A New Path
Disclaimer: I don't own Baldur's Gate 3 or Game of Thrones. Nuff said.
Summary: Fleeing the Githyanki, the Nautiloid makes an unscheduled stop in an undiscovered Realm, much to the horror of the natives. Now, new passengers, new paths and new fates lie in store for Jaime Lannister.
Author's Notes: Sorry for the delay in updating, but it couldn't be helped. Still alive and writing, but at a snail's pace. And for those wondering, I'm still writing the Raven's Plan. I plan to start working on the next chapter now, as well as the next part of this. So most people think Jaime should be a Paladin or Fighter. I will probably be revealing it in a couple of chapters. So no one will have to wait too long, hopefully :) And now begins Jaime's WTF Journey ;D
Chapter 2
With a lurch, Jaime Lannister found himself heaving on an unfamiliar, somewhat fleshy floor. He was breathing heavily, his head heavy. This wasn't a hangover, he hadn't had anything to drink.
He was groggy and disoriented. He didn't know where he was and how long had passed since that tentacle had touched him. He shook his head to clear it, but it felt overfilled somehow. There was something there, something that wasn't him- almost like a constant whisper in the back of his head.
Ever so slowly, he rose to his feet. He hadn't felt this unsteady on his own two feet since he was a boy, after his first attempt at jousting. It was a vivid memory, he had been so confident, but the dummy had knocked him clean from his mount, knocking the air from his lungs and making him see stars.
He looked around but the room was barely lit, the lights looked strange and he could smell smoke.
The hairs on his arm rose and he rapidly shook away his grogginess, it wasn't just smoke that he smelled. Survivors of Aerys Targaryen's court could never forget the smell of burning flesh. He had too many nightmares of those times and all of them included that smell.
His hand went to his sword. His scabbard was empty. He'd been holding it when the tentacle...had done whatever it had done. He looked around the damp, ill lit room he was in. Just now noticing the strange devices and unnatural angles of the things all around him.
Wherever he was, he'd never been in a room like this. It extruded a feeling of oppression and wrongness that Jaime had never felt before. The worst days of Aerys's court felt better than…wherever this was. There was a chair, but the dimensions and shape of it were all wrong, twisted in an unnatural manner. Other things were in the room, but he couldn't understand what they were. He noticed what might pass as a chest across the room. He made his way to the chest, after a moment's hesitation, he opened the chest, which despite the strange shape and material of it, opened just like any other chest he'd opened before. Some of the tightness left his chest as he found his sword in the chest. He replaced it quickly in his scabourd, before looking through the rest of the contents. There was some sort of bottle with a red liquid, some dusty useless scroll, a small hand axe and what looked like a Myrish crossbow of a kind he'd never seen before, along with a number of bolts in a small bag. He grabbed the axe and passed the handle into one of his belt loops.
He turned back to the room, looking around again, searching for answers.
Movement caught his eye, and he realised he wasn't alone…
Hand on the hilt of his sword, he took a step cautiously towards the dark shadow moving across the room. The shadow sat up quickly and Jaime's hand fell away from his sword just as quickly. The shadow was a smallish man, a man with the armour of Redcloak of House Lannister.
"Guardsman!" Jaime called out sternly.
The redcloak's head jerked towards his voice, turning towards Jaime, before he cried out in surprise, "Milord!" the redcloak managed to scramble to his feet, "Ser Jaime!", swaying dangerously on his feet.
Jaime reached him quickly and caught his arm, supporting the swaying Redcloak, "Easy there, what's your name?" he demanded arrogantly, before letting go as the guard found his balance.
"Jared, my lord," the Redcloak answered with nervous respect despite the strangeness of the situation. The voice was younger than he had expected.
Closer now, he could see that Jared was young; more of a boy, barely a man grown. He repressed a grimace, he could have used an experienced guard at his back here- wherever here was.
The young man stared for a moment before frowning, and nervously questioning, "Did they hurt you, milord? "
Jaime frowned, "What are you talking about?"
Jared pointed at his face, "There's blood on your face, around your eye Ser," he stated simply.
Jaime's hand jerked up quickly, his hand encountered wetness as he rubbed his eye, it came away bloody. He stared at his fingers in confusion.
"Did they do something to us?" Jared half whispered in fear.
A sickly feeling rolled though Jaime, but he pushed it away, it didn't matter, they needed to get out of here first- wherever here was.
"It doesn't matter." Later it would, when they were safe. "For now…" he trailed off and cast a look around their strange cell again, he pointed back towards the chest that he'd already checked, "There's a crossbow and some bolts in that chest, grab it."
Jared nodded seriously, "Yes, Ser Jaime."
Jaime paid Jared little attention, continuing to scan the room and looking for any way out. Everything remained so foreign and unnatural. And there didn't seem to be anything else of notice here. In addition, most everything else looked ruined and half burned- probably the work of the dragons.
Jaime couldn't suppress a shudder at the thought of the great red beasts that had flown over King's Landing. He shook it away, if they were still a threat now, he doubted that he would have been standing here unburnt. Wherever this room was they were safe from dragonfire, at least…
He checked on Jared, the boy held the crossbow at the ready, and actually- wonder of wonders, seemed to know how to use it.
Jared nodded at Jaime, "Ready, milord."
Jaime gave him a reassuring smile, "Now all we have to do is find a door," he lamented dryly.
Jared blinked at him and looked about for a minute before pointing, "Isn't that it?" he paused for a moment as if uncertain of how to explain it, "It looks like a way…out," he finished with a grimace.
Jaime turned and looked at where he was pointing, the wall there seemed a little off colour, different from the wall around it, there was some sort of spiral pattern there as well.
But most of all it looked disturbingly like a damn arsehole.
Showing Jared none of the revulsion he felt, he approached the possible door and reached out to touch it. Just like everything else in here, it felt squishy, and fleshy. He masked his disgust as much as possible, and pushed harder at it, there was a little give, but not much.
He grimaced and turned back to Jared, "Nothing."
Jared's face turned downcast for a moment before his eyes suddenly widened as a strange noise came from behind Jaime. Suddenly, the boy was raising the crossbow and aiming it behind Jaime.
Jaime turned, drawing his sword in response to whatever was happening behind him
The arsehole was gone, transformed into an open doorway now...but it wasn't empty as he expected. Standing just beyond the threshold was a small figure, a woman if Jaime was any judge of it.
The light was dim, but the figure looked feminine. Characteristics of the figure jumped out at him. The woman had hair like snow and dark skin, she looked darker than a Dornishwoman, but something seemed off. A large yellow tattoo covered the left side of her face, the brightness of the colour readily apparent, even in the low light, making her look like some exotic figure from one of Tyrion's stories.
Her ears came to sharp points!
And her eyes…almost seemed to flicker with light in the darkness, for a moment reminding Jaime of a cat's.
For a moment their eyes met, there was a flare of pain and fullness behind his eyes, but he shook it away, a flash of light, but he blinked the pain away.
The woman was blinking rapidly now as well, she shook it off and stepped into the marginally better light of the room, and Jaime blinked again.
Her skin wasn't dark like a dornish woman. It was Purple!
The light was suddenly gone from her eyes, and she assessed him with cool light blue eyes. She held up what looked like a crossbow, but was much smaller. Small enough to be operated with one hand. She was wearing armour, worn and well kept, and pretty sturdy to Jaime's eye. A longsword swung on her belt.
Her eyes flickered between Jaime and Jared, but her crossbow didn't waver, aimed directly at Jaime. Whatever she was, she was intelligent, recognising the greater threat in an instant.
"Who are you?" Jaime demanded, "What are you?!"
The creature frowned at him and then opened her mouth. She spoke but the words didn't make any sense.
Jaime kept his eyes on her as he asked Jared, "You understand anything Jared?"
"No ser!" Jared replied quickly, his voice betraying his unease, and just how green he really was.
"Steady, don't loose unless I tell you to," Jaime commanded.
The creature/woman was gazing at him now with a curious look, she opened her mouth and more nonsensical words and sounds came out, but they sounded different somehow than what came before.
Jaime just gazed at her, sword held up and ready for any attack that might come.
The creature- no woman Jaime decided despite her strangeness, slowly raised her left hand. She distorted it into several strange gestures, then the hand seemed to glow for a moment even as a strange feeling overcame him and the hairs on the back of his neck rose.
Jaime glared at her, "What are you doing?" he demanded of her despite knowing that he wouldn't get an answer from her.
In response the woman smiled coyly, she opened her mouth again to speak her nonsense.
"Can you understand me now?" she asked in perfect Common Tongue.
Jaime blinked in surprise, his mouth opened in surprise and after a moment's hesitation, "What? What was that!"
She frowned at him for a moment, confusion clouding her face, "It was a Languages spell, it'll last us for the day...which is probably longer than we're going to live considering where we are," the woman stated, with a 'what can you go shrug' and light tone despite the seriousness of her words and her own seeming confusion.
"A spell?" Jaime repeated in disbelief, "What are? Some kind of witch?" he demanded irritably. Magic? Of course it was magic, between dragons and giant flying krakens, what was a little magic from some creature like her?
The woman snorted in amusement, "I'm no witch, or sorceress or wizard," she paused and then lowered her small crossbow, "Jaena Zauth, Bard of Ellistree at your service, my lord," she proclaimed boastfully with a flourish and a roguish curtsy.
Bard? A female bard with magical abilities? He snorted, it was more madness to add to the day. He lowered his sword, but didn't sheath it. The sheer absurdity of the situation getting to him.
"What are you?" came Jared's voice from behind him,
She raised a delicate white eyebrow and cast a look between them, "I'm a Drow. A Dark Elf." She explained simply, "More importantly, who are you?"
"Uh…I'm Jared," the boy replied simply from behind Jaime, unaware of Jamie's growing ire at the interruption.
Drow? Dark Elf? What in the seven Hells was that?! Jaime mentally decried.
He shook off that line of thought quickly and irritably cut the boy off, "No, more importantly, what did you mean 'considering where we are'? Where are we?" Jaime demanded shortly, taking back the conversation with a quick sharp look at Jared, before focusing back on this…bard.
The confusion returned to Jaena's face, "You don't know?"
Jaime shook his head, "This…flying kraken attacked King's Landing. And then the tentacles, they were reaching out and exploding people." He shook his head in disbelief, he should be dead. Not here, wherever here was.
Jaena nodded in understanding, "Those people didn't explode, they were teleported onto the Nautiloid. That was no Kraken, that's a Nautiloid. An Illithid Spelljammer, a flying vessel, they use it to cross and fly between worlds and the Astral plane," she explained, "You were grabbed on an Illithid slave raid. We all were," she finished in disgust.
Jaime blinked. They were on the Kraken. The damned Kraken. This…Nautiloid. A vessel used to traverse worlds. Worlds. Worlds. Not one world. Not just his world…but worlds- and whatever this Astral plane was. With everything that Jaena said, his world seemed to contract and seem smaller and smaller.
The rest of the words registered with his tumultuous mind, "Slave raid?!" he spat. These Illithids thought to take him as a slave?! He was Jaime Lannister! The Lion of Lannister! Who were they to make him a slave?! "If they want me as a slave," he raised his sword, "then let them come." he finished with defiant fury.
A snort of laughter snapped him out of his fury, "Whatever else you are, I like your enthusiasm," her blue eyes danced with amusement and interest, "Perhaps I can have a name, unless you want me to call you Sir Enthusiasm?"
A muffled guffaw of laughter came from behind him, which he chose to ignore. He glared at Jaena for a moment before speaking.
"I am Ser Jamie Lannister of Casterly Rock, knight of the Kingsguard!" he proclaimed profoundly.
She gave him a toothy smile, "Well Sir Jaime, let us go and have a few words with our unwelcome hosts," she declared irreverently, "we few adventurers, trapped on a Nautiloid and ready to fight our way to freedom! What a song it will make…if we survive," she finished with an excited giggle.
Jaime snorted, whatever this Drow was, she seemed an ally for now. She was still a woman, but her arms and armour spoke to some degree of proficiency, but they didn't actually have any other options. He made to sheath his sword.
"I'd keep the sword out, danger will be everywhere here," the humour leached out of her voice and was replaced with seriousness, "We stay together and listen to me. I've faced Illithids before-" she grimaced, "Just never in their own lairs. And I was much better prepared and protected then," she lamented.
Jaime nodded, gripping his sword and casting a commanding look at Jared, who looked unsure, but eager to obey.
"So be it."
Author's Notes: Hope you all enjoyed this! :) Not sure if that's how a language spell works or goes but it's logical to me that Bards would always have one prepared just in case- being able to understand potential customers and employers seems sensible, plus it helps me to jump over the language barrier between Westerosi and Faerun and get on with screwing with Jaime's worldview :D