Chapter Fifty-Five: The Storm Coast
The trip out of the mountains takes a few days, but all too soon I have to say goodbye to Varric and head with my own group to the north while they move south toward Valammar. It feels strange, being in charge. No one has really trusted my judgment like that before, and it feels nice. I set my shoulders, determined not to make Declan regret this.
Lucis is back to being charming again. It's probably draining him to keep it up all day, but I do appreciate it. He's even pleasant with Sera, who doesn't always make it easy with her pranks and teasing. The two of them are walking behind Alistair and me.
Alistair looks over and meets my eye. "Sooo," he says, leading in, and I know he's about to ask me something personal.
"Yeeess, Alistair?" I ask with a chuckle, taking him a little off-guard.
He blinks a couple of times before continuing. "So you're a god, right?"
"Yes, I believe we've been over that part already."
"And you watch the world; can see what's going on in different places?"
Realization dawns on me. "You want to know how she's doing."
He exhales in relief at my guess. "That obvious, was I? You already know what she's working on, don't you?" he asks.
"Yes."
"Has she found it?"
"Not the last I saw, although she and the other Wardens were hard at work researching and conducting experiments."
"Other Wardens?" He asks, arching an eyebrow. "I was under the impression she was alone."
"No, Anders is with her."
He turns to look at me, concerned. "And he's...alright?"
I nod, smiling. "Yes, he and Justice are a bit better now. I think Kirkwall messed with his head a little. Best he's not around Corypheus, though. Last time was hard enough on them."
"Anyone else?"
"Nathaniel Howe...oh, and Avernus. He's been quite instrumental in what progress she has made."
He stops, and I turn to look at him. His brow is wrinkled, as though warring with himself. "Do you - the gods, that is - have the answer she's been looking for?"
I think about it. "We've never tried to reverse the Joining before, but it's possible. Blight magic is Tenebris's area of expertise, and dragons are mine. I don't know if it would work or not."
"And would you...be willing to try it?"
"Of course, Alistair. I don't give my gratitude easily, but you've earned it. Once we've defeated Corypheus, and if we're not at risk of provoking Toth, we could try...but it's just as possible that it might kill you."
He nods with a gentle smile. "All the same, it's closer than we've been before. I'll send word to her when we get back from the mission. Thank you, Ferox."
"Of course."
I look back to find Lucis watching me. He smiles. I'm so glad I brought him along for this. We travel on for the next few days, enjoying the warmer weather as we near the coast. It's been a long time since my brother and I have been out this way, and a feeling of nostalgia starts to settle in. I can tell we're getting close from the shift in the air currents, and the salty smell of the sea coming in off the breeze.
We reach the top of a final rise and I see it: the wide expanse of the sea, stretching out into the mists. Pillars of rock jut up out of the water and the waves breaking against them spray in the air.
"You can't even see the other shore!" Sera comments in awe. "That's far…"
Lucis walks up behind me and puts a hand on my shoulder. "It feels a little like coming home, doesn't it, Sister?" he said, his voice soft and full of memory.
Alistair remarks, "Right, Cullen said you four were born here."
I nod. "I'd forgotten what it smells like." I take a deep breath, filling my lungs with the warm humid air and it's like breathing in life itself. I'm filled with a rush of energy and hug my brother.
Lucis points upward and I tilt my head to look. Seabirds, of course, but beyond that, the bluest sky I've ever seen. I remember this place getting a lot of rain, so to see a day like this was rare. I hope that my happy mood and excitement can help keep the pleasant weather going.
"There should be a camp nearby," I tell them, remembering viewing it on the map from earlier. This terrain was once very familiar to me, but it's changed in the time that we were gone from the world. Still, the misty crests of waves crashing against the rocky shoreline, the treacherous hillscapes that threaten to snap an ankle, and the wonderful scent of the sea - this was home to us once.
I take lead, following the directions from the map, and we locate the camp down near the beach.
I wave at the agents at this remote outpost, wondering how long they've been out here. Of course, if I had my choices of places to be stationed for a while, I'd probably pick the beach too, even if it's a bit rainy. One of the agents is patrolling the coast a bit further in, but one waits for us at the edge of the camp.
"Greetings!" I call as we get close, and pull out the orders Declan had given me before we parted.
"Good to see friendly faces again," the agent says. "Only folks out this way lately have been those 'Blades of Hessarian' bunch, and they don't chat much."
"I'm Ferox," I say in way of introduction, "this is my brother Lucis, that's Sera, and behind her, Warden Alistair. Don't let the armor fool you, he's with the Inquisition."
"Charm," she says, sticking out her hand.
"Don't you mean charmed?" I ask.
"No, Charm. That's my name," she says, chuckling. I take her hand and shake it.
Sera giggles. "Your parents...a bit bonkers, weren't they?"
Charm has the good grace to smile. "I've heard it all before. I think my mother wanted a daughter who was a bit more ladylike. Instead she got me."
I smile at that. "We're headed to the red templar stronghold to the south. What can you tell us?"
"Watch out for the damned spiders," she says with a laugh. "Seriously, though, we haven't been back for a while, but we did spot a few stragglers not far from there. Be careful."
I nod. It's still pretty early, barely even midday. We should press on, get closer before we settle in for the night.
"Wait," Charm says, looking at the documents from the Inquisitor. "This says here that you're to go to the island with the dragon."
"That's right," I confirm.
"But that place is overrun with dragonlings! You can't go out there!"
I look at my companions. Lucis smiles, Alistair nods, and Sera just raises her eyebrows in question. "We'll be fine," I assure Charm. "You must not have heard about me. I'm Dragon Girl."
She looks at me warily. "Alright, if you're sure you know what you're doing."
I take the documents back from her. "Thanks. We'll stop back by once we're done out there."
She looks skeptical, but puts a hand over her heart. "For the Inquisition," she says.
I bow my head a little to her before we take off again. Once out of earshot further down the shoreline, I mutter, "Stars, why does everyone always think I'm going to die?"
"Well, that wyvern thing came pretty close," Sera reminds me.
"What thing with what wyvern?" Lucis wants to know, concern making his eyebrows knit together, his cheerful expression forgotten.
"I got hit with snowy wyvern venom. I wasn't really in danger, we had the antidote. It was mostly a paralytic."
"Nah, I saw it, I'd bet you have a killer scar from it," Sera replies.
"Not helping, Sera," I say, giving her a death glare. She just shrugs and looks away.
"I've never heard of a snowy wyvern," Lucis admits.
"I've never fought one," Alistair comments, "but they're supposed to be tougher and more venomous than the normal kind."
"They're a recent variation, apparently," I say.
"Ugly arseholes," Sera adds. "Looked like someone shaved it. Like it was supposed to have scales or something, but they were missing…" She breaks off in giggles. "What if...what if they all look like that, under the tough hide. Naked!" She erupts in a fit of laughter, and I join in.
"Naked wyverns, huh?" Alistair asked with a grin. "Sounds terrifying."
"Dragonlings will seem like nothing compared to that," Lucis states, the smile returning. "But you'll have to let me examine this wound of yours."
"It was a while ago, Brother. I'm fine." I give his arm a reassuring squeeze.
"So about these dragonlings…" Alistair prompted.
"Right, that's why we need Lucis. His glyphs are perfection," I tell them, and see my brother give a genuine smile in response to my praise. "He can also make them mobile, at least until they're triggered. So we'll have a ring of glyphs around us, waiting to go off when one gets too close. If they step on one, it will paralyze them. I'll use some walls of ice, redirect them, and can help out with a few ice mines to freeze them in place if needed, allowing us to get further ahead."
"So that's it?" Alistair asked. "We stroll across Dragon Island with glyphs and ice walls?"
I shake my head. "No, dragonlings are fast. Lucis will caste Haste on all of us, and we run."
"Run," Sera said, nodding, but a frown forms on her forehead, "toward the dragon."
"Yeah. If I'm right about the timeline, these dragonlings shouldn't be newborns. I can't talk to anything less than a high dragon, but the Vinsomer should be able to call her babies back once I get her to talk to me. The trick is holding them off long enough without really hurting them. If we start killing her babies, she may lose her concentration."
"And what if that doesn't work?" Alistair states. "You said yourself, your calculations may be off."
I nod, having had several days to think about it. "If she starts attacking you all, don't hold back. Kill her. She'll be defending her nest, and she won't stop until the threat is dead." High dragons without reason are dangerous, and unpredictable, but it would be terrible to lose one, especially on my first mission as leader. I need to make sure it doesn't come to that. I will make her listen to me.
Sera looks worried again. I walk to her, and look up into her eyes. "You have two gods with you. There's nothing to worry about."
The frown deepens.
It takes a few more hours until we spot the stone entrance to the stronghold. There are no signs of any kind of life. No spiderwebs near the door, no red templar soldiers, just the yawning mouth of the entrance underground. I don't like being underground, where I can't see the sky. It makes me nervous.
"Let's backtrack a little further, and make camp for the night," I instruct them. "We don't want to get stuck trying to navigate the island in the dark. We'll set out first thing in the morning."
Later that night, we place our tents in a slightly sheltered spot in a cove that juts inland and build a small fire next to the stream. Lucis and I only set up one tent for the two of us, without either one us saying a word about it. I know after working so hard to get along with the others that he probably needs the comfort of sleeping near one another. I don't mind. Having my brother nearby keeps me from missing Varric as much.
As I put out the bedrolls, I notice my pendant glowing. Varric! I sit down just outside the tent, and quickly connect the magic. But it's not Varric or Tenebris that I see when the image opens.
"Hawke?" I ask, dumbfounded. I never expected him to contact me.
"I know I'm not Varric, but you could look a little happier to see me, Dragon Girl," he jokes.
"Sorry Garrett, I didn't mean anything by it. You just surprised me, is all. What's going on?" I smile at my friend, and I didn't realize how much I missed him too. I barely even saw him in Emprise du Lion before we'd all taken off, and I hadn't had a chance to really say anything to him.
"I'm back in Skyhold, and- oh, hey Lucis," he comments as my brother takes a seat beside me. "Cullen wanted me to ask how things are going." The image moves and I see the familiar lines of Cullen's face.
"Hi Cullen," I greet him. "Things have gone well. We've reached the Storm Coast, and we're camped not far from where the red templars had their stronghold before. We're planning to go to the island in the morning."
"Excellent, any word from the other team?" he asks.
"No, not in a couple of days. I'm guessing they're underground by now."
"That's a problem?"
Lucis answers, "The Well works better with things outdoors, so it might be interfering with the magic."
I hear Garrett in the background, "That makes sense. We tried connecting with them first, but it wouldn't work."
Cullen looked back into the image, at me. "Good to know it's nothing to be concerned about yet at this stage."
"I'll try them, too, see if I can get it to work, but that alone doesn't mean anything," I respond.
Lucis adds, "Tenebris is with them. He could easily return to Skyhold, or here, for that matter, if there were trouble."
"You're right," Cullen acknowledged. "Thank you for your report. How are you doing leading, Ferox?"
"Alright so far, but one of the agents out here, Charm, said that the island was 'overrun'. That doesn't sound promising."
"Be careful," Garrett says from out of sight from the pendant.
"We will. There are two gods here, so we'll be fine. I just don't want to lose the dragon if we don't have to." I think for a moment. "The agents out here are isolated, and they're getting bored. You should consider rotating assignments for some of your people. It will keep their eyes and ears fresh."
"Not a bad idea," Cullen admits. "I'll speak with Sister Leliana about it."
"Is that all, then?" I ask.
"For now," he says.
Garrett's face appears again in the blue field of magic. "Oh, if you do talk to Varric, say hello for me. That Bianca's always been trouble for him."
"Yeah, I don't really trust her, either. But Varric's a big boy; he can handle himself just fine. I trust him to make the right calls. Hey, tell the Iron Bull I'm sorry, and I'll try to bring him along for the next dragon if I can."
Garrett winces. "He griped about it the whole way home. Best I not mention it, it'll just start him going again."
I laugh. "Be well, Garrett, we'll see you soon."
"Goodnight, Ferox." The magic ends, and Hawke is gone. I try connecting to Tenebris, but as suspected, there's no answer. Please be okay. I'll roast Bianca and feed her to the wolves if she double crosses you.
I look up at Lucis. "He's fine, Sister. Don't worry." A warm, comforting arm settles around my shoulder.
Across the way, Alistair is shaking his head. "I'll never get use to that thing," he comments. Sera stares, her expression unreadable.
I get closer to the fire and sit down, facing her, and Lucis settles in next to me. "It's just a way to talk to people. Sera. It doesn't hurt anybody, and it doesn't summon demons," I explain, trying to guess at her fears before she panics.
"If you say so," she says cautiously. "So what are you and Varric going to do when this is over, huh? Sail off into the sunset and make god-babies?"
Alistair has his waterskin to his lips and sputters, droplets flying everywhere. I can't help it, his expression is too priceless and I snicker. "You okay?" I ask, trying to contain my amusement.
"Yeah," he says, cheeks flushing a little from embarrassment. "Er, I just choked, I'm good. Really."
I look back to Sera. "To answer your question, I'm not sure, but we've talked about going to Kirkwall. Varric will write, of course. Frederic seems to think more people would be interested in learning the Draconic language, so I might actually teach. Or, I could always continue teaching magic. Free mages still need instruction on how to control their power and ward their mind against demons. Maybe I'll open a university if the Circles aren't reinstated. It's what we did...a lot time ago."
"You taught magic in ancient times?" Alistair asks, eyebrows arching upwards.
"The humans learned magic from us. The elves, of course, had their own gods, and the dwarves didn't have magic, even back then. We didn't interact much with the Kossith. We four founded the four schools of magic, and much of what is taught to this day is just a variation on the knowledge we gave the humans so long ago."
"And the dragons?" he questions.
"You mean their magic?"
He nods, and I continue. "Dragons are unique. They're like lyrium, in a way. They are magic, carry it within them. When an elder dragon becomes an ancient, a new type of magic is born. The dragons may or may not share that knowledge with our kind. The ancients are wise, having lived a very long time."
"So that's why my bloodline…"
I nod. "Your ancestor changed things for you by what he did, Alistair. Your line will carry that magic forever, passing it on to your offspring."
He smiles, and I know he's thinking about my offer earlier to try to reverse his Joining. Even if only one of them reverts back, their chances of conceiving a child would improve dramatically.
"Sera, what about you?" I ask. "Will Red Jenny be needed elsewhere?"
"Always some big hat in need of a lesson…" she says, but frowns.
"But…" I lean in, encouraging her to continue.
She laughs. "You said butt. But seriously...shite, now I've said it." Lucis laughs next to me, and I look over to see his grin.
Lucis surprises me by speaking up. "What would you wish to do?" he asks her.
"I dunno," Sera answers. "It just...we've been doing something here. It don't feel right just going back to the way things were," she says, twiddling her fingers.
"Maybe they don't have to," I reply. "We don't know what Declan's plans are. Maybe there will still be a need for the Inquisition. Or I'm sure Kirkwall could use someone of your talents. I bet Garrett will end up back there was well."
"Kirkwall, huh?" she says, thinking it over. "Kirkwall had a Jenny, but I hear she gave it up. Might be a place for me, after all. I'll think it over."
A yawn hits me out of the blue.
"I guess it's getting late," Lucis observes. "We should get some rest. Tomorrow will likely be taxing on both of us."
I nod. "Goodnight," I tell Sera and Alistair before going inside the tent.
I don't have to duck too much, but Lucis does. We lay down and he pulls me close to his chest in an embrace.
I smile. "You did well today, Brother. I'm proud of you."
"I'm glad you're happy," he says, and pulls back away, settling down in for sleep. We hold hands again as we drift off to a restful sleep.
