Chapter Text
the day’s sunlight had come and gone.
a familiar evening symphony of crickets and a cool night breeze kiss your senses but you stay curled up in bed. you’re drowning, unable to swim up from under the heavy wave of depression that crashed around you.
it was your dream those many months ago to move away from baldur’s gate. the hustle and bustle of the city had grown overwhelmingly tiresome and you felt you aged thrice everyday. the city never slept and neither could you.
it was your fantasy to lead the idyllic life of a gardener out in the countryside. connect back with your druid roots and support yourself with the literal fruits of your labor. a hobby born from a few treasured moments of peace, you created a promising business with a reputation for producing only the best of the best. a year of meticulous planning later and now it was your reality.
so why were you not happy?
this question was what kept you trapped, your tired brain mulling it over and over. after the hours and hours of thought, you suppose the answer is that it is all too perfect. too effortless.
the valley you selected as your base is surrounded by all sorts of vibrant flora and fauna. a bubbling creek runs through the middle, ensuring flourish to your ever expanding garden. with a bit of magic and a lot of love, an abandoned cavern became a plush residence. however committed you were to re embracing nature, you still clung to the comforts of lavish civilization. modern furniture and amenities adorned your home, and you did your best to keep up with all the latest releases.
business was booming. the renown you cultivated back then only grows. your crops are served to nobles of numerous, exotic lands and your wines are drunk by even the gods.
you figured everything out and should be wanting for nothing. should. thinking back to your past frazzled self, you curse your mind for seeking out problems.
what silly, privileged complaints to have.
there are so many that will live their whole lives with not a single day like yours.
even still, you are restless. and worse, you suddenly realize, lonely. in baldur’s gate, you were never far from company. the favored among them your closest friend and occasional lover, gale.
you met at a soiree hosted by your co-proprietor lorroakan. a party organized to garner kinship with the most affluent clientele of sorcerous sundries. initially drawn by the wizard’s handsome appearance, you were tickled by the neverending conversation and charmed by his chivalrous demeanor.
he always had a story for you. so many tales of lost, mysterious magics just waiting to be harnessed. on the last day you saw him, he told the most fascinating one of all. three stones of legend that came together to form a crown of unbelievable power. this came with an invitation: the adventure of a lifetime. but you had your own ambitions to follow and, with much difficulty, you declined.
finally sitting up, you wistfully wonder what could have been. gale wrote when he could, but no amount of letters could replace in person companionship. other friends would visit every now and then but work always called them back, far too quickly.
closing your eyes, you lift a prayer up to the gods. it doesn’t matter which one. you just want something to happen. anything to break up your placid, solitary everyday.
little did you know what was in store for you.
𓅮𓅬𓅼
someone or something had come under the cover of darkness and ate about a dozen bunches of ruby grapes. a luxury item high in demand, you estimate a loss upwards of a few thousand gold. not to mention that lord gortash’s coronation was just a few days away. months of planning and preparation were falling apart right before your eyes.
how could this have happened? a variety of precautions were set in place around your perimeter to ward off any potential intruders and wandering animals. you tested them yourself numerous times.
dropping to the ground, you let out a little whimper. the perpetrator is certainly well practiced, not a single clue was left. a recollection of your past prayer surfaces, along with a throbbing headache. you asked the gods and they gave. foolish. foolish. foolish.
𓅮𓅬𓅼
a familiar evening symphony of crickets and a cool night breeze kiss your senses but this time you are not in bed. far from it. a discreet netting trap was set up near the scene of the crime. crouching behind a nearby apple tree, you survey the area, looking for any signs of the master thief. whoever it is clearly has a self indulgent taste for the opulent and you are sure they will be back for more.
just as confidence starts to fade, you see him.
an absolutely magnificent gander, the likes of which you have never seen. he seems to radiate in the moonlight, as if the brightest star fell down from the heavens and manifested itself into poultry. the bird’s long elegant neck trails into an enormously fluffy body, resembling a grandiose tutu or an immaculate head of curly white hair.
mesmerized by the beauty of this creature, it takes you a few minutes to realize that the goose had expertly evaded your trap and was now enjoying his prize.
“you little bastard.”
at the sound of your voice, he turns and deep, blood red eyes meet yours. red eyes? on a goose? it must be a trick of the shadows. amazingly, you see no traces of fear or surprise reflected back at you, rather amusement. somehow you know that he had known exactly where you were as soon as he entered the grounds.
“honk.”
it was a righteous honk, confident and somehow pompous. it was a challenge. you stand up and start towards the vines. a bird would not best you. the goose stays exactly where he is, keeping an eye on you but continuing to feast. far too late, you realize that, blinded by your determination, you were falling right into your own trap. the netting wraps tight around your body, holding you to the ground.
“fucking hells.”
“honk honk honk!”
you look up at the goose standing over you and you swear by the gods that he was laughing. the expression on his face could only be described as a smirk. hot anger bursts into your veins, but just as quickly as it arises it dissipates. a goose. the gods sent you a goose. you join in on the laughter, managing to turn onto your back so you can see the sky.
the dark expanse is bedazzled with thousands of glittering stars. thousands of little geese, blinking down at you with all the mirth of the planes.
“thank you.”