What the Dark Did to Me
The heat of the fire ball cast from the resident wizard was intense as the explosion shook the cavern they had been battling in. Ellandra watched as the dust and rubble began to fall. This while place was coming down and they were all still here.
"Gale!"
"Yup, I know. Apologies if we die!" Gale threw over his shoulder as he started running for the exit. Ellandra scanned around for a faster route, but this long, straight shot is the only way. Her small frame was a blessing and a curse. She could move pretty lithely, but she wasn't very vast. Astarion was pretty close behind her. Close enough for her to be able to hear the bitching he was doing.
"When I get out of this falling death trap I'm going to skin him and make Karlach a new set of pants." He huffed as he reached his top speed. He kept glancing up looking more and more worried as the rocks turned to boulders that fell.
Ell saw Gale misty step the last bit of distance out of the cave and Shadowheart soon followed him, with her shield above her head. She and Astarion were still 50 yards from the exit. She glanced behind her right in time to see Astarion take a pretty big rock to the side of his head. He faltered in his step and would've face planted if Ell hadn't had caught him.
"Fuck, I'm going to maim him." He said as he cradled his face. He was writhing in her arms when the ceiling finally gave way.
"Astarion!" She felt the familiar tingle as her panic and his panic became one in their heads. Their tadpoles reacting to the severe emotion.
Her ears rung as the world became still again. It was pitch black. Her first thought was that she was dead, but she could definitely feel Astarion still in her arms. She couldn't see anything. She cursed the sorcerer who took her darkvison from her. Her anxiety began to gnaw at her the longer they sat still and quiet. She could feel the rising tide of dread creep into her limbs.
"Ellandra?" Astarion asked softly, "Are we dead together?" A hysterical little laugh escaped her.
"I don't think so." Her voice was strained with the effort of keeping her heart in her chest. The complete darkness was one of the only things that really and truly terrified her. She felt Astarion move out of her hold. She couldn't tell whether he was able to stand up, but the minute she lost contact with him she let out a whimper and began to shake uncontrollably.
"Ellandra?" His voice had a strange tilt to it. Like he was worried.
"P-please, don't leave me." She was breathing so harshly now, she was sure he could hear it along with her racing heartbeat.
"Love, what's going on?" She felt him take hold of her hand. She gripped him hard as he pulled her to stand up with him.
It took her a minute to get the words out, "I'm t-terrified of the d-d-dark." She gripped the front of his shirt and buried her face in his chest, "I'm heading into a panic attack and I need you to wrap your arms around me very tightly. The p-pressure will help." She spoke so fast she didn't know if he even understood her, but she felt his arms come up.
"A drow that's afraid of the dark?" She could hear he was trying to joke this away.
"You don't know what the dark has done to me." She whispered hoarsely. The fear was so thick in her voice even he shuddered. Her breath came faster and the panic had a full grip on her now. Her knees began to buckle, but he held her close. The tears began to fall and she felt him tighten his hold.
"I've got you." He murmured to her, "You're ok. I don't know how, but we are ok." He kept up a line of soft reassurances as she battled to master her emotions. She knew he was going to tease her about this later, but she didn't care. He was helping tremendously.
She felt her body begin to relax a little. Her throat was raw from the hyperventilating, so her next words were a bit ragged, "Please, don't tell the others."
He chuckled softly, "I wouldn't dream of it." He patted her back as he loosened his hold, "But… I don't understand. Drow have darkvison, why are you afraid?"
She kept ahold of his hand but took a half step back so she wasn't smothering him, she knew he didn't like to be touched, "I don't. I was born with it but… there was an incident. I was stripped of my darkvison and that was used against me." She wished desperately to be able to see his face. She had caught the harsh inhale but couldn't tell what he was feeling.
"That's… how is that possible?"
"The sorcerers in Menzoberranzan do not hold any regard to the people they experiment on." She felt him squeeze her hand, "What I don't understand is how we survived the cave in. Are we in a bubble of rock?" She tried to feel around and met the wall of stone. Dragging her hand, she could feel it arched up into a perfect dome around them.
"My best guess is the parasites created some sort of psionic shield, born of our pure desperation to live." He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. He was back to his comfortable sassy self, except for his hold on her hand, which was more gentle than she thought he would ever be.
"So how do we get out of here?" She felt along the wall for any cracks or breaks.
"That is an excellent question. Do you have any kind of scroll or something to help us get out?" He reached for the pack on her back.
"Oh!" she felt him jump in surprise, "There is this one scroll we found in Moonrise!" She shrugged the pack off and handed it to him, then retook his hand, "Gale said it was a portal scroll, but I'm not sure how it works, or even if it will work."
"Wonderful, we can either stay here and you starve to death leaving me to waste away beside your corpse, or we put our faith in the ignorant bastard who put us here in the first place." He scoffed in annoyance.
"I say let's die trying to get out. I cannot stand the thought of dying in the dark." A shudder ran down her spine.
"Alright, if you say so." She could hear the strain in his voice. He place the parchment in her free hand, "The thing says concentrate on your destination."
She interlaced her fingers with his, "Before we possible lose ourselves into limbo… Thank you, Astarion. I meant it when I said we are friends. Turns out, you're a pretty good one." She felt him stiffen then relax and run his thumb over her wrist.
"You can save all that for when we get out. I will take I am pretty. Let's do this." She chuckled as they both gripped the scroll, "Wait, where are we concentrating on?"
"Uh, I was just going to say camp."
"Right. Camp. Good enough." They both fell silent as they concentrated. Magic began to flicker out of the scroll and pool on the floor beneath them. With the power of the spell, she could see him. He was looking straight into her eyes. The intense look in his eyes made her brows furrow. He leaned forward and crushed his lips to hers.
They fell through the magic and felt the weightlessness of being moved through space. She still held Astraion's hand as they felt their mass return. They unceremoniously fell to the ground, landing with a huff. Both groaned as they lay there.
They were immediately surrounded by the entire camp. Everyone rushing to see if they were alive. Gale fell to his knees and sighed in relief, "I haven't killed you after all." Astarion's nostrils flared, but before he could lay into him Ellandra sat up drug Astarion with her.
"You most certainly tried." She let go of his hand and dusted herself off, "No more indoor fireballs, Gale. I don't care if you ask how big the room is, NO FIREBALLS." Gale bowed his head in submission.
"Fair." He rose and slunk to his tent to sulk. It was his favorite spell.
The rest of the party dispersed to their areas. She watched as Astarion walked to his tent and followed him, "Don't think you get out of explaining yourself because we survived." She heard him sigh.
"You never let anything go do you?" He laid himself down on his bedroll and propped himself up on his elbow. She sat down beside him.
"No. One of my many flaws." He rolled his eyes.
"What flaws? Always talk as if you're perfect dearest. It's what I do." She smiled at him.
"I know I am not perfect." He squinted at her, looking as if he had something he wanted to say.
"You are to me." It was soft and very un-Astarion. Her breath caught.
"You just watched melt down in a cave." She felt her face grow hot and looked down.
He placed his hand on hers, "Everyone has something they are afraid of Ell. Just because we are friends right now, doesn't stop me from thinking the world of you. I might not be able to show my feelings, but that doesn't mean they aren't there. If I were going to die it was going to be with my lips on the only person I've ever truly loved. Friend or more." His expression was so open and vulnerable it almost made her tear up.
"Astarion…" She didn't know what to say. She loved him of course, but she had told him that he needed a friend more than a lover and right now that's all she wanted to be. To be wrapped up in him. She pushed it aside. He needed time to heal, "I love you. As a friend, and as more. You are such a better person than you think yourself to be."
He looked surprised. It took him a full minute to decide what to do next. He laid down and motioned for her to join him. They lay side by side and he held her hand, "Don't tell the others that. I have a reputation to uphold."
She giggled, "I wouldn't dream of it."