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Phkaentielquen is an enigma.
Astarion knows that.
In fact, he knows it far better than he maybe should have.
For one thing. That hand in the portal.
Rather than helping out whoever it was that had been stuck within the portal, the drow had instead chosen to, quite literally, tear the hand off.
Without even realizing that it had been done.
Even more puzzling, though, was that after the portal was gone, the drow had the audacity to shove the still-dripping hand into a pouch at its side before turning to look at him and Shadowheart with easily one of the most innocent, confused faces he has to have ever seen within his lifespan.
For another thing. When rescuing the githyanki soldier from that cage with the tieflings, it had almost immediately gone for the kill, allowing only a brief period of conversation with the two tieflings before it had lunged for the male.
Not to say that he disapproved, of course; but again, not something a typical person would do.
Though, it could be excused with the fact that he’s obviously a Lolth-sworn due to the brilliantly red eyes, since they tend to be much more prone to harsh violence like that.
Even then, most Lolth-sworns tend to flaunt more — at the least, from the ones that he’s met before.
When that fight had ended, it had freed Lae’zel with just a small amount of sass, before turning towards the rest of them with an eerily cheerful smile resting upon his face — one that, were it not for the blood absolutely dripping from him, would’ve been a face fit for an innocent child or something similar.
Maybe this drow isn’t all that typical.
Maybe, Astarion should’ve taken more care with the mystery that is Phkaentielquen.
Especially when he decided to try to feed on it for one night.
He would never admit it, but he had frozen for a moment when he noticed it awake.
He had thought that, maybe, that was it. That he was going to die there, a stake plunged through his heart simply because he was hungry enough to disregard the potential significance of the information he had observed and collected on his dark companion.
That didn’t happen.
Rather than react violently, as he had observed the other to have every will to do so, Phkaentielquen had instead decided that it trusted him? Even going so far as to let him feed without any threats?
It had taken the total reveal of his vampirism with ease, staring at him with seemingly nothing more than slight confusion.
Why?
Why had he decided to spare him; let him feed on him?
Why had he looked so confused over the fact that Astarion is a vampire?
Astarion remained wary.
Even as he watched this odd drow make his way through the Druid Grove, acting with a detached kindness to the people, only to turn around and commit murderous atrocities against any slight aggression that they encounter — even when it was just slightly, like that paralyzed tiefling or that healer, Nettie.
– – –
“What do you all think of our esteemed leader’s… behavior?”
Astarion, along with everyone else in camp, turns his attention to Wyll the moment the question is asked.
Thankfully, the mentioned ‘leader’ had decided to turn in early for the night, the decision likely spurred on by the fact that the rest of them had beaten him towards a claim on watch shifts.
“You’re going to need to be more specific with your question, dear ‘Blade of Frontiers’.” Astarion smirks as the warlock pauses, likely to consider his next words.
“I mean.. He’s so brutal and violent in combat, but will look at you with such confusing innocence right after… surely you all have seen that occur?”
Astarion simply sits back as Shadowheart answers Wyll, in the corner of his eye seeing Lae’zel scoff as she continues to sharpen the blade of her greatsword.
“I will admit, I have seen it as well. The way that he will be so vicious during a fight, but then look with such an innocent expression afterwards when I’m healing him... Although, sometimes I’ll see confusion on his face during a conversation, or when looking at certain objects..”
“‘Confusion during a conversation,’ as in whenever someone is racist to him, yes?” Astarion interjects finally, both Wyll and Shadowheart swinging their attention to him as Lae’zel just barely glances up — clearly, everyone’s paying attention to him now.
Good.
“..Yes, that would be right. It's as if he doesn’t understand why he’s being…” Shadowheart confirms, trailing off the moment she realizes what he’s getting to.
Wyll looks between the two of them in confusion until Lae’zel finally speaks up, contempt clearly in her voice.
“Tch, his memory does not even reach the point of races? Pathetic.”
Wyll’s eyes finally light up in understanding, and his mouth twitches into a frown. Content to watch the other three figure things out from here, Astarion leans back once more, thinking more about hunting down his next meal rather than listening to them continue the discussion.
“..It’s a bit heartbreaking, if you think about it from the point of an outsider — after all, he essentially has no idea as to why people are treating him so harshly.”
– – –
The oddities all came to a head the very next day, when they went to confront Kagha.
It had decided to leave Wyll in camp.
Maybe it knew that he wouldn’t like what was going to happen.
What it was going to do.
Rather than showing the tiefling child the same 'kindness' that he had been using the entire time, Phkaentielquen had decided to simply watch. The four of them got to witness Kagha’s snake bite the child when she tried to flee.
The child died.
The drow didn’t care.
Yet still, it attacked Kagha afterwards, and while he, Shadowheart and Lae’zel dealt with the other druids in the room, they all got a front-row seat to witness it tear into her with a brutality that’s practically unseen in most of the world — one that Astarion wishes he could deliver to Cazador.
Maybe he can convince it to do that to that damn Master of his, once he’s certain that Phkaentielquen is firmly within the grasp of his seduction.
The other druids in the room were horrified, and as Kagha’s guts are strewn across the room, Astarion and Lae’zel take advantage of the distraction to kill the rest.
Then, they go on to loot both that room and the adjourning rooms before finally leaving.
Distantly, Astarion can hear yelling and the clashing of weapons — more than likely, the tieflings and druids of the grove have begun to fight. However, rather than joining in as he expected, Phkaentielquen instead leaves the grove, exiting through the unmanned gate as he turns to lead the way West.
Personally, he has a feeling that this adventure is going to be a wild ride.