Alim Surana was waiting in his 'room' anxiously for his chance to flee the Gallows and escape the Circle in Kirkwall before he was made Tranquil. His room was more like a cell, the walls and floor made of cold, hard stone and the entrance barred from the outside.

He had seen plenty of his friends and fellow mages be made Tranquil, and it horrified him. They had no emotions at all. It was almost like they weren't even alive anymore. He had overheard two templars talking about Meredith making every mage Tranquil, mentioning that the plan originated with Ser Alrik, who had been murdered a few weeks ago. That's when they mentioned that Alim was next in line for it. It scared him to death, the thought of becoming an emotionless, unthinking being who had no chance of becoming normal ever again. He had to escape tonight or he would never escape at all.

He had few belongings beside his robes and staff; an amulet he had since childhood, a few books, several ancient tomes, and a dozen ancient Tevinter scrolls. He would only be able to take his amulet, which looked like half of it was missing, split perfectly down the middle with a design that was half complete, almost as if it was supposed to be combined with another amulet that mirrored it. He had tried as hard as he could to figure out what the design could mean, though he never found anything.

A knock at the door and he jumped to his feet, walking over to see who was there. He looked through the slit in the door and saw a man, dressed in robes that had black feathers on the shoulders. The man had blonde hair that came back behind his head into a ponytail and stubble on his chin which was the same color. He also had a staff strapped to his back, indicating that he was a mage.

"I'm here to get you out," the man whispered, checking his surroundings to make sure no one else was around.

"Thanks," Alim replied, relieved that he was finally leaving.

"Don't thank me yet. We still need to get out of here."

"How?"

"You'll see. First I need to get you out of that cell."

Alim nodded and took a few steps back as the man forced the door open motioning for him to follow quietly.

They made their way out into the main courtyard of the Gallows and Alim looked around. The Gallows was intimidating during the day, but at night it was downright spooky. There were shadows everywhere, shrouding certain areas in complete darkness. He half-expected templars to pounce them any second.

He looked back toward the man he had been following, and saw him lift up several stones in a corner that was shrouded in darkness to the point that he had to strain his eyes to make out what he was doing. He walked over and the man moved one last stone, revealing a hole that was just big enough for one person to make it through. The man motioned for him to climb down the hole, which he did. He looked up to see the man moving the stones back into place above them.

He got to the bottom and looked around. It was pitch black, nothing to see. He summoned a light from his hands and lit up the area as the man ended up next to him. He looked to the man, asking, "Who exactly are you anyway?"

"I'm Anders," he replied, moving ahead.

Alim followed suit. "Are you with the mage resistance?"

He noticed Anders wince. "The resistance was attacked a couple of weeks ago. Most of them died or were captured, but some were able to get away. They fled Kirkwall. I'm all that's left."

"Oh… I… hadn't heard that."

"Figures. Blasted templars…"

Alim thought he saw a flash of blue light appear from Anders' face and certain areas on his skin, but it vanished so quickly that he assumed that he was seeing things.

"Was there any reason why the templars were going to make you Tranquil?" Anders asked.

The question caught him by surprise, as he wasn't expecting it. He thought back to the conversation he overheard and didn't remember the templars mentioning why he was going to be made Tranquil. "I don't know. No one said anything to me about it. I wouldn't have even known about it if I didn't overhear it."

"I wish I could say that is strange, but it has been happening more and more frequently."

"I know. Most of my friends were made Tranquil…"

Anders paused for a second. "I'm… sorry. I know what that feels like."

"Yeah…"

They continued walking in silence, eventually coming out of the tunnel into Darktown.

Alim looked around. There was dirt and filth everywhere and the air was filled with a stench he couldn't even begin to describe. He saw no one in the immediate area, though he spotted a man sleeping on the ground some distance away.

Anders tapped his shoulder with some type of bag and he turned around to look at it. It was large, and looked like it had something soft inside of it. "Take this. There's some clothes and a pouch of sovereigns inside. Spend it wisely and get out of Kirkwall."

He took the bag, looking at Anders quizzically. "Where should I go?"

Anders was quiet for a moment. "Fereldan. Go to Vigil's Keep and ask to see Warden-Commander Neria. She'll help you stay away from the templars."

"'Warden-Commander'? A Grey Warden?"

"Yes. I know her. She will be glad to help you."

"How do you know her?"

Again, Anders went silent. "I can't tell you. The less you know, the better."

A twinge of annoyance hit him upon hearing that. He had been told the same thing by the templars too many times to count.

"I suggest that you get rid of your staff and robes. They'll make you a target if you keep them."

He glanced over his shoulder to his staff, which he had gotten a few months ago. He had grown attached to it, having it with him all the time. The thought of letting it go upset him, but he knew that Anders was right. It would make him a target. He nodded, reluctantly, and Anders nodded back before adding, "You have to leave before morning. There's a ship at the docks that will be able to take you to Fereldan, but you have to pay them the sovereigns I gave you."

"I don't know how to get to the docks," Alim admitted. He had never been outside the Gallows before, though that wasn't by choice.

Anders was silent once again. "I'll take you to it then. Get changed and we can go."

He nodded and Anders turned the other way as he pulled off his robes and pulled on a brown tunic and grey trousers that were located in the bag. He grabbed his robes and staff and walked over to a nearby ledge. Reluctantly, he tossed them, watching his robes float down and his staff hit several rocks before shattering. He winced, knowing that he was going to miss it a lot.

He turned around and saw Anders looking at him, a sympathetic look on his face. "Lets go," he said motioning Alim to follow. He grabbed the bag as they headed towards Lowtown, watching behind them to make sure they weren't being followed.


A couple hours later, they made it to the docks, finding a ship waiting there. The docks were filled with crates, and smelled of fish. There was no one around, which only made Alim nervous.

They approached the ship, which was fairly large. It had a single mast, its sail rolled up at the top. It was longer than the pier it was tied to, and the deck was several feet above it. They walked up the ramp and boarded the ship, Anders knocking on the cabin door.

After a pause, the door opened, revealing a grizzly looking man standing in front of them. The man, probably the captain, had short black beard and long brown hair that made it halfway down his neck as well as several scars crisscrossing his face.

Alim tensed up, he didn't know had to act around this man and he had no idea how well Anders knew him.

"Yeah?" the captain asked, glancing at Alim.

"He needs to get to Fereldan," Anders explained, jerking his thumb towards Alim. "As soon as possible."

The captain looked toward Alim, seeming to size him up. "He got any coin?"

Alim lifted up the bag in his hand and opened it up, reaching in to grab the pouch of sovereigns inside. He handed it to the captain, who snatched and untied it, emptying the contents into his palm. Alim noticed the captain smile as he looked at the coins before clasping his hand around them and shoving them into his pocket.

"We'll leave immediately." The captain walked between them, heading for a staircase that lead below the ship's main deck. Alim heard shouting as the captain woke his men before he noticed that Anders was no longer next to him. He looked around before seeing him walking back down the ramp.

"Where are you going?" Alim asked, confused.

Anders stopped and turned his head before replying, "I've got to get back into hiding. I have… unfinished business." Alim saw another flash of blue, Anders seeming to wince. What was that?

Anders turned around and walked away when Alim felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned his head to see the captain looking at him, a slight smile on his face. "Follow me. I'll show you to your bunk." Alim nodded, following the captain below deck.