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Chapter 10

Looking into where Jarvia and her Carta were hiding was simple in itself, especially after bribing a few of the local citizens. When entering Dust Town, the first thing you notice is that it is a far cry from Commons and Diamond Quarter, in that it was absolutely filthy. With beggars lining the sides of buildings, asking for either coin or food and armed thugs, looking to shake anyone down for coin or valuables that came into said town. Already they had to deal with a welcoming committee that was neither helpful nor friendly.

While on the search for Jarvia and the Carta hideout, they managed to help out a mother and her babe, both who were cast out of their family after the mother refused to give her child up. Giving the young mother a few coins and telling her to head to the surface for a new life, Harry was about to continue his investigation when he heard a dwarf shouting. Turning his head, he saw Luna threatening a dwarf with the end of her sword. On closer inspection, Harry saw that the dwarf was carrying a rather important book that while seemingly innocent had the seal of the Shaperate stamped on its spine.

Suddenly the dwarf dropped the book and ran off, screaming about scary topsiders. Seeing Luna pick the book up and place it into her bag, Harry shook his head and chuckled to himself on his wife's interesting way of diplomacy. Hearing a cough, Harry turned and looked down to see a female dwarf look up at him.

"I hear your looking for Jarvia." The woman said in a raspy voice, probably from disuse, coughing as she did so.

"Indeed I am. Do you know where she is?" Harry asked, opening his pouch and handing her a sovereign.

"Indeed I do stranger! Name's Nadezda, and I used to work under Jarvia before I became a cripple and she threw me out, with nary a coin to help me." The woman, Nadezda said. "If you want to get into her hideout, you're going to need a skeleton key from one of her guards." She explained.

"I thank you for the information. Here as a token of thanks." Harry said, giving her two more coins of sovereigns.

The dwarf took it with trembling hands, and keeping it close to her. As she looked up, Harry could see tears brimming in them. "Thank you." She whispered softly.

Harry gave a small smile and made his way around, keeping an eye out for any Carta members while also gathering everyone. Once they were together, Harry entered into what he called the wraith world. Whenever he entered, the world around him would change, such as the sky becoming dark and people being highlighted in different colours. Each colour would represent what kind of person that person was to him. Red for enemies, Blue for allies and Golden for those that are important. Buildings and structures would be slightly blurred, but not so much to cause him to not see them.

Opening his eyes which turned into a glowing bright pair of blue eyes, he looked around and saw that there was a group of Carta members, highlighted in red, making their way into one of the many homes at a nearby alleyway. Following them, Harry blinked his eyes returning back into the real world and nodding to his companions as they waited until the last dwarf had entered before they too entered. The dwarves clearly were not expecting them and thus drew their weapons.

"Who are you?!" One of the dwarves demanded, the leader perhaps? "Are you the ones that have asking around about Jarvia?"

"And if we were?" Harry challenged, not drawing his own weapon but merely glared at the dwarf.

He was intimidated, but despite that he pressed on. "Then we'll have to kill you and your friends. Get them boys!" he shouted.

But before they could even take a step forward or the others draw their weapons, Harry slammed his staff to the ground, sending a shockwave of power to sweep across the entire room, stunning the dwarves in the process and being under his control. While to everyone else they would look normal, but to Harry, he could see that their eyes now were entirely blue, not just the iris but the whole eye. Not only were their eyes blue, but they not sported a glowing blue handprint on the right side of their face, to show that he had just branded them. No one except those from the Fade would be able to see the brand upon them as it was something unique only to him.

One good thing about the branding is that he doesn't need to individually use the Shadow Brand ability or the Wraith Flash every time he wanted to recruit more people. Whenever someone already under his control is out recruiting anyone joining is automatically branded. When he had asked how this was possible, Ignotus replied that those who follow others willingly become slaves and puppets to their master and thus share the same way of thinking.

The same was said for those he branded.

When he first learned of what Branding meant for the person Harry asked if he had taken all free will from them. Ignotus replied that they would still be who they were, personalities and all, but that they simply did as they were ordered, like a general commanding his troops.

Walking up to the now controlled dwarf, Harry looked down and ordered. "You'll take us to Jarvia now."

"I will take you to Jarvia now." The dwarf replied in an almost monotone voice.

He then proceeded along with the rest of the dwarves, to the exit of the house and to where the Carta hideout was. Alistair and the others just behind him, following the dwarf until he stopped in front of a door and placed a small token in a slot. The door then opened, allowing for the dwarves along with Harry and his companions to enter the hideout. Ignoring the rest of the Carta member, the group continued to follow the dwarves for the next fifteen minutes until they entered into a large room. In it were several guards, along with who he supposed was Jarvia, a female dwarf armed with two twin daggers resting on her back.

Jarvia turned to the sound of the door opening and started demanding why they were here and they were. "Who are you!? What are you doing here?!"

"Bhelen sends his regards." Harry said before lifting his left hand high into the air, his fist closed and the mark on his hand glowing blue. "SERVE MY WILL!" He called out in both of his and Ignotus' voice.

Suddenly the dwarves that came in with them attacked the guards in the room. Their eyes shining bright blue and the brand on their face showing as clear as day. Not wasting any time the rest of the group went and fought the rest of the guards while Harry drew his sword and started cutting down the reinforcements that had burst through the door behind them. Swinging his sword and staff around, Harry was having trouble keeping the dwarves from overwhelming him and the others as more just seemed to keep coming. Slamming the butt of his staff on the ground, he cast a Mass Stasis charm in his immediate vicinity and the door in front of him, to top the dwarves from pouring in.

Working quickly, he thrust his staff to the doorway sending a powerful Kinetic Push to the group of frozen dwarves causing them to fly backwards. He then proceeded to use Shadow Strike on the rest of the dwarves that were still frozen and then use a Stone Fist on the ceiling above the door to stop anymore reinforcement from entering as the rocks from the ceiling began to fall and block the door. Leaning on his staff to catch his breath, Harry then looked on at the battle that continued around him, as the Alistair and the others were finishing up what was left of Jarvia's guards as the dwarves that came with him were all dead.

Looking ahead, Harry saw Jarvia still standing with three of her remaining guards, who formed a semicircle in front of their leader. Wanting for this to be done quickly, Harry thrust his staff forwards again and cast a Lightning Storm at them, electrocuting them. Their screams filled the room but not for long as they died not soon after, their bodies hitting the floor.

Sheathing his sword, Harry leaned heavily on his staff as he was both magically and mentally exhausted from the day's events. The constant fighting was putting a strain on him as he had not had to expend so much energy in so short a time for two years. Grabbing a nearby chair, he sat down and rested his head back a little and closed his eyes.

"Are you alright Harry?" Luna's voice asked, concern and worry in her voice.

Harry simply grunted as he kept his eyes closed and did not move for a full minute, trying to recover some of that second wind he had worked so hard to achieve. Breathing in deeply, Harry looked up to Luna and gave a small smile, something his wife returned before she began to retrieve some of her arrows. Grunting slightly, Harry dragged himself out of his chair and made his way to Jarvia's body and then looked at the table that she was at before they attacked.

"Zevran!" Harry called out.

"Yes? What may I do for you my powerful tired friend?" Zevran asked.

"Check this place for anything that resembles a secret escape route. Knowing Jarvia, there's bound to be one should she ever have to make a quick escape." Harry ordered as he began to look at the documents that Jarvia was looking at earlier.

It seemed that Jarvia was working with Harrowmont through one of the Assembly Lords. Apparently she was going to have Harrowmont win so that she can continue to recruit more Carta members, as Harrowmont was known to be a very strict traditionalist and cared little for anyone that was not a warrior or noble. If word got out that Jarvia was helping Harrowmont, whether he knew it or not, as a third party, it would deal a heavy blow to Harrowmonts chances of becoming king as some of the Assembly Lords and nobles had many problems with the Carta.

Grabbing the documents and placing it within his pack, Harry then made his way to Zevran, who had called out to him, saying that he had found the exit behind a huge bookcase. Thanking Zevran, they entered the cave and left the hideout, their destination: the Royal Palace.

"So I heard that there was quite the commotion in Dust Town. I assume that was you're doing?" Was the first thing that Bhelen said as soon as Harry and the others entered his study.

"Yes, and there's something I want you to see." Harry said as he pulled out the documents he had taken from Jarvia's table.

Taking the papers from Harry, Bhelen began to skim through most of the documents, a smile playing on his lips and got wider the more he skimmed through, until he placed the documents down and began to give a hearty laugh. Bhelen continued to laugh before stopping after a minute and sitting down on his chair. Grabbing his drink, Bhelen tipped the glass in his direction and then drank it.

"Thank you my friend, you've not only managed to put an end to the Carta for now, you've also managed to help me gather even more support that if you did not bring this to my attention." Bhelen said once he had finished his drink.

Getting up, Bhelen indicated for them to follow him. Doing so, they followed Bhelen into a nearby library filled with books and tables with chairs. Bringing them to one of the larger tables, one that was filled a few books and numerous maps and documents, many of them being maps of the Deep Roads since he recognised some of the layout.

"I've managed to gather what I could about Caradin, the Anvil of the Void and Branka. Unfortunately Harrowmont is getting desperate, and has sent a group to search where Branka might have gone. But in his haste, he did not bother to do some research." Bhelen said as Harry picked up a few of the maps and began to study them.

"You said earlier that Branka had a husband that she left behind." Harry asked.

"Yes. Oghren of the House Branka, formerly House Kondrat. A decorated warrior once, before he began drinking and being shunned by his own family. When Paragon Branka left two years ago, she left him in Orzammar. Since then he has spent his days in the taverns, screaming and shouting that Branka is still alive and that she should be brought home." Bhelen explained.

"Can you bring him here? He might be the only one who could know in what direction Branka might have gone too and might be able to point us in the right direction." Harry asked, to which Bhelen nodded.

"I'll see what I can do." Bhelen said before turning on his heel and leaving the group.

Taking a seat, Harry started going through the maps and books that Bhelen had provided, with the rest of the group helping out in terms of research, mostly Alistair and Luna, while Zevran and Sten decided to take a look at what the other books in the library contained.

I hope you enjoyed that chapter. Leave a review and have an awesome day!