Author's Note: Apologies to all the Wyll fans out there, but he is not my cup of tea. Still, I'm going to try my best to keep him in character. Also, since there's so much to do in the Emerald Grove, it'll be split into at least two, if not three, parts.
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.
Chapter VI:
The Emerald Grove
Part I:
The Hollow
Ashaka's second night in Faerûn was just as fitful as the first, with her only gaining sleep in erratic intervals. Nonetheless, the githzerai found herself headed for the edge of the river located at the east side of camp with a couple of linens and one of the soap bars (of which Gale had provided last night after supper) in hand, and she was glad that she'd had the foresight to set up a torch here on the river shore.
Not far off from sunrise, she thought to herself as, after she'd set the linens down upon a medium-sized rock, she undressed and went about washing her clothes before she hung them up on a low branch to dry them out. I'll hopefully be done before then, though there's no telling when the others will wake.
The githzerai paused to unbind her hair, taking a moment to lightly comb through the long jet-black tresses with her fingers before she moved closer to the mouth of the nearby river, where she paused to wash off before returning to where she'd left her belongings. After taking a moment to wrap a small piece of linen around the soap bar she'd brought in order to keep a better grip on it, Ashaka proceeded to step into the river before wading out until the water was barely below her shoulders.
The monk had just begun lathering the soap over her arms when the sudden sound of someone stepping into the water caused her to freeze, and she was glad that she had her back towards the campsite's side of the river bank.
"Know that it's occupied," she blurted out as she wrapped her arms around herself out of reflex, fearing that the person entering the water behind her was Astarion or Gale, and she found herself wishing for a way to divide this section of the river into halves set aside for both genders, as it was with the baths she was accustomed to back home.
"I don't care," Lae'zel's voice came floating towards her, and Ashaka allowed herself to release the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding till that moment, though she remained tense. "There's enough room here for more than one person and I'd rather be finished bathing before those three awaken. Still, I was hoping for some damn privacy but, since you're here, I'll have to make do."
"I didn't expect anyone else to be awake this early," Ashaka admitted softly as she turned to glance at Lae'zel over her shoulder for a brief moment before quickly averting her gaze once again, "so, know that it was a kneejerk reaction for me, I'm sorry."
"As long as you keep your gaze averted, I don't care either way," Lae'zel replied nonchalantly.
"So you're not comfortable bathing with others," Ashaka assumed as she respectfully kept her back to the githyanki. "Know that I understand and that I will keep out of your way. I won't take much longer, I promise."
"You're half-correct in your assumption," Lae'zel confirmed, "I'm only comfortable bathing in the company of those I tolerate, which excludes you, zerai."
Both women fell into an awkward silence, then, and Ashaka resumed cleaning herself off, the sounds of splashing coming from nearby telling her that Lae'zel was doing the same. When the githzerai was working a layer of suds into her hair, however, she jerked her head back when an olive green hand suddenly appeared in front of her face.
"Soap," Lae'zel demanded, her voice sounding uncomfortably close to Ashaka's right ear and causing the githzerai's heartrate to quicken, "the human only had two bars, remember? So you and I have to share this one, which is unfortunate."
"I... I'm well aware," the monk replied, grimacing as she stumbled over her words a bit while she moved to place the soap bar against Lae'zel's palm. A small shiver lanced down Ashaka's spine when she felt Lae'zel's fingers lightly brushing against hers as they closed around the object, the smaller gith relinquishing her grip when she was certain that the githyanki had a secure hold on the soap bar. "Know that I'm pretty much finished... so... so I'll be out of your way in a few minutes."
With that said, Ashaka waded farther out until the water was past her shoulders and, after taking a deep breath, the monk submerged herself completely before she vigorously rubbed her hands through her hair in order to clean out the layer of suds she'd worked into the long locks a few moments prior.
She resurfaced for breath and ran her fingers through her hair, making sure that it was completely clean and, satisfied that she'd gotten rid of all the suds, she wrung the access water out of the long tresses before she turned and, careful to keep her gaze averted from Lae'zel, Ashaka began to wade towards the shore.
"What I wouldn't give for a proper bathhouse," she murmured to herself, only to glare over at Lae'zel when the githyanki gave vent to a derisive snort. "Excuse me?"
"This happens to be the wilds of the Prime Material Plane, princess, not one of your fortress-citadels in Limbo where privacy exists."
"Know that if either of us is acting like so-called royalty, it's you," Ashaka pointed out, managing to keep her tone calm in spite of her annoyance at Lae'zel's current behavior; "furthermore, know that I clearly recall you lamenting the lack of privacy merely a few minutes prior, so there was no need to mock me for agreeing with your sentiment, albeit in my own words."
"Chk! Get out," the githwarrior snapped, pointing towards the riverbank, "before I break this damn truce and drown you."
"Better to die free than to live long enough to become ghaik," Ashaka countered, "so, know that you would be doing me a favor rather than ridding yourself of my presence."
She stood her ground when the githyanki growled and waded towards her, calmly meeting those fiery topaz eyes as she waited for Lae'zel to follow through with her threat - only for the githwarrior to instead throw a handful of water in the monk's face before the taller woman turned her back and returned to bathing.
Ashaka remained silent after this exchange, allowing herself a self-satisfied grin for a moment as she made her way back to where she'd left her linens on the rocks, pausing to cover herself just incase the others were to wake soon; before gathering her still damp clothes and moving farther down the bank in order to give Lae'zel the privacy she wanted.
There was just something oddly satisfying about turning that githyanki's own words against her whenever she deserved it but, Ashaka knew that despite Lae'zel's blustering, she wouldn't break the truce; as it meant the difference between finding a cure and becoming ghaik.
A fate Ashaka knew that neither she nor Lae'zel wanted.
"Githzerai bitch," Lae'zel grumbled as she lathered a layer of suds into her brownish-red hair though, in spite of herself, the githwarrior found herself stealing a glance when she heard Ashaka exiting the water, only looking away when the monk had covered herself. Lae'zel proceeded to finish bathing and, after looking around for any more unwanted company, she exited the river and dried herself off before sitting down on the rock that Ashaka's belongings had occupied previously.
As much as she hated to admit it, Lae'zel found Ashaka to be physically attractive... for a githzerai, anyway. That, and the monk's lack of fear towards her was something that Lae'zel begrudgingly respected, however, it amused her to learn that there was indeed a crack in Ashaka's mental armor, given how flustered the githzerai had been when Lae'zel had gotten close to her, having sensed the girl's quickened lifepulse and the hitch in her words as she'd stumbled over formulating a reply.
A shame she happened to hatch beneath the wrong Sky, Lae'zel thought, raising her topaz gaze to the Sea of Night above, where she sought out the Tears of Selûne before she tried to pick out the asteroid she knew housed Crèche K'liir. It was then that a thought rose to the surface of her mind, one so taboo that it should have repulsed her, however, Lae'zel found herself wondering what it would be like to take full advantage of the truce to lay with that githzerai. Still, it was far too early to act on such an impulse - especially one sparked by such forbidden curiosity so, for now, Lae'zel put the thought from her mind.
With sunrise on the horizon, the githyanki dressed herself before making her way to the middle of camp, where she took a seat on the fallen log and proceeded to keep watch for possible danger as the sky above brightened with the waking dawn, not bothering to say a thing when she heard Ashaka's light footfalls as the smaller gith, now fully dressed, passed through the middle of camp as she returned to her area of the campground.
Later that morning after a light breakfast, Ashaka, Lae'zel, Shadowheart and Astarion returned to the path outside of the temple where they'd met Withers. After following the road northwest from the ruins, distant cries soon came to them, carried upon the wind.
"Anyone else hear shouting up ahead?" Ashaka inquired, a feeling of unease washing over her as the group drew ever closer.
"Music to githyanki ears," Lae'zel commented, and the monk barely managed to hold back a sigh at the fighter's outright bloodthirsty tone.
"Stop, get down!" Ashaka hissed, ushering her companions behind the rock formation they'd come upon, before the githzerai cautiously peered around the edge.
She saw a trio of well-armed humans standing in front of a gate that was absolutely covered in ivy. From the sound of their voices, they sounded absolutely frantic, not helped that the figure atop the gate, one Ashaka recognized as a tiefling, was adamant on denying them entry. The githzerai's earlier unease turned to dread when the lead human made mention of goblins.
"You led them here!?" the tiefling cried, his voice carrying clear over to where the quartet were currently hidden. "Where is the archdruid!?"
"Know that the mercenaries weren't joking when they said that the goblin raiders were right behind them," Ashaka informed as she pointed, "look."
A low howl sounded before a large, quadrupedal beast leapt onto a rocky outcropping adjacent to the one where Ashaka and her companions were currently hiding. It was mostly hairless, save for the mane of bristly dark fur around its neck and shoulders, and the fur that lined the underside of its jaw. The monk blinked when she heard a soft whimper coming from Shadowheart, and Ashaka glanced over to see that the cleric's gaze was currently fixated upon the beast, her blue-green eyes wide in fear.
"Worg... they have a worg..."
"Then, you can cower here while the rest of us do battle, is'tark," Lae'zel sneered, having already drawn her greatsword and held it at the ready, infernal flames dancing and swirling over the blade.
"I, for one, am all for saving our own skins and getting the Hells out of here," Astarion grumbled, "but since you ladies insist on playing hero, I'll go along, but don't expect me to be happy about it."
"We stand and fight," Ashaka replied, drawing her war fan and snapping it open before she turned back to Shadowheart and whispered: "I understand that you're afraid. In knowing this, I won't let the beast hurt you."
The half-elf was shaking though, after a moment, she took a few deep breaths before drawing her mace and shield.
"I'm going to hold you to that," she muttered, "I... can't stand wolves or anything resembling such."
A cry for the gate to be opened caught Ashaka's attention and, when she looked back towards the currently sealed entrance, she saw one of the tieflings doing what they could to follow orders, only for two arrows to suddenly sink deep into his abdomen. A scream left the poor sod as he fell into a crumpled heap, his work undone as the gate rapidly fell. Though the trio of mercenaries managed to catch the gate before it closed fully, their combined strength wasn't nearly enough to hold it open before they had to relinquish their grip; the gate slamming shut as the three humans stumbled back.
In that moment, the goblinoids surged forward, only for one of them to be taken out by a greenish-black blast of magic before a shout drew Ashaka's gaze up to the top of the gate once again, where a dark-skinned man stood before he leapt down to land upon a large rock located at the base of the gate before drawing a rapier.
"Damnable roach!" he cried, parrying a strike from a goblin foolish enough to attack, the small creature's own weapon clattering to the dirt as he found himself unarmed. "Provoke the Blade..."
In a swift motion, the man stabbed his rapier deep into the goblin's chest, dark red blood coating the blade as he pulled it out and prepared to face down the rest of the pack.
"... and suffer its sting!"
"They're upon us," Lae'zel informed, an excited grin splitting her features as she rose to her feet and prepared to join the fray, "htak'a!"
Shadowheart clenched her teeth, a shiver running down her spine when the worg howled again and charged forward along with the goblinoids. Everything then exploded into chaos, and the cleric saw Ashaka leap onto an outcropping of rock adjacent to where their little group had been hiding before the githzerai made short work of a pair of goblin archers who'd sought to gain a vantage point there.
She then saw Astarion draw his shortbow and nock an arrow in place before the high elf stepped out from behind their hiding spot, a smirk creasing his features as he took aim and fired, a scream announcing that Astarion's arrow had hit its mark.
"Nothing to worry about, darling," he drawled, and Shadowheart couldn't help but roll her eyes at his sudden change of attitude, given how he'd been so keen on turning tail and running mere moments earlier before all Hells had broken loose.
You can do this, Shadowheart, you can do this...
She peered out, seeing that the worg had its attention elsewhere and, steeling herself, the cleric stepped out from behind the outcropping, halting to Astarion's immediate left before Shadowheart gestured, purple-blue magic coalescing around her hands before she pointed at one of the stragglers at the back of the pack.
"Incende!"
Purple-blue flames swirled around the unfortunate goblin, a shriek of pain leaving the small creature as it fell into a charred heap on the ground. Shadowheart's gaze fell upon the worg, then, and she hoped to Lady Shar that the beast wouldn't take notice of the commotion that had erupted behind it and come for her.
A sigh of relief left the raven-haired woman when she saw a human man summon green-black magic to his free hand, which he sent hurtling at the worg, a yelp of pain leaving the monster when the attack singed what little fur it even had. This new human then closed the distance between himself and the beast, aiming to keep it busy.
Laughter that could only be described as maniacal came to her ears, then, and Shadowheart saw Lae'zel practically hurl herself into the fray, the githyanki gleefully intercepting the worg when the beast charged at her, its teeth snapping as it attempted to bite the githwarrior. The fighter dodged the bite before she retaliated, the sound of metal biting into flesh as Lae'zel's fiery greatsword found its mark, though the monster remained standing.
A flash of blue-black from the corner of Shadowheart's eye caught her attention, and the half-elf turned to see Ashaka leap down from the rocky outcropping, the monk wasting no time in moving to assist Lae'zel. While the beast dodged a swipe from the githzerai's war fan, the dark-haired girl wasted no time in following up with a series of three rapid strikes, the monk's movements far too quick for Shadowheart's eyes to follow. Though the flurry of blows sent the worg crumpling to the ground, the beast growled as it staggered back to its feet, though it was beginning to show signs of weakness as it panted heavily, head held low.
The combined efforts of Astarion and two of the mercenaries were enough to slay the goblin who appeared to be leading the warband, with the rogue firing an arrow to finish the creature after the human had cleaved into it with his longsword while the second mercenary squared off with the bugbear. The lead merc then proceeded to make short work of the goblin hounding the archer woman who'd taken refuge up on the rocks, the goblinoid collapsing to the ground as a death rattle escaped its throat.
All that remained of the raiders by this point were the worg, the bugbear and a single goblin. The sound of an arrow flying through the air caught Shadowheart's attention, and she heard the worg yelp before it collapsed to the ground, a deep sigh of relief leaving the cleric when the beast grew still, an arrow protruding from the back of its skull from where it had been shot.
A surge of confidence filled her, then, and the half-elf ran closer to the fray, sliding to a halt near the two gith before she once again chanted, and she grimaced when the purple-blue flames she'd summoned around the bugbear did nothing.
The large goblinoid fell to the combined efforts of Lae'zel and Ashaka, and Shadowheart put her mace and shield away while her companions proceeded to sift through the bodies for anything useful.
"A brazen attack for such lowly creatures," Lae'zel observed, "they must have been seeking something - or someone."
In spite of herself, Shadowheart couldn't help but shudder at the last part of the githyanki's assumption, unable to help but wonder if the goblinoids were indeed after the artifact she carried. Her train of thought was interrupted, however, when the armored tiefling who'd helped during the fight ordered for the gate to be opened before ushering everyone inside.
As soon as the group had passed under the now raised gate, immediately, the sounds of two angry voices could be heard within earshot.
"There are children here, you idiot!" the armored tiefling snarled, ember-orange eyes narrowing.
"We were running for our lives," the sandy-blond human replied between breaths, and he stood his ground even as the tiefling leant in closer and snarled out:
"You led them straight to us. And you let them take the archdruid, too!? Unbelievable!"
Do natives of the Prime just like to argue or something? Ashaka asked herself as she and her companions approached, and the githzerai held back a sigh as she stepped in between both istik, hands raised in a placating gesture.
"Stop squealing like hatchlings, both of you," she scolded, her tone calm as she glanced between both men. "Now, take a step back and breathe. We're all still tense after what happened, so I understand that tempers will flare but, that doesn't mean we should turn against each other."
"What chewed you up and spit you out?" the human growled, glaring at her, "I've no time for your monastic bullshit."
"Show some respect," the tiefling snapped, his harsh gaze never leaving the mercenary. "This woman saved your pathetic life when she joined in the fray."
"Well, I didn't ask for any godsdamned help," the mercenary spat.
"Please... you were begging me to open the gate," the tiefling countered, sarcasm dripping from his tone. "Anything to save yourself, you coward."
G'lyck... Why can't people just keep their emotions under control for once? Ashaka thought, and she frowned when she noticed the human's eye twitch, his hands balling into tight fists at his sides. A soft sigh left the githzerai before she, in a quick motion, aimed and leveled a sharp right hook that connected with the mercanary's left temple. The strike knocked the man off his feet and flat onto his back, where he remained.
"Well, that is that, I suppose," the tiefling commented, his voice sounding a little more calm now that the problem had been dealt with.
"Know that he'll be out cold for a few hours," Ashaka replied, unable to help but shake her head in disappointment as she gazed down at the currently unconscious human. "Between the two of you, his temper was about to flare first. In knowing this, I needed to do something to keep things from escalating further."
"Still, I'm afraid that this is only one problem of many more. The goblins have found us. No doubt the beasts will be back, and with reinforcements. We need to pack up and leave: immediately."
With that, the armored tiefling turned and left to look over a wagon that was parked nearby.
I don't know why I even bothered, Ashaka thought, exhaling deeply through her nose as she closed her eyes, only to jerk in surprise when Lae'zel's voice sounded close to her left ear.
"A pitiful punch," the githyanki commented, and Ashaka could hear Lae'zel smirking as she continued: "Was that man made of paper? For once."
"Now that that's settled," Ashaka replied, choosing to ignore Lae'zel's attempted insult, "we can return to finding a healer."
She was about to turn and head down the path when the tiefling called for her to wait. Warily, Ashaka turned to face the armored devilkin as he approached.
He was clad in a set of what appeared to be scale mail armor, the metallic gray a stark contrast to his salmon-hued skintone. From the worry lines that creased his facial features, Ashaka figured that this man was middle-aged, his brownish-blond hair pulled back into a partial ponytail at the back of his head while the rest fell to stop at the nape of his neck.
"Now that I can think more coherently," the man said as he stopped a few paces in front of the young woman, "I wanted to thank you for your help out there and give a proper introduction. I'm Zevlor."
"Know that my name isn't important, but I am curious about this place," the monk replied, giving the tiefling she now knew as Zevlor one of her little bows. She arched a brow when the man suddenly turned and started to move off, only for him to pause before he beckoned for her to join him.
"He probably knows his way around here," Shadowheart stated as the little group began to move off after the tiefling, "so it wouldn't hurt to take a walk with him."
"To answer your question, this is a druid's grove, dedicated to the Oakfather, Silvanus," Zevlor explained once the githzerai had caught up and fallen into step at his left, though Ashaka heard the barest hint of a sigh within the man's voice with his next statement: "You'll find its keepers just as thorny, I fear. Whatever your business, I'd see to it quickly. Because of this latest attack, the druids are forcing everyone out."
"Why?"
"There have been several attacks by different monsters as of late, and the druids blame us 'outsiders' for drawing them here. Nobody's welcome any more. They've started a ritual to cut the grove off from the world outside." He paused to rub his eyes in order to recollect himself before continuing his explanation: "We can't stay, but we'll be slaughtered if we leave... Most of us are not well versed in the ways of combat, be it martial or magical."
"This ritual, is there no way to convince the druids to stop it?"
"I've tried but, Kagha, their new First Druid, won't even see me... You, though... I know it's not your business but, she owes you for saving this place. Perhaps you could persuade her... for more time to prepare if nothing else."
"Know that my companions and I have our own temporal concerns," Ashaka admitted, "we need a healer."
"Goblin got you? Halsin, the rightful archdruid, is a renowned healer but, as you saw, he didn't make it back from Aradin's expedition," Zevlor revealed, his tone grim. "If it's not too serious, however, you could see his apprentice, Nettie. She's with the other druids in the inner grove. They've withdrawn there to prepare this damned 'ritual' of theirs."
"Very well," Ashaka replied, though her tone was wary, "I'll find this Nettie, and I'll speak to Kagha as well."
"Really?" Astarion grumbled, "we're messengers now?"
"We'd owe you a great debt," Zevlor assured, ignoring the high elf's protest. "If we're forced to leave now, we won't make it to Baldur's Gate. Please, make them see sense before more lives are lost."
As the group walked on, Ashaka noticed that the surrounding greenery had begun to grow more sparse, and she canted her head lightly to one side when she saw that Zevlor had led them to a large cavern that had been hollowed out of the cliffside. Torches had been set up at intervals around the cavern to provide extra lighting, and the buzz of different conversations from the refugees came floating to the monk's ears in a cacophony of sound.
"Ah, here we are. This area is known as the Hollow," Zevlor informed as he came to a halt a few steps past the entrance, Ashaka and her companions following suit. "We don't have much to share, but feel free to rest here for a moment and recover your bearings."
And with that, the man gave a nod before he turned and made his way down a narrow pathway that led to the left side of the cavern.
"More teeth-lings," Lae'zel murmured as she slowly scanned the area, "if we find Zorru, maybe I'll forgive your willingness to be a messenger, zerai."
Ashaka remained silent, choosing not to respond to the githyanki's statement and merely giving a single nod before the group continued onward. Though some of the tieflings would nod in their direction and murmur their thanks, most kept out of the quartet's way as they made their way down the path, where sounds of combat soon came floating to them, though lacking the fierce shouting from earlier.
As she and her companions neared the sounds, Ashaka saw that a large section of the wooden walkway had been set aside as a training area, given the small number of training dummies that had been set up, though spaced far enough apart so trainees would have plenty of room to maneuver as they saw fit. Still, the githzerai found it downright odd that these training dummies lacked articulated limbs, and she couldn't help but wonder how people here in Faerûn could learn to predict incoming attacks if their practice targets couldn't hit back when struck.
A mental shrug was given as the monk scanned over the trainees, noting that all of them were tieflings. Still, in spite of how off the training dummies looked to her, Ashaka couldn't help but feel a sense of longing for her monastery back in Kara-Tur. She grit her teeth, pushing the negative feeling to the back of her mind where she once again locked it away.
Her eyes widened a bit when she caught sight of the dark-skinned human who, in spite of the bit of unneeded showboating he'd done, had aided in defending the grove from the goblinoid raiders.
"Elbows high," the man instructed as he calmly walked around observing the trainees, two of whom were children. "Now, pull back and swing."
Remaining silent, Ashaka drew closer, a small smile resting on her lips for a few seconds as she watched the human begin to spar with one of the children. As she observed, the man held out his rapier after telling the kid to give his best, and Ashaka lightly crossed her arms over her chest when the boy raised his shortsword and swung out in a horizontal arc, only to nearly lose the weapon when the man lightly raised his own blade to parry the strike. Ashaka heard Lae'zel snort in derision when the little tiefling stumbled back a few steps, though the githyanki remained silent otherwise.
"Not bad," the human praised before once again raising his rapier. "Again."
This time, the boy lunged forward, the ring of steel sounding throughout the training area as shortsword met rapier, and the child was once again thrown off balance when the human merely raised his weapon a second time. The tiefling stumbled forward a few steps, flinching a bit when the man gently smacked him across the back with the flat side of the weapon, the contact nearly causing the kid to fall forward, though he managed to catch himself.
"I can't do it," the child whimpered as he turned to face his instructor, "I'm not like you."
"Umi," the human soothed as he knelt down in front of the boy, his words causing the tiefling to slowly look up. "I don't need you to be like me. You just have to buy enough time to run. Come on, I believe in you. You can do this."
Sensei Murad used the same gentle manner of teaching, Ashaka thought to herself, a sad smile once again creasing her lips though, for a second time, she fought down the feeling of homesickness that threatened to overcome her. I can't help but remember when Oriza was struggling with basic forms and of how Murad was very patient with her.
The githzerai shook her head lightly, pushing the memory to the back of her mind before, with a soft sigh, she approached and stood a short distance away from the two before she added:
"It's good advice, child. You'd do well to listen."
The man glanced her way for a second, a thoughtful hum leaving him as he nodded and rose to his feet.
"You're on the right path, Umi," he added as he moved to sheath his rapier before pointing towards one of the training dummies. "Go on, now, practice what you've learned."
While the human's medium-brown skin was something Ashaka was unused to seeing, she pushed her curiosity to the back of her mind as she took a moment to study him. His black hair had been styled into cornrows and, at first, Ashaka thought he had heterochromia, given how his eyes were two different colors. On further observation, however, she soon realized that his right eye was artificial, given how it looked more glassy and less natural than his left. While he had appeared clean-shaven from a distance, Ashaka could now tell that this man instead had the beginnings of a goatee.
He was clad in a long tunic that reached down to where it stopped right above his knees, this article of clothing decorated in the front by a series of wide, vertical stripes that alternated between red, black and taupe, all with thin stripes that were sand in color placed in between them while, in the back (from what Ashaka had seen earlier) the tunic was all black. What could be seen underneath this tunic was a collared undershirt, beige in color, and the tunic was kept closed in front with a series of six small metal buckles. A pair of leather bracers covered his arms up to his biceps, with the section covering his forearms being medium brown in color and held in place by a series of three metal buckles while the section covering his biceps was a darker shade of brown. Lastly, he wore a pair of black cloth breeches and a pair of light brown boots that stopped right below his knees, the top half a shade of periwinkle blue.
Her observation done, Ashaka retained a neutral expression as the human fully turned his attention to her and approached.
"A githzerai? Well, now I've seen everything. It's not every day one sees your kind here on the Sword Coast, and willingly in the company of a githyanki no less," the man commented, his words causing Ashaka's eyes to widen at the fact that, unlike most istik she'd spoken to over the past two days, this person at least knew the difference between her own kin and Lae'zel's. "Well met, the Blade of Fronteirs at your ser-augh!"
It's happening again, the githzerai realized as a grimace twisted her features, and she raised a hand to one side of her head as she felt the larva stir, her mind twining with this human's as she saw through his good eye.
While she found it curious that he was half-blind, Ashaka noticed that this memory was taking place in Avernus of all planes. She felt this human running, dodging through swaths of battling devils and demons, his rapt attention focused on naught but the imposing figure of a tall, devilish woman with red-orange skin and a long, forked tail. Flames wreathed her form as she ran, a bloodstained great axe held over her head, and Ashaka took notice of a single curled horn protruding from the left side of her head.
"Hell's Great Fire," the man exclaimed after the memory had faded, "you were on the ship!"
"Aye, and we both carry parasites," Ashaka replied, her tone grim.
"Indeed - doomed to shed our skins and become illithid. Or so the stories go but, we haven't sprouted any tentacles... not yet, anyway. It could just be good luck or not- argh!"
Ashaka grit her teeth, annoyed that the larva in her mind was subjecting her to another of this man's memories. Or rather, it was a continuation of the previous one she'd witnessed:
The chase within the memory continued, and Ashaka could feel the man's confidence that the target he was pursuing was a war devil, a fiend extremely dangerous to the living, and evil incarnate. She heard the human hiss out a curse as this memory faded, and she saw him shake his head as he came to.
"Shit! You saw her... Advocatus Diaboli."
Devil's Advocate, Ashaka realized, the words making her recall one night in particular where, a couple of years ago, she'd stayed up late in her monastery's library after having gotten carried away on reading about different kinds of devils and other fiends in general. A champion of the Blood War, the eternal conflict between devils and demons.
"Do you know anything about her?"
"Her name is Karlach: an archdevil's soldier I swore on my good eye to kill," the man explained. "I tracked her through the wastes of Avernus to the mind flayer ship, but the damned illithids infested me before I could catch up to and end her. She's out there, now, preying on the innocent. If I don't kill her soon, she'll leave nothing but a trail of corpses in her wake."
"It seems we walk similar paths in regards to seeking a cure for this infestation within our minds," Ashaka replied, "in knowing this, it wouldn't hurt to join forces and, perhaps we'll encounter this Karlach."
"She's my main priority, as I am oathbound to slay her but, I won't lie, this parasite is proving to be bothersome. All right, I accept, however, I need to see to these trainees, so come back and let me know once you're ready to head out."
"Very well, I'll let you know and, if you finish before I return, know that I have a campsite near a split in the river that you're more than welcome to stay at in the meantime."
"By the way, call me Wyll," the man replied with a nod, a small smile creasing his features.
"Know that my name is not important," Ashaka stated, and though she didn't smile, she did return the nod, "but perhaps you will learn it in time."
"Secretive," Wyll observed before returning to overseeing the progress of the tiefling trainees, "I'd expect no less from a githzerai like yourself."
While Ashaka made a mental note to later ask Wyll how he knew of her kind, right now, one trainee in particular ended up catching her attention. A frown creased her lips for a moment as she headed down the short flight of stairs at the back of the walkway, her attention focused on a blond-haired tiefling man who, along with swinging away at a training dummy in a way that made him look more like he was flailing, he insisted on calling out every move he made which, in all honesty, made him sound utterly ridiculous.
I haven't called attacks since I was a small child, Ashaka thought as she stopped nearby and lightly crossed her arms over her chest.
"Tsk. This one is no warrior," Lae'zel observed, disdain in her voice, "they should just put him out of his misery. What's another mouth to feed if he's unable to pull his weight alongside the others? Even that child shows more promise than him."
"Know that I'd agree if he wasn't trying his hardest in spite of making himself look silly," Ashaka countered, "there may be hope for him yet."
"Go on, then," the githyanki hissed, annoyance in her tone, "waste your time. I'll be waiting to state 'I told you so' once you finish."
"Girls, seriously," Shadowheart interjected, "can you not argue in public? At least not to the extent where everyone in a ten foot radius can hear you, anyway."
"Oh, psht," Astarion countered, "if it gives them an outlet to vent, then there's no harm in letting them verbally joust. If you want my honest opinion, they should kiss and get it over with."
"You are seriously pushing your luck voicing that statement in earshot of me, kainyak," Lae'zel snarled, her voice holding an offended tone, "I'd sooner cut out my own tongue!"
Ashaka somehow managed to resist the urge to pinch the bridge of her nose at her companions' comments, though she shot Astarion a brief glare before she turned and approached the tiefling, who'd paused to wipe the sweat from his brow. He turned, only to yelp in surprise at seeing the githzerai, and Ashaka held back a sigh when the man began to gesture, his movements quick and erratic.
"Sorry! Sorry, I've never seen one of- er, I mean you're a githya-... Ah, I should get back to it."
Tas'ki... Not again...
"Know that you're going to stab yourself if you keep mishandling that weapon," Ashaka admonished before asking: "Having trouble?"
"Oh! Ah... Nothing but," the blond-haired tiefling muttered, "goblins in the wild out for blood and the druids here looking to kick us out. Or, worse... So, I need to be ready for a fight, but I'm useless with a sword..."
"Know that it's because you need discipline," Ashaka admonished, doing what she could to keep her tone gentle. "Focus. Fix your gaze to a point, then guide your strikes to it."
"Like this?" he asked, turning his attention back to the training dummy as he sank back into a rather poor excuse for a combat stance. He took a moment, waiting, before thrusting out with the shortsword he was holding. "Focus... Focus... Aaaand STRIKE!"
While his attack still missed the point on the body where he'd been aiming, the attempt had been much closer than his attempts a few minutes prior. Still, Ashaka couldn't help but lightly shake her head at his insistence at calling out every single move he was making.
"Ha-ha, yes!" he exclaimed, a wide smile plastered on his face as he turned back to the monk. "You really know what you're doing!"
"One strike means nothing," Ashaka replied, recalling one of the basic lessons she'd learned from her late father back during her early childhood. "Keep training, and you may not embarrass yourself in battle."
"Er... I'll suffer embarrassment," he replied, sounding a bit more confident than he had moments ago, "as long as I survive. I just hope the druids won't make that harder than it is already. I'll keep at it, though, thank you."
"One last thing," Ashaka chided, raising a hand to lightly shake her index finger at him for emphasis, "don't call out your attacks like that. It spoils the surprise for your foe."
"Oh! Yes. I'll bite my tongue when the time comes," the man promised, smiling before he once again returned to the task at hand.
Ashaka allowed herself to give a nod of approval in a manner similar to how her late father would give non-verbal praise to Ashaka and Lezalin when both girls did particularly well during a lesson, a faint smile appearing on her lips for a fleeting second before it was gone. She stayed for a bit to observe, content to note that the tiefling's strikes had improved significantly as she saw him finally score a few hits on his intended target.
Satisfied, the githzerai turned to lock eyes with Lae'zel, unable to help the smirk that wormed its way onto the monk's lips when she saw the githyanki sigh and give a nod of resignation as if to say 'Fine, you proved me wrong, zerai. Happy!?'
Remaining silent, Ashaka and her companions turned and headed down the last fight of stairs that led back down to the ground, and she caught sight of a lone tiefling man standing near a short ramp that led up to a small shack.
"There," Lae'zel growled, "that must be him."
"Zech, Lae'zel," Ashaka called, only for the githwarrior to ignore her as she approached the tiefling she suspected to be Zorru, confirmed when he stiffened and backed up against the wall of the shack. Muttering a curse to herself in her native tongue, the githzerai followed, pausing where she was out of Lae'zel's way but close enough to intervene if the need arose.
"B-by Mordai's eyes," Zorru stammered, fear in his voice as he did what he could to merge with the wall behind him, "more of them... W-was my friend's blood n-not enough? Come to rip me open, too?"
Ashaka reached out to set a gentle hand on Zorru's shoulder, barely able to keep from frowning when she felt that he was shaking, his fearful gaze trained squarely on Lae'zel as she glowered at him, arms crossed over her chest.
"In Crèche K'liir, a formal greeting begins with a bow."
Peace, the githzerai thought, doing what she could to pacify Zorru so he wouldn't flee, know that I won't let her hurt you.
She felt him relax, though only slightly, before the poor tiefling did as he was ordered, and only then did Ashaka pull her hand away when she saw that he wasn't going to bolt.
"Lower," Lae'zel snapped and Ashaka forced herself to remain silent, nodding when Zorru turned his gaze to her for a fleeting moment. The man lowered himself to his knees, turning his attention from Ashaka to focus intently on the ground in front of him.
"You saw other githyanki," the fighter growled, her tone hard. "Where."
"O-on the r-road to Baldur's Gate... N-near the m-mountain pass... S-saw us b-before we s-saw them... One... jammed its blade through Yul's belly - straight to the other side..."
"No twisting?" Lae'zel asked, disappointment lacing her tone in a way that made Ashaka look at her in disgust, though the githzerai wisely looked back down towards Zorru before the githyanki could take notice. "Kin must've been in a hurry. The map. Show me."
Zorru flinched visibly when Lae'zel set the map she had with her on the ground in front of him, and her eyes narrowed dangerously when the tiefling fumbled to pull a piece of charcoal from the small box he'd pulled from his breeches pocket. His hands were shaking as he drew an 'X' on the map where he'd last seen the githyanki he'd spoken of, and he flinched away when Lae'zel rudely snatched it back, folded it and returned it to where she'd previously had it hidden inside her breastplate.
"You can keep your innards," she snapped as Zorru slowly rose to his feet, his gaze remaining fastened to the ground.
"Ah, you're not going to eviscerate him?" Astarion grumbled, disappointment apparent in his tone before he glanced at his fingernails. "I was hoping for a show."
"Cool your blood," the fighter scolded, turning her white-hot glare to the pale elf, "I'll indulge you soon enough."
Ashaka finally allowed herself to frown when Zorru took the opportunity to flee, knowing that the brief feeling of calm she'd granted him had worn off. Her thoughts were interrupted when Ashaka felt Lae'zel clamp a hand down on her left shoulder, the githzerai keeping her expression neutral as she turned her head to meet the githyanki's harsh gaze before the fighter pulled her hand away.
"The locals prove compliant," Lae'zel stated smugly, and Ashaka noticed that she sounded a fair bit calmer than she had over the past two days. "A useful trait."
"I warned you, didn't I?" Shadowheart snapped, blue-green eyes narrowing dangerously as she glared in the githyanki's direction, though her words were instead directed at Ashaka. "You'd do to reconsider keeping her around before she causes real trouble."
"Stop this," Ashaka warned, turning to fix the half-elf with a look stern enough to cause the wood on the shack behind them to splinter. "You told me that we need each other, right? Given your attitude, perhaps you would do well to heed your own words for once."
"Fine. But don't come crawling to me when you wake up to her crouched over you with a dagger to your throat."
And with that, Shadowheart turned on her heel and stalked angrily back down the path.
"Aaand the word of the day is 'hypocrite'," Astarion stated as he set his hands on his hips with an exaggerated shake of his head, "I'll go fetch her but, you'll owe me for this."
And, with that, the rogue turned to head back down the path after Shadowheart.
Ashaka grimaced, raising a hand to pinch the bridge of her nose as, once again, she wondered how in the Hells she ended up stuck in the role of hatchlingsitter.
"Istik," Lae'zel sighed, "if they didn't prove useful, I'd say we just leave and ditch them."
"I'd almost be inclined to agree," Ashaka admitted, raking her hand through her hair before allowing it to fall back to her side, "but neither of us know this plane well enough without needing the aid of a guide."
"Unfortunately, you're correct in that statement."
"So... What comes next?" the githzerai asked as she turned her attention to Lae'zel as Ashaka willed herself to calm down.
"The teeth-ling was clear: if there are githyanki west of here, that must be our objective. Purification cannot wait."
"I'm inclined to agree, though I believe the correct pronunciation is tiefling."
She was barely able to hold back a smirk when Lae'zel gave a rather exaggerated eyeroll.
"I am unfamiliar with the, well, I shall not say 'culture' - custom perhaps."
"Know that I am unsure of this protocol you speak of," Ashaka admitted, and she saw Lae'zel's smug expression return, knowing that the githwarrior was looking forward to lording information over her. "What does 'purification' entail?"
"Of course you wouldn't be, zerai," Lae'zel replied, the mocking tone in her voice making Ashaka set her jaw. "The crèche holds the zaith'isk, it will cleanse us of the parasite. By Vlaakith's covenant, I know little more."
"I see," Ashaka murmured softly, though something about what Lae'zel had shared felt off to the monk. None of the githyanki she knew from Snowblind Monastery had ever made mention of there being a cure to prevent ceremorphosis outside of merciful death for the one infested. Furthermore, her own kin never made mention of possessing such a cure themselves, either. In spite of this, Ashaka couldn't help but hold on to a sliver of hope that what Lae'zel had told her was true.
"I have a question of my own for you," Lae'zel said, her words halting Ashaka's train of thought before the monk turned her attention back to the githwarrior.
"What is it?"
"I noticed that, when you touched his shoulder, the tiefling seemed to calm down," Lae'zel revealed, and Ashaka noticed that her tone held a hint of curiosity. "How is this possible?"
"I can't really explain it," the githzerai admitted, raising her hand to stare down at it for a moment, "but know that it's something that manifested shortly after I left the City of Doors. Know that it only influences someone to remain or become passive if I initiate even minor physical contact with them, as I did with Zorru when I'd set my hand on his shoulder. It helped me to keep my fellow students back at the monastery from fighting whenever they would have arguments, though it didn't work all the time."
"How curious," the githyanki murmured, her tone thoughtful, "from my studies, I learned that those who remain in a plane not of their origin for an extended amount of time could manifest abilities not common amongst their kind but, I've never seen it for myself till now. How long were you in Sigil?"
"Know that I lived there for a year with my adoptive father before we left for Toril," Ashaka explained, her tone softening at the painful memory. "He... left me in the care of the monks at Snowblind Monastery in the Kara-Turan country of Tabot... and I haven't seen nor heard from him since."
"In most circumstances, I'd look down on such an ability," Lae'zel replied, her thoughtful tone coupled with her next statement helping Ashaka to feel a little better. "Yet, yours proved to be a boon in keeping him from fleeing until after we'd gained what information we needed, so we're now one step closer to purification."
"Know that I'm glad to have helped, even if just a little," Ashaka murmured quietly, allowing herself to favor Lae'zel with a small smile before the githzerai turned to follow after Astarion, only to stop and turn to face Lae'zel when she felt the githwarrior firmly grasp her by the right forearm.
"In regards to what you shared about your... adoptive father," Lae'zel assured, her unusually gentle tone catching Ashaka completely off-guard. "I know nothing of such bonds but, while there may be a reason why he left you behind, that doesn't mean he wanted to."
"I..." the githzerai trailed off, her eyes slowly closing as she fought back the emotions that were trying to claw their way to the surface. She swallowed, unable to speak, and she swore that she felt the githyanki give her forearm a gentle squeeze, though she wasn't completely certain.
"Ladies~ Come on, let's get these errands done and over with already!" Astarion's voice came floating back to them, and Ashaka felt Lae'zel quickly release her forearm with an accompanying sigh.
"While obnoxious at times, he does have a point," the fighter added, exasperation erasing the gentle tone she held previously. "Come, the sooner we finish here, the sooner we can be purified."
"Indeed," the monk agreed, unable to help the small smile that once again creased her lips in spite of herself as she allowed herself a single thought that she decided to keep silent:
Thank you, Lae'zel.
Nothing more needed to be said, a comfortable silence falling over both gith for once as they made their way back down the path in order to catch up to their companions.
Gith to Common Translations
Is'tark - Loosely translated to mean 'weakling'.
Secondary Author's Note: In regards to how Ashaka was able to calm Zorru until Lae'zel's interrogation finished, it's an ability from the 5e Planescape module called Pacifying Touch, which is known by the githzerai uniter. When I came across this stat block in Morte's Planar Parade, I knew that it was perfect for Ashaka given her overall personality. With that said, though, I won't write her using such an ability unless it's absolutely necessary, so it won't be coming up too often.