Chapter 54
9:33 Dragon
City of Kirkwall
Later in the afternoon of that day, Riona stopped by the Hanged Man, just to look around the place and make sure everything was more or less normal, so that Donnic would not appear in the middle of some kind of massive brawl before two rivaling gangs, or anything else that held a romantic mood ruining potential. Not that the Hanged Man didn't do a good job of it on its own.
Sitting at the table, drinking the cheap Antivan brandy and musing how to best keep Donnic's attention when he got here while she waited for Aveline to arrive, Riona almost missed her old friend Isabela entering the tavern. The Rivaini noticed her immediately, flashing a smile, and having picked up her drinks from Corff, she moved to sit at Riona's table.
"Don't see much of you here these days anymore," Isabela said. "I suppose with you moving up in the world, Hanged Man has lost its attraction?"
"I just no longer live next doors, and there are other taverns closer," Riona replied. "But it's not like I've forgotten about it completely. I mean, I'm here now. Which reminds me, you've never come to look at my Hightown estate, why is that so?"
"Oh, I've been there several times. You just haven't been home at the time."
"Well, that explains some of the missing silverware!" they both laughed at Riona's words.
"That's what I like about you, Hawke," Isabela grinned. "You're alright, you don't go around judging people and you're not afraid to get your hands dirty."
Oh, I do judge people all the time, Riona thought, even as she smiled in reply. I just mostly try to keep my thoughts to myself. Unless they ask for a piece of my mind like Fenris...
"If I had someone like you onboard my ship when the... storm hit, maybe we wouldn't have been shipwrecked," Isabela added as they kept nursing their drinks.
"Didn't I tell you I make a terrible sailor?" Riona winked at her pirate friend. "Now you've reminded me, though, I meant to ask if you've had any luck with your relic?"
Isabela's face became serious for a moment. "I've been trying to locate all of my old crew, whoever made it ashore, and see if something comes up. The list of names grows shorter and shorter, so I should be getting closer to my goal."
"Feel free to call on me if you need aid getting it back."
"Thanks, Hawke," Isabela smiled. "I had planned to, but I dislike to beg. You offering to help, that's entirely different."
"Think nothing of it," Riona nodded, her thoughts drifting back to Aveline and her 'date' with Donnic.
Isabela must have noticed that something was hanging heavily on her mind. "You don't seem to be here to just relax and have a drink, though," she remarked pointedly.
"Well spotted," Riona nodded. "Just... need to do something for Aveline."
"Lady man-hands got you running her errands again? Did I tell you she threw me in the brig for two weeks? I'm still mad at her for that!"
Riona chuckled. "From what I've heard, you got off quite lightly, Isabela." The Rivaini's expression suggested disagreement. "Besides, Aveline was only doing her job."
"Of course," Isabela nodded, more amiably. "So what is this errand? Spying on someone? Tracking down some smuggler the guards have once again proven incompetent to catch?"
"Uh... actually, nothing like that," Riona was unable to keep herself from blushing as she started explaining, remembering the painfully embarrassing episodes back at the Viscount's Keep. "I'm here to... well, how to put it... sort of oversee Aveline's date..."
Riona had never seen Isabela as surprised as in that one moment. The pirate gave her the most disbelieving stare Riona had ever faced, and then gave a short laughter, before staring at Riona again. "Wait... you're not laughing, so it must be true," she realized. "Oh my, that is just perfect! And the big bad Aveline needs you to hold her hand on her date?"
"Well... yes, but mostly because he's a guard, you see," Riona explained. "It's a delicate position, with her being Captain, there could be accusations of her abusing her rank or giving Donnic a preferential treatment."
"Donnic, you say..." Isabela mused. "No, don't think I've ever had the honor of meeting him. What's he like?"
"Quite handsome if I say so myself," Riona smiled. "Tall, long brown hair, soft brown eyes and just a little stubble of a beard, I can really understand why she would be interested."
"How curious..." Isabela said, finishing her drink, then suddenly appearing very busy all of a sudden. "Blast it, I forgot I had arranged meeting with some dockworker who had information about several of my men that have hired out with some Nevarran captain. I better run!"
"Sure thing, Isabela," Riona said, rising with the Rivaini. "I better leave as well. Need to get home and rest a bit before the big evening. And remember where to find me if you need any help with the relic, yes?" she said as the two women left the Hanged Man to go their separate ways.
Several hours later, with the approach of a warm summer evening, Riona made her way back towards the Hanged Man. Spot had been getting tangled up in her legs, wagging his tail, and staring at her with huge hopeful eyes, begging to be taken with her, but Riona had to disappoint the puppy, knowing the Hanged Man wasn't suitable place for a mabari, eventually managing to get Sandal to come and distract the affectionate beast. With the pup out of the way, Riona had quickly put on one of her better dresses, made herself more presentable and hurried to Lowtown, quietly hoping that after the business with Aveline and Donnic was resolved, perhaps she could spend some time alone with Varric, for it had been quite a while since they had found time for some privacy.
As she arrived at the raucous tavern, Riona was unable to immediately spot neither Donnic nor Aveline, which was a good thing as she had to arrive first and entertain Donnic until Aveline's subtle and completely 'accidental' appearance on the scene. Riona quickly secured a table and another relatively safe drink, and sat down to wait. It was taking quite a while, and the emptied glasses slowly started to pile up in front of her, but still, no one showed up.
Don't tell me Aveline chickened out at the last moment, Riona thought at herself angrily. But that doesn't explain where Donnic has gone? Did he see through my ham-fisted invitation? She was slowly starting to grow worried, when suddenly Aveline appeared at the entrance... still wearing her full guard uniform, making Riona groan in frustration. She's really helpless, isn't she?
Aveline noticed her soon, as well the fact that Riona was still alone, which shouldn't have been the case. She made a questioning gesture at Riona, to which she could only reply with a shrug of her shoulders, asking Aveline to take a seat in the opposite corner where she could oversee most of the hall while remaining well hidden.
Nothing happened for a long while. Aveline was clearly nervous and fidgeting the entire time, and Riona was about to get up from her seat, walk over to her friend and call the whole thing off, admitting defeat. Then suddenly... she heard Donnic's voice. But it came from the stairs leading to the upper rooms, behind her.
"Serah Hawke!" Donnic called out to her. "Thank you for the gift! But you got it all wrong... my birthday isn't until next month!"
Confused, Riona turned around and suddenly recoiled in surprise. Donnic stood on the stairs, his hair ruffled, the man himself sporting a big smile, as... Isabela was tightly pressed against his side, her arms around him as she smiled seductively.
"What..." Riona started to speak, then quickly casting a panic-stricken look at Aveline. The Captain had risen from her table and was standing a few steps behind her, staring at Donnic and Isabela, looking... no, that was not anger, it was something else... if anything could describe the moment of one's heart breaking, it was the haunted, defeated look in Aveline's eyes, as she quickly turned around and walked away without saying a word.
"...Captain?" Donnic stumbled, releasing Isabela, who almost fell down the last few steps, glaring at her male companion. "Serah Hawke..." Donnic blinked, staring at Riona dumbly. "What was... what was the Captain doing here?"
Riona put a hand to her forehead. Clearly, she hadn't been drinking enough, for the headache was back again. "This... might not be the most convenient moment to explain that, Guardsman Donnic," she sighed. "And... I think you might want to avoid talking to the Captain for a while..."
"Maker, what a mess," Donnic groaned. "...but then why did you arrange for... her?" he pointed at the grinning Isabela.
"I didn't," Riona said simply.
Donnic swallowed heavily. "I... see." He gave Isabela a less than fond stare, and then pushed past Riona, hurrying to the exit. "I've let the Captain down... I hope there is something I can do to make up for it..." and with that he was gone.
Isabela approached the still stunned and numb Riona, putting a hand around Riona's shoulder and leading her back to the table. "Oh my, you should have seen her face," the Rivaini giggled. "It was priceless!"
"I saw," Riona said bitterly once she was able to speak again. "...but why? Why do something like this?" It meant so much to her. I could see it in her eyes, the pain.
"Kitten, she jailed me for two weeks, just for starting a bar brawl," Isabela purred at her. "Surely you didn't think I wouldn't try and get a little revenge for it?"
"I guess I should have expected that you would try that," Riona finally agreed. I've been an idiot again. Why did I have to tell her about Aveline and Donnic? I should have seen it coming, I should have! This is all my fault!
"You're not angry at me, are you?" Isabela sneaked an arm across her waist, pulling her closer. "Say you're not mad, kitten. I admit it was a little underhanded of me, but she'll get over it, you know it. We're still friends, right?"
"Yes. Of course," Riona managed, her insides twisting from the hurt and anger of betrayal and having been used for such petty revenge. I wish I could force myself to say what I really think of her right now. But I can't take another falling out like with Fenris right now, I just can't. Maybe I can fix it... maybe I can do something...
"You do look a bit peeked, Riona," Isabela must have finally noticed the look on her face. "Maybe you've had a bit too much to drink?"
"I think so," Riona agreed quickly, sensing her opportunity to get away. "I need to clear my head a bit, I think. Sorry, Isabela."
"Think nothing of it, kitten," Isabela smiled, as Riona quickly walked off. "That's what I like about you Hawke. You don't judge people..."
The next few days were difficult for Riona. She was fighting with herself, one part of her wishing to go and see Aveline, to comfort her friend and see if anything at all could be done. The other part suggested her to wait, to take her time, because interfering now when the things were still too raw, would only cause more damage. Unable to decide, but still needing to occupy herself somehow, she had called upon Merrill and Varric, and together with Bethany and Spot they had gone to explore the passages of the Undercity where Hadriana's map pointed at.
Varric led them to the spots he and Merrill had explored some time ago, finding nothing. Riona and Bethany search everything thoroughly well, poking at the ground with their staves, thinking there might be a hidden sealed entrance, like to the one magister's cache that Bethany and Merrill had once gained access to. Still, nothing came to their attention as they kept searching, almost giving up, when at one moment, Bethany suddenly reached out and grabbed Riona's hand.
"Uh, sis?" she gasped, peering over Riona's shoulder. "You might want to look behind you."
Riona turned around, then immediately falling backwards from the surprise, Bethany managing to steady her. Part of the wall in front of them was shining with a strange purple glow, which diminished slightly as Riona recoiled from it.
"That wasn't here before," Merrill came towards them, equally surprised. "Isn't that right, Varric?"
"Daisy, I think I would remember something like that if it had been here," the dwarf replied, staring at the wall with a degree of distrust.
Riona slowly backed away from the wall, pulling Bethany with her. As they did so, the purple glow became weaker and weaker until it disappeared entirely. "Hmm, interesting..." Merrill remarked, chewing on a finger thoughtfully. "Could you step closer to the wall again, Riona?"
"Huh? I'd rather not, thank you!" Riona protested.
"...Bethany?" Merrill asked.
"What? Oh, sure!" Bethany said, stepping up to the wall before Riona could stop her. The wall immediately flared up in swirling purple. "Whoa!" Bethany exclaimed.
"Why does it react to me and Bethany but not to the others?" Riona wondered.
"Isn't it obvious?" Merrill asked in return. "You share the same blood."
"It... reacts to blood? So... the story of our ancestry..." Riona gasped.
"Is starting to make sense. The Krayvan family bore many magisters, remember. And this clearly is made with blood magic," Merrill said, stepping close to the wall. She dared to prod the purple glow with her finger. To the shocked gasps of everyone, her hand went right through the wall.
"What's going on here? What ancestry?" Bethany demanded.
"Merrill thinks we could be descendants of the Tevinter magister who founded this city," Riona explained. The look on Bethany's face was beyond the wildest disbelief. "I know, it sounds crazy. But... so does this..." she pointed at the glowing wall. "It does seem to react to us both for some reason."
"We need to find out what's in there," Merrill decided, seemingly for them all.
"Are you crazy? There could be all manner of demons in there!" Riona protested.
"C'mon Ri, aren't you curious? If that magister really was our ancestor we need to find out what he was up to here!" Bethany argued.
Varric came up to Riona and looked at her with mild amusement. "You know that if you don't go with them now, they'll just sneak here when you're not watching them and explore it on their own," he said. "Remember, Bethany carries the 'key' with her at all times."
Riona sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine! Just don't complain to me if you get us all horribly killed, alright?" Everyone just laughed at that. "So, who wants to go first?"
"I can," Merrill said, placing her hands against the wall, feeling the empty space behind it and then slipping through. Varric followed her, then Bethany, and finally Riona, taking a whimpering and scared Spot in her arms as she stepped through the swirling vortex to find herself in a dark catacomb behind the wall.
They quickly summoned some light to illuminate the dungeon they had ended in, a rather typical old Tevinter ruin, set of stone steps leading only downwards, for as far as the sparse light allowed them to see. They started the descent, feeling more and more uncomfortable with every step they took, the whispers of the spirits beyond the thin Veil growing louder and louder. Only Varric seemed unaffected, even if he looked with worry upon each of them in turn, especially after Spot had grown so restless in her hands, whining and struggling against her so much that the dog eventually managed to wrestle free, scratching her arms bloody. Barking loudly, Spot ran back to the entrance, as Riona was left cursing the superstitious mutt.
When they finally reached the bottom of the stairs, accompanied by the loud screeching of the spirits, they stepped into a wider hall, where fortunately the voices of the Fade creatures seemed to get drown out. Riona looked around the hall, her attention focused on a dais in the middle of it. She approached it to see an all too familiar symbol carved into the dais, the same that referred to the old city of Eremius, that stood proudly as the old coat-of-arms of Amells and that was etched into the very streets of the city itself. This smaller replica of the symbol was glowing with soft blue shine of lyrium, radiating power, but not appearing in any way malicious.
"I wonder if that's one of the seals," Riona mused, her thoughts interrupted by Merrill's quiet exclamation of surprise. They all quickly hurried over to the elf at the farther side of the room, where she stood at a grotesque, wicked altar of sorts, a thick, ageless tome with black pages, letters and symbols of glowing bloody red across them.
"What... what is that?" Bethany gasped.
"I think I know what it is," Merrill spoke with reverence in her voice. "I think this is the Fell Grimoire. One of the most fabled books on blood magic and secrets of the magisters. It was supposed to be only a legend, though..."
"So was Flemeth, and great many other things," Riona added quietly, staring at the horrid creation of people amongst whom might very well had been her own ancestors. "I don't think I want to touch it, though."
"Really, Ri, you're such a scaredy-cat at times," Bethany grinned, putting her hand on the black page of the tome. Immediately, there was a deep rumbling that shook the whole hall. "...uh, on the other hand..."
As bits of sand and rubble seeped through the cracks on the ceiling, they turned around to see if the hall hadn't suffered more serious damage, or worse, caused a cave-in to block off their exit. As they did so, they immediately noticed no longer being alone in the room. On the dais, next to the seal, there sat a scantily and scandalously clad figure of a desire demon, sporting horns of unusual side and looking at them with great interest in those deep mysterious eyes that held intelligence and wisdom far superior to their own. Time from time, the creature's skin flashed white, as if she was protected by some shimmering shield.
"Magister... it has been some time..." the creature said, in a strange, muffled voice, as if spoken through a thick shawl. It then turned its stare from Riona to Bethany, appearing a little confused. "Interesting... and unexpected," it noted, with something akin to a smile.
"Who... or what are you?" Riona finally found her voice again.
"I have been called many names, magister," the demon explained. "By your surprise, I gather your ancestors have told you nothing of me. I am Xebenkeck the Undying."
"Maybe the 'undying' has been attached there with hopes to deter someone from putting a crossbow arrow through her skull?" Varric suggested, but the demon ignored him entirely.
"Now, to what do I owe this visit, magisters," Xebenkeck asked, appearing a little bored.
"Uh... I guess you could say we were simply... meddling," Riona said, giving Bethany a mildly disapproving glare. "But we have been looking into the history of this city, trying to understand our ancestor's role in it all. Not to mention these seals..." she pointed at the lyrium symbol. "There are mages who still maintain knowledge of them and come here to manipulate them. Do you know what for?"
"Yes, I do," the demon replied simply.
"But you won't tell us," Riona ventured.
"You can order me to," Xebenkeck said.
"...and you would just take my orders, for no reason at all?" Riona blinked.
"The blood feeds... the blood nourishes. In blood, the call is heard. In blood, the deal is made. My master bathed in river of blood..." the demon spoke in mysterious, dark voice. "Your blood gives you the command over me. As was the deal made many lifetimes ago."
"Perhaps you can start at the beginning," Riona suggested. "How this all came to be?"
"Does it make sense to even ask a demon?" Varric wondered, looking up at Riona, clearly worried. "She would twist the tale as it benefits her."
"Perhaps the blood promise compels her to speak the truth," Bethany said. She seemed unable to take her eyes off Xebenkeck's enchanting shape.
"I don't even care, I'm just dying for at least one side of the story," Riona said quietly, before turning back to their demon host. "Please, go on."
"From the beginning, you say?" Xebenkeck said with a dark, echoing laughter. "The magisters were particularly... reckless, with their experiments in this city, soon after its foundation. With the supply of slaves so rich, the rivers of blood never dried up for a single moment. They sacrificed mountains of lyrium and armies of slaves in order to enter the Beyond with their physical bodies."
"...to reach the Golden City," Bethany gasped.
"Is that what you call it?" Xebenkeck looked at the girl, then proceeding with her tale. "But their experiments thinned the Veil so much that the creatures of Beyond often broke through it and entered the physical realm, causing madness and mayhem. It was only then that people like Magister Eremius decided that something needed to be done."
"So... the Krayvans truly are our ancestors," Riona said, shaking her head as she struggled to comprehend it all.
"You carry his blood, I can sense it, and so does this young woman," the demon pointed at Bethany. "Your ancestor, Magister Eremius, realized that unless the tears in the Veil can be closed, the city would be overwhelmed by demons. He created these seals to keep the Veil from collapsing entirely."
"How did he know what to do?" Riona peered at the demon suspiciously.
"Perhaps someone whispered to him a daring and brilliant idea," the demon replied, a little too smugly for Riona's liking. "Perhaps they did not mention it at that point that these seals will need constant maintaining. Or else... the Veil would slowly become thinner and thinner, until collapsing entirely. This seal," Xebenkeck pointed at the pale blue lyrium glow, "is not far from failing. Already effects of its weakness can be felt in your world, as more and more mages find it increasingly difficult to control their demons, and more and more of those not magically inclined fall prey to demonic possession."
"It's true, Ri..." Bethany exclaimed. "The Circle archives spoke of this, remember? How many mages in Kirkwall fail their Harrowing here? It all adds up."
"And Kelder and the possessed templars," Riona realized. "Yes... there could be something to this. But wait... it means Hadriana never made it here to fix the seal, did she?"
"Nobody has been here for decades, magister," Xebenkeck replied.
"Damn it. And we killed her," Riona sighed. "Can we mend the seal?"
Xebenkeck looked at Merrill and then Varric, a hungry expression on her face. "Yes, you can. The seal... demands feeding."
"Blood sacrifices," Merrill exclaimed in a shaky voice.
"Why's that demon looking at me like that, Hawke?" Varric said, bristling with anger. "Bianca wants to have a word with her, I tell you."
"We're not going to sacrifice our friends, if that is what you mean," Riona glared at the demon.
"As you wish," the demon shrugged. "I suggest you find someone who has the stomach for it, though. Soon the seal's power will be depleted completely, and the Veil will collapse. Demons will overrun the streets, and the Forbidden Ones will become unbound."
"Forbidden Ones?" Bethany asked.
"I am one of them," Xebenkeck replied. "The others... well, you may have met one of them," she added mysteriously. "Know this, if the seal breaks, so will break my oath to your bloodline. If you wish to avoid that, I suggest returning here with a dozen healthy slaves and a steely resolve."
"What are we going to do, Ri?" Bethany looked at her desperately. "We almost need a ruthless Tevinter magister to do this dirty work for us!"
"Why would they be interested in preserving these seals in the first place?" Riona wondered. "What do they care if Kirkwall is overrun by demons? Charity and concern is not usually on their agenda."
"Don't you see, Riona?" Merrill chose to reply in the demon's stead. "By keeping the seals closed... they keep the demons dormant. A force they can summon when they wish by breaking those seals." The demon's wide grin was a confirmation of Merrill's theory. "...an army to be used when they wish..." and that final, chilling thought remained with them even as they abandoned the chamber and it's demonic host to flee back to their illusively safe dwellings on the surface.
