Moonlight Dances through the Darkness

[Mags]

[[Warning: heavy BG3 spoilers! Takes place right after the final confrontation begins!]]

Thank Shar she had seen the mindflayer coming. Guess it was its first day? She felt sadness as she ended the newborn's life. Another senseless victim of the Absolute. Nocturne looked at its corpse at her feet. She was winded, as the quartermaster she was not exactly used to combat.

When she heard the sound of stonework breaking, it was too late. She looked up at the debris falling down at her in shock. She was frozen, could do nothing but stare. It was then that she heard the melody.

A huge, dark foot kicking the debris falling upon her to the side was the first thing of her she saw. "Dance with me!" The naked nine-foot drow in front of her beckoned her, then turned to lead her through the streets of Baldur's Gate. Streets with debris falling all around, with newborn mindflayers claiming more victims. And around all that, the melody.

Nocturne followed, feeling like dancing despite all. A mindflayer who stood in their way quickly found itself dispatched by the Dark Dancer's silver sword. It had to be her, right? Nocturne followed her, dancing through the melody's rhythm, even as the fighting around her grew much heavier. She paid them no mind. She was fixated on the beauty of the dancer in front of her.

They reached the remnants of the city gates. But Eilistraee did not stop. She looked back at Nocturne, giving her a smile and a wink, and danced the path up a hill, further on and to the edge of a forest. There, the goddess let herself fall into the grass. Nocturne sat next to her.

"Ah! We are safe here. As is your friend in the battle above." Eilistraee pointed at the netherbrain. "Let us rest here and watch the defeat of the Absolute." Another melody began playing, this one had a triumphant ring to it.

"Thank you for saving me, Your... Divinity!" Nocturne exclaimed. She looked at the scene above the city. The netherbrain, the nautiloids, and the red dragons, all intermingled in a dance of destruction. "You think the Absolute will lose? I hope, but..."

"But you're Sharran. Assuming the worst comes easy to you." The goddess smiled at her. "Shar did not think you're worth saving. Her approach has always been unkind." She sighed and shook her head. "Comforting the downtrodden. Healing the wounds of loss. She could do so much more with her domain."

"She may be harsh, but she, well... um... she at least took us in, when nobody would."

Eilistraee gazed downwards, at the grass. "True enough. A failing I have to apologize for. But I am here to correct that mistake. See, Mystra made me a gift, which will help greatly with aiding the refugees and the surviving victims of... this." She gestured towards the battle. "We had a fight, about her plan to stop the Absolute. Exploding a part of the Weave at its center. Creating a ball of destruction annihilating Baldur's Gate and who knows what else. And she deemed it 'acceptable collateral damage'." She sighed again. "When will we learn that mortals aren't our playthings? But well, we made up. And she gifted me with something extraordinary. All I need to do is choose a High Priestess who will lead the effort. To bad that the worthiest person follows Shar." She looked at Nocturne, smiling brightly and slightly tilted her head.

"Me? As... your High Priestess? I... don't know what to say."

"Well, I'm hoping you say that you agree. I hope to fill the Shar-shaped void in your heart. And I know the work would be fulfilling to you. And that you would rise up to it. Ah, but look!" She gestured to a nautiloid erupting in flames. No, all nautiloids erupting in flames. "I believe the battle is won!"

The netherbrain began falling, crashing into the river.

"The battle is won." Nocturne smiled. She then looked at the masses of people cheering outside the city walls. The refugees. The dispossessed. "But the work is just beginning. Very well, I accept. Where do we start?"

Eilistraee looked at her with a big grin. "By celebrating! And we'll be celebrating by doing something you," she booped Nocturne on the nose, "have been badly missing. Cuddles!"

The goddess laughed, embraced the tiefling and rolled both of them in the grass. Nocturne felt like heaven.

[[That's it for now. Would like to add more later, and probably will edit with changes as I think of them. Please comment and critique as you please. Especially interested in what you think of my portrayal of Eilistraee.]]