With teeth grinding against each other, his jaw slid back and forth, Sep could feel the taste of iron in his mouth, the downside of wasting so much mana on the spells. It was often followed by a smell of ozone, petrichor or ash depending on the spell. With such visceral taste in his mouth and Arrahel shouting orders, there really was nothing more to do but follow through with what Commander was saying. He was the one in charge here and the one responsible for taking care of people. As to why exactly saving an abomination was of benefit, Sep couldn't say.
With hands jerking back and fingers intertwining to end up crossing into a triangular shaped one against the other, he withdrew the light enchantment and petrification. He called back the little mana still left in them and with a quick jerk to the ground, he forced out icy walls around the two, just like commander had said. They were a few feet thick and chest high, as requested. They also left Sep panting and dropping to one knee. With hands shaking, he fumbled for what seemed like minutes at his belt to get his last potion and down it completely in one go. A rare situation in which the disgusting liquid actually felt refreshing.
There wasn't much time to engage her fellow Wardens in social niceties. Kahra knew for certain that her father wasn't a mage– if this putrescent existence was truly her father– and whatever idea Arrahel had involving the lyrium she now held in her hand, it wasn't going to be pretty. As Septimus built an icy wall around the demon to trap it, Kahra followed immediately afterward, encircling the demon in lyrium. Once the lyrium had been rid of, she tossed the large bottle to the side and left it to shatter.
"So I'm the hired protection, now?" Oskar scowled, skidding to a halt at Septimus's side. He'd been a fool to think Warden duties would always be glamorous or honorable or even particularly enjoyable. Still, Templars had some esteem. If guarding a mage against a more terrible fate was all you needed to do to earn that esteem, then he'd happily do it, orders or no. Oskar unsheathed his blades and stood at the mage's back protectively.
"So. How many demons does this make for you, hm?"
"I want to jokingly say a hundred, but I fear the true number is startlingly close to it. Mind you, I actively hunted them and most weren't as strange as this one, I cannot tell what its intention is at all."
He remained in his spot, for now, not doing much but being ready and prepared for anything that Arrahel might need of him, though he wasn't all that great at weakening or cursing foes. In fact, it was safe to say he effectively forgot even the basics of how to do it. That said nothing stopped him from having a more direct spell ready to go at his fingertips.
The Templar seemed to be taking their sweet time as the abomination gargled and growled. Once Kahra had called out to him, the Warden-Commander took his targe and kindly reacquainted it with the demon's face. After it was dazed, Arrahel was barely able to vault over the wall before touching his hands to the lyrium circle, closing his eyes and letting the thin aura around his body fade as he channeled the magic into the lyrium circle. Some sparks came from the cyan, crystalline liquid that surrounded the thick ice before the arcs came together above the demon's head as a sparking ward encircled the creature as it lunged towards the sparks, smoke rising from its body as it backed off, growling loudly as a sickly, verdigris fire began to surround its fingertips as it periodically struck at the fire as Arrahel rose to his feet.
"Thank the Maker it actually worked… that ward mimics the Veil, but it doesn't last forever. We have fifteen minutes at most before it shatters, meaning we need to either get the host to control their own body or the Templars need to get here with that lyrium soon if we aren't going to outright kill him."
"What is this?! What do you mean if we aren't going to outright kill him?!" Kahra exclaimed as she pulled out her daggers. "We can just kill the demon and get my father out of there!"
Arrahel went pale. She didn't know. He kept his breath for a few moments before swallowing the lump in his throats and speaking in a slightly quivering tone. "That's… that's not how this works, Kahra." The elven Warden-Commander then gave a sharp exhale, regaining his composure as the abomination continued to beat against the barrier and scream in ways that no living thing should possibly scream, shouting in a voice that should have never left the Fade.
"Kahra. Listen. Either your father lives and we exorcise the demon or they both die. There is no alternative. The Fade is weak wherever it walks; Septimus and I can try to use lyrium to pass through the Veil and into Fade in order to confront the demon possessing your father and try to kill it. It is possible to take in you and Oskar as well, but it's very dangerous. We could all die. And depending on how much of your father is left… exorcizing the demon might kill him anyway. Only you can make the decision as to whether or not we remove the demon. It is your choice and yours alone. I do not envy you, but we have no time to spare. You must make your choice before the Templars arrive."
Her lips barely moved as she tried to formulate a sentence in the midst of Arrahel's horrible, yet concise explanation. What would her sister think of her if she couldn't save their father? Would she believe her if she said they'd tried everything? A lump rose in the assassin's throat and for a time, to the others, Kahra appeared as if she felt lost and uncertain. She swallowed her pride and shook her head. There was no way she was going to allow this monster to continue eating away at her father's mind, body, and soul.
"We're going in, damn it. There's no other way. Why are we bringing us all in though? Wouldn't it be better if I go in alone? I'm quick and I can find whatever we're looking for."
"I agree, it would be better if only you risked your life for your father, unfortunately, I am going to assume that you have no clue how to enter the Fade nor what to expect there." Sep stepped forth towards the two never really taking his eyes off the demon. "I am against this plan, family or not unless a person is of great importance to the world we should do as templars do and cleanse its body and soul. You wish to risk our lives for some Alienage elf, Commander?" Septimus took his eyes off the beast for merely a second to further make his point by staring down the senior Warden. "I will follow orders, but I know a lot about demons and this one is neither your run of the mill Rage nor is it a natural possession." He returned to observing the beast trapped in its magical cage. All it would take is a few lightning strikes from above and it would be dead, no risk to anyone. "Listen to what the Commander is saying Kahra. You cannot enter without a mage and even then you might lose yourself without one at your side." With that said he moved closer to the magical barrier letting the woman make her choice. "Too bad we don't have a somniari with us." He mumbled under his breath.
"Get out of my way, Septimus!" Kahra snapped, as she pushed him off to the side as hard as she could. "You never should've come along here! I'm going in. You don't understand the things we've gone through. You are ignorant and a fool, far from a warden."
Her face was flushed and there was clearly hurt in her voice. Kahra began walking towards the open barrier, assuming it was where she was meant to enter, regardless of whether or not Arrahel, Septimus, or Oskar followed behind. She'd waited too long to stand behind for nothing.
"Enough, you fool!" Arrahel snarled, using the flat of his sword to block the woman's path before using it as a bar in front of her chest and pulling her back, refusing to allow any kicking or screaming get in the way before almost throwing the woman to the ground before the Warden-Commander was forced to sheath his sword, baring his teeth as he tried to convey the seriousness of the situation at hand.
"Listen!" The Grey Warden's tongue was sharp, calloused as in that moment the assassin would realize from the coldness in his eyes that Arrahel was very well-acquainted to dealing with horrors such as this and those far worse than it that had long accompanied the duties of a Grey Warden. "There is maybe, maybe a half-chance that we can go in and rescue your father successfully, but I won't allow it to be made when you're acting in a way that is delirious and that could get you and us killed! We may the only Wardens- the last Wardens- in all of Thedas! We can find whoever did this to him sure, but I give you this one chance to make a sound judgment before I am forced to decide for you, Kahra." Then, for a brief moment, Arrahel drew a deep breath before speaking with great gravity.
"Shall we attempt to exorcise your father from his possession, or shall we kill him and the demon now, where they stand?"
Throughout the argument, Oskar's mind whirled. Sympathy, concern, a faint trace of fear, all of them were hostile to cohesive thought and Oskar was left stranded, eyes darting between the three wardens while he struggled to do much more than stand there like a damned fool. He'd put on a brave, playful facade regarding the demon before, but now that they faced entering the fade... he wasn't so sure of himself anymore.
"It's her father," Oskar said solemnly. "Take that into account, regardless of what is chosen. I'm willing to take the risk for her sake. All of us must be at peace if we are to be Wardens, and if this is what it takes for Kahra, then we should do it."
Immediately after saying his piece, he turned to Kahra, face soft with understanding. Though he could not place himself in her shoes entirely, he felt her pain to an extent.
"It'll be alright. Whatever we do, it'll be fine. We'll figure it out."
Kahra hadn't been able to quite process the entire situation yet; she just wanted it all to be over. When Arrahel pulled her back from the barrier and tried to throw her to the side, Kahra was nimble and found her feet rooted firmly in the ground as he sheathed his sword and weighed the true gravity of the situation on her shoulders. She swallowed hard as Oskar spoke his thoughts and Kahra felt her heart be at peace for some time.
"Thank you, Oskar."
She acknowledged his presence.
"We're going in, regardless of whether or not the risk is heavy, Arrahel. Tylin has asked me to save him at all costs, to do anything I can, and I would risk this for her. We'll be fine. I know we'll be fine and Oskar does too. We've got this."
collab between
@Kat @AceSorcerer @Snowflake @Dipper
The elf was very surprised when the Queen of Ferelden called him a friend. The pair had only interacted briefly a handful of times before, most of which they never directly spoke to one another. The first had been when the royal family had decided to see the Ferelden Circle and the living conditions therein for themselves, the two children speaking briefly but not much else occurring. Otherwise, they had the occasional interaction during his time as a Grey Warden apprentice and once when he had been made a Senior Warden shortly after a rather explosive incident regarding the Denerim alienage that might have gotten him exiled were he not acting on Grey Warden business. But, still, he was not one to look a gift horse in the mouth and was elated to know that he had their support.
"Oskar, protect Septimus! Demons and abominations like this are naturally drawn to mages and lyrium, so he'll likely be focused on myself and Septimus! I'll try to keep as much attention on me as possible! Kahra, take this lyrium and do exactly as I say!" After tossing a rather large bottle of lyium to the rogue, Arrahel quivered for a moment as a flash of the demon's true visage flashed though his mind. A sinister chill rippled down his spine, the elf quickly his sword and shouting at the top of his lungs, a thin white aura surrounding his body as the ancient magic of the Arcane Warriors coarsed through his veins. 
The next thing any of the four of them could remember would be a bright flash of light and the mouthing of words by the mages as they all found themselves standing on a rock hovering in the middle of what appeared to a broken, disjoined landscape of the Alienage strewn like a wreckage around them. There were many such islands that surrounded them and one could see spirits passing through- with one especially resting in the ethereal version of the vhenadahl, glowing brightly to provide some sort of comfort in the green, noxious night that flooded the area. Apparrently friendly, the spirit waved a hand as weapons, shields, and staves that would have effect in the Fade appeared on the bodies of the Grey Wardens before the light seemed to twinkle out existence as it slid further into the ghostly tree, perhaps as a means of defending itself.
