Blood from Stone [AU]

[Carver Amell]

Carver shrugs. "I think he recognized me -- I didn't recognize him. Something about a thief and a fool, which I assume meant Miki and me."

[Tethras Clan]

"Asshole," Aveline mumbles, another hint of Lina peeking through. She gives him a slight squeeze before pulling away. "Alright. I need t speak with Don and... who else?"

[Carver Amell]

"Helene, I think, but Merrill said ne's nonverbal. Ne's in the scrying chamber right now, should we go get nir and then wake Don? I want to let him sleep as long as possible, after the day he's had."

[Tethras Clan]

Ne and- oh, that's celestial. New. "Alright. Let me talk to Merrill first, I think, if... ne is nonverbal. Ah, that's... from nir pre-existing condition, not a new injury?"

[Carver Amell]

"Yeah. Th-- Ne's had a shitty day too, sounds like. Someone tried to abduct nir, and Dad brushed nir off like he didn't even care." That's a bit of a growl. "Ne's safe though, and trying to do some scrying to get to the bottom of what's going on. It sounds like ne can write, so you'll get a written statement -- ne might even have one prepared already."

He frowns, then. "Ne's been down there a while actually. I haven't seen nem since I got here."

[Tethras Clan]

"Then let's head right to nem right now. If ne can write, I'd prefer to get the full story direct," Aveline agrees. For one, I can't stay long and Helene is far more likely to be concise and detailed in the- nir report. 

[Carver Amell]

Carver leads the way, frowning with a bit of worry about Helene. Maybe ne is asleep or something? Ne had a long day, maybe ne had a nap.

The lie is put to that fairly quickly; no sooner have they entered the hallway leading to the scrying chamber in the basement, than the chamber door flies open. A second later, Varric's body, unconscious, is hurled into the hallway. Not very far; not nearly far enough to hit them. But definitely thrown rather than pushed. 

Carver stops dead, flinging out an arm to stop Aveline behind him. Dad?!

He looks beyond to the doorway, startled again to find a giant boar standing in the doorway. What the fuck?!

[Tethras Clan]

Aveline bulls right past Carver, blade already in hand. Two steps later, she pauses, frowning. That's a celestial boar. Why in Vangal's name would- "All combatants, stand down! I am Guard Captain Vallen and this area is now under my domain in the name of Nyra and Vangal!"

[Helene Dakesh]

The boar vanishes; behind it, leaning on the doorframe, panting heavily, is Helene, looking ragged, frightened, and defiant. 

They -- Ne -- takes two steps forward, and, lacking words, uses the undeniable language of gestures to make nir opinion known: ne spits on the unconscious dwarf, then turns back to pick up nir sketchbook from the ground behind nem. 

[Carver Amell]

Carver looks at the torn robes, the bit of silk tied to Helene's wrist, the way Helene glares at 'Varric'. He narrows his eyes, a low growl forming in his chest. 

"What. Did. He. Do?"

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene does something unusual: ne tears a page out of nir notebook, scribbling on it in pencil, and drops it onto the unconscious dwarf. 

"BARTRAND", it reads, in all caps. 

[Tethras Clan]

Aveline frowns, trying to figure out what language that is. "I don't understand. What does bartrand mean?" she asks, carefully moving to secure and disarm the downed figure. I have no idea what the fuck is going on but Helene can't lie or mislead worth shit so if ne looks like that, is doing that, then Varric did something that deserves, err, nur? No, nir actions. And with devils running around... fuck. Scowling, she yanks off the Light ring after pressing her own Captain ring against and muttering a phrase to 'unlock' it. That done, she focuses on him. And curses softly. "Evil... Strongly Evil."

[Carver Amell]

"My other fucking uncle," snarls Carver, hands balling into fists. "The one with the whores." The underaged whores. Like Helene. 

[Helene Dakesh]

Helene, content to let Aveline handle Bartrand now, sits on the floor, scribbling furiously in nir notebook. 

[Tethras Clan]

"Other- Varric's brother?" A beat of silence as she inspects the downed dwarf, checking to see if he's dead, stable or dying. "They're twins?" Why the fuck wasn't that in Varric's bio! Having a natural double is Need to Know information about a Light. Gods dammit, why are you such a pain in the ass, you secretive, paranoid dwarf? "I see. Alright, well, this is- Vangal's teeth!" Aveline jerks back from Bartrand, hand yanking away from his face. His eyelid slips back down from where she'd lifted it, but not before the bright crimson orb, slitted with a twisting helix of yellow and brown, could be see clearly by Carver.