Bard of Orlais
Author's notes: Hello all and welcome to a new chapter focused on the present, Cruz will be taking a backseat for just a while I sort out how things will play out in the future.
Update: The chapters from now will cover Haven, the Storm Coast looking for Grey Warden presence, then the build up to the mage-templar questline.
But first, a little OC perspective is in need to be played, enjoy this chapter which is a rather fast exploration of the character known as Sparrow.
Disclaimer: OC all mine, Bioware owns the franchise and all major characters and side ones mentioned.
The battle was over as soon as it began.
A few swordsmen were cut down by the blades crafted by spirits, the remaining men shivering as the men lifted their hoods which obscured their faces the sight of seeing their full form was one of awe and fright.
Men in armor, with shoulder guards snugly fitting the caps of their broad shoulders and coats of thick leather sewn with no ornamented chest plates with metal skirts, each of them containing a sigil which had the Sword of Mercy but something was different. The sigil held no sign of the flames which symbolized the fire of the Maker, instead much to my surprise was that the Sword was tilting with a blue sun behind it plastered on the metal shine…these were Templars, but their demeanor was not sinister.
The Templars didn't care, they charged their new foes calling on the name of the Maker to strengthen their sword arms but to no avail as the men with the blue sigils sheathed the blades by simply making them vanish in thin air, and they immediately stretched out their hands. And then the flames, the blue fire that consumed them with the screams…
Thirty men were burned in the fires, and I knew it was magic they performed. But that couldn't be, Templars performing magic along with their already innate abilities to resist it? Records in the Chantry and the Templar order were clear that lyrium was made to help bolster resistance, but this has led me to believe that lyrium is more complex than ever before.
-an excerpt from A Chantry scholar's exploration of Lyrium, found on a body with tattered clothing stuffed with red lyrium in its mouth
Redcliff Castle, Main Hall
"Magister Khali, what a surprise that you of all people would be visiting the Ferelden wastelands on important business," Khali narrowed her eyes at the familiar voice the young woman in her late 20's facing the doorway which had opened inviting the source of the voice to enter, the magister feeling the metal of her staff cackle much like the fireplace that was burning brightly illuminating the room alongside the small torches on the braziers giving the man a sinister look to his calm face. The female magister leaned lightly on her staff, the woman feeling her blonde shoulder length hair brush and bristle as the tension in the air began to seep in her tanned skin shrouding her body from much visibility alongside her greyish robes which reached to her thighs, the magister tapping her leather boot as she eyed the man cautiously. In two rows beside her were six men dressed in horned helmets with visors covering their heads giving them an ominous look to them though the four men at her side as her escorts showed hardly any fear in regards to the odds of the footsoldiers, Khali eyeballing the nearest to her side with some interest as the armor hid all expressions to her stare.
"Magister Alexius the Imperium does hold interest in the South, given recent rumors of chaos has given the Tevinters the most unexpected oral pleasure to repeat to themselves in their Magisterium. I am simply being dragged out here to speak with you on your business and leave as quickly as I can so to avoid the smells, I wonder how you adjust." Khali crinkled her nose much to the amusement of Alexius as the aged man shared a chuckle at that, his hand waving away the air. "Haha, true to the word I have had to admit to an extra bath…"
"You tease."
"I do try, so what can I do for you my lady?" Alexius kindly asked, Khali loosening her hand on the staff as she gestured to one of her guards who produced a parchment out of his robe to give to Khali the magister opening up the seal to read while holding a bored face at the contents. "Like I said, it was to get some answers from you about the business in the South, it's the usual drawl but I will skip the boorish praises."
"Please do, I think I had enough of that back home with their sneers." Alexius agreed quickly, his fingers folded against each other as he sat on the throne gesturing with his hand to continue while Khali read out the proclamation. "Well, the Imperium is mostly asking on progress with the mages in the South which you have recruited and whether they are still cooperative instead of being hard to rein, and that is about it besides the compliments and more insults about Ferelden nobility."
"Meaning it is the usual drawl, I suppose." Alexius commented dryly as Khali nodded in sympathy which the man took acceptingly, his hand relaxing onto the armrests as he leaned forward in his throne. "Fiona one of the major leaders of the mage rebellion have bolstered the numbers of willing mages to join with Tevinter, a masterstroke of timing where options were desperately limited for her and her mages. I believe having the major leader of the rebellion will result in more deserters coming to Redcliffe and bolster the numbers further if they aren't already enough to be useful. Our soldiers are also quietly scouting the Ferelden landscape no doubt to be useful when Tevinter does finally decide to take its rightful place as this lands' owners, though we have mages speaking of freedom from the Imperium running amok causing chaos for both our forces and the Templars."
"I see, that is rather good to hear despite all the other news…and what of the apostates and blood mages?"
"Definitely too much trouble as of now, they are constantly harassing our forces and we mostly put them down…too rabid and festering outside of their leashes have taught them to respect no authority including those of the Imperium so as you can see we are indeed performing better than expected." Alexius proudly proclaimed as Khali nodded in satisfaction, the magister rolling up the parchment as she handed it to one of the robed men who stashed the message into his cloak before the magister bowed in respect to Alexius, the older man returning the polite gesture in kind.
"Thank you for the fine report, Tevinter is no doubt about to push demands for those mages to be shipped to them as quickly as possible…you chose a good place to start."
"Indeed, Redcliffe is said to be impenetrable by the Fereldens who occupy this land, we shall soon put that theory of defense to the test in the near future hopefully against them instead." Alexius gave the magister a sneer to which the woman shot back a sly look in agreement, the mage turning to walk out of the main hall with her escort who bowed to Alexius in respect before leaving Alexius to his thoughts, the mage waiting until the group had exited the hall and the doors shut behind them. Turning to a nearby soldier, the magister gestured for the man to approach him as the older man placed a hand on his chin before he gestured to the doors where the party had left through with narrowed eyes of suspicion.
"Get a party of trackers to watch them and dispose of them, I don't want the Tevinters to find out about the operation that we are carrying out…Magister Khali is not a woman to simply invite to your fortress and expect her to do nothing, if the Imperium wishes to send her it is due to something important, find out what it is and get the trackers to report back to me immediately once word arrives," Alexius ordered sternly his countenance changing to a more grave and serious demeanor as the captain of the forces bowed before exiting the room ready to carry out his new set of orders while the magister rose from his seat, the old man patting the fabric off his clothes of non-existent dust. As he did so, the side door opened to reveal another soldier meeting Alexius who looked at the new arrival with a raised eyebrow at the man before a scroll was handed down to Alexius the magister opening the letter reading the contents carefully.
"So the demon was successful?"
"Yes, the message was delivered to the Inquisitor on the way back from Val Royeaux, they will consider the offer at best."
"Good, good…keep it that way, at least we have the Inquisition's attention now the plan can go smoothly, either way the Master will have his troops."
With Khali 14 days after, Northern Ferelden
"So this is the fabled Keep of the Wardens," Khali spoke with a loss of breath as she eyed the large arch which represented the gates to the large fort in the mountains, the snow falling in its full swing as the robed men did not move an inch their cloaks hiding all movement as the five observed the keep with keen eyes and sharp interest for the magister who was looking appreciatively at the stone walls. "The masonry is well done, hardly a dent too in the walls and towers though such damages can be fixed in time."
"Magister the walls are old but sturdy and the tower up there is still intact, all in all a suitable fortress for our needs in the meantime," one of the bodyguards inputted into the observation, his eyes scanning the horizon of the fort with interest. "We can carve out a cave system here too to give us the advantage if we so pleased as a way to escape, this was used in a last stand with no way out after all."
"Well either way the information was correct. We've found the fort and we can set up a small outpost until more of the main force arrives. Men, we set up camp here. Our contact should be arriving-"
"Mistress, look out!" Khali hardly managed to react when one of her escorts drew a knife from his chest beneath the cloak throwing the weapon from his hand as Khali turned her head to the woods nearby where the whistle of the projectile landed with a sickening thud along with the strangled cries of a man followed suit just as the magister saw an armored figure fall onto the snow his hand outstretched before life left his body, the other three men immediately spurning into action as each men drew out a piece of obsidian in their hands standing ready against the intruder who was about to descend on them, Khali immediately raising her staff forming a spell underneath her cloak in response before her eyes caught sight of four other soldiers in the same armor as the fallen one's their swords drawn and readied against the five. Khali was about to demand what this was about before her inquisitive eyes caught the sight of horned helmets standing proudly in a glint, the figure of one foot soldier stumbling into view raising his sword at the party of five as Khali gritted her teeth her mind beginning to connect the dots.
"Alexius…that damn bastard has sent friends, kill them!" She ordered as the four figures immediately rushed at their nearest targets, the first of the small hunting party were caught off guard as bright yellowish light protruded out of their armor, the four immediately descending on the remaining ten who were found over the small hill in the middle of the snow facing problems of their own. Khali moved to her position too, her hand casting a greenish circle around the four as they charged into the small party, the magister rolling out of the way to avoid a fireball thrown her way as she glared hissing at the spellbinder who was charging another spell hastily.
"You have orders men: eliminate the magister and her compatriots for Alexius!" The spellbinder announced as he casted a line of fire sigils on the ground, the four men engaging the eight soldiers with three shield bearers in their ranks charging at the shieldless men. Khali deflected a fireball with her staff as magical energy formed a barrier protecting her as the second man intervened, drawing on the ice spirit in his book to throw several icicle shards the attack penetrating her barrier earning a growl from the blonde woman as she disappeared into the wind, but not to gain distance.
"Shit, throw the runes quickly!" The spellbinder told his partner, the second man not waiting to be killed as they threw a triangular set of runes around them protecting them from direct attack as Khali used her magic to throw a barrier below her, the rune acting out its intended purpose as ice spears began to pierce the barrier the impact being manipulated by Khali who took the time by their shock, firing a sharp flash of flame at one of the spellbinders smirking as the man failed to project his barrier in time allowing the fire to lick at his robes.
"Damnit!" Shouting in rage, the spellbinder fled in a paper trail gaining distance as he formed his barrier again with proper precision firing a few more fireballs as the second spellbinder retreated to assist his comrades who were struggling against the four men wielding spirit blades, three more men falling to the blades of the Fade as the four ducked and weaved away from the three shielded gladiators who were defending well against them. Khali didn't waste time as she disengaged from the fight briefly throwing a barrier on two of her men before she used her staff to create a torrent of protective winds blasting the icicle shards that were preventing her from reaching the men as the spellbinder laughed.
"Not this time."
With the four bodyguards
The Teveinter soldiers were underprepared for the swinging blades of magic, the four each cutting their target mercilessly as Khali began to engage the two spellcasters in charge of the group allowing each one to fend off the remaining with more confidence, the group of eight readying themselves against the four attackers.
"The Venatori and Alexius send their regards, dogs!" The captain of the group sneered as the three gladiators raised their shields charging at the four, the foot soldiers following suit as they surrounded the four figures their hands still holding onto the gleaming spirit blades, the Venatori grunts advancing on them in all directions. But the result wasn't the case.
"Barriers!" A woman's voice called out amongst the four as the other three figures nodded, the fourth figure slamming a hand on the ground feeling the frosty snow invade her palms before a wave of force blew the men off their feet the three bodyguards acting quickly to dispatch several men with knives before the shielded guardians recovered from the blow, the center man quickly charging at one of the bodyguards knocking him to the ground as one of the cloaked figures moved to the defense of the fallen man, swiping the sword at the guardsman's arm earning a cut and scream from the Venatori.
"Get off him you bastards." The woman raised her spirit blade to meet the soldier before the warrior shuddered, the gurgling sound being heard as he fell forward a knife embedded in his back, the woman looking at the dead Venatori confused as to what happened when two more figures appeared from behind the fallen soldier.
"Looks like you needed help, the reinforcements are here."
With Khali
"You're tiring, can't keep up with a magister?" Khali taunted as the spellbinder growled, throwing several runes while keeping her busy with fireballs and slowly trapping the magister into a corner, the man biding his time as Khali lifted her staff pounding it into the snow to disperse some of the runes to give her more room.
"I am one of Alexius' most trusted mages, I won't be easily goaded." The magic user said as he threw another fireball throwing a set of runes before Khali moved away in a burst of spirit energy towards the spellbinder, the man already readying his barrier. "Got you, you little bitch-what?"
Whack!
The spellbinder's face of utter perplexity soon gave way to the end of Khali's staff smashing hard against his cheek, the force of the blow sending the magic user reeling back to his right before Khali coldly raised her hand drawing upon the stray magical energy she had been absorbing from the dispelled magical runes before she expelled it into a steady stream of flames, the spellbinder was unable to escape being burned alive this time as the book he held began to cackle and burn along with his flesh the man screaming in terror before he was charred completely red Khali releasing the magic as she waved her hands in the cold air the fire's heat warming the ground around her considerably.
"That takes care of that, stop throwing out runes when you know you're about to give a seasoned mage more energy to manipulate to their advantage against you," she chided before the whistle of arrows sounded behind her, the woman turning to notice that the other spellbinder had fallen victim to the small barrage of arrows alongside the other Venatori warriors, the shielded men being pressed on all sides ended their chance for retaliation against the archers as arrows and the combined might of the four bodyguards overwhelmed them entirely. Sheathing her magic, Khali relaxed her stance when she saw the friendly colors of their men before she called out to the archers standing on one of the elevated slopes.
"Thank you for the assistance, I take you are the contact?"
"Yes Lady Khali, in fact we are the advance party here to support you the rest are at the foot of the hill, Commander's orders." One of the archers spoke up before another voice was heard before the man could continue, the crunching of snow deafening his voice a little. "Lady Khali, I trust the welcoming party was sufficient for your scuffle?" The magister glanced upward as one of the cloaked figures pulled down his hood, the reveal of a full frontal face mask meeting her gaze upward as Khali immediately rose her eyebrows in recognition as she spoke.
"Sparrow is that you?" The man smiled beneath his mask as he watched Khali through the rectangular slits which revealed his eyes shaded dark under the cover as he waved his hand. "Good to see you here as planned, Lady Khali."
In the Keep, an hour later
"I wasn't expecting you to show up, Sparrow. I figured you would be so tied down in Orlais after that scuffle from before." The magister stated as Sparrow shrugged his shoulders, the duo entering the great hall where broken chairs and tables stacked into barricades filling the hall with the smell of rotting flesh and stale dust caused the woman to choke, the sight amusing Sparrow as he waved the air with his hand in agreement with her thoughts. "It seems the Keep would require some dusting of our own, good thing we've got the manpower."
"Says the man not doing all the work," Khali teased as Sparrow gave a playful frown his body only showing his expressions as the two glided into one of the rooms, the dust being cleared by a few men in armor shifting the broken furniture away.
"To be honest I was already trailing you with several more men, all of them camped just as they spied the Venatori coming up to the hill where you were. Looks like I was underestimating what the troops could do," Sparrow replied proudly as he trailed next to the female magister passing through the room to enter a flight of stairs, the duo walking up the steps passing through the door where soldiers were standing guard their cloaks billowing in the breeze of the winter in the mountains atop the outer walls of the fortress. During this time Sparrow decided to take a pause, the two looking down at the distant land stretched out before them in a blurry horizon due to the snowy weather, noticing the forests which surrounded thickly in a semi-circle of protection as the magister could not find the words, the two silently studying the view before Khali replied.
"Sparrow those men were with Alexius in Redcliffe they share the same armor and insignias, looks like the Imperium isn't his only interest which he holds."
"I understood that the moment I saw the party of mysterious men hounding your step like wolves around an unsuspecting lamb, it's a good thing your bodyguards were more alert to counter the threat so my men could attack them in a flank." Sparrow said his voice laced with concern prompting the magister to smile at him, noting his sliver of worry as she placed a hand on her hip. "Worried about me, were you?"
"You know I am concerned for the well-being of everyone I have at my command, since the start in Orlais until recent events…I am already planning for the future," Sparrow replied with a ghost of a smile in his features as the woman explored his mask which hid the top half of his face, a simple hood covering the rest of his physical features the only marking feature was a small hint of a burn mark which was mostly healed, but not without a few scars running down his face to prove its existence. Tightening her face into a frown, Khali reached out to touch the man's cheek feeling Sparrow stiffen under her caress the magister glancing at the scarred tissue as she saw the man flinch lightly the woman retracting her hands in response to his cold reception.
"I am sorry." She apologized quickly while Sparrow simply shook his head solemnly, the earlier energy in his voice becoming weary and edged with a form of pain in his tone dismissing the pointless apology as his playfulness wavered. "No it is fine, your concern was one of the finer qualities I found to be charming about you."
"How are your scars?"
"They hurt, but so does my heart at not being able to be close to those I have sworn to protect."
"What happened was unforeseen and you made a call, it would have been worse than what already has been recorded in Orlesian memory my dear bird." Sparrow shifted his weight as he leaned against a nearby wooden post running a hand down his scar before he gestured to the door where the stairs were, the subtle wringing of his hands was enough for Khali to get the message as she gave a gesture to continue. "Come, the guard captain's quarters are this way. I had them clean up the walls first before moving onto the fortress itself." Nodding in agreement the two continued towards the office, Sparrow opening the door to find a captain of the guard studying plans of the keep itself clearing his throat to earn the soldier's attention, the captain almost fumbling as he did a quick greeting stashing the candle on a nearby end table as wax spilt onto the wood.
"Sparrow, it is good to see you ser. Is everything alright?"
"I'm fine captain, I was hoping for you to grab Knight-Commander Greagoir we have much to discuss about our battle plans," Sparrow ordered as the soldier complied removing the map from the occupied desk as he found his way out of the door, leaving the two alone as Khali stole a glance at Sparrow's bowed head the silence unnerving more so for the magister. "Sparrow-"
"What would you have done in my place, Khali? Would you have done the same as what I did on that day?" Sparrow asked sorrowfully as memories of the angry crowd of Orlesian commoners and nobility rang in his ears, the revolutionary leader settling onto a chair as he leaned back wiping his face with his hand as he removed the mask allowing the sweat to pour down his face freely without constraint. Khali looked upon Sparrow with a saddened look, the painful recollection of the fateful day that changed everything flashing through her mind before she sat on one of the chair opposite the man entwining her hands together.
"You did what you thought was right, even if it was wrong and hurtful in the end to so many others in Orlais. I couldn't really judge, I was not there when you made your decision."
"That doesn't answer my question." Sparrow said almost in a growl, the man retracting his anger as he buried his face in his hands the rough feeling of his palms smearing against his smooth skin, his mind racing with the various racks of guilt that hung over his head feeling a bit of weight bearing down upon him in that regard bowing his head in shame. "For the longest time since I began my movement for change in the common class of the people of Orlais who were sick of war and the machinations of the upper class, I thought that my fight was there…it was simple, straightforward and a clear name on the people who seem to play with our lives like toys all for the influence of an Empress who was rumored to be in love with the company of women more than anyone else. But then it happened, the Chantry, their laws, their refusal to be involved as their power diminished…I couldn't stand it all."
"And then it happened, the day of the Chantry's gathering. I sat there in the distance as I watched flames lick at the so-called holy site of the Chantry gates, my eyes hardened and my own mind taxed beyond repair…I still remember the screams and the calls for blood, and it took me a few hours before I knew they were calling for mine. And I remember screaming why, why did I have to do it? What went wrong, what I could have done…but the people I helped see, the people I helped to speak out to the nobility about our problems of being pawns in the Great Game, those same people who called me savior turned to call me traitor and hypocrite," Sparrow laughed hollowly at his own achievement Khali watching worriedly as the revolutionary folded his hands together tightly, his voice hoarse and dry. "What was I supposed to do then?"
"Sparrow, I cannot speak for the majority of us all but what happened at the gathering that day was not your fault, we all knew that you were not responsible."
"Not completely, that's why I have to do this one thing right." Sparrow spoke with conviction as he stood up, the man hearing the clang of steel and mail entering the large room as an elderly man dressed in Templar armor with a beard approached the two occupants, Sparrow raising his head to greet the man as the Templar cast his eye on the man with a nod of greeting. "Commander Greagoir, it is wonderful to see you. How goes the search of the keep?"
"It's former Commander now Sparrow. I was…given some time after what happened in Val Royeaux."
"I see…my deepest apologies." Sparrow said before Greagoir held his gauntleted hand out to him. "Do not worry so much about it, after that day I couldn't really say I wanted to stay and continue doing my work. I'm on a probation period in fact, a few months to clear my head from all this…" Greagoir massaged his temple before Sparrow folded his arms looking a bit hesitant at the Templar commander digging a heel into the stone floor.
"Yet here you are, lending an arm to the very man who destroyed the Chantry's rank and file along with the embassies in a coordinated move."
"I am no fool, I planned to kill you since the beginning of that day but change is becoming more relevant to our world as of this moment, and your insightful perspective of the chaos has managed to earn my neutrality…for now of course." Greagoir warned the revolutionary, his aged wrinkles crinkling as he glared down the younger man who nodded in submission to his words. "That is good to hear from you, Commander Greagoir at least that shows you are human to want justice…so as a Commander with experience outside the Ferelden Circle is the fort to your liking?"
"To begin, the keep is a good place to fortify ourselves with elevated ground and decent masonry for the time being as we establish a foothold in Ferelden. The men are currently unpacking the basic tents while sentries are already being posted on the walls, we should have the place up and running as soon as we wait for the rest of our force." Greagoir reported as Sparrow nodded in acknowledgement patting the shoulder plate of the Templar as he gestured for Greagoir to sit, the armored warrior obliging before he shot a curt greeting to the magister who waved at him slyly.
"Lady Khali."
"Still moody about the whole Tevinter thing, Templar or are you just saying it out of courtesy now?"
"Sparrow I still don't understand why someone like her has to be here, she's Tevinter and a damned magister, so far they have been nothing but trouble far as the South has ever been knowledgeable of in dealings with their kind, particularly their magisters with desires for power and blood magic." Greagoir replied sharply to her jab, his fist banging lightly on the table as Sparrow cleared his throat grabbing both of their attention to the revolutionary as he gestured to Greagoir getting them on topic. "So about that search…"
"We are not even close to exploring the entirety of this place in an hour, plus we expended a considerable number of men to come here searching for a place that supposedly is a good hideout with secrecy."
"At least we are unlike the Inquisition hiding out in Haven, they are already having the focus of every major power in Thedas watching intently for their next move and for scrutiny if they haven't found it yet, but that is only because the Hands of the late Divine are actively involved in the creation of this organization…which means we have all the advantages to make our move." Khali advised, the Templar giving her a glance at her interjection before he turned in his own report.
"Silas is operating out in the Dales, he says he will return to us as soon as he is able to determine the situation in Orlais without the Empress to restrain his work and extensive exploration into further activity here in Ferelden the Inquisition may have missed, though I am surprised you got an Orlesian bard on your side in terms of spying for Southern Thedas Sparrow." Greagoir commented as he narrowly hid the disgust on his face at the mention of the Orlesian bard, his distrust showing in his words as Sparrow sat behind the desk uncaring for the stale air which has made up the fortress' abandoned state the revolutionary closing his eyes in thought.
"Silas is a man who sympathizes with my goals, he approached me when he found what I was doing for Orlais and gave me his services so long as my goals aren't distorted from its original purpose, in fact his support has boosted our influence to a certain extent with his wife Isli being able to enter the court and tell us of their workings. So yes, I trust him." Greagoir gave a look of doubt before he leaned in his seat, the Templar folding his gauntleted arms as he stared at Sparrow. "I see, if that is your judgment I cannot sway you, but at least know that a mage is dangerous already as trouble but a Tevinter magister is worse than any slaver or demon summoning apostate combined."
"Sure, speak of me as if I am not present to you but I am sure that Sparrow has no time to argue or debate his decision. Additionally I heard you were grudging friends with the First Enchanter of the Ferelden Circle, were you not? Or am I to understand the Templar is a hypocritical sympathizer?"
"Both of you, that's enough already the time to bicker is over we have to concentrate on fortifying our position and open trade as soon as possible with Denerim or the other banns, please." Sparrow interjected as the two pairs of eyes glared at each other's once before Khali stood up removing herself from the presence of the two with a scowl on her face. Greagoir turned to address the revolutionary once the door was slammed shut by the storming woman, the Templar shaking his head at seeing such a loss of control.
"I still don't get why she is to be trusted, but if you say that she's trustworthy I can tolerate her for now. But if she attempts any sort of blood magic or starts plotting I will let my men do the talking," Greagoir having finished his two cents on the situation turned on his heel and left the office giving a shake of his head closing the door politely unlike the previous occupant leaving the revolutionary to some peace, the quiet settling in for Sparrow as he fell onto the chair placing his hand on his forehead rubbing it as he closed his eyes.
"Damn it those two are difficult to deal with," Sparrow muttered as he reached into his cloak which was still attached to his neck by the brooch symbolized by a nightingale's head the revolutionary leader cradling a small string in his fingers, the man frowning as he focused on the item in his grip tenderly touching the surface of a crystal attached by a piece of metal watching the piece glow bright blue illuminating his palms before Sparrow opened his mouth to speak in recital, feeling a clench in his chest.
"Nightingale, nightingale, your wings are plucked. Merry, merry, merry, merry, blood around…Bloodied lover, bloodied lover, stale and pale…calling for the kiss at the promenade tree."
End
Author's notes: This is an interlude chapter into the workings which depict Sparrow, the man mentioned in the letters from earlier chapters right about the same time as Leora is making her way back to Haven.
Val Royeaux is a city near a harbor, one I prefer to be bigger than the one in Inquisition where you see a multitude of luxury boats in the water more than galleons or large trade ships, and the promenades are great views all up to one's imagination with the marble and plastered stone buildings marking the pinnacle of Orlesian culture cause Orlais.
There is a suggestion to readers to take when reading it and comparing it to the beginning when Cruz comes in, as while the story does talk about Cruz and his entering into the Orlesian empire the future chapters are here to show Leora's side as she progresses, treat each chapter like a puzzle piece. They have their own significance but it is too scattered, and the pieces which is left lying around is up to how you interpret it for now, think of it as a puzzle you are solving with you placing scattered pieces all over the board to make a complete picture. That is how the modern story is going to go, the past just connects and brings in more pieces as we continue down the timeline with more mentions of Cruz being made.
I am still having a lot of ideas to sort out as I move along the chapters, I do hope the explanation of how to read the story doesn't confuse the hell out of you…once again let me know what you think and thanks for the support you have given me by favs or following or being vocal (text) about it.
VI
