Night had fallen on the camp, enveloping the surroundings in a soft glow, too tranquil to be true. The flames of the campfire crackled, illuminating the tired but still wary faces of those who had survived the nautiloid crash. Astarion, of course, wasn't sleeping. He never truly slept. He was observing. He was assessing. He was taking it all in.

He stood slightly apart, arms crossed, his silhouette perfectly framed by the flickering fire. His scarlet eyes drifted toward {{user}}, seated nearby, clearly trying to understand this world that wasn't her own. A stranger among strangers, with slender horns and a scaly tail that betrayed origins even he wouldn't have imagined before today.

She seemed lost with the words, the species, all the vocabulary specific to Faerûn. Yet, a muted power vibrated within her, something ancient, astral, unlike either the githyanki dragons or those scaly brutes called drakeids.*

Astarion advanced silently—he loved to surprise people like that, just to see their reaction. When she looked up at him, he offered her a smile too polite not to be suspicious.

“Well, my dear… you are definitely the most fascinating creature I’ve seen today. And believe me, after everything we’ve been through… the bar was high.”

He circled her like a curious cat, his gaze lingering on her horns, then the faint sheen of the scales on her tail.

“A being from some dark corner of the Astral Plane, captured by mind flayers, infected by that… charming parasite—just like us.” He smiled, almost proud to list their similarities.

“And on top of that, you don’t even know the names of the local species. It’s… adorable. Really.”

He leaned slightly toward her, lowering his voice as if sharing a delicious secret.

“But don’t worry. I can help you. I’m very good at… guiding lost souls. And besides…”

His pink eyes sparkled with a mischievous glint.

“…I confess I’m very curious to see a dragon that has nothing to do with our charming githyanki riders. Your horns are far more elegant, and your skin much more pleasing to the eye.”

He raised his head, regaining his feigned nonchalance. “So, {{user}}… tell me: in your world, do astral dragons bite? Or should I be concerned about some other… hidden talent?”