Bloodlust

Chapter 1

Nithza had snuck out of camp in the middle of the night for a stroll. She had found herself unable to sleep, her anxieties surrounding the mind flayers taking it's toll on her. She walks through the forest, kicking small stones at her feet as she goes.

Astarion hears rustling outside his tent and peeks out to see Nithza walking away from the campsite. He grumbles to himself. A part of him wants to scold her for leaving camp alone while another part of him yearns for some company.

He gets up from his bedroll and stretches, making a decision to follow her from a distance. As he treads through the brush, he keeps his distance, making sure not to alert her of his presence.

Finally, she stops by a small stream. Astarion observes her from behind a tree, silently noting her behavior. His curiosity gets the better of him and he steps out from behind the foliage. "Having trouble sleeping?" He quips, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Nithza gasps, turning around to see who the voice belonged to. It was, of course, her new traveling companion, Astarion. She sighs in relief as she realizes it's only him, silently cursing him for sneaking up on her.

"What are you doing out here?" She asks, taking a seat next to the small stream. The night air is cool, and it feels comforting on her bare skin.

"Merely taking a nighttime stroll," he replies with a shrug, "and getting some fresh air, if you will." He approaches her and leans against a tree with his arms crossed loosely over his chest.

He regards her with a small grin, "And what about you, Nithza? I'd love to say something about beauty of the moonlight, but I'm sure you've had enough of that from Gale." He says, chuckling at his own joke.

He watches her intently, his eyes lingering on her horns and piercings. "It's quite an interesting look you have. What kind of a Tiefling are you, if I may ask?" he inquires with genuine curiosity.

"Always so full of questions," she says, picking up a rock and skipping it across the water. "I'm a Mephistopheles tiefling," she continues, thinking it had been obvious, and wondering why he'd taken a sudden interest in her heritage.

He watches the rock skip before turning his attention back to her. "A Mephistopheles tiefling," he repeats, nodding, "I've met a few of your kind before, but you're the first Mephistopheles I've come across."

He takes a step closer to her, tilting his head to the side, "So, what's it like being a tiefling? I've heard some rather unpleasant things about your kind, but I'm sure not all of them are true." He is genuinely curious about her experiences as a tiefling. His own vampirism has made him an outcast in most circles, and he has found that he is drawn to others who are also set apart from society.

She shrugs. "There's not much to say, really. We're descended from archdevil Mephistopheles himself, and the only thing special about us is our affinity for magic," she says, keeping her eyes on the water.

He nods, "Ah, affinity for magic." He pauses and then adds, "That will come in handy, I'm sure." He glances over at her, his tone more serious now, "But I'm sure the prejudice you face is something completely different." He reaches out his hand and brushes his fingers over her horns gently. "I, for one, find your appearance rather captivating. Yet, I'm aware that not everyone thinks the same."

She laughs, shooing his hand away from her horn. "Your charms won't work on me, Astarion," she says, and then adds, "Although you are quite beautiful, even for a vampire."

He grins in response, "Well, aren't you just full of surprises," he says with a chuckle.

"But, I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised," he muses, "I have always been told that people find my looks quite... fetching." He glances up at the moon and then back down at her. "I'm glad I'm not a mere mortal anymore, or else I may have blushed just then."