"Not everyone is narrow minded and blind to the fact that there is some good magic." She replied as Anders had stated of the teachings of Andrastian faith. "Otherwise there would even more death every turn you took. There has to be a middle ground one day where everyone gets along."
Leliana had taken a moment shifting her posture to the side of her chair, as she propped one arm on the back of it. Her cranium began to tilt as Alexander had pointed out towards the people before them. She couldn't help but allow her optics to follow his hand as it extended out. She took a moment to look at the people passing by, not even caring as Alexander had swayed his arm to them. His words caused her to look back at him. She would of thought of Anders to continuing his travels, or at least she hoped. This way she had a reason to stay by his side and not leave.
Once Alexander had left she found herself fidgeting upon each fingertips tapping them along in a unison rhythm. She shifted her head to the side as she looked to Anders a small smile forced upon her lips as she began to part her lips. "Would you stay here Anders… I mean. It is safer probably for you that most places." Her hues eventually averted from his as she found herself to look where Alexander had went. But she hadn't seen him anywhere in sight. She furrowed her brows in confusion, as she reached up scratching the nape of her neck. "I wonder where he ran off too." She mumbled with a shrug of her shoulders.
"To stay? Become a Tevinter..? I don't know…" Anders spoke out loud in thought towards Leliana's question. His eyes darted away, looking more towards the people who were mingling. He smiled some to the thought, but it seemed a bit half-hearted. "Someone once told me I probably would have been happier here, if only I could put up with the occasional blood ritual. I had just assumed there were at least a few up here who would have turned down the exercise… for aesthetic reasons if nothing else."
"Do you still condone bloodmagic?" Anna asked shyly. Her eyes traveled to the floor briefly, as if she were hiding something—and with her, such things were obvious.
Anders looked towards her, seeing how uneasy she appeared, but chose not to call her out on it. Why would he when she had been so welcoming of him; and besides, the lands here were not as strict against it as they were outside of Tevinter. He shrugged some and started to fold his arms back underneath his feathered cowl; leaning more against the back legs of his chair.
"Well, personally, I've yet to prick myself for any bloodmagic; and I deal with enough injuries as a physician. Although, I knew of one bloodmage, who to this day I still would call her foolish to her face." He answered rather dryly; but that had been his view of the subject and she did ask. "I always said mages who did such things were desperate for power; and yet I am becoming no different if I am to request help from the Black Divine. So, in a way, I feel like I am eating my own words at this point."
The party had eventually dissipated as Alexander had seemed to keep to his word of thinning out the party. As time had passed by, there remained only a small handful of people still remaining for an unspoken even. The smaller crowd had traveled down stairs, while Alexander had returned back towards the group that were still waiting at the table. He smiled to them and gave a polite bow.
"Now that the air has cleared, I'd like for your to follow me please…." He started to announce and turned away; quickly leading each of them towards a trap door in the marbled hallway. He opened it, revealing a long flight of stairs downward.
"So, this is where you keep the special brew is it?" Anders started to joke, but he felt Anna reach from behind him and tug his sleeve for support. He glanced back over towards her, seeing how shy she had started to react again. Something was not right.
"May—Maybe you should head back to bed." She chimed softly in between taking a nervous breath. "Surely you and Leliana drank too much by now."
"Nonsense." Anders brushed off the thought and leaned more towards Leliana for support. "We've just gotten started."
That ended her reluctance; or so it had seemed; and down they started for follow Alexander towards the basement cellar. Upon there, the cold draft of air could be felt. There was the sounds of suffering, groaning and whining from below, and when the flames of wall scones and torches could reveal at the bottom it was clear to see. Elves and humans alike were chained down here in this floor. People were caged and bound down like animals; others were writhing against the brick, almost as if acting like they were such.
Leliana shuddered at the thought of blood magic as the two spoke of it. Her fingers trailed along her cup as she wiped away any condensation while listening to Anders and Anna. She never wanted to think of blood magic. Of people inflicting pain upon themselves just to get one over on another. But she had to realize it was out there, she had to stop being blind to the fact. The words of Anders and pricking a finger brought a chuckle out as she found herself glancing to him. "What are you afraid of a little blood Anders." She teased. But in all seriousness she knew why he didn't do it. Who would in their right mind want to?
After a moment Leliana had stood up, following the trio slower, but she followed. She halted as Anna grasped onto Anders garments, thus causing her to look to her in a concerned way. But as she was about to reply to Annas words Anders had already spoken before her. "If you say so." She said with a pause. "Just don't be drinking too much or I'll have your butt frozen again." Her hues went to Anna, she saw an odd look in her eyes and something about her stature. She took no thought of it as she followed the three down the stairs.
The further they had traveled down the staircase the louder and deeper sounding the moans filled her ears. At first Leliana had thought nothing of it. She just continued forward. But it wasn't until they reached the end of the corridor that she halted in her tracks uncontrollably. Her attention went to the abused people around them. Their eyes held no hope and despair. She couldn't help but look to Alexander. Thinking this was a joke gone wrong. Or something… Anything but what it seemed. "What is this?" She finally forced herself to ask. Her arms folding over her chest, as she shifted her body back to look upon a human who's back rested against the wall. Their clothes tattered; hardly covering them, as dirt and grime was smeared across their body. The human of course looked to Leliana, feeling the stare she had put on them, but eventually averted their eyes away. She began by biting her lower lip, before parting her lips again to speak. "Who are these people and why are they down here…?"
Anders wasn't certain if he could answer; even if he had already known of it. This was the room he heard rumors about; the place of any Tevinter's property. Fereldens have heard rumors of Tevinters turning human souls into a profit; but Anders didn't realize just how true to that statement was until now. There were shelves with collected potions and gems that emitted strong spiritual pressure. Where Anders didn't seem to understand it, Justice did and that knowledge carried to Anders quickly over the subject.
This is where Alexander captures souls.
"This is a slaver's room." Anders managed to admit and quickly cringed some after hearing a squishing sound of something heavy smacking something tender. What quickly followed was a holler of pain and quiet whispers back and forth. He wanted to turn around, to travel back upstairs, but the minute he started to turn away, Alexander's voice had called out to him.
"Anders! You're just in time for the real ceremony." Alexander welcomed upon walking up to them.
Anna's eyes widened, looking at her husband – a man she was learning new things about every evening. The more she looked at him with each passing day, the darker he seemed to be. His party clothes were stained with splatters of blood across his chest. It made Anna shiver in more fear. She wasn't even certain if it was his own or of someone else's anymore. However, this was something Anna would be looking forward to from now on: unmarked blood flowing and a constant fear.
Hazel hues glanced around at the suffering as Anders tried to knock back his dizziness. This was turning into a major buzz-kill for Anders, as he tried to find an explanation. "What is this? What are you doing?"
Alexander tilted his head slightly and started to smile with ease. "This is the ceremony; my bride's first steps to becoming a Magister."
He turned back towards the slave that was tied down to the table and lifted the heavy spiked mace. After raising it high once more and crashing it against the slave's knees, he earned another howl and the sound of bones shattering from it's heavy weight. The other magisters standing around in the circle were merely watching with a mild amusement for the time being.
"I will ask again." Alexander spoke surprisingly calm in all of this. "Do you surrender your soul to Ithquent Slathalinar, our true God Power?"
"Yes! Yes, by the Maker!" The slave cried and soon turned away to spit up blood from his bottom jaw.
Alexander looked towards the other magisters who had nodded and given a judgment by giving a thumbs downward to the floor. The man dressed in his party clothes, and still covered in blood, then turned back towards Anna, Leliana and Anders. He held up his mace towards his blonde wife in an offering. He could see that she was trembling and backing further into Leliana in her retreat.
"I've done the tedious part for you… But you must seal your conversion and your loyalty to the Black Divine." Alexander explained in a nice smoothened tone. "All you have to do, is kill him."
Anna's eyes were wide and tearful as she shook her head quickly. "I—I can't."
Alexander started to step towards them cautiously. "Anna—"
"I can't! I can't! Don't ask me to do it." Anna started to cry and clutched towards Anders's back to use as a shield.
Alexander paused some and looked towards Anders who had seemed to have been slowly coming out of a stupor. He tilted his head towards the other blonde's direction and guided his hand that carried the weapon, in an offering manner towards him instead. "Well, if you won't do it, then… Anders? Why not show your pledge this night?"
"Why me?" Anders started to fumble a little in his words.
"It would certainly show how serious you are of your cause, for one…. And the Black Divine would probably be more inclined to helping you with it." Alexander whispered and jolted his head towards the other members of the Black Divine that were currently with them.
Anders stared back down at the bloody mace. He knew he was going to be presented with this sort of option at one time or another. In a sense, he was already presented with it one time before; the only difference was he never had to struggle with it so physically or filthy before. He couldn't move, and yet what scared him was the endurance of wanting to take that weapon into his hands still.
"But why…?" Anders struggled and shook his head. "Why does he have to die at all?"
Alexander's eyes flashed and he turned to one side, lifting the spiked, bleeding mace towards the slave on the table. "Because if given the chance, ones like him would be doing the same thing to us! Tell me you don't have this sort of thing already happening to your mages… All over the fickle fact that they have magic-Tell me the truth!"
Anders couldn't. Of course he knew that it was true. In fact, every mage that has ever tried to escape the Circle or speak up for freedom was quickly killed. Those that couldn't pass the Harrowering were killed, those that took too long in the test were killed, and if killing wasn't an option sought as something publically humane, the White Spire had pushed for others to be made tranquil. It was an anger that had always boiled inside of him… building a growing hatred against Justina VI's methods and even Andraste's teachings.
"That's what I thought…" Alexander took the silence as his answer and then moved towards Anders, placing a clean hand on his feathered cowl. His words started to speak softly again, like the gentle cawing of a crow on his shoulder. "Look at him. The hatred he has inside of him had always been there. It never channeled less or festered more against those with magical talents… and in every metal fiber of this weapon are the tears of the men and women his 'kind' have tortured. Tevinter refuses to allow its lands become of what happened to Kirkwall's incidents. Will you allow it to continue in yours?"
Leliana felt herself step back as Anders spoke of this place being a slave room. But just as her heels met the edge of the bottom of the staircase she stopped as she caught herself from tripping backwards. Her orbs shifted over her shoulder to look up to the entrance they walked through. She was just as tempted as Anders to leave this room. But she stopped her mind curious as to what Alexander had to say for himself.
In among all the cries and groans for some desperation of help. Leliana looked to a male who was restrained in a stock, he was bent over looking to the ground in defeat. Dried blood crusted over his wounds as new crimson fluid seeped out. She then looked to the torturer, whose blade slid across his flesh like a knife against butter. He made it seem as if he were to end it right then and there, but with his other hand that hid behind his back came around and in it held a whip. Which he pulled back and in a swift, and forcible motion he threw his all into the thrust of the whip as it made contact on his already damaged body. The slave yelped out, holding back any form of tears which tried to seep through his sealed eyes.
Leliana forced herself to stay back, she looked to Anna who was no longer standing in front of her but now found a somewhat safe haven behind Anders. She was curious to see what Anders was to do. As Alexander had made his way over to him handing him the weapon of torture.
Walking further into the chambers Leliana stopped after she found herself staring to the ground at blood that puddled its way into one little area. Her hues followed the trail where it had come from. Eventually stopping and looking up she saw an Iron Maiden. As she took a few more steps as she extended her arm out to place her hand upon the metal. The coldness of it sent a shiver to travel up her arm and radiate throughout her body. Or it was just by being in such a place. She started to shake her head at Alexanders words not believing what he was saying. He seemed so unlikely to hurt someone. At least that's what she got when they first met.
"You're a two face aren't ya." She commented his way. Uncaring how harsh her words may be. She didn't bother to look over her shoulder as she spoke to him. He didn't deserve to be looked upon.
Her hand dropped down her side as she began to trail off to a table. With odd instruments upon it, all torture devices. Her fingers reached out slowly to each one. Grazing the handle (wherever they may lay) and then she stopped. Her hand grasped upon a brass rod, and on the end had a pitch like fork design.
With this in hand, she slowly made her way back over to the trio but mostly she found herself up against Alexander. She rose the torture weapon, as she used the end to lift his chin up and shift his head towards her. Not caring if the bloodied weapon had punctured him in any way. "Maybe you should be taught a lesson. Maybe you should feel the pain your inflicting on these people." Her tone as serious as the expersion on her face. She had no caring what so ever in her eyes. Unlike anything she had shown to almost anyone. She didn't think nor care of the people around her. Let them attack if they wished she thought. She was not going to allow such evil acts be done in her presence. And if he didn't like it then he should have never brought her down here. Or at least that was what she believed. But deep down she happy he did, so maybe she could stop these acts. At least for a short while.
Alexander felt his skin being torn, and he slightly flinched after being forced to look in the direction Leliana had pushed him to see. The magisters around the room had quickly started to use their bloodmagic and spells to immobilize Leliana. The spells were placed over her to keep her restrained at least for a momentary time.
Anna moved from around Anders in order to stop the magisters from continuing what other possible spells or summoned demons they would have used against them. She bit down hard into the side of her wrist; tearing away flesh with her two front teeth and in a high-adrenaline move, ripped her arm to one side for a summoned demon. However, the creature was a weakened one; a small shade. Still, it was enough to cause a distraction well enough to keep the magisters not as focused over Leliana anymore.
Anders had shifted a bit farther back at the moment; taking in the sight he had just witnessed. A childhood friend; one that he believed to have known well; had somewhere along the line obviously subjected herself to the dark arts. There was too much to take in at the moment, and his reaction time was utterly stunned.
"That's enough! Everyone, just relax for a moment." Anna started to plead, looking among her friends, her husband, and the Black Divine members.
It was enough amble time for the magisters to use spells against Anna's creature; though. They froze it in place and then walked towards her, pulling her by the arms to keep her from trying anymore spells against them. Though, even through all this, Alexander's eyes and easy-smirk had never left Leliana's accusing glare. He felt the small drop of blood drip down his chin as his body remained stiff.
"I am a Tevinter Magister, Lay Sister. I know about pain, discipline and loyalty as much as any White Spire Initiate or Templar does; maybe even more-so. Does that make me as two-faced as them, or just as equally well-seasoned?" He spoke gently still, though his words clearly had shifted for Leliana to hear.
Anders tried to find his words again. He gulped down his uneasiness, and looked back towards the other magisters as he tried to speak calmly. "Leliana, this is not the time to make any hasty decisions. Remember, if you put a blade to his throat, you're putting one to mine too."
"Oh, right! Yes. Let's not forget that little detail…!" Alexander piped up. Of course upon hearing this, Alexander's smile even beamed a little. He seemed slightly oblivious to the high tension as he moved carefully away from the frozen assault against his person. Alexander folded his arms, looking back towards Leliana quite smugly and tilted back on his heels for the moment before turning around.
"To tell you the truth, Anders, I'd suggest for you to consider this current act as her test, and your lesson. She failed her loyalty and beliefs to you… And I'm not surprised. I mean, truly—what are the odds of a White Spire Lay Sister and a Mage ever working together or seeing similar viewpoints? My wife might indulge herself in such fantasies, but I am a more… practical person. Why, if it were I when you both met, I would have given her the same treatment her Chantry seems to enjoy doing to our own kinsmen."
Anders cringed at little at the thought, and couldn't really stop the sarcastic remark bubbling up from him next. "You have this thing for torment, don't you?"
"That, I do; that I do." Alexander laughed and turned to walk back towards the other side of the table that had the slave chained down to it. "I'd be so bold as to say all Magisters are forged from it. Aren't all other mages forged from the same…? But enough pleasantries. This night was called into being, for a pledge to be made. Quite frankly, I don't care of which one, but I'm not about to let a perfectly good contract go to waste."
Anna lowered her head back down towards the floor; feeling the magisters press against the wound in her wrist to make it stop bleeding. Her lips quivered some before she started to speak. "I-…I will…. I will do it. Give Anders his support, and I will complete my pledge."
"Anna, no—" Anders looked between them quickly and felt the rush to move towards her; but he obviously couldn't while she was being protected (or restrained) by the other men around her.
He felt helpless to spare her from this sort of fate; to be married to a man who was obviously cold. Bloodmage or no, she deserved better than this arranged marriage. But what could he do? Anders would end fighting an entire nation of tradition; and place himself against the only people left who'd be willing to help him. Coming to terms with it seemed so quick, and still just as frightening.
For, Anders had always frowned on bloodmagic. He had always said that the bloodmages and those who collaborated with demons would end up being their own worst enemies. However, the Grey Wardens never listened to the mage-plight for freedom, the White Spire and all outside of Tevinter scorned the struggles of mages as if it were their own punishment for being born, and the Circle Fraternities only spent their time arguing amonst themselves to ever attempt any changes to make a difference for themselves.
"Anders has destroyed the Chantry in Kirkwall, killed the initiates inside, and killed even a Grand Cleric." Anna announced bitterly and jerked her arms free before walking towards Alexander. She held her arms out for the weapon at last; showing from where the blood on her wound had dried away. "I believe, he has shown more than enough passion for mage freedom. He has earned your respect and the right to receive aid from the Black Divine. However, I have yet to fulfill my pledge my husband. Allow me this and spare my fellow Ferelden folk such an ordeal."
Alexander turned his pleasant smile back towards Anna and reached up to caress her cheek. "…If my wife wishes it; so shall it be. I would have preferred to see the killing blow, alas, I will guide these two back to their quarters for the night; if it pleases you."
His wife nodded some, keeping her head low so that she wouldn't feel everyone's eyes drifting back towards her. Anna would have rather not allow Anders nor Leliana to see her kill someone; even though by now, they have already saw her using bloodmagic. Her secret was revealed, clearly and that alone somehow brought a sense of shame to her, when the other Tevinters around her felt nothing but pride.
"Come then." Alexander spoke towards Anders and Leliana, as he snapped his fingers to release the Lay Sister from the blood-spells that were over her. He then moved past the table, past them and soon back up towards the stairs. "Time for your two to go back to your quarters for the evening; now that the situation has been resolved… Anders, I will work on the treaties for you in the morning. Right now, rest for the both of you would be best."
Leliana's brows began to knit together as she felt her body become stiff all over from the frozen spell casted over her. Her cranium had shifted down as she over looked her body but as she began to look up again to Alexander her joints stopped unable to move. She felt a twitch of her eye of emit from her right eye as she knew she had done something that she shouldn't have. After all Anna and Alexander were kind enough to give them a place to stay at, and this is how she repaid them? Still she wasn't going to stand by and do nothing as a person was being tortured right in front of her. It would be so unlike her to do nothing.
Her attention then went to Anders and his words. He was right… To a point. He was the only person that could actually help Anders. But upon hearing Alexander's words she was taken aback. A shocked expression came over her as she stood there a frozen. She began parting her lips as a huff escaped firstly before she spoke. "I can't believe this… Wanna be of a man." Her hues shifted away since that was obviously the only part of her body she could move. "Say what you want. But I'm unlike any of the Chantry sisters you may run into. I don't look upon Mages as so many do. I don't go out of my way of killing them. You were just pissing me off to a point to where I needed to stop you. Someone obviously needs to get you off your high horse."
After speaking her mind of Alexander she looked to her trapped body again, and in failed attempt to break free. She stood there… Irritated. Awaiting to see what was to come of her in this failed attempt.
What came next. Anna's magic arts caused her to glance up. In mostly shock. Well at least she was getting to see all the sides of everyone this night… Leliana kept to herself as she watched the event unfold. But what Anna said next she wasn't expecting. She blinked a few times in shock. She figured Anders was going to be the one to do the dirty work. If there were to be any. But Anna had a good point after all. He did kill all those innocents. So why put more blood on his hands?
She began parting her lips as if to protest in Anna's favor. But as she did so she felt the frozen spell over her fall away. Her hands held out in front of her shifted from palm to the back of her hand as she examined them. Looking up Leliana glanced back to Anna, who she found herself walking away from already to leave the area. But she stopped near the stairs as she shifted around. She wanted to speak out but she knew she had made her decision and decided to follow the two, and eventually make her own way to her room, alone.
After entering her room, Leliana found herself to lock the doors and disrobed herself from the party dress and into more comfortable clothing. She paced back and forth and back and forth. Some would say she would of made a rut in ground from all her pacing. And after what seemed like several minutes, she stopped. Arms crossed, brows furrowed and eyes glued to the floorboard. She shook her head as she stomped over towards her door, unlocking it, and began to open it enough just to peak her head out. She looked to the left of the corridor, saw nothing. She then shifted her gaze to the right, again nothing. Allowing a sigh to pass her lips she shook her head as she knew she had to go see him. At least explain herself, to him only. "Alright Leliana…" She whispered as she squeezed herself through the door opening and trailed off in the direction of Anders room. As found herself before Anders door she propped her shoulder on the wall and reached out with her tiny balled fist and gave a small, but multiple knocks on his door. She waited… Patiently. Or as patiently as she could, since a million and one things were running through her mind from the vast events that occurred this night.
Anders had been sitting in a small chair that remained in front of a stone fireplace, in his room. There had been so much that overwhelmed him all at once, and still little time for him to sort all of it out. Alexander was not only a committed member to the Black Divine, but he was also a slave owner who kept his … product… very close to his home. Anna was an actual bloodmage; not that it should matter much to Anders anymore—but it was still something that was surprising.
He felt bad for her. The rumors Anders heard about the Tevinters and their magister training would be something too harsh for any Circle mage to endure. Adding to that thought; Anna was a Ferelden mage, and the last time Anders remembered about the nation, the Circle Tower over Lake Callenhad was probably the most lenient tower in all of Thedas. So, there would be no way Anna would be prepared for what the Magisters had in store for her training here. Anders could only pray that she could remain strong through any methods these people would use in order to "break" her.
Thankfully, his thoughts had been erupted from this by the sudden knocks on his door. The mage stood up, looking towards the wooden frame for a brief moment. He could feel his own hesitation upon walking towards it; although he wasn't entirely certain as to why. This land would have been the safest for him. Anders shouldn't have to fear or worry about anyone. Giving in to his curiosity, he walked towards the door and started to open it. His eyes widened in a brief moment's pause at seeing Leliana awaiting on the other side.
"Leliana?" He started to question and then glance around both sides of the hallway to make sure that she wasn't being followed. "What are you doing out here?"
Anders wasn't entirely certain if the procedure was necessary; but they were just moments ago guided by the master of this home. He didn't know if having Leliana near him at this time would have been some sort of problem; considering of what the group of people were doing down in the basement. The thought of it did leave an eerie chill to the back of his spine. He shook it off and reached to tug the door wider towards his side in order to open it slightly further; in his signal to show for her come inside.