Author's Note: To those who read the original version of this story, I apologize for removing it completely, but too many things were happening at the time and I'd decided to wait for the full release to continue writing which turned out to be a mistake because, as of now, to say that I am very angry at Larian Studios for not including playable githzerai would be an understatement. In spite of my negative feelings, my boyfriend talked me into revising and reposting this story in hopes that it will serve as an outlet for me to vent and to help me feel a little better, however, since the game's launch, I was quite unmotivated. I won't lie: I will always have a love/hate relationship with this game, and I will never like or trust Larian Studios, but I will always have the faintest sliver of hope that, one day, githzerai will be playable. Until then, I have to rely on my boyfriend's playthroughs to get the overall gist of the game's story.
As with the original version of this story, I will do my best to keep everyone as in character as I can. That said, hopefully people will find my attempt as novelizing this game enjoyable in spite of my current problem with it. Chapter one has not been revised save for a few minor tweaks here and there, however, since Ashaka and her best friend are the only two present, so nothing really needed changing.
As always, Baldur's Gate III is © to Larian Studios, the setting for the Forgotten Realms campaign is © to Ed Greenwood and Dungeons & Dragons et al are © to Wizards of the Coast. However, Ashaka, other characters and certain plot points are of my own creation. If you don't recognize something from the game proper, than it's probably mine.
Special thanks goes out to my beta reader, CatSnievans, you're the best!
Summary: After being spirited away from her home in Kara-Tur, a githzerai monk finds herself lost upon the Sword Coast of Faerûn. In order to find a cure for the illithid larva within her mind, she must learn to trust those who share her plight. Eventual Lae'zel/PC romance. F/F.
Warnings: Headcanon, violence, language, OCs, spoilers for the game.
See Into the Mirror
Chapter I:
Abduction
Early morning bathed the mountainous Tabotan landscape within its bright rays, causing the freshly fallen snow from the previous night's storm to gleam. This natural display of beauty went unnoticed by a pair of figures, however, as they carefully made their way through the mountain pass towards the large valley that lay in the distance.
Both were tightly bundled up in black overcoats made from yak wool, and the figure who trailed behind slightly would periodically stop to look back and make sure that they weren't being followed before once again continuing on after his companion. The one in the lead carried a wooden quarterstaff though, for the time being, the weapon was being used as a walking stick.
"Is being out here this early really worth investigating the reports of missing livestock herders, Ashaka?" The first figure asked softly, mindful to keep his voice down out of caution for the ever-present possibility of an avalanche. "Seriously. You've done some pretty stupid things in the time I've known you, but this has got to be the worst."
"In knowing that it's the herders who trade with our monastery, yes," Ashaka replied, halting in her stride before she turned to address her friend. While most of her features were concealed by the hood of her overcoat, as well as by the jade green scarf she wore around her neck, what could be seen of her pale golden-yellow skin and the light cluster of small black spots around her pale gray eyes marked her as a gith. "Go back home if you're worried about our teachers finding out, Sha'kar, but know that I won't follow. Know that I'm going to learn what happened to them and then maybe we can get a proper search party together."
"Which is what we should be doing in the first place," Sha'kar grumbled under his breath as the young woman turned and began to move off, "I swear, you have more than enough stubbornness to keep the monastery's lamps lit for an entire year if not longer."
"Know that I'll take that as a compliment," Ashaka replied, turning to look back over her shoulder for a few seconds, a twinkle of amusement held within her gaze.
"Tch! You would," the young man replied with a roll of his light topaz eyes, though a small smile accompanied the gesture. At the end of the pass, the pair slowed their pace, Ashaka using her quarterstaff to help her keep her balance in the thick snow as the students continued into the valley; snow crunching beneath their boots with each step taken.
The village that the livestock herders stayed in during the brief growing season was located upon the western edge of the valley, however, there were no bleats from the sheep and goats as the students drew closer, nor could they hear the deeper bellows of the yaks. The silence made cause for unease, and both monks opted for crouching as they crept forward, stopping only when the fair-sized cluster of huts and the nearby fencing of the paddock came into view. The livestock were all there but, they were huddled close together and that was when the pair noticed the large shadow that hung over the village like a dark cloud.
In unison, both Ashaka and Sha'kar trained their gazes upward, and both students froze in fear when they saw the massive ship hovering above.
The large, spiraled shell was unmistakable, along with the long squid-like cluster of tentacles that protruded out of the front of the main body of the vessel and both gith slowly turned to look at each other for a moment before turning their attention back to the ship when the cold realization dawned upon them:
Mind flayers were in Tabot.
"...I think we now know what became of them," Ashaka muttered grimly, unable to pull her attention from the nightmare hovering above the village.
"Asha, this is bad. We need to go back and warn everyone so a proper rrakkma can be formed to deal with the ghaik."
A nod was all that was given in reply, and both students turned to make their way back out of the valley, neither of them noticing that a pair of the giant tentacles had moved until they heard the tell-tale whistling of air. Ashaka lost her grip on her quarterstaff, the weapon falling to the snow-covered ground as both gith broke out into a panicked run. The snow hampered their movement, however, and Sha'kar heard Ashaka call for him to keep going and give warning to the others. Sha'kar heard his fellow student cry out and the young man looked back to see Ashaka's slender form disappear in a wisp of dark smoke upon contact with the first tentacle.
Damn it! Ashaka...
Sha'kar cursed in his native tongue when he saw the second tentacle close in, its unnerving visage rushing forward to meet him before he, too, was enveloped by darkness.
Tas'ki... that wasn't fun.
Sha'kar grimaced, his eyes opening to bleary vision that slowly began to clear as the young man took a slow breath in order to gather his bearings. Blinking, he glanced about in momentary confusion before his mind snapped back to reality, and the monk glanced down to find that he was currently held within a restraining pod, its black rib-like bars holding him fast, though he noticed that there was a little leverage when he would attempt to move a certain way.
This one's faulty. Good. Break free, grab Ashaka and get out. I'll only have one shot at this. If I fail, then we're as good as dead.
With that thought, Sha'kar took a deep breath to steel himself before he began to thrash against the restraints. He was able to work his right arm free before he had to pause for a moment to recollect himself, a string of curses slipping past clenched teeth as he forced himself to exert every ounce of strength to force the restraints open.
The monk allowed himself to expel the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding when he heard the soles of his boots touch the floor, and the young man glanced about, his eyes widening in both relief and worry when he saw Ashaka held within the pod to his immediate left, though his friend was currently incapacitated.
"Ashaka," he hissed as he moved towards the girl, "Asha, wake up! We have to get out of here now!"
"Mm... Sha? What happened?"
"We're on the gh'ath, Asha. The ghaik captured us," Sha'kar explained as he glanced over the restraints that held his fellow student in place. "These should give way if enough force is applied..."
Another string of curses left him when the restraints held fast and refused to budge, and he saw the young woman's eyes widen, though she remained silent. Something was wrong, or the githzerai happened to be trapped within a pod that was, unfortunately, in working order. Either way, Sha'kar was forced to pause for breath, and the githyanki raised a gloved hand to wipe the perspiration from his brow before he pulled his hood back, revealing a messy mane of russet hair that fell about his shoulders, obscuring most of his long, pointed ears.
"Can you move at all?" he asked, scowling as he once again checked the pod for weaknesses. The rib-cage like device continued to hold fast when he tried to pry one of the bars loose for a second time and he barely fought down the urge to kick the damn thing out of rising frustration.
"No. Sha, don't waste your time on me, get out and get help."
"It'll be too late by then. I'm not leaving you behind."
"Zech! What about her?"
"Her?" Sha'kar blinked in confusion before he turned to follow the other monk's pale gray gaze, his own falling upon a another gith woman, of whom was currently incapacitated and trapped within a restraining pod located across the circular chamber from Ashaka's. From what could be seen of her, the woman was clad within an ornately decorated chestpiece, of which Sha'kar recognized as being worn by githyanki warriors.
"We'll bring her with us, I promise," he assured after a moment of hesitation, before returning to the task at hand. "Chk! Come on you piece of-"
Sha'kar's curse was cut off when he suddenly felt himself being forced to hold still, his arms pinned to his sides, and the last image he saw was of Ashaka staring at him in silent horror before his vision became completely obscured by a writhing mass of tentacles. Then, there was the crunching of bone coupled with excruciating pain as he felt the back of his skull being torn apart before his vision faded and darkened for the final time.
Ashaka remained frozen in fear, eyes wide even as the mind flayer psionically threw Sha'kar's body aside as if it were a mere ragdoll. The aberration stared at her for a long moment, orange eyes narrowing before it turned and floated towards a circular structure located in the middle of the room, which opened with a wave of the creature's hand.
It turned its attention to the pod that contained the githyanki woman, the bars near her head silently commanded to part. Movement came from her as she stirred, and Ashaka watched with ever-growing dread as the mind flayer dipped a hand into the circular structure, keeping it in there for a moment before retracting it, and Ashaka saw it holding something that made her blood run cold:
A mind flayer larva.
The aberration placed the larva onto the palm of its other hand before it levitated towards the other gith, who tried to lean back as the mind flayer extended its hand towards her face. Ashaka's breath seized when she saw the other woman try to struggle, and she flinched when she heard the githyanki cry out as the larva crawled through her eye.
Again, the creature returned to the structure and reached inside before it pulled out a second larva, the mind flayer's orange gaze boring into Ashaka's as it turned to face her before it glided closer. Grimacing, the monk turned her head, and she fought against the creature's psychic pull though only for a few seconds as she felt herself forced to look back as the mind flayer waved a hand, using its psionic power to keep the githzerai restrained.
She clenched her teeth, her breathing erratic when the aberration reached towards her face, bringing the larva ever closer until it managed to grasp onto her left eyelids with its tiny tentacles, and she screamed when it crawled through her eye and into her head. Ashaka shuddered when the mind flayer released its psychic hold on her, and she lowered her gaze down to focus upon Sha'kar's body as the creature turned and left the room.
Kaincha... This is all my fault. Sha'kar, my dear friend... I should have listened... I'm so sorry...
Gith to Common Translations
Ghaik - A mind flayer, mortal enemies of both gith factions.
Gh'ath - A nautiloid, also used for spelljamming ships in general.
Kaincha - An expression of dismay, regret, or other similar feelings.
Tas'ki - A general expression conveying annoyance.
Zech! - Wait!