Once they had set up camp, Gale pulled out a separate book from his pack and started to find the page. Piper waited next to him, watching as Astarion and Shadowheart finished setting up their tents. She wondered if maybe they had an extra blanket or something that she could sleep on. Gale brought her attention back to him as he handed her the book.

Piper stared at the map and almost laughed. This was a large map, but nothing about it was recognizable. She could make out the words, but she didn't know what Faerun or Toril meant. She guessed Baldur's Gate and Waterdeep were cities, but she had never heard of them. Still, she scanned the western coast of the map before shaking her head.

"What is this?" she asked.

"It's the map I promised. A map of Faerun to show where you are from unless you are from a different continent. It's certainly a possibility," he mentioned, trailing off at the end.

"Are you pulling my leg? Faerun isn't a continent. You've handed me a fantasy map and asked me where I live. What book even is this?" she laughed as she turned over to the cover. It said that it was an atlas. Gale took the book back, biting his lip.

"Maybe it's a language barrier," he offered before she shook her head.

"That looked nothing like the west coast, or any coast I know of," she replied. Gale put the book away before taking a deep breath.

"That nautiloid went through quite a few dimensions before landing back here," Gale started as Piper watched him carefully. "My only thing is that you look very human, which I would have thought you were from this plane of existence."

"Of course I look human," she bit back before swallowing. "Wait, are you saying that I might be on an alien world?"

"Well, yes and no," Gale sighed, pulling out yet another book. He opened it to a strange diagram with different planes listed. "Have you seen this diagram before?"

"No, I don't know what this is."

"Essentially, there are several planes of existence. There's the material plane, which we are on right now, and there are celestial planes, fey planes, you get the idea. I believe that you were taken from a layer of the material plane and placed in a different layer. Almost like an alternate reality, if you will," Gale explained, trying to be as plain and clear as he could.

Piper stared at the page as she tried to wrap her head around the idea. She would have called him insane if she hadn't been abducted by tentacled monsters and traveled on their living meat ship. Or maybe she was going insane. She had seen magic before her own eyes, and proof that it had worked.

"It would explain the language barrier and your clothes," Gale offered.

"How do I get back?"

"Ah, that, my friend, is where my knowledge ends. I have no idea which plane you were from, even if I knew how to plane jump. But let's not lose hope. There are plenty of people versed in planecasting, I am positive we can figure out a way to get you home after we deal with the tadpoles."

"I suppose the tadpole takes precedent," Piper sighed, running a hand through her hair. "I'm going to go on a little walk around camp. I need time to process this."

"Take all the time you need, and shout if you run into something.

"I'll keep close, don't you worry."

She walked out of camp immediately and went into the woods. She could still see the glow of the campfire, and she wandered around the area with that glow aways visible. Panic started to rise in her chest as the situation slammed into her. She was in a completely different universe than where she was from with no way back to her friends or her family. She wouldn't even be able to get a message back to them to let them know she was alive and breathing. She wasn't exactly okay, but her heart was still beating.

Piper collapsed near a large tree as she brought her knees to her face, wrapping her arms around her legs. She was lucky to find people that could help her navigate this new world, but she dreaded what was in her brain. While she didn't know enough about it, she knew that she and her new companions were in danger because of it. That made the panic swell.

Taking deep breaths, she closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. Panic wasn't going to help her if she was going to make it out of here. Still, she calmed her heart and gave herself a moment to mourn the life she had. It was so brutally ripped from her grasp, and now she had to start over again.

"Darling?" a voice called out, silencing Piper's crying. She sniffed as she lifted her head from her knees. A very curious Astarion stood before her, his head tilted to the side.

"Yeah?" she whispered, clearing her throat.

"What did the wizard say to get you in such a state?" he asked, a slight smile on his lips. Piper rolled her eyes before picking at the dirt.

"Nothing that wasn't factually true. The creatures that ripped us away took me from a different plane of existence. There's no way for me to go home," she answered honestly with a sigh. After a moment of silence, she looked up at the man. He only stared at her emotionlessly. "No snide remarks?"

"Not for you, darling, but I think I might tease Gale about making you cry."

"Please don't tell him. I'd rather he didn't know that I came out here to cry. I don't want anyone to know," Piper insisted, her words a little quicker than usual. Astarion froze again, unsure how to respond. "It's embarrassing when people know when I've been crying."

"Fine, I won't say anything," he groaned flippantly. Piper chuckled under her breath, glad to see him back to himself. "But you shouldn't be here by yourself. Did you at least bring a knife?"

"Why would I need a knife?"

"Why would- Look, you said you're not from here. Here, there are dangers lurking everywhere. It's important you stay armed so you can defend yourself."

"All I have are the clothes on my back and the shoes on my feet. I don't have a penny to my name, let alone a weapon," Piper complained, stretching her legs out. Astarion rolled his eyes before he stared at her.

"What did you do for shelter last night?"

"My pod was thrown from the crash, and since it was mostly hidden in the woods, I slept there last night."

"What are you going to do for tonight?"

"I was going to ask around to see if anyone had an extra blanket or something I could sleep on," Piper shrugged. "Did you all just bring your own tents when you were abducted?"

"Hardly. We came across a bandit camp yesterday, and we took their stuff. It wasn't like they were going to use it anyway," Astarion smiled as he thought. "I bet you could ask the wizard if has anything to spare. I think he's a little sweet on you."

"Don't say that. I'm sure he's just being friendly," Piper smiled before she stood. "What brought you out here in the woods?"

"You think you're the only one that needed some alone time after today? I'm still processing the creature in our brains."

"Fair enough," she agreed. After standing up, she wiped her eyes free of tears before clearing her throat. "I'll see you back at camp then."

She left before Astarion could say something snarky or petty. She made her way back to camp where Gale was starting to make a stew. With a grimace, she approached him. He perked up at the sight of her and smiled.

"I hope your walk was nice. Dinner's almost ready if you're hungry," he replied.

"Starved," Piper answered before she cleared her throat. "I actually had a request if it's not too much trouble."

"Depends on what it is."

"I don't have anything other than what I'm wearing, and I was wondering if you had an extra blanket or something I could borrow," she explained. She tried to keep her face neutral, hoping that she wasn't grimacing. She hated asking for help from people she barely knew.

"I'm sure we can find something for you," Gale grinned as he straightened. "We can swing back by that old camp we found our tents at and see if we can find you one tomorrow."

"That would be good," Piper agreed with a half-smile. Gale walked over to his tent and pulled out a bedroll. That wasn't what she was expecting. "I don't want to take the only one you have, though. I can wait until tomorrow."

"I picked up an extra one while we were there. I figured having a backup would be a good idea since we're out in the wilderness. It seems my intuition was right."

"Thank you, I really appreciate it."

"Think nothing of it. Glad to help," he replied cheerily. "Alright, now go fetch Shadowheart. I think this stew is just about done."

~A~

The next morning, they set out to find the settlement nearby that Shadowheart had tracked down. Piper followed behind, disappointed that the language magic had worn off during the night. She didn't have much more to say, but it would have been nice to figure out what the rest of the group was talking about. At least they knew her name now, using it to catch her attention before gesturing to what they were doing.

She was admiring some of the cliffs when she heard Gale shout her name. Surprised, she turned on her heel to see shorter humanoids coming out of the brush. However, they weren't the only targets of the ambush as she heard more commotion around the corner. Gale cast a spell towards the nearest goblin, setting him on fire. Piper yelped before she dashed behind the wizard. It was better than accidentally getting caught in the crossfire.

Astarion was the next to shout her name as he tossed her a sheathed dagger. She unsheathed it immediately, holding the blade tightly as she started to look everywhere around her. Shadowheart had been a little bit ahead, and she found herself deeper in the ambush than the others.

Piper tried to keep up, staying a safe distance away from the attackers, as more people entered the battle. A dashing young man elegantly jumped down the cliffside, stabbing straight through a goblin chest. Piper froze as blood poured out the goblin as the man ran to the next. She swallowed as she focused on surviving.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed before Gale said her name again. She turned to him, noticing that the battle was over. She nodded before he could speak, hoping to reassure him that she would be fine. He sighed, touching her lower back to guide her towards the open gate. She jumped at his touch but allowed him to guide her for a moment before she hurried ahead.

Once inside the safety of the gate, Gale walked ahead when he saw a merchant sign and Shadowheart walked toward two people arguing. Piper bit her cheek when she saw the two men. The first was a normal looking man, but the second man had red skin and tall horns protruding from his head. He looked like a devil, and she calmed her heart. While it was odd for her, Shadowheart approached both calmly. Piper also didn't want to make a rude first impression. Astarion leaned against the stone wall, waiting for them to finish.

Piper stuck close to Shadowheart as she interrupted them, probably asking for help about their tadpole condition. The devilish man gestured toward Piper as he spoke with Shadowheart, and Piper just nodded. She hoped that Gale was buying another spell scroll or something. She hated just watching, unable to communicate effectively.

Eventually, Shadowheart motioned for her to follow as she walked further into the grove. Astarion followed up the rear, keeping his distance from the two women as he took in the area. Piper noticed that there were more devilish people, each with different skin colors and horn shapes. There were even devilish children, and she averted her gaze. She really didn't want to come off as rude for staring.

Gale caught up with them after seeing the merchant. He gestured toward the scroll he bought, smiling at Piper. She nodded as he continued, gesturing that he was going to read the scroll. She guessed that he was trying to learn the spell so he could cast it more effectively. She smiled as she nodded, earning a bigger grin from the wizard.

Shadowheart tugged her along as Gale went to a bench nearby to finish his study. Piper thought to protest, thinking it would be better if she just waited for him to finish, but she didn't know how to argue without her words.

The two women descended further into the grove and found a sanctuary at the bottom of the steps. There were more devilish people with a few more humanoid people. They had been arguing about something, but Shadowheart was able to talk their way into the inner circle. She started to ask different people as Piper took in the beauty around her. There as a small spring filled with lily pads and water reeds with a large stone structure surrounding it. In the middle of the spring there was a pedestal with a wooden figure that had a green aura around it. Piper made a mental note to ask about it once Gale gave her the ability to speak the language again.

The next few moments were a blur. Shadowheart had called Piper's name with a gesture to follow just as a horned child ran through the guards. Piper went to step forward out of the child's way, but her foot was caught on a vine. Instead, she fell forward towards the spring as the child scrambled for the wooden figure. Piper started to get up, watching the child as the guards chased after her.

One of the guards caught up with the child, grabbing the arm without the figure. Piper tried to stand as the child threw the idol in an effort to get it away from the guards. She looked up at the commotion just as the figure smacked her straight in the nose. Piper shouted as she fell backwards as black overtook her vision.

An odd sensation filled her body as she felt her skin hum with energy, seeping deep into her bones. She expected the feeling to be painful, but it was warm and welcoming, like warming up after swimming in a cold river. Then she felt like she could feel the hum connect with the ground as if the earth caressed her soul.

After a few moments, Piper blinked back into consciousness and found Shadowheart standing above her. She exhaled in relief when she saw that Piper was waking. Gale wasn't too far off, arguing with the guard who still held the girl. Piper glanced around and found that the figure had returned to the pedestal and still had that green aura.

Shadowheart helped Piper stand back up as she felt a little unsteady. Shadowheart called out to Gale for something as a headache crept in. The wizard walked over after convincing the guard to let the girl go. He made a comment with a chuckle before he reached for his book. He cast a spell as the magic washed over Piper.

"That should do it," Gale informed as Piper nodded.

"About time. How long is the spell going to last this time?" Piper asked with a wince.

"Only an hour, I still have to finish figuring out the longer version, but I'll have that done by the time we make it back to camp," Gale answered as Shadowheart sighed.

"I think we're going to have to get back to camp after we see Nettie. Piper took quite a blow to the head," she reminded. Piper went to check her nose, but it hurt at the slightest touch. Shadowheart reached into her pack and pulled out a vial of liquid. "Alright, drink this, it should help."

"Is it a pain killer?" Piper asked as she took the vial.

"Something like that," Shadowheart shrugged as Piper downed the liquid. Instantly, she felt better and more energized. She touched her face again and found no pain.

"Damn, that's a miracle drug right there," Piper whispered before one of the guards gave them directions to Nettie. The guard also told them that Nettie needed to know about the idol incident.

They walked through the stone door into the large cave that had been converted into a gathering room. They walked past the large table through to where a smaller woman worked on healing a blue bird. Piper admired the craftwork of the stone walls and pillars as Shadowheart got Nettie's attention.

"What can I do for you?" Nettie asked as Shadowheart explained the idol incident first. "Ah, I see, let me look at you."

Piper knelt as Nettie gestured towards her. A calm green magic flowed around and through Piper as Nettie closed her eyes. Within a moment, Nettie's magic dissipated, and she sighed.

"Well now, that's not something you see every day," Nettie grumbled before turning to Shadowheart. "How long have you been able to do magic?"

"Uh, never," Piper replied, confused.

"It's your lucky day, then. It seems that Silvanus has imbued you with druidic magic," Nettie replied with a smile. Piper's jaw dropped as she stared at her. Nettie turned back to Shadowheart, now asking more questions about the tadpoles. Piper turned to Gale and Astarion, who both had very different reactions. Gale looked pleased as punch while Astarion was holding back his laughter.

"I have magic now?" Piper whispered, looking down at her hands.

"Seems so," Gale answered. "I'm no expert on druidic magic, but I can help where I can."

Piper nodded before she overheard Nettie and Shadowheart arguing. Their tadpoles were worse than they first thought. If left untreated, they were going to transform into mindflayers. The same creatures that had abducted them in the first place. Piper swallowed down her fear as Shadowheart asked for healing.

It seemed that only the archdruid would know how to help, and he had been taken by the goblins. Piper tuned out the rest of the conversation as she stared at the wall next to her. Her mind raced as she shut down. She had magic now, but nothing that was going to help with either of her main problems. She still had a damn parasite in her brain with no way to get back home.