I may not know my real name. I don't even know who my parents are. 36 years after Divine Victoria's coronation my family left me as a baby at the front door of the Divine's chantry. One of the clerics, of Orsai I believe, wanted to just leave me at an orphanage or at the monastery. The Divine was not allowed to have children, at least not the Divine of every one in Thedas that's not Parvolin or Venitori. Divine Victoria was not always known as so. To some she used to be known as The nightingale, sister Liliana, Liliana, or the left hand of the Divine. She was the left hand to both Divine Justinia before her and Divine Beitris before her. She was kind to me as a child. She took me in, raised me, and taught me no matter what the people or the clerics thought. She knew I was special. She told me so. And she was right. But who would want to even remotely know someone like me. I'm a monster. To most people anyway. I'm not human. Not completely anyway. I may be mostly human. But that's judging by my appearance. I'm part Qunari, which is like a buff man with horns but with the entire race, part elf, part dwarf, and somehow part spirit. Divine Victoria is the only one I have told. She is having me become a grey warden. A grey warden is someone who can truly end the blight. They have to be the one to kill the archdemon. I guess I'm about to find out why.
Chapter 1
Leaving home
" Levellen please calm down" Victoria said. She had just told me I was to become a warden and as you can tell I wasn't taking it very well.
" I have dreams enough as it is. From what I hear they will only make them worse" I said pacing back and forth.
" Look child. I have a theory. If I'm right this won't affect you at all." She said. So I went. I didn't want to go but I went.
AT WIESSIPUT HOME OF THE GREY WARDENS.
I walked out of the carriage and looked around. " WOW. This place is amazing." I whispered. I walked up to the stone door and knocked. It opened up and a small blonde with a few grey hairs head popped out.
" Hello. Who sent you? " he asked.
" the nightingale sent me. And you are" I replied.
" Alistair. I'm sorry. We haven't had a new recruit in years" and he lead me inside. It was a normal place. Stone dinning table but it was at least a good 500 yards long and 10 yards wide.
" How many wardens live here" I asked.
"Not very many but they all come down for every other holiday" he replied.
"So is anyone else here"
"not right now. It's just going to be you and me for another week at least. Then the mages will be here to prepare for your orientation I guess you would call it" he explained. Then he lead me up a flight of stairs into a room. It was a nice room. If your into rainbows and unicorns that is. "So do you like it" he asked.
"I don't know. It so PINK"
"yeah sorry about that. You can come look at this other room but that's all we have left that no one has dibs on" he said in an adorable sad puppy voice.
" question. Are you doing that on purpose"
"what on purpose"
" the sad puppy voice"
"oh was I doing that again. Thank you for telling me I thought I fixed it. Ignore it when I do that."
"Okay. Yeah this is my kind of place" I said as I walked into the other room. A blue bed , blue chairs, blue table, blue everything. I definitely was calling dibs. Alistair stood there and laughed.
Chapter 2
The empress
It's been a month since the joining. Which is what Alistair ment by orientation. I had to drink blood from a darkspawn I had to kill. Not easy I tell you. The killing the darkspawn part anyway. The weird part is that the joining didn't affect me at all. Normally they pass out choking and have strange dreams or dy. I didn't do either. I knew Liliana thought I was special but I never wanted to be. Being her left hand, her daughter, and her spymaster was good enough for me. Apparently I have to low of standards. Soon they are sending me to Orlai to work with the empress Celene. She needs a spymaster and a mage. Ill just happen to fill both positions. I hear Orlai is all politics though. And I hate politics. My worst subject. But Alistair is letting me pack the room I stayed in. I feel bad for him. I would ask if he could come with me but I would feel like I'm asking him out for some odd reason. Eh ill ask him anyway.
" Hey Alistair" I shouted
" yep"" would you like to come to Orlai with me"
" your kidding me right"
"no not really. I figured you might understand politics a little more than me. I meant no offence"
" it's not offensive. No one ever asks me to go anywhere. Sure ill come. Let me go pack a few things first. Oh and be careful. Now I'm really glad Divine Victoria asked for her friend ambassador Josephine Montilia to come. Your not the only one who must learn or 're learn rather how to be proper." He replied. I threw all my stuff over my shoulders and walked down the stairs to the front door. A few minutes later Alistair walked up. " left a note for the other wardens. I just hope none of them came to drag me back" he said.
A FEW WEEKS LATER WHEN THEY ARE IN ORLAI
Dresses and heels suck. I'd rather be a man right now. Alistar's formal outfit looks way more comfortable than foresty weed like dress and paper front stilt back shoes.
"Hey Alistair. Ill trade you shoes when we sit down"I whispered.
"Gladly. You are tall enough as it is. And you look like you may topple over." He replied.
" Yeah graceful isn't my middle name when it comes to female formal clothing." As soon as we sat down we traded each other shoes. His were bloody wonderful relief compared to those monsters they call shoes. Then Celene walked in. I bounced out of my chair, then bowed. " Empress. It's an honor" I said.
"But child, the honor is mine. Your escort may leave now."
"No offense majesty but he's not my escort. He's my mentor" I said in Alistar's defense.
"Oh my apologizes sir. I did not know she was still training" Celene said.
"Technically she's not. She just has a few nicks and Kats that I need a few months to make sure don't happen with her. Her being a new initiate and a odd one at that but still one of the best." He said.
"So what exactly do you teach for initiates"
"mainly fighting, templar, and champion skills. But this one right here is the first skyscraper that has ever joined the wardens" he said bragging.
" So Levellen what are you studying currently?" Celene asked me.
"I'm currently studying spirit magic" I replied.
"You know that is what Morigan's son is studying right now. He just started I believe" she said.
"Um I don't mean to sound rude but how old is this Morigan? "Alistair asked.
"29 tomorrow. Why?"
"Oh I've been looking for someone with the name. She would be around that age now I think. Yeah she would"
"what does yours look like"
"tall stubborn. Long black hair. Gold with silver flecks eyes."
" you in love kid"
"no. She is my niece. I've been looking for her for a while to tell her something. A family matter. I never thought she would come here. She isn't a fan of money"
"I noticed. She never buys anything new unless little Dorian out grows something" she said giggling.
"Oh dear me. Look at the time. I have a meeting to get to. The study room is down the hall to the left for magic. The servants put your things in your rooms. Just ask one of them where they are if you wish to go to them. I will speak with both of you later" she said and left.
"Well I'm going to go look into some studying. Don't want to blow myself up in my sleep." I said and hightailed my butt back there.
I had just gotten into a bookshelf with books for nothing but demons and spirits. I picked up a big book and heard the library door open. Then a boy about my age, maybe a little older, came up beside the aisle way. "Oh I apologize. I was just heading to a table. Parden me" I said sliding out from between him and the shelves.
" No it was my fault. Who are you if I might ask" the boy said.
"Levellen. And you are"
"Dorian. Levellen, like inquisitor Levellen who ended corypheous and helped my grand fathers mother"
"no. I don't know who my parents are. 36 years exactly, after Divine VictoriA's coronation my parents left me at the front door of her chantry. She took me in and raised me. 2 months ago she sent me to become a grey warden because I was having these dreams and here I am" I said. Then I wondered why I even told him. I haven't even told Alistair about any of that yet.
" So what are you studying?"
"Spirit magic why?"
"Can you make any sense of it" Dorian asked shyly, and almost like he was embarrassed.
" do you need help"
"yes please. My mother would kill me if I asked her for help. And I am very confused"
"all magic is going to start out a little confuzelling"
"confuzelling"
"one of my weird words that I use. It just shows how much I don't fit in I guess"
"so spirit magic. Question one. How does a good spirit become a bad spirit?"
" okay in the book it says that if you summon a spirit but use it for something that isn't in their nature then they become a demon. Think of it like this. Let's say someone summoned a spirit of wisdom but used it for battle. They would turn into their opposite when they become a demon. A spirit if wisdom would become a spirit of rage. A spirit of justice would turn to vengeance. See what I'm saying"
"your really smart. You know that"
"well if she doesn't she should. Hey I didn't brag on you intentionally. I was running my trap again" Alistair said.
"Don't sweat it old man" I said and gave him a high five for his sake.
"See you at 4 for practice in the court yard"
"yep" and he headed off.
"Who is that" Dorian asked suspiciously.
"my mentor Alistair"
"you two are close. But just how close"
"friends. Maybe family. But nothing more. He's not my type if that's what your asking"
"and what is your type"
"out of the ordinary"
"oh really. Your an odd one you"
"why thank you. Know do you get the hole concept of spiritual magic"
"thanks to you. What are you even doing in here"
"I study, and double check things just to make sure".
CHAPTER 3
It's been 5 years since I became a warden, started living with the empress of Orlai, and have seen Liliana. I miss her. Alistair is Dorian's uncle apparently. That was a little weird when I found that out. I have a crush on my mentors nefew. Imagine that. Imagine me having a crush on anyone. But we've recently both graduated from the circle of magi. So no more schooling for me anyway. I don't know about him. But now that I have graduated Mistress Celene has announced my existence to the public. But she calls me wander. Everyone who has met me that isn't close to me already did. But in private Celene calls me Saffire. The servants all call me flaming gemstone because I always try to help them and give them a break and every time I hear someone call an elvahen serpent knife ears I get really pissed off and beat the c rap out of them. But now that I've graduated Celene wants me to go by my little nickname. "Go wander. Go out there and do some wandering or exploring or whatever you in particular call it". Alistair took Morigan with him back to the home of the grey wardens. That is actually my first stop. But Dorian wants to come with me. I'm not sure how this trip will go but what the hell. I'm willing to try anything right now.
"So. Back when you were still living with the Divine what was she like?" Dorian asked.
"She was kind and stubborn. She had more enemies than most divines ever did. And she wasn't born in the chantry. She came by choice. She never believed she would become the Divine. I'm not going to go into any details Dorian. I made an oath when I was still her left hand"
"what does a left hand of the Divine do exactly"
"what are your hands capable of? Cassandra and I extended her reach beyond the chantry. Most people thought I was the daughter of some random nobleman who came to the chantry every day. Minus some of the clerics life was pretty good back then"
"you wish you hadn't left don't you"
"no I don't. If I hadn't I wouldn't have met you or Alistair or Morigan or Celene or the elvahen servants or be able to raid your library every once in a blue moon." I said.
"Really. So if I asked you to dinner sometime would you except"
"that would depend"
"depend on what"
"on what side of Dorian is asking"
"what does that mean"
"what type of mood your in when you ask"
"ohhhhh. Well now don't I feel like a jackass."
"Youve kind of been one all day"
"how so"
"if your going to check someone out Dorian learn to make sure they arnt watching you"
"how was I checking you out."
"You were staring in all the wrong places. They have visible hair for a reason you know"
"your such a tomboy you know that"
"hey at least I'm not rubbing all over you like that blonde in the last town. And I'd rather be a tomboy than anything else that requires a girl" I replied.
"ppppll" he said rolling over into his sleeping bag.
"Good night pluff ball"
"goodnight gemstone of death".
We got up early the next morning so we could make it to the home of the wardens soon and I could get rid of Dorian faster. No one, not even I, understands Dorian except Morigan. I'm thinking if I ask her what I should say is better off then letting my head do all the talking.
