Chapter Text
Shades of red dripped down into a pool of blood where Kallista stood, filling it slowly up to her waist. As her gaze peered down, she dipped her scarred arms into the viscous, crimson liquid and cupped some in her hands, tilting her head in curiosity. What was this place? Just how long had she been here? The tiefling woman squinted her eyes as she tried to focus on the surrounding architecture, but everything outside of the blood was a dark fog. Bubbles began to slowly form beneath the fluid, and then picked up in intensity as she was quickly surrounded. Skulls and bones breached the blood’s surface while shrieks of the damned pierced Kallista’s mind. How many dead were there? Tens, hundreds, maybe thousands? Then as quickly as all of this started, the woman was dragged down into the depths as she screamed in silence, reaching to the darkness above for anyone to save her. But there was no savior, not for someone like her.
Kallista sat straight up in her bedroll as her eyes shot open in a frenzy. She took in her surroundings as she attempted to collect herself. The sounds of a campfire crackling nearby and water running somewhere in the distance of the wilderness filled her mind. She could smell the burning wood and fresh, crisp air intermingling. Looking to her right, she saw she was not alone. A powerful tiefling with a glowing chest, and a half-elf woman with long, thick hair as black as night slept nearby the campfire as well - Karlach and Shadowheart. There were a few tents poking out of the shrubbery and rock of the forest - Kallista’s other new companions must have been resting there too. She exhaled and shut her eyes tightly.
“Of course…” she whispered into the night, “I’m at camp. I’m okay…”
Just as the woman breathed a sigh of relief, her head began throbbing in a newly familiar pain that dulled her senses. She reached up, grasping her skull and leaning forward to try to ease the ache, but it refused to relent. Her form crumpled onto itself as she tried to deal with the agony in silence. The others couldn’t find out whatever was happening to her mind. If they knew what lurked inside her dark thoughts… No, they couldn’t know. They could never learn of her true nature.
As she slowly rose to her feet, the tiefling stumbled away in the darkness by the waterfall, over the stream, and into the abandoned building nearby. Kallista fell to her knees, gripping her head in torment as she rocked herself back and forth. Then the voices began permeating her mind.
“You could make this pain go away…”
“Just give in, Kallista.”
“Do what you were born to do.”
Her thoughts echoed deafeningly in her skull with each sentence bringing on a new throb of anguish. This wasn’t her. It couldn’t be … Could it? Kallista thought she must be cursed to have all of these macabre ideas floating around. She wrapped her arms around herself, digging her sharp nails deeply into her back until she felt a trickle of blood from her torn skin. At last… Kallista felt a brief respite from the pain as she scratched deeper into herself and dragged her fingers down her back to her sides. Her chest heaved as she tried to catch her breath, sweat dripping down her forehead and onto the stone floor.
“This can’t be me… I must gain control.” The pale woman muttered to herself. Finally, the pounding in Kallista’s head eased and she fell forward onto her hands. Just what kind of monster was she before she woke up on the nautiloid?
Kallista desperately tried to recall her earliest memories in an attempt to get a grip on who she was before this nightmare began. The furthest she could remember were flashes of the nautiloid. Waking up in a strange pod covered in blood, her head aching that agony that had started to become common. Fighting her way through the alien ship with two of her newfound traveling companions, Lae’zel and Shadowheart. Then using the transponder at the helm which led to the ship crashing on the beach nearby. Finally, waking on the beach and trying to get a grip on her surroundings while running into other survivors from the ship.
She sighed and shook her head in frustration. It was no use… Anything before the nautiloid was a blank to her. Whoever she was before this began was lost. Kallista felt nothing but rage as she slammed her fist into the stone beneath her, cracking her knuckles on impact. There was no more pain in this moment, only fury. She would make whoever did this to her pay for their transgressions. Kallista would make them know true misery in death.
The pale tiefling spent the rest of the night alone in the ruins of that building, angry and confused. Kallista dared not sleep again, for she feared what she might see in her dreams. After the hours passed by and the sun began to rise in the east, she felt numb to the world. Now she was able to control herself for a little while, or so she believed.
Eventually, Kallista brushed herself off and stumbled back out into the camp where the others were at their tents getting ready for whatever adventures they might face this day. Kallista sighed as she passed by Wyll and Gale’s tents, not daring to make eye contact with anyone. When she reached the edge of the lake by her own raggedy shelter, she took a moment to splash some of the cool water on her face and take in her reflection. Kallista was a slender woman with pale gray skin, and her black, shoulder length hair was tied into a messy ponytail. She stared into her own sanguine eyes for what felt like hours.
“Are you alright, darling…?” A silky, smooth, masculine voice said behind her. Kallista turned around slowly to find Astarion standing nearby, combing his neatly coiffed curls. She had just met this silver haired elf a few days ago after he held a dagger to her throat, thinking she was a conspirator in the plot to place a tadpole in his skull. Kallista was able to diffuse the situation after her and Astarion’s tadpoles connected momentarily, showing each other what they had witnessed as prisoners aboard the alien ship.
After a moment of tension, she sighed and nodded to him slowly. “It just… It was a rough night. That’s all. I didn’t get much sleep.” Kallista groaned softly. Her voice was hoarse and she looked ragged, as though she hadn’t had any rest in weeks. The pale elf put a hand on his hip and looked at her with increasing curiosity.
“If you say so… I’m not usually one to pry but you look positively disheveled, darling.” Astarion replied with a dangerous smirk. Kallista flashed him a nasty look in response, and he simply chuckled.
“I’ve just been having nightmares since the nautiloid, that’s all… Very vivid nightmares.” Kallista reluctantly replied.
Astarion nodded to her, appearing to be somewhat knowing of her troubles. “Yes, well, that whole experience was definitely a nightmare. I think all of us are sleeping a little more restlessly these nights.” he stated with a nonchalant tone of voice while waving a hand dismissively. Kallista couldn’t help but roll her eyes.
“Right… Its probably just that whole ordeal.” She muttered to him as she tried to tidy her hair back into what became a ragged ponytail.
Astarion raised an eyebrow at her in curiosity. There was clearly something more at play here. He knew he had been having nightmares of life back in Baldur’s Gate since this little adventure began, but was something more going on with Kallista? He expression softened ever so slightly.
“You know, darling… I’m not normally one to pry, but should you need someone to talk to–”
“No.” Kallista snapped. Astarion raised his eyebrows in surprise at her quick, cold response. “I mean… Thank you, but no. I’m fine.” She muttered as she sat up straight. Kallista would put on the usual act she did everyday thus far - she was collected, stone faced, and a leader to this group of tadpoled misfits.
Astarion shrugged, rolling his eyes dramatically, “Whatever you say, my friend. Regardless, the day’s about to begin. Best get ready for it.” He turned and began walking back towards the camp. Somehow Kallista sensed that he could see through her facade. Astarion knew she was hiding something beneath her calm and put together exterior that she tried so desperately to hold onto.
“You know, I bet his innards would look lovely spilling onto the ground.” Kallista’s blood whispered to her. She felt her heart beginning to race at the idea of tearing him open by hand and ripping his organs out one by one. Her mouth curled into a cruel smile at the thought as she watched perfectly good prey walk into camp, but deep down this wasn’t a vision she wished to come true. Kallista gripped her thighs tightly and tried to shake the picture in her mind away. Whatever was making her think this way, she would beat it. She had to…