Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Varric]

"In getting you a healer, absolutely," Varric replies without hesitation, though the experienced politician knows a stall when he hears it. He takes a deep breath. "Why me? I mean, I know I have the minimum net wealth and all that but... so do more than a few others. There are other people that did stupid shit for good reasons in Nyra that have serious coin."

[GamesMaster]

"But none with records so clean. None with the sense of... well. Your reputation is not sterling, as you well know, but I have made inquiries as to your dealings discreetly, and indeed, that business with the cattle futures was my doing, through a factor. When that bit about the grazing lands came to light, you could have had us over a barrel -- and yet, you dealt fairly and judiciously with us. Something I will be counting on you to continue if you take this offer."

[Varric]

Varric stares at his hands for a long moment. "I can't say yes... yet. I... I came back for my family. That's first. Always. I need to talk it over with them first."

[GamesMaster]

"Alright," he says kindly. "Take your time." 

He has a sip of his wine before adding, "By the by, expect to hit two million before the end of the year either way. There's going to be an arrest that I'm sure you'll be able to capitalize upon. It seems some people would have fared better had they not have been under consideration in the first place." He winks, sipping his wine once more. 

[Varric]

Varric's mind instantly starts running the odds on who done got got but he simply nods. "Good talk," he manages, rising to his feet. "I'll... I'll have an answer, one way or the other, in a week. I... have a friend to recover tomorrow and I need to get ready for that." If I can't fix them, or at least make a big step towards, it, I can't afford to do this (too much time and focus draws). "But again, thank you for... the offer at the least."


The following morning, Varric leads Helene to a small pond surrounded by willow trees in the back of one of Bastion's lesser temples. For a small donation, they had been more than happy to allow him the use of the grounds for the morning to perform a healing ritual medley. "Ready Seeker?" he asks softly.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene grips his hand tightly, spying the pond. The old fear of water rises, just a little, but also with it comes peace: if they are meant to die here, they will, beside a pond as lovely as the one they tried to drown themself in as a child. It will be as Alydra wills -- that's always what the water has represented, for good or for ill. 

They will do as Alydra bids. 

An hour later, they collapse, just as Varric says the last word of the ritual. Blood seeps from their nostrils, and they look deathly pale, but as he kneels beside them, their pulse is strong and steady, and their eyes flutter open. 

[Varric]

"Stage one, complete," he says in a tired voice, his mouth, particularly his teeth, aching and sore. Some of the words, the incantations, of that ritual were... unhealthy for a mortal to utter. Protean is a harsh and demanding language, one that no mortal can actually know without magical aid, as it constantly evolves. All languages shift in cycles, but protean words can shift meaning multiple times in the span of a single sentence. Mortals can either learn a codified- and thus variably accurate- version or use a bastardized version that includes some anklo, abyssal and celestial anchor stones.

This ritual had required true protean for the start and then switching to axios to 'nail down' the results and it had taken a toll on the dwarf. But... if it worked... if it worked... "How're you feeling?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"Tired," they say, in pure, unaccented Common. "Sore."

[Varric]

"That was in common. Unaccented too," Varric says with a lopsided smile. "Would you like something to eat? Drink?"

[Helene Dakesh]

"No," they say quietly. "Push on. It may be unhealthy to pause. I... I recall the original ritual did not pause."

[Varric]

"Also all in common," Varric notes, gripping their hand tightly. He grab a cloth to wipe their lip, then heads back to the center of the pool. "Say when you're ready."

[Helene Dakesh]

They adjust how they are sitting, then nod. "Ready."

The next bit is delicate; this chunk is all healing, purely trying to mend the bits that were scrambled, sooth over the pathways that were eroded by the violence and inelegance of the previous ritual. They seem to go into a trance, swaying gently, eyes closed, as though seeing something, as though recalling something from long ago. When he stops, finally, they faint dead away, blood now positively gushing from their nostrils, though it does stop when he carries their cool, pale form inside to be tended to.

He makes the call: stop here, don't put their body through too much at once. After all, that might have been what did the damage the first time: doing too much, too fast. The next section was meant to hopefully unflip whatever switch had caused them to begin hallucinating, and that can wait for another day.

The healers let him use the private chamber for Helene to rest in, free of charge. They provide nuts and cured meats as well, and a bottle of a fortified wine they say is good for restoring energy after bloodletting -- or blood loss. Helene stirs sooner than he expected, brow furrowed in fear, making a small, whimpering noise.

[Varric]

The kids hadn't been thrilled with Varric's firm and absolute edict that they couldn't come help and had insisted that they at least take Silence along to guard them afterwards in case they were tired or whatever. So it's the mabari that notices Helene's distress first. Grunting, she nuzzles the oracle gently on the hand. Varric isn't far behind, of course, grabbing a cool cloth to wipe at their brow.

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene lets out a small whimper. "Varric," they cry, hand curling tightly against the blanket. "Not that, no, please..."

The cloth seems to wake them, then, and they gasp, struggling to sit up. "H-h-honored Varric?" 

[Varric]

"Right here Seeker. Hale and hearty," Varric replies instantly. "Silence too," he adds when the mabari thumps him with her tail. "Just a nightmare. I'm right here."