#if it’s not clear tav died in the Cazador fight but was revived

[tauri91]

The confrontation with Cazador is a disaster. Astarion is helpless as he watches Tav fall in battle. He barely has time to process the horror in front of him when he opens his eyes… and finds himself lying in on the ground, sunlight warm on his skin. The smell of the nautiloid burning nearby. He’s at the crash site again. More than that, it’s the morning after the crash. He’s reliving the past. His mind is a hurricane of emotion. The memory of Tav’s lifeless body just out of reach… the feel of the infernal contract burning away his soul… it’s all so fresh. But it hasn’t happened yet. He’s been given a second chance! A chance to save Tav!

He knows what to do. He finds the spot he first met Tav and waits. It won’t be long now. But the sun sets, the boar runs off, and Tav doesn’t come. The fear that he somehow missed them eats at him and finally he goes to look for Tav himself. What he finds is a swirling arcane rune. “Please! Someone help, me! I’ll perish!” Gale calls out of he vortex. Astarion rushes to the rune. Magic isn’t his thing but he grabs Gale’s arm and pulls with all his might. The wizard doesn’t budge, but Astarion won’t give up. He tries again. Tav would have gotten him out easy. Tav *did*. Finally Gale falls out of the portal. Before Astarion can ask if Gale remembers him, Gale gives an all too familiar introduction.

They travel together to look for other survivors. They find one. Shadowheart sits on a rock. Alone. She looks tired and doesn’t notice their approach while she stares at the astral prism. It takes every ounce of self control to keep from yanking the thing out of her hands and demanding the Emperor tell him where Tav is. Why aren’t they here? They should be here. He was supposed to protect them! But Shadowheart notices his interest in the artifact and keeps her distance.

They make it to the tomb. Of course! He pushes them to in, but his haste nearly gets them all killed. Gale goes down and Shadowheart only just manages to save him. He had forgotten just how weak they all were at the beginning. ‘We would have been fine if Tav were here’ he thinks.

They make camp. It’s quiet. Gale’s bruised face eats at Astarion until he can’t bare it any longer and retreats to his tent.

He’s more cautious afterwards. He double checks for traps he may have forgotten about, and makes sure to take all the weapons off the skeletons before they reanimate.

Withers is in his sarcophagus as expected.

Astarion thinks of Tav’s smile, their hand in his, the warmth of their arms hold him tightly. “Everything. A single mortal life… it’s worth everything. You know, don’t you? Please tell me you know where they are.”

“What is the worth of a single mortal life?”

Withers regards him for a moment. “The name thou seeks as been recorded.”

Astarion chokes back a sob. “But you can bring them back! I have gold. You’ll bring Tav back!”

Withers raises a halting hand. “A price has already been paid. The balance, unsettled, was restored.“

“I don’t understand. Where is Tav?”

“When thine own life was cut short, thy soul rended from body, a resurrection was not possible.”

“My soul? Are you saying *I*died?”

Withers nods. “Thou spoke true, one mortal life is infinitely valuable. A price most high was set. For one soul so damaged to return another must take its place.” Withers looks at him in a way he can only describe as pity. “The price was paid.”

Astarion knows he’s not the smartest man, but he understands all too quickly.

Cazador succeeded. He sacrificed Astarion and all his spawn to ascend. And Tav, his dear Tav couldn’t accept that. Cazador’s ascension must have been short, Astarion almost wishes he could have seen his old master when everything he worked hard for get taken away from him.

He feels dizzy. He feels sick. He wants to laugh. To cry. To curse the gods, every last one of them. Tav isn’t here because Tav is gone. Their life for his. He can’t help but think his wasn’t worth it.