THE LOT OF SLAVES
WAR! THE TEVINTER IMPERIUM IS SUFFERING UNDER THE INCREASING SEVERITY OF THE QUNARI ATTACKS. THERE ARE NO VICTORS ON EITHER SIDE. A PATH OF DEATH AND DESTRUCTION RAGES ACROSS THE COASTLINES.
IN AN UNPRECEDENTED TURN OF EVENTS, SUPREME LEGATE, MAGISTER AEMILIANUS LASKARIS, WAS SUMMONED IN FRONT OF THE IMPERIAL SENATE TO ACCOUNT FOR HIS FAILURES IN HOLDING THE QUN AT BAY. AFTER A DISASTROUS HEARING, HE AND HIS ACCOMPANYING SLAVES LEFT MINRATHOUS IN DISGRACE.
PRESSED BY THE ARCHON'S FURY AND THE DESIRE TO SAVE WHAT IS LEFT OF THE FRACTURED IMPERIUM, THE MILITARY LEADER MAKES AN UNEXPECTED AND SWIFT RETURN TO VOL DORMA, THE SEAT OF HIS HOUSE, HAVING CRAFTED A FINAL DESPERATE PLAN TO INCREASE THE ODDS AGAINST THE QUNARI AND RESTORE PEACE AND STABILITY TO THE NATION...
Vol Dorma
Vol Dorma.
Once again, Cassia would enter this falling grace of a city. The bruises speckling her arms and legs already began to make themselves known by the mere sight of it. She suppressed a tired and painful moan, steadied herself as best as she could and pressed onwards.
Laskaris hadn't even noticed. His gaze was fixated on the heavy gates that separated the Imperial Highway from the city. Even though his expression was as cold and disciplined as always during such occasions, the uneasy and tense way his dracolisk moved onwards shone through this façade. Phobos only twitched like that when fury flooded through his master, burning all-consuming fury.
She allowed herself a glance to the side. Her companion in chains, an old elf of whom she never had the chance to ask his name, was breathing heavily. His chin was red with dried, crusted blood. His legs were shaking uncontrollably and his gaze…his gaze was that of a man looking into the beyond, almost unaware of his current surroundings.
They were the only two left. The others were either slain or had died of exhaustion. She was not with them when it happened. No, Laskaris wouldn't let her get too close. He still had usage for her. The elf beside her? Well, she would find out in a short while. Though she knew the answer before it presented itself.
The right leg fell first, then the left. A few seconds later, the elf was lying on the sun-baked highway, his face planted into the dirt. Phobos halted, but Laskaris made no inclination of reacting.
Cassia watched the elf breath and felt it again, rising up inside her.
Conceal, she thought. Conceal. But it wouldn't be concealed.
She found herself on her knees, slowly turning the elf on his back. Her arms and legs weren't shackled like most slaves so this task came easier to her.
His left eye was swollen and his nose broken from the fall. He stared into the blue sky and opened his mouth. While his cracked lips formed a word, no sound would leave his throat. But Cassia knew. It was always the same word.
It wouldn't be concealed. A moment later, she felt a pull inside her chest. Her body shook for a moment. But she gained control of herself at the last second. Laskaris couldn't see. She had shown enough reaction already.
The elf had stopped breathing. His empty brown eyes were now staring to a point Cassia couldn't see.
Yet, she added in her thoughts.
Slowly, she moved her hands to the elf's eyes. He deserved that much. She could give him that final moment of peace.
"Leave it", came a cold voice from behind. She turned around and saw Laskaris piercing her with his steel-grey eyes. Phobos' golden reptile gaze hungrily followed her movements as she stood up.
"Yes, master", she said coldly, without any emotion, or at least her mouth did, for that word was not hers. It was the word that belonged to all slaves. The word that owned them all.
"Walk", Laskaris said, turned away and pressed Phobos onward. As the dracolisk moved further, Cassia followed. Both of them knew she wouldn't attempt to flee. She had no visible shackles, but that didn't give off the illusion that she didn't have any.
The city guards awaited them and made their salutes.
"Supreme Legate", one of them, a recruit probably, said, "your early return is most welcome."
"Open the gates", Laskaris replied with a whisper. After hearing the man command countless soldiers on the battlefront, catapulting orders across the coastline, a simple whisper sounded so…unnatural.
The guards obliged without a word. A moment later, the gates opened with a sound that reminded Cassia of war elephants moving on broken ground. Laskaris did not hesitate. Like a creature of the Fade, Phobos almost glided past the guards. Cassia staggered after them, ignoring the disdainful looks the guards gave her. She wouldn't run. She couldn't run.
Vol Dorma.
Once the centre of trade between the Tevinter Imperium and the north-western lands, closest of all major cities to legendary Weisshaupt Fortress, it was now…well, she couldn't even find the word. The swamp that had festered beneath the Imperial Highway had expanded over the centuries until key roads and passages had been flooded beyond repair. Even magical architecture couldn't fix that damage. The only proposed solution in the Senate had been to raise the entire city into the air and keep it afloat for as long as possible. Naturally, this did not go through. Since then, Vol Dorma had been largely left to its own fate. The truth was simple: the city was no longer important. But, this is how Cassia had always known it. This was home.
Vol Dorma…a once mighty name now turned into a nigh disgrace. The same, and this she thought with cold analysis, could be said about her master, from the Senate's point of view at least…well, perhaps not only the Senate's.
They went straight to the estate. At one point, Cassia had to nearly run to keep up with Phobos. Even though she knew where to go, she wouldn't risk getting out of sight. Enduring one of Laskaris' disciplinary sessions was not, in any way, practical right now. She had no desire to break.
It was always quite an experience coming to the estate. Its imposing towers and battlements overshadowed the entire eastern side of the city. It was the official seat of house Laskaris, but the locals referred to it as 'The Frozen Castle' behind closed doors. The reason was not in any way related to actual ice. No, that wasn't needed with Laskaris in charge, and something told Cassia that it was about to get colder.
The slaves were all lined up like a cohort of soldiers. Cassia saw such formations for too many days in a row to not recognise them. Laskaris wouldn't have it any other way. Where his presence was felt, so was the army's.
The magister didn't waste one second glancing at his properties welcoming him back. Instead, he turned his gaze to Cassia. Even though those cold eyes couldn't impale her as much as they used to, she found herself swallowing instinctively.
"The daggers", he said. Of course, she wouldn't need them here. Without a word, Cassia reached to the worn leather belt around her waist and produced two clean red steel daggers. She handed them over to Laskaris, who tucked them into his own belt.
"Bring Phobos into his stable and return to me immediately", came the next command.
"Yes, master", Cassia replied automatically without even thinking,
Laskaris descended from his mount with a grace that, given his age and military physique, seemed almost out of place. The signature heavy mail armour he wore instead of mage robes clattered as he landed on the ground. His crimson red cloak, embroidered with the Imperium's serpent heraldry, billowed in the wind as he made his way inside. As soon as the heavy doors slammed shut, the other slaves dispersed, looks of relief on their faces.
Cassia stood straighter as she approached the dracolisk.
"Come on", she whispered coldly, "time to go home."
Phobos' yellow eyes watched her every move as she approached him full of caution. She knew that thing since it had raised its cursed dragon's head out of a black egg and yet it still gave her a feeling of absolute unease.
When only a few more yards separated them, a low growl came from the creature's throat. Cassia didn't flinch. It was always the same with him. Mentally, she began to count down from three. When she was done, the dracolisk snatched at her with its mighty jaws. In one instant, Cassia's fragile façade was replaced by a swift icy shadow. At an almost inhuman speed she jolted to the left and leaped towards Phobos' neck, tightening her arms around it, locking the animal in a grappling embrace.
"Got you again", she whispered into his ear. Phobos' growls and hisses lasted for another minute, until he eventually submitted. She slowly slipped back onto the ground and took hold of his reigns. Then she gave a quick but commanding whistle and the dracolisk set into motion. Once again, they had played the game. As always, Cassia had emerged victorious. Others had not been as lucky in the past.
After she had bound Phobos to his chain in the sun and provided him with water and something that could have been a chicken once, Cassia made her way to the slave entrance. Laskaris required discipline above all else from his living property, and punctuality was among his highest virtue requirements here.
Cassia's sandaled feet made shuffling noises on the blank marble floor. Her dealing with Phobos had taken the last remaining inches of stamina she had left for the day. All she wanted to do was drop somewhere in a corner and fall unconscious for a day…or a week, just to slip away into the world of dreams and forget…just forget for a while. The front, the tasks, the war, the pain, all of it. Inside her dreams…she could be herself.
She didn't notice the arm wrapping around her until it was too late. She felt herself being pulled into a dimly lit storage chamber and heard the door close behind her. From somewhere deep within her, a small amount of that energy returned. Like the shadow in the courtyard, she whirled around, grabbed the arm and violently twisted it away, pressing her attacker against the wall.
"All right, all right!" came an apologetically laughing voice. "I'm sorry, I couldn't resist." Immediately, the shadow retreated and Cassia relaxed her grip.
"Julius", she said and regarded the man in front of her. He was of Elven kind, bright red hair and eyes like the murky waters of the Desta River that ran through Vol Dorma.
"Don't ever do that again", she whispered in her next breath and released him.
"I'm sorry", he said and quietly laughed again. "The opportunity presented itself on a silver platter. Now I can finally claim to have caught the shadow off-guard."
"If you say so", Cassia replied. Then a wave of exhaustion overcame her and she leaned against the wall, her eyes almost completely closed. Slowly, she began to slip to the ground. She could sleep…right here…with him…deep inside, beyond the shackles, she felt something, almost a memory fuelled by emotions forcefully suppressed.
"I'd be lying if I said you look good", Julius said and his humorous demeanour was replaced by concern. He kneeled down beside her and gently took hold of one of her bruised arms.
"Nothing unusual", she answered slowly. "The journey from Minrathous does take its toll." But Julius was already pulling her into his arms. Instinctively, she attempted to protest but found herself yawning instead. Her strength was leaving her.
As she was lying in Julius's arms, something stirred within her…the same sensation that nearly overcame her on the road. Why was she trembling?
"Are you going to tell me how it went or should I 'interrogate' you?" Julius asked with a sheepish smile. Cassia's face remained blank and he sighed sadly. Nevertheless, she spoke.
"The Archon is not satisfied", she said, recalling the events from a few weeks ago. "He and the rest of the Senate demand results. New methods."
Laskaris wasn't in a simple position at the moment. As the Imperium's Supreme Legate, every lost settlement, every city now lying in ruins from the Qunari attacks, was attributed to him. It began with Ventus and then proceeded to Carastes. Now, everything was uncertain.
"I wish I would have been there", Julius sighed. "To see the old man's failures laid bare in front of the highest of the high…in that regard, I envy you."
It had truly been a sight to behold, even though Cassia had lacked the emotions to savour it. Regardless, Laskaris made sure in the evening following this public embarrassment that it stayed that way. The bruises were felt.
"How are you feeling?" Julius suddenly asked. It was an important question to him, Cassia knew that. And yet…she couldn't help him.
"I don't know", she said. "How should I be feeling now?"
"Oh, I don't know. Angry? Satisfied? Desperate? Take your pick, there is a lot to go around." He attempted a laugh but it got stuck somewhere in his throat. He moved a strand of sweat-wet hair out of her face, a gesture to which she didn't react.
"I miss you, Cassia", he finally said.
Something…deep inside her. Something stirred again. She could feel it. Almost like a scream trying to erupt from the dark depths of her own self. A cry…but for what? Her body was trembling again and, for a moment, she felt her eyes wet.
"I…", she said and stopped as she had nearly choked on her own words. "I have to see him now."
"Oh, he's expecting you?" Julius said with an urge in his voice. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You didn't give me the chance before you pulled me into this room."
He immediately released her and Cassia rose to her feet, supporting her weight on Julius and the nearby wall. She clapped her cheeks a few times. Somehow she had to regain at least a sense of a waking state.
She opened the door and was almost blinded by the significantly stronger light in the corridor.
"Will I see you later?" Julius asked with a twinge of hope in his voice.
"Uncertain", Cassia replied. "I think Laskaris has instructions."
"As he always does", the elf whispered. "Well, then let me do this now." The next moment, Cassia felt his lips on her cheek. It was a quick moment, a fleeting one. Cassia set herself in motion, without looking back. Her expression remained neutral, bland. And yet, inside, the strange sensation stirred again…a cry indeed.
Laskaris was walking back and forth in his office when Cassia arrived. He had now changed into the grey and white robes of his house. Even though she hadn't seen the place in over a month, she remembered it as if she walked through its doors only yesterday. The room was cold and mostly empty, just like its master. It contained only the bare necessities: a writing desk, chairs, cupboards, a fireplace and a few windows. Nothing in here spoke of the stereotypical grandeur magisters were attributed to possessing. But Laskaris was different.
"You're late", he said as Cassia entered. "What kept you?"
"Phobos", she quickly said. Laskaris pondered for a moment and seemed to accept the answer, for it was true on various other occasions.
"I have a task for you", he continued and stopped, looking directly at her. Cassia showed no reaction.
Conceal, she thought again. Conceal. And yet there it was again, stirring within her. Julius had brought it forward again. She had to suppress it.
"Go to the Raptis estate and relay the following: He is to meet me here tonight at the seventh hour. The topic that needs decision has to be attended to immediately."
"Yes, master", Cassia said. The cry within her was almost outside. She had to leave.
"And clean yourself", he said after studying her dirty travel-worn clothes and sweaty skin.
"Yes, master." That last word came out with a tremble. The cry was about to release itself and unleash what was locked away.
Laskaris noticed. His eyes narrowed to slits as he approached her. Suddenly, Cassia felt very, very small. Out of her control, her body shook slightly. Laskaris sighed.
"I see, you are in need of new concentration", he said calmly. "Hold still."
Cassia didn't say anything, couldn't say anything. There was nothing she could say that wouldn't make the situation worse. She simply had to steady herself and prepare for the inevitable.
Laskaris stretched out his hand in her direction. Immediately, she felt the cold familiar force scouting through the depths of her body, becoming one…one with her blood.
A sharp pain whipped through her body like an invisible fire. It spread everywhere, devouring all that was not welcome until it reached her head. She felt cold and hot simultaneously and her eyes widened. For a few haunting moments, her entire body was burning and freezing on the inside. Her blood was cleansing everything Laskaris did not wish to see in her. The cry quietened down…retreating into the abyss that was her self, until it faded completely, slumbering once more. Now, everything was calm and quiet again. The pain ceased as Laskaris retreated his magic.
"Leave now", he said. "You have your orders."
"Yes, master", she said without the hint of an emotion.
Vol Dorma.
Even though the city itself was in a less than charitable state compared to other settlements in the Imperium, its inhabitants had grown more than used to it. In fact, Cassia never failed to notice how much more at ease the citizens in Vol Dorma were compared to the coastal areas. The Qunari and the battlefront were far away to the east, nothing more but reports, stories and recruitments here. Well, the latter would probably become more prominent again, now that Laskaris was back.
Cassia walked down one of the less crowded streets. As instructed, she had taken a bath, a feature not at all guaranteed for slaves. In Laskaris' household, however, discipline was key. Part of this discipline was a regular hygiene routine. He wanted no diseases on his properties; only the best quality was acceptable. Even then, Cassia was everything but an ordinary slave.
She was wearing the grey and white colours of House Laskaris, her black hair pragmatically tied into a military bun. The only thing suggesting her still persisting tiredness were the dark rings under her eyes. Other than that, she gazed ahead, her goal in mind.
She passed by the Old Marketplace, now mostly used for official gatherings, announcements and festivities. Today was an ordinary day so the place was mostly empty. Cassia felt a numb sensation inside and remembered that she had probably enjoyed such calm in the past before Laskaris had…increased need for her.
There was a statue standing in the middle of the place. Nobody knew when exactly it had been commissioned but it was certainly old, centuries-old even. Cassia remembered that she used to sit under that statue, studying its history in curiosity.
It depicted one of the legendary Grey Wardens, though nobody knew who exactly. It was probably meant to symbolise them all. According to a local legend, one of them had descended from Weisshaupt Fortress long ago to purge this city of a sinister evil. The statue was there to honour the warden's deeds.
Despite not finding the interest within her, Cassia found herself gazing at the statue. How did her past self feel while learning the stories? What aspects of them had she found more interesting than others? She closed her eyes, trying to recall, to pierce the veil of blood Laskaris had spread over her self but found herself unable to. With nothing but a blink, she turned away from the statue and continued her walk.
Ultimately, her journey to the Raptis estate led her across the slave market. Now there was a part of Vol Dorma that was always busy. It was positioned directly at the feet of the now-abandoned arena. Arena games were a rarity nowadays, reserved only for the big cities, like Neromenian and Minrathous itself. The nation's budget only allowed for a few games, given how most of it was invested into war efforts.
Cassia knew that market. It was in many ways part of her. Here, Laskaris had purchased her all those years ago, when she had been nothing but a frightened girl with no past or name. Here, she had seen countless other slaves being taken to either Laskaris' or Raptis' estates to serve their lives away. Nothing much had changed. In fact, slaves were more in demand than in the entirety of the last decade. Many men and women enlisted into the legions, leaving behind a vast requirement for more workers in the various households. Slaves were ideal for such purposes.
She was about to move on, when she saw a familiar face. An old man with a balding head was walking into her direction, urging a younger one to follow him. She didn't know the younger, but the old one was someone she would recognise even in deepest numbness.
"Pastor", she remarked in an attempt to make it sound like a greeting. When the old man saw her, a warm smile spread across his face.
"Cassia", he replied with his soothing voice that still sounded like a grandfather's lullaby after many years. "You have returned. I gather this means that the master is back as well?"
"You are correct", she said. Then she looked at the younger man who accompanied Pastor. He had shoulder-long blond hair and bright green eyes. Judging by the clothes he was wearing, the dirt in his face and the odour surrounding him like a cloud of foulness, he was a slave.
"A new one?" she asked.
"Yes", Pastor sighed. "We are in need of more basement assistance after an incident involving crushing rocks."
Cassia nodded as she studied the man.
"Does he have a name?" she asked.
"If he has one, he doesn't remember it."
I know the feeling, Cassia thought as she studied the man. He certainly had a suitable body physique, muscular and lean at the same time, as if he was used to large-scale endurance tests and constant quick movement. He was tired though; his legs were shaking, ready to collapse. To that she could relate too. She nodded to herself.
"I will not keep you from your duty", she said and began to walk past them. As she did so, the man's legs finally gave in. Before Cassia had the time to react, the newcomer was upon her, sending her to the ground. She felt a sting in her left arm as one of the man's long, unattended nails pierced her skin.
"Oh…p-please forgive me", he said in a tone that spoke of nothing but defeat and tiredness. Cassia immediately rolled away from underneath him, leaped to her feet and extended her hand to the fallen one in cold pragmatism. A fallen slave would be useless and a waste of gold. She regarded the small wound and made a mental note to clean it afterwards.
The man grabbed her hand and pulled himself up, a surprising act of strength.
"Cassia", Pastor said with slight concern in his voice, "your arm…should I-"
"No", Cassia replied. "Just get him to the estate and make him look good. I will see you later."
"Very well", he said and took the new one by the arms. "Come on, let's go."
Cassia didn't watch them leave. She continued her walk, brushing off the dirt from her clothes. She had already wasted enough time as it was. Laskaris needed her to deliver this message. Certainly, he could have used his sending crystal, but sending a slave messenger in person underlined the importance of the situation and displayed power at once.
She continued moving across the slave market…when she saw something quite peculiar.
A Qunari, female by the looks of it and quite young, around Cassia's age, assuming Qunari aged the same way as humans, was kneeling on the ground in the middle of the street. Her face was bruised, her ashen hair unkempt and dirty. Above her, a slave keeper waved around with his whip, furiously looking down at her.
"Stand up, you ox filth!" he hissed. "Stand up if you know what's good for you!"
The Qunari lifted her head and looked up at him. Her golden eyes reflected nothing but pain.
"P-please", she said in perfect Tevene, "I…can't stand…"
"I will give you ten more seconds before the whip cracks", the man responded almost bored.
Cassia prepared to leave, having seen enough and wasted more time, but as she was about to set herself in motion…something stirred within her, causing her to remain rooted to the spot. Confusion filled her. Laskaris had worked his magic less than an hour ago…how could she…
"Please", the Qunari whispered. "Please, help me stand…"
"I will motivate you", the man growled and brought the whip down on her. The impact was so strong that the girl was sent into the ground. A fresh bruise, deeper than the others, was now stretching across her left cheek. Blood dripped on the cobblestones.
"Will you rise now or shall I motivate you further?" the slave keeper asked. When the Qunari did not reply, he prepared his whip for another blow, raised his arm to bring it down again…and froze as Cassia's hand grabbed him, gently but firmly. She had absolutely no idea what she was doing right now…but the thing stirring in her told her to.
"You damage your goods", she whispered. "That's bad for business, you know?"
"What…how dare you address me, slave!" the man yelled as he recognised her clothing. He pulled his arm out of her grip and cracked the whip into her direction. Cassia dodged it with almost lazy ease, maintaining her neutral expression.
"I came to purchase this one for my master", she said while still moving. "You know he pays well, especially for intact goods."
"House Laskaris just purchased one", the man replied with a snort.
"And now he wishes another", Cassia said. "Will you deny the Supreme Legate?"
What was she doing? Why was she doing this? She couldn't explain. But the thing inside her stirred even further, practically boiled. She felt sweat on her face.
The slave keeper considered his options and finally sighed.
"Wait here", he said. "I will get the purchase documents." He turned around and waddled away.
Cassia turned towards the Qunari girl and offered her a hand. As she was doing so, her body trembled again. The cry…the cry…it moved again.
She felt the Qunari's hand grabbing hers and pulled. One moment later, the grey one was towering above her. Despite her obvious young age, she was tall and muscular. Yes…truly a prized possession in these times.
"Are you all right?" Cassia asked and was surprised by the gentleness in her own voice.
"Y-yes", the Qunari whispered. "I…thank you."
"Can you walk?"
"I…think so."
"Good, then walk with me. Quickly."
She couldn't bring her to Laskaris. Laskaris hated Qunari above all else in Thedas. Bringing the girl there would be like signing a death sentence, which the document of purchase certainly was. No, she had to do something else. Maker, why wasn't she thinking straight? What did she get herself into?
Watching out for guards and templars, she ushered the Qunari into a dark alleyway, still running through her options.
"What brings a Qunari into slavery?" she asked, more to distract herself from losing her head rather than genuine curiosity.
"Oh I-I'm not Qunari", she said. "Never was."
"Oh…I see. Uh…do you have a name then? Because I wouldn't know what to call you then."
"I'm Ignatia", she said. Ignatia…what a strange name for a slave.
"Cassia", Cassia replied quickly.
"Where…I mean…where are you taking me? House Laskaris? I heard of him. He is the Supreme Legate, no?"
"Yes, yes, but we're not going there. I shouldn't even be doing this right now, for I have to…" And then, she had an idea, a vague one, but an idea nevertheless.
"Come, Ignatia", she said. "I'll take you to a good place."
Vol Dorma.
Cold in the east, warm in the west. The same could be said for its two ruling houses. While House Laskaris was the very definition of abrasive and freezing, House Raptis was the complete opposite. The estate was surrounded by a blooming garden, magically kept alive during even the deepest of winters. The slaves here were treated more like human beings than in most places in the Imperium.
Largely trying to ignore Ignatia's wide-eyed stares of excitement and wonder, Cassia lead her through the gardens towards the slave entrance. Even that one looked passable and non-frightening, compared to the Frozen Castle.
"Leave the talking to me", Cassia said and opened the door. Ignatia only nodded, regarding a pair of elven slaves plucking apples from a nearby tree.
As they walked down the dimly lit corridor, Cassia's trembling increased slightly. What was wrong with her all of a sudden? Why was she doing all of this?
Something inside her was telling her that this was what she would do naturally, what her self knew was the right thing to do. But was it? She couldn't say. The more steps she made, the larger the trembling became. The cry…the cry…it began approaching the outside again…the cry…
"Cassia?" Ignatia suddenly asked. "Why…why are you crying?"
"Oh…what?" she replied and touched her face. Indeed. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, tears she hadn't noticed until now. And with the tears came the pull. The pull inside. She clenched her chest, trying to suppress it like that.
"Hey, hey, whatever it is, I'm sure it can be solved", she heard Ignatia's voice. Next moment she felt the grey one's hands on her shoulders, gently steadying her.
"I…I don't even know what I'm crying about", Cassia said, confused.
"Sometimes we just have to let it out."
"But not now." Cassia quickly wiped her tears away and took a few deep breaths. "Come on, let's go."
A few minutes later, they entered the kitchen of the Raptis estate. The smell of freshly baked bread and roasted meat filled the air. Cassia, whose tears had dried away by now, saw Ignatia clutching her stomach, which produced a sound eerily similar to a snoring mabari.
The woman she was looking for was indeed here.
"Serena", Cassia said, trying to sound as neutral as she could, not betraying the chaos going on within her right now.
The elven woman, slightly older than her, the only other person in the kitchen, quickly turned away from a platter she was preparing and made a surprised yell.
"Cassia? You're here?" she asked. "And who's that with you?"
"Right, I have a few things to explain." In as few words as she could muster, Cassia relayed the whole situation to her. Serena's ears, which were unnaturally long, even by elven standards, twitched every few seconds.
"This…does not sound like you at all", she confessed and smiled. "I guess we can all be surprised."
Yes. Me most of all.
"Look at you, you poor thing", Serena continued and approached Ignatia. Admittedly, Ignatia's bruises, along with her dirt- and blood-stained clothes, paired with her big golden eyes, which constantly glanced at the pans and pots, gave her an image that every person with a sense of sympathy would fall for at once. Usually, Cassia was not one of these people, she wasn't allowed to. But now…she couldn't help herself.
"We'll find something for you", the elf cooed gently. "But my, you look hungry. I suppose I don't have to ask you if you'd like something to eat, do I?" She laughed and Ignatia nodded weakly.
"I-If that's possible", she said.
"Of course! Just bear with me. We'll get you some new clothes afterwards too. Can't have you running around in rags." She turned away and glided towards Cassia. "If you seek Raptis, he is in his office."
"Thank you", Cassia replied and made her way to the door. Before she left, she suddenly stopped and turned around to face Ignatia, who had taken a seat on a stool clearly too small for her.
"Will you be all right?" she asked her and was, once again, surprised by the gentleness in her voice.
"I…I think so", Ignatia said and smiled. "Thank you, Cassia."
"I…I…you're…you're welcome", she responded with so much confusion in her voice that Serena gave her a look of genuine worry.
"Is…there anything else?" the elf asked warmly.
"No, Serena", Cassia said quickly. "Thank you for everything." And with that, she left the kitchen.
Magister Raptis' office was as much of a contrast to Laskaris' like anything in this estate. The walls were plastered with various illustrations. One showed Vol Dorma in its golden days, another was a portrait of Divine Aiolos; a third depicted an artistic take on the Imperium's heraldry.
Magister Raptis himself was comfortably sitting behind his desk, dressed in the red and brown robes of his house. His long, dark hair and greying beard were well-kempt. His face reminded Cassia of a grandfather who had laughed most of his life. And yet his eyes showed a steely weariness, alluding to something else behind it all.
When Cassia entered, he looked up and spread out his arms in a welcoming gesture.
"Ah, Cassia, the Shadow herself", he said in a jesting manner. "Please, take a seat. I take it, the trip to Minrathous is hereby completed?"
"Yes, magister", Cassia said while sitting down, trying to remain as stiff and cold as she could. The fewer people knew about her strange new turmoil the better. Especially the magisters couldn't know.
"Magister Laskaris wishes to speak with you at the seventh hour", she said. "He made it clear it would be in the best of both of your interests for you to arrive." In other words: Come or else…
Raptis sighed wearily and chuckled.
"Of course it would", he said. "Very well, let him know that I intend to, indeed, arrive in the best of our interests."
"Yes, magister", Cassia said and cleared her throat. "Is there anything else?"
"One thing, yes", he replied. "Tell me…how goes the war? I tried to ask my son in Minrathous but his answer remains the same: all classified."
"Do you want the truth or the answer that won't get me killed?" The moment Cassia said those words, her eyes widened. She wanted to slap herself internally. What in the Maker's name was going on with her today?
"I…I'm sorry, I…", she attempted to say but Raptis erupted in laughter.
"I wasn't aware you had a humorous side", he said. "Excellent. Very well, I shall bother your master with this dreadful political side. You may leave."
"Yes, magister", she said and practically flew to her feet. As politely and cold as she could, she left the room.
As soon as she stepped outside and closed the door behind her, a new wave of tiredness overcame her, so suddenly that she almost collapsed to the floor. Leaning against the wall, she considered everything that happened today and what possibly could have led to this sudden explosion within her.
The Imperial Highway…no, Julius…no, Laskaris used his magic on her afterwards…the warden statue…no, the slave market…
She looked at her arm, where the newcomer's nail had pierced her skin. The wound didn't ache or anything, it didn't even feel numb. It felt like it wasn't even there.
What if something went wrong with Laskaris' spell? Was he perhaps too tired from the journey to make it work effectively? Cassia couldn't answer any of these questions. All she could do is wait for clarity.
She pushed herself away from the wall and began her long journey back through the slave exit, to the Frozen Castle. And damn, she had to avoid the slave market at all costs.
Vol Dorma.
At night the city was strangely more organised than during the day. Guards patrolled regularly, templars maintained the order around the Chantry premises and the citizens were blissfully quiet. Even the waters of the Desta River seemed lazy.
When Cassia had returned to the Laskaris estate, she had tried to find Pastor and the newcomer but found them absent. According to the other slaves, they were in the middle of induction and couldn't be disturbed. She had then attempted to seek out Julius, but he was on a basement shift, maintaining the estate's heating.
Laskaris had given her leave until Raptis' arrival. Contrary to the majority of Tevinter's slave population Cassia had her own little chamber; something considered a massive privilege. In truth, it only meant that her master would always know her exact location and how to supervise it.
As night fell, no guards or slave keepers made themselves known at the gates, something Cassia took with relief. But a nagging feeling inside her stomach told her that she would see them again at one point or another.
Throughout the entire remainder of the day, the cry inside her, the pulling in her chest, had persisted. Everything was still in utter chaos and she couldn't make sense of it. Was it just the tiredness slowly attacking her mind? Or was there something else?
Raptis arrived in a coach pulled by ordinary horses, something rather frowned upon in Tevinter's high society. Most self-respecting magisters used dracolisks. Raptis on the other hand preferred something more comfortable and less deadly.
Now, Cassia was standing behind her master in the barely decorated dining room. Laskaris always insisted on her attendance at those meetings. One would never know what the Shadow would be tasked with behind closed doors. There were things even the Supreme Legate wouldn't order in broad daylight.
While Raptis was heartily and pleasantly tugging into his dinner plate, Laskaris regarded the room with a grim expression. Cassia knew that look. It meant he would express a decision he had spent hours, maybe even days, preparing in his head.
"Come now, Aemilianus", Raptis laughed after emptying his wine glass. "This isn't the battlefront. You may at least attempt to relax."
"No", Laskaris said. It was the first word he had uttered after they had entered the room. It even caught Cassia off-guard, who was so deep within her own thoughts that she had almost forgotten her surroundings.
"Well then", Raptis replied. "What bothers you? Isn't this the purpose of our little gathering here?"
"Tell me", Laskaris continued, "You gaze onto the streets of this city. What do you see?"
"Is this one of those questions crafted for deception?"
"No. I want an honest answer."
"Well…I see citizens, slaves, the Desta River, the Chantry and its templars, the guards on patrol."
"Indeed. And what else do you see?"
"Aemilianus, I am afraid the hour for such trickery is quite late, wouldn't you agree?"
"Oh, I agree. In fact, let me add to it. The hour is late for everything. When I returned from Minrathous, I saw nothing but complacency, dullness, and ignorance. While the Qunari tear our empire apart, this place…it…it simply sleeps."
Raptis looked away from his plate and stroked his beard slightly. Laskaris regarded him with the same expression he would put on when he was about to reprimand a recruit for failing the most basic military routine task.
"The ox-men are coming. Have you seen what they have done to Ventus? To Carastes? What they continue to attempt to do to the other cities now? The coast is burning and our legions are the only ones willing to stand up and fight, as is our duty!"
Cassia thought back on her last day on the battlefront, before the departure to Minrathous: wounded soldiers, some of them younger than her, some begging to go home, others praying to the Maker to grant them the strength to fight on despite lost limbs. Back then she had felt nothing. Laskaris made sure of it. Now…now she was regarding her memories through the chaos inside her.
Raptis' face darkened slightly as he crossed his fingers.
"What happened in Minrathous, Aemilianus?" he asked quietly.
"That is not the point of this discussion!" Laskaris yelled and slammed his fist against the table. Unease sparkled in Raptis' eyes.
"I was just-"
"The Senate failed to act in time. While countless perish, they are squabbling with each other! Traditionalists or Lucerni, they all fail to see the bigger picture. And now we, the soldiers, carry the blame! Where are the Magisterium's resources? Where is the Archon's final word? Where is the Chantry with its templars? All of them hide in obscurity while my men and women are losing limbs, my mages lose themselves to this wretched Qunari drug, and our cities burn!"
His face was red with anger at this point. Cassia remained cold and silent.
"A nation-wide panic would not aid us in any way", Raptis said calmly. "We must remain above it."
"And even then! Take the Qunari away and our nation is still in unrest. Rising crime and underworld activity, and now the Blue Wraith too."
Cassia knew the stories and reports. A rumoured former slave of the late former Magister Danarius, the Blue Wraith had largely operated on the outskirts of Tevinter. After the Castellum Tenebris incident, he had emerged as a new symbol of hope for any uprising slaves. Largely operating from the shadows, he stroke here and there, completely unpredictable and deadly. Wherever he revealed himself, slaves disappeared with him. Nobody knew how large his forces were by now, how far his reach spread. He was a ghost, just as his title suggested.
"It is too late for rest, and we let it come to this", Laskaris said grimly before taking a heavy breath. "The Archon tasked me with providing new methods for winning the war. In my duty as Supreme Legate, I have obliged. And this city, this dull, uncaring city, unwilling to step up, will be the chosen trial for my plan."
Both Cassia and Raptis regarded Laskaris as he rose from his chair.
"Effective immediately, every single slave within the parameters of this city, is now a member of the Archon's army."
Silence. Stunned silence filled the room. Cassia had exactly one fraction of a moment to prevent her mouth from gaping open. The chaos inside her disappeared as if a fireball had blasted through her. Now, there was nothing but shock, clear shock.
Raptis could not hide his emotions. His face contorted in disbelief and horror.
"A-Aem-Aemilianus", he began, "with all due respect but you cannot possibly be serious."
"I can and I am", Laskaris replied with his signature military commanding tone.
"But slaves are no fighters unless trained! We have cooks, weavers, gardeners, no warriors!"
"You do not seem to comprehend", Laskaris continued, as if speaking to a child. "I am introducing a new initiative. The slaves will serve their nation by putting the Qunari under false knowledge. Instead of sending the legions into the fight immediately, the slaves will provide the first distraction. The Qunari will be lured into a false sense of safety. This will give us enough time to strike effectively."
"No", Raptis said with clear panic in his voice. "Supreme Legate, I must protest."
"Your protests will be noted and perhaps processed in due time. For your eagerness and passion regarding the topic, your household will be the first place of my recruitment process. I suggest we depart there immediately."
"Aemilianus, if this goes through, every single slave will die!"
"And the citizens of Tevinter, including our soldiers, will remain and drive the Qunari away! The slaves will contribute to the war effort and be the saviours they ought to be, the instruments to our victory."
"This is madness!"
"This is what the Senate's inactivity has led to. I am willing to act where they would not."
Something stirred within Cassia. Something new. Something warm.
"The slaves are an essential part of our society", Raptis continued with his protest. "Take it away and we all crumble."
"Then we must work for the preservation of our homes ourselves for a while. We have the means. The slaves are needed elsewhere and I shall demonstrate it. Come." He moved to the door of the dining room and opened it with full swing. Raptis didn't move for a while, but eventually decided he had a better chance of communication if he complied for now. He slowly stood up, his age finally showing, and followed Laskaris outside.
When Cassia moved to follow, Laskaris raised a hand.
"You are no longer needed for today", he said. "Retreat to your chamber and await my arrival. There is much to be done, Cassia."
"Yes, master", she said automatically.
And so it happened. In a state of utter mortification, Cassia returned to her chamber and leaned against the wall, even though all tiredness was wiped away.
She shouldn't be feeling this. She shouldn't be. Laskaris' methods were fool-proof. And yet, here she was, looking out the small window in her chamber, gazing at the street below. She saw Raptis' coach, accompanied by Laskaris riding on Phobos, moving further away into the darkness, towards the Raptis estate.
Every single slave…
Serena…Ignatia…the one she brought to that place on this very day.
Pastor…Julius…the ones she had known all her life and only now, for the first time in years, felt emotions towards. Something had taken Laskaris' spell out of her body. On this night, she was herself again. She was Cassia the Shadow. But she was also Cassia the curious one, Cassia the desperate one, Cassia the hateful one.
She looked at the retreating magisters.
Cassia the hateful one…
Now she knew what that burning sensation inside her stomach was. Only now did she remember it.
Hate. Hate towards the man who imprisoned her within herself. Hate towards the man who would doom her people in his desperation to please the Archon. Hate towards the man who had raised her from childhood and given her a name. Hate.
She knew what she wanted to do, what she had to do. With clear and precise steps, she opened the door of her chamber and descended downstairs. She knew what she had to do.
Vol Dorma.
A city that, first in all of Tevinter, was on the brink of achieving what generations of oppositions fought against: a city free of slaves.