Blood & Wine - A Spawn Astarion Fan Fiction

Astarion

"Gods, help us." I watch the rest of our party make for the opening to the temple leaving us behind. I can feel Nymeria's magic flare to life as she coaxes the owlbear cub closer.

"Come here." Nymeria says, dropping to a crouch with her hand out in submission.

"Dearest, I don't believe this is the time nor place to play with vicious beasts." I whisper.

She looks up to me, "Those humans we encountered killed it's mother." She whispers back, "I feel responsible."

"Fine." I sigh, but then find she's drawing more attention to herself than she realizes as the goblins to watch.

"Hey!" One of the goblins cries out, flailing her hand to shoo Nymeria away, "Get away from my chicken!"

"Chicken? This is a whole owlbear cub." I say sweeping my arm in it's direction.

"It's got feathers don't it?" The goblin spits, "It's for the chicken chase. If you aren't going to play, take your druid bitch and go."

I smile, feeling my blood begin to boil, "What did you call her?"

Nymeria stands and presses her hand to my chest, "Astarion." She looks at me pointedly and I turn to find the rest of the goblins abandoning their festivities to form a crowd around us.

"You're a druid?" One of the goblin guards walks up, lifting his crossbow in Nymeria's direction.

"She was talking to the owlbear." The chicken chaser goblin replies.

"Come with me." The goblin trains his crossbow on Nymeria with a nod towards the temple.

"Where are you taking me?" Nymeria asks, I notice the quick rise and fall of her chest, I can almost see her heartbeat fluttering in the vein at her throat.

I place my hand at the small of her back, "I feel we should do what he says, my dear."

She gives me a nod and we walk towards the entrance to the temple. Along side us the goblins are following in step, laughing and slinging insults that get lost in chatter.

"Sorry." Nymeria says staring straight ahead.

"I'm not going to say I told you so. Well, that's an absolute lie, I did tell you so, my dearest." I run my hand over her back, "Even if they are leading us to our deaths, I cannot think of better company. Except for possibly Shadowheart."

Something warms in my chest as I see the smile pulling at the corner her lips.

The inside of the temple doesn't ease my anxiety about the prospect of being lead to my ultimate demise. There's nothing much in the stone building but ruined iron candelabras and statues that call back to another time yet stand there defiled with blood and who knows what other bodily fluids.

"What's going on?" I hear Gale ask, I see him walking towards us, his attention trained at the goblin guard, "She's meant to have an audience with the Priestess."

The goblin scoffs behind us and spits at Gale's expensive leather boots, "The Priestess? No, I'm taking this druid to the Nightwarden."

Gale looks between us, "That sounds quite ominous."

I roll my eyes.

"Don't worry," Gale says as he joins us, "I have read a few books on goblin customs in my solitude and I feel quite confident that I will be able to talk my way out of whatever situation we might find ourselves in." He laughs, raising his voice a little, "It's clear this is just all a misunderstanding. My friend here is a True Soul." All emotion drains from his face as we are escorted deeper and a female drow comes into view, "Well, shit."