Chapter Text
Litha
It had been six months.
Six months of the tiefling women fighting their way through the fire of the hells.
Six months of rich cigars between onslaughts of carnage.
Six months of careful planning.
Upon their return to Avernus, their plan would fall into action.
Break into Zariels forge, fix Karlach's heart. Easy.
She didn't want to stop and think about all of the steps that fell in between.
No, tonight was for living, for enjoying the fresh air and the night sky and her found family.
Withers was throwing a reunion party. All of her friends gathered and shared their goings on, everyone seeming to find happiness in the post-Netherbrain world.
Jaheira had been helping to rebuild the city, Rion there to keep her in line.
Minsc, and Boo, of course, had been dismantling the less savory bits of the underbelly of society.
Astarion seemed content to carry out vigilante justice, making sure to only kill the right people, but he had plans to open a tailors shop in the space below his lavish apartment.
Halsin was engrossed in his work around Moonrise. Thaniel and Oliver had fully recovered and the land was flourishing. The children brought him so much joy, the large elf looked lighter.
Wyll was getting married. He'd met another blade fighting the evils of the Sword Coast and they'd quickly fallen in love.
Shadowheart was living a peaceful life, surrounded by a field of wildflowers and a herd of various animals. Surely she'd have no issues taking home the owlbear.
Lae'zel could only attend in spectral form. She was on a diplomatic mission visiting the Githzerai leadership, seeking an alliance to defeat the lich queen that still ruled most of the Githyanki.
He had been there, but it only fueled her rage.
Oh, Litha was very much so over Gale Dekarios, the man reduced to nothing but a liar and a coward. No, she was just enraged by the god of ambition.
The silver prick had the gall to ask her to become his chosen, then the audacity to act surprised when she told him exactly where to shove it.
Un-fucking-believable.
After the party, Karlach approached Litha with a cautious look.
"Hey, mate," she cleared her throat, "I've, uh, I've been keeping in contact with Dammon recently, and since we're so close to fixing me up, we thought it would be best if he were there. Um, with me. Just, uh, the two of us. Me and Dammon."
Litha tilted her head, slightly confused.
"I promise it's nothing you've done!" Her hands rose defensively, "I just think Dammon and I have something brewing and I'd like to explore it." Karlach waggled her eyebrows.
Ah, of course. Karlach and Dammon had been using sending spells to keep him updated on their progress and she'd been awful cagey about the last few weeks of their correspondence.
"And honestly, you've been stewing in your anger for too long. Cleaving cambions in two only helps so much. You should take some time for yourself, Lith. Spend some of that Hero of Baldur's Gate coin. Maybe go visit a certain wizard," she said with a smirk, then said seriously, "You did say that if we ever made it out of the hells in once piece you'd shoot your shot with him, now here you are."
She'd thought of her crush on the red tiefling often the past couple months while she was cutting her way through the hells, wondering what came next.
The thought of Rolan, thorns and all, made her smile and sparked hope where her surroundings were so bleak.
"It's fine Karlach, really." Litha cracked a slight smile, "Besides, I think you're right. It's been too long since I've seen the master of Ramazith's Tower."
"Now that's the spirit, Lith!" Karlach said with a solid slap to her back.
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The party went on until well past a reasonable hour. Food and drink and good conversation had flowed in abundance.
Everyone said their goodbyes, except for Lae'zel, who disappeared as her eyes began to look suspiciously watery, Dekarios the Divine who poofed back to the heavens, and Astarion, who wouldn't be leaving until Litha was ready.
Withers opened a portal for Karlach and Dammon to Avernus, dropping them as close to Zariel's forge as he could. They looked so happy and hopeful, hand in hand. Litha thought she may have even seen Dammon lean in for a kiss as the portal shrank to a close.
Litha knew she wouldn't be sleeping well tonight, if at all.
Sleeping in the hells wasn't an easy feat and she'd grown use to keeping unusual hours.
She and Astarion sat on a rock overlooking their old camp, a bottle of wine in each of their hands, as if they hadn't had enough already.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," Litha said, words slightly slurred and tears of frustration beading in her eyes as she sat next to her best friend.
"I'm one of the Heroes of Baldur's fucking Gate, I've fought my way through the fires of gods-forsaken Avernus, and a man," she hiccuped and took another drink, then huffed a laugh, "No, not just a man, a god has all but completely shattered my confidence. I mean, who wouldn't leave me to ascend to godhood?"
"Well, for one, my good self," the pale elf sloshed the wine around his bottle. "Ascension wouldn't have been quite godhood, but it was close enough," he sighed. "And honestly Lil, Gale was power hungry from the beginning- quite literally, might I add. His leaving had nothing to do with you and everything to do with his own ambition." He scoffed the last word.
"You're right, Star. Gods, I know you're right," she gripped the base of one of her spiraling horns, "But it took me months to cope with the way he left me on those docks. I felt responsible for what became of the man I thought I knew. The man I thought I loved."
Astarion took another deep swig from his bottle, "That man was a coward and an idiot. I mean, truly, darling. What measure of happiness could possibly come from an eternity of lonely godhood? Compared to a lifetime with you? Dekarios the Divine," he huffed a laugh, "More like Dekarios the Dickhead. And I hope he heard me say that, too."
He raised his free hand to the sky, long middle finger extending from his fist.
Astarion always had a way of making her feel better.
"Now, that Master of Ramazith? He looks pent up," Astarion smirked, "Almost as pent up as you."
"Do you really think he's interested? He could just be polite," she flopped to her back, uncaring of the sharp ridges of the rock hitting her spine and tail at odd angles.
"Darling, I frequent his little magic shop and he never fails to ask about you before he even asks how I'm doing," he rolled his eyes. "If I'm wrong, which I am not, I will do the chivalrous thing and make you an honest woman myself."
"You're incorrigible, but I love you for it," she sat up to take another drink then leaned against his shoulder.
"Well you can't fall in love with me just yet, you have to give the wizard a fighting chance," he flashed a devilish grin.
The horizon had begun to glow purple in the distance.
"Now, lets get home before the sun comes up and I fry," Astarion stood far too quickly and swayed, "Where did the bone man go?"
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Sleep would not take her, even though she laid in the plush bed of the most expensive suite at the Elfsong.
Karlach said to spend some money.
She tossed back the covers and headed to fill the bath. She could at least scrub more of the hells off, a cleaning spell can only do so much.
The water was steaming and she emptied both whole bottles of salts and oils from a decoratively placed tray into the large tub.
She scrubbed her skin nearly raw and bright pink, as if she could erase the hells from her memories if she shed enough layers. She stayed until the water chilled.
The sun had been up for hours as Litha fell into bed again, finally exhausted enough to get a few hours of sleep.
When she woke it would be time to set out on her mission, which seemed more daunting than the hells.
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She didn't wake until the sun was at its highest, which worked in her favor.
At least I wasn't siting on the front step like a stray before they even opened.
And she would have, had she not finally fallen asleep.
Steeling her nerves, Litha walked through the doors of Sorcerous Sundries.
It's just Rolan.
Just.
Rolan.
"Well if it isn't the Tower's favorite hero of Baldur's Gate!" Cal shouted in surprise, Lia quickly turning at his words, "Last we heard, you were chopping your way through the hells with Karlach."
"I was, but I'm home now," she awkwardly slapped her palms on her thighs.
Obviously you're home now. Idiot.
"Without a, uh, certain wizard?" Lia tacked on, making a show of standing on her tiptoes, looking around theatrically.
"Oh, don't you mean The God of Ambition?" Litha said in a mocking tone, rolling her eyes.
More like the God of Insecurity.
"How could we forget," Lia giggled back, Cal smirking behind her shoulder. "His gaggle of teen followers stop through nearly every day to harass Tolna about certain books."
"It seems you find yourself in need of a wizard, then," Cal cleared his throat and the siblings shared a look, "Master Rolan is on the top floor, and I know he'll be positively thrilled to see you again."
Litha nodded her thanks and took off up the stairs.
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When she stepped through the portal, Rolan started, nearly dropping the tome in his hand, eyebrows shooting up.
"Litha! You're back! T-to what do I owe the pleasure? How are you? Is everything alright?"
He snapped the book closed and stood from his desk, catching his foot and nearly tripping over his chair.
"It's good to see you, Rolan," she couldn't help the smile that tugged at her lips,"I find myself back in the city a little sooner than expected, and I, uh..."
Shit, what was she doing here?
"Um, I was wondering if you'd like to get lunch, or dinner. With me?"
She didn't think the wizard could look any more surprised than he had when she exited the portal, but now his mouth hung open. She was also surprised by the words that had just clumsily tumbled from her mouth.
Hells. Was that too forward? Too soon? Great, you've broken him. He's just scared to say no-
"I'd love to," he finally said, blurted out quickly.
"You would?" She could hardly hide the surprise in her own voice.
"Very much so, yes."
"The Elfsong, then?"
"It's a da- plan. It's a plan," he smiled, looking back to the pile of books stacked high on the floor around him. "Now, I must get back to sorting this mess, lest I be late for an important dinner."
As she turned back to the portal, Litha could have sworn she heard a sigh of relief. Relief at her leaving? Gods, she hoped not.
Now, what the hells was she going to wear to dinner?