I stir to the sound of birdsong and the sun warm on my skin through the canopy above. I go to move, but feel a weight on my chest and look down to see Nymeria sprawled across me. I stare at her, enjoying the subtle rise and fall of her naked chest. I breathe in her scent, warm from the sun and trail my fingers down her arm.
It feels like a dream, no, a nightmare. One that I have had so many times before. I allow myself to touch her, just once. To taste her for myself, feeling in my bones that this one is mine. Then she is wrenched from me, naked and afraid, turning the same fearful eyes on me that the others have. My pretty words just bait and my body the snare. They take her. He takes her away from me.
I swallow and the sun burns white hot above me, the ache in my chest sets my blood alight. I can almost feel myself burning, turning to ash. I close my eyes, tight willing the sensation to consume me so it can at once be extinguished. This was never meant for me, it was never mine. She was never going to be...
"Shh. Shh shh." Nymeria mutters, I can feel her palm warm against my cheek. "Astarion."
I open my eyes to see her hovering over me, worry creasing her features.
"You were having a bad dream." She strokes my cheek, her finger trailing down along my jaw.
I sit up, "My whole life has been a nightmare that I'm still trying to wake up from."
She leans back as I pull on my shirt then get to my feet and begin to pace. I need to move.
"Nearly 200 years of being chained to the shadows, of being tortured and not just a puppet, but a slave to my vampire master Cazador. Being forced to bring him tribute in the way of pretty nobles for him to feed upon and being thrown rats when I was given the chance to feed at all." I explain, "Then the mind flayers grant me this fragile freedom and even though it may turn me into a horrible monster, I feel I am at the verge of finally waking up."
I turn to her, "I don't want to go back."
She lays there naked staring at me with such rapt attention and emotion, "You won't have to."
"No," I growl, "No, he will be looking for me if he isn't already and I will be dragged back into that hell. Vampires don't relinquish power that easily. I am still his."
"Then we will kill him." Nymeria says, "If that is what will help wake you from this nightmare."
I walk over to her and drop to my knees, taking her face into my hands, "Why?" I search her face and struggle not to grit my teeth at the sweet words coming from her lips."Why are you so ready to fight for me you foolish little thing?"
She reaches up and grabs my forearms, staring into my eyes. "Everything I have cared for in my life was taken from me. My circle, my mother, and my brother. I have nothing left waiting for me and nowhere to go after all of this. All I have is my own freedom and I promise will do my best to fight for yours because I believe in my heart that is what you deserve."
I press my forehead to hers, "Better get dressed, my dear, before I decide to ravish you."
"That's not the threat you believe it to be." She smiles at me, her tail swishing at her side.
"True, but the others will be looking for us soon. Unless you'd like an audience." I lean in to press a kiss to her throat and I can feel her heart flutter at the prospect. "They can look, but they can't touch. I'm not sharing you with any of them." I breathe against her neck and let my fangs drag across her flesh. "Well, maybe Shadowheart."
She laughs and pushes me off of her playfully and begins to dress.
—
When we return to camp, no one had missed us. The group was already breaking down their tents after Lae'zel brought back news of a nearby village only a stone's throw from the Selunite temple.
They had decided that we could reach it by dusk if we traveled together.
I find myself at the back of the group, naturally. The position affords me a delicious angle in which I can admire Nymeria's firm ass and the way her tail sways from side to side as she walks.
Just then I see Karlach glance back at me. She slows until she is in step beside me, "I didn't see you two this morning."
"A gentleman never tells." I say, looking straight ahead.
"We know you're no gentleman and you don't need to tell me anything. I can see it on your face." Karlach laughs, "Trust me, I know that hunger intimately." I look over at her and she swings her greataxe onto her shoulder. "I don't have to tell you that I'm quite fond of her, right? She's like a little sister to me."
I give her a polite smile, "Yes, that's quite sweet."
She levels her gaze at me, I can see the infernal engine in her chest pulsing to life, "Then I also don't have to tell you that if you hurt her I will burn you with a fire that puts the sun to shame. There will be nothing left of you, it would be like you never existed."
"Right." I nod, "I understand."
Karlach straightens and gives me a wide smile, "Good."
I turn my attention back to Nymeria, and it is then she glances back at me over her shoulder.
I started this day with the sun on my face and a gorgeous naked tiefling laying on top of me. There is nothing in this world that can further sour my mood, no matter how scary the big demon woman attempts to be.
"Oh, Astarion." Karlach says, "Gale was looking for you earlier. Something about a couple missing books."
"Gods dammit." I hiss and catch up to Nymeria grabbing her wrist and tugging her with me off the path. I watch Karlach smile and wink at me as she passes us.
Nymeria looks around, "Wait. Where are we going? We will fall behind."
"Darling, if I am to go to hell I want to make it count." I say pulling her to me and kissing her softly on the lips. She drapes her arms around my shoulders and presses into me. I hook my arms behind her knees and lift her, wrapping her legs around my waist carrying her until her back is flat against a tree.
"What are you talking about?" She huffs out as I bury my face against her neck, raking my teeth against her skin.
"Karlach is absolutely terrifying." I say before I kiss her throat, causing her to let out a soft mewling noise in response. "That, and I couldn't wait to taste you again."
"Wait." She moans, "I don't want the first time you fuck me to be against a tree."
"Who said I was going to fuck you, darling?" I pull away and she looks at me, crestfallen. I smile and add, "Not now, at least."
I lean in to kiss her again and hear shouting a short ways down the path.
"Come on." She says, patting at my shoulder impatiently. I let her down and follow.
We walk up to the entrance to the village and find it guarded by a small group of heavily armed goblins, they're already in a fight with Wyll. Typical. He looks back at us, frowning.
"We're only passing through tonight. We seek an audience with the Priestess." Wyll says.
The male goblin out front, without a doubt the leader of the small guard, folds his arms over his chest and spits at Wyll's feet. "What does the likes of you know of our Priestess?"
"We heard she was a great healer. A true soul" Shadowheart adds, "We were sent to meet with her."
I lean down whispering to Nymeria, "This isn't going well."
She doesn't respond and I notice she's looking at a small female goblin with short brown hair off to the side of the guard, her brows furrowed. She shudders and blinks, reaching for my sleeve to steady herself. The small goblin female snaps to attention and rushes to the main guard. He grits his teeth and looks at Nymeria.
"You!" He calls out. "Come here."
Fear twists inside of me as Nymeria leaves my side. My hand itches to grab for her, but I remain behind instead allowing my hand to settle upon the hilt of my dagger. Karlach and I share a look, one that echoes the chanting in my heart. If they disturb one hair upon that pretty little tiefling head, I will burn this village to the ground.
"There she is." The guard says, nudging the female goblin as Nymeria stands before them. "Is it her?"
"Soul." The female goblin says, smiling back at the guard.
"You're welcome to stay the night. We will take you to the Priestess tomorrow." The guard nods, "Any sign of trouble and I'll have you fed to the worgs. You get me?"
Nymeria looks back at us, "Yes. Thank you."
The goblins break formation to let us in. I watch as the female goblin eyes Nymeria with something akin to admiration as she passes, muttering something under her breath with a steady repetition.
The others speak in hushed conversations as we walk deeper into the abandoned village. I'm surprised that buildings are still intact and remain relatively untouched. The goblins have pulled most of the crates, barrels and other pieces furniture out into the village square to construct their own primitive shelters.
Lae'zel inclines her head towards an alleyway, Wyll grabs Nymeria's elbow and leads her down the path.
"What was that?" He asks, looking down at her.
"Ah ah ah." I smile pulling my dagger from it's sheath, "Hands off unless you'd like to lose them."
Gale lifts his hands, "Now wait a minute. This isn't the time nor place for a pissing contest. Especially one that someone has already one."
Wyll looks chastened and immediately pulls his hand away, flexing it.
"She found her way into my thoughts." Nymeria explains, looking between us.
Lae'zel furrows her brow, "Does that one have a parasite as well?"
"Not that I can tell." Nymeria sighs, "Her thoughts were stilted. I got flashes of a forest and screams, nothing that I could really put any meaning to."
"Now if we're done interrogating her," I slip my dagger back into place, "What are the plans?"
Wyll's jaw flexes, but he relaxes "They seem to trust us so far. I say we play along and stay here in town tonight."
"In town?" Shadowheart asks her eyes alight, "Do you think there is an inn? We could finally sleep in proper beds."
"Even so, we should remain on guard." Wyll says then levels a glare in my direction, "And don't cause any trouble."
I smile, "Of course."
—
As the sun sets the bonfire in the middle of the square roars to life. The goblins take turns filling their mismatched cups from a large skull basin off to the side of the large cooking pit where a spit roasts an odd looking flank of meat.
A group of goblins have gathered around a primitive cage where a bard is playing a jaunty tune on her lute while the children throw chicken bones at her feet.
We are gifted a few bottles of wine from the raid on account of Nymeria being a True Soul in the goblin's eyes and one of The Absolute's Chosen. The same could be said for the rest of us seeing how we share the same parasitic affliction, but Nymeria being recognized has rendered us the goblin's guests of honor.
Gale lifts his cup of wine and sniffs, "Oh, word to the wise. I wouldn't eat anything that doesn't look like chicken." He nods, "Goblins favor all sorts of meats. Gnome, dwarf and sometimes the odd tiefling."
Nymeria frowns and shrinks into herself beside me, I itch to touch her, but instead press my thigh against hers hoping to ground her.
"We're going to save the bloody bard, aren't we?" I ask in a whisper before downing the rest of my wine. It burns going down my throat.
She smiles and knocks her leg against mine in response.
"Perfect." I roll my eyes.
The small female goblin from the gate runs up to where we're gathered, seeking out Nymeria immediately. She holds out a scroll, a fanged smile stretching across her tiny face.
Nymeria takes it and nods, "Thank you."
I watch as she unfurls it to reveal a primitive drawing of a wolf.
"It's quite the likeness, my dear." I lean and whisper in her ear.
"Tribe?" The goblin asks expectantly.
Nymeria hesitates but then nods, "Tribe."
She's rewarded with a smile and then the goblin runs off.
"Now I am completely confused. Did you just befriend a goblin?" I ask looking over to her.
"I believe so." Nymeria says, rolling the drawing and placing it in her pack.
Gale laughs, "As long as you haven't sworn a blood oath to her I don't see a problem with it. Might make things a bit easier."
We continue talking into the night, the conversation coming much easier than I had ever imagined. I can't believe I kept myself away all of this. I wasn't the only monster nor the only person who had something in their past to hide. There were secrets hidden between every word, pasts that cannot be returned to and ones that being run from. No one had to say it, but we all understood just as we had when we met and the mind flayer parasites shared our memories of the ship.
Whatever we were meant for, it's becoming clear that we were meant to find it together. Even though I still wish to kill Wyll whenever he looks at Nymeria. Not out of jealousy like she had assumed, but the modicum or disdain I felt when he first saw her. Another tiefling that reminded him of the demons in his past. He might have changed and his intentions true, but there's a danger lurking there.
One by one everyone slipped away to find a building to sleep in until it was just Nymeria and I setting at the small fire.
"I guess it's time to say goodnight." She says placing her hand on my knee, using me as leverage to stand.
"Is that it?" My voice comes out a bit higher than I intend. "Goodnight?"
She smiles and bites her lower lip, "Wait about 10 minutes then come and find me." Her tail caresses my leg as she passes.
"As you wish, my darling." I smile.