Like Starlight and Wine (A Baldur's Gate 3 Astarion x Tav Fanfic)

12. The Daughter of Darkness

The next day, Wyll decides to venture out on his own in search of the devil Karlach, while Gale, Astarion, Lae'zel and I continue our hunt for Zorru, the tiefling who apparently has information on this creche Lae'zel keeps talking about. But if nothing else, we still hope we can find the healer Nettie somewhere within Emerald Grove. We had heard that she's not been taking on new cases lately, and has been holed up somewhere ever since the Druid Halsin's disappearance, so she's difficult to find. We don't even know if she'll be willing to help us once we find her, but we at least have to try, because with each day that passes, the prospect of turning into mind flayers grows.

We circle the outer perimeters of the grove until we are walking among the grass and the trees that overlook it.

"Ah, nature," Gale breathes in the fresh, dewy air and sighs contentedly. "Nothing quite like it, eh?"

"Ugh, it's disgusting," Astarion groans in response. "The bugs, the dirt, it's all so... dirty."

Lae'zel rolls her eyes.

I snort, stifling a giggle of ridicule. Our resident princess is at it again. "We know. It's called nature," I tease him.

"I know very well what it's called," he retorts indignantly, his voice almost an octave higher than normal, speaking in a mocking tone. "And I know what it entails. That doesn't make it any less unappealing."

"Aw come on," Gale says. "Not everything in nature is so terrible. Take that squirrel over there for instance." He gestures to a small, furry creature sitting in the grass nearby, regarding us carefully with is teensy round eyes like a pair of black buttons. "See? Adorable."

"When I look at that squirrel, all I see is dinner," Astarion replies, unimpressed.

"You don't like dirt, but you'll eat rodent?!" Gale waves his hands in exasperation.

"I fail to see the correlation."

As my companions start to banter back and forth with each other, their voices are drowned out by throbbing sensation in my skull. I turn to face the squirrel, and it tilts its furry little head up at me inquisitively. As I meet it's gaze, tunnel vision begins to cloud my peripheral. My head buzzes, my own thoughts darkening at the edges. The swirlilng bile-cauldron of my brain is cooking up a poison stew.

I step closer to the innocent little being. This might be the single most adorable creature I can recall in all my stunted memory! It would be ever so twee if it were climbing a tree.

Before I even know what's happening, my leg hauls back and fires at the squirrel like a spring-loaded weapon. My boot collides with its fragile body with such force the squirrel is sent sailing through the air, crashing into a large rock face. Blood sprays, bones snap. I shudder in euphoria - No, I shudder in horror, recoiling, but   it's too late. 

My companions all flip around in unison, startled by my sudden, violent outburst. The atmosphere grows heavy as they each take turns processing what's just happened.

"Do you always take on such terrifying foes?!" Astarion exclaims, sounding almost amused.

Meanwhile, Gale frowns his disapproval. "Surely you should be reserving your foot for more deserving foes. That creature was harmless."

"Terrific," Lae'zel complains. "If I'm ever harangued by a rodent, I'll know who to call for."

Yet I am more shocked, more surprised, more horrified than any of them. As I stare at the tiny, broken body before me, I have no idea what just happened.

"I... I don't know what happened," I stutter, fighting against the spasms, my muscles convulsing like those of a sick, frenzied beast. "It... it came right at me!"