Demon Hunt: Grey Warden Party (Anders, Sigrun & Alistair)

[heromiyuu]

Neria left the dungeons and strode to the courtyard, green eyes carefully scrutinizing the battlements; there was some good time since she had to hunt down a demon. Actually, the first (and last) time she had done it was during her mission to set Kinloch Hold free from Uldred and the Sloth Demon. In that occasion, she was also in the Fade, hunting a demon, but not in flesh like now. And the consequences of losing herself to the Envy Demon seemed far more dire as well.

Fortunately, like before, she had people she trusted by her side (and, with a bit of luck, she wouldn't even have to save them from their own minds). Now, it was just a matter of time until they find the demon.

She paced, turning and spinning her staff in her hands without really noticing her gestures, waiting for them to gather. Demons weren't really the Grey Warden speciality, but with two mages, a former templar and a legionnaire of the dead, Neria was confident.

(ooc: hey guys! neria/anders/sigrun/alistair for the rp order)

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[thecryoftheseagulls]

Anders leaned against the stone wall of the keep and watched her pace, his fingers curled loosely around his own staff. It was, for all intents and purposes, a relaxed position, but you only had to take a second look to realize the lie in it.

His face was haggard, shoulders set tensely under the black feathers of his coat, and though there was something like a hint of a smile on his lips as he watched Neria, whenever she turned away from him, he looked...incredibly weary. Despairing, even.

[sigrun_fadewalk]

Eventually, Sigrun came bounding out towards Neria and Anders from the direction of the mage tower.

"Commander! I left Jager with Dagna, I hope that's okay? She's very nice! I like her. You didn't tell me you knew such cute dwarves! You know she has a bunch of ideas about curing the Taint that would probably be very useful? I told her to talk to you. She seemed to really like that idea. Well..." she paused for a moment and grinned slyly and amended, "I told her we might have to kidnap her for the Wardens if she kept having such good ideas about stuff. Not for the Warden, Wardens, you know, not to take the Joining, but we could totally use another dwarven expert around the Keep, don't you think?"

Sigrun bounced on her toes as soon as she got right next to Neria and bubbled on, "Also she made this nifty potion...thing...that totally incapacitated the demon, for a minute. I may have nicked a couple. I 'm sure she won't mind. I left her Jager to look after her. That's a fair trade, right?"

[exiledalistair]

Alistair was the last to arrive, looking harried and like he'd recently done a poor job of cleaning rather a lot of blood off of himself. He had his sword and shield, buckled into the brigandine he'd chosen and a faint frown.

"Um. Hello. First off, not your Alistair, no offense, don't know any of you from holes in the ground, except for um Neria here, but that's only because of all this." He whirled a finger about generally, his smile a little strained.

[heromiyuu]

Neria listened to Sigrun with a curious look on her face, absorbing the words about Dagna carefully. "Well, I might talk to her when this is over. I know this shouldn't be my focus here, but when you're trying to fight something that can kill you, well, I guess there isn't a right time, exactly."

She approached Anders, squeezing his arm in a reassuring way, turning to Alistair with a uncontrollable soft gaze "Indeed, since this is not the same ser Alistair" those words really felt weird in her mouth, referring to him in such polite way "from our reality, I believe introductions are needed. These are Anders and Sigrun, two of my fellow Grey Wardens in Vigil's Keep. Anders is our healer, the best I've ever known, and Sigrun here served the Legion of the Dead before taking the Joining. She can carve 50 holes in a hurlock before it even notices. Cullen needs us to look into the eastern walls, so let's play nice, all of us, yes?"

[thecryoftheseagulls]

Anders straightened off the wall, the small smile he sent Neria soft at her praise.

"Psh, you spoil me, Neria." With the others present, he seemd to gather himself, not appearing quite so lost as before. He spared a glance between Neria and Alistair meaningfully.

"Yes...hm. Play nice," he said. He gave Alistair a lazy grin. "Good to see you, Alistair, in any form. And you are, as ever...in top form."

"And you too, Sig. Been too long."

[sigrun_fadewalk]

Sigrun squealed when she finally stopped to breathe and noticed Anders. "Anders! Justice! Aeducan's beard, it is good to see you." She trotted over and punched him in the arm and beamed up at him.

Then she turned to Alistair, wrinkling her nose.

"Yeah, no offense, person-who-is-Alistair, but I can tell. The commander's husband isn't quite so...dirty. I mean, even when he is dirty, he doesn't look that dirty."

"...That didn't come out right. I'm sure you're very nice too? And you can kill things. That's what we're looking for here."

She nodded decisively.

[exiledalistair]

Alistair nodded to Anders and Sigrun when Neria introduced them, pursing his lips slightly in consideration. Maybe Elissa had versions of the both of them where he was from? He flushed slightly at Anders' leery sort of compliment, but rolled his eyes with good humor, "Charming."

Sigrun's comments wiped the smile right off his face. He turned to look at Neria, eyebrows rising and then knotting inward in concern. "Maker's breath, I--" He had gone pale, thinking about how she'd tried to touch him when she'd first seen him and when he'd recoiled she'd gone cold and quiet, and still treated him with stiff formality. "I didn't realize." Married? Him? Well, not him-him, but some other... He grimaced at Sigrun's comments. Yes, dirty, that was actually a kind way to say it, when the word was probably closer to 'worthless.'

He sighed softly and looked at Neria carefully, eyes concerned and studying. "If you want me to go, I will." He didn't want to tarnish her own memories of her husband at all.

[heromiyuu]

All of Neria's Commander composure and demeanor seemed to disappear when Sigrun made the comment about Alistair, giving place to a blushing small framed elf with no social skills and, apparently, as awkward as a teenager. Eyes wide and mouth agape, all she could do for the whole awkward silence was to open and close her mouth as a fish out of the water.

It took her some time to finally manage to say something.

"Go? No! Nononononono--" she hid her face in her hands, clearly embarassed "I-I mean... I was really shocked when I first saw you but I'm already over it. I didn't mention anything 'cause I thought it wasn't really necessary, I didn't want to make things hard for you-- Creators!"

She glared at Sigrun, than glanced at Alistair, taking a deep breath.

"What I'm trying to say is... yes, you're clearly pretty much the same as my husband, but you're not him, despite your looks, voice or demeanor. And I avoided the topic because even we're from different realities, it's natural our minds slip and makes us compare things we shouldn't be comparing and... I know things haven't turned out for you as you wished, in your reality so... I didn't want to make you uncomfortable." Neria let out a sigh, recovering a bit of her commander's composure "I want you to stay because I know I can trust you, and trust is really something we're in shortage. But, by all means, if you're not comfortable with it, you're free to go. I apologize for my silly pressumptions."

And Creators, please, strike me or open a hole under my feet...

[thecryoftheseagulls]

Anders was rather the odd man out of this equation, and he felt it keenly. It had been years since he'd spent any time with Neria or any of the Fereldan Wardens, Sigrun and Alistair included. Still, the look on this Alistair's face - it was more than mortification or surprise, and the sheer unhappiness of it was not only bizarre on Alistair's normally good-natured features, but eerily familiar.

He swallowed and looked away. He did not need to be thinking about that, not here, not now.

SHE WILL HAVE FENRIS, Justice had told him, when they'd begun to plan for what they'd done, and it was true, it was everything their plan had been built upon. Hawke's rough hands in Fenris's silver hair, the two of them touching desperately, fervently, hungrily, after three years of forced separation, and Anders in the doorway unnoticed, slipping away, back into the clinic, back to his work. Because who needed him, really, beyond the mages. Hawke would be all right.

He inhaled sharply and attempted to actually listen to the conversation going on around him. What a fool he'd been, anyways.

[sigrun_fadewalk]

Sigrun flushed bright red under her tattoos and clapped a hand over her mouth.

"Oh, I wasn't supposed to say anything about that. You didn't know about that. Oops."

She melted under Neria's glare and decided her best bet was to hide behind Anders. Yep. He was unfortunately rather skinnier than she remembered, so that was rather easier thought than done.

She poked her head around from behind Anders and mouthed 'I'M SORRY' at both of them.

[exiledalistair]

Alistair managed to flush in embarrassment at Neria's embarrassment and then there was Sigrun's and Maker, this was complicated. He waved his hands vaguely and shook his head. "No, no. No no no it's fine. I'm just sorry that..." He sighed, scratching at his wrist, then frowning at the flaking blood that had dried there and he'd failed to clean up.

"Well, we best get on with this. Hacking, chopping, stabbing, um, bear-ing?" He rocked on his heels, looking both pained and hopeful that they could just move on to the fighting. Fighting was easy. Drinking, fighting, sleeping. Not usually in that order, but occasionally.

[heromiyuu]

"Yes, fighting will be wonderful."

She managed to smile before turning to stared the eastern side of the battlements. "Cullen handled us the eastern side of Skyhold. Since none of us know this place for sure, I'd rather focus on tracking the demon by its scent. No, sorry to disappoint but no 'bearing' for know. A 'foxing' seems more appropriated for the task."

Then, she glanced at Sigrun "We have done it before in the Western Approach, I'm counting on you young lady. You follow me, Anders and Justice will keep his senses wary of any demonic presence. Alistair, you close our formation, don't let anything approach us through our backs, yes?"

And with that said, Neria concentrated and a bright orange light enveloped her frame, changing into a orange fox. She moved her ears, scanning for any suspicious sounds while sniffing the courtyard. Finally she stopped, ears standing alert and she howled, running to the battlements.

[thecryoftheseagulls]

Anders hefted his staff in his hands and stepped forward when Neria mentioned them.

"Ooh, he does like it when you acknowledge his unique skills, Neria. Makes us feel all warm and fuzzy inside." Anders offered a small grin and spun his staff in his right hand once as Neria shifted.

"Aand...there she goes. That never gets old. I seriously wish that was a branch of magic I'd ever learned. Of course, then Hawke would demand I learn how to turn into a dragon, and I could see that getting us into trouble... or more trouble than usual, anyways." He kept up a steady stream of intentionally distracting chatter as he followed Neria in her sniffing of the courtyard.

[sigrun_fadewalk]

Sigrun appeared to rally somewhat at the orders.

"Right you are, Commander!" she said, drawing the two daggers sheathed on her hips and moving after Neria and Anders.

She spared one glance at Alistair, blushed again, and turned her eyes front. When Neria let out a howl, Sigrun whooped, all dangerous grins and sharp blades, and sprinted after her.

[exiledalistair]

Alistair nodded sharply, unslinging his shield and drawing his sword, giving it a slight swing, limbering his shoulder. "When we, er I, well it attacked me it was pretty hacked up. But it was still strong." He glanced over his shoulder, then back to where he followed behind Neria and the others. "And icky. Verrry icky."

[heromiyuu]

Neria ran through the battlements, dark paws barely touching the ground; going down the stairs and passing the gardens, she followed a trail of demon goo and blood, heading to the great hall and near the Inquisitor's throne.

The trail went pass the Library door and the elf-turned-into-fox scratched the wood, whining for someone to open it for her.

[thecryoftheseagulls]

"It is a demon," Anders said in a voice deeper than it should have been. "An aberration of the Maker's design, a creature driven to lust for what it cannot have and should not want. 'Icky' is an insufficient term."

Anders wrinkled his nose after ending that diatribe and looked over his shoulder at Alistair apologetically.

"Sorry, resident Spirit and all, gets a bit worked up about demons. You'd think he was a Chantry mother by the way he goes on."

Anders grimaced and added in a lower tone, "No, I did not mean that literally. Yes, I know you're not associated with the evils of the Chantry. Lighten up, Justice. Maker."

[sigrun_fadewalk]

"Tell me about it!" Sigrun called back at Alistair's comment, still jogging in the lead. "I put like five fucking daggers in a beautiful cluster in that damn thing's chest and it barely blinked!"

At Neria's whining and scritching, Sigrun sped up a little.

"Hang on, Commander, I got ya," she said, stopping and reaching over the fox to open the door.

[exiledalistair]

Alistair snorted softly at Anders' apology. "Oh yes, spirits, so nosy. And bossy. Everyone knows that."

When Sigrun moved to open the door he focused his attention to the door, sword and shield moving up to guard position. After everything, to be here surrounded by other Wardens, following orders-- very weird.

[heromiyuu]

When Sigrun opened the door Neria immediately climbed the stairs, fur over her spine ruffling. There was more demon blood along the way, this time enough for everyone else to smell it too.

The trail led them to the rookery.

The Envy Demon was quiet in a corner, curled around itself, apparently healing. A low snarl escaped Neria's throat and she gazed the others, as if trying to communicate some kind of plan; the rookery was too small, too narrow to fight properly. She sprinted, barking and jumping over the Envy Demon, which only screeched at the surprise, stumbling and falling to the rotunda.

She turned into a bird in mid-air, avoiding the crush against the ground, unlike the demon. Neria chirped, railing everyone to meet her in the rotunda.

[thecryoftheseagulls]

Anders followed Neria up the stairs warily and quietly. He braced himself for combat when he saw the demon, stance widening to accommodate the wide casting style he favored.

"Dammit, Neria," he swore under his breath when the fox flat out charged the sleeping demon, and when the two of them went keeling over the rail (one rather less painfully than the other), he rushed to peer over it himself.

"Well. Guess we're going back down, then," he muttered. He sprinted for the steps again.

[sigrun_fadewalk]

Sigrun vanished at the first sight of the demon, and was lost from sight for some time while Anders and Alistair made their way down to the rotunda floor.

The creature stumbled to its feet after its fall and roared at Neria in bird form, which gave Sigrun ample opportunity to sneak back down the steps and behind it. She kept low, and aimed a sweep of her daggers across what would have been the hamstrings in a normal sort of human or dwarf or elfy creature, then spun and managed to dash away back towards where Neria was flitting about before the demon's thrashing response could hit her.

"How do you like that!" she yelled at it antagonizingly when it let out a screech of pain.

[exiledalistair]

Alistair sprinted back down the stairs two at a time, his long legs absorbing the shock as he hit the floor at the bottom of the rotunda. No one else was going to be hurt by this thing he'd decided. He lowered his shoulder and charged into the demon as Sigrun danced away, his shield catching it in the head and stunning it for a moment.

He was angry in a way he hadn't been in a long time, lips peeled back from his teeth as he grunted in effort at the glancing blow that scored against his shield in return. It is obvious that despite the rough living he's been doing Alistair is hale and fit, and there's a gritty efficiency to his movements, a spareness to his style that he has developed since leaving the Wardens.

[heromiyuu]

Neria used Alistair and Sigrun's attacks as a cover to turn back into her elven form; with the almost former templar there to do the heavy lifting she didn't see the need to use her bear form.

Moving around the rotunda, she stood behind the demon, casting barriers for everyone. Then, a good old fire magic at the demon's back, keeping his focus at bay and creating openings for Sigrun to exploit.

[thecryoftheseagulls]

To say Anders found himself in his usual position at the party warrior's back would be...perhaps not the right phrase. He gravitated behind Alistair automatically, the motion instinct after so many years kept safe by Hawke's axe or Fenris's greatsword while he cast.

This battle, he went straight into offensive spells rather than healing ones, slipping out from behind Alistair's cover to toss fireballs straight at the demon's face, and then moving back. The combined fire at the demon's front and back seemed to keep it pretty well occupied, if not as damaged as Anders would like, and eventually he sprinted far enough away from Alistair to keep the other man out of the range of his spells and lifted his staff to shoot lightning at the demon.