"You want us to what?!" I exclaimed.
"You need to stop cleansing the surrounding land at once is what the First Warden ordered." Stroud said. I was in Amaranthine after the expedition where Anders had left. I came to see if I could have helped Nia with her sadness.
I didn't expect this.
"Don't you know what Jowan and I have been doing? We're cleaning the land, bringing it back! That whole land won't regain its fertility unless we do something." I explained.
"I know that but the abilities you have been using to cleanse the sight have been deemed too dangerous as well as the research you have found in Soldier's Peak. You have been order to give up all papers that you have found as well as any research you have been conducting. If you do not comply, I will be force to remove you and the Warden Jowan." Stroud glared. I looked at the battlements. Of course he would choose this area. It was still under constructing after the battle. No one comes up here.
"Can you at least tell me why?" I asked.
"Of course. The magic that you have been delving in has been noted to be extremely dangerous and unpredictable. You will pledge to the First Warden in writing that you will not use it from henceforth." Stroud explained. I stood there, gaping at him.
"But you're still taking all those notes that Jowan and I have been working on huh?" I glared.
"It will be archived along with all the previous records of the Wardens." Stroud nodded. I bit my lip and looked out to the courtyard. I recognized the glimmer of Nia's armor. No doubt she was standing at the gate waiting for Anders to come back. I gave out a deep sigh.
"Fine. I'll give you the notes and everything. It's all at Soldier's Peak so we're going to need to travel there." I said. Stroud nodded.
"I am sorry. I understand that this magic has allowed for the impossible but it is too much of a danger should another wield it. Be glad that I am not cutting you down." Stroud said, going down the stairs. I growled and let off a minor bolt of fire at the sky. I punched at the wall as well. I was doing good and yet the Wardens wanted me to stop? Aren't we supposed to do good for the people?
When the Blight ends, what happens to the Wardens? I'm not going to be like all the others getting fat and happy and gaining political power. Screw the Anderfels! I went down from the battlements and towards the room I was being lent to. I got the blank vellum and wrote out how I wouldn't be using my magic like that to help the land anymore. It felt bitter to write all of that.
I sealed it and went to look for Stroud. I came out to the courtyard and I saw Stroud talking to Nia. She had her eyes toward the ground, her skin looked pale, and her eyes were red.
It has already been a month since Anders left and she still couldn't let him go. Stroud noticed me and handed me another pack that was filled with the essentials to leave.
"We must leave now." Stroud said, going on ahead. I gave one look to Nia, remembering the events from the attack. Her golden wings, her skin that cracked with energy, her eyes that looked like the sun itself all for saving a place that she could call home.
"Nia." I said softly. She looked up at me and then back to the trail. Leliana would kill me to leave her like this but I had to go. "Stay safe." I said, patting her shoulder. I looked back only once to see her waving at me. It wasn't much but at least it was a reaction. I nodded and followed Stroud.
It took us a few days to get to Soldier's Peak. I found Jowan there and explained the situation to him.
"Stop everything? But Talen, we talked about this! This could change the world, the Wardens! If we can control the Blight then we could-"
"Be known as the biggest threats of the world." I ended. Jowan took a step back as if I struck him. "Everyone is afraid of the Blight Jowan and we figured out a way to control that blood. Don't you think that if others learned about this, they would use it for their own benefit?"
"How can we trust the other Wardens then?" Jowan asked. I shrugged.
"Well this proves that they're stupid. Let's just hope they are not that stupid." I said, going into the research room that once belonged to Avernus and taking down all the tomes we've written in and compiled all the notes.
"This is a load of bullshit." Jowan scoffed.
"I don't like it either but it's either we give them all the notes and live, or we don't, they kill us, and they take the notes anyway. Come on, help me a bit."
Jowan and I gave everything we had to Stroud. He also had to write a letter to the First Warden swearing that he would never again practice Blight Magic. Stroud left shortly after that.
"What are you going to do then? What am I going to do now that I can't stay here and research this stuff?" Jowan asked. I rubbed my face and got an idea.
"Go to the Dalish, train a few more in the Arcane Warrior magic and grow a beard, probably let your hair grow out as well, and get a tan." I explained.
"Pft! What for?" Jowan laughed.
"Well, I can't bring you in the Circle at Kinloch Hold if you look the same. Greagoir would kill you on site." I said. Jowan gaped at me.
"You…what…You want me at the Circle!?" Jowan exclaimed with an incredulous look.
"Well, we don't have Avernus' notes anymore but that doesn't mean we can't find another way to cleanse the earth from the Blight. We have tons of tomes at the Circle, things even I haven't gone through. Two heads are better than one Jowan. We'll need a disguise and a different name…" I rattled off.
"Talen…you are insane."
"I've been called that before." I laughed.
I hated the fact that you could never recruit Jowan even though they were planning on it.
ThelonewolfNT: Nope that wasn't Hawke, that was Nia at the end of Eren's story :3
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