A/N: Thanks for reading! Let's get going with the first quest proper.
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Jaune stepped through the portal and was engulfed in silvery moonlight. After a few moments, the light began to recede, giving way to a view of an old, partially-destroyed stone road winding its way along a temperate countryside, one replete with farmlands and wooded thickets.
Hello, Jaune, Mahina's voice rang quietly in his mind. Can you hear me?
He blinked, looking around but finding no one. "Uh, Mahina? That you?" he asked.
I'm speaking to you from back on Remnant, explained the goddess. It would probably behoove you to subvocalize when speaking with me or one of your friends, lest the inhabitants of this land believe you to be insane.
Jaune furrowed his brow and thought hard. Like this?
Close enough. Like any skill, greater ease will come with time and practice.
So, where am I? he asked.
You are in the world of Thedas. To be more precise, you are in the southern kingdom of Ferelden. It is something of a backwater, but its subjects maintain a steadfast pride in their homeland. It recently overthrew a foreign occupation from the neighboring Empire of Orlais, and they view Orlesians with a degree of suspicion.
Well that's all nifty, Jaune subvocalized. What does that have to do with me?
Your name will sound Orlesian to their sensibilities. You should not hide who you are, but you should be wary that some will fall back on old nationalist suspicions. For now, though, you should prepare yourself. Some Darkspawn have come to kill you.
"Wait, what?!" Jaune blurted out loud. He drew his sword and deployed his shield, and in the knick of time too, as the latter had barely unfolded before an arrow thudded against it. Dropping to one knee and raising his shield against further missiles, Jaune assessed his attackers.
The Darkspawn had been ugly and disconcerting on screen, and in person, it was even worse. Jaune could make out two distinct types, with a pair of smaller, stouter types providing cover fire for a half-dozen taller creatures that were charging his position. Most of them carried curved, jagged blades, but one, the leader no doubt, bore a double headed axe of glistening blackened metal and wore a large, horned helmet upon his head.
Up close and in person, they looked almost like humanoids that had been overcome by some grotesque, moist-looking mold growth of some kind, with hands twisted into talons and strange, painful bone growths protruding from the corrupted flesh. And the smell!
Jaune struggled not to vomit as the increased proximity of the monsters led to an overpowering, stale, rancid stench assailing his nostrils. He shook his head to clear it as the first of the charging creatures reached him. The young knight used the tough corner of his shield to bash away a blade and retaliated with a quick stab that sank deep between the beast's ribs. Jaune ripped the blade through the dying Darkspawn's side as he pivoted to his right. Curdled black blood coated the ancient gleaming blade of Crocea Mors when Jaune flicked it across the chest of another monster, inflicting a shallow, steaming wound but giving him the space he needed to reposition his shield.
He stepped forward, checking the momentum of the great, overhanded cleave that the Darkspawn leader had begun with his oversized axe. Jaune kept in close, sending out a succession of stabs around the weathered armored plates that the beast wore. He bashed the creature in the center of its misshapen helm, sending it crashing to the ground, but before he could follow up with a killing blow, the young knight was forced to defend himself from attacks from the side.
Taking a second to flick the steaming, gelatinous blood off of his blade, Jaune smoothly sheathed his sword and triggered the shield to shift into the bastard sword form. He whipped the sheath into a brief orbit around his head as it shifted, so that when the razor-sharp bronze edges were fully in place, Jaune was able to sling out a wide, hewing cut, one that dropped the lesser Darkspawn that had surrounded him, all in one fantastic blow. He allowed his momentum to carry him into a quick spin in place as he separated Crocea Mors back into its sword and shield form.
Noice! Yang's exuberant cheer echoed in his mind as the bodies of the Darkspawn fell like scythed wheat around him.
He could make out the short archer Darkspawn drawing their bows and preparing to fire, so he raised his shield and bum-rushed the alpha that was struggling to get to its feet. Jaune slammed into it with his shield, then smoothly let out an overarm stab through the beast's neck. He used his sword as a lever to wrench the alpha's twitching corpse up and in front of him, forming an impromptu barrier against the incoming arrows, which impacted the dead body with a series of sickening, squelching sounds.
Jaune retracted his sword and punched out with his shield to quickly free the blade from where it had bitten into bone, and then adopted a low stance to deal with the arrows. Having powered through gunfire, Dust effects, and the heaviest blows that man or machine could dish on Remnant, he wasn't especially worried about the archers actually hurting him, but without knowing what was around the corner, the Huntsman figured it best to conserve his Aura as much as possible. That way, if he truly needed it, he would always be chambered to let loose with the full extent of his Aura and Dust abilities.
That did leave him in the position of needing to charge the archers, though. Jaune shifted his feet, preparing to break into a sprint, when the archer Darkspawn suddenly stiffened as lightning struck one, then split into a chain to fry the other one. In less than a second, the two stout Darkspawn lay very, very dead, steaming and smoking.
Jaune slowly stood and looked to find his apparent ally. A few yards past the fallen Darkspawn, two figures warily strode onto the scene. He recognized one as the Grey Warden from the brief introduction that he'd watched at Mahina's temple. Worry lines creased his dark skin. He bore a long sword at his hip and several long daggers at his waist, and his black hair and beard was liberally streaked with gray. The Warden's companion, on the other hand, was a young woman, unknown to him, wearing an elaborate yellow robe that emphasized her waist and hips, and sliding a carved wooden staff into a particular sling that held it diagonally along her back. As she brushed her thick, light brown hair back from her face, Jaune caught sight of delicate, pointed ears.
An elf, Mahina informed him helpfully. An ancient people, but one struggling with oppression and injustice. Not so different from the Faunus of your world.
And don't stare at the ears, added Blake.
And don't stare at the ears, the goddess agreed. She is also a mage, one born with the power of magic. In this part of this world, people born such are usually housed… or imprisoned, depending on your view... within towers or fortresses. This is partially to protect them from others, but largely to protect others from them. There is… controversy as to this practice. This is her first time leaving her Circle.
Jaune nodded. Got it. With that, he waved his bloody sword to them. "Hey, there! Thanks for the assist!"
The veteran Warden held out his hand to signal the mage to halt as he examined the scene. He seemed impressed. "A half dozen hurlocks and an alpha," he mused. "Did you kill them on your own?"
Jaune nodded. "I was preparing to charge the archers, but the lady beat me to it," he said, tossing a jaunty salute in the mage's direction.
"You know," the elf said, "most people tend to be more unnerved at the sight of magic."
"I tend to find Darkspawn far more unnerving. If your magic makes them drop quick and clean, all the better."
The elven mage canted her head curiously, not having expected such a response.
"May I ask what you're doing out on the old highway?" asked the Warden. "I see no wagon of trade supplies, nor would a soldier travel alone."
Jaune feigned surprised recognition. "You're… you're a Grey Warden, aren't you?"
"That I am."
"My name is Jaune Arc. And I'm looking to join the Grey Wardens."
The Warden raised a single eyebrow. "That name sounds Orlesian. Why would you venture so far to join such an order?"
"Well," Jaune hedged.
Not many in Ferelden, Mahina supplied.
"There aren't many here in Ferelden," Jaune said. "I figured one here could make more of a difference than back there."
"Hmm…" the Warden stroked his beard. "This is true. And we are in dire need of skilled recruits. Very well, Jaune of Arc. As of this moment, you may consider yourself a recruit of the Grey Wardens. I am Duncan, Commander of the Grey here in Ferelden. This is Alanna, a fellow recruit."
Jaune was tempted to correct Duncan on the 'of Arc' addition to his name, but ultimately decided to just roll with it. "Pleased to meet you both. I'd shake hands, but…" he trailed off as he indicated the nauseating Darkspawn blood that coated his gauntlets.
"You must be careful when cleaning your equipment," Duncan advised. "Darkspawn blood is extremely toxic, a result of the Taint within them. Come. I will show you how to safely cleanse yourself of their blood, and then we will continue to the fortress of Ostagar."
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Their travels seemed to pass in the blink of an eye to Jaune. According to his friends back on Remnant, they literally did so in the form of a map montage as the group hiked down the road to an old fortress. For Jaune, it felt surreal, almost dreamlike, as he had absorbed information about Ferelden, the Grey Wardens, Darkspawn, and the Blight that they caused.
Apparently, the Darkspawn were compelled to dig through the solid rock beneath the dwarven Deep Roads to find the slumbering old gods of the Tevinter Imperium, which once ruled the entirety of southern Thedas. Also, said old gods took the forms of giant dragons. Upon finding one, the Darkspawn would corrupt it with the Taint that they carried, transforming the old god into an Archdemon, which would take command of the horde and lead it onto the surface in an attempt to exterminate all life. Four times this had happened previously, and each time, the races of Thedas had just barely managed to eke out victory over the menace.
All thanks, of course, to the Grey Wardens.
Jaune had asked what it was that made the Grey Wardens more effective against the Darkspawn than normal soldiers, to which Duncan had merely stroked his beard and assured him that "all will be made clear in time."
That sentiment was far too Ozpin-like for Jaune's liking, and from the looks of it, Alanna wasn't thrilled with it either.
The young mage had attempted to share some of what she knew about magic with Jaune, but most of it went right over his head. As near as he could tell, there was a dream realm, called the Fade, from which mages could will magical effects into reality. More or less. And there were also demons there, which spooked people right out. Said demons wanted into the real world, and could possess mages to do it. Therefore, all mages were watched under lock and key by an order of magic-canceling knights that had the go-ahead from the largest religious organization on Thedas to straight-up kill them if they looked dangerous. This, of course, rubbed the mages the wrong way.
It was all Jaune could do to begin to get a grip on the decidedly convoluted tangle of different peoples and social structures that he might have to navigate. Call him a cynic, but somehow he didn't think that his mission would consist of "find spooky dragon, stab it in the kidneys, then go home."
Your intuition guides you well, Mahina congratulated him.
Jaune just sighed.
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The fortress of Ostagar had seen better days. Originally constructed by the Tevinter Imperium to guard against barbarian incursions from the Kocari Wilds to the south, the highest ramparts of the redoubt were crumbling due to age and neglect. Still, the better part of the walls still held, and the long bridge stretching from one side of the valley to the other looked sturdy enough.
As the Warden party passed through the gates, they were met by a tall, blonde man bedecked in a positively dazzling set of gilded plate armor. He was flanked by several guards in gleaming breastplates and full helms, all of whom looked prepared for a fight.
"Who is - " Jaune began to ask, before Duncan stepped forward, crossing his arms across his chest and bowing deeply.
"King Cailan!" the Warden-Commander called out, clearly surprised. "We weren't expecting a -"
"A royal welcome?" the man in the gilded plate interjected, his tone warm and smile wide. "I was beginning to worry that you might miss out on all the fun! We've already won three battles against the creatures, and tomorrow should be no different."
A warning glance from Duncan convinced the recruits to hold their tongues and let their commander handle it. "Disappointed, Your Majesty?" he asked the king.
"I had hoped for a grand battle, like in the tales!" the ruling monarch of Ferelden lamented. "A king riding beside the fabled Grey Wardens, striking down a Tainted god… still, I suppose this will have to do. I'll have the mighty Duncan at my side, after all."
Jaune shared a worried look with Alanna. The King seemed to be, well, rather cheery about the evil twisted monsters threatening to rampage through his kingdom. But then said king turned from Duncan to regard the recruits themselves, and it was best to hide their concerns for the time being.
"I had heard that you'd picked up a recruit on the road, but I'm pleased to see even more joining the Warden's ranks."
Alanna took the lead and bowed. "Thank you, Your Majesty."
"I understand that you hail from the Circle of Magi, correct?" Cailan asked of the mage. "I trust that you'll have some fine spells to hurl at the Darkspawn."
Jaune was a little surprised to see Alanna flush under the scrutiny of the human ruler. "I-I'm just recently out of my apprenticeship, but I will do my best, of course."
Cailan shrugged. "Still, you've abilities beyond those of other men. You will be most welcome here." With that, he moved on to scrutinize Jaune, as Alanna quietly tried to regain her composure.
Elf girl's got it bad, Yang snarked. Look out, Jaune, she probably has a fetish for blonde humans in armor.
The Remnan knight did well to keep the smile off his face as the king addressed him. "And from where do you hail, friend?"
"I came from Orlais to join the fight, Your Majesty," he said, replicating Duncan's earlier bow.
I'm so proud of him! Weiss squealed. He can be trained to behave!
Try not to faint, Weiss. Jaune added as much dry sentiment as he could over the link.
The King broke into a wide smile. "Ah, that is excellent news! I have long been hoping to foster better relations between our two nations, and seeing Orlesians coming to our aid gives me hope for the future."
Hey, why does everyone buy that I'm from this Orlais place? Jaune asked over the link.
Oh, Mahina answered. I altered your voice so that you speak with an accent.
Really?
Mahina allowed him to hear his voice as the people on Thedas had been hearing it, and indeed, he had a thick accent.
I sound like a male version of my mother, Jaune wondered. Should I keep the accent when I get back?
Sure, Yang added, her voice gaining that familiar teasing quality. Weiss has been blushing every time you open your mouth.
It was interesting how the link was able to psychically convey the wordless shriek of embarrassed outrage that the heiress emitted upon her teammate's declaration. In an effort to pay attention to what was going on around him, Jaune silenced the link as Weiss began to go on a tirade.
Meanwhile, Cailan had taken his leave, giving Duncan the opportunity to address his charges. "Thank you for not antagonizing the king. If he wished, he could drive our order from the nation entirely."
"I mean, he seemed to really like the Wardens," Jaune mused. "But am I wrong, or did he not seem to take the threat seriously?"
Duncan gestured for the two recruits to accompany him across the bridge. "The king needs to keep morale high, in order to stave off a panic. Still, I worry that our numbers are still too few, and he still believes that the legend of the Grey Wardens makes us invincible."
"Aw, and I was hoping that invincibility was part of the recruitment bonus," remarked Alanna.
"Alas, it is not," Duncan said with a chuckle. "For now, the best thing to do is to move quickly. Feel free to explore the camp. There, you will find other recruits, and a Grey Warden named Alistair. When you're ready, have him gather the recruits and meet me in the camp. Until then, I take my leave."
The recruits gave a quick salute as the Warden-Commander walked away. Jaune shared a conspiratorial grin with his fellow recruit.
"So… wanna cause trouble?"
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Chased might have been a strong word for how the Ferelden army officers reacted to the pair wandering the camp at will. "Strongly suggested to go find their superiors" may have suited their sensibilities better. Jaune had done his stint as a Huntsman of Atlas, and had a healthy skepticism of authority, but his experiences had also taught him to be more circumspect with how he acted around it.
With that being said, the pair of them had managed to antagonize the quartermaster, who had assumed Alanna to be a servant or a camp follower, sweet talk a deserter into giving them a key for a chest in the mage's camp, helped treat one of Ferelden's famous Mabari War Hounds that had been sickened by biting the Darkspawn, made a Revered Mother of the Chantry decidedly uncomfortable about that religion's history with the elves, made another recruit, one Ser Jory, damn near wet himself by suggesting that Alanna could transform people into frogs if they annoy her, played a magical prank on a mage named Wynne, who had been one of Alanna's mentors back at the Circle, to make her robes smell like stinky boots, and had personally annoyed the king's second-in-command, a stern man named Teyrn Loghain Mac Tir.
The two of them were grinning like naughty schoolchildren as they approached the stone antechamber where they saw a mage in a red robe engage in a heated argument with another blonde man in armor, though his was splinted mail of considerably more common quality than the king's. He carried a sword at his side and a wooden shield with a sunburst emblem slung across his back.
"... What the Revered Mother desires is of no consequence to me. Tell her that I will not be harassed in this manner!"
"Right," the armored man responded, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I was harassing you by delivering a message. Should I have asked her to write a note?"
"Enough!" the mage's patience ran out. "I will speak to the woman if I must. Get out of my way, fool." The mage stormed past, and the man turned to watch him go, shrugging as he saw the new arrivals.
"You know, one good thing about the Blight is how it brings people together."
"What do you mean?" Alanna asked, puzzled.
"It's like one big party, where we can all gather 'round and hold hands," the man remarked. He paused as he took in Alanna's appearance. "You aren't another mage, are you?"
The elf rolled her eyes. "Was it the staff that gave it away, or the robes?"
"And here I thought I'd been yelled at by every mage in the camp." Recognition flooded his features as he recalled something. "Oh, you must be the recruit Duncan picked up at the Circle! Apologies, I should have recognized you right away. And who are you?" he asked, directing that towards Jaune.
"Name's Jaune. Joined up on the road to Ostagar."
The Grey Warden smirked. "Another Orlesian. If you listen closely, I think you can hear the Teyrn's teeth grinding from here. Anyway, my name is Alistair, the junior Grey Warden."
"My name is Alanna," the mage offered. Alistair snapped his fingers.
"Ah, that was the name. Anyways, Duncan should probably be ready by now. Shall we?"
In the center of the camp stood the Grey Wardens' command tent. Duncan stood before a large bonfire, along with Ser Jory - who flinched as Alanna approached - and a shifty, disheveled-looking man who the Commander introduced as Daveth. "Good, you're all here. We must attend to the task at hand, and prepare you all for the Joining."
Duncan then turned a glare on the two newest recruits and the junior Warden. "Assuming, of course, that you're all finished riling up the entire camp?"
"What can I say?" Alistair said with a smirk. "The Revered Mother cornered me. The way she wields guilt, they should stick her in the army."
The Commander was not amused. "She forced you to sass the mages, did she? Our position in Ferelden is too tenuous for us to make enemies, Alistair. I expect you to remember that and behave more responsibly in the future."
Alistair practically winced under the rebuke. "You're right, Duncan. I… apologize."
Satisfied that his junior Warden had been properly chastised, Duncan then turned to Jaune and Alanna.
"In my defense, it's all his fault," Alanna helpfully pointed out.
Jaune nodded. "It's true," he said mournfully. "I had scarcely begun to speak with the Teyrn when he had us thrown out of his tent."
"It's because you're just so outrageously Orlesian," the elven mage suggested.
"Is there no cure?"
"Alas, no. Could be worse, though, you could be Antivan."
Duncan just sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, while Daveth snickered. "Just… don't," the Warden-Commander said helplessly. "We'll discuss proper Warden behavior after the battle. In the meantime, I have a mission for you all. In order to become full Grey Wardens, you must undergo a ritual known as the Joining. As part of this ritual, each of you will need to venture into the Kocari Wilds and retrieve a vial of Darkspawn blood."
Jaune had no idea what Duncan needed the Darkspawn blood for, but he had a sneaking suspicion that he wasn't going to like it.
I'm glad my daughter didn't fall for a moron, at least, Mahina snarked.
"Furthermore," continued Duncan, "there is another task for you. Somewhere within the Wilds is an old Grey Warden outpost tower. Sealed in a chest therein will be copies of ancient treaties that the peoples of Thedas signed with the Grey Wardens. These treaties grant extensive rights and privileges to the Wardens in a time of Blight."
"Is this also part of the Joining?" Alanna asked.
"No, but it is important. Alistair will accompany you into the Wilds. He will know what to look for." Duncan turned to address the younger Warden directly. "Watch over your charges, Alistair. Fulfil your mission and return here as soon as you can."
"Right," Alistair nodded. "I won't let you down."
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The Warden party quickly made ready to leave. Daveth revealed himself to be an archer, as he strung a long bow. Ser Jory carried a truly enormous two-handed sword and wore chainmail armor. Jaune, Jory and Alistair formed a steel front, with Alanna behind and Daveth ranging within a few meters of the rest. As they passed through the gates into the Wilds, the sentry on duty warned them that a scouting party had gone missing.
The Warden-recruits hadn't got far into the Wilds before they found signs of the missing scouting party. Those signs took the form of bodies staked in rows or swinging from tree branches.
Well, this looks bad… Ren gave a rare comment.
As he surveyed the devastation, Jaune saw movement. "Alert!" he called. His fellows raised their weapons in defense, only to lower them as they saw a wounded soldier attempt to crawl towards that.
"Who… is that…" the soldier gasped. "Grey Wardens?"
"Well, he's not nearly as dead as he looks, is he?" quipped Alistair.
Wow. Just...wow. There's something seriously wrong with this guy, Even Yang, who was ever the jokestress, was put-off by the Warden's cavalier dismissal of the injured man.
Jaune stepped forward, preparing to summon his Semblance out of instinct, when Mahina bid him halt. There is no Aura for you to boost, she reminded him. Intellectually, Jaune had figured that his Semblance wouldn't work on people on other worlds, but being faced with someone wounded without the ability to help brought him right back to that horrible night in Haven. He'd felt just as powerless as he had when Pyrrha sent him away at Beacon when Weiss had been dying in his arms, all of his progress since the Fall rendered meaningless. She was so small and fragile, and he could lose all of his friends, one by one…
I'm okay, Jaune, Weiss gently reassured him, his friends having picked up on the sudden and intense emotion over the link. You saved me. I'm okay. Maybe someone here can help him?
Taking a deep breath, Jaune brought himself back under control. "Alanna, can your magic help this man?"
"Give me a moment," the elven mage frowned as she assessed the soldier's injuries. A gut wound. Fatal, but slow. Bad way to go. As Jaune and the Wardens looked on, she gathered magical energies from the Fade, and shaped them into a golden light. The soldier's wound knitted itself back together under the soft golden glow.
"Wow," Jaune gasped. "Alanna, that's amazing."
That's how we feel when we see you do what you do, Jaune, Ruby told him. You're pretty amazing too.
Unfortunately, not all of the Wardens shared Jaune's appreciation for the magical arts. "Andraste preserve us!" Ser Jory invoked the name of the prophetess of the Chantry, and made a motion to ward off evil. Behind him, Daveth just rolled his eyes.
"Aw, come off it, Ser Knight. I bet you wouldn't find it so spooky if it was you she was patching up."
The soldier slowly got to his feet, though he winced and held his side. "You'll still need a few days to recover," advised Alanna, "but you should be able to get back to the camp now."
"Right. We were ambushed. Damn Darkspawn just came out of the ground, surrounding us. I need to go report to my commander. Good luck, Grey Wardens."
They waited until the soldier had shuffled off before convening a brief discussion. "Did you hear that?" asked Ser Jory. "An entire company of experienced soldiers, and they were all wiped out!"
"Are you blubbering, again?" Daveth scoffed in apparent disbelief. "Some knight you are."
Ser Jory looked at the rogue as if he'd been slapped. "I… I'm no coward. But this is foolhardy and reckless. We should turn back."
"Would it help if you hid behind the ninety-pound elf girl?" Alanna taunted.
Jaune held his tongue. On the one hand, he had been in a situation not so different to this, where he had gone to Beacon's Initiation sans Aura. In his ignorance, he had fully been prepared to do battle with the Grimm with nothing more than some trash-tier armor and his family's rusty sword.
I retract my earlier statement about my daughter falling for a moron, Mahina dryly remarked.
He decided that he was going to ignore that. The point was, he had Aura and the finest mentor in Remnant to get him started as a Huntsman, so who was he to look down on someone armed with steel and nerve? On the other hand, these people were all here to become Grey Wardens, and take the fight to the monsters that threatened their world. He could see if Daveth the street thief had serious doubts - apparently, he'd been drafted into the Wardens - but weren't knights meant to fight monsters and protect the innocent? Wasn't that in the damn job description?
"Listen, Ser Jory," interjected Alistair. "There are Darkspawn about, but we are in no danger of wandering into the main horde."
"How do you know?"
"Grey Wardens are able to sense when the Darkspawn are near. That's why I'm here."
Daveth shot a sardonic grin at the knight. "You hear that, Ser Knight? We might all die, but we'll have warning of it first."
"We don't have a choice in the matter," Jaune broke in. "We need to move quickly, but carefully. Lead the way, Alistair."
For some reason, the junior Warden pulled a face at that, but quickly stowed it. "Right. First, let's find some Darkspawn."
The party actually made quick work of what Darkspawn they found in the Wilds, usually small groups of no more than five. There had been a bit of friction in the first skirmish as both Jaune and Alanna had attempted to give orders, Jaune due to his years of leading Team JNPR, and Alanna due to her natural domineering personality and keen grasp of tactics. Jaune was happy to defer to her, partially because her position hanging back allowed her to see the greater part of the field of action, and partially since this was, after all, her world, and she would know better how to position her teammates to get the best use of her magic.
Procuring three vials of Darkspawn blood came easily enough, though Jaune and the other recruits still had to overcome their natural revulsion at the bubbling, congealed, corrupted black substance to scoop a vial full. Jaune had also been horrified to learn that certain, extremely powerful Darkspawn, were capable of using magic themselves, and was relieved to see that Alistair's training as a Templar - a knight intended to specifically disrupt and counter spellcasters - worked on them as well.
Alanna carefully positioned each fighter to maximize their effectiveness. Jaune and Alistair provided a solid cover with their broad shields, while Jory moved to flank and cut down foes from the side, and Daveth picked off vulnerable stragglers and any alphas from cover. The mage was actually rather sparing with her magic, only resorting to it to prevent the creatures from making formations or overwhelming Jaune and Alistair, sending them scattering with conjured stone fists, or trapping them in paralyzing glyphs.
Perhaps I should hang back as well, Weiss mused.
This is only working as well as it is because she's got so many buff dudes between her and the bad guys, Ruby disagreed. All of us are far more mobile than these guys.
So what you need to do is surround yourself with big strong men in armor, teased Yang.
With the exception of Jaune, all the big strong men in armor that we know are from Team CRDL, Weiss pointed out with the psychic equivalent of a gag.
Single woman seeks good knight, Nora tested out.
Ren sent a sense of disgruntled irritation over the link, to which Nora teased him.
Jaune shook his head with a smile. He was glad that his friends were able to speak with him, even if they couldn't be with him in person. It made the whole experience much less daunting. He looked up the hill where the latest batch of Darkspawn had attempted to do murder upon them. Alistair had taken a nasty cut to the shield arm, which Alanna tended to while the others took a break to regain their breath.
"That's some shield you've got there, ser," Jory said.
Jaune smiled. One good thing about Ferelden was that Crocea Mors was one of the most advanced weapons around.
Boo! Ruby let her feelings on the state of Thedas's weapons be known.
"Crocea Mors has been in my family for generations," Jaune said truthfully. "It is my dearest possession."
"Oh, no doubt," Jory said. "I've never seen a shield constructed so. Can you explain how it expands and contracts the way it does?"
That's because it's a grower, not a -
Yaaaaaang!
"I'm afraid not," Jaune replied with a shrug, studiously ignoring Yang's antics. "Although, a friend of mine is a great smith, and did some custom work on it."
Jory clapped him on the shoulder. "Well, your friend did fine work. Let us see to our leader then, shall we?"
The two knights wandered over to where Alanna was putting away her herbalism kit. The state of medical science in Ferelden, such as it was, was nothing short of appalling, but Alanna at least knew to heat her needles and soak her bandages in wine. Not great, but good enough for field work.
"Now, what did we learn today?" the elf admonished the Templar, waving a wadded up cloth at him like pointer.
"That I should come to you if I ever need my socks patched?" Alistair asked hopefully.
"Ugh. Just be careful not to reopen that cut. If we get time to rest, I may be able to cast a healing spell on it, but until we're safe, I'll need to conserve mana. And no more reckless stunts." She pulled a face as she realized both what she was saying and the tone in which she said it. "Andraste's flaming tits, I sound just like Wynne," she recoiled in horror.
Jaune gave a quick wave. "Hey, are we ready to go check out that tower?"
"Good enough." The Warden stood up. "Right. This looks like the place."
The party entered the ruins of the tower. The ceiling had collapsed long ago, the door had rotted away, and many of the walls were crumbling. In the center of what had been the tower rested the petrified wooden remnants of a smashed-apart chest.
"That's probably the chest we're looking for, isn't it?" Jaune asked.
"Who goes there?"
Alanna backed away from the chest as her companions all readied their weapons. At the top of one of the crumbling staircases stood a pale woman with black hair. She wore stitched-together black leather leggings, though calling the cloth over her chest a "top" was a little generous. It looked to be held together with string and feathers, and only barely concealed part of her small breasts.
Engaging Anti-Yang Protocol, Jaune thought.
What? The eponymous girl in question asked.
Anti-Yang Protocol. Eyes up, don't let them wander, because being careless could result in pain.
...Huh. You figured that out quick, huh?
Jaune recalled an instance where Pyrrha had asked him to help adjust her breastplate, and how awkward it had been as he had studiously avoided looking while she had kept pushing her breasts up and together to get them to fit, nervously giggling all the while…
Ah hell, she was trying to get my attention, wasn't she? He realized, literally years too late.
Nora's facepalm was palpable. Damn it, Jaune!
"Are you scavengers, I wonder?" the woman at the stairs asked. "Here to pick the bones of a carcass long since dead? Or have you an intruder, come into these Darkspawn-filled in search of easy prey, hmm? Well, which are you," she asked sharply. "Scavenger, or intruder?"
"We are neither," Jaune surprised himself by speaking up first. "We are Grey Wardens, and this tower belongs to us."
"'Tis a tower no longer," the woman argued.
Behind him, Alistair nudged him. "I'd be careful, if I were you. She looks Chasind," he invoked the name of the largest of the barbarian tribes that were native to the Kocari Wilds.
Up on the stairs, the woman laughed sardonically at Alistair. "Oh, you fear barbarians will swoop down upon you?"
"Yes. Swooping is...bad," Alistair answered, summoning the full extent of his intellect.
Alanna just sighed, but before she could speak up, Daveth beat her to the punch. "She's a Witch of the Wilds, she is! She'll throw us into a pot!"
The barbarian woman laughed again. "Witch of the Wilds, he says! Such fantasies you men produce!" A sensual, predatory smile crossed her full lips as she turned her attention back to Jaune. "You there… handsome lad… what do you think?"
Oh, hell no! Nora raged. No spooky itty-bitty titty witch - sorry, Weiss - is gonna prey on our Jaune!
Wait, why did you apologize to me for?!
Never you mind! Jaune, just tell her 'BEGONE, HOOKER!
Before Jaune even had the chance to respond to either of the outrageous conversations going on around him, Alanna stepped in front of him protectively. "Why don't we speak woman-to-woman and let the boys sort themselves out first, hmm?"
"Why? Has he no mind of his own?"
"Nope," Jaune answered with a grin.
The witch canted her head. "Your self awareness does you credit. I like you," she said, her voice breathy.
HOOKER, I SAY!
Nora, please, Ren interjected. I don't think Jaune is going to engage in any ill-advised trysts with random strange, scary women in the woods.
Thanks, Ren, thought Jaune.
Although, had she white hair, then concern might well be justified. The burst of outrage from Weiss was pretty much expected by everyone, and she did not disappoint.
Betrayal hurts, Ren. That's hurtful. With that, Jaune silenced the link.
"I'd… be careful if I were you," Alistair advised. "First it's all 'I like you," he imitated the witch's tone. "But then zap! Frog-time."
In the meantime, Alanna had, through main force of personality, forced the witch to address her directly. "Greetings. My name is Alanna. May we know yours?"
"Ah, now that is a proper, civilized greeting, even out here in the Wilds. Very well. You may call me Morrigan."
"Can you tell us what happened to the documents, Morrigan?" Alanna asked.
"Why, they are here no longer."
Alistair started. "'Here no longer?' Why you… you're just some strange… sneaky… witch-thief!"
Morrigan and Alanna actually shared a look of exasperation. "How very eloquent," the witch snarked dismissively. "Tell me, how does one steal from dead men?"
"Quite easily, it seems," the Warden crossed his arms. "Those documents are Grey Warden property, and I suggest you return them immediately."
"I will not, for 'twas not I who removed them!"
"Well, who removed them, then?" Jaune asked.
"'Twas my mother, as a matter of fact."
Jaune shrugged. "Well, could you take us to her?"
Morrigan giggled, actually giggled. "Oh dear, so soon to have met, and already you seek my mother's blessing? But you do work quickly."
"Ahem!" Alanna had crossed her arms under her bust and fixed the witch with a withering glare. "May we focus on business, please?"
Ooh, are we gonna see girls fight over Jaune? Ruby asked.
Chick fight! Nora cheered.
Magical chick fight! Corrected Yang.
"Oh very well," Morrigan sighed. "Come along then."
[/]
Morrigan's mother, as it turned out, was a powerful spellcaster known as Flemeth, the legendary Witch of the Wilds.
Daveth about pissed himself, while Ser Jory had to keep him from panicking, in a strange reversal of their normal dynamics. Jaune opted to remain silent as Alanna accepted the treaties that they had been sent to retrieve, even thanking the old witch for having preserved them. He had not appreciated the way that both Morrigan and her mother had eyed him like a dog looks at a slice of beef, or how Neptune looked at anything in a skirt.
With Morrigan guiding them through the Wilds, they were able to return to the main camp at Ostagar just as the sun began to set. Before reporting back to Duncan, they made sure to bring a supply of Wilds flowers to the kennel master, the rare plant being important to countering the sickness afflicting the Mabari War Hound. The Mabari was truly massive, and powerfully-built, with heavy muscles under short fur, and mighty jaws. But more than that was the intelligence in the canine's eyes, as he fully understood what Alanna and Jaune did for him, first by calming him down for preliminary treatment and then by providing the herb he needed to make a full recovery. He bravely wagged his stumpy little tail as Alanna rubbed his head.
Good pupper, Ruby sighed happily.
Such a good pupper, agreed Weiss.
Meh. Blake was indifferent.
The recruits returned to the bonfire where Duncan waited for them. "Have you been successful?" the Warden-Commander inquired.
"Not that it was all that easy, but yes," answered Alanna.
Duncan opted to ignore the elf's commentary. "Then we should begin quickly. I've had the Circle of Magi preparing. The ritual will not take long, but you will need some time to recover before the battle."
Jaune sighed. This is gonna suck, isn't it? "So, are you able to tell us about this Joining ritual now?"
"I will not lie. There is danger involved. Some of you may not survive, and those who do are forever changed. Such is the cost of creating a Grey Warden."
"Are you saying this ritual can kill us?" Jory asked, alarmed.
"As could any of the Darkspawn that you faced today," Duncan answered. "You must steel your courage. There is not going back."
[/]
The recruits stood well away from the rest of the camp, in a stone circle that used to be part of a temple or chantry. Ser Jory paced nervously. "I do not like this," he stated.
"Ser Knight, if I have to listen to you piss yourself one more time, I may well stab you myself," Daveth spat, his patience clearly gone.
"This is wrong!" the knight protested. "All this magic, and ritual, and secrecy! Have I not earned my place?! I have a wife and child back in Highever. Had I known -"
Daveth spun sharply to stare down the knight. "Had they told you, would you still have come? Maybe that's why they don't. Look, Grey Wardens do what they must to stop the Blight, right?"
"Including sacrificing us?"
"I'd sacrifice a lot more if it meant stopping the Blight. You saw those things in the Wilds today. Wouldn't you die to protect your pretty wife and little baby from them?"
"I-"
"Maybe you'll die," the archer continued, relentless. "Maybe we'll all die. But if no one stops the Darkspawn, everyone will die for sure."
Jory let out a deep sigh. "I just have never faced an enemy I could not slay with my blade."
Silence reigned as the two let their debate lie. There was nothing they could do at that time anyway. Jaune caught sight of Alanna, who offered him a brave little smile, holding her wrist to keep her hands from shaking. He nodded to her, and then Duncan strode towards them, with Alistair, carrying a large silver chalice, in tow.
In peace, vigilance, Mahina whispered.
"This is the Joining," Duncan intoned. "In order to become a Grey Warden, you will need to drink of Darkspawn blood, and master their Taint. This is the source of our power, and of our victory."
Ser Jory, who had been looking pale to begin with, blanched even further. "We're going to drink the blood of those…. those things?"
"As our forebears did before us," the Warden-Commander answered with serene calm. "And as we have done before you."
Alistair spoke up. "Those who survive will gain immunity to the Taint, and the ability to sense the presence of the Darkspawn."
"Other abilities will be revealed in time," Duncan continued.
"Those who survive?" Alanna asked.
Duncan closed his eyes, no doubt remembering those lost. "I will not lie. We Grey Wardens pay a steep price to become what we are. Such is what it takes to hold the Darkspawn at bay."
In war, victory.
"There are only a few words that we speak before the Joining," Duncan continued. "But they have been spoken from the first. Alistair, if you would?"
The young Warden bowed his head. "Join us, brothers and sisters. Join us in the shadows, where we stand, vigilant. Join us as we uphold the duty that cannot be forsworn. And should you perish, know that your sacrifice will not have been in vain. And know that one day, we… shall Join you."
With that, Duncan took the chalice from Alistair. "Daveth, step forward." The archer did so. "You are called upon to submit yourself to the Taint," the Warden-Commander intoned as he handed the chalice over. After a moment to steel his courage, Daveth drank from the chalice. "From this moment on, you are a Grey Warden." Duncan retrieved the chalice as the archer began to choke and gasp, wrenching screams between desperate breaths, his eyes rolling back in his head. "I am sorry," the Warden-Commander apologized as the brave Daveth perished before their eyes.
The other recruits stared in shock and horror.
In death, sacrifice.
"Ser Jory -"
"No!" The knight began backing away from Duncan, his hand wandering perilously close to his sword hilt. "You ask too much! There is no honor in this!"
Duncan handed the chalice to Alistair, and slowly pulled a long dagger from his belt. "There is no turning back," he warned, his voice still eerily calm.
"No!" Ser Jory drew his sword and attempted to lash out at the Warden-Commander. With almost contemptuous ease, Duncan backstepped the clumsy greatsword swing and darted in, brutally stabbing the knight in the armpit. Jory let out a wet rasp as his lung collapsed. In seconds, he fell, drowning in his own blood.
With such serenity as one would never guess that he had just stabbed a recruit to death, Duncan cleaned and sheathed his dagger, then retrieved the chalice from Alistair. "Jaune. You are called upon to submit yourself to the Taint."
Jaune swallowed and stepped forward. The chalice was filled with blood streaked with the congealed black corruption of the Darkspawn. With his Aura, he had a better than even shot of beating Duncan in a straight fight… but he wasn't here to survive. He was here for Pyrrha. Jaune figured it unlikely that the goddess Mahina would have sent him here to die at the first mission, but by her own admission, she was neither omniscient nor omnipotent.
But it was for Pyrrha. And if laying down his life was the only way to return her to hers…
Before he knew it, he had pressed the chalice to his lips and drank deeply.
"From this moment on, you are a Grey Warden."
He screamed.
He burned.
He fell into darkness, and in that darkness, he viewed a great and horrifying dragon. It's once-brilliant scales were dulled and flaking away, revealing the rotted flesh and yellowed bones beneath. Jagged teeth erupted from lipless, rotted jaws, and tattered wings spread in the darkness.
This, then was the Archdemon.
Ruin.
Corruption.
Doom to all the world.
Jaune fell into darkness once more.
Fear not, my brave Jaune, he heard, distantly. I am with you
[/]
Author's Note: That's the first chapter of the first world, then. Hope you enjoy it. This isn't quite a reaction-fic in the sense of, say, animegamer89's "Into the Arc-hive," but it does have reaction elements from the characters that aren't participating at the moment. I hope that you enjoy this style. Unsure if this chapter is too long, too short, or more or less good.
Ah, Dragon Age: Origins, one of my favorite games. I played it again not too long ago, and was a little embarrassed when I met Alistair again. He's like that one crush you had as a teenager, and then you find old video of him when you're an adult and you're just like "whhhhhhyyyy? What did I see in him?" And Cailan was even dumber. But damn, they were pretty.
I am being informed that I have a fetish for tall blonde men in armor. I admit to nothing.
Alanna represents the Player Character for DA:O. In this story, when Jaune goes somewhere, he adds himself to the story, instead of replacing the normal characters. So when he goes to "Mass Effect" or "The Lord of the Rings," it isn't "What if Jaune were Commander Shepard," or "What if Jaune were Aragorn," but "what if Jaune were along for the ride alongside Commander Shepard or Aragorn?"
A couple of commenters on the intro chapter suggested some franchises/universes to add. So, I'm still mulling over what to do, but one thing I'll point out from the get-go is that me omitting a universe isn't me crapping on it. Sometimes, the structure just won't work with the story. An example of that is the new, mature "God of War." Excellent story, but the intimate nature of it doesn't really mesh well with "and here's Jaune too." Another reason a franchise might be omitted is if I'm just not familiar with it. I'm sure Attack on Titan is awesome, but I haven't got around to watching it yet, so I can't really speak intelligently on the matter.
DC might be funny, if only to see how Jaune deals with S-tier superheroes like Superman. Of course, and this goes for Netflix!Witcher as well, I would have to literally, physically restrain myself from hardcore thirsting after Henry Cavill. Yep. Just describing this physical god, with his broad, hairy chest, strong, heavy arms, cleft chin, abs you could grind meat off of…
See what I mean? Makes it hard to focus. Maybe I'll make a one-off scene with Jaune trying to deal with all the girls drooling over him and trying to shut off the psychic link.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, and that you'll stick around for the next. Thank you for reading!
-Mahina