After refusing the ascendant's gift of immortality, he seeks to keep you bound to him, even if a pact has to be made to do so.
(Tw: Emotional Manipulation, Character Death, Angst/Dark fic, Slight comfort/Happy ending)
》───・゜・。.༺ * ༻.・。.・───《
As requested here's part 2 to TCTBU, things do become a bit dark here. Message me if I've missed any TW tags.
》───・゜・。.༺ * ༻.・。.・───《
Life within the palace wall is pleasant, Astarion does give you free rein to explore some of the rooms in the palace, such as the dining hall and library. Most halls are empty half the time, with the occasional spawn that would scutter back to the shadows as if they were scared to even glance at you.
However, leaving the palace to explore the city is different. The only time you are allowed to go outside is to fulfil another task that you have been assigned to do.
Your perception of time slowly starts to warp, and days seem to blur together, how long have you been with him, Weeks? Months? The only one you can speak to within these walls is him.
When he throws his lavish parties in the ballroom, he always ensures that you never leave his side, displaying you as a prized toy to show to others that the grand hero of Baldur's Gate has the honour to stand by his side. Even if they don't know the truth of why you do it.
Some warlocks carry binding marks upon their skin, although most choose to hide it and think nothing more of it. Astarion however is nothing but persistent in making sure your mark is visible for everyone to see, a twisted form of ownership to him.
Two small holes that form a bite mark an exact copy of the one mirrored on his neck. Every attempt at covering it up with clothing just leads it to reappear on another part of your body. Neck, wrist, leg, it doesn't matter, as long as others know who you belong to.
Some days when you arrive back from clearing out another vampire spawn camp, he would not let any of the other spawn lay their hand on your wounds, fearing that the sight of your blood would cause them to harm you. Only he is allowed to tend to them.
Speaking to you with a soft tone, how he'll never hurt you, whispering sweet little words into your ear.
"My pretty little warlock, my little pet, I don't like seeing such doubt cast upon your face"
He would mutter whilst placing gentle kisses onto your scars, admiring the bite-shaped pact mark in your skin.
Over time, you feel more of your vampiric master's power seep into you, and wrinkles start to fade away from your skin. Your respiratory system struggles to fall into a natural rhythm as if the need for oxygen in your body isn't required anymore. Most food and drink leave a plain taste on your tongue, even as you coat it in salt, it all tastes the same to you, an ash after-taste.
One day he offers you an answer to the torment you go through,
"I can take this pain away if that's what you want, One little bite is all it would take"
"All the luxuries of living will be returned to you, just one drop is all it takes" A sly grin spreads across his face, fulfil aware of what he's put you through.
You know that he wants to see, you degrading yourself in front of him on your knees for him, begging just like that night after the black mass.
When you receive any new spells or pact boons from him, he always leaves a note by your bed, treating it as a gift.
The various pacts you wield also take on a visual change.
Pact of the blade weapons now carry a necrotic touch to them. When used, the mark they leave is one of ash and dust that spreads slowly across the body.
Pact of the tome, when read, you hear the silent whispers of those who have fallen by your hand. A constant reminder of the ones slain in his name to make a clear path.
Pact of the chain familiars have a slightly ghostly hue to them, whilst imps and quasits bear the markings of Mephistopheles.
Most of the time when you were tasked to yet again crush another uprising in secret by hunters. You were always reminded by him with a voice in your head.
"I will be watching. I am always watching."
You thought this was nothing but an empty threat although oddly comforting that he would care to watch over you during your jobs.
The devil's sight that he gifted you, had the benefit of seeing normally in both magical and non-magical darkness. It acted as a second pair of eyes to him.
One day, whilst silently sweeping through another reluctant attempt to kill your master by the Gur, you find a child cowering, scared, unable to do anything but watch. Pulled from your trance, you decided to spare the child, an innocent shouldn't be harmed because of what he ordered you to do.
Have you lost sense of yourself after so many merciless kills all in hopes of keeping you and your companions safe?
As you watch the child hurry off into the forest, pausing to think.
“How many people have fallen by your hand, all in the name of protecting those close to you?”
“Was it even worth it anymore?”
Deep down, you hope that the child won't take the path that leads to their death by challenging the vampire ascendant, they all lead to the same fate anyway.
Arriving back at the palace, instead of seeing him waiting, sat on his throne for all to see. He stood above you at the door staring down at your figure.
Quicking clutching your wrist in his hand, grip tightening.
“You let that thing get away, In my lifetime they would be fully grown within a blur and now they could come back READY TO KILL YOU!” Snapping at you.
Flinching up at his yelling, frozen, unsure what to even say. His face softens.
“I-I’m sorry my treasure, I shouldn’t have scared you so easily. You’ll forgive me right?”
“I adore you terribly so” in a gentle tone, whilst holding you softly in his arms.
Unsure of what to even say to him after that, exhaustion falls upon you, relaxing in his arms.
The only way he can't see through your eyes is through your spiritual projection. Projecting your spirit from your body, you could pass through the palace halls undetected by any of the spawn and him, all whilst your physical body was sound asleep.
Knowing that this is your only slither of hope for freedom from this place. You reach out to Gale, surely he would know what to do.
Upon arrival at Gale's tower in Waterdeep, thanks in part to hitching a ride upon the weave, he seems surprised to see you. It's almost as if he's looking at a ghost of you. You explain everything to him, the contract you signed, your life in the palace and what he has made of your former self.
"After the party, He told us that you wanted to stay with him. But for him to reduce yourself to this- this form" He states whilst waving his hands at your body.
He agrees to gather everyone to help free you from him. No matter the cost.
Sitting on the throne next to him, you see your former companions walk in, none pleased to see Astarion, some can’t even look you in the eye, shocked by what has become of you.
Astarion knows that they’re not here, to sit elegantly and chat. He knows they're here to kill him and take you away.
His voice echoes in your head, a true test of your loyalty to him, to see how much you fall for him. Even if deep down you still loved him.
"Pet, you love me don't you, you'll get rid of them for me yes? Just like the rest"
Rising from his throne, readying himself to strike them down without a second thought.
You pause, you can't, you won't let him take another life, not by your hand nor by his.
Rushing in front of your companions, taking the full force of his attack.
A cry pierces through the large throne room. Looking down, you see his claws piercing through your chest, while your blade runs through him staking his heart cleanly.
Silence fills the room, and time seemingly stops, until it is quickly broken by his voice.
"Y-you wretch" He chokes out before you both fall to your knees.
You gained your freedom, but your death is still done by his hand. Even if you gave in and became his spawn, he would have killed you anyway.
Looking into those eyes, you notice the dull tone has vanished from his eyes, a glimmer of the man he once was looks horrified at you. Thinking back to the day of the rite, wishing how things could have gone differently for both of you. Clutching your body tightly, losing too much blood to even turn you into spawn.
"Aeterna amantes. Lovers forever, until the world falls down." Is the last thing you hear, a weak whisper upon his lips, before your eyes close for the last time.
Many decades have passed since that day, and the palace has long since been destroyed, nothing but a pile of rubble to the winds of time.
Gale, now more grey-looking, was walking near sorcerous sundries, until a familiar sight caught his eye, a young Drow with white curls with tips of silver on the ends and piercing red eyes. Next to the Drow, a person who took your face but in a form entirely different from what you were many decades ago.
The two looked like young lovers, smiling as they talked to one another, full of life to any unexpecting bypassers, yet to those who knew your previous life, a familiar face best left untouched to the darkest of your past.
The two of you smiled as you soaked in the warm touch of the sun. Perhaps being bound to another isn’t bad after all.
Your future is yet to be written, after all.
》─────・゜・。.༺ * ༻.・。.・─────《
I really wanted to add this part in but didn’t want to ruin the overall flow so I’ve put it here as a sort of bonus piece.
In the depths of the nine hells, Astarion stood in front of the archdevil, Mephistopheles, a wisp clutched tightly to his chest.
Your wisp never attempted to pull away from his body, no signs of resistance although you could do so freely. Your spirit stuck close to his heart, even in death.
Begging the archdevil to bring the two of you back, he’d even give up the powers of the ascendant even his memories just to see you once again. No matter how long it takes nor what form the two of you will have.
The arch-devil hasn’t uttered a single word to you both but simply raises his fingers as a loud snap is heard and a flash of white follows.
It was a bit of a challenge to write some comfort/hopeful ending for this. I also aimed for some of the lines to be read in the narrator's voice. But I'll be writing something light after this. Message me any suggestions you guys have.
Were the Mobians created by humans, or are they a species that was forced to be pets? Are they from another planet or from Earth?
The setting takes place on earth!
The Mobians were a more wild speices that they discovered one day during exploration and expansion. And those early Mobians were thrown into the exotic wildlife pet trade. First only being available to the more wealthy, someone eventually figured there was a good market for these creatures and thus they started to breed them for profit and quantity. Soon they were more affordable to the general masses as more and more mobians were born in captivity and taken from the wild.
Their popularity grew very quickly over the years and soon they became nearly the most popular pet on earth with ranging prices depending on what they are seeked out for.
Without being able to communicate between eachother, humans considered them as just very intelligent and highly trainable animals and nothing else. Treating them as such.
In the current timeline that the story takes place, Mobians can be bought as pets, companions, workers, gaurd work, show mobians and more.
Sonic for example is one of the few Mobians taken from the wild directly and experiences the cruel reality that is the exotic pet trade first hand.
And Amy, being born into this world she's one of the lucky few that managed to find a good home the day she was old enough to be taken away from her mother. Her owner is a young girl of the upper rich class and she's treated well with the luxury that it comes with. She knows enough human words to communicate with her family but is naive to the outside world and what her fellow Mobians go through. Amy is a pedigree hedgehog who has won many show titles and ribbons to her name in Mobian shows.
