The group was in the main square of Hightown, heading for the Chanters' Board to see if there were any jobs available. However, they saw a young woman, a few years younger than the twins, talking to a Templar. The Templar shook their helmeted head and walked away, and she started crying into her hands. Amber immediately went over to her, concern on her face as she put a hand on the girl's shoulder. "Hey, what's wrong?"
"It's simply amazing. They're supposed to help people, but yet they just walk away," Adia quipped, glaring at the Templar. She then followed Amber over to the woman. "Is there something you need help with?" She finally looked up, taking a few deep breaths to calm herself.
"Oh, I- I'm fine. I'm just worried about my brother Keran." Both mages paled, and Amber swallowed hard.
"Did the Templars take him?" The woman looked confused for a moment.
"What- Oh, no! No, he is a Templar. But I haven't heard from him in days, and no one will tell me anything!"
"...Your brother is a Templar and the Templars won't tell you anything about him? That's...strange," Adia mused, frowning.
"That's typical," Anders revealed.
"Please, tell us what you do know," Amber encourage.
"Of course. Oh, pardon my manners, my name is Macha. I would write to Keran every day since he joined the Order last year. But three days ago, the letters back from him just... Stopped. I went to the Gallows, but Knight Commander Meredith just threw me out! You hear dark stories about that woman, so I didn't want to get on her bad side. But please, if you happen to go to the Gallows, could you talk to his friends Wilmod and Hugh? They would know what's going on, I just know it!"
"Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt. What do you think, Amber?" The rogue looked at her sister, not sure how she or Anders would feel helping out a missing Templar. The red-eyed mage sighed and fidgeted for a moment.
"I… I'm not sure going to the Gallows is a great idea, but... If it were Carver missing, I'd want answers."
"As long as we remain inconspicuous and calm, we'll be fine, Amber," Anders assured her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"This has "disaster" written all over it," Fenris predicted with a frown.
"Oh, thank you, Serrahs!" Macha said, clasping her hands together.
"If we find anything, we'll let you know, Macha. Just give us a little time," Adia told her with a smile as she patted her shoulder. The woman nodded and headed off.
"I feel sorry for her," Amber said when she was out of earshot. "It's her own brother, and they won't tell her anything?"
"That just means something's happened," Anders said with a sigh.
"Well let's get to the Gallows and find out what's going on. As much as I'd want to avoid that place, it's the best place to start," Adia said, heading off.
They entered the Gallows, and Fenris immediately started looking around. Anders kept his attention everywhere, and Amber stayed next to him, clutching his arm. She tugged her hood further down, taking a deep breath to calm herself.
"Are you sure this is wise, given our... Present company?" Fenris wondered.
"It'll be fine," Adia assured him. "Amber's had enough practice hiding among Templars and I don't think Anders will put Amber in any danger. So long as nothing happens to draw attention to us we'll be fine." She eyed the warrior playfully as she said that last part. Anders rolled his eyes and sighed.
"What, you think I'm going to start hurling ice bolts around?"
"Anders, please," Amber whispered, tugging on his arm. "Not here..."
"I'm sorry. I'll behave," he promised her.
"Do we have to keep you two separated?" Adia asked as she shook her head at the men. "Let's just find these Templars and get out of here." They saw a group of Templar recruits talking, and heard the name "Hugh" said to one of them. The archer's ears immediately perked up, and she headed over to them, smiling. "Excuse me, we're looking for someone. Do any of you know a Hugh, Wilmod or Keran?" The two men stopped talking and looked at the ground, while the girl folded her arms and scowled.
"We're not supposed to talk to outsiders," she told them. One of the men lifted his head, frowning at his fellow Templar.
"My name is Hugh, and to the Void with our orders! Keran and the others are missing." Now he had everyone's attention.
"Missing? What do you mean they're missing? How long have they been gone?" Adia asked, gaze flickering between all of them.
"Well, recruits keep going missing," the other man chimed in. "Supposedly Knight Commander Meredith has some new test she puts you through. If you don't pass it, you die." Anders scowled and shook his head.
"That figures."
"Templars need to be strong, or Demons and mage would simply overrun them," Fenris pointed out.
"And you two honestly believe all that rubbish?" the female recruit asked.
"Given everything I've heard about that woman, I'd believe it. So you haven't seen Wilmod or Keran at all?" Adia prodded.
"Wilmod came back this morning," she replied with a shrug.
"What? Why didn't you say anything?" Hugh demanded.
"Where is he now?" Amber wanted to know.
"Said he was going outside the city to clear his head." She turned to her fellow Templars. "And the reason I didn't say anything was because Knight Captain Cullen told me not to. Right before he chased after Wilmod." Anders paled and took a step back.
"Cullen... Is he from Ferelden?" he asked hesitantly.
"That's right," Hugh said with a nod. "How did you know?" The healer swallowed hard and shrugged.
"Rumors..." Adia gave him an odd look, but didn't press the subject.
"Did Wilmod say where he was going? Like to the Coast or anywhere specific?"
"By the Coast. There's a camp that we use for training exercises, about a mile from the start of Sundermount," the Templar girl told them.
"Then I guess we're headed for the Coast. Any objections?" The rogue asked as she turned to the others. Everyone shook their heads, and the redhead turned to the Templars. "Thank you for your help. If Keran comes back, tell him he needs to get in touch with his sister, please." They made haste from the Gallows, getting outside of Kirkwall in an odd silence. Finally, Fenris turned to Anders.
"Mage, you seemed rather... Bothered when the name Cullen was mentioned. Why is that?" The blonde pursed his lips and was quiet for a moment. Then he shrugged.
"He's a Templar from the Ferelden Circle. We had a... Problem, and blood mages managed to gain control of the Tower. Cullen was one of the few Templars to survive, but it... Changed him." Adia raised an eyebrow.
"Do you think he'll recognize you?"
"I... I don't know. I was a bit infamous at the Tower."
"Because of your escapes?" Amber asked. He gave her a playful smile.
"Among other things."
"Then are you certain it is wise to go? If he does recognize you-" the Elf began.
"I'm still technically a Warden," Cullen shouldn't be able to touch me, Knight Captain or not."
"He won't," Amber agreed. "I won't let him."
"We'll worry about it when we see him. If anything you can be Anders' evil twin brother or something," her sister added with a grin. Anders started chuckling.
"Evil twin... Let's not go there..."
They found the path to the camp relatively easily once they reached the Wounded Coast, but arrived to see an older Templar holding Wilmod's collar. "Andraste be my witness, Wilmod, I will have the truth from you! Now!" he yelled, eyes narrowed. The dark-haired boy who they assume was Wilmod looked terrified.
"Mercy, ser! Mercy!" he stammered, before being socked in the chest and going to his knees. The other man, who they assumed was Cullen, drew his sword.
"Were it that easy."
"Stop it!" Amber yelled, eyes wide. He might be a Templar, but no one deserved to be treated like that.
"He means to kill the boy," Fenris said, drawing his sword.
"We have to stop him!" Adia told them, nocking an arrow and racing over to the Templars. "I thought Templars only beat on the Mages in their care, not recruits!"
"This is Templar business, stranger. Now leave!"
"Would you really kill an innocent boy who asked for mercy?" the Elf demanded. As the mages made their way over, Amber stumbled for a moment, pressing her hands to her head. Anders put a hand on her shoulder, but she gasped and shouted:
"Defend yourselves!" The healer was confused, but then Justice stirred, throwing all his sense into disarray.
"Amber, what's-" But then Wilmod began cackling, quickly regaining his feet.
"Hahaha! You have struck me for the last time, pathetic human!" His voice was raspy, and he began glowing red, lifting into the air. "To me!" He struck his chest and changed into what looked like a Wraith, and Abominations rose out of the ground to aid him. The entire group was stunned.
"Andraste's blood!" Cullen swore.
"Holy flaming Maker!" Adia shouted, quickly finding herself a spot to unload her bow from. "I thought only Mages could become those things!" They fought fiercely, the mages using everything at their disposal. Amber had been wary of using her magick near a Templar, but if Anders wasn't holding back, then neither would she. They would deal with the consequences after the creatures were dealt with. After a bit, they'd managed to kill everything that had come at them, and the Templar sat down, panting heavily and resting his forehead against his sword.
"I thought only mages could become that as well," he agreed. "I have heard of blood mages who were able to summon Demons into unwilling hosts, however."
"You mean Uldred?" Anders asked before realizing what he'd just said. "Andraste's flaming knickers... Me and my big mouth." Cullen looked up.
"I thought I recognized you, Anders." He sighed and got to his feet. "Rumor has it you joined the Wardens. You out here on their orders?"
"Something like that," Amber replied, taking Anders' arm. The healer just nodded, walking away from the other Ferelden. Cullen looked at the others.
"I thank you for your timely intervention then. I am Knight Captain Cullen, for those of you who did not know."
"Well, you're welcome at least. Maybe next time you won't beat on a kid for information," Adia quipped, giving him a strange look. "What were you yelling at him about anyway?"
"Recruits have been going missing for about a week now, and Wilmod was the first one to come back. He had disappeared with another boy, Keran. A good lad. But if this is what was happening to them... Maker have mercy..."
"Do you have any leads?" Fenris wondered, cleaning his sword.
"The last time anyone saw them was at the Blooming Rose. But I had no luck interrogating the... Um... Young ladies there." Cullen blushed, and the twins giggled.
"Have trouble talking to women, do you?" the rogue asked, grinning from ear to ear. "Keran's sister asked us to find him, since she's having no luck getting any information from the ever helpful Templars."
"Oh, yes, well... We tend not to let outsider know about any issues that we might be having," Cullen explained.
"And that's worked out wonderfully for you, so far," Anders shot back.
"Anders, please!" He sighed and smiled at her.
"Sorry. I'll just stand here and look good for you." Amber blushed and gave him a shy smile. Adia giggled and flashed her sister a grin before looking back at Cullen.
"So the last place these two were seen was at the Rose? So now we have to backtrack and head to the place our dear brother pretty much lives at."
"Perhaps you will finally meet this Faith he has so much affection for," Fenris brought up. Cullen looked more relaxed.
"If you could help out our investigation in any way, I will reward you, I promise."
"To the brothel then, dear sister?" Amber asked with a grin. The redhead grinned and blushed a bit.
"To the brothel. I have a feeling I'm going to have to ask for a lot of clarification in there."
"Probably," Amber agreed as they headed back to Kirkwall.
The foursome headed straight for the Blooming Rose. As they entered the place, Adia saw a familiar figure in a tight-fitting bodice, short-shorts, and gold jewelry. " ...Isabella? I'd say it's a surprise to see you here, but it sort of isn't," she called out, walking over to the woman. The pirate turned with a smile, hands on her hips.
"Well, well, if it isn't my twin sweet things!" Her eyes flicked to Fenris and Anders, and lit up. "Oh? Finally taking the plunge, are you?" The men blushed, and Amber's eyes went wide as she shook her head.
"No... We're here to find some Templar recruits," the dark-haired mage said. Adia tilted her head, looking at the boys and Amber's reaction, just not quite getting it, mouthing the word "plunge" but not saying anything about it.
"We were told they were last seen here so we figured we'd come here and look around," she further explained.
"Well, this place does a lot of... Servicing of the Templars," Isabella told them. "Let's go talk to Vevika. She handles all the books around here." They followed the pirate into the main room, where there are all sorts of people in various states of dress. Some addressed Isabella by name, and she smiled at all of them. At the bar, the archer caught sight of Carver and Gamlen, and she wagged her finger at them in a "tsk tsk" motion. Finally, they came to Vevika, who gave them the once over.
"So, what can I help you ladies with? Need a party room, or something?"
"Um... That's my sister," Amber told her, horror on her face. Vevika shrugged and put her hands on her hips similar to how Isabella would usually stand.
"You never know sometimes, honey. We see all kinds here." It took a moment for her words to sink in, but then Fenris quickly shook his head and turned away.
"Andraste's flaming knickers... I did not want that image..." Anders whispered, running a hand through his hair. Adia turned to them, now even more confused.
"What mental image, Anders? I missed something, didn't I?"
"Um... Don't worry about it."
"It's unimportant," the Elf quickly added.
"I don't want to know," Amber told them, mouth slightly agape.
"Well, I do!" Isabella said with a huge grin as she pulled the men off to the side, leaving the twins with Vevika.
"So, what do you need?" the woman asked, raising an eyebrow. Adia shook off her confusion and smiled at the woman.
"We're looking for a Templar by the name of Keran. We were told he was last seen here." Vevika looked at the floor, frowning.
"Well... Normally I'm not supposed to discuss our clients."
"Please, we need to find him," Amber told her. "His friend Wilmod was last seen here as well, and now he's... Dead." The woman put her hands up, eyes wide.
"All right, all right, no need to get all dramatic on me!" She walked over to a large ledger and began leafing through it. "Let's see... Keran... Wilmod..." She turned to the girls, a smirk on her face. "Wilmod came in here a lot. You sure he had time to be a Templar? She went back to looking over the entries, and finally smiled. "Ah, here we go. They both last saw... "Idunna, the Exotic Wonder of the East.""
"Exotic Wonder of the East? What kind of name is that?" Adia wondered, blinking and shaking her head.
"Well, it beats "The Tramp from Darktown"," Vevika shot back.
"I... Guess so..." Amber hesitantly agreed.
"So where do we find this exotic wonder?" her sister asked with chuckle.
"Upstairs, door at the end of the hall on the right. And listen... You didn't hear any of this from me, understood?" Vevika told them, pointing at the stairs at the end of the room. The girls looked at each other and nodded, and then Amber looked for the others.
"Anders, Fenris, Isabella! Let's go!"
"Coming, sweet thing!" the pirate called back as she dragged the men over. Both of them looked embarrassed and guilty.
"Did you three have a nice little talk?" Adia asked as they headed up the stairs. Anders and Fenris just blushed, and the pirate proceeded to grin.
"Oh yes, we had a lovely chat! It's nice that Anders isn't as much a stick-in-the-mud as I first thought. I mean, there was that time in the Pearl-"
"Isabella, don't!" the healer interrupted, elbowing her.
"What is the Pearl?" Fenris wanted to know.
"It's Denerim's equivalent of The Rose," Isabella explained. Amber turned and stared at the healer, and he rubbed the back of his head and looked away.
"Okay... You'll have to tell us that story at some point, Anders," Adia told him, blissfully ignorant.
"No, that's quite all right..." the healer softly replied. They reached the landing, and that the door to the room was already open, and the group saw what they assumed to be Idunna standing by a very comfy-looking bed. She turned, smiling at Adia, who walked in first. Amber shook her head, rubbing her eyes. There was a familiar pressure behind them, like what she'd felt with Wilmod…
"Well, more visitors?" Idunna purred. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Are you Idunna?" the redhead asked.
"I am."
"Well now..." Isabella remarked, eyeing her up and down. Adia smiled and shook her head, hoping the pirate could at least let her get information before she… Did whatever it was she did with people she liked.
"We have a few questions for you. Did you um... E-entertain a couple of Templars named Wilmod and Keran?"
"Wilmod... Keran... Doesn't ring a bell," Idunna replied as she pursed her lips for a moment and then smiled as she sat on the bed.
"Stop lying," Amber ordered, shaking her head and closing her eyes. The pressure behind them was starting to get worse, and all she wanted to do was leave. The woman frowned and pouted.
"Oh, come on, I'm just trying to have some fun."
"Sweetie, go easy on her," Isabella lightly admonished the mage.
"If Amber thinks you're lying then I have to agree. We know you saw them. Frequently," Adia broke in, giving the woman an annoyed look. Idunna arched an eyebrow and stood once more, a feral smile on her lips.
"Oh? And who told you about little, old me?" The redhead felt a wave of... Something sweep over her. She noticed the others seemed to be locked in place, and Amber dropped to her knees, hands pressed tight to her head. Adia tried to ask her sister if she was okay, at the same time as she was going to lie to Idunna. However, her mouth seemed to have other ideas:
"It...was...V-Vevika..." she stammered, trying to fight back the words. Idunna narrowed her eyes and huffed.
"Really? That drab, pathetic little sewer rat. She'll get what's coming to her. But first, I want you to do me a favor: Draw your blade, and bring it gently across your throat." The rogue's body seemed to react all on its own, and it drew one of her daggers, bringing it up to her neck. Adia whimpered, eyes wide as she fought with her own hand to not cut herself.
"A-Amber...help me!" Her sister looked up, and her eyes seemed to glow for a brief moment as she stood. It took a moment for her to concentrate on the spell, but then she unleashed it in a blast that passed through the others and hit Idunna, knocking the other woman to her knees.
"Get off... My... Sister!" The men and Isabella shook their heads as though waking up, and looked very confused. Amber was in front of Adia by now, a small flame in her hand as she glared at the woman in front of her.
"How did you-" Idunna began, before she saw the fire. "Oh shit!"
"That was blood magick. I want answers. Now." Adia dropped to her knees, letting go of the knife and holding her neck, still shaking. Her gaze mirrored Amber's in glaring at the blood mage.
"How did you do that?" she demanded.
"Equal parts blood and desire... Please, Tarohne put me up to this."
"Who is Tarohne? And if you so much as mutter a spell, I will end you," Amber threatened. Fenris and Anders' eyes widened, and Isabella raised an eyebrow. They'd never seen the red-eyed girl behave like this. Idunna hung her head.
"She said we were going to create a new Imperium here, by sowing chaos into the Templar ranks."
"See mage, I told you that mages would make themselves magisters if they could," Fenris scoffed
"One insane cult doesn't mean all mages, Fenris," the healer shot back. The archer glowered at the Elf from the floor.
"Don't bait the mages, Fenris. This isn't the time." She looked back at the blood mage. "Where is Tarohne and what happened to Keran?"
"I enchanted Keran and Wilmod days ago. Where they went after they left here, I do not know. Tarohne is in our Sanctuary, accessible through Darktown by where the Carta sell their contracts."
"Are there traps? And how many are with her?" Amber asked, having spent enough time with all the rogues to know better.
"People go in and out all the time, but there are usually about five or six mages there at all times. There are magical traps, but a switch at the front turns them off." She looked up at the twins, terror in her eyes. "Please, may I go?" Amber picked up the knife Adia had dropped, turning it over in her hands for a moment. Then she motioned for Idunna to stand, which the woman slowly did. "Does this mean-"
"You tried to kill my sister," the other mage interrupted. She lunged forward, stabbing Idunna in the heart. "May the Demons feast on your soul, bitch." Fenris and Isabella took a step back, staring at the girl. Anders took a step towards her, but Adia moved faster. The redhead stood in one fluid motion and pulled her sister into a tight hug.
"Amber..." she whispered. The hooded girl returned the hug.
"Are you all right?"
"I'm fine. Shaky, but fine." Adia gave her a half-smile. "The question now, is are you all right? ...I've never seen you react like that before." Amber shook her head and clenched her fists.
"Maker's ass, she tried to kill you! You think I was just going to let her walk out of here?" The mage shook her head and sighed heavily.
"You did the right thing," Fenris finally spoke.
"She was a blood mage. She deserved it," Anders added softly.
"Finally, something you two can agree on," Isabella quipped.
"Well now that the fun part of the night is over, I say we head to this sanctuary and teach another blood mage bitch a lesson," Adia told them with a wide grin. Isabella gave the body another look, and then suddenly started giggling.
"So, she was an apostate prostitute? An apostitute!" Amber gave her an odd look, and Fenris just groaned and turned away.
"Maker preserve me..." Anders swore under his breath.
"A... What?" Adia asked, blinking a few times.
"Apostitute! Isn't that a cute name? Easier on the tongue as well. Like a fine wine... Or a submissive lay."
"Darktown! Let's go!" Amber said suddenly, grabbing her sister's hand and pulling her quickly out of the room. The men followed, and Isabella was right behind them, still laughing.
"What is she talking about? And what is a submissive lay? That woman confuses me!" the archer whispered.
"Don't please... I don't feel like explaining that to my sister."
"I could show her," the pirate offered.
"You will do no such thing!" Fenris shot back. The twins looked at each other and giggled over the Elf's comment as they headed for Darktown.
Finding the Sanctuary was relatively easy, and Adia spotted the level to deactivate the traps. However, all of them knew it wasn't going to be that easy. "We should be careful," Anders warned. "Who knows what this many blood mages have waiting for us... Though, I think I'm going to start paying more attention to when you get headaches, Amber." She blushed and tugged on her hood.
"Yes, that is rather handy," Fenris agreed.
"Says you..." she said with a frown.
"I know it stinks, but it is helpful, sister," Adia told her as she squeezed her twin's hand. "You're like a walking magick detector!"
"I hate feeling blood magick though. It feels like... Slimy tentacles in my head..."
"That's like me and darkspawn. Except I just hear this chittering noise. You'll get used to it," Anders assured her as he put a hand on her shoulder.
"How is it you can do that, anyway?" The Elf wanted to know.
"My eyes. There's magick sealed in them, and it... Reacts whenever I'm around other magick; be it people, artifacts, or things that radiate energy."
"Well, that is handy," Isabella noted with a nod.
"Then let's put those magick eyes to use and find this bitch so we can get the heck out of here. It's cold and creepy down here and I just don't like it," Adia quipped. The group made their way through the Sanctuary, fighting off random groups of Shades, Abominations, skeletons, and the odd Rage Demon.
"It's always undead when you fight blood mages. Can't they get creative?" Anders demanded, freezing one enemy solid and then shattering it with his staff.
"They will fall to us whether they be undead, human, or Demon," Fenris pointed out as he cut down a Shade.
"I don't care what they are, just kill them! Ew!" Adia yelled from behind the group, firing off large amounts of arrows. When the last creature had gone down, they rounded a corner and started heading down a flight of stairs. Halfway down, Amber grabbed her sister's hand, swaying on her feet as pain blossomed behind her eyes.
"Adia, there's something... Powerful down there." The redhead turned a concerned look on her, squeezing her hand.
"Do you want to stay up here? Are you going to be okay?"
"I don't-" the mage began
"Can you fight?" Fenris interrupted, standing over the two of them. "If you cannot fight, you are useless, and should stay out of the way. So, can you fight?" Amber narrowed her eyes at him, standing up straighter.
"To defend my friends? Of course." As she squared her shoulders and started heading down the stairs again, the Elf gave the archer a smirk. Adia shook her head and smiled at him, sticking her tongue out slightly.
"Let's go kick some blood mage behinds, shall we?" The rest of the group followed the twins, and came to a large room. At the end was what seemed to be a group of mages standing around a shimmering spiral of yellow energy. At the top of the spiral, curled up, is the still form of a young man, clad only in pants. The mages turned as they approached, and one young woman stepped to the head of the group.
"Wonderful! More vessels for our experiments! The Demons will be pleased."
"Always the Demon thing. Can't you people say no?" Anders joked. However, he had his staff in hand, just in case one of them got stupid.
"I am not some hopeless waif who ran crying to a Demon!" the woman, who they assumed was Tarohne, shouted. "I sought them out and embraced their power!"
"A mistake you will regret today," Fenris informed her.
"Good, good, the Demons like spirit!" Adia cocked an eyebrow at the blood mages and then shook her head.
"The more I see of these mages the more I keep thinking the Demons are just attracted to their brand of crazy."
"As opposed to mine and Amber's?" Anders asked with a smirk.
"What did you hope to accomplish with this madness?" the red-eyed mage demanded, pointing at Tarohne. Her head felt ready to explode, and she wanted to be out of this place as fast as possible.
"We will sow chaos into the Templars' ranks! How many abominations do you think it will take before it drives the Knight Commander crazy?"
"I'd say she's there already," Isabella shot back. The healer nodded.
"Agreed."
"Yeah, you're just a tad bit late on that on, lady. Where is Keran? What have you done with him?" Adia wanted to know, eyes coming to rest on the floating figure.
"I'd say that that boy is Keran," her sister told her. "And that energy... It has "Fade" written all over it."
"Hence why I'm going nowhere near it," Anders added. Tarohne pointed to the energy, a wide grin on her face.
"That is how we get them to the Demons! In the Fade, only mages have the defenses to guard against Demons. Templars stand no chance!"
"Enough talk! Adia, let us deal with them!" Fenris shouted, grip tightening on his sword. She grinned and quickly bought her bow up.
"Gladly!" She let an arrow fly, landing it square in the middle of one of the blood mage's chests. "Time for the fun part!" The group attacked with everything they had, and the blood mages summoned a few Demons to aid them, but all the enemies were soon dealt with. As the lead mage fell, the spiral holding up the young man vanished, and he tumbled to the ground, apparently regaining consciousness.
"Oof!" He slowly got to his feet, looking around. "Where- Is it over?" Adia walked over to him, putting a hand on his shoulder.
"You're okay now. We took care of the crazy people. Are you Keran?"
"Yes, I am. Who are you?"
"Adia, do not get too close. We have no way of knowing if he's an abomination!" Fenris cautioned. The young man's eyes widened.
"No, I'm not possessed, I swear!"
"Anders, is there a way to verify that?" Amber asked as she turned to him. Her headache was nearly gone, which was a good sign, but they needed to be sure before they let the boy leave.
"There is one way," he said with a shrug, walking up next to Adia. Without warning, he shot a wispy ball of white energy at Keran, who just stood there in shock. Anders turned and smiled at Amber. "If there was a Demon in there, it would've defended itself. He's clear."
"Eep!" the archer squeaked, jumping away from the healer. "A little warning next time, Blondie, sheesh!" She flashed him a grin before turning back to Keran. "Your sister sent us, she was really worried about you." He sighed and twisted his hands.
"Please, I should get back to the Templars. Tell my sister I'm all right. I don't want her to worry."
"We will, but we should probably let Cullen know what's going on. As much as I don't really want to." Adia frowned as she thought of the other Templar, and Anders suddenly looked very bothered.
"Could we downplay the whole "blood mages wanting to infiltrate your ranks" angle?" he asked softly. "We don't need the Templars cracking down even harder."
"They should know what almost happened, though. To defend against it in the future," Fenris argued.
"Lets get back to the Gallows then. I'm sure Keran's sister will be happy to know he's alive," the redhead told them. Keran quickly found his armor and donned it, and they headed back to the Gallows, where a very ecstatic Macha hugged her brother tight. Cullen came up to the group, looking at Keran with hope.
"Well, you managed to find him. What in Andraste's name was going on?"
"Keran seems to have been a victim of some crazy people bent on harming relatively innocent Templar recruits. But he's fine. We had him checked out," Adia told him. Cullen raised an eyebrow and folded his arms.
"Oh? So he was not touched by the Demons?"
"Demons?" Macha cried, eyes wide as she looked at Keran. Anders sighed heavily and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Way to go, Cullen... Your brother is fine, miss." But the older Templar's eyes flicked from the healer to Adia.
"You seem reliable. If you are certain, I will take your word." Adia nodded
"I give you my word he is fine. Keran showed a lot of strength given what he was up against. You should be proud of him."
"Please Ser, I never took anything they gave me. Those mages... They wanted to crush us like ants. But I never gave in to despair," Keran told his superior.
"Mages will use any trick in the book to have their way," Cullen told him. Anders looked up, eyes flashing for a moment as they comment sunk in.
"Of all the-" Amber put a hand on his arm, shaking her head.
"Knight Captain, those mages were insane. Magick didn't make them that way." Adia stared at the Templars, a frown on her face.
"We're not sitting here and having this conversation, considering that a Warden Mage was part of the Keran's rescue. Your gratitude is overwhelming."
"Miss, you have no idea what mages are capable of. They have the power to destroy cities, or warp the minds of kings. If even one in ten fell to blood magick, it would destroy the world," Cullen explained.
"Not all mages are that bad," Macha argued gently.
"No, some are worse," Fenris quipped.
"Tell me, Cullen: Would you accuse Talia Surana of being so depraved?" Anders' fists were clenched tight, and his eyes were locked on the other man's. The Templar stared at him for a moment, eyes wide.
"I-"
"Would you?" the healer interrupted, trying not to yell.
"...No... Not her... She... She was a good soul." He hung his head and thought back to the Elven mage who had befriended him in the Tower. But after Uldred's forces had swept through… The healer took a deep breath to calm himself. Maybe Cullen didn't know she was still alive?
"She still is, I bet," Anders said as he turned and walked away, Amber trailing silently after him. Isabella stepped forward, hands on her hips.
"So, not to put too fine a point on this, but was there a reward for all the Hawkes' hard work?" Adia nodded at her, mirroring the pirate's stance.
"I wasn't going to ask for one, but I think the Templars owe us for bringing back one of their own as well as stopping more recruits from being harmed." The women both stared at Cullen, who finally sighed and reached into a coin pouch, handing the redhead five sovereigns.
"We are forever in your debt."
"As am I," Keran told them. "Please miss, tell those two I am sorry. I did not mean to include the Warden when I talked of the mages."
"Maker watch over you, and thank you for saving my brother," Macha echoed. Adia pocketed the coins and pointed a finger at the Templars.
"When you insult one mage, you insult them all. How would you feel if everyone outside the Gallows viewed all Templars as horrible, abusive, sadists, who given the chance would violate or harm a mage for blinking wrong? Just keep that in mind the next time you make a generalization based on a few mages who made poor choices." She gave them a polite bow before pivoting and walking away. Fenris and Isabella followed.
"Does this mean that you think Anders and your sister are wrong in their views on Templars?" the Elf wondered.
"They could be. But they've both been on the receiving end of Templars who've abused their powers."
"As far as I'm concerned, Anders deserved whatever he got. He never knows when to keep quiet."
"That's part of his charm, Fenris. At least to some people. Besides, our little Birdie has a sharp tongue as well when she wishes," Isabella reminded him.
"I don't want to argue about this, Fenris. We seem to go around in circles whenever we talk about the mages and Templars. Amber does have a sharp tongue, but she tends to keep it in check and let the louder of the two of us make a scene."
"I see. She is good at hiding, I'll give her that," he commented. The trio came across the mages sitting against a wall. Anders had his eyes closed, head down. Amber was talking softly to him, one hand on his arm. She looked up and gave the others a small smile as they approached.
"She had to be," Adia told the warrior, smiling at her sister as she pulled the coins from her pocket. "Well, I wasn't intending on getting paid, but I made the Templars give me money for insulting you and Anders." The healer opened his eyes.
"Really?"
"Oh, she gave them a what-for," Isabella said with a grin. "You should have seen it! Maybe she should start preaching instead of going on this Deep Roads trip."
"You'd have half the city rallied behind you, Adia," her twin predicted.
"Oh yes, my true calling: I shall join the Chantry and become a Sister. Then convert everyone within one by one to thinking mages are amazing and the Circle is evil. Then I shall overthrow the Divine herself and rule over all the Chantries in Thedas That would be something," Adia agreed with a giggle.
"That would be amazing!" Anders said with a grin.
"...I think that would be dangerous, but also interesting," Fenris added after a moment of shocked silence.
"Divine Adia the First... I like it!" Amber exclaimed, standing and tugging Anders to his feet as well.
"Would the new Divine be adverse to sharing a bed with a pirate, I wonder?" Adia tilted her head at the dark-skinned woman, giving her a friendly smile.
"Of course not! If you need a bed to sleep in, Isabella, you're always welcome." The others stared at her, and Fenris and Anders started snickering. Amber pressed her palm against her forehead.
"Adia..." Isabella sighed and put her hands on her hips.
"You and Merrill... Too cute for your own good. I meant having a tumble in the sheets." Fenris put a hand on the archer's shoulder.
"Sex, Adia. That's what she means." The redhead's eyes widened, and she turned such a bright shade of red that it was hard to tell where her hair ended and her skin began.
"I...I...I...I...Can women even DO that with each other?"
"Yes," Amber and Isabella told her.
"You asked that already, back at Sundermount when Varric was teasing you," Anders reminded her.
"You were just as surprised then, as well," the Elf added.
"Yes, but nobody explained to me how. I mean I'm not so innocent that I don't know men and women have different parts down...there. But women...just... How can they do that? I don't get it!" The pirate put an arm around her, grinning wickedly.
"I could-"
"Isabella, stop right there, please!" Amber pleaded
"I say it's time we head to the Hanged Man," Fenris brought up.
"Strip Diamondback!" Isabella shouted as she took off running.
"And that used to be me?" the healer asked with a shake of his head. "Andraste's knicker-weasels..." They followed the pirate, glad to be leaving the Gallows.