The boy seemed an extension of Morrigan, and interestingly enough, Witt didn't mind his bluntness. " Are you sure your contact is going to be able to keep him safe?" Witt grilled Kyler while refusing to help her repack the boy's traveling pack.
" Yes, and I'll be fine traveling by myself. Just do what you have to do for the recommendation and come back to me alive," She placed a kiss on his cheek. " I promise I'll be fine. I'm meeting up with Raksada and Stokain at the halfway point. It seems they also have something keeping them busy,"
Witt frowned. " Stokain as in former lover, Stokain?"
She nodded. " Yes, that Stokain. And no, I don't love him nor do I have a casual physical relationship with him anymore. That ended after he went to prison for a long time. He never said what the charge was, but I figured the further away I could get, the better off I was," Handing the pack to the boy, she sighed. " I have to go."
Leaving Skingrad, she stopped to speak with Massimus and then asked the boy his name. He looked up at her without a facial expression. " Why do you care?"
Kneeling in front of him, she lifted his chin with her hand. " I care because I'm more than just a business woman. I'm in charge of your safety, and I refuse to see you get hurt. So what's your name, kid?" She smiled at him, seeing a bit of Morrigan in him. He had his mother's nose and eyes, and the rest must be his father.
He blinked twice.
" Alright, you don't need to tell me your name, but the name I'm giving you – you will have to give when other people ask your name. Deal?" She held out her hand.
He shook her hand, and when their hands touched, she felt a sharp zap. " Sorry." He quickly tucked his hands behind his back.
Looking down at her hand, Kyler noticed a raw mark where the magic had originated. Two small overlapping Vs centered on her palm. " You know…I think you'll like where we're going. You can train your magic into submission, and then you can learn how to use it," She slid her arm around his shoulder and started telling him more about Cyrodiil and what she thought a kid his age should know.
By the time they reached Anvil the next day, she regretted leaving him in the very capable hands of Benirus Manor's caretaker. After Fadril Helas took the road more often, and Jociel agreed to help out the Imperial Legion, Raksada didn't want the sole responsibility of upkeep. Before he left to pursue side jobs, he hired a mage to make sure nothing got stolen and the food didn't spoil.
" Sosile, meet my cousin, Antoni Celata. Antoni, Sosile is the boss of this home, and you will listen to her. If I hear that you're misbehaving for her, I promise you I will come back, and it won't be pretty,"
He rolled his eyes.
She patted him on the shoulder. " Now behave for her. Bretons tend to find the most ingenious punishments for impertinent children," She winked at Sosile.
The woman chuckled and nodded. " We have two bedrooms in this house. The main bedroom can be yours," Kyler turned back to the door, but before she could open it, Antoni ran over to her and hugged her. " She has to get going-"
Kyler held up a hand. " You behave and I promise to come visit in a month or two," She promised him.
He smiled and held out a pinky. " Pinky promise?"
" Pinky and spit handshake promise," She agreed jovially.
Eagerly he spit into his hand and held it out. To Sosile's horror, Kyler did the same and firmly squeezed the kid's hand. Once outside, Kyler wiped her palm on her pants and headed for the docks. Even though she heard it wasn't wise to indulge in the alcohol while pregnant, she knew she could drink water.
Inside the manor, Antoni behaved for the first few hours and then started going through the clothes Kyler packed for him after getting them tailored to better fit him. He left them in a big heap at the bottom of the wardrobe and then ran around the house brandishing a pole acting like it was a sword. Sosile let him be and decided to wait out a few days to see if this was normal.
Ashana explored the tunnels and caves beneath Hackdirt renamed New Hope and eventually set up a corner for herself. She arranged old crates intact in a circle. Using the old crates that weren't intact, she, along with the other two, created new furniture. For the most part, the other two wanted nothing to do with the tunnels and caves beneath the twice destroyed town.
Returning to the surface and entering the basement of her home, she thought she heard movement the floor above. Heading up quickly, she opened the trap door and saw an armored boot. Eyes trailed up the dirty boot and shin guards onto a cuirass that had blood splashed across it. Her heart sped up and returned to normal when she recognized the familiar face.
" Well look who adventure dragged in…" Climbing up and closing the trap door, she gave the Bosmer a hug. " I thought you were doing your best to work your way through the Arena ranks in the Imperial City,"
He bowed his head and pointed to a wicked scar on his arm. Anaril shrugged. " I'm actually here on official business," Stepping aside, two men sitting on two crate built stools now became visible. In Imperial armor, both men sipped on ale and talked about the expected weather and how it would affect the crops.
Wiping her hands off on her shirt, Ashana nodded. " The Templar?"
" Something like that. Meet Hales and Hicks. We're here to learn more about the land you came from," He offered his arm to her. Grabbing an extra stool from the wall, Ashana placed it down in between the two imperials.
She smiled and introduced herself.
Anaril sat off to the side and listened as she launched into a tale of epic proportions mixing mythology with how she, like all other magic users, were treated. " Slavery is another issue in itself, and I doubt it will affect this land. Everyone we've met here is fairly capable. I still find it hard to accept religion though," She sighed and shook her head.
" In this land, we don't care about religion, only actions." Hicks said. She flinched when he tried to place his hand on her arm. " You mentioned magic users that embrace magic in your land?"
She nodded and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and rubbed her hands together to rub some of the dirt off. " The thing is…they like games. To trust them is to trust a snake, and you can never trust a snake. You're better off trusting a troll than a snake," She shrugged. " And I personally like it here at Hackdirt. Besides, I'm an elf. If you haven't noticed from the templar's behavior…"
" They're still an ally," Hales pressed. " Anaril, deliver this journal to Imperial City, in the hands of the Arch-Mage, Fighter's guild Master, or the High Chancellor himself. It has everything he wants," He stood and bowed to Ashana. " And now we leave, my petite lady," Giving her his best cheeky smile, he followed the fighters guild member.
Hicks followed Hales, leaving Ashana alone in her home and wondering why she felt lonely and used. Grabbing the broom, she started sweeping and paused at the sound of the door opening. Greir walked in. " So they visited you too. I thought they would never leave," He seated himself in front of the fire and tried to warm up.
" They're afraid of a war, and I understand why. I just wish it wasn't just us living here." She frowned and almost wished she was back in the tower.
ALMOST.
Greir smoothed his hands over his growing facial wrinkles. A sorry excuse of a beard his some of them. " Once we get rebuilding and turn this into a profitable place, it won't be that hard to draw people in," Though he never admitted it to his companions, he wanted to go back to Thedas, free the other mages, and bring them back here.
A personal safe haven – somewhere where the chantry couldn't touch them.
If he knew that one of the Old Gods had been reborn and currently stayed in Anvil, then he would have leverage against the Chantry.
But he didn't.
Entering the town, Morrigan went to the well and peered into the darkness the grate revealed. She picked up a rock and dropped it down, counting the time it took. She didn't hear it drop. " Hm, I wonder where they get their water," She said to herself before noticing a Thedas mage tending to a communal garden between the homes fenced in.
Approaching him, she watched him work with the hoe and rake. " Excuse me,"
He looked up.
" I was looking for New Hope," She looked around at the unimpressive destroyed or barely standing structures.
" You're here," He stopped raking the dirt and pulled out big rocks from the loose dirt. " It's not much now, but we'll turn it into something impressive,"
So much hope colored his words, it inspired doubt in Morrigan. " I can help," She smiled mysteriously and knew she was doing exactly what her mother did to her. She was using her son build a counter cult in a land where the Chantry couldn't touch her, her son, or the cult.
Standing the Fereldan mage studied her. " You remind me of someone,"
" I know the Hero of Fereldan," She explained before shifting her staff and moving to avoid having dirt brushed onto her boots. " Do you still believe in the Old Gods?"
" The gods that Darkspawn corrupt? Yes. Many mages who refuse the Chantry's suppression do," Dropping in seeds, the mage glanced once or twice to the darkening sky. " What of it?"
She knelt in front of him. " What if I could tell you that I'm here to help?"
He blinked. " If you're here to help, and it involves the Old Gods, I don't want part of it,"
That mysterious smile grew. " You would if I told you, an Old God could expose the corruption of the chantry," She stood and started to walk away.
He jumped up to follow her. " You have five minutes," He placed his hands behind his back. " Starting-"
Morrigan leaned on her staff. " I know of an Old God reborn, and his memories passed on to his new form are…enlightening." And Chantry be damned, her son had the magic to prove those memories true.