarion seemingly noticing her withdrawal & who it was that accompanied her. She said nothing to Withers about it as she saw the pale elf ease himself away from the crowd & innocently drift toward her. Man could sniff out where there was more serious information when he was paying attention.

“Are you seriously telling me I still can’t say anything? Like, about the Dead Three or how they control the Absolute?” she said in a whisper she knew a certain someone would have had no trouble in hearing.

“Yes.”

She paused. Was that a ‘yes’ she couldn’t say anything, or ‘yes’ she could say something?

“Thou must keep a closer eye on the Bhaalspawn. His father has been alerted to your presence.”

…. so?

“The butler will be more than likely to pay a visit, sooner rather than later.”

…. so?

Wither’s sighed, pinching the bridge of his otherwise non-existent nose.

“Thout will be a target.”

Oh.

Chapter 40: Stolen Blood Wont' Work

Chapter Text

She’d tried asking, begging, wrangling & wrestling the information out of Withers as to why she, out of anyone else there, would be a target for the Lord of Murder.

“He doth not likest thou” was all the reply she got.

Well, nice to see her reputation preceded her.

Knowing now she was on future Brians’ hitlist did little to settle her nerves. Later in the afternoon after she’d busied herself with the replenishing & restocking of the camp supplies & organised to have them delivered in the evening, she kept staring so hard at Brian, he felt it, & kept throwing her ‘what the f*ck are you looking at’ glances in return.

She got up to go for a walk, unable to stand the tension as nightfall descended. Further out from camp, she nearly staked Astarion as he suddenly appeared at her side.
She squawked before covering it up, pretending to cough politely.

She’d decided that being undead made him move through space differently to the rest of them; she couldn’t feel it when he was near, like there was no shifting in the atmosphere around him she associated with being near others; all those little atoms that bounced off one another usually informing her as to another’s presence somehow slipping through him on a meta-physical level.

“So. The Dead Three. What have we gotten ourselves into?” asked a serious Astarion. No hint of frivolity or sass were to be seen.

“Deep doggie do-do. Aluminium hat conspiracies. Multi-level participants. Is that excitement enough for you now?”

“And a Bhaalspawn. I thought they’d all been killed.”

“Nope.”

“Why are you a target?” he seemed to be accusing her of something.

“Do you think I’d try to wrestle Withers to the ground if I knew anything?”

“You’re obviously important – beyond what’s happening to the rest of us.”

“I’m from Earth; no-one from Earth is that important, despite what they might think.”

He didn’t look like he believed her.

“Is the dragon-born really likely to … target you?” There, she saw a hint of a frown…

“He will if he can’t control himself & I’m not sure if he’s fully capable of that. There's’ times where he can & will blank out; not remember what he does during those times. That’s when he’s most dangerous.”

“Then we’ll have to take shifts watching him. Argh, why’s this so much … bigger … than just getting rid of parasites?”

“Um, well, it’s a well thought out conspiracy. Very detailed. Took years to pl-“

“That’s not what I meant” he interrupted her. “I just thought it involved getting someone to remove these things, then … well, I don’t really know.”

“Didn’t think that far?”

“There wasn’t much point” he spat, but not at her.

Then,

“Tell me about the Rite.” His eyes gleamed in the near dark.

She stared at him, blinked, nodded, then started walking again, slowly this time.

“What did I cover last time?”

“Binding ritual. Vampire Ascendant. I’m to be sacrificed for it.”

Ah, yep.

“The ritual creates the Vampire Ascendant. To be honest, I’m not really all that sold on how great a gift it is, for the cost involved. It doesn’t seem to grant any more powers than what a normal vampire lord has; all it seems to do is create a living vampire.”

He gave her a look to elaborate.

“Well, you live, but you’re still a vampire. Your heartbeat; body heat; ability to eat; walk in the sun & reflection all return.”

She heard him suck in a breath.

“Oh, & normal human sexual appetites return. Um, does that mean you guys are all numb below the waist or -?” she trailed off at the look she was getting.

“Never mind” she said primly.

“Oh, no, please, continue. I’m fascinated by your exploration into a vampire’s sexual abilities.”

“Really?” she perked up, ready to discuss it more, his sarcasm going straight through the wicket keeper.

“No.”

“Oh”.

“Does one have to be a full vampire to perform it?” he continued as if she hadn’t been side-tracked.

She sighed.

“You can perform it; Cazador can take your place instead.”

“How?”

“You carve the scars into his back.”

The excitement was palpable now, thickening his voice.

“And the sacrifice involved? Is there more to it? You said it was significant. Seven spawn don’t seem all that significant to me.”

“Seven spawn; & the seven thousand souls they’ve brought him every night for the last two hundred years. He turned all your victims into spawn. Then locked them in the chambers below the palace.”

He tripped over before stopping dead.

“He what?” he whispered, staring ahead, going the vampire equivalent of green.

“That’s what your scars do; bind you to every victim you ever brought him. He carved scars on them to bind them to you. That’s what I meant when I said the powers don’t really seem –“

“They’re better than a spawns. Better than being a spawn. And if I can take that & become a full vampire, a vampire ascendent … then I think it’s worth the cost.” He already sounded like his ascended self.

“Can’t you just drink Cazador’s’ blood? Like, take it forcibly from him?”

“No” he sneered. “It has to be voluntarily given. Stolen blood will do nothing.”

Wow, ok, she hadn’t known that. What a bastard of a curse vampirism was.

Night had fallen by the time they’d finished discussing it. He hadn’t asked for her help; he looked too preoccupied with thoughts of ascension running through his head for much else. At least he knew now & could ponder on it all the way to Baldur’s Gate.

Chapter 41: Into the Underdark

Chapter Text

She sat up in her tent, cross-legged & hugging Lobo for most of the night, jumping at any sounds that occurred. Morning came, & she didn’t need Astarion to wake her (he was still preoccupied by what she’d told him anyway), because she hadn’t slept at all.

Robotically she got up & packed everything away in order for Gale to shrink down to size & mechanically went through the motions of getting ready to start out once more back toward the goblin camp. f*ck Faerun & it’s sh*tty f*cking can’t just jump in a car & go grab a coffee society.

She blinked & they were on the road. Blinked again & they had stopped before Moonhaven for the evening. God knows where her brain had gone to, she literally could not recall a thing about the journey in between.

Set up camp. Still couldn’t sleep. Waited on tenterhooks. Was that … no, that was someone farting …

Did the same the next day. Collapsed face first on the first bedroll laid out near the fire a couple hours out from the compound. Didn’t know who it belonged to, didn’t really care. f*ck it, he could kill her in her sleep like he did Astarion in game.

Woke to shouts & commotion several hours later. Sat up & watched as Gus, Wyll, Lae’zel & Karlach all restrained a thrashing, snarling, swearing Brian. His eyes kept coming back to her, over and over & every time they did, it would set him off again. In between the guttural sounds he was making was some pretty harsh threats of what he’d like to do to her innards, in a not fun way; well, for her, at least.
The urge was in full swing, possessing him completely. She jumped as she leant backward from the poetic psychobabble & into someone; looked up to see Astarion standing behind her, eyes trained on the thrashing Bhallspawn, fingering one of his daggers. He didn’t look like he was enjoying what he was hearing; he wasn’t amused or having fun with the situation. The stoic face she’d seen before, just not in relation to …this. He reached down without looking at her, placing a hand on her head gently. He looked ready to act if needed …

“It’s fine. Go back to sleep” he murmured.

“Um, not gonna happen now” she turned back to see the deranged durge frothing at the mouth. “Did anyone catch sight of the little f*cker?” he was the one to set Brian off like this. Thank f*ck he hadn’t worked out Avadakedavra yet, although, that was probably too neat & clean for the state of mind he was in right now.

“The butler?”

“Yeah.”

“No.”

They both watched until morning, when, slowly, as the light shifted & became silvery, Brian calmed down, &, like waking, blinked a few times as he came back to himself.

“He’s fine now,” Belle called out, indicating they should untie him, the others uncertain if this was a trick.

“Is he?” Astarion asked quietly.

She nodded.

They all started out again shortly afterward, Brian up near the front where there were plenty of people between him & her. It was all they could do right now.

The compound came into view; no music, no noises, no smoke, just the smell of rotting bodies, ripe from the other day. Pulling out a rag, she tied it around her face to breathe through it to cut the smell. It was only wishful thinking that it worked.

The place was as quiet as a crypt. Inside, Lae’zel quickly disappeared to check & see if Minthara had died or was missing. Coming back, she informed Gus she was gone. Maybe they’d rescue her later if she had survived.

Belle couldn’t even be bothered hiding the fact she knew where the secret entrance to the old Selunite outpost kilometres beneath their feet was. Drifting by her dad, she tilted her chin at him, letting him know she was on a mission. He lifted a chin at her in acknowledgment. Withers stayed hidden, so this at least was allowed.

While the others studied the floor trying to figure out the pattern, she beelined for the lever, activated it & the wall slid aside to reveal the entrance. When you knew where all these levers & buttons were, one did not need an insight check, as they were pretty self-evident once you saw them.

“Wow, look at that.” she deadpanned, which earned a quick smirk from Astarion, who seemed to be coming back around now that the information for the Rite was yesterday’s news.

Everyone crowded into the newly revealed shaft. The vampire sidled up to her.

“Hypothetically speaking,” he said, sounding like Gale, “one has to assume that you know exactly what’s going on.”

“Hypothetically speaking, one may be correct.”

“Even more interesting.” His smirk grew before flourishing a bow, allowing her to go first into the little area that contained the ladder that led down … down … & down … oh, sh*t, she’d forgotten she had a fear of heights.

She gulped, scooting back from the edge.

“You go first” she told him.

“Ladies first.”

She shook her head, biting her lip & scooting back further. The sounds of the others drifted up to them, sounding all echoey & spooky.

Astarion went to the edge & peered over, looking like he was going to fall into the shaft, he was leaning out that far, before looking back at her questioningly.

“Off you go” she said, her voice all high pitched & breathy. Why the f*ck hadn’t she just gone back to the Rest & taken the elevator down? Actually, maybe she should do that, right now.

He crossed his arms, looking ridiculously good looking when he did that, in that armour. Still not enough to distract her from the sheer downwards drop, though.

“You’re afraid of heights, but not devils?”

Why did people keep saying things like that?

“I don’t have magic if I slip & fall, do I? No flight, no feather fall, no f*cking wingardium leviosa!”

“You won’t fall. Here.” He wandered over, pulling a rope out from the bag everyone had tied to their belts full of handy things like that.

He was tying it to his waist, then bent slightly to tie it securely to her waist, looping it cross-body over her shoulders. Picking up Lobo, he stuffed him down her shirt, taking his sweet time doing that & looking up at her through his heavy lids. She let him, simply because she wanted the puppy tied securely to her. That was all….

“If you go first & fall, it’ll be easy for me to haul you back to the ladder.” He stepped back to check the knots, once he was satisfied Lobo was secured tightly.

That was … an incredibly good idea, actually. She pictured in her minds eye how it would work, just to test out the theory. Her losing her grip, slipping, the momentum not too much that it would put too much pressure on him. Worst case scenario was she’d bump her chin hard on a rung.

Ok. She could do this. But first, she got down on her belly, minding Lobo, & scooted out backward over the drop, waving her leg & foot around to find purchase on the ladder as she lowered herself over the edge. Pretended there was flooring just below where her foot was. Connecting, she slowly tested her weight on the quite shoddy looking iron rungs. Not hearing them protest, she further proceeded, until she was fully on the ladder. Taking a deep breath, she refused to look down, focusing on one step at a time.

Pacing her breathing, she looked up to see where Astarion was. He was about five rungs above, looking bored. Would’ve been a nice profile shot of his arse from this angle. Encouraged, she continued.
The rhythm of hand over hand, one foot down, then the other, finally got to her, putting her in a hypnotic state of mind; only to be broken ages later as her hands started burning & going raw from the same repetitive action over & over. She was gonna have some mighty fine blisters later by the feels of it. Peering down, she could now make out light beneath, where the others had already reached the bottom & had lit lamps & braziers.

Emerging into the old outpost, she slid like ooze to the bottom of the ladder, panting & shaking & not ever, ever wanting to do that again in her life.

“Oh, hun, I didn’t know you were still scared of heights” Gus said, sounding shocked & rushing over just as Astarion lightly landed & knelt, slashing away the knotted rope around her.

Gus paused, several expressions at war on his face at the sight. Belle watched it all in the firelight, closing her eyes as exhaustion ripped at her muscles.

He cleared his throat, turning back to the others.

“We’ll camp here tonight & set out again in the morning.”

“How can you tell when that is?” Lae’zel murmured, sounding awed at the sight of the Underdark.

“We set a magical timer” Gale responded a tad tenderly, making Belle’s mouth curve upward in the ghost of a grin.

Gus set up a sleeping roster & directed who should sleep where according to how they were to both protect themselves, & deal with Brian should the need arise again. Luckily this campsite had several options of enclosures, making the job a bit easier.

No tents that night, probably not at all while they were here, as the weather would be the same all the way through. They could if they wanted to, giving privacy of course, but it wasn’t necessary.
Belle couldn’t even be bothered looting the joint as the others were merrily ransacking it, nursing her sore hands & allowing Wyll to check them, clean the wounds rubbed raw by her climb down & finally dressing them. He then gave her a light painkiller potion as, he explained, anything heavier might prove detrimental if she had to wake & move fast in the night.

Laying down, she closed her eyes & drifted, the soft, muffled sounds around her melding into each other as she drifted away again & joining with the high pitched ringing she sometimes got in her ears …. the explosion at the gate jolted her out of sleep, followed by sounds of humming electricity, then zapping.

A beastly roaring sound that faded rapidly into a high-pitched death rattle. Bloody minotaur. She rolled over, blinking as she saw Astarion laying near her, in his zen mode of sleep, fingers curled to touch one another. He hadn’t stirred at the sound. Bloody men could sleep through an earthquake, she was sure of it …

Not being able to help herself, she reached out to feel one of those silvery curls behind his ear. It twined around her finger, like it was caressing her. It was soft, & smooth. Thin in texture, but there was lots of it. Feeling charmed, but also like a weirdo, she withdrew her hand, a small smirk on her face at getting away with…

“Why don’t you lay with him? Even I wouldn’t mind knowing what he’s like before testing him out myself.”

“Go f*ck Gale if you’re hard up.” She hissed at the gith.

Chapter 42: Minotaur Fur

Chapter Text

Brian was starting to lose sleep, tossing & turning during the night, sweating & mumbling like he was sick. If she had some Xanny she’d give him the whole lot. Looked like he could take it. His mutterings, thankfully, weren’t. Having someone describe, in detail, what they’d like to string your intestines on wasn’t something she would like to hear again.

Belle had drifted off once more after giving Lae’zel ideas that she apparently went & acted on, much to everyone’s amusem*nt the following morning (night? say?) except Gales’, as he nearly couldn’t talk once they decided to get up & moving, mainly miming what he wanted to communicate. Looked like he was out of any fighting until he recovered feeling in his tongue.

Disarming the sentry of Selune was easy, Gus just walking by it & it shattering in response.

“Hey, dad” she called, trotting to catch up to him. He paused.

“What, sweetheart?”

“How high a level of magic have you nullified? Like, how powerful a being have you come across where it stops nullifying their magic?”

“The devil that invited us back to his place. That was the first time magic has ever worked on me.”

Wyll was listening in.

“That might be because they work on a different magic to here. Not the weave expressly” he explained at their ‘please explain’ looks of incomprehension.

Descending further into the Underdark felt like going into a huge movie theatre. The sound & air qualities were different to the surface, more muffled, squished up against their eardrums almost. She kept looking up, to find that most places of the ceiling were so far above them they were in complete darkness. She told herself, very firmly, to not think about all that rock above them.

“This is a vampire’s paradise” she heard Astarion say in awe as they continued further along.

“Hey chuckles, anything like this back on Earth?” Karlach asked quietly.

“Nope. Well, there might be huge caverns like this, but there’s no one down in them.”

“How do you know?”

“We would have made contact by now.”

“Are you sure?”

… well, no, not really. But she highly doubted it.

They picked their way along slowly, getting used to the difference in the feel of the place.

‘psst’

Belle frowned. Continued to walk. The smells around them changed slightly.

‘someone new’

She whipped around, positive something had whispered directly into her ear.

“Hey, dad?” she called, only, her voice came out sounding a whole decibel lower.

“What the f*ck?” not only lower, but slower. She held up a hand, which seemed to be moving & pulsing in size.

“Oh, ewww!”

“Can anyone else hear me? See me?” Kalach went lumbering by her, hands held out & not seeing Belle at all.

‘someone’s coming’

“Who the f*ck said that?” Astarion whipped his head around, panicking.

“It’s the spores” Gus replied, closing his eyes & meditating a moment. When he opened them, the effects seemed to have disappeared. “I just had to let us through.”

He sounded normal again.

“You been in the Underdark before?” Belle asked, surprised, voice back to normal.

“Once or twice” he grinned, patting her on the back. Then he whispered, “Minotaurs?” She nodded, backing off, far, far off while he sorted the lot of them into formation. Both of them had agreed that letting Brian loose on anything & everything in the Underdark & the Shadowlands might be enough to wear him down so he was too exhausted at night to get up to any slaughtery shenanigans.

From her vantage point it was hard to see in the gloom exactly what went on in the fight; light from different spells highlighted the scene & she could tell where Gus was only from those lights immediately blinking out if they got near enough to him.

Once they winked out completely & the sound of fighting had ceased, she went back over to them, to find Astarion picking thick hair out from his teeth & spitting. He was getting better at not making a mess; only a dribble of blood from the smear around his mouth was all to be seen.

Gus looked like he was in his element after that, pausing so often to take samples of different fungi sprouting around them the others were getting pissed off.

“Where do you think I get the stuff for the potions for?” he shot back at them. Wyll passed by, tipping her a wink as he also seemed to be pocketing some of the mushies. A suspicious idea formed at that; one she’d have to discuss with him later.

Beyond mushroom picking & the fight with the Minotaurs, nothing else of note happened. They parked up near the Zhentarim stash, camping up the top of the cliff & leaving Brian all by his lonesome at the bottom, before hauling the netting up so he couldn’t climb it in the night.

“Can’t he just fly up?” Belle asked, on hands & knees as she peered at him over the edge of the cliff.

“And lose the ability if I’m sleeping right here? The fall won’t kill him, but it will deter him.”

“Ok”. She almost felt sorry for him.

Sitting up on her bedroll, there wasn’t room for a fire up here, so she chowed down on some fruit & bread, watching as the others who had paired up rolled out their own beds next to each other. No one had done anything inappropriate in front of anyone else (yet), but she found herself a bit wistful at the sight, nonetheless. Her eyes sought Astarion in the gloom, but he was off with the fairies, probably winding the ascension business around & around in his head. Kept him busy, she supposed.

She briefly wondered what was happening back on Earth. Much to her surprise, &, sneaking relief, she found she didn’t really care.

Chapter 43: 90's Rave Party

Chapter Text

Mid-morning of the next …uh…day… they wandered into Goomba Town. The fungi were all looking like psychedelic rave heads from the 90’s, so she felt right at home.

She watched as her dad’s face twisted as King Goomba communicated with him, then clear as everything was found to be A-OTay with her Tav. He motioned for everyone to follow & cautioned them to stick together as they were being observed & judged.

Belle traded away with the hobgoblin, Blurg, once again offloading all their sh*t they’d accumulated & purchasing some new equipment & supplies that Karlach helped her bag up.

Once that was done, she let Gus deal with him & get the subsequent introduction to Omeluum, who they’d need on side later on. Everyone pitched a bitch fit at the sight of the mindflayer, Lae’zel even drawing her sword & having to be restrained by Gale with a hold person spell.

Belle moved back a bit, studying the squid. She didn’t think he was as big as the emperor would be when she finally met him in the mental flesh. Was that an indication of age, or power, in a mindflayer?

She was dying to find out if Omeluum could be the Adversary, but that would open up a whole new can of worms they didn’t need right now. Not wanting him to get access to her head, she drifted off to go stare at the various fungi-people walking around, looking like they might bump into each other at every other step. She shuddered, knowing they shared a hive mind, just like Mindflayer colonies. Belle couldn’t think of anything worse than having no control over oneself. Then was reminded harshly that that was what had happened to Astarion. f*cking hell, life sucked at times.

Not wanting to intrude on Tav’s duties of gathering quests (& not really feeling arsed to gather them herself, already having done it numerous times), she wandered around aimlessly, having had her fill of the 90’s & wanting to move on. Wandering to the edge of the village, she waited for the others to wrap up, staring out into the darkness that was punctuated here & there with various coloured lights at different shades & volumes. Looked almost like a city lit up at night, if one squinted.

“Ready?” Gus spoke up behind her as she was lost in thought.

“Been waiting on you,” she replied, as she fell into line once more.

More walking downhill. Then they all got knocked over on their arses by the beastie underground, who didn’t feel like poking its head out yet to say hi. Truth be told, she was starting to find the Underdark boring.

When she’d nutted it out with Gus a couple of days prior, she’d found most of the quests to be obtained down here to be superfluous to their needs. They didn’t need to go find the frozen drow & fight the beholder; they didn’t need to go & be worshipped by fish people; they didn’t even need to go to the magical tower because she’d told Gus the potion from Omeluum only worked to strengthen the tadpole anyway, so why bother wasting their time?

This was the league of the journey she’d proposed speed running. Get some adamantine armour for the others, pick up some devil foil masks for some hell dusk armour (have some fun killing Nere, which she totally hadn’t told him) & scoot on out of there. Even the spirit monk they could leave, not really needing someone equipped with the ability to cause hysteria in their enemies at all times.

They approached the little abandoned fishing village near what would have been evening. Knowing the dwarves were there hiding made things rather too easy. Send Astarion & Shadowheart in to take them out quietly, & there was no fight to speak of.

They set up camp once again just before entering the decrepit little village, not knowing just how long it was going to take to cross the Ebonlake to get to the Grymforge.

Belle found that she wanted to go check on Brian. She was, she found, worried about him. Apart from having uncontrollable urges telling him to murderise her (& his past … uh … relationships with corpses …) current Brian had been … nice. Still was, even rubbing his temples & looking like death warmed up …

She was also worried that if she approached him, it would just make the whole situation worse. Honestly, there probably wasn’t much she could do apart from ride it out & try to survive nightfall, every night, between here & when he confronted Orin &, hopefully, spurn Bhaal. God knows what would happen to her if he embraced daddy instead.

The group started to try various methods of knocking durge out at night to bypass the blackouts. There were the magical methods, then there were the methods employed by Gus & Wyll when one didn’t have access to said magical methods. Tonight, they tried a combination of both.

Once she was sure Brian was out for the count, she relaxed slightly, wandering quietly over to Wyll. Who was lying down next Karlach, stroking her hair while she snoozed. Unfair. She wanted someone stroking her hair. Said possible someone had disappeared off somewhere earlier, as he was frequently wont to do.

She crouched at his invite.

“Uh, you wouldn’t happen to have a … um… concoction … that would … relax one… without sending one to sleep, would you?” Please god he knew what she was talking about. She’d never delved into the shadier side of things like the drug trade that might exist in Toril & didn’t know how to phrase it.

“Are you in pain, Belle?” he asked quietly, frowning. Not pain. Mental anguish.

“No. I’m more after something one would use instead of getting drunk.” There. That should do it. And yes, it turned out he did know what she was talking about. Reaching into his pocket, he withdrew some of the mushrooms collected the day previously in a little waxed paper packet.

“You need to boil them, then drink the water. You’ll get a few hours of … relaxation … out of it.”

“Awesome, I owe you one” she grinned, backing off so as not to wake Karlach, then went to fetch a cup to brew herself up a mug of Faerun’s Finest f*ckery.

She poured some hot water into the cup, added the mushies by squishing them between her fingers before letting the mess fall into the cup, then gave it a good ten minutes to steep in the water.
Belle normally didn’t partake in the finer things in life like this, but considering everything that had happened, she felt like she deserved a little treat.

Wandering away from camp a bit, she found a nice little cozy alcove where she could lay down & do some zenning herself. Sniffing the brew, she caught very faint undertones of what she could only think of as dissolvable aspirin. Whatever. Wait. Was she supposed to sip it, or slug it? Eyeing it briefly, she thought, f*ck it, & slugged it back, grimacing at the sharp aftertaste it left on the back of her tongue.

Putting the cup down, she leant back against the wall behind her, & was about to close her eyes when she saw a pair of legs wander past the little alcove. Dressed in armour she recognised. A certain someone was returning to camp. A certain someone suddenly tripped over their own feet, stumbling to all fours. Weren’t vamps meant to be graceful?

She heard him titter, which made her snort, which drew his attention to her. Not only did he have super combo elf vamp hearing, he also had it’s dark-vision equivalent, & although she had trouble making out his features in the near darkness, he didn’t have any in making her out, because, as he saw her, his face split in a grinch grin, & he f*cking spider crawled over to her, which gave off all sorts of exorcist vibes, before flopping face down in her lap.

Belle didn’t even react, because, holy hell, those mushies had kicked in, billowing through her system, giving her all floaty calmness & peace.

“What’re you doing?” she enquired instead, & her hand reacted independent of her brain & inserted itself in his curls, starting to card through them much like Wyll had been earlier doing with Karlach.

“Drinking” he mumbled. “I found … things … furry things …”

“Bears?” she asked, remembering that conversation. That must be this night. Or … nope, the thought floated away.

“Don’t be ridiculous, darling, bears don’t live in the Underdark” he snorted.

...ok, then.

He seemed quite content to stay where he was for a moment. She didn’t get a remark to leave his precious hair alone, so she continued, luxuriating in the feel of its silkiness.

He then decided to roll over, pressing his face into her middle before righting himself so he was looking at her. She brushed the hair away that had gotten mooshed in his awkward (endearing) movements.

“Why are you here, all by your lonesome? Don’t you know there’s dangerous creatures that lurk in the dark?” he asked her.

“I think you’re the most dangerous creature down here right now.” Apart from durge.

“That’s what I meant. Well?”

“Hmmm?”

“You’re alone.”

Yep.

“I’m taking some me time.”

“I’m all for me time, but it’s more fun when shared.” He took her hand, brought it to his face, & nuzzled his way along the heel of her thumb up to its tip. Assessing her through heavy lids, he wrapped his mouth around the first knuckle, sucking it before biting down just hard enough to draw blood from the pad, before then laving it with his tongue. All the while watching her face.

She drew in a deep ragged breath, but the mushies kept her otherwise calm.

He popped off it.

“I see. You’ve been partaking,” he stated before latching back on again.

She pressed down with her thumb gently, bemused at how he was able to curl & twist it around, sliding it against her flesh, swiping at the blood to take it back further into his mouth before swallowing it.

“Astarion” she murmured, suddenly loving that she could say his name to his face & not to a pixelated image on a computer screen.

He let go of her thumb again, licking it once more before kissing the pad where he’d pierced her, & placing it against his chest.

“You always taste so delicious, Belle.”

It was the first time he’d said her name.

Chapter 44: Privet Drive

Chapter Text

“Don’t touch the water, Belle.” Gus cautioned her for the umpteenth time as they all boarded the big boat docked at the beach.

“Dad, I knew about the water years before you” she rolled her eyes, exasperated that her father once again had the audacity to lecture her on something he hadn’t been interested in when she had been as a teenager.

Swinging up onto the boat, she went to plant herself at the end of it so she could stare out over the water, uninterrupted. To be fair, he couldn’t have known this place really existed, no-one could have. But a little shared interest would have been nice, back when she’d needed it.

Placing herself cross-legged on the deck, she only put Lobo down to go wander around after they’d pulled away from the little dock. He immediately went over to Scratch & tried to puppy fight him into submission, attacking the older dogs’ ears. Scratch put up with it for awhile, then simply placed both his paws on the pup, effectively trapping it before laying his chin on him.

Her thumb throbbed & itched, & when it did, she rubbed it against her pointer finger to try & dispel the feeling. It was a constant reminder of the night before, before they’d both practically crawled back into camp, loudly shushing the other & waking up everyone except durge in the process.

Shadowheart joined her, both of them peering out into the darkness for awhile before speaking.

“Well?” the cleric asked or, whispered, really, since sound carried over water.

Belle ignored her question, asking one of her own instead.

“Are you aware of lies up ahead?”

“The Grymforge?” she sounded like she wanted to add a ‘duh’.

“It’s there, located in a temple dedicated to Shar.”

Shadowheart stiffened.

“For f*ck’s sake, relax, would you? It’s not like I’m gonna push you over the edge….” Well, she might, just for sh*ts & giggles.

“I knew you knew!” she accused Belle.

“And yet, told no-one. Your secret is safe with me. But you might wanna consider telling the others. You’d be surprised how much they’re willing to accept. They accepted Astarion, after all, & they’d be more likely to stake him than throw you out.”

The half-elf slowly relaxed as minutes passed by & she considered what Belle had said.

“Why are you so … accommodating …. “

“I’m from Earth. I told you, we have religions, but no gods. So, no one like you. No one like Astarion. We have nothing to compare it to, I suppose.”

“No, I don’t believe that.”

“What about? No gods – “

“Not that. You specifically. You really don’t care that we … we’re not usually considered acceptable types to … trust.”

Nah, woman was soft in the head. Belle could be just as judgmental & petty & vindictive as the next person. She supposed she’d just mellowed in her old age, if anything.

“As long as you don’t hurt me or Gus, or the others, I suppose, I don’t care who you worship or what your beliefs are. Everyone’s different, based on their experiences of what life has thrown them.”

“I …. Can’t remember –“

“Yeah, I know.”

Shadowheart sighed, rubbing her forehead.

“Are we on the right path?” she asked quietly.

“I wouldn’t be here if we weren’t.”

No, she’d be kicking their arses in a different direction.

“Did you f*ck him?” she threw out in the same tone, hoping to catch Belle off guard. But she’d been wary to traps just like it ever since she was eleven & a classmate had fooled her into looking at the roof, searching for the word ‘gullible.’

“Je-sus, does it matter?”

“No, it’s just something interesting to gamble on with the others.”

“They’re taking bets?”

“Absolutely.”

She considered.

“What’s the odds?”

“100 to 1 he’s had you before we reach the Shadowlands.”

Right. Good. Now she had a goal.

“Put me down for 100 gold in my favour.”

Shadowhearts face instantly changed, going into partnership with her.

“Need me to run interference?” she asked.

“Nope. I’m good.”

“You’d better not cave” she warned her.

“Pinkie-swear” Belle said, holding out her hand, little finger crooked. Shadowheart looked perplexed. Belle just grabbed her hand, folded it & then hooked pinkies, shaking them before releasing.

“That” she said, “is as unbreakable as the Unbreakable Vow.”

“What’s that?”

The darkness before them seemed to go on forever. She had time, she supposed.

“Mr. & Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were proud to say that they were perfectly normal, thank you very much ….”

Chapter 45: 13 Rounds Per Second

Chapter Text

“Oooo stories, I love stories!” Karlach plopped herself down, clutching her teddy, Clive, to her chest after she realised that Belle was reciting one. Followed by, no sh*t, Lae’zel!

“A culture’s stories reflect their beliefs & ideals. It’s always beneficial to study them for potential flaws, as one does when taking down an enemy.” Was she studying Earth for a hostile takeover?

Belle only got partway through chapter one before another light became discernible behind them, Wyll alerting them all. The duergar must’ve known how to make these babies fly across water, because they caught up to them within fifteen minutes.

“Ghek, is that you?” called a deep male voice across the water. No one answered him. Gus gave the other, larger boat, evil side eye as they pulled up level with theirs.

Belle watched the scenario play out pretty much as it did in game, only, now they had the Corsair join them, which meant everyone fell into dead silence for the rest of the trip. She probably could have finished three quarters of the story by the time the lake started light up on the horizon, due to the free fall of the lava.

The heat was what struck her first, because she hadn’t expected to feel it reach out over water like it did. They sailed gracefully into the Grymforge docks, nudging up to the stone wall & then Greymon jumped out to greet the other dwarves waiting for them.

Everyone was on their quietest behaviour. Belle could have listened to the duergar all day, having a penchant for musical language.

Then the dwarves just f*cked off & left them all to their own devices. Once again, it struck her how slack the organisation of the cult was. It was so easy to just infiltrate them through their back door & take them down from the inside. If it were her, she’d run things like Emperor Palpatine did his empire; that dude knew how to keep a tight ship. Maybe if durge were still in charge along with Gortash, this sloppiness wouldn’t have occurred.

Instead of dragging around a huge group of people, half of whom would be twiddling their thumbs waiting on the others, Gus once more split them all up into small groups to cover more ground quickly. Karlach & Wyll were to go retrieve the rune powder from Philomeen; Brian, Lae’zel & Gale were to go break through the wall, ransacking the place for devilfoil masks; Gus, Shadowheart & Astarion were to go suss out the situation with Nere. Belle was to go trade, then wait around up on the balcony looking down on where Nere was trapped with the gnomes. Which she would, of course, once she’d had a little chat with one Barcus Wroot …

Finishing up as quick as she could with the trader stone mason, who wanted to pick her brains about the stonework, (like, did she look like someone who knew anything about stone?) She tore back up & around to where the dwarves were congregating, trading quickly with Greymon, before slowing down & strolling casually over to the little gnomes, slaving away with pitchforks, trying their hardest to move rubble away from the door.

Gus gave her a look in passing, & she flashed him innocent eyes, which, of course, set him on edge.

And there was the little man, toiling away adorably!

“Hi there, Barcus” she said, sitting down on the rubble next to him, casually crossing a leg.

He glanced at her, then did a double take.

“Oh, it’s you! From the village.”

“It is. You should know that soon, all this will be cleared, & we’ll free those trapped inside, then – “ she leant in closer, lowering her voice “you should find somewhere to hide.” She gave him a grin before leaning back.

He narrowed his eyes at her, also adorably.

“I’ve heard you lot are True Souls; why would you be helping us?”

“Don’t believe everything you hear. For instance, that firearms can only be loaded once before needing to be reloaded. Personally, I can show someone who might potentially be interested in drawing me up a design from my ideas, a firearm that can fire up to thirteen bullets in one second without reloading.”

“I don’t ca- wait, what?”

Her smile widened.

“Once your free, come on back to our camp with us. We’ll help free your friends at Moonrise Towers, too. I’ll show you what I mean then.”

Standing up, she waggled her fingers at him, then skirted around the back of the balcony, running into the floating eye that promptly crashed to the ground.

“Whoopsie daisy” she commented before climbing the ladder to go check out things from above.

Chapter 46: A Purpose Found

Chapter Text

Belle nodded casually to the dwarf up on the balcony. He tilted his chin, then went back to watching the gnomes below perform their labours. She turned, watching Karlach & Wyll, who were making their way back from Philomeen. Looked like they’d been successful, as both looked quite smug. Or maybe they’d had a quickie.

She kept trying to not stare at where she knew Gale & the others were, but her eyes kept searching the same spot, over & over, until she caught movement that resolved into the three companions, slowly picking their way back down toward the main stage below. Tracking their progress, she kept watch until they disappeared around the corner, then ambled back over to behind the dwarf, keeping some space between them.

More voices below, then everyone was told to move away from the debris. A few seconds later, she heard Karlach call out.

“Fire in the hole!”

The resulting explosion was enough to cause a ‘thwump’ to pound its way through the air, which she could feel in her middle. The echoes reverberating from the explosion caused her to miss the next exchange, & she had to stand on tiptoe to see where the conversation was at.

Oh. Gus had just told Nere to go f*ck himself. Well, she supposed, that was her que, & everyone else’s, as screams started up from below.

The dwarf in front of her had, by that stage, forgotten her existence, & was pulling out his bow to start firing on the attackers below. She walked up behind him & kicked him in the back. He was a sturdy little f*cker, but his balance had been off, so he plummeted over the edge without further ado.

She peered after him & winced. He’d landed badly, somehow breaking his neck. How did one land on their neck? Anywho, she was now officially a murderer. Should she be feeling worse than what she did about it? She really didn’t feel much at all.

The scene below was absolute mayhem. Bodies darting here & there, people shouting & screaming, magic darting all over the place & blood, flowing freely & splattering, sometimes in large batches, all over the shop. No time for strategized turn-based play here, just utter chaos.

The shock of something into her upper thigh caught her by surprise. Looking down, she saw a dagger poking out of her leg flesh. The dagger was still being held by the little c*nt who had stabbed her, grinning ferally up at her, sweating & panting. Their eyes met, & she saw he meant to kill her. A switch flicked in her head, whether on or off she had no idea.

Belle wasn’t a fighter. She was someone who couldn’t even manage her day-to-day affairs, resulting in things like the tax department chasing her down when she’d forgotten to lodge her returns. Normal things like constantly going to work, dealing with clients, returning phone calls, going grocery shopping; these things she’d always found incredibly difficult to maintain & manage. Put her in a stressful situation where there was an accident, or someone was injured, however, & she became someone else; someone in control, lighting quick &, in this particular stressful situation; deadly.

The dwarves’ eyes widened as, without thinking about it, she lunged down, grabbed his head between her hands, opened her mouth, & closed her teeth over his nose, biting down so hard she crunched through the cartilage & flesh. She ignored his screams & him batting at her with both his hands, sawing her teeth back & forward, then wrenched her head away from him, taking his nose with her. She could feel the cold tip of it against her tongue, & the warmth of the raw flesh as it bled into her mouth. She spat it out, never minding the blood that now covered her lower face.

At the same time, she reached down, grabbed the handle of the dagger stuck in her leg, yanked it free, turned back to the dwarf (bobbing his head up & down & making muffled screams into his hands), grabbed the back of his head, wrenched it back & thrust the dagger with all her might into his gaping mouth, aiming it upward. The dagger hit the roof of his mouth, followed the skull back down until she hit a soft spot she could shove it harder into, where the crunch that vibrated up the handle told her she’d severed into his spine.

The dwarf had been scrabbling at her hands, trying to gain purchase to pull the dagger out of his throat, but went stiff, then still, then spasmed. Breathing hard & only just becoming aware of where & who she was, she let the body go & it crumpled to the ground at her feet. Her eyes roved over the now corpse. There. Now she felt something. She just didn’t know what.

Her eye fell on a chair nearby. She needed to sit down for a minute. Went to walk, only, her leg didn’t like that, complaining miserably at her that it was now sore & injured & didn’t want to walk to the chair. Lumbering over anyway, she threw herself into it, took a deep breath, & looked down to assess the damage.

The air left her in a hiss. The wound was steadily bleeding, enough to have soaked the front of her pants already. And it was still oozing quickly. She had to stop it before she lost more. Having nothing on her that she could stem the flow with Belle quickly cast around, looking for something, anything, she could use to compress the wound. Nothing but a cushion on the chair next to her. It’d have to do.
Grabbing it, she braced herself, then placed it over her thigh, biting her lip & groaning as she applied pressure, steadily, until she couldn’t put any more on it. The pain was intense, but she’d suffered worse & so, kept comparing it to that. Closing her eyes, she tried to concentrate on something else. Unable to think of anything else, she settled for not thinking at all, a rare treat for her.

She drifted. Possibly in & out of consciousness; it was hard to tell. The heat was getting to her, a baking heat like what one could feel when one first opened an oven door & had their face too close, getting blasted by the heatwave as it rolled out. The cacophony below may have died down but was still punctuated by shouts.

Someone tried to take the cushion away. She hadn’t felt a presence. She grabbed it closer, opening her eyes.

“Don’t; it’s to stop the bleeding” she said, breathlessly, to Astarion, who knelt before her.

His eyes darted straight to her mouth, pupils blowing wide. She saw him shake, close his eyes, swallow hard, then open them again. Her hand flew to her mouth, swiping through the blood she’d forgotten was there. He grabbed her hand, darting forward & quickly licking the blood off them.

She was too stunned to say anything as his face took on a sharp, feral quality, & he lunged forward, placing his open mouth beside hers, sucking & tonguing the blood, practically cleaning her face like a cat, before moving across to her mouth. Part of her brain noted that his saliva held no smell; none whatsoever. His tongue darted in, swiping across her inner lips, seeking out the residual blood still clinging to her.

She couldn’t move. At least the pain in her leg had momentarily taken a hike. Belle recognised this as not a kiss, but a momentary loss in control. So, she held still. He opened his eyes, slowly disengaging. He stopped a hairsbreadth from her lips, looking up at her, closing his own mouth. He gave a small, ironic, smile before she heard him ‘hmpf’ and lean back.

Hmpf? What the hell did that mean?

She gasped, though, as the pain came thudding back into her leg, drawing her attention away from him. It drew his attention, as well. Sighing, he got up, walked over to the dwarf she’d (killed murdered chewed his nose right off), where he leaned over, frowning at it, then looked back at her quizzically, before bursting out laughing.

“I’ve seen some odd ways to murder, but that’s a first. Explains the – “ and he motioned at her face. He then grabbed his own dagger, cut some cloth away from the dwarfs’ shirt, balled it up & went to come back over to her, but paused as someone shouted up to him from below.

“She’s fine; just a wound. Go on ahead, meet us back here when you’re done.” More shouting & he smirked at whoever it was he was shouting at, then came back over. She was bent over the cushion now, the pain radiating out into the larger portion of her thigh.

As he approached, she slid out of the chair onto the ground, rolled onto her back & propped her leg back up on the chair to elevate it. She was going to faint; she could feel the high-pitched ringing in her ears getting louder; the black sparkles at the edge of her vision creeping in & her heart feeling like it was beating on nothing but air.

He once more knelt beside her, said something she couldn’t make out, & frowned when she didn’t answer. Closing her eyes, it came to her what the feeling was she’d had earlier as she’d observed her own handiwork. A hard feeling of having satisfaction in something she was good at.

Chapter 47: Elminster

Chapter Text

“Belle? Hun, can you hear me?”

She heard her dad’s voice calling her. But that couldn’t be right, because he’d died twenty years ago. Must be one of those dreams, the one’s she’d had less & less frequently over the years, of him coming back & visiting her. It was nostalgic, because, in this one, he sounded so near, so crisp, his voice having faded to a no-sound mumble so much over the years that she’d actually forgotten what he’d sounded like.

She rolled her head to the side, a sob escaping her as she woke at having heard her dad so clearly & smoothing the frown she’d sported while asleep.

Her eyes blinked open slower than she’d commanded them to when someone lifted her head & placed a lukewarm metal cup to her lips, liquid sloshing from it & onto her face & neck.

Peering down at her was her fathers’ worried face … then it all slammed home what had happened in the last two weeks. She gasped, the water from the cup pouring into her mouth, & she swallowed it the wrong way, causing her to cough & splutter, sitting up so Gus could thump her on the back to clear her lungs.

The awkward tightness around her leg caused her to glance down – blood-soaked rags were knotted severely around the meaty part of her thigh, where … where that had happened. Her mind shied away from … that … & all the implications from … that.

“Here, you should drink this, it’s a painkiller, antibiotic & anti-inflammatory” Gus told her, pushing the still half full cup into her hands. Taking a whiff, she pulled a face. Custard & piss.

“It’s medicine; all medicine tastes bad” he told her at her reluctant look, using the old saying he had on her when she was a kid.

“Does not” she mumbled, taking a deep breath & shotting the foul smelling liquid back in one hit. Grimacing, she handed him back the mug, & looked around to find them near the entrance to the elevator that led above to the Shadowlands. She gave her father a raised eyebrow.

“All done. You were out for a while.”

She looked around, Wyll sporting the Splint Armour & Brian the Scale Male. Lae’zel’s gaze peered out from the depths of the Grymskull Helm. Belle cracked a smirk at that.

“What happened?” he continued.

“I fainted.” She replied.

He gave her a level look.

“You’re darling Belle popped her cherry & joined the murder club” Astarion gleefully informed him.

Gus just sighed, looked around at the vampire to give him a ‘did you have to say it like that’ look, Astarion giving him a ‘yes I did’ look in return. Gus turned back to Belle.

“It was bound to happen here. This place is … _”

“Feral? Unpoliced? Murder happy?” she supplied.

“Well … yeah, actually. Unfortunately. Will you be ok?” he sounded anxious that she might be having a difficult time with it. Which made her anxiety kick in, because she wasn’t having a difficult time with it, & she should be, because all civilized & normal people would be freaking out & having breakdowns & calling their psychologists right about now.

“I’m fine” she replied in as normal a tone as she could muster, in her work tone, her ‘I’m being polite in the line-up at the supermarket’ tone, trying to reassure him more than herself.

“We’ll have to keep an eye on that leg; the wounds deep, & if you keep walking around on it, it’s gonna take awhile to heal up properly.”

“I’ll be fine; keep those pain killers comin’ & I’ll be able to keep going. I’ll let you know if it gets bad.”

He nodded, helping her to her feet. When she found she could support her own weight, he gave her a tight smile, herded the rest into the elevator, but flung out a hand to halt Astarion. He gave the pale elf an appraising look.

“Thank-you for looking after her. You did a good job” he told the vampire, just loud enough to be heard by the others.

Belle observed Astarion’s face, which went from shocked to quickly blank again. But his eyes, he couldn’t quite hide the confusion in those. He opened his mouth to say something, couldn’t find anything to say, & closed it.

Only to immediately think of something.

“My pleasure.”

It was stunned sincerity they all heard, a different inflection on the word pleasure than they’d all been used to from him, causing them to all turn to each other & talk loudly about the weather they’d been experiencing lately …

Belle limped into the elevator, feeling tired, & wierded out at her own reaction to the experiences from earlier, & wondering if she could be a proverbial fly on the wall inside Astarions’ mind right now.

It was the longest elevator ride in history. It took over an hour. It certainly didn’t help that the elevator shuddered, made grindy noises, halted & slipped every now & then. There was no way in hell she was ever going to get on one in Faerun again after it.

They all hurriedly exited the death trap into the vestibule above, where Gus told them all to set up camp. A polite cough interrupted everyone.

Gale’s grandad wandered into view, coming down the steps to greet them.

“Gale, there you are, do you know how long I’ve been on the road, searching for you?” he politely accused the surprised wizard.

“Elminster?” Gale looked shocked, then suspicious.

“I am famished, my boy, just starved. Would you be so kind as to invite me to partake of your supper?”

“You’re Elminster?” Gus interrupted, surprised.

“I am. Pleasure, uh ….” He peered at Gus, waiting on an introduction.

“Gus. Gustave Smith.”

“Oh, yes, I seem to recall you requesting my services years ago. You were quite adamant. I’m sorry to have had you forcibly removed from my domicile … still not quite sure how you found it, to be honest.”

“Because you had it hidden. With magic.”

Elminster gave him a blank look.

“I nullify magic.”

“Ohhhh, yes. Well, that would certainly explain it. You’re from Earth, then, I presume?”

“I am. Why wouldn’t you –“

“I was on holiday. No one should have to work when they’re on holidays.”

“Dad, I don’ –“ Belle tried interjecting, knowing that Elminster was not going to be sharing anything with them, whether he knew it or not, because Elminster worked for Mystra, & Mystra wanted her to suffer for her pathway to knowledge.

“Belle, now’s not the –“

Elminster interrupted him, peering at Belle.

“You’re the foul mouthed one, aren’t you” he waggled a finger at her.

“What? No!” she denied quickly.

“How do you know about Belle?” Gale asked, even more suspiciously.

“Can’t we eat? I’m starving!” Karlach whined, not having paid too much attention to the conversation.

“Yeah, let’s eat!” Belle used the distraction to distract Elminster.

“We can talk over dinner” he agreed, then immediately went over aways from Gus & Belle, conjured up a f*cking Laz-y-Boy recliner & made himself at home.

Gus’ jaw dropped open.

“That’s … that’s from Earth!”

Elminster looked down at the couch.

“Why, I do believe you’re right. Fancy that. Gale, get to cooking, my boy, this old man is needing nourishment.”

“I’ll give you nourishment…” Gale muttered darkly, throwing things together a bit more forcibly than strictly necessary.

They weren’t f*cking kidding when they described the old man as liking cheddar cheese. He practically cleared out their supply. Didn’t he get constipated with it? Just in case, & because she didn’t like them, she chopped up some pears & wandered over to him, handing him the plate.

Then frowned, because the Laz-Y-Boy didn’t disappear. She kicked it, frowning.

“If I ever get the pleasure to visit you in your home, remind me to return the favour” Elminster told her, picking up a slice of pear & chewing on it.

“How come it didn’t disappear?” she knew he knew ect. ect.

“A recliner isn’t magic, child. It’s a solid object. It’s the conjuring that would have been nullified.”

Waaaait a minute, that meant anyone could conjure something solid outside their vicinity & kill them with it. She’d have to remember that.

“Why didn’t you help dad return home?”

He looked up at her, his wizened face & vibrant eyes assessing her.

“He needed to be here. For this. I’m sure you knew that, from what you were told.”

“Why does Earth know about … everything … “

“You do ask some deep questions, don’t you?”

“You gonna be like Wither’s & not tell me?”

He considered.

“I can tell you that Earth used to have magic. I can tell you that Earth knows what it does because it’s intrinsically linked to every other plane & sphere, everywhere, all at once. Doesn’t mean that it’s accessible to them, however. There’s not a single other sphere like it … because it sits in the middle of … everything.”

“Are we talking Yggdrasil Loki Throne Marvel Avengers TVA bullsh*t, except it’s Earth?”

“Yes … & no. You’re on the right track.” He tapped the side of his nose & wouldn’t volunteer any more information. But that was ok, because her leg was starting to really ache now, a deep, crying ache, so she went to fetch more custard piss painkillers, curl up with Lobo, & watch as her father berated Elminster, who played the doddery old fool with him before Gus cracked the sh*ts & told Elminster to go eat sh*t (they were father & daughter, after all), then deliver Mystra’s edict to Gale, who took it stoically. She pondered on what he’d revealed to her.

Chapter 48: The Church of Earth & Modernity

Chapter Text

Brian had to be restrained in the upper portion of the vestibule; his blackout had occurred early in the morning, despite the concoctions fed to him the night before. Belle once again got treated to hearing him describe how he’d artistically carve up her corpse & re-arrange her body parts into new & exciting 3-D sculptures.

“He’s creative, I’ll give him that” Elminster noted from his recliner, having decided to stay in camp before heading off the next morning.

“You’re not going to suggest anything that can help with … that?” Gale waved an arm at the frothing durge.

“That’s a malady of the mind & soul, Gale. A part of him. No magic in the world can heal that.”

Gale cut the older wizard a scathing look before returning back to his bedroll. She didn’t blame him. Elminster was … frustrating.

Loaded up with as many torches as they could carry, the troupe all wandered up & through the passageway leading outside. Taking a deep breath, Gus threw open the doors, the gloom outside rushing in, trying to extinguish the torches.

Wandering out, they all paused, various looks of discomfort to fear washing over their features.

“This feels … depressing” Karlach announced. “Anyone needs a hug, come see Mama K.”

“The air here is … saturated … with the Shadow Weave” Gale peered off into the darkness, looking troubled.

“I’m not liking this … this feeling … of being hunted. I’d rather be the hunter” Astarion muttered, looking from side to side into the thicker shadows.

“I don’t feel a thing” Shadowheart commented smugly.

“Actually … neither do I” Belle said, waving her hand through the air as if she should be snagging something dark on it. “Dad?”

“Nope, me either.”

“Oh” Shadowheart said in a small voice at not being the only one who was special.

Belle fully expected to feel a certain … heaviness … much like carrying the weight of the world around on one’s shoulders, but to only feel like she was walking through the murky gloom of an overcast Thursday afternoon was surprising.

They started off, this time Belle in the middle due to her injury. Gus didn’t want her stuck at the back & risk her falling behind. She limped along as best she could, but they weren’t travelling fast, as everyone who could feel the oppressiveness of the Shadowlands was going slow, already on edge & ready for anything to just pop up out of nowhere.

“Do we need to go up to the left?” Gus called back to her when they reached the path forking off, now not keeping it a secret that Belle was the one with the fore-knowledge directing them. Most were aware she knew things & had been smart enough to not ask too many probing questions. So far, anyway.

“Not really. Not unless you wanna watch a guy stab himself later on for being a wanker … “

“Oo, that sounds fun. Let’s go do that” Astarion commented.

“We’re not doing that. Keep going” Gus said; she was surprised to hear that his tone with the vampire was more … well, he was getting used to Astarion’s ways, put it that way.

“Fight up ahead. You’ll need light-based spells” she called out an hour later, just before reaching the next point where the Harpers were milling about. Whether they were scouting, checking out the scene or playing hide & seek, she really had never been able to work that one out as to why they were there. But, this being able to share more of what she knew without giving too much away made things so much easier. She likee.

“You’re sitting this one out, Belle” Gus called out, pointing to a spot where he meant for her to stay put.

Yeah, well, she supposed she was pretty useless right about now. Folding her arms, she stood there while the rest went off to play without her. She could hear the exchange with the Harpers, & the subsequent screams as one of them was taken. Belle found she couldn’t be expected to remember everything, but still felt bad she’d forgotten that one of them was killed during this fight.

Various flashes of bright light went off, briefly illuminating areas before the darkness eagerly swallowed them back up. She waved the torch around that she was holding, getting bored, & spelled out her name with it like one would with a New Year’s Eve sparkler. The weird looking ball that rolled past her feet made her stop. What was that? She stooped, scooped it up & examined it. It looked like a … was this a Shadow Vestige?

There were no images or flashes of someone’s life running through her head though, & she looked behind her. No-one was there. Where the f*ck had it come from? Looking back down at the fight, which was still going on, she frowned, tossing the ball in the air & catching it. Lobo might like to chase it later.

Nope, she had to get closer. Her curiosity was killing her, & one always had to act on one’s curiosity. Limping downward toward where she could see everyone panicking (she’d f*cking told Gus what to expect, but no, let’s not listen to Belle …), she could see them rushing around, uselessly fighting the shadow creatures, who looked like the offspring of a Nazgul who’d f*cked a dementor.

“For f*ck’s sake” she muttered at the chaos. How the hell were they supposed to fight the giant f*cking brain at the end when they looked like this?

“Belle, watch out!” Karlach yelled, swinging & missing at a nearby Shadow creature as it fluidly ducked her axe.

She went to turn, only, another ball rolled on by her foot. Oh. Oooooh!

“Cool” a shark’s smile worked its way onto her face. Belle decided to go for a leisurely stroll, right though the middle of the chaos; the shadow creatures instantly dropping as she came within a couple of meters of them.

“Dad, nullify the bastards” she yelled out, heading for wherever she could see her people fighting.

“You shouldn’t be here!” he decided to play dad instead of doing what she’d told him.

“I’ve downed more of them than you lot combined!”

“It’s true; you’re now my shield” Astarion came in right beside her, held his arm out like a true gentlemen & smirked down at her.

She took it & he tucked it in beside him while they strolled around, the shadow beasts going down rapidly now.

“Shouldn’t you be behind me if I’m to be your shield?”

“Well, I can’t deny the view would be … impressionable … from back there, but I wouldn’t want you to think I’m just using you for that.”

“Oh, I wouldn’t think you’re using me for that at all.” No, just other things.

“Good, because you know I trust you. And you can trust me.”

Oh, she was getting that conversation.

“I do trust you” she told him as sincerely as she could without cracking a smile. Well, she trusted that he wouldn’t run away & leave them now, & she trusted that he’d be on her side up until she’d served her useful purpose to him, whatever he might think that was, & she trusted that he wouldn’t now kill her if she let him feed on her again.

The fight had finished. The Harpers milled around, both saddened at the loss of one of their own & blown away that two of their group had unbelievably strong powers that could take out the shadow beasts like they were literally just shadows confronted with the sun.

“You have to come meet our leader, Jahira. She’ll be most interested in meeting you. All of you” the leader, Lassandra, told them, marking on their map where the Last Light Inn was located.

“Right, yes, well, scoot along now, all of you. Ta-ta” Astarion called after them, for some reason feeling all sassy. At a look from Gus to cut the bullsh*t, Astarion also dropped her arm quicker than if he’d accidentally caught feelings. It was weird to know her dad still had that effect on men around her who paid her too much interest.

“I’m wondering why I can’t have that effect; if the environment acts the same way for you as it does for me” Shadowheart complained. Belle could have sworn she was pouting.

“The different powers that be give different effects” she told the cleric, who, bless her little dark heart, understood straight away.

“But I wouldn’t mind walking around & just having them … melt” she continued.

“Subscribe to the church of Earth & modernity” Belle told her.

“I thought you said there were no gods.”

“She’s pulling your leg, Shadowheart” Gus told her as they once again started off.

Chapter 49: The Royal Exhibition Dome

Chapter Text

“What about up here?” Gus called back to her about two hours later.

They’d reached the second fork up to the left.

“No, keep going.”

Yes, there were useful items they could be looting & ransacking; books & letters & scrolls & monsters they could be killing for loot drops. Again, was it necessary to the here & now? Not really.

A couple of hours after that & the land sloped downward. To the right, a massive grey, solid looking dome revealed itself. The only thing she could compare it to would be the top of the Royal Exhibition Dome in Melbourne, minus all the fancy features.

As they descended, a thought suddenly occurred to Belle.

“Withers!” she hissed.

“Thou called?” he bobbed into view beside her.

“The dome is a magical protection to keep the shadow curse out of that area. What if we nullify it?”

“If it weren’t for my presence, that indeed would have occurred.”

“Even if you’re not materialised?”

“Even so.”

Good, she’d have hated to inadvertently trigger the fight & have all those people killed.

“That’s powerful Selunite magic, though, isn’t it? I thought I was told I couldn’t affect divine magic.”

“Thou misunderstood. It is the Goddess of Magic herself thou canst not effect. Every other divinity, no matter the number of worshippers, derives their power from the weave. From her.”

“What about you?”

“I am not originally from this plane. I cannot be affected.”

Cooool.

“What about the other divinities not from this plane?”

He turned to look at her, regarding & assessing with those eyes that looked like they saw millions of planets come into being & die every second.

“Not yet.”

Then he popped off.

Well, well, well. She was starting to get somewhere. The back of her mind was hard at work, excavating, cross-referencing & putting all those little clues she’d been storing away to work, starting to weave together why in the sh*t she was here. The front part of her mind was having none of it, shying away from the implications her subconscious was presenting to her.

They hadn’t stopped all day, & she’d been downing the awful medicine more & more, so when they traipsed along the bridge leading to the Inn, she was just wanting to go sit down & chill for the rest of the day. In this place, though, relaxation was a commodity hard to come by.

“You made it. Didn’t waste time, either. Come with me.” Lassandra came trotting out to greet them. She must have stationed herself right at the entrance to wait for them. She turned, only to halt at the presence of one tiny, green clad older elf with her hair in dreaddies. Jahiera.

Belle wasn’t the only one to gasp in worship, clapping her hands to her cheeks. Karlach sounded like she was gonna wet herself.

They were getting the best resting bitch face Belle had ever seen in her life! She was positive her eyes were giving off little anime stars right then. Jahiera didn’t say a word, simply lifted her hand, setting it on green fire, then clenched it, causing swirling vines to sprout up from the ground & enclose most of them. She almost felt disappointed when no tentacles erupted below her.

“You two. Follow me.” She pointed at Gus & Belle, who gladly trotted after the Harper. From behind, the half-elf honestly looked like she was a small teenager. Teeny-tiny.

“You’re just going to leave us here, all tied up?” she heard Astarion call out to them.

“Just get used to it” She heard Gale answer him tiredly.

Belle turned around, walking backward.

“Thought you’d like a little tentacle-vine action.”

He went to answer, thought it over, a smirk rising to the surface of his face, shrugged & relaxed.

They followed Jaheira into the Inn, where she saw several Harpers shadowing them. There was no sign of Marcus.

Stopping behind a tall table, the half-elf poured out three drinks, sliding two of them across to Gus & her.

“To your good health” she picked up her own glass, slamming back the liquid.

Gus copied her without hesitation.

“Now her” Jaheira nodded at Belle.

“She doesn’t need to; I’m the one you’ll be dealing with.” Gus stated, staring down the frightening but oh so cool Harper. Something about him must have convinced her, because she finally relented, giving a single nod.

Taking out her own little witchety grub in a jar, she rattled it at the both of them, sending both their little brain worms wriggling behind their eyes.

“Oh, eww, put it away” Belle complained, wanting to scrub out her eye socket.

“So, you are infected, but you’re claiming to not be True Souls. How is this possible?”

“Alien technology. Psionics, running interference with –“

“Belle, will you shut the f*ck up, please?” Gus grated, slamming a hand down on the table in frustration.

“Dad, it’s Jaheira, she’s a good guy.”

The woman in question was looking at Belle like she was unhinged.

“Ok, I believe she’s not a True Soul.” She pointed at Belle. What? How come?

“None of us are. And yes, there’s a device that’s preventing us from being brainwashed into believing we are. I have no idea how it works.” Gus answered her.

The noises of the Inn were starting to get louder, now that the people inside had stopped staring at them, quiet chatting starting up again.

“And this … ability … you both possess. Is it divine protection? Are you clerics of Lathander, perhaps?”

Belle went to open her mouth again but squawked when her dad stood on her foot, giving her a death-glare.

Alright, fine, he could f*cking deal with it, then.

“Can I go get a drink, a real drink, please?” she asked instead, suddenly seeing some tieflings’ from the grove congregating around the area further in.

“They can vouch for me” she swept a hand at them, Jaheira following to see who she meant.

“You’re the lot who saved the Grove?”

“That’s us, Avengers of the Sword Coast, Justice –“

“You may go.” Jahiera dismissed her bluntly. That was ok. She’d have time to wear down the woman before long.

Alfira did a double take when Belle limped on past, but they’d never spoken two words. She gave the bard a nod in return, just glad that the innocent woman had been spared durges attentions.

“Is there anything worth drinking in this dump? Besides wine?” she pulled up a chair beside Rolan, who she’d also never personally met.

“Pff, good luck. Wine’s all that survives for long periods out in the sticks.” He muttered, swilling his own half-filled cup.

“f*ck, I wouldn’t have minded a whiskey or bourbon.”

Rolan moaned.

“Don’t make me want something I don’t have access to.”

“If it’s whiskey you’re after, then I can help you there.”

Oh no. Not again.

Belle looked up, directly into the eyes of Raphael, who had pulled up a chair directly opposite her.

Chapter 50: A New Deal

Chapter Text

“No,” she pointed a finger at him.

“… to the whiskey?” he asked.

“To the deal. If the whiskey has no strings attached … then yes.”

“Don’t be so hasty. Come, let’s find somewhere a bit more private.”

That pulling sensation grabbed her again, then she blinked & they were in a little balcony above an opera. He’d dressed her in an evening gown, her hair & makeup done flawlessly.

“You guys would make a fortune on Earth” she marvelled, looking at the fine detail sewn into the gloves. Travel destinations with a click of the fingers, hair, makeup & outfit done in under a second, it was unreal!

Sitting on a little side table was a shot of whiskey in a crystal glass. Swank-y! She shotted it before he could raise an eyebrow. The warmth bloomed down her throat & into her stomach. Nice!

“We don’t really deal in gold, as I’m sure you know.”

“Yes, you do. Someone’s gotta build those buildings in hell.”

His lips curled.

“It’s not our preferred method, then.”

“What do you want, Raph, cause honestly, I’m at a loss here.”

His eyebrow curled upward at her calling him that. She was honestly surprised he allowed it. Also surprised he didn't set her on fire on the spot.

“I was wondering if you’d reconsidered the deal; being away from one’s home must be so lonely. Surely there are those that you miss, loved ones & friends…”

He really didn’t know her at all, did he? She decided to be blunt with him.

“Getting the crown doesn’t do you any favours. How in the hell would you go up against Asmodeus? Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re half human. No one can wield the crown successfully, not even Gale if he goes the godhood route. Mystra slaps his bitch arse down when he gets too co*cky.”

He sat there, leg crossed over his knee, resting his chin in his hand, looking down at the opera as she told him some home truths.

“Do you have any idea how long the Blood War has been going on for?” he finally asked her.

Um, no, not really.

“Eons. It’s a messy affair, a stalemate that prevents progress & progression. I abhor mess.”

Oh, he had obsessive compulsive disorder. That explained a lot ...

“You’d hate my flat, then…”

He held up a finger to silence her.

“Asmodeus has his own plans; as to when they may come to actual fruition is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, nothing changes. Hell needs a powerful leader, one who can create order from the current entropy.”

“I understand the frustration; it’s like having a manager who promises big things & never delivers. And the ambition. I feel bad that all you get out of life is the thrill of power for power’s sake. You miss out on everything else….”

She cleared her throat as she saw him giving her a condescending look. Then he sat up straight.

“You’re proving to be more difficult than I originally thought.”

Not the first time that had been said to her.

“Taking my meal away from me with the vampire, for instance.”

Yep. f*ck him if he thought he'd get to play with Astarion.

“If you want the Orthon home that badly, just go get him.”

He turned to fully regard her, his eyes catching on fire, glowing in the dim light.

“You’re not leaving me with many options.”

“Not my fault the crown won’t give you all you want.”

He blew out a breath, tapping his fingers on the edge of the chair.

“You’re right” he finally allowed.

Damn right she was.

“I can’t wield the crown, nor control it fully.”

“Great, glad you’re seeing sense. Now, if you could –“

“Do you know where the power came from to build the Karsite Weave? Where Karsus stole it from?”

That was out of left field. She blinked at the question. Her subconscious was screaming at her.

Raphael’s face split into his own version of her shark’s grin.

“Little Earthling, I wish to propose a new deal.”

Chapter 51: Homebrew Gary

Chapter Text

She leant by the banister of the stairs, arms folded as she watched the devil make more deals with people, one after the other, a parade of them. Belle understood that these little conversations happened just outside of reality; others could see them, but paid them no mind, like they were just a part of the background. It was the same as all the times she’d interacted with Withers’, & probably that time with Mystra, too.

He must be allowing her to witness this; for the first time in forever, she understood that Raphael was the one desperate for her to sign his new deal. Her brain had temporarily short-circuited when he’d revealed what he had, & she had no idea what to think, let alone make a decision right now regarding what he wanted from her.

Pushing off the banister, she limped back in to sit beside the large firepit. The warmth was nice on her aching leg.

By that stage, Gus had concluded his business with Jaheira; the other’s had been released from their hentai situation & had wandered inside. No-one had known she’d gone missing for a bit, & she wasn’t inclined to inform them that she had.

From the fireside, her eyes searched the room, & found Astarion, who was busy surreptitiously helping himself to the pockets of some Fists while their backs were turned. Her lip curled up at the comical sight.

Gus knew to get all the little things done downstairs before they made their way above & had kept everyone busy & away from the stairs. The time was fast approaching where they would have to go up & introduce themselves to Isobel, however. All Belle wanted to do right now was go & pass out on a bed with an electric blanket on it. And preferably forget having the conversation with the devil.

Barcus was in the other room, fart-arsing around with his designs. She’d speak with him tomorrow; right now, she didn’t have the energy needed to nut out gun designs with him.

She looked up as the majority of the group emerged from the large bunk room housing Florrick, who also came out with her entourage, & took her leave of everyone, heading back to Baldur’s Gate. To her surprise, Halsin emerged, too. She hadn’t known he was here; not having accompanied their party, he must have come across the mountain pass instead.

“I am glad to see you all again. And now, at least, we have an objective…” he was saying to Gus, the both of them sitting at a smaller table beside the door, losing themselves in deeper conversation. She frowned at the sight. Did they look ….cosy?

No. Dismissing that thought instantly, she called out instead to Gus.

“You ready for phase two?”

He glanced at her.

“In a minute.”

Really?

Oh well. She picked at the rotisserie meat in front of her, although she wasn’t exactly hungry right now. A faint ‘pop’ sound told her the devil had exited the building. So nice of him to offer to help them. That certainly didn’t make her any more inclined to accept the new deal. Selfish prick.

“Getting tired over here” she called out, chewing on the meat. Tasted like beef, but who the f*ck really knew what it was.

“Then go & keep an eye on Art.”

“Nuh-huh, I’m no nurse.”

“How does she know things again?” she heard Halsin ask Gus, intrigued.

“She’s a know-all.”

Well, ex-cuse the sh*t outta her!

Pushing back the stool, she unsheathed her short sword & hobbled over to the staircase. She was sick of waiting, & wanted to get this show on the road so that she could then get her arse in the sack.

“…for f*ck’s sake…” she heard her father mutter, before whistling & rounding every-one up. They all emerged from the woodwork, following along behind Gus, who gave her the darkest look she’d yet received from him since landing in Faerun. She had a feeling it wasn’t because she wanted to hurry things along.

Gus took most of them into Isobel’s room with him; that was where the concentration of the winged horrors would be, trying to abduct Isobel.

Letting themselves in, (because, who wouldn’t want strangers to infiltrate one’s bedroom?), they milled around & waited for Gus to bring the Selune cleric back in from outside.

As they came back inside, she was sure she heard Shadowheart hiss.

“Lay off it; you don’t see others deriding your faith like that now, do you?” Belle whispered at her in passing. In other words, grow the f*ck up.

Shadowheart gave her a look she wasn’t prepared to see; hurt, covered quickly by sneering condescension. Looks like she was going to have to play big sister & have a chat about live & let live. Weird, because the woman was older than her, even though she looked younger. Elves & their slow maturity; they were worse than men.

All the melee fighters were in the room; Lae’zel, Karlach & Halsin (thank god they hadn’t had to do that bullsh*t first about recruiting him before he got off his arse & decided to help them), accompanied by Gale & Shadowheart. The rest ranged attackers were lined up out on the landing to fire down on the beasts downstairs. Gus would station himself in the door leading to the outside balcony.

That left Belle to deal with the one that came in through the side door from the smaller room attached to the right. In all honesty, it wasn’t just tiredness that had made her want to start this fight; flashes kept coming back to her from when she’d killed the dwarf. She … kinda … wanted to do it again.

As they all chatted, Belle eased the door open, closing it gently again behind her. She had her short sword; she wanted to test it out. The conversation beyond the door eased. Light flared underneath the door; followed by an apology from Isobel to Gus about it seemingly not working on him. That was the downside of the nullification; you missed out on all the good sh*t. Not that they needed the protection, but healing, for instance, would’ve come in handy.

The thump, accompanied by Isobel’s startled question & the reply from a man’s deeper, unidentified voice announced the beginning of the fight.

Bracing herself, Belle kept an eye on both the doors & the ceiling, not knowing for sure where this bastard was going to appear from.

Marcus roared, & she thought a text message sent out to multiple people would have been much more subtle & quick.

Scratch the quick.

The door to the far end of the room burst open, & she was greeted with Gary Oldman in full grown bat costume from Dracula. Gary rushed in, & again, her brain registered the most important thing of all; the dude was buck naked. Not a shred of cloth to be seen anywhere. Her eyes very innocently went to scope out what was between the legs. A teeny tiny, itty-bitty appendage, no longer than her thumb, was bouncing around down there. Well, she supposed, they had to reproduce somehow. Poor female Gary’s.

But then Gary was nearly on her, snarling & drooling (ewww!) & her brain did that thing again, where it switched. It took what she’d just seen of the creature & directed her body. She stepped forward, short sword down in front of her, pointed to the floor. She didn’t register the side door being flung open; all her concentration was on the beast in front of her.

Beastly Gary held out his wings toward her, & she stepped into the embrace, making one simple movement with the sword; bringing it up & slicing up with it once it made contact. The beast stopped dead, staring down at her as the evil grin bloomed on her face.

“Like that, motherf*cker?” she whispered up at it.

Yanking the sword out from in between its legs where she’d sliced up into the creatures’ genitals, she reversed her momentum, thrusting the blade into that gaping hole of a mouth, puncturing through the base of the skull where it connected to the spine. Her face got sprayed in a fine mist of blood as the creature fell to its knees before her, taking her sword with it, before rolling onto its side.

Throughout it all, she was grining.

The tiny, pedestrian part of her mind was chanting at her. ‘notgoodnotgoodnotgood.’

Movement caught her eye. Whipping her head around, she saw Astarion, standing in the doorway, staring at her. Her heart was pounding. Her blood was up. She thought she should explain to him, tell him that this wasn’t her, this was a mistake, it wouldn’t happen again…

He was on her before she even registered him moving, his mouth crashing down on hers, his teeth grinding against her lips, as he pushed her back up against the closed door. He tried even harder, forcing his tongue between her lips.

She’d wondered where her shoulder devil had gotten too, then realised, the bitch had possessed her.

Belle closed her eyes, opened her mouth & kissed him back just as hard, hooking a leg up around his waist as his hand went down, supporting & squeezing her arse as he pulled the lower half of her body into his, then slamming them both hard against the door again, making it thud.

Her hand grabbed him by the hair, making sure he wasn’t going anywhere, & she gave him his own ascension treatment of biting his lower lip, making him moan low in his throat.

He picked her up (holy hell she hadn’t been picked up this easily since she’d been a teenager!) & continued kissing her, spinning them around & somehow avoiding Gary on the floor to throw her on the dusty bed in the corner, not stopping for a second before he was on top of her, letting most of his body weight settle on her.

She opened her legs for him, & he moved, pressing himself against her fully, earning him a throaty moan from her as her head lolled back & she felt that pressure, the full pressure against her core that she hadn’t in years.

“Aw, f*ck, I lost!” Karlach’s loud voice carried out beyond everyone, snapping them both out of their haze.

Panting, Belle looked over to see the retreating tiefling, digging out gold from her pocket as she left.

“And that’s why I said we should take some time for ourselves.” Astarion murmured thickly, nuzzling at her throat.

Chapter 52: Persistence Pays Off

Chapter Text

But he didn’t really mean that … surely not. Belle couldn’t quite equate how & why Astarion, sex incarnate Astarion, had thought that she was …. well, her mind wouldn’t even let her think that he might actually like her … somewhat. It kept screaming at her that Astarion fell for Tav, or Durge, or even one of the others. She was just some bit player, some random nobody, & … holy hell he was nipping at her throat & then soothing over it with his tongue ….

“Although, it’d probably be a bit hard sneaking away now, what with that shadow curse everywhere…” he continued, having wrapped himself to her side, leg thrown over the top of her, effectively trapping her from getting up & leaving. Was he starting to know what she was like? That thought … somehow … made it seem more real. Not that she knew what he was like; that he was beginning to know her as a person.

She turned to look at him, face to face. She’d studied it enough, first on computer, then later, after arriving here, to know it damn well now. But Belle wasn’t looking for appearance’s sake. She was looking to see what he saw when he looked at her.

“Can I ask you something?” she said, seriously.

“I suppose. Should I brace myself?”

He was beginning to know her.

“Apart from forbidden knowledge, & entities on first name basis with me; is there something you actually like about me?”

He blinked, then pulled his head back a bit, resting his chin on her shoulder. Thinking.

“You’re asking about personality, not looks, correct?” he clarified.

Of course he’d ask that. She nodded.

She’d once asked this question of her ex. He’d answered he’d liked her eyes. She’d tried digging for more. And … he couldn’t answer her. Hadn’t known what she’d meant. Had never thought about it, apparently. Was this question too much to ask, right now?

“I like it how you’re not afraid of speaking to devils how you do.” He answered after a moment more. “Everyone else treats them with fear or respect. You … bypass … that. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone deal with something powerful that way before.”

Well now. That certainly beat ‘your eyes’ as an answer.

“You know what I like about you?” she said, turning in his embrace so that they lay snug against each other.

“That’s easy. I’m a beautiful vampire” he replied, all haughty & deflective.

“You keep fighting.” She ignored the response he gave. She continued.

“It’s your tenacity, I think. You stumble, fall, fail, & then keep getting back up. I’ve never seen anyone do that before for as long as you have.” Not that anyone lived much beyond their 80’s back on Earth, but that was beside the point.

“I … don’t think I’ve ever looked at it like that. There were times, possibly decades at a time, where I can’t remember what went on … because I think I stopped fighting. Gave up. Just did as I was told.”

She hated hearing that. It made her want to go to Baldur’s Gate, right now, & give Cazador a barbed wire catheter. Extra rusty.

She rested her lips on his forehead, knowing again there was no response she could give that could take that away from him.

“Why … how … do you keep doing that?” he asked.

“What?”

“Every time I would like to … have you to myself … you turn the tables, & I end up … sharing….”

“’S cause I’m good.” It’s because she was deflecting.

“Well, I don’t know that for sure now, do I?” he leant up now on an elbow, gazing down at her.

“But isn’t the guessing fun? Is she, isn’t she, is she a freak, does she have a kink?”

“Oh, I know you do. One I’d love to explore further with you.”

“Astarion, I’m afraid I’m not a one-night stand kinda person. If that’s what you’re after, you’re barking up the wrong tree.”

“Who says I’m after just one night?”

…. say what? No, no, manipulation, he’s just saying what she wants to hear.

“You’re persistent. Anyone else would’ve given it up as a bad job by now.”

“I feel there’s unplumbed depths to you.” he reached up with his hand, gently grabbed her chin, & thumbed her lower lip down, letting it spring back up. Why in the hell did that send tingles down her body?

“If others are too stupid to see it, then that’s their loss. My gain.”

Her brain giggled. Apparently, it liked it when he gave vibes like this.

“What, precisely, do you want of me?” she had to ask. She wanted to know. For science reasons.

“Apart from enjoying each other? Indulging our bodies, giving each other pleasure?” holy f*cking cow, he’d gone full seduction on her now!

“Yep. Apart from that.” hehehe, she wasn’t born yesterday.

He leant down again, brushing his cold nose against her cheek, speaking so quietly it was nearly, but not quite, a whisper.

“I like you, Belle. I think you like me. I’d simply like to explore that further. See if it … leads anywhere.” He finished by kissing her beside the earlobe.

Oooo, motherf*cker was gooood!

This time, she grabbed his chin, tilting his head up so he couldn’t escape her gaze. He was all heavy lids & seductive smiles.

“Ok. I think … maybe … we could try … something.”

“Excellent –“

“You should know you’re on people’s hit lists if you screw me over.”

That look he adopted blew straight off his face.

“It’s what I meant about not being a one-night stand. If you’re serious, then it shouldn’t worry you.”

It was one way to stop his little machinations. She liked him, she really did, but she wasn’t going to put her heart on the line for someone who didn’t even know his own & could end up really hurting her in the end, ascension notwithstanding. So, the threat. She honestly thought it’d deter him. Scare him away. She’d intended it to.

“That only leaves one question, then, darling.” He said, quickly recovering.

“Oh?”

“Where’s a good spot to steal away to.”

Oh.

Chapter 53: Arming Barcus

Chapter Text

The next morning, the other’s all sat around discussing the upcoming need to retrieve the moon-lantern, then the sojourn to Moonrise Towers. Very important matters. Very serious matters. Belle sat frowning at the fireplace, turning over & over in her mind her own very serious, very important matter. Where was a good spot to get some alone time.

The thought still made her want to bite her knuckle & cackle like a crazy woman. It wasn’t helping matters that he was parked right next to her, using every available opportunity he could to ‘accidentally’ bump or nudge her. He certainly wasn’t going to let her forget that she’d agreed, reminding her oh, so subtly, every f*cking few minutes, of his presence.

Blah blah spirit of the land, blah blah true souls. Heard it all before.

The tracing of his finger up her inner thigh made her jump to her feet.

“Toilet” she told them at large so she could excuse herself & go & just … distract her brain for two goddamn seconds.

Wandering away, she glanced back, Astarion looking at her surreptitiously. He very deliberately winked at her. She beelined for Barcus, who was already madly talking away to himself & scribbling sh*t down with a feather quill. Awesome, she’d never written with a feather quill & had always wanted to try one out, ever since her early goth days. What a perfect distraction!

Sidling up to the table next to him, he stopped what he was doing to give her side-eye.

“There’s not a metal that exists that can support thirteen rounds per second” was the first thing he said to her.

“You’re right. Can I have a quill & parchment, too, please?”

He hesitated but dug them out for her. Holding up the quill, which was just an unadorned feather (disappointed), she wondered how this would work. Dipping the quill into the ink, she brought it over to the parchment, leaving great big, fat blobs of ink everywhere. Dammit.

“Have you never used a quill before?” he asked, sounding both parts scandalised & amused.

“For your info, no. I’m used to ball point pens where the ink is already inside the little tube, so you don’t have to worry about that” she waved a hand at the ink as the paper absorbed it.

His eyes went wide, & he furiously scribbled down some notes.

“Carbon-steel alloy.” She said suddenly.

“I beg your – wait. Where did you come from again?”

“Elsewhere. You need to mix the metals, make them harder, & heat resistant. I do believe you lot already have steel. If you have aluminium, you can make some parts cheaper.”

Belle wasn’t a gun expert. Her ex, however, loved them, & had books & diagrams & lots & lots of docos, where he insisted that they both watch them together, because he was interested in it & therefore that counted as couple time. When she’d want it reciprocated by watching her programs, like CSI or Cold Case, he wasn’t interested, citing that her programs were, quote unquote, ‘sh*t.’ She remembered bits & pieces, enough, maybe, to get this little genius onto the problem of working it out.

She drew some bullets, their casings & gun chambers, smearing the ink all up her fingers & sleeves.

He watched her, & then, started firing questions at her, noting down everything she told him in a much neater hand than she had.

All in all, a good couple of hours were spent where she hadn’t thought of Astarion at all. Until she did. Then it was back to anxiety again.

Breaking for lunch, she swung by the firepit where everyone else was now breaking for a bite to eat as well.

Shadowheart set down a heavy little pouch in front of her, gave her a tip of the head, & wandered away again. Leaning forward & picking it up, she jiggled it, listening to the sounds of the gold pieces clinking inside. Awesome, shopping money for when they hit the Gate.

Getting up & wandering outside, she went over to the quartermaster near the bridge, & went through the wares there, getting the equipment sent inside, then trudged on over to Dammon to see how he was going with the Hell Dusk armour from the devil-foil masks they’d given him the previous day.

It was funny, because things like that would take months back on Earth to make. Here, these people combined their magic with it to expedite the process, spitting out armour & equipment like no-body’s business.

Everything was all good there, so she stopped quickly in front of the Ox that wasn’t, hands on hips.

“You could always just turn into an apple now & I can stow you away to get you through the Gate once we get there.”

“Heh-hem. Moooo.”

“Fine. Whatevers.”

She limped off, leaving the ooze to his own mooing.

She headed back inside, where everyone had reconvened. She really couldn’t be bothered joining them. She was already itching to get going again. It may or may not have had something to do with seeing a Dryder in the flesh.

Heading back upstairs to the little bedroom she’d staked as hers (because real bed), she opened the door to see Astarion, leaning back on the bed, reading the Necronomicon.

“Seriously?” she stated, limping across the room, flinging herself on the bed & making him shift over so he was squished up against the wall.

“Astarion, actually.” He replied, lazily flipping a page.

“My bed.” She stated.

“Sharing’s caring, darling.”

“You should be downstairs, listening to all that bullsh*t they’re talking about.”

“Why, when I can just ask you?”

Touche.

“What’re you wanting outta that book, anyways?”

“Oh, I don’t know. The power to rain death & destruction down upon my enemies would be nice.”

“How about summoning four ghouls instead of rain of destruction?”

He looked at her over the top of the book.

“To quote you; are you f*cking serious?” he didn’t sound impressed.

“No. I’m Belle.” She smirked back at him as he snapped the book shut.

He looked at it, disgusted.

“Is that all it grants?”

“And the permanent ability to speak to the dead.”

“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I’ve been wasting my time reading – you know what, Gale can eat it. Ghouls!” he shuddered, tossing the book aside.

“Poor Astarion” she murmured, giving him big sad eyes.

“All I want is the power to smite; is that too much to ask?”

“I wanna fly. Wish in one hand & sh*t in the other. See which one fills up first.”

“You’re not being very supportive of my desires, Belle.”

“What would you have me say?”

“Yes, Astarion. I agree, Astarion. Let’s go find somewhere more private, right now, Astarion.”

“Where’s the fun in just agreeing to everything you say?”

“It’s fun for me. And, trust me, you’ll find it fun, too.”

He suddenly rolled so he was on top of her, pinning her arms above her head.

“The doors open” she said, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m starting to get beyond the point of caring.” He ducked down, nipped at her neck & licked it before doing it again, lower down. It was starting to become a game for him, as he’d woken her up that morning in the same manner, instead of pulling off her blankets.

“Awww, you do care! You admitted it!”

“What?” his head came up suddenly.

“Uh-uh, can’t take it back now!” she grinned up at him, daring him to.

“I …. Uh ….”

“It’s ok. I won’t tell anyone. Your secrets’ safe with me” she whispered. It wasn’t often Astarion was caught short for words. Unless they pertained to his feelings.

They both looked toward the doorway as Gus’ whistle sounded out, signalling them all to get ready to head out.

Chapter 54: Hurt & Comfort

Chapter Text

Halsin, along with Karlach & Wyll, split off from the main group, heading off to go & find one lost, lonely boy by the name of Oliver. Belle had suggested it, seeing as how those three were probably the best in dealing with traumatised kids over the age of one thousand.

The ones left still made a sizeable group combined with the Harpers. Harpers were cool! All sharp eyes & auras of authority & self-sufficiency. If she somehow ended up stuck here, she wouldn’t mind being one. Then what Raphael had proposed whispered through her mind before she slammed the door shut on that.

She guessed it was evening when they came across the tiefling massacre. The bodies just lay there, still in various poses of death. There wasn’t a sign of decay on them, yet they’d been there several days.
This was different from the goblin compound. For one, they hadn’t slaughtered these victims; for another, these people had been innocent, merely trying to find a place to rebuild their lives. She could relate to how difficult that could be; but not to the point of being murdered in cold blood for it. She stood staring down at Asharak. Belle hadn’t spoken two words to the tiefling. So why did she feel so bad about seeing him like this?

“Shouldn’t we at least move them out of the way?” she asked the group at large, looking up. They could do that, at least, couldn’t they? The thought of these people just laying here forevermore didn’t sit well with her at all.

Gus looked at her, then nodded, signalling everyone to stack the bodies over by a wall. No-one wanted to set up camp in the clearing, so they moved a good ten minutes on before stopping again to set up for the night.

Belle found she missed Lobo at that point. The kids back at the Inn had fallen in love with him, & Scratch, so both dogs had been left there for the kids to look after. He would have been a good little snuggle-bunny, & she felt like she needed something after seeing those poor people. It haunted her that they were technically NPC’s, & so was she. The question of her own mortality was hitting her hard tonight.

She knew stuff like this happened all the time. Here & back on Earth, & probably everywhere else in the multi-verses. Didn’t make her feel any better. She lay in her tent, again well past everyone else’s falling asleep time, her brain working & toiling away on several different levels.

Nope.

She still wasn’t feeling any better. A tiny thought occurred to her. Dare she….

Poking her head out of her tent, she saw the coast was clear (bar two sentries; Shadowheart & one of the Harpers, the good-looking leader, who seemed to be glancing way too often at the cleric, who was glancing coquettishly back…), so she grabbed up her blanket, wrapped it around herself, & darted over to Astarion’s tent, scratching on the flap.

“C’mon, be home… “ she muttered, hopping from one foot to the other, the surrounding air rapidly cooling her.

Movement inside. She waited while he unfastened the ties, & held the flap open for her. She darted in while he refastened the ties.

“Hello darling” he purred, turning to face her, crawling over to her as she sat herself down cross-legged.

She held open the blanket, inviting him in. He knelt in front of her, & she leant up, wrapping the blanket around them both.

“I think I need a hug” she said quietly into his cold chest as he wrapped his arms around her, pulling them both to the ground. At least he had a bedroll in here now, courtesy of her putting one in here ages ago, making it a soft landing.

“And you thought of me. My lucky day. Or, night.” He murmured, pulling her in snug & scissoring a leg in between hers.

She shivered. In between the night air & his once again cold body, she was now freezing.

“f*ck you’re cold.” Her teeth chattered.

“I’ll be the bigger person and won’t say ‘so are you.’”

“f*ck you.”

“Please do.”

“When did you last feed?”

“Hmmm, offering your pretty neck again? I won’t say no.”

He shuffled down the cocoon they’d made, nudging her head to the side so he could get access to her neck, applying the same principle here as he had previously to her wrist. He placed his lips over her pulse, where she could feel it fluttering against him. His tongue laved at the spot until he was satisfied before sucking at her flesh, alternating between kissing & nipping.

Her shivering was now being caused by hot & cold waves. Belle felt she needed this, needed the comfort, & he obviously needed the blood. They weren’t mutually exclusive, she found.

Her hand came up, seeking out his curls, where she gripped as he bit down, causing her to gasp & arch up into him. The icy feeling in her neck was larger than it had been in her wrist, billowing out quicker. He wasn’t quiet as her blood filled his mouth, an almost sobbing moan gripping him as he swallowed, his arms clutching her & gripping her like he also needed her. Then, he drew a massive draught from her, sending black sparkles to the edges of her vision & the dial on her hearing to turn all the way down.

She came back to herself after a couple of minutes, to find him licking at her neck & shuddering. Her hand was still clutched in his hair. She moved it slightly, trying to unclench her stiff fingers, alerting him that she was still present.

He looked up at her, his mouth smeared with her blood, eyes almost black from what she could see. He ran his tongue across his teeth, then reached up, slipping a hand up behind her head to cradle her skull, & bent her down so he could latch onto her mouth, her blood providing slip as he moved, none to gracefully, across her lips, pressing his tongue into her mouth & swiping it against her lower lip. She could taste the metallic iron, in a much lager quantity than she was used to from sucking on a pricked or cut finger.

Her other hand gripped his head, bringing him closer & sealing their mouths together. She met his tongue with her own, both of them vying for dominance. His leg pushed her legs apart & he slotted himself in between them, one hand grabbing her arse while he pushed his hips right in against her core. Oh, f*ck, he was hard, eliciting a moan from her, causing him to nip her lower lip.

He rocked hard into her, making her feel so warm now, the horrible feelings from earlier burning up in the heat. She wanted to feel him under her hands.

Belle began to tug at his shirt, & he obliged her, using both his hands to drag it up & over his head, tossing it to the side. She got to run her hands over his abs & his chest, marvelling in the smooth hardness & texture of his skin.

Astarion began undoing the laces to his pants. She startled, realising this was going ahead, & that she wasn’t just observing this, & that she’d better catch up. Tearing her own shirt off & tossing it away, she hiked her hips & shimmied out of her own pants, kicking them over to god knows where, just as he finished with his own. She looked up to see him staring down at her body.

“What?” she asked, uncertainly, suddenly wanting to cover back up again. Belle wasn’t young anymore, & certainly wasn’t as self-conscious about her body as she’d once been, having gotten to the stage where she just didn’t give a sh*t anymore what anyone might think of it; but they way he was looking at her; she hadn’t been looked at like that … ever.

He looked back up at her.

“You … you’re beautiful …” he sounded … stunned? Had he thought her ugly before? She was about to open her mouth to say something, only he beat her to it by lowering himself on her, forcing her back down as he started kissing her again, pressing his co*ck firmly against her core & rolling his hips against her.

It was hard to remember to be mindful of his back; all she wanted to do was claw at it. She had to settle for resting one hand on his shoulder, the other grabbing that wonderful arse of his & squeezing it.
Astarion leant away from her just enough so he could insert a hand between them, his finger finding her folds, already soaking wet, & swiping up gently, making her clench her thighs around his hips & releasing another moan from low in her throat.

“You’re already soaked.” He purred into her ear, holding her folds apart with two fingers while the third continued stroking her up & down.

“Haven’t been laid in ages” she reminded him.

“I’m not complaining; in fact, …”

He stopped his ministrations, lifting his hand & popping those wet fingers in his mouth, eyes closing as he sucked on them, moaning just as much as if it were blood, & not her juices, he was tasting.

Her jaw dropped open. f*cking hell, he was … really enjoying that!

He withdrew his fingers, opening his eyes to look at her heavily.

“Delicious.”

Eep.

He swiftly leant down, kissing her again before she could register it, & she could taste herself on his tongue. But that was overshadowed as he lined himself up at her entrance, & started to rock his way in, all the while starting to circle her cl*t with a fingertip.

Her head lolled back & he left her mouth, trailing his lips back down to where he’d bitten her, laving again at the blood that must be still oozing from the bite wounds.

f*ck, he felt good! His co*ck worked its way in on every rock of his hips, feeling like it was stretching her in a way she needed.

He paused when he was fully sheathed.

“…so tight….” She heard him mutter. She consciously clenched down on him, making both of them groan at the feeling.

“Ready, darling?” he murmured.

She nodded against his neck, kissing him & giving him his own nip from her teeth.

He set the pace, going slow to begin with, steady, controlled.

“You feel so good” she whispered, having turned her head into his bicep now, liquid fire pooling in her lower abdomen already.

He made a low sound in response, so she clenched down hard on him again, making him groan.

“How … are you doing that?” he lost his pace momentarily.

… had he never … nooooo, surely not ….

“This?” she did it again, & he stuttered in his rhythm.

“…that…” he agreed.

“Tell you later.”

He nipped her lobe in response, so she pinched his arse.

“Cheeky pup.”

She went to respond, but he silenced her when his hand once more slid between them, finding her cl*t & sliding around it, making her moan into his arm instead.

The heat built up rapidly, & she could feel herself coiling like a spring.

Astarion had no more comments to make now; he must have felt her tightening around him, because he started thrusting into her harder; drawing nearly all the way out & gliding in again smoothly. She was that wet they began making lewd slapping sounds.

“Oh my god … “she whimpered, getting closer.

“Say my name…” his voice had gone gravelly.

“….Astarion…please… I’m gonna …”

“Again, darling.”

“Astarion, oh, my god … “

She gasped, whimpering loudly, incoherently, her body arching up into his as she clenched around him, squeezing down in pleasure, Astarion rocking frantically into her now, heightening the sensation & making it last longer than any she’d had previously.

Belle felt him lose his rhythm, felt as his co*ck spasmed; heard him as he said her name at the height of his release. He collapsed on top of her, burying his head in her neck, right against where he’d bitten her.

Her pounding heartbeat slowly calmed down, the sweat starting to cool slightly in the night air, despite being in a tent. She felt calm in a way she hadn’t since … forever, really.

But she really wanted to get that blanket now & throw it over them. She stretched out her leg, trying to snag it on her foot to haul it up.

“What are you doing?” he enquired without moving.

“I’m still cold.”

He rolled to the side, & she felt him leave her, which was sad, really, because she wouldn’t have minded leaving him in there until morning.

“After that?” he propped himself up on his elbow.

“I gave blood just before it, remember?”

“Oh, yes, I do seem to recall that.”

He reached down, easily grabbing the blanket that she’d still been trying to kick up toward them.

“Staying the night, darling?” he offered, opening the blanket so she could crawl in underneath it with him.

“Yes.” She wriggled in beside him.

“What will the others’ think?” He said it in a bitchy manner, but his tone said something else.

He enclosed them within the blanket.

“Who gives a sh*t what they think?”

He paused, thought something over, then ‘hmpfd’ again.

“I don’t care, either.”

She looked at him, & it occurred to her, it had indeed been on his mind what they might think. As to whether he cared what they thought of him sleeping with her; or her sleeping with him, she wasn’t sure, but she had a pretty good idea which one it had been.

Chapter 55: Post-Nut Sadness

Chapter Text

Belle’s lids fluttered at the sound of her dad, calling her name. She groggily went to answer, only a cool hand clapped over her mouth, making her give a strangled ‘mwph’ reply, instead.

Her eyes flew open, a naked Astarion leaning over her, head turned towards his tent flap, concentrating on what was going on outside. He side-eyed her. Shook his head at her once to indicate caution. Because her dad was looking for her. And she was starkers in the vampire’s tent. With a great big bite mark on her neck.

She couldn’t help it. She grinned behind his hand. She hadn’t had a thrill like this since she’d last snuck into the house after staying out all night long with a boy, back when she was a teenager.

Gus called out to her again.

“sh*t” Astarion whispered, becoming concerned.

Belle wanted to roll around on the floor, cackling.

“She went out a little while ago. Something about needing the ‘sh*tter’.” They both heard Shadowheart answer him coolly, her voice drawing closer. “If you’re worried, she went that way.”

“How long ago?” Gus answered, concerned.

“Oh, a good fifteen minutes. Best go check on her.”

“Right. Think I will. There’re things out there other than shadow beasts.”

Astarion co*cked his head, listening to the retreating Gus. Withdrew his hand. co*cked an eyebrow as he saw her grin emerge from behind it.

“That was funny?” he said, incredulously.

“f*cking hilarious.” She rolled away, wincing at the cold air rushing in to bite her skin, found her shirt & pants, yanked them back in the right way around, stuffed herself into them & turned back around to crawl back over to Astarion, who was still draped in the blanket. Now that she’d had him, she wouldn’t mind having him again, looking at those exposed shoulders of his.

“You ok?” she asked him, leaning across to plant a kiss on his cheek. Dude was still cold. The Shadowlands were sparse as far as getting him fed were concerned.

“Oh, just fine. I’ll be on the lookout all day for the stake through my heart, is all. But other than that, dandy!”

She snorted.

“You wanted this. Plus, isn’t getting caught exciting? Fun? All those things you usually crap on about missing out on?”

“I think your definition of fun & mine might be just a smidge different.”

Belle leant away from him, saw that he was actually worried, then back in again, smoothing the lines between his eyebrows with another kiss.

“It’ll be fine. If he finds out, I’ll deal with him. If he says anything to you, tell me. Ok?”

“Hmmm.”

Turned out Astarion was a worrywart.

She left him there, undoing the ties to the tent flap, lunging out into the gloom outside. Quickly standing, she winced at the wetness between her legs as everything now headed south & trickled out her vag. She needed to clean up, stat.

A tiny part of her didn’t want to, however, gleefully wanting to hold onto that part of him still inside her. It went cartwheeling through her head, yelling ‘whoop! whoop! we got some Astarion ji*zz’!

“Better hurry” Shadowheart commented, tongue in cheek, nodding toward where she’d sent Gus off on his wild goose chase.

“Decent. Owe you one” she went to fist pump the cleric, who looked at her stupidly, gave it up as a bad job & dived back into her tent.

Shucking off her pants, she grabbed a rag & cleaned herself up as best she could without access to water. Considered, then stuffed another rag down there just in case it had been a big load he’d left in her. Her eye fell on the rag with his spend on it. Curiosity made her pick it up & lift it up to her nose.

She remembered what normal cum smelled like, something like ammonia or bleach, in her experience. What in the f*ck did undead high elf smell like? ….huh. Almost sweet, with dead grandma’s wardrobe undertones. There you go.

She dropped the rag guiltily when she heard Gus returning to camp, Shadowheart once again having her back & telling him she’d just returned while he’d been gone. Belle did a complete one eighty on the spot, adopting the cleric as her ride or die. She would, of course, still be happy to push her off the edge of the rock in the Shadowfell if the goth chose poorly.

The group didn’t linger, having rations on the road for brekkie as the Harpers were keen to get this assignment completed. Belle did not stare holes into the back of Astarion’s head, nor did she wonder what in the f*ck was going on in there right now. He’d been quiet all morning, even avoiding her completely. If he wanted to wallow in post-nut sadness, far be it from her to stop him. Didn’t help she knew exactly what was going on upstairs, though.

“So. How was it?” Shadowheart came up from behind her, speaking softly.

“Ixnay on the exsay.”

“Did you just try to curse me?”

“How was the Harper? What’s his face?” she deflected, nodding at the one leading them.

“That’s Elindale” the small smile of satisfaction was unmistakeable. “And … not bad. Not bad at all.”

Shadowheart peered ahead at Astarion, who, even though he looked like he was on the lookout around them for enemies, was clearly off in lala land somewhere. She opened her mouth again but closed it at Belle’s shake of the head & pointing to her ears. The cleric frowned, concerned & nodded.

“Later, then.” And she fell back to her appointed spot in the group.

Belle fell back into her study of the back of Astarion’s head. He’d come back around. Hopefully.

The Harpers lead them along the pathway of least resistance i.e. the one containing no other creatures they had to encounter.

It was eerie, because no-one was really talking, the oppressiveness quelling anything resembling conversation. She didn’t even feel like singing to break the bleak reverie. This place … abhorred … anything positive. Belle guessed Shar & her probably wouldn’t get along.

They got to eat another lot of rations, then paused as Shadowhearts' fling drew them all together, quickly going through once more what they expected to come across, & everyone’s positions.

Belle was, of course, once again, expected to stay right out of harms’ way. Gus’ reasoning was that she was still injured, & these enemies couldn’t be taken down by a casual stroll. She got to park her arse inside the abandoned shed as she watched everyone silently scatter, taking up their positions.

f*ck this, she wanted to see the Dryder. With everyone else concentrating on the approaching enemy, she poked her tongue out the side of her lip & started inching her way over to the big doors they’d entered by, determined to see it.

Peering cautiously around the doorjamb, she cold see the cold light of the moon lantern approaching, swinging & swaying. f*ck she wished she had her mobile right now so she video this.

She couldn’t even remember how many others were in the enemy party. All she could focus on was the spider creature. He was f*cking huuuge! As she could make out more & more features, she gagged, her fear of spiders making her insides clench, & not in a pleasant way like the night before.

Australia had some weird & whacky spiders, but this thing reminded her of a giant spider crab. Just, eugh, no! Her revulsion caused her to creep back inside, really let down that her gut instincts had told her that that thing was dangerous.

Gus didn’t go out & engage them in conversation. This was a stealth mission. Everyone waited for the signal, given at last, to begin firing on the enemy. Nah, she still wanted to see what was going on.

Limping quickly up to the other set of doors, she peered around it, watching as arrows went flying into the middle of the goblin group, spells lit up the gloom & the Dryder was roaring incoherently at them all. If she had a gun, she’d put the poor bastard out of his misery with a bullet to the brain.

Then things got slaughtery as the Dryder refused to go down.

Brian came charging into the fray, spells forgotten, frothing at the mouth. Oh sh*t, full on mad durge! She winced as he body slammed the Dryder, ignoring the beast slashing at him, as he then tore with his bare hands into the body of spider-drow, intestines going flying along with more blood & gore than she’d ever seen. He then shoved his head into the cavity, & began noshing on the dying Dryder.
Ok. Yep. She’d had her fill.

Chapter 56: Lost Magic

Chapter Text

Belle hung back, trying to ignore the mess in the middle of the road that still had giant spider legs poking up out of it, twitching still occasionally. She also tried to ignore Brian, on the other side of the group, still trying to wipe the insides of the Dryder out of the crevices in his scales, now that he’d come back to himself again.

She suddenly added Bhaal to her hitlist. God of Murder notwithstanding, one didn’t have to be a complete psychopathic arsehole to commit it. What he’d done to his own children was an abomination that shouldn’t go unpunished. She found she missed the Brian that had first joined them, before the urges started taking him over.

The Harpers took their leave, having completed their assignment, Elindale whispering something to Shadowheart before he left, the cleric giving him a small smile as she waggled her fingers after him as he left.

Gale picked up the lantern with a mage’s hand, the first one she’d seen. Didn’t want gore all over his own hands, she was guessing, as the lantern was currently lying in Brians’ leftover dinner.

“Is someone there? Oh, please, oh my, release me from this lantern, lest I die.”

Gale looked over to Gus, who nodded at him to keep the pixie talking until they could get the exchange for freedom from her.

“A wizard. From Waterdeep. You want to be set free, is that right?”

“A wizard? Golly gosh, would you ever be so kind, before I go ahead & lose my mind?”

“I can. But that would leave us in a spot of bother. We need protection from the deeper shadows in this cursed land. Could you perhaps aid us if we do release you?”

No doubt about it, Gale was a born diplomat.

“Oh, absolutely, you aid me, I aid you.”

Gale hooked an eyebrow at Gus, who looked to Belle, who nodded back at Gus, who then tilted a chin at Gale.

Wincing in anticipation of them losing their only means of reaching Moonrise Towers, Gale unhooked the latch on the lantern, & the little pixie burst out of it before he could even undo the door for her.

“At f*cking last! Do you pricks have any idea how f*cking long I’ve been locked up in there?”

“Huh. She’s speaking your language.” Astarion spoke up at last, having come back from his own side-show of horrors in his head, addressing her. Also, because he looked delighted to see a pixie. Maybe if she offered him a red balloon & a lolli-pop made from blood, she’d get the same reaction.

“Are pixies meant to be that … colourful?” Gale noted dubiously.

“You try keeping company with a f*cking psycho spider-drow & your own farts for company, then talk to me, wizard!” the pixie pointed a finger at him, hand on hip.

“Oi, Tinkerbelle, give us the bell & you can toddle on off back to Neverland.” Belle called out.

“Neverland’s a myth, motherf*cker. Here’s your bell.” She tossed it at Gale, flipped them all off & disappeared.

“That was … interesting…” Gale looked down at the bell, giving it a jingle.

Poor Gale. All the man wanted was some quiet sophistication with some other intellectuals. She imagined he was starving on the ground among them.

They wandered back inside the shed, intending on staying there until Wyll & Karlach caught them up from their mission with Halsin. They all found areas to set up their bedrolls, Belle up in the little loft that had contained some crates, barrels & chests, pushing them with a crash to the ground.

Gus’s shoulders hunched every time she tossed another one over the side.

“Do you have to?” he snapped at her.

“What? There’re no beasties near here now.” She nudged a barrel over the edge with her toe, looking at him, unblinking, as she did so. She loved him & was over the moon about him being restored to her; but having lived with him again for nigh on three weeks now was wearing thin. There’s a reason why kids flew the coup as they grew older, she surmised; it was to prevent patricide.

She jumped down to help Gale make toasties that night. You couldn’t tell the bread was stale when you toasted it. And she could stomach the dried salami in this form, with melted cheese all over it.

“How you goin’, anyway?” she asked him as they worked next to each other.

“Oh, just fine. Once we reach Moonrise I can detonate & finish all this business.”

“I’m gonna bypass goddess orders here & tell you not to. It does absolutely nothing except kill us all.”

He took a full minute before he could bring himself to look at her.

“Is that a thing you know for sure?”

She nodded, taking a nibble from the corner of the toastie as the melted cheese cooled.

Belle hadn’t noticed how grey Gale had looked to her lately until he suddenly had colour suffuse his cheeks again.

“That’s … good news. For me. I suppose.” He swallowed & closed his eyes. “Do you suppose you can further bypass those orders & let me know if I need to … blow up the Absolute at all?”

She paused, eyes darting around the room, looking for Withers. Nothing. Interesting.

“There’s one pathway I know of that you do, but that’s not until after we reach the Gate. In every other pathway, & there’s a lot of them, you don’t.”

She saw him calculating the odds. Then bright relief washed over him, his shoulders visibly relaxing. Poor bloke really had been stressed out. She suddenly envisioned a chain of day spas for stressed out heroes & adventurers who always found themselves in these apocalyptic situations & in need of a little r&r. They could pay her in the valuable loot they always invariably came across.

Brian was, that night, after dinner, fed a huge amount of drugs, combined with the sleep spell, hold person spell, hold beast spell & hold anything that f*cking moved, just in case spell. The others were gonna take turns, every couple of hours on rotation, keeping an eye on him.

Belle lay down after that, staring at the ceiling, Gus on first rotation. She started humming, got told to be quiet after a few minutes, hummed louder, but gave it up as a bad job when her brain wanted to think about something else.

The deal Raph had wanted her to consider.

It meant staying in the Realms; in the hells, specifically, which she didn't like. But she got holidays to visit Earth whenever she wanted, which she did like. But it also meant she had to do as she was told, which she didn't like. But she got to live forever, which she did like. But it meant eventually reshaping Toril, which she didn’t like (only because it wouldn’t be on her terms.)

But Raph, bless his little cotton socks, had made a mistake in thinking that Belle was just some stupid Earthling. When he’d enlightened her on where the power had been stolen from to power the Karsite Weave in the first place (& hence the crown), she’d found he didn’t know that the weave itself was still in existence, currently sitting in her good friend Gales’ chest, happily munching its way through Mystra’s weave right now.

The Karsite Weave was incompatible with & unable to be controlled by those of the Realms simply because it wasn’t of their world; their sphere.

But she could. Because churning away in Gale’s body was Earth’s stolen magic.

Chapter 57: A God Says What?

Chapter Text

She rolled over, looking down on Gale from her vantage point. He was asleep already, hand behind his head. The shed was in gloom, just a couple of candles burning here & there so as not to draw any unnecessary attention to them in the darkness.

Two hours rolled around quick, & it was Shadowhearts' turn keeping watch. The cleric turned her head up towards the loft where Belle was, must have seen her awake, & tipped her chin at her before starting her quiet patrol.

Within minutes, Gus had fallen asleep, his breathing deepening & soft snores issuing from him, in counter point with Gales. Lae’zel was also asleep; she’d perfected the art of going to sleep on command, setting herself a time to wake up & doing so. Bottle that & give it to people with ADHD & you’d be a f*cking millionaire.

Astarion was laying on his back, reading another book. He had to be stealing them from Gale. They weren’t coming across that many in their travels. The pile he had going on in his tent now was ridiculous.

Then she wondered if this simple activity was something else denied to him for two hundred years. Even if one had gotten to be a magistrate through nefarious means, one still had to have half a brain. She thought he might be rediscovering his.

“Whatcha’ readin’?” she said under her breath so that not even Shadowheart with her enhanced hearing could discern it.

His eyebrow twitched, &, without looking at her, mouthed something back. f*cking smartarse knew she couldn’t hear him. Fine. She huffed, rolled over to her other side & left him to his reading. f*ck he’d look good with a pair of reading glasses though, even if he didn’t need them.

Belle got another sleep in the next morning. They were still waiting on the other two, & she doubted Astarion would come near her & wake her in the method he had the other morning with Gus right there. Sometimes she really wished for some privacy. But waking naturally was a nice change, too.

Brian was all groggy, the drugs still running through his system. Making a mental note to find out from Wyll what they might have been (research), she grabbed an apple & munched on it while wandering around, mainly from boredom & to keep her thigh muscle from getting too stiff while it was still healing.

“Belle, Lae’zel’s insisting we need to go to this creche” Gus wandered up to her, an irate looking gith beside him.

Technically, they didn’t have to. She watched the gith closely as she stated her case as to how it was imperative they go there to be cleansed.

Belle held up a hand, &, to her everlasting surprise, Lae’zel shut her mouth.

“We can go. There’s an awesome weapon we could use before venturing further, below the creche. However, I want you to know that your zaith’isk doesn’t work; but there is something else there that would benefit you.” Eventually. And after much suffering. f*ck she’d spent too much time in the company of Wither’s.

Lae’zels eyes widened a fraction.

“Is it broken?”

Uh …

“No. They’re not designed to work in the way you’ve been told.”

“But that makes no sense. My studies - “

“You’ll find out once we get there. You’re not ready to hear the truth yet…. excuse me” she wandered off to the door jamb, grabbed it with both hands, & started banging her head against it.

Gus grabbed her, swinging her away from the door & demanding to know what was wrong with her.

“I can’t do this; I can’t keep things from people at the best of times; but they aren’t ready to hear it.” She whispered harshly, not knowing if she wanted to laugh or cry.

He sat her down, poured her a cup of tea with a little somethin’ somethin’ in it & forced it into her hands. With the lack of therapy available here, drug use was right up there as an acceptable method of calming a histrionic woman.

She downed it just as he’d told her to sip it. Oh, well, just meant they’d work faster, didn’t it?

Gus kept an eye on her until he was sure she wouldn’t go & hammer any more jambs with her head.

“Alright?” he asked her as he saw her lids getting heavy.

“Uh-huh.”

“Sometimes, I wish you weren’t here. In this situation, I mean. You’ve done so well, Belle, landing here, adapting, bugs in the head & everything else. I’m surprised.” He laughed. “You couldn’t hold down a job for longer than six months before something would happen to upset you & you’d quit. You couldn’t even finish your schoolwork on time – “

“Is this meant to be making me feel better?”

“…what I’m trying to say is, I don’t think there’s many that would handle this situation as well as you have. Don’t beat yourself up over something that’s out of your control.” He patted her on the shoulder before leaving her to stare at the fire.

“Being a god doesn’t mean one has the power to do as one wishes. Godhood means serving those who worship them, & serving the purpose for which they were meant. It is a heavy burden of responsibility.” Withers sat opposite her, sporting sunnies & tipping her a tequila sunrise in a pair of boardshorts. Where was her tequila sunrise? Or strawberry daiquiri?

“Why pass it to those who think to gain more power, then?”

“Because most gods are still learning; & still making mistakes. We, too, are constantly evolving.”

“So, you’re not like the god back on Earth, who’s omnimon…. omnsis…. sh*t, you know what I mean.”

“The majority of thine modern gods are simply stories, woven together from bits & pieces of thine old gods. Built on old foundations. They simply don’t exist.”

“Don’t let the religions on Earth hear you say that.”

“People need their belief systems. Without them, they feel disconnected, lost. But Earth, modern Earth, is suffering a spiritual malaise, despite its widespread religions. Is it not?”

It was missing something, alright. Whether that be magic, or gods, she had no idea.

Normally she’d be right in for a conversation like this, but, once again, she didn’t like the implications as to why she was getting the special treatment from Withers. At least, she thought he was there. The bathing gear suggested otherwise, but who the f*ck knew in this place?

“Ok, Belle has to go noddy nod now. Bugger off.” And she slumped sideways, so relaxed she could feel the drool tickle the side of her chin as it left her mouth.

Chapter 58: A Modern Treatise on Baldurian Law; Tenth Edition

Chapter Text

“What’s wrong with her?” the loud voice of Karlach came booming & reverberating into her head.

Belle blinked, realising she’d been staring at the fire for a long, long time, lying there in a stupor. Pushing herself up, she wiped the drool off her chin & neck, & saw she’d been lying in a pool of it. Just great. Nice of people to not even put a rag there to catch it for her. Thoughtful bunch of arseholes.

Getting unsteadily to her feet, she tottered around, & Karlach was already bending down in front of her, hand on her shoulder, frowning at her in concern.

“Doesn’t look like she’s gone batsh*t crazy to me. Just looks tired” she called back over her shoulder to Shadowheart, who’d given the lowdown to big red. She turned back to Belle.

“Adventuring’s hard on a first timer, especially someone who’s from somewhere that doesn’t have adventuring. If you need to take it easier, you have to say something.” She made sure Belle nodded before giving her a hug. A Karlach hug was the nicest, all warm … & hot … hot!

“Ow, f*ck!” she jumped away, her hand going ruddy.

“Oh, sh*t, sorry, bloody things starting to play up every now & then.” She tapped her shoulder on one of the outlets, where it hissed as a valve released, spewing blue fire into the air before dying down.

“’S ok. Needed the wake-up call anyway.”

“Change of plans, people.” Gus called out.

Several of them whined, most notably Astarion.

“Ughhhh! We’re almost there; why now?”

“There’s a weapon we need to get; & we need to stop by the creche.”

“Seriously? We’re going to head into a nest of githyanki? Doesn’t seem like the smartest choice,” Shadowheart sneered.

“Weapon? What sort of weapon?” Astarion sounded suddenly interested.

“It’s the Blood of Lathander. A mace.” Belle slurred, still quite a way out of it. Note to self: always slug back whatever Gus handed her. It was good sh*t.

“That’s a legend. It doesn’t really exist … does it?” Gale asked, sounding at first lecturing, then dying into unsure, considering where the information was coming from.

“I can’t wield a mace. They’re so ... uncivilised…“ Astarion sneered, looking down his nose at Shadowheart, who suddenly flipped him the bird, because Belle was too much of a bad influence. On a near Sharran.

“You couldn’t anyway; it’s for taking out the undead. We’re gonna need it. Soonish.”

Astarion suddenly looked like he wanted to leave the party.

“Not on you! Kethric’s got necromancers’ working for him. Raising an army.” She considered for a second. “Come’s in handy when taking out master Vamps, too.”

He relaxed into a dark, feral looking smirk.

“How much out of our way is it?” Brian startled them all by asking a question. He'd been quiet for days.

“A few days there. Do what we have to do. A few days back.” Gus waved his hand, none too sure on just how long it would take them. “Shorter than a tenday, I should think.”

“Can we split up at all? Some go there via waypoint while the others do what they can here?”

Gus looked at Belle under his eyebrows, asking the question.

“Possibly?” she frowned, wondering if that would work. It’d cut their time, but she didn’t like the idea of splitting their forces, just in case something went to sh*t, which it was likely to do, especially if Tav, Durge or herself weren’t present to take charge. “Actually, probably not. Too risky.”

“Sticking together, then,” Gus decided. “We’ll stay here tonight, then get going in the morning.”

Yay. More hiking … she’d welcome stupid horses at this point if she couldn’t have a car.

Grabbing up a small orange, Belle went off to wander around the shed, trying to work the drugs through her system so she’d be right for the morning. Going outside, she went around the back of the shed, mainly to avoid the mess they’d just left there on the road going by the front.

Coming across a ladder, she stopped, eyed how far up it went. Yeah, she could climb that. It wasn’t so high it was setting off her fear. Up she went, slipping & nearly falling several times, swearing at her own stupidity, but finally clambering, none to gracefully, up onto the roof. The view was spectacular, if one were into morbid sceneries.

Still, she got some time to herself, so she picked her way across the surface, hands held out for balance. Getting to the highest point, she sat, facing toward Reithwin. Blacks & greens swirled densely against each other, clearly delineating the barrier separating it from the rest of the land.

“You wouldn’t have been interested.” A quiet voice spoke up behind her about fifteen minutes later. She would’ve jumped had she still not been all cruisy right then. She wondered if it were all undead she couldn’t feel creeping up on her, or just vampires; or just him.

“In what?” she asked, still staring out at the swirling boundary. Something about it reminded her of Middle Earth, but she couldn’t place her finger on it.

“This” he sat down beside her, handing her the book he’d been reading the night before. She took it, looking at the cover.

“A modern treatise on Baldurian Law; tenth edition. Wanting to get back into it, are you?” she asked him, flipping through the book. He was right. She didn’t understand a thing she saw in it; same as when she’d jumped on a government website trying to look up tax law. Dry & complicated & boring.

“I haven’t been allowed to keep up on it. Until now. I assumed you might have thought I was reading something more … salacious.”

“Why would you assume that?” she genuinely wanted to hear the answer from him personally, knowing that there were for sure others back home who would’ve thought that. How disappointed they’d be to find he actually had a boring side to him, just like everyone else in the known universe did.

“Why? Because … “ he frowned, struggling for the words. “ … I think ... it’s what you might think of me. From … how I’ve … presented myself … to you.”

“Are you saying you’re worried I might think that there’s nothing more to you than sex?” she’d learned how to clarify & rephrase back to clients about their complaints years ago. Same philosophy applied here.

He paused, looking inward, searching for if that’s what he meant.

“I think so. Yes.”

“Definitely not” she answered, straight away, with conviction.

He looked at her eyes then, searching for the truth, or the hidden lie.

“…really…?”

“Really really.”

That earned her a soft noise from him, something like a surprised & amused little ‘hmpf’. And she suddenly realised why she’d been getting so many ‘hmpfs’ lately; Astarion was starting to question himself, who he was, what had been done to him, & her responses kept throwing him. She was relieved; a part of her had started to believe he was annoyed with her.

His hand reached up, cupping her jaw & he leant in, pausing shy of her face, eyes still trained on hers. He wasn’t giving her bedroom eyes. In fact, nothing about him right now suggested he was being seductive.

Belle leant forward, closing the gap, pressing her lips to his, moulding to them. He sighed, shifted across so he was right next to her & very thoroughly gave her the most gentle kiss she could ever remember receiving.

Chapter 59: Shark Week

Chapter Text

He snuck up beside her in the loft that night, after Gus’ shift was over & he’d fallen asleep. Shadowheart very resolutely turned her back when she saw him scale the ladder & headed just outside the door, where she could still keep an eye on everything else but spare her poor ears if necessary.

Astarion didn’t say a word, just knelt above her, peeled his shirt off, peeled the blanket off her, commanded her to peel her shirt off with a crooked finger, then leant his freezing self down over her, his mouth much more insistent than earlier on hers.

He slotted his leg in between hers, hooking it back so he could roll his hips into her, pressing his hard co*ck against her. It was like being with a teenager; she didn’t have to touch him before he felt ready. Not that she let that stop her from touching him as she ran her hands over his shoulders, chest & abs.

This was going to be interesting. Belle wasn’t someone to normally keep her voice down during sex. For her, the louder, the better. Hearing herself lose control was hot. In this situation, however, with everyone else just right there …

The low moan escaped her as he pushed against her again.

“Shhh, darling. Or I might have to gag you,” he whispered in her ear before nipping her lobe.

She responded by running her fingertip up from his earlobe to its pointy tip, causing him to gasp & shudder into her … so it was an erogenous zone!

“How would you know that?” He whispered, leaving her ear to start in on her neck, nipping & licking, making her shiver.

“I guessed.”

He didn’t answer, but suddenly grabbed both her hands, pinning them above her head in one hand as his other went between them, undoing the ties on her pants. She turned back to look at him, & the dark, intense red of his eyes she could make out in the gloom sent lava throughout her core.

How he undid them without looking at them, & so quickly, really were a testament to how nimble his fingers really were. Then he was digging at the waist band, & she realised he wanted her pants down. Obliging, she lifted her butt up off the bedroll, & he quickly worked them down enough so that she could then lever them off with her feet.

They looked at each other momentarily, realising he’d have to let go of her hands to get his own off.

“Don’t move…” he told her, letting her go so he could free himself.

She kinda did, though, using the little time afforded her to work feeling back into her shoulders. f*ck getting past thirty, all your joints started seizing at the most inappropriate times. Replacing them quickly in the same position when he was free, she gave him a ‘what?’ look at his raised eyebrow.

Lowering himself back down, he trapped her wrists once more, started in on her mouth again, more slowly this time but quickly getting more intense, & she could feel the impression of his teeth through their lips.

He moved, crouching low between her legs, & used his free hand to grab her arse, pulling it up toward him so that she had to hook both legs around his hips & grip hard as his hand left her butt & went between her legs, a finger sliding between her already slicked folds, using the moisture to come up & circle around her cl*t, before diving back down again.

“Are you always this eager?” he whispered thickly.

“You have that effect,” she told him, which earnt her a wicked grin, before he once again tasted her on his fingers. Jee-sus, she couldn’t believe he really liked that! But he closed his eyes, & actually f*cking shuddered as he sucked. His eyes flew open.

“You taste different,” his eyes started getting darker, the red being over taken by the black of his pupils.

A million reasons as to why that was shot through her head, the first being the mushies in her system still. But that didn’t explain that look in his eyes…

Letting her wrists go, he swiftly moved away from between her legs, repositioning himself so his head was between them instead. Oh, my f*cking god, he was…

Astarion leant down, running a flat tongue all the way from her entrance up to her cl*t, making her arch her back & have to gag herself on her arm to keep her from gasping loudly. She felt him shake between her thighs, before he did it again.

And then concentrated on curling his tongue in as far as he could reach, over & over, f*cking her with it as he reached a finger over, circling & pressing her cl*t in rhythm with his thrusts.

A series of muffled sounds choked their way up her throat, her hips now rising involuntarily up & her other hand reaching down to grab his head, drawing him in closer.

Not that she needed to. He was pressed so hard against her she could feel his teeth, the bones in his cheeks & his chin. She heard him swallow … & then moan .. & do it again.

Her head fell back, her other hand reaching down now to grip his hair, her rhythm building rapidly toward release. Belle squeezed her eyes shut, breathy, incoherent pleas falling from her lips. Her hips bucked suddenly, as her c*nt clamped down, sending hard spasms of pleasure throughout her centre.

Astarion didn’t stop, kept his pace up throughout it all. Rode out her waves of pleasure, still curling his tongue inside of her. He only stopped once she had relaxed, a heavily panting puddle of pleasure, before winding his way back up her body & she saw why it was she’d tasted differently to him.

His lower face was covered with smears of blood. She’d started her periods.

Chapter 60: Girl Chat

Chapter Text

Astarion moved quick, when he wanted to. Belle wasn’t quite ready to share kisses again after where he’d just been, so he shimmied down the ladder after retrieving his pants, grabbed a handful of rags, soaked half of them down with water outside, (opposite to where Shadowheart had completely disappeared out the door somewhere), & hurried back, literally spider climbing the ladder. It reminded her of when he’d been drunk, down in the Underdark, going all Regan McNeil on her. He did all that, without making a sound.

She gratefully accepted the wet rags, covered herself over with the blanket (no f*cking way, did he just look disappointed?) & cleaned herself off as best she could. Really, how thoughtful had that been, though? Belle stuffed the rags into a corner of the loft, not knowing what else to do with them. She wasn’t about to piff them over the side for someone else to discover in the morning, just laying there on the floor.

Grabbing a dry rag, she jammed it between her legs, stuffed herself back into her pants (& shirt, just in case … why couldn’t girls go round shirtless like guys?) then looked back up at Astarion, who, for some reason, had watched her intently through her clean up.

“There’s still several hours before what passes for dawn here” he whispered, so low it didn’t carry beyond the loft.

She looked at him, blankly.

“Gods, you’re so … would you like me to stay? For a while, anyway.”

Ohhhh. Well, now that he mentioned it ….

She opened back up the blanket for him, & he lay down beside her while she threw it back over them. He took full advantage of her arm thrown over him, moving in so there wasn’t any room between them, resting his head against her chest & his hand on her ribs.

“I think I’m beginning to like this” she heard him murmur quietly into the top of her boobs.

“The body heat?” she whispered, cluelessly, laying her head down.

“… the closeness. Afterwards. And the body heat.”

Astarion liked cuddles. She knew he would. Which was f*cking fantastic, as far as she was concerned, because she’d missed them terribly herself in the last two decades of her own life. It felt like being able to breathe again.

Belle wasn’t aware when he left her a couple of hours later, having fallen asleep. It wasn’t him that woke her before heading off, though; it was the low cramps growing in intensity in her lower abdomen.

Fuuuuck she hated getting her periods. They were always heavy, always painful & lasted way too long. All the methods available to help ease the symptoms had just made her sick. The doctors wouldn’t take her seriously after requesting partial hysterectomies, because she hadn’t had children & was still considered fertile, dictating to her that she might one day change her mind about having children. At forty, she didn’t f*cking think so.

In a way, she was glad she hadn’t had children. Brining them into a dysfunctional family unit wouldn’t have been fair on them. But the lack of them certainly wasn’t her fault; you actually needed sex to procreate, &, as far as she was aware, the only form of immaculate conception available was in a test tube, a procedure that had been way out of their combined price range when they’d checked it out. Or, rather, when she’d checked it out. She briefly hoped her ex was suffering a UTI right then, or haemorrhoids. There were more unpleasant ways to make someone suffer than outright torture.

She groaned as she sat up, saw the rags stuffed in the corner, remembered just what she’d got up to last night, snorted, then groaned again as her uterus clamped down. This was not going to be a fun next few days.

Belle refused brekkie, just taking a hot tea instead, trying to keep upright while everyone got ready. It’d be better if she could be at home, in bed, curled up with a hot-water bottle, savoury snacks & binge watching the Alien series. Maybe she could go curl herself around Karlach, like a cat, of a night-time instead while on the rags.

They set out, Belle already falling further & further behind as the heaviness in her lower abdomen grew, sending out aching tendrils into her upper inner thighs. After a couple of hours, she had to duck off the path, change out the sodden rag, toss it away & then catch up again.

What she wouldn’t give for just a couple of Panadol or Neurofen instead of Gus’s homebrew medicines, fun as they were.

“Are you alright?”

She looked up from where she’d been concentrating on the path ahead of her. Shadowheart had dropped back, by the looks of it, having been informed by Gale, who kept looking over his shoulder at her, concerned.

“f*cking periods.”

She raised an eyebrow, dropping in beside her.

“Pity you can’t receive healing. Lesser restoration works on the cramps.”

“News I didn’t need to hear. How do you deal with it?”

“I don’t.”

“What?”

“I’m a half-elf. We’re usually infertile. I certainly am.”

Oh, sh*t, she hadn’t known that!

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know…”

Shadowheart snorted.

“Thank-you, but don’t be. I’m not. I couldn’t think of anything worse than brining children into a world only to suffer needlessly.” She automatically looked down at her hand, the one that contained the curse, looking like she was waiting for something that never came….

No. f*cking. Way ….. she could block Shar’s curse on Shadowheart? Now that was interesting! Something else to think about, later.

As for what they’d been talking about, she’d heard that same sentiment a lot back home.

“Plus, no pregnancy scares to worry about. And none of what you’re going through.” The cleric continued, swirling her finger at Belle’s lower bit & pieces.

“Man, I’ll swap you. It’d be nice to not worry about it.”

“You don’t have to worry about pregnancy with Astarion, at least” aaaand back to more important topics. She’d obviously been dying to get the deets from Belle from awhile now.

“I’m not from here & even I’ve heard of dhampir” Belle shot at her, in a way grateful for the distraction Shadowheart was supplying. Took her mind off her roiling uterus.

“Oh, I’ve heard of them. Requires a lot of blood for that to even happen. It’s why they’re so rare. And we both know he’s been starved.” She nodded toward the front of the line, where, hopefully, someone didn’t have his sonar turned all the way up in their direction. “Is he any good? For all the pitiful pick-up lines, I’m still curious. I don’t think I’ve ever f*cked a vampire.”

“Can he hear us?” Belle whispered, suddenly not wanting him to overhear her talking about him with Shadowheart. She didn’t consider this a break in trust; this was girl-chat debriefing time, something she didn’t get a lot of back home. And Shadowheart was tighter than a clam when it came to keeping secrets.

“No, the slight breeze in this place is blowing in the wrong direction.”

Thank f*ck for that!

“Then, yes. Yes, he is. But I think I’m biased.”

“Ooo, not catching feelings, are we?”

“I like him. A lot” she shrugged, all at once not that worried that she actually did like him, or where that might lead. He had so much potential, given time to grow that.

“Has he mentioned Cazador to you?” she changed topics suddenly, because she was curious, now, if the companions talked amongst themselves. They did a lot of overhearing in game at camp, & had brief conversations when adventuring about with the protagonist, but she also knew if you approached any of them as anyone except Tav, Durge or origin, they simply told you to go f*ck yourself.

“A couple of times. Sounds like an absolutely delightful master. At least my lady’s suffering has purpose.”

….yeah, she should probably sway Shadowheart on that, she supposed. But, again, the woman wasn’t ready to hear anything, & would likely slit Belle’s throat in the night if she did overshare that Shar didn't have Shadowhearts best interests at heart.

“Some of Cazador’s cruelty has purpose. He’s made a sh*t-ton of spawn that he keeps in dungeons below his palace. He’s going to sacrifice them all, including Astarion, so he can achieve a not-so-powerful ascension, all just so he can sunbathe, eat & f*ck again…..” she paused “I really don’t understand that last part. Astarion seems fully capable in that area. Not numb at all.”

“Maybe Cazador has erectile problems independent of being a vampire? And how many other spawn are we talking? Ten? Twenty?”

Huh, the cleric might have a point. She hadn’t realised that he might just not be able to get it up.

“Seven thousand.”

Shadowheart blinked.

“Surely not….”

Belle was nodding emphatically.

“In Baldurs’ Gate?”

She kept nodding.

“… that’s not good….”

She shook her head now.

“… I think I’d better practice my light-based spells….”

Belle nodded again.

“You can have the Lathander mace, too.”

Shadowhearts face lit up, the first genuine smile Belle had seen out of her.

Chapter 61: Accidental Reveal

Chapter Text

Although she needed to stop, actually stopping for a short break just brought on the pain ten-fold. It was working its way up her stomach, now, & would reach her breasts before much longer. Her nipples had already gone sensitive, making her wince & shy away from the fabric of the shirt as it rubbed against them. Once again, she missed having bras.

She couldn’t sit down to rest. She’d never get up again if she did that, so she wandered around, fists on hips, first bent one way, then another, just trying to get some relief from the claws gleefully tearing her uterus apart.

“Belle, here” Gus came back & thrust a small cup at her. “Shadowheart said you’re in pain.” He lowered his voice conspiratorially. “That time of the month.” He whispered. Then spoke normally again. “It’s half strength with more anti-inflammatory properties. You look like something the cat dragged in.”

“Gee, thanks dad.”

She took it, this time sipping it, because who would carry her sorry arse if she passed out like the previous day? The only candidates were Karlach & Brian, & while she imagined herself draped around Karlach’s shoulders like a stole, enjoying the warmth; she was worried Brian might start noshing on her if he had to carry her.

She went to hand the cup back to Gus & had to thrust it at him several times before he grabbed it with a loose fist.

“What’s on your neck, hun?”

She stopped her swaying, slowly looking up at him. His eyes were trained on her neck, where she’d forgotten all about covering up the bite from days ago. By now, it looked like a hickey. Which, now that she saw the brewing storm in her father’s eyes, might actually be worse.

“Mozzie bite.”

His eyes cut to hers.

“That’s a large f*cking mosquito, sweetheart.” In no way, shape or form was that intended as a term of endearment.

“Herpes?” she tried again.

No go.

“Shingles. Impetigo?”

He turned on the spot, loosening his bow on his back & jerking it around before grabbing an arrow out.

“Karlach” he roared, startling everyone.

…Karlach? She hadn’t slept with big red … she darted after him, pain forgotten now her dad was on the warpath.

Karlach only had time to turn at her name being yelled before Gus thrust the arrow into one of her valves, setting the arrow on fire immediately.

Oh. f*ck!

“Don’t you f*cking dare!” she grabbed his arm, trying unsuccessfully to turn him around. Gus was on a mission, & she was going to have to stop him somehow before he killed Astarion.

“Gus? What’s –“ Karlach was confused.

“What’s going on?” Gale asked at the uncommon roar they’d all heard from the normally level-headed leader of their group.

“YOU!” Gus roared, pulling up his bow as he set his sights on Astarion & drawing back the arrow.

“Oh, sh*t!” Astarion was so shocked he just stood there, frozen to the spot, going an almost incandescent white.

“Dad, stop, it was my choice, I let him, he was starving –“

“Don’t you know they compel, Belle?” he yelled at her.

“He didn’t! He asked!” … after first going to bite her in her sleep, that was. But he certainly didn’t need to know that.

“Gus, I think you need to put down the bow…” Karlach approached slowly, hands out, catching on now to what was going on.

“He touched my daughter. Drank her blood. Fed from her!”

…. also f*cked her, but still not helpful at this point…

Belle let go of his arm, as that wasn’t doing anything, & did the only thing she could think of, seen a million times in a million different situations just like this one. Darted out in front of Gus, straight in the line of sight of where the arrow was trained on Astarion behind her.

He snarled at her in frustration, moving the arrow away so fast she couldn’t believe his reflexes for his age. But she followed it, & continued to follow it as he kept moving it around, trying to find a way around her.

“Why do you insist on protecting him?” he yelled.

“Same reason you insist on protecting a Bhaalspawn!” she screamed back, not noticing the silence that descended around them at her accidental reveal.

“He’s diff-“

“Spare me! He has uncontrollable urges, wants to kill me, & you still protect him! Astarion controls his urges, despite being starved for two hundred f*cking years & certainly doesn’t want to kill me!”

She was still darting around as he moved the arrow around. The others were just too confused & intimidated at the display & her confession that they could only stand there, stunned. So, she feinted, then darted in when he took the feint, & grabbed the burning arrow, yanking it away & tossing it behind her as it singed her hand.

Belle hissed, closing her hand around the burn, but didn’t take her eyes off Gus.

“Dad. Please. He’s not hurting me. Calm down before you stroke out.” … maybe shouldn’t have said that last one …

Gus was staring at her, the immediate rage suffusing his eyes having turned them electric blue instead of his usual calm steel.

“Do you think he will treat you well, Belle? Do you really believe everything you learnt about here from a … a f*cking game?”

That hurt, deeply, but it revealed the real problem. Even though Gus didn’t like the idea of Astarion feeding from her, he probably could have let it go if it were just that. But Gus had immediately jumped to if Astarion was good enough to be with his little girl & had found him wanting.

“I like him, dad. A lot. You need to deal with that. But don’t you dare threaten him like that again. You owe him an apology.”

She stepped back slowly; mindful he could go for another arrow.

Gus was breathing heavily now, & she could see the moisture building in his eyes. And realised he was trying to make up for twenty lost years in being over-protective. The bow relaxed jerkily, until it hung by his side, & he was looking at nothing.

“C’mon Gus, come with me, you need a minute,” Karlach gently led her dad away, the rest slowly coming back to themselves.

“I’m a …. Bhaalspawn?” Brian asked into the vacuum, incredulously.

Chapter 62: Obey My Command....

Chapter Text

Belle looked up at the dragon-born, still all riled up about yelling at her dad & having to stop him from literally murdering the guy she liked. If it had been Earth, it wouldn’t have come anywhere near as close to it as that. He might have threatened Astarion, but that would’ve been the extent. To actually have to physically stop him … her hand started throbbing.

“Yes,” she admitted, not at all in the mood now for dodging questions or playing games. “You’re THE Bhaalspawn. Bhaal made you himself from his own body. I can’t help you more than that right now.”

Her pain in her lower belly kicked in again. That bitch never went away for long.

“That … explains a lot, really,” Wyll said, before turning to go & help Karlach with Gus.

“You knew? All this time?” Brian asked, staring at her as if she’d hurt him somehow.

“Yes. I was instructed to not tell you. If you have an issue with it, go speak to Withers.” Belle was suddenly sick to death of knowing things, guiding people, trying to be manipulated or educated or whatever the f*ck the entities of this place were trying to do with her. At first, it had been fine, had seemed fun, in fact. Not easy, but ok. It was getting harder the further this progressed. People were going to get hurt out of it. And she didn’t want to deal with that.

She couldn’t even bring herself to look at Astarion as she walked off, grimacing & holding her burnt hand to her lower stomach. Revealing how she felt about him, loud enough for everyone to hear, probably wouldn’t have gone down well with him at all. And she had no energy right now to even face that … face him. If she had a door to slam on the way out of the proverbial building, she would have.

Belle started by herself up the path toward the mountain pass. She wanted to escape them all right then. Wanted to go home, ignore the fact that any of this had ever happened, & dive headfirst back into her normal routine of work, home, sleep, repeat. Even if it meant she never had to see her dad again. At least she knew he’d been alive, somewhere.

Nothing popped in out of the woodwork to lecture her or sweep her off to impossible destinations. Which was fine by her. Just dandy. She kept her head down, every now & then glancing up at the path to make sure she was still on track. She stopped as she approached the sheer rock face, broken only by the yawning mouth of the black tunnel confronting her. sh*t, she didn’t want to go in there all by herself.

Belle hadn’t bothered carrying around a torch in the Shadowlands; why would she, she wasn’t affected by it, & it was only more luggage that would’ve weighed her down. She probably could’ve used one right then, not having Darkvision & all.

Meant she could have continued on ahead without having to wait on the others, nor deal with their silence & judging looks & airs of superiority because of her own sh*tty judgement in letting a vampire feed from her & then forgetting to cover up the evidence.

Those thoughts made her even more determined to escape from them. Steeling herself, she stepped forward, wanting to scope out just how far in that tunnel went; if she could see light at the end of it, she’d continue through. If not, she’d continue through anyway & probably fall down a crevasse & die, which, right now, didn’t sound all that unappealing.

Belle took one more step, then instantly dropped to the ground as it felt like a huge f*cking kettlebell was dropped on her head. It didn’t knock her out, but it did knock her mind elsewhere. Into a dark place, where an almost robotic female voice boomed out of the darkness. Funnily enough, it reminded her of her mother.

“Hear my voice. Obey my command.”

It permeated her mind, sieving through the many layers of it, twining with it & making her want to listen to it. Except …

She managed to look up, wanting to disobey that voice, but saw three humanoids in front of her. Her mind was screaming at her, trying to pull away at the same time she was being compelled to watch. She knew who they were.

“These are my chosen. They speak for me.”

Belle struggled against the voice. She hated, abhorred, was disgusted with being told what to do, being forced into listening. Her lips pulled back into a snarl, & she struggled to get to her knees.

“…. f*ck …. you…” she ground out, making the voice pause in surprise, making the presence behind it suddenly search for the one who had had the temerity, the gall … & the power … to resist its command. Like a searchlight in the middle of the night, she could feel the Netherbrain sifting, highlighting the True Souls, flitting from one to the other …

From behind her, the Artefact came bounding in, dancing in front of her, willing her to take it, take it now, take it immediately, before the brain’s attention fell on her. Reaching out, she grabbed it, & it pulsed, dissolving the darkness & leaving her on all fours, panting & heaving, her mind feeling both expanded & deflated at the same time.

“That … was too close….” The emperors voice whispered in her head before his presence, too, faded.

There was no doubt about it.

She really was good at pissing people off.

Chapter 63: Catch

Chapter Text

Belle crawled to the rock wall just beside the entrance to the tunnel. Flopped over onto her butt, grimacing. Held the spiky artefact in one hand while she tried to stuff her mind back inside her head.

So. That was the Absolute. What a bitch. Her tadpole was having conniptions, doing excited donut work inside her skull. She’d never, ever in her life felt so … cowed, beaten down & violated. That was some huge disrespect in personal space going on right there.

She heard the others approaching before she saw them. First was Lae’zel, who stopped jogging as she saw Belle, sitting & tossing the artefact in the air before catching it again.

“Where did you get that? That’s a githyanki relic! You need to give it back!”

“This?” Belle held up the relic, studying it.

“Yes.”

The gith started approaching her.

“Sure. Here. Catch.”

Belle tossed it to her suddenly. Lae’zel held out her hand to catch it, but it stopped half-way between them, then zoomed back to Belle’s hand. She’d had a feeling it would do that.

Lae’zel frowned, not at all understanding it didn’t want to go with her.

“Try again.” The gith insisted, holding out her hand.

Belle tossed it again, wondering if the emperor & the gith he had for company were being tossed around inside, much like if they were jinn trapped in a bottle.

Once more, the artefact went ‘nuh-uh’ & zoomed back to Belle’s hand.

“Artefact says no.” Belle told her. “Never mind. As soon as I can, I’ll give it back to you.” It would be useless at that point, but maybe the githyanki had museums they could display it in.

The others came in hot on Lae’zels heels, Gus’ relief at seeing her without tentacles clear on his face as he went to rush toward her. Remembered their fight. Stopped & looked abashed before clearing his throat. The others were eyeing the artefact curiously, having never seen it before.

“This” Belle held it up, “is the Artefact. It’s a githyanki relic. Right now, it’s housing our dream visitor & another important person. They’re what’s keeping us from turning into Mindflayers.”

“It belongs to the gith-”

“Do you want to be a Mindflayer, Lae’zel? Right here & now? Because the relic clearly does not want to go with you. But if you want to force the issue, be my guest.” She once more held it out to the gith, who let Belles’ words penetrate her obstinacy, before she tilted her head slightly & shook her head.

“Did you all get to meet the Absolute? Or was it just me?” she questioned the group at large, not feeling like addressing a single one of them personally. She still didn’t want to be around any of them right now.

“Is that what that was? It got cut off, halfway through looking at some people. The chosen, I think she called them.” Karlach answered her. Good. Karlach she could talk to.

“That’s the people behind the creation of the Absolute. Orin the Red, a shape-changer & Bhaals current chosen – “ Brian shifted uncomfortably, “Kethric Thorm, Myrkul’s current chosen. And Enver Gortash, Bane’s current chosen.”

She saw Astarion shift his weight & cross his arms, frowning at the ground. He’d been aware of the dead three’s involvement, but she hadn’t elaborated on it at the time. Karlach gasped, hands flying to her mouth & eyes growing big before narrowing, murder flashing in them.

“That’s who we’re up against. They went & rounded themselves up an Elder Brain, hooked it up to the Crown of Karsus, mutating it into a Netherbrain, & are currently controlling it with three netherese jewels. Their ultimate goal is to rule the world, an entirely worn-out trope, & to destabilise the gods while they’re at it by turning all their worshippers into controlled Mind Flayers, who don’t have souls.”

The silence boomed after she'd finished.

Then everyone broke into a million questions at once, & she rubbed her forehead warily. She supposed, if she were in their shoes, she’d have a million questions, too.

She struggled getting to her feet, the encounter with the Absolute having now worn her down mentally, as well as being emotionally exhausted & in pain.

They filed past her, & she kept her gaze elsewhere, not catching any of them by the eye. She was done for the day.

They were a subdued group as they wandered through the tunnel, but she could hear them speculating & wondering & worrying. Belle kept a hold of the relic in her hand, turning it over & over, thumbing the points & the runic marks in the metal alloy.

The pinpoint of light ahead of them signalled the other side of the pass. Still took ages to get to it. As Belle emerged, squinting & holding up a hand to shield her eyes from the bright light of the sun, the warmth hit her skin, peeling away the oppressiveness of the Shadowlands. It felt like waking up from a bad dream. She noted Astarion stop fully, close his eyes & let his head fall back, soaking it in.

They trudged onward, following the path, straight into the group of ghouls & Death Shepard's in the late afternoon. Finally. Something she could kill … or … destroy? Vaporise?

She went to move forward with the others, ready to place herself near the monsters, (the Death Shepard's looked a lot like Ghost Rider hopped up on steroids, minus the leather jacket), but witnessed as Gus dodged an attack by a ghoul. The ghoul didn’t disappear. She co*cked her head, brain in overdrive while she tried to puzzle that out. Her eyes fell on Astarion, attacking another ghoul from behind with his short swords.

Astarion was undead. The ghouls were undead. So were the Death Shepard's … & one collapsed as it came rushing at Gus. But the ghouls kept on going. Her eyes narrowed as her brain lasered in, parsing apart the known info she had.

Astarion had been made into an undead. From a living being. So had the ghoul. The Death Shepard … had already been dead. Had been raised by a necromancer. Had no soul connected to the bones … raised by a necromancer, using magic … that was it! The steroid skellies were animated using magic. Her ability cut the magic, rendering them once more as a pile of useless bones. Vampires & ghouls were made with a curse, or a disease, that changed them into something else. There was no magic there to severe.

Drawing her short sword, Belle sized up where the last two Death Shepard's were, waited for an opening between the ghouls currently running around like chooks after Karlach & Lae’zel, & dove in behind the two monstrosities, who promptly crumbled to the ground. She looked up just in time to see a ghoul had broken off from the rest, charging right at her. She raised her sword as Wyll had taught her to, but the f*cking thing was fast! Belle drew in breath, & then held it as one sword emerged from the thing’s chest, another from its neck & simultaneously ripped through it from side to side, making a great big mess as the swords were ripped free.

The ghoul dropped like a popped water balloon, revealing Astarion behind it, covered in gore. Her breath left her as she hitched an eyebrow, & something about how pretty he looked with blood spatters decorating his face got to her, & her mouth hitched sideways in a hungry smirk.

He saw the smirk rise to her lips & reacted suddenly by moving a step toward her, but stopped, looked back around at where Gus was, looked back to her, & slowly backed away, re-joining the rest of the group.

She was going to kill Tav.

Chapter 64: Drunken Late Night Texts

Chapter Text

That evening found them camping with the trader, Lady Esther. Who wouldn’t take no for an answer on stealing a githyanki egg for the Society of Brilliance, & somehow thought they’d agreed to steal it for her. Shadowheart made a ‘cuckoo’ twirling motion around her ear, rolling her eyes at the back of Esther’s head.

The old lady was a wino, however, & when she broke out the booze, Shadowheart suddenly became besties with her, followed by Karlach, Wyll, & surprisingly, Brian.

“If I’m drunk, at least I’ll make enough noise to alert everyone if I black out.” He said, joining the millions of alcoholics out there who drowned their pain & sorrows with liquor.

Belle lay curled up in her bedroll, watching them get drunk & wishing she could trade in her uterus for a new one as it got kneaded into new & fun exciting shapes. She alternated with giving Gus the frostiest looks she could muster, which must have been working, because his shoulders kept hunching further over every few minutes. Until he couldn’t take it anymore, getting up & signalling to Astarion to follow him.

Belle’s ears perked up & would have shot forward if she were a dog.

Gale noticed but was wise enough to keep his mouth shut. The others were into their cups by then & wouldn’t have noticed if the Absolute herself had swung by, ready to join in with them. Lae’zel was off on watch somewhere, probably having cracked the sh*ts at the Artefact rejecting her.

She waited patiently, for all of five minutes, before she wanted to go & eavesdrop on them. But she didn’t. Because she was an adult who recognised that this was something they needed to sort out by themselves … could she hook her tadpole up to theirs secretly & snoop that way?

A half hour went by. Lae’zel wandered back into camp, took one look at the festivities, turned back around & wandered back out again. This time, Gale followed her.

Another half hour went by. Shadowheart, the lightweight, tapped out first. Followed by Wyll about fifteen minutes after that. The old wino was hanging in there, up against the heavyweights of Karlach & Brian, who just kept drinking.

Brian decided to get up a few minutes later, lurch over to Belle, let out an impressive belch that echoed around the camp & the mountains, & slump down next to her. She had to scramble back quickly to avoid being squished by two hundred & twenty pounds of durge.

“I didn’ arks for it” he opened with.

Great. After hours drunken texting, but face to face, with a Bhaalspawn.

“No-one did.”

“Your fa-father, he’s a goood guy. I like him!”

“That’s nice.”

“…like you, too. Don’ wanna … hurt you ….”

He was slumping forward, talking into his chest. It had only taken him eight bottles to achieve that state.

“Then don’t. Be the resist urge. Next time that little f*cker pops in, tell him you don’t require his services anymore.”

“ …. ok ….”

He slid sideways, taking over her freakin’ bedroll as she was pushed out of it fully.

Really?

Where the f*ck was she meant to sleep, now?

Eyeing Brian's bedroll, she dubiously sat herself down on it. No way was she sleeping inside it, but if she could snavel a blanket off someone, she should be ok.

Shortly after that, Gus & Astarion wandered back into camp, neither saying anything, nor looking at her. She knew she should have followed them! Gus did a double take when he saw Brian passed out on her bed, snoring; then visibly relax as he found her in the sorcerer’s bed.

“What went on here?” he asked, looking to the ones who had fallen where they stood in the name of getting pissed.

“What’s it look like?” she answered neutrally.

“Like stuff I can’t be bothered with anymore.”

“Gus, you’re back! Glad to see you didn’t kill Astarion, mate!” Karlach tipped him a bottle, the old wino beside her finally succumbing & going out for the count. Karlach blinked owlishly around herself at the others. “f*ckin’ soft co*cks” she slurred, finishing off her bottle.