Enrolled in Epicness - A Baldur's Gate 3 Fanfic

11. Into the Fray

After the brief rest, Astarion and the others walked to the shimmering portal. On the way through the prison, the freed drow equipped themselves—Xunvir collected the halberd and chain mail from the dead dark elf warrior he saw earlier, and his daughter picked up a light crossbow, loaded by a goats-foot lever.

They entered the gate in pairs—Shadow and Lae'zel first, weapons held in front, followed by the dark elves, and finally Gale and himself. A bright light enveloped Astarion, forcing him to cover his eyes, but the travel lasted only a moment, after which everyone was standing on a flight of stairs inside Moonrise Towers' throne room. General Thorm's authoritative chair sat on a raised platform above a wooden floor. Behind its oaken seat stood a towering iron altar to Myrkul, a menacing skull glaring from its center, flanked by two pointy spears.

Thankfully, the hall was empty save for a dozen corpses that littered the stairs. Clanging and banging noises came from somewhere above, confirming that the battle was still raging.

A burst of green light startled Astarion for a moment. "Necromancers," he said, looking at Waterdeep. "Balthazar's forces?"

"I was thinking the same. The invaders must be doing well if he abandoned the throne."

"He's a clever wretch, though, so don't count him out yet."

"WE SHOULD ATTACK!"

Gale looked around, rubbing his chin. "Lae'zel, you, more than anyone, should know the value of reconnaissance. Would you please inspect the exit with our red-eyed friends?"

"Chk! Thinking about retreat?"

"On the contrary—I'd like to know we won't be surprised from the rear."

The Githyanki's eyes opened in understanding. With some effort, she managed to convey the message to the former slaves via hand gestures. After the three left, Astarion gave Waterdeep a wicked smile.

"Not bad, getting her out of the way."

"Yes, we need to be smart about this—" A deep rumble shook the floor. Gale looked upward. "Sounds like a battering ram."

"Let them fight," Shadowheart said in a dismissive tone. "We'll destroy whoever is left."

The wizard shook his head. "We can't assume they'd erode each other. A decisive victory may end with the winning side mostly intact." He turned to Astarion. "Can you scout upstairs?"

"Trying to get rid of me too?"

"Yes, I plan to make a move on Shadowheart," Waterdeep said with a wry smile.

Astarion rolled his eyes. "We're talking mind flayers and necromancers, though, so I can use extra reassurance in case things go sideways." He nodded toward the wizard's bag.

"I can bless you," Shadow said while Gale rummaged through his belongings.

"That'll make me glow like a lamp, darling—not ideal for stealth."

"Right. How about Aid then?"

"Oh." He broke into an uneasy smile at her helpfulness. "That'll be lovely,"

"Ah-ha! Here." Waterdeep plucked out a scroll. "Invisibility—that should help in a pinch."

He also had a smokepowder bomb, good for both confusion and concealment. "Thanks. If I'm not back in thirty minutes, please make a desperate saving attempt."

The wizard nodded, smiling. "We just might. Good luck."

"Luck is for the incompetent," Astarion said, walking away. Inside, however, he wasn't so certain. He climbed up the stairs, attuned to every noise, especially the low rumbles that rattled the structure every ten seconds. Downstairs, Lae'zel reported that the exit led nowhere—the reconstructed location included nothing beyond the throne room. He continued ascending the staircase. On the upper floor, a doorway stood to his right, and twenty meters to the left, a group of Sahuagin was guarding an entrance. They didn't spot him yet. Another loud rumble, coming from the same direction, made them look. He exploited the moment to sneak right.