Astarion POV towards end of chapter

Mass Effect 2 Easter Egg

Nyx’s body lurched for breath the moment she opened her eyes. She heaved and arched her back taking in water instead of air. Her blurry vision picked out Astarion's hazy face hovering over her. Her body panicked at the water in her lungs, chocking violently and limbs flailing. She sat up forcefully; her head colliding hard with Astarion's face. He swore viscously, clutching his nose and they each fell backwards.

Her body didn't care about her head. It had more pressing matters, it was convinced it was dying. She tried to deliberately breath through the choking, but her body was fighting back with every attempt, refusing to take in air. She got her uncomfortable breathing under control through teary eyes and a throbbing head. Panic gradually faded from her body, and she rolled onto her side. The choking was replaced by coughing and the taste of healing potion in her mouth. She glanced over to Astarion who was scowling at her from the ground with his hand over his nose.

"Gods!", he exclaimed and continued in an exasperated high pitch, "I was trying to help you, and you broke my nose!"

Nyx coughed and remembered how words work, "I, uh, thanks, uh, sorry", she heaved, "It went down the wrong way."

He huffed, blood streaming down his face.

Manticores!, her mind lurched.

She sat up again and hurriedly looked towards the others surrounded by floating magic lights. There were no more signs of battle. All her companions were accounted for and none of the manticores. Any immediate injuries seem to be already taken care of either by Shadowheart, Halsin or Gale. She snapped her mind to the task at hand, retrieved her backpack then crawled closer to Astarion.

"Don't touch me!", he yelled and recoiled from her when she reached out to him with a rag. She sat back down on her legs and placed her hands in her lap. She regarded his bewildered expression with momentary confusion.

Why is he doing that? We've been more intimate than this... Has his touch aversion surfaced again?

An accusing scowl replaced his bewilderment.

Seems so. Then how am I supposed to provide him with aid?.. Perhaps the same way I would have wanted if I were in his situation?, she thought back on their previous similar misunderstanding, albeit their roles reversed. Hmm... Candour. State my intent clearly.

She gave his scowl a flat look, "I need to touch your face to set your nose."

"I'll just drink a potion", he said in a nasal tone, waving a dismissive hand.

Using an entire potion for a broken nose? Come now... Regardless, the mistress of vanity won't be pleased, and I'll not hear the end of it. 

She placed her fists on her hips. "Alright, but it needs to be straightened first. Or do you want to walk around with a crooked nose?"

He growled and sighed defeated, "Fine."

She motioned towards him again and he leaned back holding a up finger between them, "But, be careful."

Nyx suppressed her eye roll, So dramatic. "Noted. Now, give me your hand and hold your nose like this", she moved his fingers to pinch the very tip of his nose instead. He grimaced.

"Then lean a bit forward", she gently cupped his jaw and the back of his head. She motioned him forwards, angling his head downwards.

"Then, hold onto this here", she placed the rag under his nose so that it'll catch any blood. The rag was conveniently covering his mouth as well, Which would also make things easier. He is a much better patient when paralyzed by spider toxin.

His body remained rigid with tension while she worked. She continued, "I am going to place my hands on either side of your face to feel the break in your nose. It will likely hurt."

He nodded once looking a bit sheepish at the attention.

She slowly unfurled her hands and lay her fingers on him. He tensed up even more at the contact and closed his eyes, a frown creasing his brow.

She mused, It's not like this is the first time I'm touching him. And this is, minor, in comparison to our, ahem, previous physical contact.

She placed her thumbs on the sinus area above his brow. Her fore fingers found the pressure points around his temples, and she pressed down lightly to ease some of his discomfort. She kept her fore fingers in position and ran her thumbs down his nose to feel any breakages. Her eyes following the motion.

He flinched but didn't pull away. He opened his eyes, and she informed him, "It's not broken, but badly injured.” She gave him a sidelong look, “Are you going to use that potion of yours or would you like me to heal it for you?"

His red rubies flited between her eyes, and he made a small nod in her hands accompanied by a hmm. Some of the tension left his shoulders and she moved her thumbs back to their starting position.

She remarked smirking, "This will itch more than it'll hurt."

She expended a sliver of her magic and ran her thumbs down the side of his nose one more time to heal it. She let her hands linger at the side of his face, making eye contact and smiled softly. His expression was unreadable.

She briefly considered kissing his nose, but she thought better of it.

She retrieved her hands and took the rag away from him. She turned the rag over in her hands aiming for a clean spot. Gathered up a water flask, wetted the rag and handed it back to him.

He gingerly took it from her looking almost bashful and lilted, "Thank you, my dear."

He proceeded to clean himself up and Nyx prepared another rag for herself.

He lulled at her, "So, how do I look?"

She glanced at him with a smile and replied, "As beautiful as ever."

Astarion lilted with pleasure, "I'll never tire of hearing that, darling."

She snorted and stood with a grin. Some of the others had been watching the exchange with curiosity and amusement.

---

Nyx walked over to Gale who was eyeing one of the dead manticores.

He remarked when she sidled next to him, "That face will give me nightmares for a while to come."

Nyx studied the creature. It was the more bat-like variety.

Gale continued, "The illustrations in the guides don't do it justice."

Nyx chuckled, "These ones have more pointed features from their bat hybridization. The dragon and scorpion subspecies are really nasty."

Gale's eyebrows shot up, "Subspecies? My literature never mentioned that."

Wyll pitched in, "Not sure if the 'subspecies' are official, but yeah there are, broadly speaking, three different types."

Gale rubbed his beard, "Fascinating."

Gale queried Nyx and Wyll more on the topic, with some inputs from Halsin. Manticores are winged monsters with a feline body. The bat types have elongated faces, wide ears and smaller compact bat wings for faster movement in confined spaces like the mountains and forests.

The dragon types are rare encounters because they occupy hard to reach places but come down to human settlements to feed and raid iron. They are larger, more aggressive and some even breathe fire.

The scorpion types are subterranean, with a poisonous stinger surrounded by the usual quills on the tail. Their wings are small and used for gliding, but they are lighting fast across the ground. They mostly inhabit deserts and wastelands. However, all manticores share the same key characteristics; they are evil to the core, treacherous, remorseless and conniving.

Gale frowned at the corpse, "I'm expecting it to start talking at any moment."

Nyx quipped and gestured, "The creepy human face with rows of razors that taunt you as they eat you is just the lovely monstrous cherry on top."

They chuckled.

Astarion looked bored and went to hover over Shadowheart while she tended to Karlach, complaining about how Nyx almost broke his nose.

By the Abyss. You'd be convinced I came at him swinging, Nyx placed her hand over her face. Gale snickered next to her.

Shadowheart gave him a side eye and berated, "Be grateful that's all she did considering how she came round. The idea is to administer a potion, not drown people with them."

"But I was helping!", he exclaimed throwing his hands in the air.

"And she showed her appreciation by not rearranging your face.", she said uninterested, concentrating on her work while Karlach grinned like a maniac.

He tutted.

Karlach mused, "If it were me; I'd have stuck my good horn in your eye."

Shadowheart snorted.

Astarion declared solemnly with his nose in the air, "That was the last time I'm helping any of you", and he stalked away sulking at the teasing lack of sympathy.

Nyx shook her head then eyed the bridge. She decided to survey it for the off chance more beasties might be lurking beneath.

Billy Goat Gruff here I come.

---

Nyx was experimenting with her whiskers, scanning the bridge. She could either create a dome or sphere around her. The whiskers would become shorter, especially when she made a sphere or tried to cover a large area. Next, she stretched the whiskers as far as she could, and they clumped together into an elongated cone, spreading outwards away from her. She attempted to reach around and beneath the bridge, yet the execution was much like trying to tie shoelaces for the first time. Instead, she grid-searched the bridge with her cone and made it to the opposite side of the bridge, blissfully unaccosted.

She swept the road before her. Satisfied she withdrew her magic and turned around to head back. She found Halsin strolling over the bridge towards her.

Oh no, Nyx sighed inwardly.

He came to a stop in front of her, regarding her with a guarded and standoffish expression, but managed a strained smile.

Nyx returned a raised eyebrow, Why are you bothering me? ... Nyx, be polite. Alright, alright.

She schooled her face and asked tentatively, "Do you need my help with something?"

Halsin curiously considered her for a moment, "Nyx, is it?" She nodded and he continued, "I came over to speak to you privately Nyx. I would like to extend my assistance with the darkness that resides within you."

I am not discussing this with you. Nyx lowered her head, looking at him from under her brows.

She warned in a low tone speaking slowly, "Come again?"

"You and the others are in danger because of it. The darkness in you has already clouded my ability to sense the manticores. I can help you and together we may even find a way to banish it."

By the Abyss! So now the manticore attack is my fault?!

Nyx took a long deep breath before she spoke. Stating sincerely, "I appreciate the offer, I do. However, my darkness is none of your concern." Nyx made a respectful incline of her head and moved past him.

"It is clear you that care about the others, let me help you keep them safe, and we can fix it."

Nyx made brief eye contact with Astarion across the bridge. There were intrigued glances from the others behind him. Nyx presumed he was the only one who could hear the current conversation.

Not that it matters.

Nyx was getting progressively annoyed, she turned back to Halsin with her arms crossed, "Do you honestly think you are the first person of power that I have encountered? The first to offer something which none can give? There is no fixing it."

He gestured with an upturned hand, "Don't give up so easily I'm sur-"

Nyx could feel her anger bubbling up. Do not patronize me. She tried once more to speak plainly and calmly, "It has nothing to do with giving up. It has to do with acceptance. Acceptance that it cannot be fixed."

He announced, "I don't believe that."

Belief?, she scoffed mentally.

Nyx could feel her throat closing and her voice was almost shaking when she spoke, "It does not matter what anyone believes. It is a fact. A truth. An undeniable truth that I cannot be fixed, because I was purposefully made this way."

Graces, I've said too much.

Halsin stared at her, his mouth slightly ajar.

She took a few steps towards the bridge, then turned back to him, "My nature needs as much fixing as your bear shape does."

She left not waiting for a reply.

---

Nyx actively avoided Halsin while the party made their way in the dark. They were searching for a suitable place to spend the night and found a large shallow cave or rather more akin to an overhang cut into the mountainside. It was deep enough to provide adequate shelter for the night, but not to make a fire inside as they'll likely smoke themselves out.

The hour was late and the night air cool. They gathered their bedrolls and huddled close to one another for warmth. Tav, Gale, Shadowheart and Astarion were crowded around the walking furnace that is Karlach. Nyx snorted and smiled when Karlach watched with exasperation while she was corralled into the centre of the bedroll circle.

Tav was practically shivering, and Gale offered to 'ward off' the wind for her and moved his bedroll even closer to hers. This garnered wolf-whistles and yows from Wyll and Karlach. Nyx snickered while Tav rolled her eyes, Gale continued unperturbed by the teasing.

Halsin started the second circle, sleeping closest to the entrance taking up space around Tav. Wyll settled himself next to Shadowheart, Lae'zel set herself up behind Gale - which of course, meant that the circle was complete when Nyx sidles next to Astarion. Nyx sighed internally, there was surely going to be toll to pay for it, but made herself comfortable next to Astarion nonetheless.

"Looking for a cuddle?", he lilted with a sly grin.

Nyx snorted, "And here I thought I was in the doghouse for breaking your nose."

An actual bark responded. Scratch had found them and promptly jogged into the cave, standing on Nyx's bedroll.

"Oi! That's my bed.", Nyx proclaimed with her fists on her hips. Scratch glanced at her and then sniffed towards the sleeping circle. Nyx gestured with a swooping motion, "Take your pick."

He seemed to have made up his mind and simply walked over Astarion to get to the centre of the circle.

"Ugh, you stupid mutt!"

Nyx laughed when Scratch quickly scampered out of the way before Astarion could sit up, who glared daggers after him. Scratch plopped himself down in the space between Karlach and Tav. Tav smiled and locked him in a hug.

Ooh. Well, Tav's going to be very toasty indeed.

Nyx didn't mind the cold and she settled down, receiving a wink and wicked grin from Astarion in the process.

She hid her smile in her bedroll.

---

The following morning Nyx was one of the first to wake. Astarion had already left without a sound. She silently set out to hunt as well. She came across the tracks of highland turkeys in the surrounding woodlands and crouched on the ground to observe them more closely.

To her annoyance she was mentally carting someone around with her again. This morning it was Halsin instead of Astarion - or rather the after effect of Halsin's words.

A chocking strangler vine was throttling her, wrapped around her throat and heart. That familiar tightening feeling of being a burden to those around her. Keetjah denied it outright the day Nyx declared her departure from Tufani a few days after they had buried Nyala. Announcing in her stern voice, "You are no more dangerous than anyone else here and no one blames you for what happened to Nyala."

It has been many years since, decades even. She wondered whether she'll even be able to find them again.

She nocked an arrow, a turkey in her sighs. She collected the animal afterward and stashed it somewhere safe. She wasn't sure whether Halsin had the appetite of a bear, so she erred on the side of caution and sought out another in any case. Her thoughts returned to the group.

She doesn't like to think about her life and her choices as governed by anything other than her own agency. Yet here she was, utterly tied to a whole group of people with a collective goal. She was certain that they'll be able to carry on the journey without her, but for the first time in her life she wasn't sure she'll be able to survive without them. That terrified her more than anything else.

Unbeknownst to Halsin; she was the keeper of the darkness within her. It is tied to her like any one of her limbs. Her mind was its prison and she, its warden. She had vowed to herself that she will not lose control and let it break free. She had kept that vow, and she will continue to do so. No matter how tiresome it could be. Thus, she reaffirmed with herself that she wanted to stay. She no longer wants to run or hide because of her darkness. Should there be a price for that then she'll ensure that she alone will make that payment.

She returned to the cave with newfound determination and a turkey slung over each shoulder.

--- --- ---

Astarion was waiting outside the cave while the others got ready. Lae'zel had scouted on ahead to find signs of Githyanki activity to indicate the creche's whereabouts. He took the opportunity to do some sun basking. The high-altitude sun wasn't so hot, which suited his skin very nicely.

He heard her footfalls. He didn't open his eyes, but he already knew she was watching him with that amused expression on her face. Four legged footsteps pattered towards them and stopped in front of him.

He pried open one eye and peered down his nose at the dog. Scratch had his ball in his mouth looking up at Astarion expectantly. Astarion proceeded to ignore the animal and closed his eyes. Scratch made a muffled bark and Astarion glared at him irritated, "What dog!? Go pester someone else."

Nyx snickered and said evenly, "You're supposed to throw the ball, you know. It's called playing fetch."

He turned his frown on her smirking face, "Then why don't you do it?"

She gave him her signature flat look, "Because he is holding the ball for you. He wants you to throw it."

Astarion glanced back at the lolling dog, "Why me?", he asked the dog and was met with a quizzical tilt of its head and a wagging tail.

Nyx answered, "Because you feed him. Animals work like that; you feed them; you tame them."

"I don't feed him. That's Karlach's job.", he lulled disapprovingly. I'm not the mutt's man servant.

Nyx sighed wearily, "Then what do you call your meal sharing?"

He knitted his brows, Meal sharing? He considered it for a moment, Oh that. She was referring to him sneaking his dinner to the dog so that he didn't have to pretend eating it.

He spoke onto the dog leaning forward, "Well, in that case. No thank you. I am not interested in, playing fetching with you.", Astarion pulled a face while chewing on the last words.

The dog acted like he had kicked him. The miserable animal sat on its haunches, lowered its head, dropping the ball on the ground. Then looked back up at Astarion with sad pleading eyes.

Astarion tsked, "Ugh, don't look at me like that.", and attempted to shoo the dog away.

Nyx chuckled, "Wow, you're bad at this.", he glowered at her rubbing her forehead then she continued with a smile, "I'd suggest you throw the ball at least once, lest you want Mr. Puppy-Dog-Eyes over here to follow you around for the rest of the day."

Astarion relented with a dramatic sway of his body, flourishing a hand and tsked again, "Fine."

He stooped to pick up the disgusting-spittle-riddled-smells-like-dog-breath ball. Fortunately, he had his gloves on. Scratch jumped to his feet and locked a stern gaze onto the ball. Astarion half-heartedly threw the ball, the dog jogged after it.

"There you're happy now?", he asked after it and the dog promptly brought the ball back again. He scoffed scowling.

Nyx remarked, "You're going to have to do better than that. Put some oomph into it.", she stooped for the ball, "Like so."

She hurled the ball off into the distance with an arching arm, and Scratch tore after it kicking up turf.

Astarion merely watched with a raised eyebrow and gestured with an upturned hand lilting, "And this is supposed to what?"

Nyx threw her hands in the air, "I would have thought that you of all people would recognize this as having fun."

"We have very different definitions of the word, my dear.", he said with a curled lip.

She snorted, "Clearly."

Shadowheart made her appearance and called Nyx over.

Astarion watched her go and the dog return with the ball.

Again?! Can I not have a quiet moment of sunbathing to myself?!

--- --- ---

Nyx strolled over to Shadowheart who looked past her with mild amazement in her expression then asked, "Is Astarion playing fetch with Scratch?"

Nyx snorted, "Rather reluctantly", and she added quickly in a conspiratorial tone, "And badly too, but don't tell him I said that". She didn't look, but smirked when she heard him scoff.

Shadowheart chuckled and quipped, "Maybe Scratch will help him work that stick out of his ass too."

Nyx snickered and Astarion snapped from behind, "I heard that! Be careful of casting rocks when living in glass houses yourselves, darlings.", she could almost hear the snarl in his voice.

Shadowheart and Nyx shared a knowing look, and snickered again.

Karlach and Wyll had taken over playing fetching with Scratch, relieving Astarion from his arduous duty to return to his sun basking ritual. Tav stood at the cave entrance watching the spectacle.

Shadowheart was picking Nyx's brain on ideas to create a potion that can counter both the effects of poison and paralysis. Gale heard the discussion and joined in. After a while Halsin also added his expertise to the conversation. Nyx was still wary about Halsin, but she continued to treat him with polite respect as long as he respected her boundaries too.

The four of them came up with a few potential recipes, which Nyx noted down and watched Gale's expression light up with a comment about 'creating another masterpiece'. She chuckled and suggested that they try out a few ideas once they've made a more permanent camp again.

Lae'zel returned from her scouting and declared to have found the creche. Rounds of whoops and surprised faces followed. The group set out, Lae'zel leading them higher up into the mountains.

Footnote:

Manticore (Original) from Forgotten Realms Wiki

Bat Manticore by Julien Carrasco

Scorpion Manticore from God of War: Ascension

Dragon Manticore (Unknown Artists)

I was browsing Pinterest for inspiration on how to describe the manticores physically and I came across three main groups of artistic depictions: Dragons, Bats and Scorpions. So I decided to include those in the story for more variety.

On that note, this is where the expositional stuff gets iffy right - generally speaking the recommendation is for writers to limit exposition (i.e., limit me telling you rather me showing you) - so now I'm sitting in front of the chapter arguing with myself on how to 'show you' the manticores instead of telling you about them - and short of us taking a detour to the desert or some volcano I don't see that happening. Alternatively, I can encapsulate the whole thing in a character dialogue, but again all that does is add quotations around the entire paragraph, which seems redundant... Or I leave it out entirely, which defeats the purpose of me trying to add interest and 'that extra special sauce' to the story... So, exposition it is.