Chapter Text
The world was not prepared for the illithid invasion. Who could be prepared for such a tentacled apocalypse? In what seemed like no time at all, the Sword Coast flipped on its head, at once baffled and cowed by the sheer magnitude of alien domination which swept across its shores, cities, and Wilds.
The world prepared itself for the worst. It held its breath, prayed to gods who would not help, and it waited. It waited for the end on bated breath and wriggling masses.
Then, that moment of moments; the netherbrain, bolstered by its captives' division, released horror upon Baldur's Gate.
But somehow, this was not the end. For out of the wilds and the crevices of society, from royalty's heights and from the altars of the divines, from lonesome towers and Astral seas and even the Hells themselves, someone came running.
A team of heroes most unlikely, outlined against the broken sky. Stalwart, mighty, and most of all, hungry. Hungry for vengeance, ripe for the taking.
The Brain saw. It quaked. And at the hands of one it once believed it could dominate, the Brain fell.
That was the end, and it was the start of a new beginning.
"I'll never understand how the istik of these lands have yet to come up with a better mode of transportation that this."
"You're just cranky because you're hungry."
"Chk. My current state of appetite does not disqualify my statement."
Aella gave a wry smile to the githyanki warrior sitting across from her in the carriage. Lae'zel had her arms crossed, one leg hooked over the other, and overall gave the appearance of one who could not wait to be left alone.
Shadowheart, beside Aella, rolled her eyes. "I was beginning to think I'd hyperbolized your contrary nature in my head. Turns out, no."
"You're far from home," Aella said, trying to smooth over the waters of conversation. Even after all these years, the two couldn't seem to help but annoy one another to pieces. They would take a killing blow for one another in a heartbeat in battle (and indeed had done just that in the past), but that didnt mean they were exactly sweet. "Farther than any of us are. It's natural to feel out of place. I'm sorry we couldn't bring your steed."
"It is just as well. Tahna would scare half the Sword Coast to death. And rightly so." She gave a sharp-toothed grin at the mention of her red dragon.
"Did you hear word from the others?" Shadowheart asked. "Aella and I haven't been home in a while to recieve letters."
"I heard from Gale. Apparently, he's mastered the art of sending arcane messages across planes. I'd have rather he not invade my mind in the middle of battle, though."
"Just like old times, then."
"Indeed."
Aella laughed. "I last heard Astarion was making his way up from the Underdark. Did you know Ormeluum has offered to help find a way for vampire spawn to survive on mushrooms instead of blood? I thought the pale guy was tempted to pull his tentacles off."
"Of course he was," Shadowheart said with a chuckle, leaning her elbow against the window. Her white hair glinted in the late afternoon sun. "That would take all the fun out of the hunt."
"Agreed," said Lae'zel. "What purpose would killing have if you could not gain any use from it?"
Aella might have pointed out that with such a solution, no killing would be needed. But this was Lae'zel she was talking to, so she figured it would be a moot point. It wasn't like she herself had any qualms with killing when necessary. Gods knew they'd all done plenty of that.
Sometimes Aella still saw their faces, the people she'd killed before the destruction of the netherbrain. Their eyes stared at her, unfeeling, and their hands usually clawed at the amulet she wore most days of the moon goddess. They weren't the worst dreams she'd ever had, but they still woke her.
"Are you nervous?" Shadowheart asked, startling Aella out of her thoughts.
"Hm? For what?"
She gave Aella a knowing look.
"Oh, that? Why would I be nervous about that?"
"Oh, silly me." Shadowheart rolled her eyes. "I just thought that might be an appropriate emotion to have at the prospect of going to a ball hosted by your ex-fiance."
"It's not like that."
Lae'zel's eyes traveled between the two. "Is there something I'm missing? I was under the impression that Aella was still bonded with Wyll."
Aella, thoroughly not wanting to get into it, shot Shadowheart a look of venom, but said, "No. We're not."
"Why?"
"It's a long story."
"We have a long journey yet. Plenty of time to tell a long story."
Aella sighed, aggrieved. "It's nothing bad. We just-- decided that we were in two very different stages of life."
Lae'zel raised an eyebrow. "How so? Do tieflings age differently from humans? I thought your life expectancy was similar."
"No, not like that... It's--" Sigh. "After the Brain, Wyll became Grand Duke and, well, I had other matters to see to. It wasn't compatible any longer, we had responsibilities which would make a relationship nearly impossible."
Shadowheart watched carefully. She knew all the details, of course, but the story wasn't exactly something Aella liked to think about often. She'd worded it as vaguely as she could.
But Lae'zel nodded. "Understandable. It is rare that such bonds last forever. Better to end things on good terms when they are no longer economical."
Well, that was one way of putting it.
Aella was silently grateful for the githyanki's pragmatic nature. She didn't think she could handle more judgement. Even if Lae'zel's wording was rather... cold.
"You didn't tell Lae'zel the whole truth," Shadowheart said as they settled into their room in the outskirts of Rivington. The three women had decided to share a room for the night-- not for the sake of expense, but for old times-- and Lae'zel had gone out in search of something palletable to eat. Knowing her, they might be eating well, but they might also be eating some unidentifiable meat she'd hunted herself.
"No, I didn't."
"She wouldn't judge you."
"I know that."
"So why?"
Aella fixed her with a sharp look. "It's in the past. Why bother dredging it up again?"
Shadowheart, unfazed, just propped her arms on her knees. She rested her chin atop her arms. "The others are going to want to know too, you know. The two of you were, like, disgustingly adorable. I think you made even Astarion believe in romance."
Aella stared at her reflection in the water of the basin she'd been washing up in. "I know."
"And what are you going to tell them?"
"Why are you so concerned?"
"I'm your Second; It's my job to worry about these things."
"No it's not."
"Alright then. I'm your friend; It's my job to worry about these things."
Aella looked over to the fellow cleric, something softening in her chest. For all they'd been through together-- tadpoles, netherbrains, cults, divine callings-- she was grateful. Grateful that somehow they'd been able to walk out of the experience not just without killing each other, but as friends. Once, they'd been on opposite ends of a millenia-long conflict, a conflict that still raged on. Now, allied and joined as a team, they'd proven an unstoppable force which had razed evil across the Sword Coast for almost a year now.
Aella splashed water over her face. It was cool and bright. After, she settled to sit next to Shadowheart on the bed. "I don't want this trip to be a drama session between my friends about why I'm not married. I just want to enjoy the reunion."
Shadowheart pursed her lips, studying Aella. She was never one to let things go, not when they burned at her. "You had it all. And you gave it up, for Her."
"And I'd do it again. Shadowheart, the Moonmaiden has never let me down, not once. I don't regret my choices. Not when I made them, and certainly not now, when I've seen all the good that's come of them."
"You know, there was a time when I'd have said the same thing. "
"It's not the same. And anyway, would you have me abandon you? Abandon the cause? Moonrise isn't where it should be yet."
"I know. I just--" her eyes wandered to the window, where the night-darkened sky twinkled its stars at them both. The moon was full, watching with baited eyes. "I suppose I just can't believe it still. You were in love, Aella. Before I even believed in your goddess, I believed in you. I believed in what you had."
It had been wonderful. Aella still fell asleep to thoughts of drifting dances and strong arms, of loving touches and the softest of gazes.
But it was over, and whatever might have been held between her and Wyll couldn't be what she thought of as they neared Baldur's Gate. Who knew what had changed in the time they'd been apart?