Soldier's Peak was cold. It was on top of a mountain, so it was cold all the time. The Drydens were still living there, having fixed the place up nicely. It was almost livable. Levi greeted Lance with a big hug, something that made him quite uncomfortable.
Mikhail Dryden beamed with pride when Lance told him of Starfang's quality as a sword. The smith was glad to be of service, and insisted that it was the very least that could be done for the Warden that had brought his family some measure of peace.
Lance asked Levi if Avernus had been in his tower all this time.
"Aye, he has," said Levi. "I tell the children to keep clear of the tower. As far as I know he's still there."
"Thanks," said Lance, rubbing his throat in irritation. Velanna sighed behind him.
He looked back at her, gave a slight shrug. She nodded and turned to tell Cauthrien that he would be some time.
They might as well get something to eat. Cauthrien was a little hesitant to do so.
"Are you sure you don't need me – us?" she asked. Her eyes were wide, fearful. Lance wondered what she saw in him. He was only a man. The man that had killed her lord. But just a man.
He didn't reply to her, only went ahead to Avernus' tower. The old mage had spent most of two hundred years experimenting on fellow Wardens. Lance thought it was despicable, but when Avernus had challenged him on what he would do to end the Blight, Lance had relented a bit. Now Lance knew what he would do, and he didn't like it.
So he had let Avernus live, under the condition that he seek out methods to help the Wardens – humanely. The mage hadn't liked that, but could only accept his fate, knowing that death was just what he deserved. Two hundred years the man had been cheating death.
Now it was time to collect.
"Ah, Warden," said Avernus, not turning from the large, dusty tome he was writing in. "Or should I say Warden Commander? I sensed your arrival."
Lance grunted in response, striding across his torture chamber with determined ease. He was soon standing behind the man, arms crossed. Avernus put a period on whatever sentence he was scrawling, and turned to regard the Warden.
"Well," he said, looking him up and down. "Well… I suppose the days have been long for you, yes? Yes, they have…"
He was a blood mage, and had… modified his Taint. Whatever he could sense in the Warden Commander, Lance didn't like it.
"Got a new Keep," said Lance. "Amaranthine."
"I know. I couldn't miss such a collection of Wardens in one place. Especially not with such… Characters."
Lance nodded. "Welcome to join us."
"No, thank you. I think I would just stick out, as it were."
Lance nodded again, looking around the dust-choked room. Avernus sat in a chair nearby, unable to stand for very long. The years were catching up to him, it seemed. He did look old, and shriveled. Not to be insulting. It was just very obvious that he was not immortal.
"You came for something," said Avernus. "Perhaps to see my work come to fruition?"
Lance shrugged, leaned on the rotten banister. He didn't really know what to say. He didn't even know if Avernus could help him, but he just needed to try.
"I'm afraid we will both go disappointed," said Avernus. "I came close, several times, but without subjects, without a clear idea… no, it wasn't meant to be."
"Sorry," Lance said. He wasn't, really. Avernus laughed, weak and pitiful.
"Oh, I have had some successes. But perhaps I just sought too high. Perhaps there was no way to get the results I desired."
Lance couldn't help but relate to the man. Sometimes, you just hoped for too much. And before you could realize that you had to settle for what you had, it was gone.
"Hoped to get some help," said Lance. "Personal matter."
He reached into his pocket, fished out Morrigan's Ring. He held it in his hand, reached out to hand to Avernus, but found himself hesitant to part with it. He reminded himself that it was only for a few seconds, just to see if Avernus could do anything with it.
"Oh?" Avernus asked, accepting the ring. He had to tug out from between Lance's fingers. "An enchanted ring? I see… What is her name?"
Lance wrinkled his brow, a little bit taken aback by Avernus' perceptiveness. But he was an ally, a comrade. Perhaps a brother, so Lance let his guard down, just this once.
"Morrigan," Lance answered. Avernus nodded.
"The dark-haired pretty one, right? Yes, I could taste the attraction, even then. Even now."
Lance shifted uncomfortably. He didn't want Avernus "tasting" anything of his. He scowled at the man, ordering him to just handle the ring.
"What was this ring supposed to do?" Avernus asked, examining the grains. It looked very simple to him, nothing like what you would find in Orzammar or at the Circle.
Lance wasn't sure how to answer him, how to word it in a way that wouldn't sound nuts. He didn't want Avernus to know that he was crazy.
"Said, 'twas a link between us," said Lance, frowning to himself. And he was suddenly no longer there, in front of Avernus in an ancient tower. He was in a bedroom in Orzammar, and there was a girl with a golden mirror beside him. "She is linked to me, as much as I to her."
Avernus eyed him curiously, nodded.
"It is old magic," he said. "Very old. This ring… it was not made by any natural magic."
"Flemeth," Lance said, spitting the word like a curse. He felt his fist curl in rage, and wanted to smash the rotten banister to splinters. He restrained himself. Avernus knew the name; it was synonymous with forbidden, cruel magic.
"There is little I could do," said Avernus, handing the ring back. Lance took it, a little disappointed, perhaps having hoped too high.
"Thanks anyway."
Avernus held up one finger, seeing Lance's disappointment.
"There may yet be one thing I can do for you," he said, and reached towards a pile of bottles and phylacteries. He found one, sloshing with liquid. He handed it to Lance, a grin on his face.
Lance took the bottle, eyed it. It was dark glass and so obscured the color of its contents. He didn't dare guess what could be in there, though he was quite a bit afraid about what the answer might be.
"It is the culmination of my research," said Avernus. "It should unlock at least a fraction of the potential of the Taint within you."
"What does it do?" Lance asked. Avernus shrugged.
"No idea. It affects each Warden differently. You might become a superhuman. You might become ravenously hungry. What long-term effects? Can't say," Avernus stood then, shut the tome on his table with a clap and a cloud of dust. "But it will make you more sensitive to magic. At least for a short time."
He frowned and added, "Judging by the whole 'Templar aura' you're working, you could use it."
Lance frowned. This concoction had come at the price of a dozen Grey Wardens, tortured to the point of madness. It was going to make the corruption inside him more powerful. It was going to change him beyond belief.
But it would help him find Morrigan, help him protect her. He would do anything to keep her safe. Anything.
He sighed and slipped it into his pocket. For later. Maybe.
Avernus leaned back against the stone wall of his tower, and surveyed his laboratory. He looked a bit disgusted with himself. But Lance knew that he felt he had only done what he had to. There was a lot of that going around.
"May I ask you a question?" Avernus asked. Lance grunted. "Why come to me?"
"Need this off the books," said Lance. "So to speak."
"I see. You love her, then?"
Lance nodded.
"Yes, that will do it," Avernus said. And he was staring off, distant. "We will do strange things for love, won't we?"
Lance cleared his throat, brought Avernus back to the present. The old blood mage looked at him, smiled sadly.
"You know, I am having the dreams again."
Lance frowned. That was bad, for Avernus. Or maybe it was good, who knew?
"I think," the mage said, turning again to his work. "That I will go to Orzammar soon. Perhaps it is time. I have lived… too long, I think."
Lance put a hand on his shoulder, nodded to him. He wasn't too sure if he liked Avernus, if he respected him. But the fact that the man was willing to go his Calling, to do so willingly, that was courage. And he could respect that at least.
The Warden Commander turned, headed for the door to take him back to the Peak, and to his new companions.
"Warden?" Avernus called after him. Lance stopped at the door, turned to hear the mage.
"This is good, isn't it?"
And Lance left.