faderift | Firstfall Rifter Arrival

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Firstfall Rifter Arrival

WHO: New rifters & their rescuers
WHAT: Weird people fall out of a rift with demons! Again! But this time there are trees.
WHEN: Firstall 8
WHERE: A ruined fortress in the wooded region between Redcliffe and Haven.
NOTES: This log is OPEN to new rifters and to anyone who might have volunteered or been ordered to go retrieve them. Rifters: the log is intentionally backdated to allow you to also jump straight into RPing in Skyhold. It's safe to assume everyone lives.

You were asleep--deeply or fitfully, for the last time or just resting your eyes for a moment-- and then you were not. And wherever you were was not, anymore, replaced by nothing but the sensation of falling, tumbling into endless, bottomless nothing. If this were still a dream, you would wake before you hit the ground. You can't die in a dream, they say. In some worlds.

In this world, you wake with a jolt when you hit earth and stone, dropped from above by a flaring, crystalline green rip in reality that hangs overhead. Beyond it the sky is dark, but the light from the rift is bright enough to illuminate the stone walls around you--a fortress, once, now a ruin, walls crumbling and beginning to surrender to the trees and vines from the surrounding forest. The air is cold enough to sting, but it's yet to snow here, and with the walls and trees sheltering against wind it isn't so bad. At another time, in other circumstances, it might be peaceful.

No chance of that now. The brief period of quiet after you fall is shattered by a hoarse shriek. Three hoarse shrieks. Three tall, spindly creatures with gasping mouths and too many eye sockets advance on you and the people lying around you, and beyond them, six flickering, ghostly wraiths begin to throw bursts of green magic that saps anyone hit of energy and strength. And there's a narrow splinter of light in the same sickly green as whatever brought you here, now glowing out of the palm of your left hand. It aches, a bone-deep pain that gnaws even through all the distractions.

But you're not alone. There's that. You've arrived with company. Scattered around on the ground with you are weapons--maybe one of them is yours--and it won't be long before more people arrive, armed and armored and not at all surprised to see you. Just a little late to get here. (Delayed by highwaymen, you know how it is.)

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"--Fuck!"

It wasn't an elegant opening or response to waking up with a face-full of earth in one's face. It also wasn't a smart thing, as the curse was muffled into the dirt and said dirt ended up in Waver's mouth. He coughed and spat as he picked himself up from the ground, desperate to dust off every inch of him. His stomach was covered in dirt, as were his trousers, and given that Waver had no idea where he was, he at least wanted to look presentable.

After the dirt was gone, Waver took a long, sobering breath to try and get a gauge of the stituation. Or, at least, that was the plan Waver had in mind until the first hoarse shriek pierced his ears. No swears came out of his mouth when he saw the source, he only tried to recognize it.

Too many eyes. Bursts of green light. Something burned into his hand like a command seal but felt far more bone deep than a command seal ever did. He didn't have a point of reference, and that, that was as sobering as it was terrifying. There was no Gray around to do the fighting either, to look after his physically unfit ass and make sure he didn't get killed. Waver knew that too, knew it as he tried to pick up a gnarly looking longsword. He could barely lift it, and so he began to try and find something else. Anything else.

"Shit," he said finally, realizing that he wasn't going to be able to fight, period. He needed a barrier. Hell, he had a barrier, but he knew better than to be selfish. There were other people around. "If anyone's not capable of fighting, please get towards me!"

The sound of hooves could be heard followed by the bellow of a battle cry. The advancing creatures were suddenly pushed back by a powerful force as an enormous horse ran past the mage. On it was a man in leather armor with a cloak of billowing red. There was a grin on his face as he slashed into one of the creatures then allowed his horse to trample it while it was down so he could kill it.

Looking back, he smiled at the man with black hair.

"You there! Can you fight?" Iskandar then turned so he could cut into another one of these shrieking creatures. Neither horse nor master showed any fear here as they tore them down. These were a pair used to being in combat together. Better still, they were used to adapting to unusual circumstances in order to obtain victory. For example, arriving in an area filled with people that had unknown levels of combat experience in order to rescue them. Probably by guiding them through the battle first.

So basically the good news was that the new arrivals had this particular Rifter on their side. A good thing, right?

"Do I look it?!" Waver shot back, all too quick and barely registering the voice or the speaker. His cigar was halfway to his lips, ready to put up a bounded field, and then realization smacked him like a cold wave.

He knew that those hooves, he knew that war cry, he knew that horse and the great idiot atop it who looked all too at home on a field of battle. Waver's logical brain screamed at him to light the damn cigar and get a safe field up already, but the rest of him, the part that always stood at that bridge in Fuyuki, wanted to ignore everything else, hop up onto the horse, and greet it's rider with a hug.

Waver settled for a breathless utterance of the man's name, before adding, "Idiot, you know I can't!"

"Ha! You sound like a boy I knew!"

Iskandar laughed then turned toward the enemy, putting himself in the way now that he knew that this man wasn't one to be able to fight. It was good information to have since he would have to ensure that he got him out of this safe and alive.

"Stay back then. I know not what you can do but I give you my world that I will ride you out of this alive and well. I swear it on my name as Iskandar the King of Conquerors!"

With that he roared loud as he charged forth to fight once more.

"That'd be because I--"

Now wasn't the time, Waver realized, and he cut himself off with an exasperated sigh. That much was a familiar thing from dealing with Rider in the past, and it was with that in mind that he finally put the cigar to his lips. It was the same heady scent as always, but now mixed with the mud and blood of battle, it was also a strange comfort. Nothing about the situation made sense, not arriving, not where the fuck Rider came from, nothing at all.

He lit the cigar, feeling the bounded field take hold. It was a safe enough vantage point to watch Rider go to town on whatever those things just beyond were.

Iskandar called upon what looked like his Noble Phantasm. There was suddenly army of men there and the demons were distracted by that. However there was something interesting about these men. They weren't real. Everything he'd just created was an illusion. This was the best he could do but it was enough for now because it allowed him to ride in and kill enemies himself.

"Ha! Such confusion for you! But I shall not let you have these people!"

But when he saw one moving towards the long haired man he rushed over and got in the way, slicing the head off. Iskandar looked around then nodded. Just a little bit more.

"You there. The pretty one with the cigar. Can you ride a horse?"

Waver stared. It was reasonable for Rider to not recognize him. There was too much going on right now, but a tiny part of him ached that for Rider, it wasn't automatic.

"No," he said, calmer than he felt. "Why?"

"You will have to hold on tight then."

Reaching down he went to grab his clothes so he could lift him onto his horse. No big deal at all and like the man didn't weigh anything. But he needed him up on his horse to get him closer to where the rift was.

"I am going to take you to where you will be able to close the rift with that shard in your hand."

Now that was a familiar action, almost painfully so. Waver didn't squawk or flail around like a scruffed kitten as he might have done in his youth either. If anything, he seemed to be perfectly okay with the action, and familiar enough to know how to get comfortable on such a massive horse.

"Okay, I need context for both of those words."

"The rift is the glowing thing in the sky. The shard is the thing causing pain in your hand." Turning toward said glowing thing in the sky, he headed towards it while there was still a clearing before more demons could arrive. The sooner they closed that thing the better. This was what he'd learned on the day that he'd arrived here and it was something he'd hold true to.

"The rest I shall explain later but when we get closer you will feel it. Lift your hand toward the rift and you will feel the energy building. Hold your hand steady until there is a crack in the air that tells us it is closed down."

"Right," Waver nodded. It was a change of pace, being the one to take instruction rather than give. Standing in front of a classroom for years made all of this feel novel, and coming from Rider, well, wasn't this how it was between King and those who served.

Rather than examine the thing on his hand, now aching harder and deeper than had first registered, Waver kept his eyes ahead and slightly up.

"Is there an opportune moment to do so, or should I just go about this now?"

"I will tell you when. Let me slay this last demon first."

Iskandar zeroed in on the distracted demon as it tried to slay an army of men who didn't happen to be there. They weren't doing damage to it either since they were mere illusions but the distraction was enough for him to ride in and claim the head of it. With that he headed for the rift, feeling the ache in his own hand and smiling as he did.

This was exciting, what could he say?

"Get ready...Now! Lift your hand and hold strong!"

Waver tried not to flinch as the next demon came in and was summarily dispatched. The view from where he was offered too good a seat to see it go down, and Waver was not a fan of watching something so gory.

Thank God for fast moving horses, and as instructed, Waver lifted his hand. What it might feel like, what the power surge might do, he wasn't sure. All he knew was that he was trying to imagine the great rift closing and then trying to channel that into reality. He felts his magic circuits trying to help, even if this seemed beyond them and their ability. That combined with the aching throb of the thing on his hand caused him to let out a string of curses, indicating that this was far more painful than first anticipated.

He managed to get out a single, "Let me know when to stop!"

Iskandar sheathed his sword and wrapped an arm around him to help steady the young man. He watched the rift as the stream of light touched the shard but he didn't do anything to help. This was something he felt that this new rifter should experience for himself all the way through. Besides, he seemed perfectly willing so that was something.

There was something of a crack sound in the air as the rift closed up and Iskandar tightened his grip on the man should he find himself shaken by this at all. But he did smile at him all the same.

"You did well, my friend! We should be quite safe now." Well as safe as one could be in a world they were unfamiliar with but still.

"I am Iskandar! It is a pleasure to meet you!"

The second the crack sounded was the second Waver wanted to drop onto the ground and lay there for a while. Rarely was he winded by acts of magecraft, but whatever just happened was even more demanding than summoning Rider all those years ago. Even with Rider's hand on his shoulder, Waver slumps a little, vaguely realizing that his hair looks a mess in addition to everything else.

But at the introduction, Waver can only pray his response will get through to Iskandar that he's talking to someone he's known for some time.

"I know, idiot."

He blinked at the young man sitting in front of him on his horse. He knew? Idiot? Iskandar blinked several more times after that as he tried to understand but simply was not coming up with anything. It made no sense to him that this young man should know him at all honestly. Certainly he'd met many before but he was sure he'd remember this face at least.

"I'm afraid you will have to be clearer, my friend. I do not know your face."

"Are you--" Waver choked out, whipping around to look at Rider with a face that suggested red hot anger and deep hurt. His eyebrows furrowed together, and one hand gestured widely as he spoke.

"I spent two weeks running around in your chariot in Fuyuki and you don't recognize me!?"

His eyes widened at the reaction. There was anger there. Hurt as well. Though why there should be either was beyond him. It was not until the man actually explained him who he was with that rather indignant question that it all clicked.

Really though. How was he supposed to recognize him when he seemed a great deal taller and older and with hair so long!

"Boy?"

"It only took you long enough!" Waver snapped, raising both hands to the heavens. "Jeez, you'd think me calling you an idiot would be the give away!"

"I think you underestimate how often I get called an idiot." He laughed then and wrapped an arm around him to pull him close for an embrace. It was the best he could do on the back of this horse but he made it work nicely. "You have grown! Look how long your hair is!"

Waver practically melted against Rider, although if any of that played into his speech, well, it was impossible to tell. If nothing, he was even more snappish.

"And someone else is going to say it so fondly?! Again: idiot!" One free hand gestured widely, before he huffed and looked upward, hoping to be able to look his king in the eye.

"Of course I have. It's been ten years."

Iskandar decided that now was not a good time to tell Waver that many person had and would call him idiot fondly. The young man was huffy enough already without having to add to that. Besides, he wanted to focus on the wonder of getting to see him like this. When he'd been on his last ride, he'd known he would never see him as he was now and it filled his heart with such joy to witness him like this.

"Ten years and you are still light as a feather! Though it does appear you managed to find that foot in height!"

"By some miracle, yes," Waver agreed, letting out a long exhale. This was all too much, between whatever that rift was, Iskandar's presence, and the sheer bone exhaustion of trying to figure out what on earth was even going on. One hand patted Iskandar's gently, before Waver ventured his next question.

"What's going on, anyway?"

"It seems we have been brought through a thing known as a rift. You carry a shard of it in your hand now. For the time being we are stuck here to help with the fights of these people. From what I am aware of, there is no way to return to our world yet."

Turning away from the battlefield that now no longer had enemies, he headed for the camp. The others brought here were being taken care of but Waver was most likely to listen to him at this point which meant that he could just carry him away now.

"There will be food and drink in the camp so you can regain your strength a bit. Tomorrow we will ride for Skyhold."

"Great," Waver breathed out. He wanted to start theorizing, but the whole affair had left him more winded than he expected. Closing his eyes, he tried to get comfortable on Bucephalus' back. Once he was certain that he could last in position, Waver opened his eyes again.

"Is it that obvious that I'm winded?"

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