Luastra quickly went to change back into her bloodied leather armor as Astarion changed into something simple. He didn't have anything specific that he usually went hunting in, as long as it was darker in color to hide him in the shadows. It also helped cover the blood stains if he was a little messier that day.
As he walked down the stairs, he found Luastra patiently waiting in the hallway, trying not to pace. She turned to see him coming down the steps, and she grinned. Astarion wondered if anyone had ever looked at him with such affection before. If anyone had, it had been a very long time since.
"Are you ready?" he wondered, holding his hands behind his back.
"I think so," she replied with a chuckle. "I've never hunted with another person before. Have you?"
"Not in a long time, no. Where are your usual hunting grounds?" he continued.
"I usually go down to the Lower City around Heaps Stand. I hear people go missing around there from time to time," she remarked with a smirk. Astarion shook his head.
"So that's been you this whole time?"
"It's just random and inconsistent enough for the Fist to be confused and my urge to be satisfied. Plus, the people I grab usually hurt others, so not many miss them in the end."
"Makes sense why the Fist haven't taken a serious look into the disappearances there. Why haven't the Harpers or the Guild looked into it? Or even the Zhentarim?"
"Because I'm not stupid enough to grab their people. I grab stupid pickpockets, lowlifes, and drifters. A lot of people come off the ships looking to cause trouble," Luastra informed with a shrug. "I've learned to find the ones no one will miss in the long run."
"Clever," Astarion complimented with a grin.
"What about you? How do you pick your targets?"
"Me? Oh, I'm usually too recognizable, I generally grab livestock outside of Rivington. I haven't gone after a thinking creature's blood in a long time," Astarion lied with a wave of his hand. Cazador forbade his spawn from ever drinking from a thinking creature, only from animals and bugs. Luastra didn't need to know how exciting this night was going to be for him.
"I don't think there's any livestock in the Lower City," Luastra hummed, bringing a finger to her chin. Astarion faltered, wondering if he was going to bluntly ask to partake in her catch. He wasn't above asking for what he wanted, but he had hoped that she would simply offer her kill to him. However, her eyes gleamed as her thoughts caught up. "I'm sure my sacrifice would be just as good without the blood."
"Oh, darling, you read my mind," Astarion said, pretending to swoon. She giggled as he grasped at his chest, stepping towards her. "We should hurry, though. I'm starved."
~U~
Luastra guided Astarion down the sewers once the sun had set, feeling rather excited to show him this part of her world. He had been so open to this part of her life, and he had accepted it as a part of her. The only secrets she had now was one of Orin and Sceleritas, and those were two that she was going to keep until absolutely necessary.
She felt almost like a hunting hound, running up to each corner and waiting for Astarion to catch up as he sauntered after her. He was in no hurry, but he did enjoy seeing Luastra so excited like this. She could barely stand still when she had to wait for him with a grin plastered on her face. Sometimes, he would slow ever so slightly just to get a rise out of her as she whined, wanting him to hurry.
However, they managed to make good time as they arrived underneath the fishing district. Luastra had to calm her nerves, bringing out the predator within her. While she was excited that she was showing off with Astarion, she had to keep an even head to make sure that her urge was sated. That was the reason they came out here after all. Astarion watched as her playful demeanor morphed into a seriousness he hadn't seen in her since they had first met. Her guard was up again, and he almost didn't recognize the woman in front of him. The drow motioned for him to follow her as they crept out of the sewers onto the shadowed streets.
Astarion was impressed to find that the exit that they had used was completely covered by the buildings and fences surrounding it, and he guessed that very few people knew about it in the first place. He wondered if it had been installed years ago by Bhaalists when Heaps Stand was built. She peered through the cracks of the fencing that shielded them from the darkened streets before she motioned for him to follow her.
Keeping low as she was, Astarion followed her around the fence to see a lone man who was also skulking about. He had a long leather coat on, and he had his head on a swivel. He looked back towards them, but Luastra had hidden them in the shadows long before his neck swung their way. It was almost as if she could guess where he was going to look before the victim even knew. He watched both their prey and Luastra as she plotted the route.
Quick as she could, she threw a small pebble across the way, startling the man to turn the other direction. The victim didn't look panicked, but he knew something was wrong. Luastra broke into a manic smile, luring her victim into her trap. She had another entrance to the sewer further down the road. With a little effort, she could quickly incapacitate the man and drag him down, even with Astarion on her heels. Then she had an idea.
"There's a manhole cover that leads to the sewers. He's going towards it, we want him to go down it," Luastra whispered, too soft for normal ears to hear. Although, she knew with Astarion's vampiric ears, he would hear just fine. He smirked and offered a short nod. She motioned for him to follow the man as she would go around the corner to open the entrance.
Within a second, Luastra vanished from his presence, and Astarion watched the man before seeing him grow more paranoid. He was probably a thief or a deserter of some kind. He was looking for someone in the shadows to find him. The victim wouldn't expect Astarion though. Deciding to put on a little show for Luastra, he stepped from the shadows, startling the criminal. Then the man grinned, thinking his luck was turning around. Well, his luck was certainly changing.
"Saer, it's dangerous to be wandering around the docks at night," the victim mentioned, stopping a few yards from the cover Luastra mentioned. The drow waited in the shadows, surprised that Astarion revealed himself. It could be dangerous if the man got away.
"Oh, don't mind me, I love a midnight stroll along the sea. I will admit that this part of town isn't my favorite," Astarion lamented, sounding indifferent and bored. The victim reached into his coat as Astarion walked towards him. The man took a hesitant step back, not wanting to give away the element of surprise. "I will say that the drinks are absolutely divine over here, though."
"There are no taverns on this side of the docks, saer," the man remarked before brandishing his blade. The man expected Astarion to jump or cower. However, the aristocrat didn't react as he shrugged, thinking on the words.
"I suppose there aren't," he chuckled before Astarion grabbed the man by the wrist and the throat. In a panic, the man dropped the blade and reached for his neck with his free hand. With a quick shove as Luastra lifted the manhole cover, the man fell into the sewers.
Astarion expected a moment of victory between the two of them, but Luastra jumped in after the man immediately. He caught the cover before it crashed down, and he slipped in to the dark. Luastra had the man on his stomach with his arms behind his back. Her knees were on his arms, restraining him as he struggled. She was laughing in his ear as the man whimpered. The urge hadn't quite made a reappearance, but it was present just underneath.
"I have to slash and slice in Father's name, but then my dearest gets to drink and drain you dry," Luastra whispered, her eyes flickering up to Astarion. He stared at her, feeling a strange fluttering in his chest at her words. "Once the dagger as struck, the vampire descends."
Astarion slowly stalked closer, drinking in the sight before him. He wasn't sure if he enjoyed the terror in the man's eyes, but that was before he started to plead for his life.
"I promise never to take another life, I promise not to kill innocents again, I'm sorry," the man sobbed as Luastra growled. Astarion's blood ran cold as the man started to describe even more terrible sins he had committed, one after the other, and every bit of regret and pity evaporated immediately.
"You will never again terrorize the living," Luastra nearly screamed before she plunged her dagger through his ribs. The man shrieked, and his squirming became more frantic than before. The drow kept him pinned as she motioned for Astarion to approach.
Astarion nearly slid to his knees and bit into the man's neck savagely. Their prey sobbed as his life ebbed away. Luastra prayed to her Father, holding her victim firm with Bhaal's dagger wedged in his spine. Blood flowed into Astarion's mouth, and he was in ecstasy. He had never tasted anything so delicious in his life, and he wondered if he would ever be able to go back to livestock blood after this.
However, soon his meal dried up and the corpse was no more than a husk. Luastra withdrew her dagger as she took deep breaths. Her urge had been sated, and she found that she greatly enjoyed watching Astarion's tactics. Her crazed actions calmed again as she felt more herself than she had in days.
Astarion pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his mouth, rising to his feet again. Luastra, however, got to work arranging the corpse. Even though the corpse was stiff and mummified, she could still create something out of it. Something haunting and horrible. She almost wanted to display this one as a warning, but he would be obvious that a vampire had been part of the murder. She didn't want Astarion to deal with that.
While she worked, Astarion sat on an old piece of stonework and watched. She was deliberate with her movements, and he was astonished at her precision. Using the environment around her, she created art out of the horror before she offered the corpse to Bhaal once more.
"Okay, we can head back now," Luastra smiled. Astarion reached out to touch her cheek, feeling like he was seeing her true self again after so long.
"I'm glad you're feeling better," he remarked as she leaned into his hand.
"What about you? How was your first sentient blood after so long?" Luastra asked as Astarion hummed.
"The best thing I've tasted in decades," he answered smoothly with a sigh at the end. Her smile widened as she covered his hand with hers. "Why don't we head home then? Unless there was something you needed on the way back?"
"There's nothing I need to do, but it seems silly to just go home. It feels like we just left," Luastra sighed with a shrug. Astarion laughed.
"And what would a lovely Bhaalspawn like you do on a night like this?" Astarion purred, luring her in. Luastra gave it some serious thought, wondering what she did with her time before she moved into his home. Most of it was figuring out how to sate the urge and appease her mother. She didn't have much free time outside of those chores with her Father's assassination assignments as well. Although, there was one thing that she would do when she could get away from all of her responsibilities.
"Well, there was one place I would always go when I finished a hunt early," Luastra mentioned. "It's not far from here, if you want to go."
"Sounds wonderful," Astarion replied as Luastra nearly jumped for joy. She grabbed Astarion's hand as she led him through the maze of the sewers again to a different part of the Lower City.
He usually didn't enjoy surprises, especially when he didn't know where he was going, but he found that he trusted Luastra enough to like her surprises. She held his hand tightly, making sure that she didn't lose him. There were too many passageways to get lost in, and she wanted to get to her destination before the sun rose.
Soon, she found the exit she needed and Luastra pushed the round cover out of the way. She helped Astarion onto the road again as he recognized the place as Grey Harbor. They were still in the Lower City, and still not in the nicer part. Although, they were close to the temple of the Bitch Queen, and he could at least appreciate the architecture there.
Luastra grabbed his hand, this time dragging him towards the wall just beyond the temple. With some protest, Luastra was able to convince him to climb up the wall onto the roof of the nearby warehouse where she pointed up. While it wasn't a perfect view, it was a clearer view of the stars than the Upper City could have. There was less light pollution around, letting the starlight through.
She smiled as she laid down on the roof, encouraging Astarion to do the same. With some reluctance, he followed suit and laid next to her. She stared up into the night sky, impressed with the constellations above them.
"You always came up here after a hunt?" Astarion asked.
"Sometimes. Only when I didn't have something else to do. Most of the time, sating the urge was a chore that I needed to do quickly before returning to my mother or back to the temple. Some nights, when I found my prey easily, I would stop here and just watch the stars before the sun came up. I would be dead tired the next day, but it would put my mind at ease at least," Luastra explained as she turned her head towards him.
"It's an impressive view. You can't see them this well back at our home," Astarion mentioned, meeting her gaze.
"That's true, but that will give us reason to venture out to see them," she reasoned, making him smile.
"That it does."
"When you mentioned buying a larger house, did you mean in Baldur's Gate?" Luastra wondered, changing the subject. Astarion faltered, surprised by the question. His immediate reaction was to say yes, but if they were at the point to buy a larger house, they could go anywhere. Cazador would be dead.
"I suppose so, but I would be open to anything. Did you have a place in mind?"
"Not really, but if we were to move somewhere else, I would like to live somewhere where we could see the stars even more clearly than here. Don't you think?"
"I think that's a wonderful idea. Once we have the means to upgrade, we can take a look outside of Baldur's Gate," Astarion promised. Luastra smiled as she intertwined her hand in his before staring up at the stars.
Astarion stared at her for a moment more, realizing that he would need to talk about Cazador and lay out his plan soon. If she was already thinking about the future, then he would need to make sure she had a future to plan. If Cazador still lived, then Luastra's days were numbered. He squeezed her hand, deciding that he would put his plan into place within the next tenday. He would start planning for Cazador's downfall.
That also meant that he would need to be extra vigilant. He would need to do regular check-ins and make sure that he was consistent and accurate in his lies. He could also bring Luastra into those as well if she so chose. He guessed that she would want to be involved. She seemed very fond of him so far.
Feeling like he needed to send it home, Astarion let go of her hand to wrap his arm around her shoulder to pull her closer to him. While he still wasn't sure about most physical intimacy, this was fine. He could initiate this at least. He could at least make her feel safe.
Luastra was a little surprised by his forwardness, but it wasn't unwelcome in the slightest. She snuggled into his side, keeping her eyes fixed on the sky. Most people were afraid of her, especially after they found out about her urge, and they kept their distance. To see Astarion feel so comfortable around her was more than she could have ever hoped. She could almost fall asleep at his side, and she probably would have if they weren't on top of a warehouse.
Eventually, sleep did get the best of her and Astarion had to shake her awake. She grumbled, turning her head towards him as he smiled. He was sitting as her head was in his lap. She sat up immediately, surprised that he had let her sleep so intimately on him. He stifled a laugh at her reaction before he pointed behind them.
"The sun's about to rise, darling. I thought it might be time to head home soon," Astarion mentioned as Luastra nodded.
"Right, of course. I didn't mean for us to be out here all night," she laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of her neck. Astarion shrugged as he stood up.
"No worries, my dear. I quite enjoyed watching the stars with you," he reassured, helping her up as well. She found her footing before she led them back down to the sewers. "I'm sure we can just walk back through the streets now, though."
"You and I are both still covered in blood. The Fist might ask questions," Luastra pointed out. "And it's just once more, and then we'll be home to rest and relax."
"I, for one, am going to take a bath when we return. I'm not one for traversing through the sewers," Astarion complained as Luastra started down the wall.
"Only if you're quick. I might have lived down in the undercity, but that doesn't mean I like to smell like cesspits," she retorted with a laugh. Astarion smirked, following her down. He almost wanted to suggest that they save both of them some time and share the bath, but he felt that he might want to bide his time a little more.
"You think that all this happens after a quick bath, darling? This all takes time and proper care," he mentioned as they reached the ground. Luastra reached up and ran a careful hand through his hair.
"Fair enough," she sighed before messing his hair up. He frowned as she stepped back. "But I still want to take a bath today, so bear than in mind."
"Of course, dear, whatever you say," he taunted, waving his hand about as he followed her. She chuckled, shaking her head, leading him back towards the nasty sewers.
