Of Saints And Of Spirits
Chapter 1: Share your secrets at the Hanged Man
It's been a long day for everyone. Aveline working double patrol, Varric dealing with some scumbag from the Merchants guild, the Hawke brothers out and about, getting information and making coin.
But they're not the only ones who have had a hard day. A certain Grey Warden, from whom the party needed maps, has had a particularly tough day.
Sick and wounded were pouring in as if the blight had just hit Kirkwall. Anders couldn't keep up with all the patients, he was running out of lyrium potions, and to top it off, he finally arranged to meet with Karl. That night. Anders just couldn't keep his mind in one place - There was just so much to be done.
He had just finished up with his last patient, a young boy, when four peculiar faces peeked in. They definitely weren't injured or sick.
That could only mean one thing.
"I have made this place a sanctum of healing and salvation. Why do you threaten it?"
One of the men took a step forward. He was the shortest of the four - well, excluding for the dwarf - with spiky silver hair and bright blue eyes.
Dammit, Varric. You didn't warn me that he was going to be this cute, the man thought, trying to cover his blatant homosexuality behind a calm exterior.
"Hi, I'm Hawke. Zacharias Hawke - Zach for short. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He said, quite composed.
"You're not sick or injured. If you have no business here, leave." The mage responded.
"Well, I would have offered my help, seeing as you have your hands full, but I suppose I could always take my magical powers and set up a rival clinic across the sewers." Zach snapped back.
"Go ahead. These people need as much help as they can get."
The dwarf interrupted; "What he means to say is, we need a map into the deep roads. Rumor has it you were a warden. Do you know a way?"
"Did the Grey Wardens send you to come get me? Well I'm not going. Bastards made me get rid of my cat," Anders paused, "Poor Ser-Pounce-a-Lot. He hated the deep roads."
Zach smiled. He remembered when he had a cat - before the templars came and they had to give Serah Soft-Paws away. "A cat? In the Deeproads? Wouldn't he be scared? Poor thing." He asked, wondering what a cat would be like around darkspawn.
"He was a gift. A noble beast. He almost got ripped in half by a genlock once - he swatted the bugger on the nose. Drew blood too. But the Wardens said he made me too soft and I had to give him away." Anders sighed.
"Hey, Carver, doesn't that sound familiar?" Zach remarked.
"Not my fault YOUR cat didn't like the idea of moving. The templars were on your ass, not mine." Carver scoffed.
Zach rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to the healer. "We're part of an expedition into the Deeproads. Any information you have could save lives."
Anders frowned. "I will die a happy man If I never have to think about the blighted Deeproads again. You can't imagine what I've done to get here. I won't-" he interrupted himself, "-Although... a favor for a favor. Does that sound like a fair deal? You help me, I'll help you?"
Zach, almost immediately, accepted.
"You don't ask for my terms? What if I asked for the Knight-Commander's head on a spike?" Anders bluffed. "I'm working on it." Zach mocked, and the healer scoffed. "I need help with... A friend. I wanted to free him from the circle, but... The templars learned of my plans to free him. Help me bring him safetly past them, and you shall have your maps." Anders said, happy that someone wanted to help.
Zach agreed, even if his brother didn't. Seeing as it was already almost dark, they headed directly to the Chantry from there. And when they finally found Karl- Well, let's just say it wasn't pretty. Betrayal, murder, templars, angry glowing...
Just know that it was when they got back from that, the real fun started. Something happened back there that even I'm not sure what exactly happened.
When they got back to Darktown, Anders explained his circumstances. Running away from the Wardens, Karl and... Justice."Just as demons prey on the deadly sins of mankind, there are good spirts who embody our virtues. Spirits of compassion, fortitude... Justice."
Zach interrupted; "It's... Valor, not Fortitude. People keep on getting them confused." He chuckled, then let Anders continue. "Yes, of course... Anyway, back when I got trapped in Amaranthine, I had a friend... A spirit. Justice. He was trapped outside the fade, and he needed a host. I figured a willing host, a friend, would at least be better than possessing some corpse. I was helping a friend, and-"
"-Maker, another mage making deals with demons! His story sounds exactly like yours, brother. Bah, you mages really are all the same!" Carver grumbled, not realizing what he just said.
Of all the responses Anders could think of, this was not one of them. "You... What? What's he talking about?"
"Maker, you just can't keep your mouth shut, can you? I suppose..." Zach ran his fingers through his hair. "I can't... Not here. Too many eyes. Too many ears." He mumbled just barely hard enough for Varric to make out what he was saying. Varric looked at Aveline and nodded.
"Carver, let's get you home," she said, pulling Carver along. Varric handed Zach a key, presumably to his room in the Hanged Man, and followed the other two.
"So... You fine with the Hanged Man?" Zach asked, smiling at Anders.
