Startled by a sudden and thunderous rumbling, she awoke from her slumber in a daze, her senses slowly coming to life as she tentatively opened her eyes to the unfamiliar surroundings. The air, tinged with an odd scent, rushed into her lungs as her pod hissed and creaked, finally releasing her from its grasp. With a sharp cough, she regained her composure and rose swiftly, her heart pounding with a mix of fear and curiosity.
As her eyes adjusted to the dim light, she surveyed her surroundings, taking in the sterile metallic walls that enclosed her. Her hand instinctively went to her eye, a dull ache reminding her of the fragmented memories of an attack that felt too recent. With a deep breath, she summoned her strength, pushing past the remnants of fear that threatened to hold her back from venturing on.
Emerging from the confining pod, she stood upright, her heart pounding loudly against her chest. Her unsteady movements betrayed her, with each stride, she felt a surge of adrenaline, propelling her forward.
Startled by a sudden noise from behind, she instinctively leaped in surprise. However, when she swiftly turned around to investigate the source of the sound, she discovered that it was merely her pod closing shut once more. Odd.
As she slowly turned around once more, she found herself standing in the belly of a dark and eerie ship. The surroundings, cloaked in an otherworldly ambiance, were bathed in an enchanting palette of deep purples, casting an almost mystical glow when lit by the vessel in the middle of the room. Pods, similar to the one she had awoken in, were scattered about, but she didn't see any faces stuck in them and presumed she was perhaps the last to escape.
Her eyes were drawn to a large, gaping hole on the side of the ship, revealing the twisted metal and charred remnants of what had once been a sturdy vessel. Flames danced dangerously close to her pod, their flickering glow providing a chilling clue as to why it had unceremoniously released her.
"Ouch..." She uttered, cradling her head in agony as a sharp, pulsating pain reverberated through her skull. The throbbing ache seemed to echo with each beat of her heart, leaving her feeling disoriented.
She stumbled forward, reaching out to grasp the pool at the center of the room for support. Glancing into its depths, she witnessed an eerie glow emanating from within. Along the edges of the pool, lifeless tadpoles scattered, while the pool itself held only a mere trickle of water.
This was the very pool from which the parasite had emerged, now writhing behind her eye. As she peered closer, a loud gurggle echoed, causing her to instinctively step back. Just in time, the pool erupted, scattering particles of dust in every direction. She shielded her mouth, desperately trying to avoid inhaling any, as the creatures within the pool screeched in pain before the room once again fell silent save from the sound of the crackling fire.
After the dust in the room subsided, she pressed on, only to spot a lifeless figure sprawled on the ground at the staircase. Hastening towards it, she recognised one of those creatures that fascinated her. With a closer look, she reveled in its motionless state, finding a peculiar satisfaction in its complete stillness.
"Good." She spat, her eyes narrowed as she turned away from it.
Upon closer examination of the ground, she noticed luminescent arrows, intricately etched into the floor. They seemed to guide her towards an arterial doorway, its intricate carvings vaguely jogging her memory of the mind flayer's emergence. The sight of it reminded her of the inner workings of a living body, a sight that sent a shiver down her spine but also fueled her curiosity.
As she approached the door, she couldn't help but ponder how those mind-flaying bastards had managed to open it in the first place. Were there others like her who had been confined in this twisted labyrinth? Were they still trapped, unable to escape from their pod-like prisons?
Reluctantly, she extended her hand and gently pushed against the door, causing it to swing open in a circular motion. The creaking sound echoed through the empty room as the door granted her unrestricted exit. Taking a deep breath, she stepped into the next room, her eyes quickly scanning her surroundings.
Suddenly, a faint voice pierced the silence, echoing through the chamber. "Here..."
Startled by the sudden noise, she glanced upwards, her heart pounding in her chest. But to her surprise, there was no one in sight. She suspected that someone might be trapped, their voice a desperate plea for help. Without hesitation, she hurried towards the platform above, her agile fingers finding firm footholds on the rough walls as she scaled her way towards the unknown.
Heaving herself onto the platform, she rushed towards the noise.
"We are trapped."
"I'm coming!" She yelled.
As she hurried towards the source of the commotion, her heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity. She caught sight of a man seated on what appeared to be an ancient, weathered throne, as if it had been ripped out of a long-lost kingdom. The contorted position of his neck suggested lifelessness, sending a chill down her spine. Dressed solely in tattered shorts, marked with fresh bloodstains, his body adorned with scattered splotches of crimson.
Approaching cautiously, she couldn't help but notice the eerie silence that surrounded the scene. The voice she heard, faint and trembling, seemed to come from a child, but here she only saw a man. As she drew nearer, her footsteps muffled by the overgrown grass, his body unexpectedly convulsed, a ripple of movement that sent shivers down her spine, causing her to startle in both fear and surprise.
"Hello?" She asked, not expecting an answer.
As she turned around, uncertain of what had initially drawn her attention to the man's back, she felt a chill run down her spine. Slowly, her eyes widened in horror as she caught sight of his exposed brain, glistening under the dim streetlight. The intricate folds and delicate veins seemed to pulsate with an eerie glow. Trembling, she could hardly comprehend the gruesome sight before her, her mind racing to make sense of the inexplicable. The mixture of fear and curiosity overwhelmed her, leaving her paralyzed in both terror and fascination.
"You!" The brain quivered. "You've come to save us from this place, from this place you'll free us! Please, before they return!"
She took a closer look at the brain, before looking up at the man. "Who am I talking to - man or brain?"
"A newborn." It said, it's voice lulling. "Born new from this husk."
She looked down on it with disgust. 'An intellect devourer, a minion of the mind flayers.'
With intense anger, she pierced her fingernails into the brain, squeezing and pulling and twisting. The brain attempted to make pained noises, as if trying to deceive her into thinking that she were hurting the man it had been born from. She refused to fall for it. It finally hissed and screamed at her as it exuded its final moments alive.
She made a disgusted face, wrinkling her nose, as she quickly and carefully shook her hands free from the sticky mixture of blood and cerebrospinal fluid that had oozed onto her fingers. The thick, crimson liquid clung to her skin, leaving a faint residue as she wiped her hands on her clothes. With a slight shudder, she turned away, trying to put the unsettling sight behind her.
As she turned towards the blinding light, her heart raced with a mix of fear and curiosity. To her horror, she noticed a wide, gaping hole on her right, a grotesque entrance into a world of chaos and ruin. The jagged opening exposed a grim scene of destruction, with walls reduced to rubble and beams teetering on the brink of collapse.
She descended to the debris-strewn floor, her footsteps echoing through the desolate space. With a sense of urgency, she hurriedly made her way towards the exit.
Stepping into the open air, a wave of relief and apprehension engulfed her. The outside world stood in stark contrast to the confinement she had just left behind, a world vastly different from the lush green landscapes she had grown accustomed to prior to being here.
Her eyes darted around, searching for signs of life or any semblance of safety. A majestic dragon gracefully soared overhead, its powerful wings cutting through the air with ease. The sheer grandeur of the creature left her momentarily awestruck, causing her to lose her footing and stumble.
Regaining her balance, she surveyed her surroundings once more, her eyes darting from one corner to another, desperately searching for a safe escape from the engulfed vessel. The acrid scent of smoke filled the air, making it difficult to breathe as the flames licked at the edges of her vision.
Suddenly, a noise caught her attention from behind. As she turned, all she glimpsed was a glimmer of silver above her, a fleeting reflection of light. Swiftly redirecting her focus, she beheld an armored woman descending from the heavens, her armor gleaming with a radiantly. With each step, the ground trembled beneath her feet, as if acknowledging her presence. In her hands, she wielded a longsword, its blade crafted with intricate engravings that seemed to tell tales of battles fought and won. The armored woman exuded an air of confidence and determination, her eyes piercing through the smoke-filled air. With her right hand positioned below the guard, ready to strike, and her left hand firmly grasping the pommel, she poised herself with a sickening smile on her face.
"Abomination." She hissed. "This is your end."
Before she could even begin to defend herself, Aniyelah felt a sudden and intense throbbing in her head, as if her brain was being jolted by an invisible force. At the same time, a tingling sensation spread across her skin, like a thousand tiny pinpricks of electricity. As she closed her eyes, the darkness behind her eyelids transformed into a vivid canvas of swirling colors and shapes.
In this surreal vision, a colossal dragon's majestic wing swooped nearby, casting a mesmerizing shadow. A gleaming silver sword threateningly pointed in the direction of someone in front of her.
As the vision continued to unfold, Aniyelah caught a fleeting glimpse of her own face, but it was different - distorted, as if perceived through the mysterious woman's eyes.
Aniyelah's eyes fluttered open once more, mirroring the concern etched on the face of the woman before her who seemed to have witnessed the same unsettling sight.
"My head...what is happening...?" The woman clutched her chest, as if she were in pain. "Tsk'va. You are no thrall - Vlaakith blesses me this day!" She shieths her weapon back onto her back. "Together, we might survive."
"We need to get out of here quickly." Aniyelah mentioned. "What do you suggest?"
Looking at the woman, she could tell she were a natural fighter, she could be trusted for sure. The githyanki warrior turned her attention down the bath, and while Aniyelah's gaze followed hers; she grimaced at the sight of two red bodied demons fiesting on a body below.
"First, we exterminate the imps. Then we find the helm and take control of the ship." She said. "We will address the matter of a cure for this infection once we reach the material plane."
The githyanki hurried forward, with Aniyelah close on her heels. Suddenly, the githyanki stopped and bent down to retrieve something from the ground. Regaining her balance, she turned to face Aniyelah and tossed the object in her direction. Aniyelah effortlessly caught it, and upon closer inspection, she realized it was a bow.
"Use this, and get ready." The woman said, before turning towards the imps and unsheithing her sword. "Htak'a!"
The imps, upon realising they were there, looked towards them, and looked up to the sky to scream out, as if alerting all in the room to attack.
"Shit." Aniyelah exclaimed.
"We must leave this place," the Gith woman exclaimed, forcefully dispatching an imp that lunged at her. With a swift motion, she impaled it with her sword. "We should not linger."
As the woman swiftly advanced, her sword poised to strike down another imp, Aniyelah conjured a shimmering arrow of pure magic onto her bow. With unwavering focus, she drew back the string, feeling the tension building, as she brought the bow close to her face. With a graceful release, the arrow soared through the air, guided by her precise aim, and found its mark, piercing the chest of the imp that was charging relentlessly towards the woman. The imp stumbled, its momentum halted, as it shrieked in pain and confusion, until it fell to the ground and it's heart stopped beating.
The woman looked back at Aniyelah as if she were impressed. "You prove to be surprisingly adequate in battle. Now, to the helm."
Getting anywhere wouldn't be easy, Aniyelah looked downwards on the steps that the woman had fought on, coming to the realisation that large chunks of the floor had fallen away, and the woman was walking in the direction as if it were the only way to get to the helm. What was left of the flooring didn't look stable enough for them to get across.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Aniyelah asked.
"Unless you wish to stay here," The gith woman spoke as if she didn't care. "Be my guest."
Aniyelah observed with wide eyes as the woman effortlessly traversed the treacherous terrain. With each step, she displayed a graceful agility that seemed almost easy. Meanwhile, Aniyelah herself cautiously leaned forward, extending her hands ever so slightly to maintain her balance. The wind, relentless in its pursuit, intensified its efforts to disrupt her stability, tugging at her clothes and tousling her hair. Just as she felt her footing slipping away, the woman firmly grasped Aniyelah's wrist, her grip unyielding, and forcefully pulled her forward.
The woman rolled her eyes. "Honestly."
"Sorry." Aniyelah said, now rushing forward with her. The only way up seemed to be climbing arterial mesh which she tried to take to immediately.
"The ship won't take another dragon attack, we need to get out before it's too late." The woman mentioned, climbing up the mesh much faster than Aniyelah.
Aniyelah narrowly avoided the body of a thrall as she stepped up onto the platform, before watching the gith climb up taller mesh. "Are you sure this is the way?"
"Don't question it," the woman called after her, not halting for a second. "Githyanki have slain ghaik since before you were born."
Aniyelah scoffed. "I'm an elf, so how many hundreds of years are we talking about here?"
As Aniyelah climbed higher, the wind fiercely tugged at her, but she held onto the mesh with a firm grip, despite the unpleasant sensation between her hands. Moving upward led them to another hallway, adorned with a doorway similar to the one she had opened earlier. Aniyelah felt relieved as the gith woman hurried over to unlock it. At least one of them showed initiative especially since Aniyelah kind of hoped she would never have to touch one again.
The room that they entered kind of resembled the room that Aniyelah woke up in, pods spread around the room, but corpses lay in the middle of the room with their brains exposed however unmoving or much rather, not talking. In front of them lay a control panel with various buttons and before Aniyelah had the chance to run over and touch them, the woman grabbed a hold of her arm.
"Istik - back! Touch nothing without knowing its purpose." She warned. "We need to find the helm now."
"There's a door in front of us, and a door to the right of us, which do we try first?" Aniyelah asked, turning to her.
"We try the middle, hopefully we are in the right direction." The woman mentioned.
As Aniyelah went to run past a pod, she was startled by a loud thud, upon looking to her right, she sees a woman trapped inside the pod.
"You!" She yelled, banging on the glass. "Get me out of this damn thing!"
The gith turned, having ran up ahead before she noticed Aniyelah wasn't following. "Come on, we have no time for stragglers." She hissed, eyes widening as she noticed the woman inside the pod.
Aniyelah instead looked around the pod attempting to find a way for it to open, before the woman inside said, "Try that contraption just next to the pod - they did something to it when they sealed me in."
Aniyelah rushed over to the contraption and observed it, revealing a large key hole. She attempted to press the key hole, but the pod hadn't burst to life when she did so. She sighed a little at being unsuccessful.
"We can't leave her like that," Aniyelah said, looking back at the gith. "We have to find a way to free her."
"This ship is crashing." The gith said angrily. "Do you intend on dying for a stranger?"
Aniyelah hesitated for a moment before looking back at the woman in the pod, determined to free her. "No matter what happens, I will get her out of this pod." She declared.
"Keep looking." The woman begged, her expression saddened as she continued to attempt to thrash against the pod.
"Shit, shit." Aniyelah said, running forward. "Where the fuck is it?"
Suddenly, her head went into excruciating pain once again, her vision blurred until she found herself laying on a platform, tentacles on her face writhing as she took her last breath. The last memory she saw was her taking the piece for the console before exiting to the room ahead of her.
As her vision cleared once again, the gith turned to her. "Did you see something again?"
"Follow me!" Aniyelah shouted, dashing off ahead, running up the steps and pressing to open the doorway.
The room that they entered now only held the one pod, it was exactly as she had seen it in her memory. There was two steps leading up the back, and a mind flayer laying dead on the ground.
'This is the mind flayer who's memories I saw.' She thought, before bending down and searching it's body. Touching it repulsed her, just the feeling of their soft and slimy skin set her off.
She rejoicing when she found something on its person that resembled the slot to open the pod in the other room. Dashing back downstairs and through the doorway again, and towards the console, she didn't have time to guess which button opened which before she leaned over to press something, but a loud screaching sounded in her head. It was like the worst headache of her life.
Then discomfort fades finally, and another sensation washes over her. Connection?
Authority.
As if something commanding her not to release the woman.
It was as if she was hearing the console itself scream at her. 'Open this pod, now.' she thought. Eventually feeling as if was yielding to her.
Hearing a noise, the pod next to her opens with steam flushing out of it, the woman trapped inside proceeded to stand up, but fell out onto the ground. Aniyelah rushed over to her to get her up from the floor.
"At last, I thought I was done for." As Aniyelah helped her to her feed, the woman looked at her greatfully. "I thought that damn thing was going to be my coffin. Thank you-"
Overwhelmed once more, Aniyelah's mind swam. A surge of gratitude washed over her, swiftly followed by a tinge of caution. The image of the gith woman's face flickered through her thoughts before the headache receded.
"You keep dangerous company." The black haired woman said, gritting her teeth as she looks between Aniyelah and the gith.
Aniyelah looked at the gith woman, a look of annoyance was on her face as she crossed her arms over her chest, clearly annoyed by the way this conversation was headed.
"Dangerous company is what you need in a fight." Aniyelah mentioned, before stepping forward. "But did you not feel that just now? We were in each other's heads."
The woman gave a disgusted expression. "I did. It must be because of those parasites they put in us...That will have to wait. I need to get off this ship alive first. Let me come with you. We can get off this ship, and watch each other's backs along the way."
Aniyelah nodded in agreement. "Let's get going then, I'm Aniyelah."
The woman smiled. "Shadowheart, one moment..."
Shadowheart turned and pulled out a strange device from her pod and inspected it before she put it in her pocket.
"What's that?" Aniyelah asked.
"It's nothing, trust me." Shadowheart explained.
"Enough of this chatter." Aniyelah looked towards the gith woman who had spoken. "We need to get the to helm - now."
"She's right," Shadowheart agreed. "Lead on."
"It's not much further now," The gith said. "Once inside, do as I say."
Aniyelah and Shadowheart looked at each other, then Shadowheart challenged. "who put you in charge? I'll trust my own judgement."
"Kainyank," the gith hissed.
As they ran to the other doorway, entering through it, they entered a much smaller room, on the right, another hallway with a door. Aniyelah sighed, she didn't know how many more of these doors she could take looking at or going through.
As they entered through the doorway, a loud rumble could be heard from inside the room. The three of them ran to the top of the staircase. They watched as many creatures battled to the death. A man with horns who's face was wrapped with the tentacles of a mindflayer struggled as the mind flayer brought him closer, taking a bite out of the back of his head before twisting his head off.
Aniyelah's hand fluttered to her mouth, in shock by what she was seeing, before her hand was slapped down by the gith woman.
The mind flayer turned to them, before pointing to the helm. "Thrall, connect the nerves of the transponder. We must escape. Now."
The gith woman turned to Aniyelah and Shadowheart. "Let's do it, we will deal with the ghaik after we escape. Impact is imminent, we must get to the helm or we will die. Try to avoid fights where possible."
With the gith leading the way, they cautiously descended the dimly lit stairs, their weapons held tightly in their hands, ready to face any creatures that may dare cross their path. Aniyelah, her heart pounding in her chest, cast a quick glance back at her companions, admiring their skill and precision as they dispatched the surrounding creatures flawlessly.
Suddenly, a high-pitched shriek pierced the air, causing Aniyelah to instinctively turn her attention forward. Before her stood an imp, its menacing eyes locked onto her, ready to strike. In a split second, Aniyelah's hand reached for her bow, but before she could draw it, the imp's wicked claws snatched it from her grasp, sending it flying across the room, out of reach. Panic surged through her as the imp closed in, its malevolent grin widening.
Caught off guard, Aniyelah stumbled backward, her legs giving way beneath her, and she crashed onto the cold floor.
Shadowheart swiftly swung her gleaming sword, its blade slicing through the air with precision. The imp let out a shriek of pain as the sword pierced its body, vanquishing the threat that had loomed over Aniyelah.
Shadowheart held out a hand which Aniyelah took quickly, and was pulled quickly to her feet with ease.
"Thank you." Aniyelah said.
"You're welcome." Shadowheart smiled, turning back around to face towards the helm. The mind flayer whom they smoke with before was fighting a massive entity, and they best steer clear away from them.
"There's another way there." the gith woman pointed towards another set of steps at the other side of where the two were battling away, making quick work to run past them so they weren't seen. "Okay, cover me, I've going for the transponder!"
Aniyelah looked at the enemies surrounding them, thinking of a way to distract them as the gith and Shadowheart blazed ahead. If she had her flute, she may have been able to distract the enemies. But she had to do something, so with putting her hand to her chest she begun to sing.
In the land of legends, where darkness sings,
A call to arms, a battle of kings.
Beneath the moonlight, our destinies align,
Heroes arise, ready to incline.
Shadowheart's piercing gaze shifted from Aniyelah to the chaotic battlefield, where the mesmerizing captivation of the creatures caught her attention. A mixture of awe and trepidation washed over her as she observed their otherworldly display.
With a resolute expression etched on her face, Shadowheart locked eyes with the Gith woman, her voice commanding yet filled with urgency, "Go, now!"
Without a moment's hesitation, the gith woman swiftly dashed towards the transponder, each step echoing with a sense of purpose.
Gather your allies, stand side by side,
In Baldur's Gate, our spirits can shine.
Through trials and battles, we'll rise above,
Together we conquer, in the name of love.
Shadowheart, after lifting her blade from one of the creatures on the ground, observed the front of the helm worriedly as she watched a dragon soar past.
"Tsk'va! We need to hurry, before they strike!" The gith shouted back.
Shadowheart turned ever so slightly, to look at a singing Aniyelah. Alone in the midst of the battle, she stood her ground and continued singing despite the chaos around her.
Through ancient ruins and forgotten lore,
We seek adventure and the gore.
With hearts ablaze, we face the night,
Unyielding strength, shining so bright.
Gather your allies-
The gith, with determined steps, cautiously approached the transponder. As she reached out hesitating for a brief moment before firmly grasping the slimy nerves. With swift movements, she connected them, feeling a surge of energy beneath her fingertips.
Meanwhile, perched majestically atop the ship's front, the dragon observed the unfolding scene with keen interest. Its piercing eyes narrowed as it peered into the opening, assessing the situation. With a deep breath, the dragon exhaled a torrent of scorching flames, engulfing the transponder in a fiery blast. The nerves, once vibrant and pulsating, now appeared charred and weakened, trembling as if on the verge of collapse.
As the ship began to tilt slowly to one side, every one on board desperately clung to anything within their reach. The sudden shift in weight caused a chaotic cascade of bodies sliding towards the back, only to be propelled forcefully back towards the helm as the ship settled. Amidst the chaos, the gith woman refused to yield, her fingers tightly gripping the transponder panel. Determination etched on her face, she mustered all her strength, attempting to lift herself up to reach the damaged nerves.
With each passing moment, the fate of the ship hung in the balance, and the gith woman's resolve grew stronger. She knew that her actions could mean the difference between survival and catastrophe. Sweat glistened on her brow as she strained against the force of which they were plummeting, refusing to give in to despair.
The ship materialized through a swirling portal, crackling with wild sparks that illuminated the darkened surroundings. Aniyelah found herself struggling to regain her balance on the unsteady deck. However, her efforts proved futile as the force of the ship's sudden appearance sent her hurtling through the air, her back colliding with the helm in a painful impact. With a mixture of fear and desperation, she opened her eyes and looked outside, only to be met with the grim realization that the ship's fate was sealed. As her life hung in the balance, Aniyelah braced herself for the uncertain and perilous journey that lay ahead.
To her left, in the eerie glow of the moonlight, she locked eyes with a menacing mind flayer, its gaze piercing through her very soul. The creature watched her intently, its tentacles writhing with an air of malevolence.
Suddenly, out of the darkness, a mysterious object hurtled from the ship above, propelled by an unknown force. It struck Aniyelah's head with a resounding thud, causing her to cry out in a startled "oof" of pain.
The impact sent her spiraling away from the vessel, her body tumbling through the air, helpless and vulnerable, hurtling towards the abyss of her imminent demise.