The Urge || Baldur's Gate 3 Fanfic||

Resiting the Urge

Weeks have passed since I awoke aboard the alien craft of the mind flayers, my past erased, the person I once was now a ghost. Plagued by crippling headaches, I'm tormented by whispers that urge me to turn against those I journey with. But the agony peaked one night as I curled up in my bedroll, convulsing with pain. My short white hair fell across my face like a silken veil as I clutched my knees, fighting the impulse to scream and rouse the others from their slumber. It was then that Astarion, the enigmatic pale elf revealed to be a vampire spawn, slipped into my tent with a wry observation, "I was under the impression that you humans could sleep through anything." He settled beside me, his presence a strange comfort in the dark.

I slowly rise, facing him with determination, wearing a beautiful white nightgown that gracefully falls to my knees, its sleeves flowing elegantly to my elbows. "Not the time, elf." I corrected him, my gaze fixed on him. But here's the thing, I don't see him like everyone else does. To me, he looks like a perfect, pretty corpse. I quickly blink away that vision and focus on his face. My white locks fall past my jaw, and I push them aside, running my fingers through my hair. That's when Astarion inches closer, getting near my face. "You know, my dear, I could help with that," he says, his voice laced with a tempting offer. "Just a bit of your blood would put you right to sleep and satisfy my hunger." I blink, processing his words. "Is that why you're here?" I ask, trying to keep a straight face. He chuckles, his red ruby eyes meeting my dark brown ones before he looks away. "I don't want you to think I care, but I can hear you whimpering in here," he admits. Then he quickly changes the subject. "Maybe our transformations are causing those headaches," he suggests, sounding genuinely concerned. "Maybe..." I sigh, sitting beside him. It seems like I'm the only one who can really connect with the pale elf. "I don't have any memories before the nautiloid," I admit, pulling my knees close to my chest. "My mind is filled with voices urging me to kill... It's really terrifying. Whoever I was before, I don't think I was a good person," I confess. He sighs in response, understanding the weight of my words. "Well, we all have those dark impulses, but it's important not to act on them when friends are around. Remember the bard? I knew it was you from the start," he says. I tense up, thinking about Alfira, the innocent Tiefling bard. Just the day before, I had helped her with her song, excited for her to join our camp. But then, I woke up covered in her blood. I took the blame, saying it was the tadpole's doing, but that night, my tadpole has never slept so soundly. "And when I got away with it, I couldn't help but smile..." I admit, feeling ashamed of my actions.

The vampire's words linger in the air as he departs, leaving a silence as dense as the night itself. I settle into my bedroll, the soft earth beneath me a cold comfort. Eyes closed, my mind races with possibilities. The rescue of the Druid Halsin looms over us; will he hold the key to our salvation from this parasitic fate? Our paths, intertwined by chance and battle, could easily unravel with the dawn. Yet there's an unspoken bond, a desire to continue beyond necessity. "Our journey doesn't have to end with the cure," I murmur into the darkness, more a promise to myself than to him.

His pause is heavy with unvoiced thoughts. "I have to admit, you've proven yourself a formidable companion," Astarion admits, his voice a whisper that seems to caress the night. He steps closer, his presence a palpable thing. "Aren't you just..." His voice trails off, a thought left hanging like an unfinished melody.

Concern flickers within me. "Are you alright?" I ask, peering into the shadows where his figure blurs.

A soft chuckle, then a clearing of his throat. "Apologies, my mind was elsewhere." He's quick to recover, the eternal predator. "I must feed, and it's best done away from you. We need you at your full strength for what's to come," he says, before slipping out into the night, leaving me with the echoes of what's unsaid and the promise of tomorrow's perils.

Crawling into my bedroll, I close my eyes, feeling the unsettling presence of the tadpole lurking behind my eye. Tossing and turning, nightmares plague my restless sleep. Suddenly, my eyes snap open, and I'm confronted by a sight that could only exist in the realms of darkness. A male goblin stands before me, his green skin contrasting with his piercing red eyes and black sclera. His emaciated frame and coarse, wrinkled skin give him an eerie appearance. Claws, black as night, adorn all twenty of his digits, and a peculiar beak-like protrusion replaces his nose. Dressed in elegant yet tattered black garments with crimson accents, his short top hat features a snake skeleton coiled around it.

"What in the hells...!" I exclaim, jolted from my slumber, my heart pounding in my chest. "Did I summon you?"

The creature cocks its head, an unsettling grin spreading across its face. "You called for me, milady?" it inquires, its voice dripping with an otherworldly charm.

Doubt and confusion cloud my mind. "Gods... have I truly lost my sanity?" I sigh, sitting up and gazing at the enigmatic being before me. "Who are you?" I ask, my voice laced with trepidation, unsure if I truly wish to uncover the answer.

The creature bows gracefully, revealing a twisted sense of servitude. "Sceleritas Fel, at your service, milady," it declares, its words hanging in the air like a haunting melody.