DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANYTHING BUT MY OC AND THE PLOT/WORDING.
CH 1: You Wouldn't Believe Me If I Told You
It was dark that night, the night he first saw her. Her hair fell down her back like a midnight curtain, what little he saw of her pale green eyes, it seemed as if they glowed. So absorbed by her beauty was he that he did not notice what she was until one of the elven maidens following her answered a question she had asked. "It is depressing, master. But your beauty remedies the area." The elf with longer hair replied. "A magister?" he thought, "in Kirkwall?"
"Master Ritavia?" the one with shorter hair asked, and continued only when the mage in front of her nodded. "There is someone watching, someone interesting." Purple robes fluttered in the wind as the Magister whirled around, casting a fireball to the exact location he had hidden himself, forcing him to move. "Indeed there is Shilei, Compaes fetch him for me, I do not appreciate stalkers." She said, straightening her clothes and standing up right. Upon hearing the sounds of struggle, she looked up to see Compaes lying on the ground at her feet. "Leave Kirkwall, now. Or I cannot promise you'll live." Came a somewhat tortured voice. Her eyes moved from her unconscious slave to the 'interesting' stranger.
As her eyes locked onto his golden ones, she took in his blond hair, and his feathered paldrons. His slightly torn robes and aggressive stance. "An apostate? Commanding me!? Defacing my property! How dare-"she cut off, feeling something change in the air. "An abomination! Get out of my way or I cannot promise you will live!" She hissed back at him, laughing slightly. And then everything was blue, and all she could see was black.
She awoke without her staff, without her slaves and could not identify where she was. Confused as to how she got there until she remembered the confrontation. Suddenly fearful as a presence she could not identify approached her, she opened her eyes. Standing before her with a terrifying look in his eyes was an elf. His dark green eyes told her he wished nothing more than to kill her. His skin glowed, from the substance she knew was lyrium embedded in to his dark skin. His white hair shading his eyes and only serving to make him more ominous.
"Good, you're awake. Now the interrogation can begin. Why are you in Kirkwall?! In Darktown? And if you lie to me, I will start cutting off chunks of your flesh." He demanded, she regained her poise, and senses before answering. "I fail to see how that is a slave's business. I am here because I wish to be. To answer a question I know will come, how could I not recognize Danarius' prized slave's description? And no, he did not send me here. I am here on personal business." She replied calmly. "What personal business could you have here?!" He demanded quickly, almost sarcastically.
That made her laugh, something he found surprisingly beautiful. "I am here to see Hawke. I need his help in a somewhat personal matter." She replied, growing quiet. "You were looking for Hawke? What would a magister want Hawke's assistance with?" He retorted before walking out of the room. She shook her head, the rumors surrounding the elf were true; he was as intimidating as he was beautiful. "I hope Shilei and Compaes are alright." She muttered to herself.
When Hawke walked in, the magister Anders had captured had fallen asleep. He chuckled before emptying a goblet of ice water over her head. She startled awake, her eyes glowing red and fire spitting from her mouth. "Who in the Maker's name-" she started, cutting herself off as her eyes connected with those of the rogue's before her. "Hawke, Tarron Hawke. I hear from a friend of mine that you've been looking for me? I'm curious, what does a magister need my help for?" He introduced himself with confidence some magisters didn't even have, and this astounded her. The rumors about Hawke's skill and bravery had spread across the Tevinter Imperium like a wild-fire, and most of them were apparently true.
"Ritavia, is my name. I will avoid formalities and social convention to cut straight to the point; I need your help, I've defied the will of my mentor and the morality of the Imperium to come here. I wish to give Shilei and Compaes free lives. They are wonderful people and deserve to live as they choose. However, I cannot do this alone. Will you help me?" the mage said, looking directly into the auburn-haired main's brown eyes. "Now, that is interesting indeed. More interesting even than your slaves. Hmmm…I think that I would like to help you, what do you have in mind?" He said, smiling radiantly.
"I wish to falsify my death, this event is the only way any of us can be truly free. I will need you to convince Fenris to be the one to do it. That was not in my original plan, but it would make sense, that a 'former' slave would kill any magister who gets too close. The difficult part would be convincing him to not to actually kill me." She explained.
Hawke could not stop smiling. "Difficult indeed. Given the amount of hatred he has for mages, and your personal knowledge of his whereabouts, and that you are, indeed a blood-mage, I may very well have to facilitate someone else doing it. I have a pirate more than willing to pretend to kill someone and a former Grey Warden who is a mage and would be sympathetic to your cause." He said, attempting to find an easier path, the mage shook her head, "Plead the case of me freeing my slaves, I have treated them well, and paid them in secret for years. I did not choose to be a mage, nor even so much choose blood magic. I was backed into a corner by a more powerful magister, one who wished to take Shilei by killing me. He had a knife on my throat and I only used it to keep her and Compaes safe. Now I only use it when I fear for my life. I would rather not." She stated, which convinced the rogue to try and talk to the elf. He nodded before leaving the room.
Fenris had been interrogating the elven women while Hawke spoke with the mage. They spoke only of how kind she was to them and of how she paid them in secret. Then, one of them finally told him why they'd come here in the first place; and he couldn't believe it. There was no way a magister would release their slaves for kindness. He was lost in thought walking through a hallway when Hawke stopped him. "Fenris-" the man started, the elf held a hand up to pause him. "I'll do it, for them, not her. The one called Shilei told me why they came here. Hawke, keep in mind that leaving this mage alive conflicts with my survival instincts." He said before walking away, deep in thought.
Hawke stood there, bewildered, until a flustered Anders came storming by. "Hey, blondie, what's wrong?" He called after him, prompting the mage to come back. His face was the reddest Hawke had ever seen and his breathing was impossibly uneven. "I, uh, she…She is skilled in telepathy and has your sense of humor Hawke. Don't let another mage around her, they're her specialty." He said, walking away quickly. "My sense of humor? An interesting captive for sure." He thought to himself, a smirk on his face.
She was bored, far too bored to be4ar. She had been unbound only earlier that morning, by the Warden, Anders. His face only portrayed the red from their last meeting. She had giggled as his hands fumbled with the knots. Now, she paced endlessly as Shilei and Compaes watched her with hopeful eyes. She had told them earlier that after tonight they would be free, but until then that formalities must be obeyed strictly while in public. They understood, like they always had.
The door opened and Hawke stood there, with Isabela and Aveline. "It is time then?" She asked, when they nodded she searched her robes for something, pulling out a flask of a smoky grey substance. "Come here." She said, motioning to the elves, and when they got close enough, she shattered the flask on the ground. As the fog consumed them, they were transported to the Docks.
The night air felt amazing on her skin, and she felt the prickling sensation she knew meant Fenris was near, drawing her staff, she cast a fireball to let him know she was there and ready. He came around the corner like a spirit, shrouded in the glow of the lyrium, he was as intimidating as ever. His eyes poured hatred, and for a moment she could not move, her fear was too great. From there, it went as she had rehearsed, complete with her body being knocked unconscious, bloody and transported to Darktown for healing.
As she began to wake up0, her first instinct made her mind blast the surrounding area. Anders' was taken off-guard by this and stumbled back for her to sit up, eyes flaring red with blood magic. The blond held his hands up to show her he meant no harm. And after she looked around, she calmed down and smiled nervously. "Sorry, old habits die hard. Did it work?" she asked, standing slowly. The elf really had done a number on her, and blood magic takes its toll. Her body was covered in bruises and blisters. She had interrupted the healing process far too soon.
"It did work, brilliantly in fact. The whole of Kirkwall is buzzing about the4 magister smited in Hightown. Word should reach the Imperium soon." He replied while moving back over to continue healing her. She was not accustomed to injuries, let alone serious wounds, it took some time, but afterwards she slid off the bench and thanked Anders before pulling up her hood and running out the door.
She was grateful it was dark, it made it easier to arrive at her destination unnoticed. Just as eerie as the rumors claimed it to be, The Black Emporium had an aura of old magic and pain. When greeted by Xenon her skin crawled. Her eyes caught hold of the object she was here to use, the mirror without a glass. To alter her appearance forever. She could not afford for any traveling magisters to see her. Shilei and Compaes were free, Tevinter Law dictated that. She smiled before running her hand over the side, coloring her hair a deep red, her eyes dark brown and cutting her hair short. She thanked Xenon for the use of the artifact and walked quickly to her room at The Hanged Man, put on some simple robes. People could know she was a mage, just not what caliber.
She walked out of the tavern with her new identity, she had decided to call herself Talia. She smiled, now the only thing she had to worry about was avoiding the Templars. She walked slowly to Hawke's mansion, they would need to know what she looked like now and Hawke was the only one who could call a meeting.
The dwarf Bodahn greeted her and went to get Hawke, it took only moments and Hawke nearly didn't see her when he got to the entryway. "Hello, Hawke. I came to thank you for your assistance, and to have you see my new self." She began once he locked eyes with her, suddenly realizing who she was. "Maker's breath, I would never have recognized you! So you found The Emporium? Wow! I suppose the others should see, one moment while I send the pigeons."
He disappeared for a long while and came back out of breath. "Had to call on Merrill myself." He said, just as the elf came in. She smiled wide when her eyes locked on the human. Not too long after, everyone else started showing up one by one. Anders came in, then Isabela, Varric and Fenris came in about the same time, leaving everyone waiting for Aveline and Sebastian. Aveline walked in maybe five minutes after the Chantry brother and as they gathered in, Hawke finally spoke up.
"All right, now that everyo9ne is finally here. I have an important announcement; if you can move your eyes to the woman sitting next to me," He began, and taking her cue to stand, did so. "This is the former magister Ritavia, come to make her new appearance known." He said, going to sit. She shook her head. "No need to dramatize it Hawke, I just wanted everyone to know what I looked like now. I have chosen to call myself Talia, so put that to memory. I procured a small job as a servant for Dulci de Launcet in Hightown, and aim to start a business selling runes in Lowtown in a couple years." She stated calmly, walking out of the mansion and into the night.