Chapter 3: The Deep Roads P2! And Act 2 begins
(A/N: Sorry guys, I've been meaning to update, I got pretty into Dragon Age Inquisition, when I first played it, I laughed, I cried, mentally of course, and I felt like I was really doing something, Zen Trevelyan will be the Inquisitor for my DAI FF of when Luke gets to it, although you probably knew this from my Timeline FF, and Might I say…"The Dawn Will Come" is touching as a song, anyhow.)
Primeval Thaig: Three hours later.
(Luke's POV)
We had managed to get where we would need to, having defeated an ancient Rock-Wraith of Legend, with our medium sized band, I had done a decent amount of damage to the beast, with Dragoon Magic, this time, I had used Steel-Dynamite, and due to how often I used the move, I took less damage, well pus Bethany and Anders healed me at the right second, Hawke used his greatsword, Varric opened fire, Anders was using the technical-blood magic of what remained of Vengeance in him, and unleashed many, many spells, as Bethany sent fire-balls, and Winter's Breath at it.
We were in view of a mighty fortune, I looked to Cid who looked to Anders who looked at Charles, Charles looked to Beth and Beth looked at Varric, who said "Holy shit, that's a fortune."
The Hunger demon we met growled, and told us to only take the Key to get out, I and Cid looked to each other, and then to Varric. "Varric, could you?" We asked simultaneously.
Varric then shot the demon, and killed it. "Bianca says the treasure is ours." This in-turn led to a very small skirmish to call it a battle would be an insult.
And then, with that done, we stared at the hoard, and ran towards it, stuffing our pockets and bag full of it, Anders used magic to shrink it in-size, make it weigh less, than it did, enabling our greedy-selves to gather all but a tiny percentage of the fortune, we then stared at it, I took what was left, and yawned. As we were heading towards the way out, Bethany caught the Blight, and we followed Anders to find some Wardens, Stroud, was the leader of the group of Wardens, and after a brief been of discussion Bethany was taken by the Grey Wardens to survive the Blight.
Hawke was disappointed in himself, he might've been able to prevent it by leaving her at home, and I spent a good few minutes, consoling the Scion of the Hawke bloodline. I looked back only once at the Thaig, and smiled darkly, throwing a single Grenade at the path behind us, blowing parts of it to rubble, but mostly doing exactly what I expected, nothing.
Maybe two weeks went by before we finally returned to the surface, and I honestly only thought of shooting something as it was. A good arrow to the throat solved problems, but Hawke with a glare kept me in check, I did approve that he kept me in check, who knows what trouble I'd get into otherwise after all. Last thing I need is to be locked up away from Leliana and our unborn child.
Kirkwall Act 2
Not much has been happening as of late, it's been about three years since we arrived in Kirkwall, and just about as long since Tamlen Leo Mahariel was born, I figured I'd take care of his first name, while Leliana took care of his middle name. Things have gone well for Hawke, he's regained his mother's ancestral home, and he's growing fond of Merill, while it hurts, I approve, while Merill herself seems torn, she will be happier with a man who can love her without equal.
I however have been busy finding myself a job as a poisoner, a trap-maker, and grenade-maker; I've supplied a good few mercenaries in the area, dominantly the Red Iron, and a few smugglers, for cost plus three percent. The only catch, they bring me the ingredients to make it.
Tamlen doesn't quite understand why I work as much as I do, but he's young, he'll learn as he goes. Cid occasionally does come and visit his 'nephew' and Tamlen certainly enjoys the time spent with the man he considers his Uncle, as far as I know, Leliana spends most of her time taking care of our son. Anders' clinic has been pretty good lately as well; I've come to letting him stay at my little shop for free, since he's my healer.
In fact generally this is what's been happening as of late, and then Hawke came to chat, and things reverted to the old ways. "So Luke…I've been thinking of getting something nice for Merill any suggestions?" he asked.
"I'm not that good with gifting suggestions, but since she's Dalish, I'd say…probably a new staff, a long walk in a forest, and maybe a new robe." I'd say, not even looking up from a poison I was making, something of my own creation for my own use…or well not mine, but a friend who had gone under the name of Damascus Advent an assassin in Kirkwall, who killed only if the price was right…as well as no one else is harmed in the process of the kill in the first place.
Damascus Advent was also known to kill corrupt nobles, officials, and the like, and leaving a silver coin on the head of each and every person he killed, as a sort of calling card of his. To hire him, you need only enter the Hanged Man speak to Varric, Varric would take the coin to hire Damascus Advent and in turn would see to it that he got the job, and finished the hit.
It was actually in one such job that Damascus Advent had slipped into a house, ready to kill his sleeping target, a city-magistrate who was using his place to on the sly have funds transferred from the treasury to his own coinpurse. But instead the candles were lit, and ten guards surrounded him, blades and shields ready. "Damascus Advent you are under arrest for the murder of ten nobles, thirteen guardsmen, three shopkeepers, and two miners, what do you say in your defense?" Aveline asked the cloaked figured she could only assume was Damascus Advent.
All Damascus did was turn to look at her, and she saw two blood-red flaming eyes, nearly hidden by an ancient iron-mask, the sort Luke had access to, but never used. "Nothing will stop me from achieving my goal, guard-captain if you're wise, you will back the hell off, before I am forced to kill you as well." He said, in a voice nearly exact opposite of Luke's "violent" voice, this voice was cold, calculating, and almost old. "I would hate to kill a friend of a friend, but, I have no choice it seems. Oh wait…"
He smiled under the mask, jamming his blade into the target's throat, twisted the blade, and threw a very well-brewed smoke bomb, disappearing while the guards couldn't see. "Nice try but the Advent always has his plan B." and with that Damascus Advent was gone.
It wasn't even three hours later; that a guard patrol came to Luke's door, for questioning as the smoke-bomb had been of his own make, among the mask and other clues about Damascus Advent that led to Luke. "Luke Lycan Mahariel open up in the name of the Kirkwall Guard or be arrested for being Damascus Advent!" a guardsman said, knocking on the door semi-roughly.
"Luke, you've got friends." Charles said, looking out one of the windows of the house, being a good friend of Luke meant Charles got to stay for free, albeit Charles had been sort of depressed since Bethany became a Grey Warden.
"Blasted Maker's gold cutlery, what is it?" I all but growled out to the guardsmen at my own door, and I instantly went wide-eyed seeing the armed patrol. "…Come in, just hurry." I said, letting the guards inside my humble home, thanking silently both the Maker and the Creators for Tamlen being a heavy sleeper, and that Leliana had went to go do something before the patrol arrived.
"Luke Mahariel, you have a lot of explaining to do!" Aveline said, walking towards me. "You have the proper licenses to sell and create your wares, but one of your wares, a smoke bomb, was used in a Damascus Advent assassination job, care to explain how an assassin came across one of your smoke bombs?"
I would get up, heading to his logbook, which I kept in my travel bag, when not at work, and would check the logs, utterly confused as to who had bought one of my smoke bombs; something I hadn't made an order for it, in some time. "No one has bought one of them in nearly a year…are you sure it was one of my own?" I asked, confused.
"We're sure, you're the only one who sells smoke bombs in Kirkwall, and most are usually only good for a few days." Aveline said, sadly.
"You think…I did it?" I asked, looking up slowly, somewhat shocked by the turn of events, and unable to comprehend how anyone got a hold of one of my smoke bombs, especially when I hadn't made one in almost a year. Sure mine were good, but they had an expiration date, of about three weeks. "Something seems wrong here." I said, before Aveline could give her honest opinion of if I did it or not.
"I will give my opinion after you explain more Luke, what seems wrong?" Aveline asked, as her guards got semi-comfortable, a few leaving at her orders.
"I have not made a smoke bomb in nearly a year, I swear. My own cannot possibly survive a year. I've been careful about making them with a date that they'll be useless, of three weeks. I did note recently some of my ingredients, that I kept for my own use, or for Hawke and company, has been going missing as of late. I didn't think much of it, but I suppose someone could in theory be mimicking my process enough to make my smoke bombs, somehow.
"Now, that worries me, as my ingredient book is kept under lock and key, and I'm the only one with a key, I've designed it to be nigh impossible to pick, I've tried myself, and only broke most of my picks in the process, and I made the damn thing after all. Who has a grudge against me; so much they'd not only break into my shop, but steal my key, and return it afterwards?" I asked.
"Not many are foolish enough, but this sounds convenient so far." Aveline said. "Like you've planned this to happen if you were caught, assuming you are Damascus Advent."
"Oh Maker damn it, I did not do it! I've been at home all day now. I can't be Damascus even if I was, come on Aveline; you've heard the tales of my exploits, why would I resort to being a blade for hire to kill? I'm rich, I'm selfish yes, but I am not an assassin. I don't even have a motive to kill any of DA's targets in any way or form." I said, getting up. "If you think I did it. Go get a warrant for my arrest then, but do not use this against me, if it is possible I'm innocent, or I will personally send a complaint about the guards harassing me, to the Viscount.
"Do I make myself as clear as I can possibly be, Aveline?" I asked.
"Yes Luke, but don't think this isn't over yet." Aveline replied, getting up, and leaving with her guards.
"Oh I know it is not over yet, and I'm sure Damascus Advent is using us both to further his own ends!" I replied, and shut my door, going back to my seat, and collapsing in it.
"That was nice, very nice Luke. Make it look like you did something wrong by threatening to send a complaint to Viscount Dumar." Charles said.
"Yeah, I'll regret it in the morning when I see a warrant for my arrest, or who knows what they'll do…" I said, with a sigh. "If I do get arrested, my friend, find Damascus and prove my innocence…please."
"I will, I promise." Charles replied before heading to his room to sleep, and I found myself getting up and heading to my own bedroom as it is, tired from the ordeal of being accused of being an assassin with only a smoke bomb, as proof. Course I stopped to check my trophy room, and gaped, seeing one of my Skyrim Dragon Priest Masks missing, its display case smashed open, by brute force, of course normally I'd not be utterly worried, but Krosis was missing, my favorite, and arguably the best for Alchemy, Archery and Lockpicking of the Dragon Priest Masks.
"That's not good…" I said, and checked around the Trophy room, finding absolutely nothing to identify the person who stole from me, and knowing how my luck was Aveline might assume I did this too, to cover my tracks, I know she doesn't believe it's me, but she has to look through all the clues, and all the possibilities to find the truth in the end.
End of Chapter three
(A/N: So…any theories on who Damascus Advent is? Why is he/she trying to get Luke locked up? I'd like to hear other peoples' theories on this rather than guess what people would like to see happen next. If anyone's curious, I will list Damascus as male, to make my life easier, but it can be either gender in reality. Who even knows all of Luke's stories, enough to know which mask to steal? Well…that could be quite a few people granted.)