Sorry for the wait (if there even were people who were waiting...)
Bit more lengthy than most of the chapters (which is good I guess ;P)
Hope it's a good read! Oh, and btw the end of the chapter might not make sense so I'll put a bit of an explanation at the bottom.
James absently rubbed his eyes, trying to clear away the fogginess. He struggled to remember recent events, but everything seemed all a blur. He could recall the previous day; him going to work, drawing all those random characters as well as the man with the glowing eyes and then him going home and falling asleep
"Hey Jamie! You having fun?" A female voice suddenly said beside him.
He turned to see Jenny sitting next to him in what seemed to be a plush cubicle. He glanced at his surroundings briefly before realising that they were in a club of some kind. Behind him lights were flashing and loud thumping music suddenly bombarded his eardrums.
James looked back at Jenny who was gazing at him eagerly. "Um, yeah I suppose so... Have I been drinking?" he asked as he became aware of the dryness in his mouth.
Jenny giggled. "See for yourself." She said and motioned towards the table in front of them. Empty bottles, cans, glasses and mugs were strewn across its surface. James raised his eyebrows in shock.
Those empty bottles weren't there a moment ago...
He glanced from the table back at Jenny, just in time to see a faint purple glint in her eye. She smiled widely as if nothing was wrong and stood.
"Dance with me?" she asked, striking a pose meant to win him over. It was hot, James had to admit, but he couldn't help but feel that something was off. The more he tried to think about it, the more his mind fogged over. Jenny, obviously growing impatient, reached out and grabbed his arm. "Come on!" she said loudly over the music and pulled him forward towards the dance floor.
As they moved they passed a large mirror on one of the walls. James looked briefly over at his reflection. He pulled his fingers through his hair, which were longer than he remembered, before continuing. He turned away just in time to miss what seemed to be a frantic person pounding on the mirror, from the other side.
Garrett screamed and called out to James but his efforts were useless. Garrett had discovered that a partition existed here in the Fade that kept his consciousness separate from James, which in effect prevented him from helping James at all. He had stood there helplessly as 'Jenny' knocked James unconscious and dragged him away. 'She' had flashed Garrett a wicked grin just before they disappeared. It took him ages to find the demon again, seeing as he could only use mirror like surfaces to look into James' view of the Fade.
He cursed and slammed his fist against the cool surface of the floating window in front of him. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a solution but nothing he tried seemed to work. He was still just a mere mage, not some powerful Fade spirit.
He slowly sank to his knees as he watched James dancing with demons. He sat there for what seemed to be hours but were in fact just a few minutes, when he suddenly felt a powerful flux of magical energy somewhere close by.
Anders winced as his vision returned. He gasped as pain shot through his body, making him double over. Ever since Justice had become part of him, the latter always took over whenever Anders entered the Fade. Usually Anders would just let go and allow the possession but this time he resisted. Justice didn't like this however, which was why Anders was in such pain.
Softly, in between grunts and gasps, he begged the spirit to let him go, to let him find James. The spirit didn't relent, only pushed harder. Anders cried out as another wave of pain swept over him.
'Justice, please...?' he moaned, 'I need to do this I-' he stopped to catch his breath. 'I need... him... back...' he whispered, a tear rolling down his cheek.
Suddenly the pain stopped. Anders drew in a deep breath, almost like he had been suffocating and then gave a sigh of relief and rolled over onto his back. He lay there breathing deeply for a few moments when everything suddenly went black.
Anders didn't react at first, too stunned to process the situation but then he cursed and struggled and screamed when he realized what had happened. He had let his guard down just for a moment and Justice had taken that moment to grab hold and push Anders into that dark place where he always went whenever the spirit took over.
"Justice! JUSTICE!" he screamed, fighting with renewed vigour, now just from the opposite side of the battlefield seeing as HE was fighting to take possession of their body now. He felt his magic flare and for a moment he was back in control but Justice quickly pushed him out again.
"No!" Anders yelled and flared his magic again, but nothing happened. He tried again, stronger this time yet still no results. He cried out and sent every last bit of power out in hopes of gaining some foothold.
Warmth suddenly bloomed in his side, followed by a sharp pain. He gasped, shutting his eyes to the sudden sting. When he opened them again he was back in control. He blinked rapidly in the light and faintly saw the outline of a person standing in front of him. As his vision adjusted he realized that it was Garrett.
The mage smiled slyly at him before pulling something out of Anders' side. Pain flared once more making Anders wince and groan. He glanced down to see blood seeping through his clothes. Garrett chuckled, making Anders look at him again.
"Sorry about that." he said, motioning towards the wound. "Couldn't have old stick-in-the-mud running the show now could we?"
"You stabbed me to get rid of Justice?" Anders asked dumbstruck. "How the hell did you know that would work?"
"Well, honestly, I didn't know what to do... It seemed fun though, so I just kinda did it,"
Anders gaped at the man before him, but winced as the wound reminded him of its presence.
"'Oh, I should probably fix that right?" Garrett asked.
"You think?" Anders said sarcastically, wincing again.
Garrett grinned before quickly tending to Anders. When he finished he stood back.
"So I take you're here to help James, right?"
Anders nodded.
"Good, because I need some help."
As they walked briskly towards the window, Garrett explained the situation to Anders.
"He doesn't remember us?" Anders asked, his stomach clenching.
"No, but I don't think it's permanent. The demons are meddling with his mind and I fear that the longer they do the more permanent it will become."
Anders felt some relief at this, but they weren't out of the woods yet.
"Ah, here we are." Garrett said then before stopping in front of a square shaped floating mirror. As Anders approached images began to form within the floating window. He saw flashing lights, moving figures and felt the steady thumping of music. The scene reminded him of that night in the Hanged Man when James had used that strange musical orb of his to create what he called a 'Night Club'. He smiled when he remembered the awkward shuffling of everyone in the pub at first before the drinks started flowing and everyone just let go and moved naturally to the strange yet hypnotic beat. He suddenly ached for James again.
"Where is he?" Anders asked, scanning the people in the crowd. Garrett stared at the dancers for a moment before pointing. "There, with the demon."
Anders looked to where Garrett pointed and caught sight of James. He was dancing closely with a young woman, or at least she appeared to be a young woman but Anders could see through her guise.
"What do we do?" Anders asked, turning to Garrett.
"I... don't know..." Garrett said looking away. "The partition keeps me from helping him." Anders turned away to look back at James. He raised his hand and placed it on the mirror. He expected it to feel cold but instead he felt as if he had just placed his hand in a pool of water. He looked up to find that his hand had actually passed through the surface.
"Garrett! Look!" he exclaimed. Garrett's eyes grew large.
"Of course... The partition keeps ME out, only me. You have to go in there and get him to safety. But remember, you can't bring him back here, the partition won't allow it."
Anders nodded, but hesitated in moving. "And then what? If I take him back like this he will be Tranquil."
"Shit, forgot about that..." Garrett turned and kicked a stone out of the way. He walked on in frustration before finally turning back to Anders.
"What was your plan? What did you plan to do once you got here?'" he asked the blond.
Anders almost fell over. "How could I forget?" he said loudly.
"Forget what?"
"Remember that night when we first met? You came with me to free a fellow mage. We found him in the Chantry, but we were too late."
"Ah yes, Karl, right?"
Anders nodded. "Do you recall his reaction to Justice?"
Garrett thought for a moment. "He became aware again, almost as if the Rite never happened."
Anders nodded eagerly, waiting for Garrett to put all the pieces together.
"A Fade spirit... That's what we need." Garrett said softly. "But where do we find one? They aren't as common as demons you know..."
"I know." Anders agreed, "But it's the only plan we have."
Garrett sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You go in there and help James.'"He said after a while, "I'll stay here and try to find who we're looking for."
Anders nodded once and turned to move through the mirror, but he stopped and looked over at Garrett. "Thank you."
Garrett smirked. "Get going." He said simply and turned away.
Anders shook his head, smiling slightly before plunging through the cold silvery surface.
The music was starting to get to him. Usually he loved the deep bass droning in the background but now it was just giving him a headache. Jenny pranced all around him, giggling and singing along to certain songs.
After a while she noticed his change in mood and pulled him away from the crowd.
"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked looking concerned.
"I don't know, I jus-" he started to say, but he was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. The touch felt strange, yet familiar. He turned to see who it was, but Jenny pulled him forward. She looked different.
"Jen-"
"Silence, mortal!" she said in a loud voice, drowning out the music.
James was taken aback by her sudden change. He craned his neck to see who had pissed her off like this and when his gaze fell on the man standing just a few feet away, his jaw dropped. It was the one with the glowing eyes.
Well, they aren't glowing right now, but...
"Get away from her James." The man said in a calm voice and held out his hand. "We have to leave here, now."
"How dare you come here mage and try to take him away? He is mine!" Jenny shrieked, leaving the club in a chilling silence. James glanced around and saw that the place was empty and the music was dead.
The blond man took a step towards him, which made Jenny hiss and dig her nails into his arm.
"Get off me!" James said loudly and pulled himself free of her grasp. "What's going on here?" he demanded.
"This isn't real James. I know you can feel it."
James frowned in confusion, yet a part of him knew that this man was right. All night he had had a strange feeling about this place, about Jenny. He turned to ask her something but stopped when he saw her. Gone was Jenny and in her place stood a strange creature with twisted horns and flaming purple hair. Its eyes were pitch black.
James gasped and took a few steps away from it. The stranger moved forwards to stand in between them almost as if he wanted to shield James from whatever it was that was standing there.
James stared at the figure in front of him, noticing for the first time the strange clothes the man wore. The feathery fluffiness on his shoulders were what drew his attention first but it soon shifted to the staff-like thing he held in his hand. It seemed to be glowing.
"James, get back." He said in that same calm voice.
How can he stay so relaxed? That thing is freaking me out!
"Leave demon! You have no claim on this man!" The stranger said loudly.
The 'demon' only laughed at this. "Silly child." It said, scolding him like a teacher would. "You do not have the strength to face US!"
Three more of those purple haired females emerged from the shadows.
"This mortal drips with desire in a way that we have not seen in ages. The feast he provides is delicious and we would not see our delight come to an end." The four of them said in unison
"Lay down your arms and we will let you leave this place alive." One of them said in a sweet voice, but one of the others pushed past her. "Wait... Do you feel that?" she asked her 'sisters'.
"His desire for this mortal increases by the second. Desire to save him, to protect and care for him." They all gave a moan of seeming pleasure, the ones eyes rolling back, another licking her lips.
"You could rather stay here with us, with him and be happy together... Forever." The leader said wickedly. The blond stranger didn't reply.
"We know what awaits him if he should return. We can feel his ties with the Fade weakening, but if you stay here we can fix him, keep him safe."
The blond tried to speak, but he caught himself.
"It is what you want, isn't it?"
The blond lowered his staff and looked and the floor and whispered ever so softly that James barely heard him. "With all my heart..."
The cluster of demons each broke out in large toothy grins. James looked from them to the man. The anguish he saw in the man's eyes caused a knot to form in his stomach.
"Wait." He said softly and walked closer. The demons shifted their eyes between the two men, but they said nothing.
James reached forward and touched the blondes shoulder. "Who are you?'"he asked, turning the man to face him. "And why do I feel as if I know you?"
The man smiled slightly and reached out to stroke James's cheek. He then whispered something in an unfamiliar language and then there was a flash of bright light. The demons shrieked and hissed but James could not see them for the light had blinded him.
A firm hand suddenly grasped his and he felt himself being pulled along at a brisk pace. Slowly his vision returned. It was the man who was pulling him. They were outside now in an abandoned street that seemed to flicker and waver like a mirage.
"So this is what your world looks like?" the man asked as they ran. James thought the question was a bit odd. "Of course, how else would it look?"
The man smiled then, but James saw that the smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Where are we going?" James asked.
"Firstly, we need to get away from those Desire Demons. After that... I'm not sure."
James glanced back over his shoulder to see two of the demons following them.
Where are the others?
His question was answered soon after when the missing demons rounded a corner in front of them.
They skidded to a halt and took off across the street, demons fast on their heels.
Garrett had just about given up. He tried everything, he even shot up a short prayer but no one came to his aid. He had watched through the mirror as Anders confronted the demons and now watched the chase through shop windows and those tiny mirrors on the large metal chariots that dotted the side of the road.
A feeling of helplessness came over him, a feeling that he hadn't felt since he was a child. In a fit of frustration he ran at the mirror, pounding against it, trying anything just to get through and help.
He would never say it out loud but he had come to care for the man who shared his body. He had watched with a bit of pride as James developed into a powerful, if a bit naive, mage. Now some kind of primal instinct to protect him had kicked in and he didn't know how.
He slammed against the mirror a few more times before giving up and falling to the ground. He sat there in miserable abandon until he heard James cry out in pain.
Red fire ignited in his eyes as he stood and faced the mirror. With a flick of his wrist the entire thing went up in flames. Garrett tilted his head slightly to the side as its surface started to ripple. Slowly it parted in the middle and then like a curtain on a stage it parted, revealing James and Anders trapped in a dead end, the demons surrounding them. One of them was trying to pull James away, her claws dug into his flesh.
Garrett stepped through the opening and emerged on the other side. In a flash his was right behind the demon closest to him. A wet crunch sounded as he plunged his fist through her back, shattering her spine. She gave a brief shrill cry before collapsing.
The remaining three turned to him in shock, before shrieking at the loss of their sister. Two of them sped towards him, claws raised high. Garrett made quick work of them.
He then turned his attention to the last demon, the one who had been pretending to be Jenny. He stopped however as he saw what she was doing. Anders lay on the floor, his eyes closed and blood dripping from his mouth and nose. James was suspended in the air, the demon holding him up by his neck. He was choking.
"One more step and he dies. And don't even try to cast something at Me." the demon said menacingly, "My reflexes are faster than yours."
Garrett paused and then lowered his hands. The fire in his eyes slowly went out.
"Good boy." The demon said with a smile. "Now take the blonde one and leave." She commanded.
Garrett looked from her, to Anders and then to James. "I can't do that."
"If you want your friend to live-"
"He's not my friend." Garrett interrupted. "He is me..."
"What?" the demon asked, confusion dancing across her face.
"We are one and the same being, just different aspects. His wants are my wants, his needs my needs." Garrett paused. "His desires, my desires." He finished.
The demon smiled at this. "Oh, I see what you're getting at. Do you propose an exchange?"
Garrett hesitated but then he heard James gasp. "I do." He said quickly. "Me for him. Oh and the blonde goes free too."
Right at that moment Anders sat up. "Garrett, wait..." he began, but stopped, being too weak to talk.
"Hush handsome and let the grown-ups talk." Garrett said with a grin. "It's for the best." He added softly.
The demon stared at Garrett for a moment. "I can taste your desires." She said licking her lips and moaning softly. "And on the plus side I can get a little revenge for my sisters if I take you."
Garrett nodded. "Whatever you want, just let them go."
She grinned. "Very well." She said and let go of James. He fell to the floor gasping and coughing. Anders crawled over to him and slowly the two of them stood. "Leave! NOW!" the demon ordered and as she said it the entire cityscape around them seemed to dim before disappearing all together and being replaced by the default backdrop of the Fade.
James jerked up straight all of a sudden, a light flashing behind his eyes. He screamed then so loudly that it hurt Garrett's ears. When he stopped he glanced around frantically but soon stopped as he took in his surroundings. He looked at Anders and then at Garrett, double taking when he saw the latter.
"Garrett? What's going on? Where are the Templars? How-" he stopped suddenly then as all his memories came together, the situation finally making sense.
"Garrett!' he called, 'Don't do this! We can take her, together!"
Garrett smiled. "Glad to have you back."
"Come on! Let's get out of here! Destroy her!"
"James... You're still Tranquil out there. If you leave you'll become a vegetable." Garrett said sadly. "That is why I have to do this."
"But-"
"Shhhhh, it'll be ok. You'll see." Garrett said with a wink and walked over to the demon. "Anders, take care of him, ok?"
The blonde nodded weakly.
Garrett smiled then, a truly brilliant smile and moved forward to embrace the waiting demon. James could swear he saw a tear run down the mage's face as he folded his arms around her.
Then everything went white.
James faintly heard the demon scream as if in pain but it sounded very far off. He was aware of Anders by his side but other than that his senses didn't register anything at all.
Then a voice spoke to him and he recognised it to be Garrett.
"Live long and live free, my friend." He said and James felt warmth spread through his body.
"Don't get too lonely without me now." He said in a playful manner.
"Garrett-" James began but the voice interrupted him. "I'm fine, don't worry about me. You have a lot a trouble that lies ahead and it would be best for you to focus on that. I'm sorry that I won't be there to help you but I must go."
"Garrett," James started softly, "what about my situation?"
Even though James couldn't see Garrett he knew the man was smiling. "Your Tranquillity has been reversed so go on and be with those you love. Be sure to enjoy that mage of yours you lucky devil."
"Garrett, I-"
"You talk too much, you know?" Garrett said with a chuckle. "Goodbye, my brother."
"Garrett wait!" James called. "Garrett! Garrett!" he called out to the fading light but no reply came.
Anders awoke to the sound of frantic babbling and fussing. He lifted his head slowly, still a bit weak.
"Anders? Are you ok? What happened? Where's James?"
"I don't know he-" he began but was interrupted by a string of gasps coming from all around him.
He turned to see James slowly open his eyes. He shot up from the chair he had been sitting in and moved forward quickly, stopping right in front of the bed. "James? Are you there? Please tell me it's you." Anders begged softly as he grasped James' hand.
There was a moment of silence.
"Your hands are cold." James whispered.
Anders raised his head, tears springing from his eyes. The entire room erupted with joyful exclamations and cheering.
James smiled slightly and raised his head towards Anders. He then pressed a soft kiss on the blonde's lips. "Thank you."
So James is finally back (yay! :D) and the romance with Anders has now officially taken root, so future chapters might get a bit... -wicked grin-
Anyway, I said I would explain. Basically they needed a Fade spirit to counter the Rite (like what happened with Karl and Justice) but Garrett couldn't find one. In a last attempt to save James and Anders, Garrett decides to sacrifice himself to buy them more time (he kinda blows himself and the demon up). This act of self-sacrifice changes him into one of the benevolent spirits of the Fade, a spirit of Humility. (wow... sounds so corny now...)
I'm sure you can put the rest together on your own ;P. Not really the ending I envisioned for Garrett but so be it. (maybe we'll see him again someday)
Hmmm, stay tuned for more!
Review please!