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

16. Before The Viper Strikes

As we walk through the grove that day, I can't help but notice the way Astarion eyes me from my peripheral, stealing glances in my direction every now and then. No doubt he's remembering the way my blood tasted in his mouth last night as he fed on me - at least, he seemed to have enjoyed it quite a lot. 

Astarion knows what I taste like... why does the idea of that feel so... intimate?

Heat blooms beneath the surface of my skin, crawling its way up the back of my neck, and I turn away quickly so my companions won't see my reddening complexion. I really don't need them to ask questions. Especially not Astarion. He fed on me for strength. Nothing more. Nothing less. I just... need to get out of my head.

Get ahold of yourself, Tav, I grumble to myself. What is wrong with you? This is no time for distractions. You have more important things to turn your attention to. You're running out of time to cure yourself of the tadpole. You must stay focused!

Fortunately for me, a sudden commotion up ahead is all I need to pull myself out of my not-so-normal thoughts about my vampire-elf companion.

There, at the foot of the spiral stone steps that lead to the heart of the grove, a group of tieflings are shouting at a couple of druids guarding the entrance.

"Let me daughter go - right now!" A tiefling woman screams in rage.

One of the druid guards spits at the ground near her feet. "She's a thief, hellspawn. You will wait for Kagha's judgment. Now get back!"

"Argh!" the tiefling woman roars. "Let me through, mragreshem, or I'll rip your damned throat out!"

In response, the other druid guard wildshapes suddenly, transforming himself into a large cave bear. He stomps aggressively at the tieflings, the ground quaking under his large paws, then he lets out mighty roar, not only to match the tiefling mother's, but to shatter it. The tieflings recoil in fear, then fall back reluctantly, knowing they will not be able to pass. Though they don't leave, hanging around near the foot of the stone steps, fretting, pacing the ground uneasily.

We make our way down the stone steps, passing the group of tieflings and up ahead through the stone archway that is being so carefully guarded, an impressive scene opens up before us. A large, circular formation covered in the most vivid green moss and at the heart of it, a statue on a pedistil. An idol. Surrounding the idol are a handful of druids preforming some sort of ritual. This must be the rite that everyone has been talking about - the one that will close Emerald Grove off from outsiders forever.

It's all very fascinating, but we do have more pressing matters at hand - for us. We don't have time to help -- we don't have time to be hero's, as terrible as that sounds. We are just passing through. We just came here for a healer and for information, that was all. I shouldn't care, right? So then why does the sight of this druid ritual give me such a bad feeling.

 "I bet the healer Nettie is somewhere in there," Gale proposes quietly so that only we can hear him.

"Or, if nothing else, the second druid Kagha - the one Zevlor mentioned before," I mutter back. "Maybe she'll have some information. Think we should check it out?"

"Probably," Astarion says. "But I don't know if those druid guards will let so much as a flea walk past."

"Only one way to find out," I shrug.

As we approach, just as anticipated, the druid guards put up their defenses. The wildshape bear attempts his roar on us, his grizzly voice tearing through the stillness of the air. But it's not so effective this time. I cross my arms, refusing to budge.