Regarding (im)mortality

22: A talk with a Goddess

Author's note: Thank you so much to CordycepsCat (https://archiveofourown.org/users/CordycepsCat/pseuds/CordycepsCat) who helped me come up with the trials ahead for the two of them!

It'll be a wild ride full of drama and I hope I'm not laying it on too thick ^^"

******************

It hadn't taken Arista long to dance herself into a trance, spinning around with quick and precise movements, worshipping her Goddess through dance. But she also reached out to her with her mind, trying to get the Goddesses attention to talk to her. She didn't quite know how long it took her but her feet had already started to hurt so it must've been a while when the statue in front of her finally started to radiate off the divine warmth she had been waiting for.

Arista didn't stop her dance, kept on moving her body in worship while humming a song for her Goddess.

You have a question, child?, the Goddess' voice entered her mind.

'I wish to find a way to give my beloved back the sun', Arista answered.

There can be no middle ground, child. A cryptic answer, but still one that Arista understood.

'So he can only be immortal without the sun or mortal with it? Is there a way to cure his vampirism?', she asked next.

I cannot simply give you the easy way out. You have to earn it, child. Three components in three places. Combined they make the potion you seek.

'Can I use it on all of them?', Arista asked, if it was a potion she could maybe brew enough to cure all the Spawn, give them back their lives...

Yes. But the price is high, the road ahead a painful one. You have to be sure, child.

'Tell me where to find the components', Arista requested.

The Goddess stayed quiet for some time before feeding Arista's mind with pictures. A place in the Feywild, a fortress in the Hells and a castle located in the depth of Turnback Mountains. Eilistraee had been right, it would be a perilous mission. But Arista had never once shied away from perilous missions, she wouldn't start now when it was Astarion's and her future that was on the line.

What followed next were pictures of the components needed. Visions of the three ingredients and three names entering her mind. Mereoleona of the Unseelie court, Zariel of the nine hells and Azeroth one of the first vampires. Well known names, dangerous people. She knew that telling Astarion about them would influence his decision, wanted to just hide it from him but she knew she couldn't. This was too important.

Arista understood and she realized this wasn't a decision she could make on her own. Astarion would be furious if she didn't involve him in this. 'Thank you', she answered her Goddess, severing the connection. There was nothing more to learn for now, the decision not up to her alone.

************

Astarion quickly made his way to the temple to find Arista, taking the stairs two steps at a time and opening up the doors to the sanctum of his girlfriend's Goddess. He himself still didn't care much for Gods but he could accept that his Paladin worshipped the Goddess that saved her life many many years ago. Obviously he would never tell her to stop praying to Eilistraee. Her faith being an integral part of her and he wouldn't change his Love for the world.

He still felt out of place in this holy halls and it wasn't just his lack of faith. The temple was filled with only women most of the time and had he been single he'd enjoy feasting his eyes on them a lot more. Eilistraee's clergy was mostly dressed in the lightest robes if they wore anything at all, the way they moved was almost lyrical, more dancing through the halls than simply walking and there was always music playing somewhere. Hearing the doors close behind him he looked around, his eyes falling on Nemain who was sat in front of one of Eilistraee's statures, playing the flute with closed eyes and wearing one of those almost see-through robes, her feet were bare but sporting new and old calluses, it was obvious that she had been dancing for the entire time she'd been in here and only took a break just now.