Chapter 9: Rhatigan

Things were going quite well, at least that is how it seemed to Carver.

They were pushing the dwarves deeper and deeper down their holes. Their attack seemed to have caught the Carta completely off guard. With luck they could find the boss behind this, end him, and stop these attacks once and for all.

Maybe then the drumming in head would stop.

Carver rubbed the bridge of his nose, it had been easy to ignore at first, but the deeper they went, the louder it was becoming.

The first time he had heard it was when they had seen that tower on the surface, or rather the top of the tower was on the surface, he could tell by the walls around the mouth of the cavern that its base was in the deep roads. There was something…off about its summit though.

Carver shivered, looking up at that tower, his magical senses had been going wild. He could feel the streams of magic flowing around the top, he…he thought that they were wards, Nigel, the warden who had trained him in the Templar disciplines, had shown him several at the warden base in Ansburg. These…these felt like defensive wards, likely designed to hold something in, but…what exactly?

Carver did not think he was going to like the answer.

He found his eyes wandering over his companions; they had seemed to be weathering this attack quite well. Lin remained in the back as always where her bow could do the most good. Fenris stood with her, keeping her safe from any who tried to attack her.

That was usually Carver's job, but he did not mind surrendering to the elf this time, and besides, Lin seemed to like the attention.

Arika chatted amiably with Merrill. The two women both came from clan based cultures. They surprisingly had much in common.

Carver still wasn't sure that he liked his old crush talking with his lover, but what could he do?

Varric seemed a bit more distracted than usual, that encounter with his tainted friend had rattled him a bit. The young warden understood how that was, it…it was never easy doing what must be done when a person got tainted. One of his first kills as a warden had been a young boy, his…his family had gotten tainted, and had all turned into ghouls.

The wardens had killed them all. Enraged the boy attacked him; he had not understood that they were not his family anymore.

Carver had ended up having to defend himself; he ended up having to kill the boy.

He had not liked that, but he had had no choice.

He tried to push the boy's, Rory had been his name, face out of his mind. It had been bad business; he still endeavored to do better, to make sure that no one died like that again.

He had vowed to do better.

His eyes fell on his brother; Rett seemed to be handling this well, considering what they had heard about Father and what they had found among the Carta's notes. They described wards that had been reinforced by Father's blood, wards that the Carta wanted destroyed.

The young warden still did not want to believe it.

Their father had been no blood mage.

Isabela stuck close to Garrett, to be perfectly honest Carver had not been sure what to make of his brother's relationship with the pirate. The Isabela he remembered did not seem like the type to tie herself down to a single man. However, the more Carver watched them; he could see the connection there. Isabela stayed at his side, even during battle, her eyes fell on him as soon as the fighting had stopped. She also sought him out at the start of every engagement, making sure that she would be there to keep him safe.

He knew what that was like, he tried not to do it himself, but…during combat, his eyes always seemed to search for Arika, to make sure she was all right.

He needed to make sure she was okay, even if he knew that she could take care of herself.

Arika would not admit it, but he suspected that she was enjoying this hunt. The reaver delighted in combat, drew strength from it. It frightened him a bit sometimes, but he tried his best to understand her. She would always be reaver, just as they would both always be Grey Wardens. He recognized that, and accepted that that was not all she was. He had seen the warm hearted maiden that existed beneath her ferocity. It was she that came out when they kissed or lay together. It was simply two sides of the same coin, and to be honest he would not have it any other way.

It pleased him that she could defend herself that the two of them could fight back to back without fear and there was yet another advantage to her savagery he thought with a smirk.

Arika was as fierce in bed as she was on the battlefield. Their lovemaking was an incredible experience. He would not trade that for all of the brandy in Antiva.

The group made its way to yet another small room. The dwarves that had been here had fled deeper into their base, but had left a chest behind. Once Varric had checked it for traps, he picked the lock and opened it. Most of the letters contained within were useless, but one caught his eye.

Someone had told the Carta that he had been staying at the keep in Ansburg the week they were attacked. They even had been given floor plans for the keep, with instructions on how to reach his room.

Carver's eyes narrowed dangerously.

How had the Carta gotten this information? Most everyone that lived or worked at the keep was either wardens or their families.

He could not imagine any of them turning traitor, never the less that is what seemed to have happened.

As Varric had said so many times since this little adventure had begun, none of this made any sense.

Even if they had managed to capture him, his blood would have done them no good. The taint within it would have made him useless to any ritual they might want to perform.

Maybe he should just go out and tell them that his blood had gone bad.

He doubted that that would work, but still he could dream couldn't he?

Not that it mattered; Carver had no intention of letting these bastard dwarves get away with attacking his family. If they did nothing, the next time they tried, Mother might get hurt in the crossfire, or the dwarves might try to kidnap her, or do something worse.

He would not allow that.

So they would push on deeper into the Carta base.

Varric seemed to think that the boss for this scum would likely be located on the lower levels.

The young warden found himself hoping that the dwarf was right.

He wanted answers.

IOI

Like most of the other dwarves in this base, Rhatigan was tainted. When Hawke and his companions came upon the Carta boss he had been preparing his bronto to leave into the deep roads.

Hawke would not let that happen.

Rhatigan turned, he sneered at the forces arrayed against him.

"What do we have here," the carta boss smirked, "It looks like you brought the whole family here, good. This news will please Corypheus."

Garrett Hawke was no longer in the mood to talk to these fanatics. He had had enough.

"What is this about," he demanded, "Why have you attacked my family?"

"What Corypheus wants, Corypheus gets," the dwarf shrugged, "He needs your blood, and it is the Carta's job to deliver it to him. Now that we have the orb, and you're here…well…we might as well get started."

Rhatigan slapped the Bronto on the rump; the creature rose up and charged.

Hawke and company barely had enough time to get out of its way.

From the walkways above, dozens of Carta snipers popped up, they fired arrows at Hawke and the others.

Garrett put up shields to protect his friends.

Rhatigan flung himself at the apostate, his battle ax flashing in the dim light.

Varric and Lin did what they could to deal with the archers. Fenris did his best to protect them. Carver, Arika, and Merrill did their best to contain the carta boss's bronto. The creature continued to charge like it was maddened.

Isabela ran to Garrett's side. She tried to maneuver around behind him, but the dwarf was too cunning to be caught up like that.

"You cannot save him whore," Rhatigan spat at her, "His blood will flow, Corypheus will rise, and the Carta will be rewarded for their loyalty and…"

Isabela ducked his ax; she somersaulted behind the dwarf, driving backstabber deep into Rhatigan's lower back.

The dwarf's eyes widened, he sank to his knees, trying to keep up the fight.

The pirate queen stood over him glaring with hatred.

"You bastards just won't learn will you?" she hissed.

Rhatigan tried to reply, but Isabela had no interest in hearing what he had to say.

She slit the bastard's throat.

The loss of their leader sent the remaining dwarves retreating deeper down an old mine shaft. Hawke was prepared to follow after them, but first he needed to aid the others.

The bronto was badly wounded, between the archers and Merrill the creature was on its last legs.

Hawke reached out, sending a blast of fire at the creature. It roared in fury, but given its injuries it could not find the strength to charge again.

So…the creature fell.

It died, burning and moaning pathetically.

Garrett was exhausted; it had been a long time since he had pushed himself against anyone, much less the Carta. He drew a flask of lyrium from his belt pouch, downing it with a single gulp.

They had fought through yet another carta ambush. Two or three survivors had retreated deeper. They cried out that Corypheus would protect them.

Garrett did not intend to give him that chance.

He was about to pursue the dwarves, when he felt a strange tingling on the back of his neck. He turned to Rhatigan's body, there was…there was something glowing in the dwarf's shoulder bag.

Garrett walked up to him, the glow intensified the closer he got, he felt the magic coming off of whatever it was, it felt…familiar.

He reached inside pulling out a small glowing orb. It responded to his touch, his mana tingled as it touched his skin.

The orb's magic pulsed.

Garrett Hawke gasped.

Isabela tried to reach him but Merrill grabbed her shoulder, this was magic, and magic could not be interrupted safely.

"What is this?" Garrett cried out, "I…I feel it…it inside me!"

As quick as it had begun, the magic ceased.

Hawke slumped slightly, the orb was gone, but in its place…

His eyes widened.

It was a mage's staff, beautiful in a dark sinister kind of way, the glowing crystal at its top pulsed with a familiar magic.

Garrett knew it well; he remembered it like a smell or taste from childhood.

This staff…it…it felt like his father.

"This will lead us to Corypheus," he said flatly.

Isabela approached him carefully, concern shining in her golden brown eyes.

"Are you all right Hawke?" she asked.

"Yes…um…I…I am fine," Garrett responded, "We need to go after them," he said referring to the carta members that had retreated, "We cannot let them reach this Corypheus."

IOI

The tunnels changed the deeper they went, the floor turned to cobble stone, the walls more intricately carved.

Hawke spotted the carta survivors; they bolted as soon as Hawke came into view.

He fired a bolt from his new staff but missed, cursing he went charging after them.

"Brother," Carver called out, "Brother wait! Stop!"

He heeded those words too late. He passed through a strange shimmering field. He tried to turn back, but found that he couldn't. He raised his staff trying a mana cleansing spell but it did not work.

The wards held.

He looked up at the entrance he had just passed through, the wards built into the stone were unfamiliar to him, but it did not take a mage to know their purpose.

Garrett Hawke was trapped.