The lights from the city made the interior of the car occasionally glow, illuminating Astarion's face and white hair out of the corner of my eye. He hadn't looked at me yet, which I wasn't sure if that was a good sign or not. Probably not, since I had upset both of us at the party.

In my few glances at Astarion, he was turned away from me, looking at the lights and people walking around at night. The only words he said were to criticize the number of people out at night, which seemed odd to me given his nature of preying on people during late hours.

I knew I was judging and maybe it was from the alcohol, but it wasn't something I was willing to ignore. I hadn't known Astarion for that long, but I already felt feelings for him in a way that a normal person shouldn't.

Who suddenly gains feelings for someone only after a week? Seriously, that was a recipe for disaster. Was it some empty part of me looking to fill a void, or was this serious? I suppose this wasn't the time to consider it. After all, I was still frustrated with Astarion. But even then, it didn't feel fair. Who was I to judge after centuries of torture? Who was I to judge after someone like him had gone through all of that shit?

Knowing me, I'd screw and manipulate my way to another world too if given the chance to escape this Cazador.

Guilt began to sink into the deepest parts of my chest. By the time we arrived back at the apartment, I could barely hold it in. As we walked through the front door, I admitted, "I'm sorry for what I said, by the way."

Shutting the door behind me, I tried to play it cool, as if I wasn't drowning in my feelings of idiocy and regret. Of course, Astarion's past still bothered me, but I had no right to stop him from continuing his ways. My feelings be damned. If it was who he was, I shouldn't stop him.

Astarion slipped off his jacket and set it down on the back of the couch, leaning on it with one hand, the other on his hip as he turned to face me. Sarge trotted up behind and sniffed him, then me, before sitting down on the couch, looking at us expectantly to join him.

The elf (I forget sometimes he is one) across from me shut his eyes for a moment before speaking, but responded, "As much as it pains me to admit this, you are a complexity in my life that I have never had to account for before."

Hm. I'd never been called a 'complexity' before.

Looking away, he continued, "I don't know what this is, or how to deal with it given our worlds are not particularly at arms' reach. And you're right," Astarion looked at me directly with an affirmed kind of sadness, "I am manipulative. It is who I am and that will probably never change to some extent."

I tried not to let my sinking heart drag me down through the floor. But he kept going.

"But you are not someone I wish to make a victim out of those habits. It is true that on our first encounter, you were the easiest person to gain from. But now," he took a cautious step forward, "I feel something has changed."

On the couch, Sarge flopped on his side, disappointed we weren't joining him. For a moment, I wanted to join him and just go to bed, makeup and dress be damned. This was building to something either disastrous, or something I'm not sure I wanted to handle. I figured he'd start screaming at me or something after I apologized. That's what I was used to. But instead, he was communicating how he felt, which wasn't pissed off or agitated at me. How refreshing.

"What's changed?" I asked, trying to keep my head on straight. Was this his way of telling me that he liked me? (I know, I sounded like I was still in high school.)

Astarion made a frustrated huffing sound. "I'm not entirely sure. You…intrigue me. And are quite unlike any human I've ever met."

He took another step forward as he confessed, "And if I'm being honest, I feel more for you than friendship. I feel…" he considered the word momentarily, then said, barely above a whisper, "the desire for a more intimate companionship with you."

He was only arm's length away from me. But I'd never felt safer in my life.

"And while your words hurt, they only reminded me that my past is an unpleasantry even to myself. They reminded me that perhaps, with the right company, I could be better. Or at least, die trying." Astarion grabbed my hand gently, looking down at it as if he'd just discovered a new element. If it was love, I suppose he had, in some ways.

My heart was racing. To say this was a shock was the understatement of the year. My legs felt slightly wobbly again, but there was no bear trying to kill me. Just a red-eyed, pale vampire elf, who just told me he wants to be more than friends.

Part of me felt like running away. Call it PTSD or some negative reaction to any kind of positive emotional feedback, but I fast-forwarded to the arguments and disagreements, wondering what those would feel like. Would he push me down the stairs too? Would he return to his world without me one night, and never return, just to spite me?

And the other part of me was screaming 'fuck it, just kiss him' like a broken sped-up record.

Instead what came out was my insecurity, because damn my entire brain for prying its way to the forefront of my vocal cords. "So…you're not upset with me about what I said earlier?"

Astarion chuckled, his breath brushing my fingers as he massaged them, "Not anymore. I think if it were me, I'd feel the same," he affirmed. Then he looked right at me. I could feel his gaze, like the sun, bearing down on me, suddenly a little demanding.

He asked, "What are you feeling?"

I could feel my jaw tightening and my stomach filling with so many butterflies, I thought I might burst open. (Wouldn't that be morbid? Bloody butterflies flopping with blood-soaked wings in my apartment.) The 'fuck it' and 'you're doomed' meter was tipping back and forth wildly, like a broken scale, about to fall off the table.

But I risked looking up into his eyes.

And it was there that I found my answer.

"So you're telling me that it's impossible?" Gale asked Seledra, all three of them standing behind her tent.

In Baldur's Gate, the Circus of the Last Days was hardly busy. Few people were about, save for kids running around with face paint. The trio had just arrived, and easily found Seledra conjuring small elementals for the same kids, who were being chased by a harmless cat made of water.

She wore a long, formal robe that reminded Gale of the sun, the golden tassels on her sleeves contrasting her dark, greying hair, which was half tucked behind her pointed ears. She had sparking eye makeup on but didn't need it, as her high elf complexion preserved a natural beauty few could compare to.

That, and an air of annoyance at the less competent or strong-minded.

"That is what I just said if you were listening. How did you three find me anyway?" Seledra inquired with a deep frown that made her cheekbones appear sharper than a dagger.

In the background, Shadowheart could hear kids playing with the water elemental cat. She tried not to smile at their laughs. Instead, she started, "Kosef told us-", but she was interrupted with a loud scowl.

"Of course that bumbling fool. It is his fault that Zedaar -" Seledra cut herself off and took a deep breath, regaining her composure, her violet eyes raging with a fire that Gale guessed few would survive from if faced in combat. He shifted his weight, wondering if he should have been better prepared for the conversation.

They had hustled to return to Baldur's Gate, taking teleportation shortcuts throughout. While the journey was adventurous, it was tainted with the notion that Astarion may be suffering with every moment they weren't trying to find him. To say the group had been tense was an understatement.

"Well, no use trying to hide anything if he sent you. But it's a lost cause, whatever it is that you want." She snarled though Shadowheart detected a solemness behind her words. She tried not to lose her patience, they'd come all this way and Seledra was proving to be very much against their very presence.

"He said you could teleport us to our friend on another material plane." Karlach blurted before Gale or Shadowheart could conjure a neutral response. Karlach shrugged at them, her tail swishing in anxiety and restlessness.

They were racing against the clock, and Karlach was at her wits' end. If Seledra didn't want to cooperate, maybe she had to be convinced in less favorable ways. But Karlach didn't want to think about that. There had to be another method. After all, she knew what it was like to do someone else's bidding and the thought of forcing that on someone else made her engine churn hotter than hell.

Seledra froze her gaze on them, her eyes darting between all three in attentive anger. For a second, no one was sure what she was feeling.

Eventually, after what felt like a full minute, she seethed quietly, "Oh, is that what he told you? Did he also tell you that it can obliterate you and the caster to the hells if you slip up in even the slightest, or lose focus for a split second? Or that this power is something I have not thought of doing in decades for such risks?"

Gale countered, "No, he didn't tell us any of that, but you have to underst-"

Seledra spoke low but she interrupted Gale with the bitterness of an arrow dipped in venom, "No, you must understand this. What you ask is impossible. And even if it were, I would never risk my life for such an idiotic request based on no real-"

"He's our friend!" Karlach pushed past Shadowheart and Gale, heat radiated from her like a blazing fireplace on two legs.

Seledra was caught off guard by both the heat and sudden advance, reaching behind for her dagger. But Karlach held up her hands and looked at Seledra, pleading with a desperate look in her eyes as she said, "Look, I know we're just a bunch of randoms asking a lot with little in it for you. Hells, with nothing in it for you. But our friend is out there somewhere, maybe suffering, maybe lost and if we don't get him back, then…," Karlach felt a tear start to fall, but she held it back with a choke, "I don't know if I can deal with the guilt of not trying for him. I don't got long to live anyways, so if there's a life in question, then just tell me what to do, and I'll do it."

Seledra stared at Karlach first in surprise but then softened. Seledra's gaze held a firmness as she replied with a sigh, "That's…noble of you. Truly. But, it's not that simple."

Shadowheart gently added, "Then help us understand, or let us help find a solution. Maybe there's a way we can share the burden of this kind of magic. Please."

Seledra looked between all three of the travelers, wondering what kind of friend this was. But she sensed no malice, no lies, only truth. There was a shared air of desperation, and exhaustion, but not idiocy.

The master conjurer thought of her friend, Isolde, from long ago, who had perished in a mighty battle to contain the biggest bully and asshole she knew: Zedaar. But before that, she remembered them both as what they would always be in her heart: her friends. Even Kosef. She'd never admit it, but she was thrilled to hear that he was still alive after all these years.

Though whether she forgave him was another thing entirely. But to have the chance to bring her friend back from potentially the dead, knowing they might still be alive? She'd take that chance in a heartbeat. And the world would be damned if anyone got in her way.

Seledra took a deep breath and shut her eyes to organize her thoughts. She recalled some magical items that she and a fellow master conjurer crafted long ago for this kind of purpose, and she knew they sat in her home, collecting dust. She eyed the three, wondering if they could stomach the power. They were going to have to, and they seemed willing to regardless.

"There might be a way to share the burden of this kind of material teleportation. But I'm not sure, as I haven't attempted this kind of 'magical sharing' myself. But if it were to work, there is great danger and many unknowns." Seledra sat on a nearby stump, pinching the bridge of her nose.

The group let her continue. "For one, I can get you near your friend, but as far as getting back? I have no method of knowing when you'd require my help, or how to ensure you return here, in Faerun."

Gale gently pulled the necklaces out of the inner pockets of his robe and said, "Well, we seem to have that taken care of."

Seledra looked up and her face cycled through sadness, recognition, joy, and anger in one moment before she said, "Kosef, that sneaky little man. I should have known," she looked distant for a moment before adding, "Perhaps if we'd stayed friends, we could have accomplished so much more."

"He said that if we wore these, it creates a link when teleporting, so to speak," Gale explained.

Seledra stood up and took a pendant in her hands. Gale relinquished it cautiously, afraid she'd damage it. But between her gentle movements, he caught admiration in her eyes, and he let his hesitation go in an instant. She studied the shining pendant in the sun, the opal's sparkles dancing off of her fair skin and dress, even in the broad daylight.

She smiled. It was a small smile, but it was filled with a longing only an old friend could bring about. "Kosef is indeed as powerful as the day we met." She handed the necklace back to Gale, who pocketed them carefully as she continued, "I have no doubt those will work. But," she returned to frowning, "It's still dangerous. Even if we do this, there is no guarantee you or your friend will make it there and back in one piece. You must understand this."

Seledra's words rang with a finality that should have made everyone dread Gale's response, but instead, he declared, "We do. Let's get our friend back."

Karlach exclaimed, "Fuck yes."

She pulled Astarion closer and reached up to kiss him, his hand delicately around her cheek. He felt like a bottle of Alchemist's Fire had exploded in him, a rippling wave of something new, something fully arresting that both shocked and excited him to his core.

This wasn't the same high as killing, nor was it from consuming blood. And it wasn't the same as raw magical power. The sensation was akin to being set ablaze and born anew within an instant, over and over again, but without the pain.

Something deep within the pale elf churned, set in motion to never stop. He couldn't quite place it, but it felt like something in his entire being wanted to reach out and grab Blue and never let go. The desire to love, protect, and want all of her for her now was excruciating, intoxicating, and frightened him.

Was this normal? Is this what…possessing someone was like? He thought, fearful this was a step closer to someone like Cazador.

He pulled away, suddenly, the curious thought paralyzing him. Blue opened her eyes and looked up at him, her dark brown eyes searching his for a reason as to why he had grown stiff.

"What? I'm pretty sure I brushed my teeth this morning." She joked, smirking with newfound fondness in her eyes. Her heart was racing faster than his and he ached to return to the kiss, her scent filling his nose with a pleasantness he almost felt guilty for feeling.

"It's…nothing. I just…I feel…like I want to protect you. To have you as mine, forever. And…that feels…wrong, in some ways," Astarion shut his eyes in painful recollection of how he felt under Cazador's power, "Like Cazador possessing all of us…I do not want you to feel like that, nor do I want to feel anything of the sort." Astarion looked down at Blue with a worried frown, holding her close, fearful she would turn away at his words, realizing at last that he was a monster, possessive of anything he wished to claim as his.

Instead, she threw her head back and laughed so hard that Sarge jumped from the couch and tried to squeeze between them. Astarion fully let go, reluctantly, only to let Blue continue giggling.

The vampire was shocked. Was this how people rejected each other? He'd been laughed out of a room before by many, but this didn't feel like the same sting. Preparing for his heart to feel a world of hurt, Astarion braced himself for her response.

But Blue smiled at him incredulously. "Astarion," she started, wiping her eyes, "that guy was a vampire lord. Scratch that. A psycho lord who has a psycho addiction to eating and possessing people like smoking a pack a day is to a human. He's literally so far up his ass and nothing like you." She spoke the words as if she were stating the sky was blue.

She continued, "From what you've told me and what I've seen, the only similarity is that you can both consume blood. But that guy is never going to know love or friendship. But you have two-in-one in that manner. And that makes you more powerful than he'll ever be." Blue grabbed Astarion's hand again, which wrapped around her waist like it was second nature.

Astarion's heart fluttered at her words, relief pooling into him. She was right. Maybe not about the power part, but he understood what she was trying to say.

"My god, if I had met you in my world, nothing would stand a chance against us." Though Astarion spoke the words, he knew Cazador could. But he let those feelings go for the moment. They were worlds apart and Astarion wouldn't have shed many tears if it were to remain so.

He leaned down to kiss Blue once more, allowing more of himself to embrace her as someone he truly, wholly cared for. His hands ran across her back as he held her face close to his, inhaling the smell of her hair, skin, and blood. Part of him wanted to stay like this forever, the fires in his chest raging. He wondered if Karlach felt like this all the time. If she did, it was a consuming sensation that for once, he refused to resist.

He felt something wriggle between him and Blue again. Blue pulled away this time, laughing. She looked down at Sarge, but Astarion kept his eyes on Blue. The hair around her face, the way the dress hugged her curves, and her petite shoulders. He watched her bend down and laugh at Sarge, murmuring in a way that one spoke to a child.

He finally glanced at Sarge, slightly annoyed at the dog's interference with his euphoria. But, admittedly, he was cute. The German Shepherd lolled his pink tongue out at Astarion as he stood up to lick Astarion's hand.

"How…disgusting," he grimaced, his hand covered in dog slobber. Sarge tilted his head, his tail wagging as he looked from Blue to the vampire spawn. New friend.

Blue looked at Astarion, a shine in her eyes that wasn't there before. She said, "OK, while I would love to make out with you on every piece of furniture in this apartment, I need to change out of this costume and wash this gunk off my face." She leaned up to give the vampire spawn a kiss on his cheek, then trotted upstairs to her bedroom, leaving the door open only slightly.

Astarion ran a hand through his hair. Gods, of course, I fall in love with someone quite literally from another planet… He thought with astounding clarity. This felt so unprecedented. It had barely been a week and here he was, feeling like he'd move mountains for this human (and maybe her dog).

He'd spent centuries feeling almost nothing but simple fondness for the certain company of others. While he felt attached to his friends to some degree, he wasn't against accepting that they were in the past. Seemingly they were, and his heart ached for it. He knew he wasn't done grieving that yet. But in place of it was something much more fulfilling and exciting: Blue. This was a new start. Hell, even his tadpole felt mostly dormant and lacked its usual invasiveness. Maybe this world had a way to surgically remove it.

Even if his time were limited, it suddenly felt like a weak blip of a problem compared to what he felt. He was a vampire spawn, he would survive it. He'd been blasted to bits, tortured, poisoned, burned, infected, imprisoned, and cast out. A tadpole was nothing. With Blue now in his company and heart, everything pretending to be an obstacle amounted to nothing.

In his mind, this was what a true ascension must feel like. And it didn't bother him.

Seledra's home was more elegant and tidy than Kosef's. Upon stepping in, Shadowheart felt a clarity in her mind that was, at the very least, refreshing.

As if reading her thoughts, Seledra commented, "That's just a temporary blessing I have for when I return, and for company. Being at a circus all day can be exhausting, especially with children. They can be quite nasty, you know."

Shadowheart, Gale, and Karlach followed the master conjurer through her front door, past her living rooms and study area. Shadowheart commented, "I've always had a fondness for children. They mean well, most of the time."

Seledra laughed, but it was not of bitterness. "Yes, they do. It is a simple act to please and entertain them."

They followed Seledra to an upstairs open area, to what looked like an open space for, oddly enough, teleporting. There was a space surrounded by books, a shelf with various potions, and a display case with artifacts on display, some of them glowing. A tall window illuminated the area nicely, and chairs were up against the wall as if to observe the space.

Seledra's home was accented with mahogany furniture and brass candles, paintings of various landscapes, and people around her home. The staircase was beautifully carved, the handles worn from what felt like centuries of use.

"This is my parent's home. It is a proud heirloom in itself." Seledra explained as they observed the display case and books.

"I'd advise not touching anything, as you might turn into something unpleasant. But if you are willing to wait for just a moment, I can change into something more tactical and explain how I believe we can approach this." Seledra gestured to the space with a graceful hand. She was more relaxed, almost warm.

"And if you need refreshments, please just ask or help yourself in the kitchen downstairs. I will return shortly." With a nod, Seledra glided to her bedroom across the upper floor, opening massive double doors, where a comfortable-looking bed and more windows could be glimpsed before she shut it.

Gale sat down and exhaled, running a hand over his face. Karlach and Shadowheart looked out the window, a vast forest and creek sprawling outwards into the horizon. Her home wasn't that far from the city, but it felt like a retreat from the business of Baldur's Gate. A safe house, even.

The trio welcomed it, but Gale said, "I'm exhausted." It was a plain statement, but he felt too tired to adorn it with his usual linguistic tendencies.

"Yeah mate, can't disagree there. But hang in there, we'll get through this." Karlach gave him a pat on the back, heat still radiating from her chest like the peak of a summer heatwave.

"We may need to rest before trying to perform whatever Seledra has in mind. You heard how we could be obliterated if we lose focus." Shadowheart felt fear grip her heart as the words left her mouth. It would be a damn shame if they died literally from exhaustion.

But they had convinced Seledra and didn't want to impose on her. Perhaps she would understand, as a magic user, the importance of rest.

"D'you think Astarion would be doing all this for us?" Gale suddenly asked. Perhaps fatigue was sapping his patience, or perhaps it was putting their efforts into focus. He recalled many times when the blood-sucking spawn refused to step in to help Gale, even with the simplest tasks. Astarion's response was often as cold as his skin. "I'm perfectly fine on my own, thank you," was a common phrase he'd spew when offered help.

As if reading his thoughts, Shadowheart rolled her eyes. "We cannot be thinking about this right now. Whether he would or not, it is the right thing to do. And pragmatically," she sat next to Gale, "he has less at his disposal to try and find us. He's our friend and belongs in Faerun." She affirmed.

While she had her doubts about Astarion's efforts, she knew they held a great advantage. They had each other and knew how to navigate the mechanics of the world around them. If he had been dropped in say, one of the Hells, he wouldn't fare well. Then again, if he was dropped in mud, he also wouldn't be too pleased.

She also knew that no matter how many times Astarion said he was "perfect,y fine on his own" or "didn't need anyone's help", he was wrong. It was she who slipped him the healing potions when no one else was looking. It was she who caught his thankful nods in combat for the advantages she often gave him.

Shadowheart wasn't blind to his selfishness, but she knew one thing for sure: they had to bring him back, and he belonged with them here.

Gale sighed but didn't take much convincing. "You're right. When we find that bastard, he better understand every detail of every effort we went through to get his pale ass back."

Karlach smiled, "That's the spirit!"

As she exclaimed this, Seledra's double doors opened. She was carrying a large box with a complex-looking lock on it. It was radiating an emissive kind of light, a sign of strong enchantments likely preventing the box from undergoing any malicious intentions.

Seledra strode across the room, her hair now in a long braid behind her. She wore a white shirt with a loose corset, and leather pants with soft boots. She had on bracers, and two daggers at her hip. She reminded Gale of Jaheira - a fine-tuned force that shouldn't be provoked. A ferocious kind of grace that only the wise and experienced held.

Gale and Shadowheart stood up as Seledra approached, a grave look returning on her face as she set the box down on a small table. She moved the table closer to the center of the space, so it was more visible in the light.

"Is that another family heirloom?" Karlach joked, a grin hiding her exhaustion.

Seledra tried to smirk but only managed a brief lip twitch before answering, "No, they are rings. I designed these after the disaster with Isolde and Zedaar," she looked solemn, then continued, "And if we ever needed to band together to banish someone. Properly." Seledra placed her hands on the box and spoke a few words of prayer.

With a misty whiff, the box returned to normal, and Seledra opened it delicately as if she feared what was inside. In a soft casing designed to hold and display rings, there were three obsidian and diamond rings, all nearly identical except for the shape of the primary obsidian. In the box, they were arranged to form a loose triangle when viewed from above.

"Everyone has a name for their trinkets and bobs. But I don't have a name for them. They were born out of a foreseen consequence and bear no love from me." Seledra disclosed, looking at them with a melancholic hatred. She turned away to look at the three.

"Theoretically, these allow wearers to both banish and re-summon a user to another material plane for an extended period, should they agree on a target," Seledra explained.

Shadowheart frowned. "There are spells that exist in which banishment of others is possible. Do these allow full control of such a spell?"

Seledra nodded. "They do. I used to worry they'd end up in the wrong hands. Some cult or other nonsensical fanatic. But they're more powerful than that."

Picking up a ring, Seledra felt the warmth of the rings, their magic dense and focused. "They allow you to more fully control the location of sending and bringing someone back, and the rings allow you to share the magical load, if you will."

"How is this different than just a regular old banishment spell again?" Gale asked, his mind starting to unravel at the exhaustion. He was sure the answer was obvious.

Seledra didn't notice nor scold him but replied, "A banishment spell is extremely temporary and you cannot control where you send or summon someone. You simply make them disappear to gods knows where. Conjuration or displacement magic requires more focus and conviction. You need more power if you want more control and more distance."

Shadowheart added, "And banishment is a powerful spell. I've used it from a scroll before and it felt like a whole bodily trade of energy, only to have them return not a few minutes later." She recalled the instance well. She had used it to send away a goblin so she could focus her efforts elsewhere, but he returned very shortly after she'd cast it, and it nearly got her and Astarion shot.

Seledra nodded in agreement. "Magical casting isn't just about performing the act. It takes many things working together to successful pull off what you want to do. Especially in transporting entire people from one material plane to another. But," she gestured to Gale, "With the rings and the necklaces, it's possible we could focus on getting someone to your friend, wait a while, then pull them both back."

Karlach added, "And not die in the process, of course. Right?"

Seledra gave her a look but agreed, noting, "Yes. But with anything, this is still risky. For one, it's still a lot of power that we'll be trying to channel, and if just one of us isn't focused, we risk obliteration."

In the silence that followed, Seledra asked, "Are you sure you all still want to do this?"

Gale couldn't help himself, "We could use some rest. We've come a long way and I think I might die of exhaustion before teleportation matters. But we appreciate your help, truly. We don't mean to be rude."

"On the contrary, I was about to suggest it. You look as if the gods have cursed you." Seledra raised her eyebrows at Gale's sunken eyes, Shadowheart's messy braid, and Karlach's dirty hair. She almost laughed as she commented, "You…remind me of my friends when we were traveling together. We were unstoppable."

Seledra looked out the window, distant. "When we were children, we played just outside, there, in the forest. I was a champion of tag, cheating with misty step." She felt a tear run down her face at the thought. But the memories were cherished, ones she'd rather feel than let go.

"Thank you for understanding. This is…sort of crazy, what we're asking." Shadowheart articulated.

"Without the artifacts, this probably wouldn't be possible. So you have Kosef to thank as well. But get some rest, and we will attempt this wild goose chase tomorrow when you are all ready." Seledra smiled at them, friendly.

"Don't have to tell me twice," Karlach said.

That night, the group stayed at an inn nearby, washing up and eating before passing out for the evening, the night barely falling before their eyes shut. It seemed a bridge between Earth and Faerun was about to be breached.

But like any passage to another world, it must eventually close forever.