Enrolled in Epicness - A Baldur's Gate 3 Fanfic

13. The General

The sounds of battle almost died out while they approached the hall. Inside the corridor, Gale made sure everyone was in the correct combat position. Despite his attempts to dissuade the freed dark elves, they had insisted on helping, apparently to avenge the murdered mother.

Astarion didn't mind the extra hands on their side. It meant less chance of himself being targeted.

The Sahuagin cheered—a dreadful sound, fitting more for deep oceans than cramped stone corridors. He peered at Waterdeep, waiting for the wizard's reaction. The response was a single word.

"Now."

They charged into the hall, Lae'zel and Shadowheart in front, their armor glinting in the dim light. The first thing Astarion noticed was the flesh golem, lying butchered on his back, stabbed in a hundred places. Every ghoul was dead as well. The mind flayer had a shattered arm, and an ugly, swollen bruise forced its right eye shut. Nevertheless, the fiend and six of its minions were still standing, including the drow who'd stolen Gandrel's Aspiration, clad in chain mail and a nasal helmet.

Lae'zel leaped at the illithid, roaring. Her greatsword twanged from his magic shield before a scorching ray, launched by Gale, burst harmlessly against another defense, probably a Counterspell. The wizard spread his fiery attack, though, simultaneously hitting two Sahuagin with it. Meanwhile, Shadowheart advanced from the right flank, and Astarion took the left alongside Xundir, the halberd-armed drow father.

Keeping his sights on the pilfered crossbow, he lunged forward, dodging a clumsy spear stab from a scaly bastard. He checked a trident, locking its barbs with his rapier, and stepped in with his dagger—stabbing straight through a bulging fish eye. As the second Sahuagin fell, the drow aimed at Astarion's face. About five steps separated them, too far for a leap, so, feeling the pressure, he threw the dagger at the elf. It wasn't balanced for ranged attacks, but the glint of metal and swift motion provided a distraction, and the drow's bolt missed his face, just barely, before the dagger bounced off the nasal helmet. His foe then dropped the crossbow to the floor, hastily switching to a longsword, while he pounced with a wicked smile.

His first thrust got checked. He withdrew a step, observing the elf's telegraphed downward slash, and sidestepped it with a slight deflection. As the drow rebalanced for another swing, he struck, stabbing toward the neck. The blade failed to punch through the chain mail, and his opponent smacked it to the side. Another swing flew toward his head, going for a decapitation. Astarion twisted himself underneath. Blood spurt from his shoulder, but his head remained attached. He stabbed upward, betting on a finishing blow, but the damned elf tilted his head at the last moment, letting his helmet take the rapier's tip. The hit still disrupted his foe's balance, and a glimpse showed the allied drow was keeping the first Sahuagin occupied, so he continued the attack, sliding closer for a pommel strike to the head. The dazed drow spun his blade defensively, trying to put distance between them. A smart combat move for a weapon that needed space.

Which Astarion had predicted. Instead of meeting sword with sword, he dive-rolled to grab his discarded dagger. Then, armed with both weapons, he struck, diverting the longsword with the shorter blade while stabbing with the rapier. Steel pierced flesh, and the drow faltered, blood gushing from his neck. A second thrust finished him off.

He paused for a breather. Lae'zel had just sliced a Sahuagin in half, Shadowheart injured another with her spear, and Gale bombarded the illithid with magic missiles, which got blocked by a shield. Astarion loaded his recovered crossbow, planning to assist the drow father, but just then a bolt hit the scaly fiend he'd been fighting. The daughter cheered from the back as the creature crumbled.

"Well, I might as well use this shot," Astarion said, taking aim at the illithid. His bolt sank into the surprised creature's back. The mind flayer turned toward him, raising a hand, and the familiar humming of Mind Blast shook his ears.