[Closed] I can hear it Calling

[justice_is_blond]

WHO: Alistair, Anders, Anduin, Hanzo, Inessa, Merrill, Nathaniel, Val
WHAT: A race to save a life
WHEN: Start of the month
WHERE: Northern Anderfels
NOTES: Medical matters, pain, NPC death.

It's hard to tell when the dust begins to clear, because many trees are left smoldering, sending smoke up in a gigantic marker of where something has just happened. There are injuries, there are scared griffons... and there's a massive Great Dragon corpse alongside the far smaller Venatori ones. It's a loss. She's a loss. But it had come down to her or them and quite frankly none of them were ready to die just yet.

Anders takes a breath before heading over to the rapidly cooling body, pulling his belt knife out and then several stoppered vials.

"There's salt and wrappings in Buggsy's saddlebags, if someone doesn't mind getting it. We'll salt some of the flesh to preserve it, get her heart, get what blood we can, and be on our way. I don't... We likely can't stay here long, but those things are needed." As he talks, he's cutting open her forearm and dribbling blood into a vial. "Does anyone else need anything from her?"

Comments

[circleprodigy]

Upon hearing Nathaniel's yell, Inessa's head jerks up from rooting through the saddlebags, eyes widening in horror and sympathy. All Grey Wardens will be lost to the taint someday, and senior Wardens have even more limited time. But right here, now? She steps way from the bags, thoughts about the dragon forgotten. Her usual calm falls away like a mask, leaving her with an undeniably disturbed expression as she gazes upon that amulet.

Still, even as shock remains, her natural desire to solve problems rather than being resigned to them resurfaces. Panic won't save Nathaniel, if anything will. Anders' words filter in about the Warden base and she straightens, nodding. It's a goal to focus on, so she'll take in. Questions can wait.

"...right, understood. Lead the way, and we'll follow. Potato, come here. We have to ride a bit longer." The griffon looks up, grumbling but not resisting her rider.

[justice_is_blond]

He doesn't know how Nate's so calm. He doesn't know how any of the rest are functioning that easily, for that matter, because it feels like everything is falling apart all over again. His fingers start to hurt, cramping from his grip on his husband's shirt, and he forces himself to let go. It's not like Nate is unable to walk, as Anders had initially feared.

Mentally he goes through what they're going to need again as he heads for his griffon. "More blood would not go amiss," he says, feeling a little fuzzy-tongued. This is apparently his line, then. The line where he'll cross and ask for blood magic help. It's not comforting to find. "I, this was for testing reactions, learning. I don't know if I know enough, so we could use more. "

Merrill had been right to ask. The vials he does have are carefully wrapped and stuck in Buggsy's saddlebags. For once she's not trying to get extra affection; she seems to know how serious matters are right now

"I'll explain Avernus once we're there." He briefly looks in Alistair's direction, but there'd been a conversation weeks ago on the crystals about Warden secrets and not keeping them and right now Nate's survival might depend on something buried in there. "If someone cares to linger and gather up other parts of the dragon, the supplies are..."

He pulls them out, setting them on the ground. Leaving without retrieving everything that might be useful could be short-sighted for future research. But he can't linger here. They've seen the map, if someone chooses to help with getting things it's welcome, but it has to be out of his hands. He mounts up, careful eye on Nate, before urging Buggsy up and out, toward the base.

The base itself is on the small side, a couple of stories surrounded by jungle vines and trees. It doesn't look overgrown, but it doesn't look heavily tended, either.

"Be careful," he urges any who have come with him. "If anyone is here they could be ally or enemy." If they didn't need shelter... but they do. There's no doubt more of Corypheus' people will be in the area before long.

[chainlightning]

Merrill is torn. She wants to stay with Anders, wants to be there in case Nathaniel needs her help - help that she may be the only person able to provide, the only person willing to provide. More blood from the dragon is also needed, though - but Merrill is also not the most reliable when it comes to things like 'having a general sense of direction'. She's not so hopeless out in the wild as she is in Kirkwall, but...

She glances between them all and decides that, whatever happens, she should be there for her friend.

"Alistair? Will you and - erm, Hanzo, I think it was? - will you two get some more from the dragon?" That way there's a Warden with whoever takes up the rear, in case there's a severe amount of security at the base. She doesn't wait for much of an answer, flashing Alistair an apologetic smile before mounting Ghostface. She'll keep an eye on whichever griffon Nathaniel is on as they ride as well, just to make sure the mount doesn't also fall to the taint.

[eruit]

"I will do what I can." Hanzo isn't foolish enough to think that this is something he can help with - he is here to kill Venatori, to destroy the dragon, and nothing more. He is not a healer, he does not have that kind of magic, and he knows better than to ever get close to someone who is suffering from the taint. The very idea of it makes his skin crawl and he shifts, stepping away.

"The dragon will be handled. Once it is done I will move north and join you." A nod, sharp, sure.

It's the least he can do, even if his eyes flick between the group. He might not understand what is happening or why the Warden is suddenly so unwell, but he can do this. It is a simple job and he can do it.

"Go."

[lil_lion]

Anduin searches for as long as he dares, flying low over brooks and crags, his scarf wrapped tightly around his face to protect him from the worst of the windchill. He flies faster than is cautious. When he alights, it takes him some minutes to root around in the soil with his fingers, or hack at the plants with his father's blade, extracting the herbs the Wardens will transform into medicines for an impossible cure.

He squints into the west. The light is waning. He mounts his griffin, its saddle bags stuffed with the herbs Anders required- though not as much as Anduin would have liked. Some of the rarer ones were necessarily scant. It would have to be enough...

Despite the urgency, the danger, Anduin finds himself moved by the beauty of these wild, lonely places. He doesn't linger, but his spirit is soothed by the wandering winds, the call of strange birds, even the scent of the pungent herbs and flowers. It is beyond dusk by the time Anduin's griffin disturbs the dust of the Wardens' courtyard with its wings. Anduin dismounts almost as soon as the beast is down and makes haste to secure the animal. Once done, he rushes to the gate to beg admittance and to find the others.

[justice_is_blond]

He's thankful for the support. There are times Anders feels excruciatingly alone in Kirkwall, but Hanzo's getting what Anders can't get, Merrill's there willing to help in a way that could cause her so much trouble, Inessa's right alongside him, and even a man he's met just on this mission, Anduin, is gathering what they'll need. It makes breathing actually possible as they head in to the fortress.

No one greets them at first as they go in. The place is quiet, front hall not too much of a mess with tables and benches everywhere, and a few large fireplaces. Late afternoon light spills in from the upper windows, but they'll probably want a fire soon.

"Nate, please sit. Someone help him if he can't?" For his part, Anders is brushing off a table of dust and debris, setting out vials and starting to pull basically everything out of his belt pouches and the saddlebags he'd pulled off Buggsy. Nate should be able to manage sitting down. Really, Anders more suspects his husband will be trying to be active, hence the seeking support. He doesn't have the time to convince Nate to rest. Not if he wants to cure him.

There's a clearing of a throat nearby and Anders looks up to find three blond Wardens there. There are no demons present, there's no red lyrium, and they hadn't attacked, which means he's holding up a hand to suggest everyone be calm. They're mostly watching Nate, the two men and the woman, rather than the rest, which makes sense. They know the danger there.

"We have to cure him," Anders says, almost asks. They need this place to work safely. They can't go back outside and work. Now the Wardens' gazes take in the party and the three bend their heads together for a minute before the man steps forward.

"I'm Ernst," he says quietly. "These are Helmut and Birgitte. We'll... we'll help, if you'd like, but you have to help us in return. It's not safe for Wardens around here. The, the others..."

Birgitte clears her throat. "We'll help. I'll show someone where to get water. But you have to share what you find, or get us out of here. That's the condition."

Anders nods, as if he has the authority to agree to anything.

[pinprick]

Which, fortunately, Nathaniel does. Though pale and clearly in the throes of his Calling, he keeps his composure and nods at them, squinting because of the loss of vision.

"If you need to escape," he says a little louder than usual, to hear himself over the Calling, "I promise you will be given safe passage and harbor. If you want to be cured, we cannot guarantee success. But I agree to your terms."

This is all provided, of course, that the Calling doesn't prove as deadly as the Joining. On paper, it doesn't seem like it would be--no known poisons are involved, as darkspawn blood is--but it will burn the corruption from Nathaniel's blood, separating two things that were not meant to be separated. Anything can go wrong. There is a very good chance...

Nathaniel reaches for Anders' hand and gives him a brief smile. Anders is more important than he is right now. Anders has a good chance of being left behind without him, with these moments in the forefront of his mind. Nathaniel may not have a future, but Anders is guaranteed one. Nathaniel will do nothing to make this more traumatic for him than it must be.

Except die.

Probably.

[chainlightning]

It isn't her place to agree or disagree to demands, and so Merrill doesn't. She keeps her hands busy instead, helping unpack what supplies they do have that might be needed for this. She keeps a wary eye on Nathaniel, then on the other Wardens, then the door - if they're attacked now, she's going to be very upset.