Hello everyone! So sorry for the late update, school and my novel have had me swamped. Thank goodness for summer breaks ^_^
As always, I do not own Dragon Age, that right belongs to Bioware.
Thank you, dominicgrim for your review, it's one of the reasons I haven't given up on this story. As long as one person reads it, it is all worth it.
I had fun re-reading my past chapters to get back in gear, and I'm so glad I actually wrote notes for once 0-0
Well, I hope you all enjoy this.
I
Music and the clinking of delicate glasses floated up from the ballroom. Euna sighed and pressed her pillow against her ears, trying to drown out the music and fake laughter. She rolled onto her side and glared at the flickering candle on her bedside table. "I hate these stupid parties." She mumbled. It seemed like every other night her grandfather threw a party for the nobles, and most were not the nice ones either. Her stomach grumbled and she tried to block out the savory scents of Orlesian Roasted Quail and Rivani stuffed calms.
This was not the first time her grandfather, Fausten, sent her away without supper. Today's reason was that she forgot to greet Messere Dumar and his wife before she ran upstairs. 'A lady must always be pious and a generous host; and a lady certainly does not run!' were his words. A soft knock interrupted her thoughts. Her door creaked open, casting a shadow on the opposite wall.
"Euphenia," Her mother whispered. Euna sat up as her mother closed the door behind her. "I brought you some cake." She crossed the room and offered the small dish, which the small hands took willingly.
"I hate grandpa's parties." Euna said in between bites. Her annoyance watered down by the clear delight in her eyes. Her mother chuckled.
"I know dear, I know. But you have to remember grandpa is a really important man."
"But why do they always have to be so noisy? I need my beauty sleep!" The six-year whined. Her mother studied the round face, golden in the candle light, her soft features and striking green eyes.
"You're beautiful enough for me." She said with a smile. "But I'll try to get them to calm down." She brushed aside the dark bangs and laid a kiss on her forehead. "I love you dear, sweet dreams."
"Goodnight, Mother." Just as her mother was about to leave, she spoke up "Mother when will Sam, Owen and Elissa and come home? They've been gone an awfully long time." Her mother seemed to hesitate. "I'm awfully lonely Mother. None of the other children want to play with me."
"They aren't coming back my darling. They live at the Gallows now."
"I don't like that place Mother, it's scary."
"That it is my sweet, now hush back to sleep."
"Can I go visit them Mother? I'm sure they miss me too."
"Goodnight dear."
"But Mother-" The door closed and Euna swore she heard her mother crying.
II
When she opened her eyes, it was not in her lush childhood bedroom but on a damp wood floor. The world seemed glued upside down and for a moment, she feared she was still in the Fade, nightmares intertwined within nightmares. She tried to get up and noticed her legs tangled in rough blanket on her cot. Yells permeated the thick, groaning wood letting her know it was probably morning or at least midday.
With numb, sleep cramped arms she tried to push herself up and failed. Her cheek smacking the floor with a wet 'plop'. A rat sat on its hind legs studying eyes with beady eyes. Its nose twitching, sniffing her wondering if she was edible. She blew in its face only causing it to blink. "Are you here to laugh at the mockery that is my life now? Or are you here to finish the job Mouse?" It did not answer. It took another quick whiff and dashed between some barrels. "I was talking to a mouse." Euna sighed, thinking how her life could not get any worse.
It had been years since she had dreamt of her mother. For the past year, only darkspawn and the Archdemon plagued her dreams. She emerged from below deck, the sky too bright and cloudless. The crew were scurrying about like ants and with energy she was envious of.
Waves crashed against the hull of the ship, and the air stank of the sea, un-bathed bodies and, strangely, of olives. Euna braced the side of the ship, and closed her eyes trying to distract her mind and nose. Her stomach churned as the ship fought its way through.
"Ye look to be a lil green, serah." One of the crew noted. He was middle-aged, his skin tanned from his days at sea. The wind blew at his salt and pepper hair, and brought the unyielding stench of fish. He and another of his workers heaved a large net upon the deck. With a wet plop, the net landed on the deck with the fresh haul of the sea. The fish wiggled and flopped helplessly as they suffocated. Their glassy eyes pleaded for mercy and their mouths worked relentlessly, trying to suck up the minuscule amounts of water with their gills.
"I uh don't go to sea that often." She admitted. The man let out a hearty laugh as he untangled the slopping mass of rope.
"That ye don't!" The sailor resumed his work, separating the fish into buckets. He yelled for aid and two young boys, no older than fourteen ran up. One disappeared below deck with two buckets while the other took a mop and began to swab the deck.
Euna left the scurrying sailors to their devices and ventured to the holding quarters. They should be arriving in the Free Marches soon.
"Oh Maker, I don't think I can take much more of this." She swallowed down her dinner as the ship gave another lurch. "How much longer?"
The man scrunched his eyes in thought, rubbing the scruff on his chin. "Usually we make good time in about two weeks but if the wind keeps up like this," he shrugged his shoulders, "maybe an extra three days or so." Her heart dropped. "It's only been four days, already lost your sea legs?" He chuckled and clapped her hard on the shoulder. She clung to the railing fearfully as her stomach lurched. Swallowing back the rising bile, she laid her head on the railing. Sprays of seawater felt cool against her face. The ocean seemed to expand forever, nothing to whichever side. "That's it." Euna could not take it anymore. With purpose, she marched on unsteady feet to the sleeping quaraters to collect her bag and Jowan.
"Going somewhere lassie?" A man was blocking her way at the bottom of the steps. She could barely make out his features in the dark.
"Yes now excuse me-" He shoved her back. The stairs dug into her back.
"No one leaves unless we say you can leave mage." The word was a curse on his lips, which curled back into a snarl. Euna could feel the pulsing of her stave on her back. Her fingers itched to hold the dragonbone, and whack the idiot in front of her.
"Listen, I don't want any trouble, but I won't hesitate to defend myself."
He sneered revealing his yellow teeth. The light in the room dimmed as two men clomped down the stairs.
"This is your last warning," she said as she stood up. Her voice had gone cold and the two men by the stairs stopped.
"Don't let her scare ye!" the man that had shoved her yelled.
"B-but she could turn us into frogs," one of the men whimpered. The other began to go back up the stairs.
"This ain't such a good idea, Bron."
Bron spat on the floor and lunged forward. Euna twirled her staff around and smacked him over the head. He stumbled to regain his balance.
"You dirty mage bitch-"
Euna thrust her staff into his face, it stopped a few breaths from his nose.
"That's right, I am a mage. I might not have your strength but I can burn you to ashes, I can trap you in your worst nightmare, or turn you into a toad and serve you to the rest of the crew. Now, serah, I advise you to reconsider your decision. You have three seconds to back down before I unleash my magic."
Her green eyes were calm and it was that calmness that freaked Bron out the most. She didn't care whether he lived or died. He gulped and called out to the men behind him.
"Lads...let's leave the mage alone."
"The name is Euphenia Amell, Grey Warden, the Hero of Fereldan." The men shook at her clear and commanding voice. "Now get out of my sight before I change my mind." The trio couldn't run up the stairs fast enough.
"Euna," Jowan emerged from the shadows. It was still unnerving how quiet he was. "I've made another poultice for you." He held out a vial with a dark green murky fluid. Euna bit back the urge to vomit.
"Jowan grab your things, we're leaving."
"We haven't yet arrived at our destination. It takes a minimum of two weeks to reach the Free Marches."
"Yes, I know that, but it seems like we are no longer welcomed here and I would like to sleep without one eye open."
Jowan nodded and shuffled back into the dark. He must have had eyes like a cat for moments later he held up both their satchels. They left to speak to the Captain of the vessel. Bron and the other two men kept their eyes down as if Euna would bewitch them with just her eyes. She explained to the Captain that she felt unwell and briefly described the incident below deck.
"My apologies, Warden," the Captain said.
"It's quite alright, but we best be off," she replied.
"But serah, this is the middle of the ocean."
Euna smirked, "tell your men not to be alarmed and they might want to step back." The Captain shouted for the men to clear the deck as Euna and Jowan stood in the middle of the big ship.
"I hope you aren't afraid of heights, Jowan."
"Fear is unnecessary," he said and stood still as she channeled her mana.
She had been practicing this particular spell for a while ever since the battle with Flemeth. She could feel her magic roll over her body and the elongating of her limbs. With a flash of light, Euna was gone and in her place was a violet dragon. She wasn't as large as Flemeth's dragon form, obviously she didn't want to harm the crew with her take-off. Euna's new form was slightly larger than her bear form. The crew screamed and cowered. Euna crouched down on the deck and Jowan pulled himself up by the spikes that ran down her head along the curve of her spine to her tail. She flapped her wings and jumped off the ship. For a second, the crew thought they had fallen into the sea, but as they inched toward the side of the ship, the dragon and her passenger, shot up into the sky.
I'm hoping for this to be one of my longer fics, because I have so much planned for it. Thankee-sai for making this far and I hope you'll stick with me until the end. Hope y'all have a great weak ^_^