Author's Note: Withers, I like you, but holy shit do I hate writing custom dialogue for you. That aside, I apologize for taking so long in getting this chapter out. Also, in spite of there being three (possibly four) combat encounters in the temple ruins, I decided against writing them out since, going forward, I'll only be writing out important combat encounters, story related or ones that happened to catch my interest in order to save on both time and overall chapter length.
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 V:
A Cryptic Question
The following morning, after a quick breakfast, Ashaka, Astarion and Shadowheart headed back out with a grumpy Lae'zel in tow. Astarion had mentioned that, during his fall from the nautiloid, he'd briefly caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a ruined temple that he wished to scout out and though Lae'zel had protested, both Ashaka and Astarion had brought up the possibility of Zorru being there, which had served to sway the fighter into tagging along.
Ashaka pursed her lips as she and the others trailed after the white-haired rogue, a shiver of apprehension lancing down her spine when the white stone walls of the temple loomed into view. The notion of exploring a ruined building with a group of complete strangers was something new and daunting to her, though a small part of her felt... excitement... at the prospect of some new discovery waiting to happen.
"Stop," the rogue hissed, holding his left arm out for emphasis when he halted in his tracks, all three women following suit. "Looks like we're not the only ones interested in whatever may be ripe for the taking."
"Of course I want to be rich, but not if it'll get me killed!" came an annoyed voice from the vicinity of the courtyard as the group slowly closed the distance between themselves and the temple wall, all four humanoids pressing themselves against the stonework before Ashaka and Astarion both chanced a look.
"Know that there are four," Ashaka relayed back to Lae'zel and Shadowheart when the githzerai saw Astarion hold up four fingers. "Looters, given what they're saying."
"Any teeth-lings?" Lae'zel asked, a scowl creasing her features when Ashaka shook her head. The githyanki gave vent to an annoyed huff before she rose to her full height and turned to head back down the trail. "A complete waste of my time. Skulk about all you wish, but I'll be heading back to camp, and perhaps I'll send the wizard in my stead."
The fighter took one step, and the quartet all froze when the loud sound of a twig snapping came to their ears.
"Nice going," Shadowheart grumbled, shooting a venomous glare towards Lae'zel when a chorus of shouts rose from the group in the courtyard.
"The lot of you'd better come out, or you'll be in for a world of hurt!"
"Heh, big talk for a tiny man," Astarion muttered under his breath before he slowly rose to his full height, Ashaka and Shadowheart following suit. Lae'zel glared at them, though she remained silent as the quartet made their way into the courtyard; where a dark-haired gnome was standing on top of a crate, a light crossbow in his hands.
"That's it, nice and slow," the small humanoid said before he turned back to the others, whom were still farther in, before he shouted a single word: "Boss!"
"What's this, then?" came a new voice as a blond-haired gnome clad in what appeared to be tan studded leather came swaggering up, a half-elven man and an elven woman flanking him on either side, though the two taller humanoids remained stood behind whom was apparently their 'boss'.
"Tryin' to creep around us and loot the crypt?" the pale-haired gnome snapped, doing all he could to sound tough as he glared up at Ashaka. "Not happening. Or is it the ship you're after? Don't matter either way. It's ours! All of it!"
Why these istik wanted to go poking around ruins was one thing, but to go about looting a vessel that was clearly not of this world was just asking for death. Sure, she and Shadowheart had slain a handful of intellect devourers around one area of the ship yesterday, but there was no telling if any more were lurking about the rest of the wreckage.
"Such loud words mask fear and confusion," Ashaka replied coolly, "know that looting that ship will bring you no peace."
The small humanoid's brow furrowed as he stared up at her, a long moment passing before he finally answered.
"Well, uh... In that case..." the gnome trailed off, looking back at his companions before turning his attention back to the githzerai. "Come on, you lot, no use gettin' ourselves killed. Second worm gets the cheese and all."
"Erm," the male elf clad in green padded armor spoke up nervously, "it's 'second mouse gets the cheese' not worm."
"Nobody's gettin' any damn cheese," the gnome growled as he cast an annoyed glare up at the elf. "Now move it!"
"It would've been quicker to kill them," Lae'zel grumbled, once the opposing group was out of earshot, as she shot Ashaka a glare of her own, which the monk ignored.
A quick investigation of the courtyard yielded a few supplies, which the group gladly procured. Ashaka's attention, however, was focused upon a few depictions of a man clad in robes, though a raised hood obscured most of his features. The largest statue had unfortunately been decapitated, and the intact statue located upon a nearby pillar had been too small to make out any finer details. For now, the githzerai let the matter rest, though she couldn't help but have an inkling that she'd seen this person's likeness depicted somewhere before, possibly in one of the tomes located back in her monastery's library.
No more prayer here, the githzerai commented silently, only dust and silence.
"Ashaka!" Shadowheart called, snapping the monk out of her thoughts, and Ashaka turned to see the half-elf standing at the rim of a newly broken section of the flooring. The githzerai arched a brow, which was met by a rather awkward half-smirk as the cleric shrugged.
"Well, we have a way in now."
"She broke the floor," Lae'zel stated, her tone nonchalant, "so we should be able to jump down to the interior."
"I know the proper etiquette is ladies first, but forget that," Astarion added as he braced himself and jumped down. "I call dibs on the fine silver!"
The high elven rogue grimaced as he landed hard on his feet, taking a moment to recollect himself before he slowly looked about and elected to head towards the open doorway in front of him. Perhaps I should've kept my intentions to myself. Eh. Those three can squabble over what's left when I'm done.
He froze when the tell-tale twang of a bowstring being released caught his keen hearing, the light thud of an arrow landing in the floor at his feet.
"Oh, heh heh, hello!" The elf grinned when he caught sight of five sets of eyes all glaring in his direction, and Astarion raised his hands, palms showing in a placating gesture as he slowly began to back away. "Honestly, I had no idea this place was already occupied... erm... right. Cheers!"
"Ladies," the rogue called as he glanced up through the broken ceiling, "I could seriously use a little help - as in right now!"
Ashaka sighed softly as she looked around at the bodies strewn about, most of them charred to a crisp from a well-placed Firebolt spell cast by Astarion on the barrel of oil that this second group of looters had with them, probably for use in lighting the temple's many candles, since most of them in the vicinity were currently lit. There had been five people in this group, and the monk couldn't help but wonder if any more were skulking about down here. She and Shadowheart had both shot Astarion dirty looks for daring to jump down here unprepared while Lae'zel had been ecstatic at the prospect of, in her exact words, 'finally getting to kill somebody'.
One of the looters had been thrown clear into the room Ashaka and her companions currently occupied by said explosion, and they had made short work of him. The githzerai had opted for taking his shortbow and quiver of arrows and, while archery honestly wasn't her thing, she'd practiced it a fair bit back home at Snowblind Monastery, so she was no stranger to knowing how to wield such a weapon. There was no telling when it would be far too dangerous to rush into melee, after all.
Not much could be found, save for a few books that Ashaka had skimmed through before placing them back on the shelves. She heard Astarion chuckle to himself, though the monk didn't bother to glance his way, assuming that the white-haired elf had found something of value that he wished to keep for himself.
When they moved into what appeared to be a dining hall, Ashaka's earlier assumption of their possibly being more looters was proven correct when they were threatened by a lone human, whom Astarion and Ashaka made short work of with two well-aimed arrows fired from their shortbows.
Poor sod shouldn't have gone off alone, the monk thought to herself, a quiet sigh leaving her. Hopefully he's at peace now, along with the others.
The large dining table was loaded with fresh food, more than likely set there by the bandits to snack on during breaks from looting the temple's valuables. While all three women each grabbed a quick snack, Astarion opted out, which Ashaka found odd, though she chose not to press the matter. It was decided that they would come back for the rest once they'd finished exploring the rest of the building, knowing that Gale would be able to put everything to good use for their next few meals. Still, Ashaka couldn't help but break another piece off one of the cheese wheels when she was sure none of the others were looking, before quickly wrapping it in a piece of linen and stashing it in her satchel for later.
As they moved on, Ashaka once again took notice of a small statue set into a depression between two book cases and, upon closer inspection, she realized that it was the same as the small statue she'd seen back in the courtyard. Still, the details were too difficult to make out, especially in this dismal atmosphere.
Soon, the quartet found themselves in a dimly lit crypt, the door having been unlocked when Ashaka had found and messed with a lever. Oddly enough, Astarion was the one who suggested going in alone, prattling on about knowing the 'proper' way to loot a crypt. It took a few moments of the rogue messing about with some large vases before he slid the lid off the large sarcophagus in the middle of the room. He grabbed something, though Ashaka was unsure of what it was exactly, before Astarion turned and made a mad dash back to where she, Lae'zel and Shadowheart waited for him.
"Close the doors!" he cried frantically, "I wasn't able to disarm the traps on the walls!"
It was in that moment when all three women heard the whoosh of what sounded like fire, and Ashaka froze when she saw six medium-sized fireballs fly towards the center of the room, where they all met in three separate explosions... and it immediately became apparent that these traps had been set to unleash infinite fireballs.
"Right," Shadowheart muttered as she and Ashaka moved to close the doors, doing their best to ignore the constant sounds of exploding fireballs, "we're definitely not going back in there."
"So, what'd you find?" Lae'zel asked, honey topaz eyes trained on Astarion. "It'd better be worth it."
"Possibly. Just this spear and a key," the rogue revealed, holding up both items. "Er, can any of you make use of this? It's worn, but not to the point of needing repairs."
"I can, but my preference is maces and the like," Shadowheart replied with a shake of her head.
"I prefer the strong cutting edge of a sword," Lae'zel added, and Ashaka nervously raised a hand when all three of her companions turned to look at her.
"I can," she admitted quietly, "though know that such a weapon isn't exactly my strong suit. I prefer smaller weapons that allow me to keep a hand free."
"We can sell it to a merchant for coin, then," Astarion surmised with a light shrug, before he handed the weapon over to Lae'zel for safe keeping, the githwarrior slinging the spear across her back underneath her greatsword.
Across the wide hall happened to be a second set of identical double doors, which turned out to be opened by the key Astarion had procured from the booby trapped sarcophagus. The double doors swung open to reveal a rather spacious, if not dimly lit, room. Said light increased in brightness when the quartet drew close to an open passage that led outside, however, there was much left to explore, so said passage was ignored for the time being. Skeletons in robes were strewn about the room, though their apparent cause of death was something Ashaka was unsure of, having noticed that, in spite of their state, there appeared to be no signs of struggling or combat around the immediate area of these remains.
As they drew closer to the center, it turned out that this room was, in fact, an indoor courtyard, shown by the surrounding walkway and sets of stairs that led down into the center, where a large statue, similar to the broken one Ashaka had seen outside stood. This statue, however, was fully intact and, upon closer inspection, the full realization of exactly whom this ruined temple belonged to washed over her.
That's Jergal, Scribe of the Dead, Ashaka surmised, gray eyes widening as she recalled seeing the name both in a book she'd read back in the monastery's library a few years ago and in a similar book she'd skimmed through in one of the temple's rooms. Given what I learned from the texts I read, I didn't think anyone still worshipped him.
At the end of the walkway to the left of the statue, Ashaka's attention was seized by the placement of some sort of button. Curious, the monk tilted her head lightly to one side as she reached out to press it... and immediately wished that she hadn't when the wall slid open.
All four humanoids braced themselves, their attention drawn back to the inner courtyard when the skeletons there all rose to their feet in unison, the sickly yellow-green pallor of necromantic magic swirling round their robed forms as empty eye sockets turned to focus on Ashaka and her companions.
"And this is why it is ill-advised to go about pressing strange buttons," Astarion growled, and Ashaka knew that the pale elf was glaring daggers at the back of her head. "Seriously, don't ever do that again."
"Know that I have a natural curiosity," Ashaka replied with a light shrug before she drew her war fan, though she decided to leave the weapon closed. From her studies back home, the monk knew that bladed weapons posed little threat to skeletal monsters, while they were weak to bludgeoning weapons.
"Let them come," Shadowheart stated as she drew her mace and shield, "the darkness will be to our advantage."
"Know that it looks well lit out there to me," Ashaka quipped, barely able to hold back a smirk when the half-elf turned to give her a dirty look.
"Is stating the fucking obvious a universal quirk amongst gith in general or something?"
"Perhaps," Lae'zel answered as she drew her greatsword before she and Ashaka shared a quick aside glance, and the monk swore that she saw the corners of the githyanki's mouth quirk up in an amused smirk for a second before once again dropping back into that frown of hers.
"Ugh, the both of you are insufferable," Shadowheart grumbled as the group prepared to fight.
In spite of the initial shock they'd caused, the skeletons all fell rather easily to the group's combined effort and, afterward, they returned to the hidden room that had been uncovered thanks in part to Ashaka's curiosity.
This room was fairly small and carved completely out of dull gray stone. A rather well adorned sarcophagus sat near the wall located just to the left of the hidden door, and the githzerai couldn't help but wonder why such an effort had been made to hide it.
Silently, she approached before reaching out to push the lid off, only to draw back when the candles placed at the base of the casket suddenly flared to life in a surge of sickly yellow-green flames. The lid itself slid open an inch or so before spidery fingers slipped through the narrow opening and finished pushing the lid all the way off.
The sudden loud thud of the lid hitting the stone floor behind the sarcophagus caused Ashaka to flinch in surprise for a moment before the githzerai regained her composure and she saw what appeared to be a mummified arm, a few ragged bandages decorating the pallid flesh, for a few seconds before said arm retracted back into its resting place.
It was then that the mummified undead rose out of the casket, remaining suspended horizontally before righting itself, its head bowed. It was clad within a tattered robe similar to those worn by the skeletons, though slightly more layered. Fine gold jewelry adorned its form, the most ornate pieces being the wire-like pieces of filigree worn at the head and upper chest. More of this odd golden filigree adorned the mummy's wrists amongst the bandages, and Ashaka caught a glimpse of something that she couldn't quite discern that hung at the undead's left hip from a white chord strung from the robe's belt.
She flinched involuntarily when the mummy's eyes suddenly opened after it raised its head and, slowly, the undead levitated itself down to where its feet lightly touched the stonework.
"So he hast spoken," came a masculine voice that held a light echo to it in spite of the oddly soft-spoken tone, and Ashaka felt herself backing up a step when the mummy walked forward a bit, dark eyes fixated squarely on her. "And so, thou standeth before me... Right as always."
He tilted his head slightly to the left, and when he spoke again, his voice held an inquisitive tone.
"What a curious way to awaken," he murmured before he held up his right index finger. "Now, I have a question for thee: what is the worth of a single mortal's life?"
"Know that I'm a little spooked by the levitating out of the tomb bit," Ashaka replied, her voice trembling and coming out an octave higher than she'd like, "what are you?"
"I am not the same as those thou hast slain," came the reply, "if that is what thou askest. Wilt thou answer my question?"
"Yes," Ashaka replied before taking a moment to clear her throat, "ask away."
"So, I ask again: what is the worth of a single mortal life?"
"Mortal lives are not 'single'," the githzerai replied in earnest, "they are part of a greater whole - a path to enlightenment."
"Few strive for such balance. Fewer, still, achieve it. Very well, I am satisfied," the undead replied, though his next sentence set the hair on the back of the monk's neck standing on end in spite of herself: "We have met and I know thy face. We will see each other again at the proper time and place. Farewell."
And, with that, he turned and slowly began to amble out of the room, and Ashaka noticed that even Lae'zel had given him a wide berth as he passed. The githzerai spared a quick glance at his back before she peered into the sarcophagus... and quickly grabbed the handful of gold that had caught her eye, which she pocketed.
"Ashaka!" Shadowheart scolded through clenched teeth, "what're you doing!?"
"Well," Ashaka replied, drawing the word out a bit and allowing herself to smirk when she caught sight of Astarion going through one of the small containers that lined the walls, the elf not noticing that the monk was watching as he pocketed what appeared to be some sort of rolled up scroll and a few gold pieces. "He doesn't need it, right? So, in knowing this, what's wrong with putting it to good use?"
"True," the cleric replied sheepishly, only to place her hands on her hips before she gave the monk a disapproving look. "Still, you're very lucky he didn't catch you pilfering his personal stash."
"For once, I am inclined to agree with the zerai," Lae'zel added as she crossed her arms over her chest. "The dead have no use for trinkets, but we do, so we should procure what we can whenever we come across such."
The trek back to camp was uneventful and, true to his word, the mummy-like undead appeared not too long after Ashaka and her companions had returned and given Gale the supplies they'd taken from the bandits. Though initially skeptical of where said supplies had come from, the wizard was indeed grateful to have more to work with in regards to the preparation of supper.
While she waited and, after wolfing down the extra piece of cheese she'd pilfered earlier, Ashaka decided to pay their new and unusual resident a visit. There were a few questions nagging at her since their initial conversation back at the temple's crypt, one of which she hoped he could provide an answer for. She found him having settled in near the sandbank at the northern side of the campsite and, nervously, she approached, her first question ready on her lips.
"Um, are you-"
"Shh," the undead cautioned, raising a skeletal finger to tightly drawn lips as he shook his head for emphasis. "Whilst I am shocked that thou hath knowledge of who I am, it would be best if thou wert to keep my true name a closely guarded secret."
"Then, what would you like for me to call you?" Ashaka asked as she arched a brow in curiosity, wondering why Jergal didn't want the others to know who he was even though it was rather obvious given where he had been resting. At least it had been obvious to her, anyway.
It's not like I voiced those thoughts, the monk reminded herself, and her train of thought was halted when the mummy spoke again.
"I am quite partial to 'Withers'."
"Very well, Withers."
"Now that formalities art said and done: what wouldst thou require of my services?"
"Given who you are, um..." the githzerai trailed off, shuffling her feet nervously as she felt her chest tighten in her rising anxiety. "Can you, by any chance, pluck someone from the embrace of death?"
"Aye, that I can: for a price of two hundred gold pieces. All I require is the name of thy departed one."
"His name... was... Sha'kar," Ashaka murmured softly, her voice breaking when she uttered her best friend's name. She saw Withers give a nod of confirmation before the undead summoned a rather aged looking tome out of thin air, which opened with a wave of his hand before he began to leaf through it.
"Hmm... Sha'kar... Sha'kar..."
Each murmur of the deceased githyanki's name caused the ball of anxiety within Ashaka's chest to clench a little tighter, and she frowned when the undead's face became even more serious than seemed possible when he finally stopped on a page and paused to read the contents.
"Alas, I fear thy friend's soul is beyond my reach."
"What... what do you mean?" the githzerai asked, her voice wavering slightly even as she desperately fought to keep her emotions under control; the ever increasing pain in her chest making it more and more difficult to breathe. "Why can you... not... raise him?"
"Because, Sha'kar's soul is currently bound within the service of another," Withers replied as he closed the book, which disappeared within a faint puff of smoke. "Of whom I fear I cannot discern, as it is not written. Meaning that, whomever doth keepeth thy friend's soul bound still lives."
"Then, in knowing this, they can be found and slain."
"Ah-ah," Withers chided, waggling his left index finger at Ashaka for emphasis before he continued, "such a matter must be given a more delicate approach. Thou must learn and observe rather than charge in blind to all knowledge thou could hath gathered beforehand. Or else..."
"I see..." the githzerai murmured softly, realizing that she could risk causing Sha'kar's soul to be destroyed in trying to free him. "In knowing this, I will be more careful. Thank you, J.. er- Withers."
With that, the monk gave one of her little bows before she turned and left the area of the sandbank, teeth clenching as she felt the tears she hated threatening to fall.
Don't cry. Tears show only weakness. Know that you invite nothing but an early death if you allow them to fall - especially in the view of others. Furthermore, whether or not you choose to believe it: there is hope of saving Sha'kar's soul.
Lae'zel arched a brow when she caught sight of the githzerai woman speaking to that odd undead from the decrepit temple. Ashaka left soon after the exchange, however, and Lae'zel went back to cleaning her greatsword's blade, though she kept one eye focused upon the monk as the smaller gith retreated back to the other side of the campground.
While content to leave the githzerai to her own devices, there were a few things concerning her that had been bothering Lae'zel since their escape from the gh'ath and the fighter felt that now was a good time to confront her about it. She glanced about, noting that the wizard was currently busy with preparing supper and that the cleric was at her own part of the clearing. The white-haired elf, however, was absent from where he'd set up his bedroll not to far from where Lae'zel had chosen to bed down.
Probably out hunting, the githyanki thought to herself as she moved to sheath her weapon before she made her way across the campsite, and her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of the githzerai sat in meditation near the waterfall.
Chk. You're not avoiding me that easily. Not this time.
Quietly, she approached the monk before, after stepping up onto one of the adjacent boulders, she moved to firmly clamp a hand down on the shorter gith's right shoulder, and she remained stone-faced when Ashaka jerked in surprise at the sudden contact before she opened her eyes and raised her icy gray gaze to rest it on Lae'zel, a brow arched when the githwarrior pulled her hand away.
"Yes?"
"There's something I need to know," Lae'zel stated as honey topaz eyes locked with those of pale gray, and she stepped down off the rocks when Ashaka rose to her feet, more to give the monk room to hop down from her perch than out of respect for her.
"Very well."
"Why did you aid me back on the gh'ath against that cambion? You and that cleric could have escaped and left me to die but, you didn't."
Ashaka was silent for a moment, and while the githzerai's expression was blank, Lae'zel noticed how the monk's eyes were lightly darting to what the githyanki assumed were various points on her own features and Lae'zel realized that Ashaka was trying to read her in turn.
"Know that my actions were true, yes," Ashaka replied finally, her soft tone quieter than normal, "while I know that your reason for doing so wasn't in my best interest, you saved me from that cambion when he could've ended me so, in knowing this, I wished to repay the favor. Know that, in the end, you and I are both gith regardless of which path we walk."
"I'm going to make one thing clear, so listen here and listen well," Lae'zel hissed as she glared at the slightly shorter woman through narrowed eyes, "being under a truce doesn't mean that we are friends. Once we have dealt with these thrice damned parasites, your life will be forfeit unless you manage to best and slay me in combat. Furthermore..."
She trailed off, taking a step closer to the point of being merely a few inches away from Ashaka before Lae'zel moved to roughly grab the monk by both shoulders, and the fighter's voice was low when she continued:
"Since you chose to listen to that istik over me, we were led to nothing but a sodding dead end. No. More. Distractions. Do I make myself clear?"
"This isn't the time to be making demands, Lae'zel," Ashaka replied, her tone still annoyingly quiet as she looked away.
"Oh, I feel this is a very adequate time," Lae'zel sneered as she released her grip on Ashaka's right shoulder before the githyanki roughly grasped the githzerai by the chin and made her resume eye contact once again. "Come tomorrow, we will find the man those two teeth-lings who had me caged spoke of, and we will make him tell us where he saw the other githyanki. Mark my words, zerai: if you make even one more unneeded detour from this objective, then you are unworthy of the cure I offer."
And with that, the fighter released the other woman before she turned and left the monk to her own devices. From what she had learned of them from her studies, Lae'zel knew that githzerai tended to be stubborn, especially once they had their mind set on something. From Lae'zel's earlier observation, Ashaka had been talking to that undead about something, but... what?
Don't dwell on matters that don't concern you, Lae'zel's mind warned, given what you told that zerai, she should comply and do her part in helping you to track down this Zorru.
Time was running out, after all... or so it seemed.
However, what Ashaka had stated at the beginning of their brief interaction remained etched within Lae'zel's mind, much to her annoyance. Of course they were both gith, as much as the fighter loathed to admit such a truth, anyway. Yet, the fact that the monk had no qualms against Lae'zel's way of life was... odd... to say the least; along with the fact that Ashaka had only ever been defensive rather than hostile in return whenever Lae'zel would attempt to get a rise out of her.
That zerai's lack of hostility is making this frustrating, the githyanki woman thought as she settled down to polish the blade of her greatsword, why does she not hate me in return? I don't understand her motives and it's going to drive me mad. Yet... in the same instant, I can't help but find her behavior somewhat... intriguing.
Shadowheart glanced over at the two remaining mess kits, a frown creasing her lips in regards to the absence of their designated users. Supper had been ready around half an hour ago, and Ashaka had not emerged from her area of the campsite when Gale had made the announcement. Astarion had declined - just as he had done so last night - before he'd slipped back into the nearby woods. While his behavior was odd, that currently mattered not, as Shadowheart's mind was fixated on what Ashaka had told her in regards to yesterday's failed search to find her best friend's remains.
Another trip back to the remnants of that ship will probably just net the same results, the cleric thought to herself as she ate her meal, though Ashaka wasn't ready to lose her best friend, she needs to realize that death can and will happen at any moment and that such loss is part of life.
The half-elf jerked when she heard Gale clear his throat, and Shadowheart cast an annoyed glance his way, only for it to soften when she saw the wizard holding out one of the unclaimed mess kits, of which now held a portion of stew and a filled cup of water.
"Begging your pardon, but I've been trying to get your attention for the past five minutes," the human admonished, "would you mind talking Ashaka's portion to her? I don't want her to miss having any supper. I even thought about asking Lae'zel but, given how both gith factions usually... interact, that wouldn't have been the best course of action on my part."
That is something I'm honestly rather curious about, the raven-haired woman thought to herself, though she kept it unvoiced as she rose to her feet and took the offered mess kit in her free hand. She paused to set her own empty mess kit near Gale's and Lae'zel's, both having finished their own portions of the stew not too long ago, before the cleric made her way towards the ruins where she knew the githzerai had chosen to make her bed.
Shadowheart held her breath as she inched her way across the wooden board that had been lain across the stream that separated this part of the campground from the main area, concentrating on doing what she could to not spill any of the soup or water. She saw Ashaka seated upon a large boulder close to the waterfall, the shorter woman's eyes currently shut.
Quietly, the cleric began her approach, meaning to set the mess kit down on one of the smaller rocks before planning to leave, only to freeze when Ashaka suddenly spoke:
"That's close enough, Shadowheart."
Shadowheart felt a small shiver crawl down her spine when those icy gray eyes opened to settle on her, noting that the githzerai seemed to be looking through her rather than at her. While nowhere near as volatile as that damned githyanki, Shadowheart couldn't help but feel that Ashaka was a little intimidating in her own way.
Or it's just a general gith thing.
"How did you know it was me?"
The dark-haired woman's lips quirked upward for a fleeting second in the beginnings of a small smile before once again settling back into a neutral line.
"Know that you kept telling yourself not to spill any of the soup you're carrying currently," Ashaka revealed, her expression remaining neutral even when Shadowheart narrowed her eyes.
"Reading somebody's thoughts without explicit permission is rude, not to mention intrusive," the half-elf scolded before sighing softly. "Anyway, Gale asked me to bring you some stew since you didn't show up for supper."
Shadowheart set her jaw when the githzerai merely shrugged before she held out a slender hand, her palm facing upwards. A small cry of surprise left the cleric when she felt the mess kit suddenly pulled out of her admittedly loose grasp, the small tray floating towards Ashaka's outstretched hand before the girl grabbed it and immediately tucked in.
"Know that the gesture is appreciated," Ashaka said through a mouthful of rabbit meat, and Shadowheart had to clench her teeth to keep from scolding the girl in regards to talking with her mouth full. The speed at which she ate, however, caused the half-elf to frown when she remembered that Ashaka had consumed the apple she'd eaten back at the small dock with a similar voracity.
This could be why she refuses to dine anywhere near the rest of us, the raven-haired cleric realized, remembering that Ashaka had gone back to her side of the clearing after taking her portion of last night's supper and this morning's breakfast. But, why would she believe we'd try to take her food when there's plenty to go around?
"Slow down," Shadowheart admonished, moving to place her hands on her hips, "we're not under attack."
"Know that old habits die hard," came the soft reply after Ashaka had downed the accompanying cup of water, the githzerai's words coming between quick breaths. "I can't afford to take any chances."
"Fair enough, I suppose," the cleric replied, silence falling over the two before she thought back to what Gale had said last. There was no way in any of the Nine Hells that Lae'zel would explain it, so Shadowheart decided to take a chance in asking this githzerai for her opinion on the matter. "You know, Gale told me something rather curious before I agreed to bring you your supper."
"Go on..."
"Is it true that githzerai and githyanki hate each other? Given how badly Lae'zel's treated you, there must be a reason why."
"Most," Ashaka corrected, her icy gaze piercing straight through Shadowheart for a moment before softening. The monk then muttered something to herself in what Shadowheart assumed to be her native tongue before the githzerai set the mess kit down and rose to her feet. She took a moment to stretch before she lightly hopped down from the boulder and closed the distance between herself and Shadowheart, the cleric giving a confused blink when the girl brought her hands up in front of her chest, her left fist resting against her right palm before Ashaka gave a small bow.
"I apologize for such a scathing reply, but know that there can and will be exceptions to such a stigma. As for your question: yes, most githzerai and githyanki despise one another with a fervent hatred. The reason is long-standing but, I will do my best to share with you an annotated version."
"Very well, I'm listening."
"Know that hatred is a powerful thing. Know that, aeons ago, the ancestors of Lae'zel and myself - the forerunners - were slaves to the ghaik: raised and bred as revrykali, soldiers and livestock. Then, salvation arose within the form of a woman named Gith. She was a skilled soldier and charismatic to the point where she'd gathered a following large enough to incite a rebellion against her illithid masters. Swiftly, the illithid empire was torn apart, and they were driven to the brink of total annihilation. Most importantly, Gith and her kin were finally free.
"Know that, in spite of this, Gith wished to hunt down every remaining ghaik in order to finish them off for good, however, she wished to then build a new empire based on conquest. In knowing this, a man named Zerthimon rose to challenge Gith's leadership. Know that Zerthimon himself had gathered a following during the rebellion, and they believed that Gith would lead them down a path that would make them no different than their former masters. Furthermore, Zerthimon had believed that their people should grow to know themselves and he'd stated that many shared this wish. In knowing this, however, Gith had refused to back down, countering that her will was the only path for their people to walk and that they would remain beneath one sky."
Ashaka paused to take a deep breath, and Shadowheart noticed that the girl's hands were shaking, but made no comment on it as she patiently waited for the githzerai to continue her explanation:
"In knowing this, Zerthimon proclaimed that 'there can not be two skies' and, thus, the Pronouncement of Two Skies began, and this civil war raged across the Blasted Plains. Know that Zerthimon was slain in the conflict, however, and those whom had followed him retreated to the Everchanging Plane of Limbo under the leadership of Zaerith Menyar-Ag, Zerthimon's most trusted disciple. These people - my ancestors - became forever known as the githzerai: 'those who spurn Gith'. Know that victory for Gith did not come without cost, however, as many of her own followers had been slain in turn. She and those who survived retreated to the Astral Plane, where they became forever known as the githyanki: the 'children of Gith'. In knowing this, may you understand that this is the reason why Lae'zel is so vehement in hating me even though I do not and will not return the sentiment - for I have no reason to hate her, personal or otherwise."
That's... honestly not too different from why we Sharrans despise the followers of that Moon Witch, Shadowheart thought to herself, though she kept this unvoiced.
"Even so, you shouldn't let her push you around like that," the cleric admonished, only to blink in confusion when Ashaka shrugged in response.
"Know that I do not fear Lae'zel," the githzerai stated. "If we survive long enough to find a cure for this infestation, I know that she plans on trying to kill me once our truce comes to an end, so I will be ready. Whether or not either of us survive such a confrontation is up to fate."
"If that's truly how you feel, then, I won't challenge you on the matter. Still, it's not a bad idea to watch your back around her."
A nod was given, though Ashaka remained silent as she went about retrieving the now empty mess kit before she started down the path that led to the main area of camp. When she got to the edge of the stream, however, the githzerai stopped before she turned to look back over her shoulder at the half-elf.
"While I do appreciate your concern, know that I fully understand the risks when it comes to dealing with githyanki."
With that, Ashaka turned and leapt over the stream before continuing on to the main area at a slow walk.
"Somehow, I can't help but doubt that," Shadowheart murmured to herself before a grimace split her features as a flare of pain erupted from the wound on her hand, tiny purple-black sparks of magical energy snaking around the appendage before fading as the pain subsided.
It's not like I care for that githzerai, the cleric thought, her eyes narrowing as she kept her attention on her hand, out of worry that the pain would return. I need to garner the trust of at least one person and, given her lack of hostility, I'd rather it be her than Astarion, Gale or that blasted githyanki.
With an exhausted sigh, Shadowheart raised her opposite hand to rub her forehead, blue-green eyes squeezing shut for a long moment as all of the events during yesterday and today suddenly caught up to her all at once, and it took everything to keep the cleric from reeling.
Lady Shar is testing me, I'm sure of it.
With that thought, the raven-haired half-elf made her way back to her designated area of the campground, where she settled down to rest for the night.