While Theron and Ariane searched the vast library for any elven clues, Shadow was casually reading through the more magic focused books so she and Shade might understand more about it along with how it may or may not relate to Hive magic. Deesh however seemed to be hunting for something within the library, cautiously moving from section to section, not really looking at the books as she was looking for something more.

Much to Deesh's irritation, her hunt came to an abrupt end when someone started yelling, "Whoa! Who let a dog in here? And what are you doing? Be careful!"

Theron and Ariane turned to find a human mage approach them. Theron wasn't too sure what was biting his ass about as he shrugged, "Be careful with what?"

The mage quickly pointed down, "You're bending the book too much! It'll crack the spine and cause the pages to fall out! Just thinking about it is making me dizzy."

Theron wasn't all too interested in a screeching mage who's only concern was a book's momentary condition, though perhaps he may be of some assistance. "Are you familiar with this book?"

The mage looked to the wall of books, "I've used it, but I don't know it by heart." He started reading the page Theron had opened, "Browsing the chapter on the Eluvians? No one's actually found one, you know." Deesh had met several of his type within the College of Winterhold. For now, she was going to observe from a distance.

Ariane was a little hesitant, but he may be their best lead, "You know what 'Eluvian' is?"

The mage nonchalantly responded, "It's old elvish for 'seeing glass'. Mirror."

Theron wasn't sure he would know his information, though he did have some curiosity on how he found it, "How do you know that?"

The mage nonchalantly trifled the question away, "Cross-referencing, educated guesses, process of elimination. Finally found the answer in a Tevinter scroll. 'Eluvian' isn't just any mirror, it's a special kind. When the Imperium sacked Arlathan, they took these mirrors and tried to unlock their power. But all they could use them for was communication, over long distances."

Shade and Shadow were listening from the other side of the bookshelf. Shade whispered to Shadow, "Sounds like a magic comms array."

"I'd be more concerned with what else these magic mirrors could do, if someone knew how to utilize them properly."

"You really think Morrigan would know?"

Shadow shrugged, "This is ancient magic we're talking about. Hell, it could send us to the moon, and I might not be too surprised."

As much as it pained Theron to remember, he hesitantly mentioned, "I've encountered a mirror like that."

The mage quickly grabbed Theron's shoulders, "You've seen one with your own eyes?"

Theron easily pushed the mage back, brushing his arms away, "It made me sick. My friend Tamlen was ruined by it."

"So…you destroyed it."

"We had no choice."

The mage's mind started rushing with ideas, "Even broken, it could be used to find the others. No, don't get ahead of yourself, Finn, you have to be sure."

Ariane quickly asked, "What? What do you know?"

Finn however was giddy at the prospect of learning more about these ancient mirrors, "This is so exciting! We have to get to the repository. Hadley has the key. Come on, let's go!"

It wasn't like they were going to find anything more from these books, though relying on this jumpy bookworm wasn't something anyone was looking toward. Deesh somehow managed to find shadows to hide amid before startling Shadow, "If we don't go, that mage is bound to get himself into trouble before his usefulness to us ends."

Theron nodded, "It can't hurt, and if he's useful in a fight all the better."

The group reunited and followed Finn who was heading straight for Hadley. They arrived just as Finn was trying to negotiate with the templar, "Hadley! Just the man I was looking for."

Hadley was apparently used to Finn's antiques, crossing his arms, "Not looking very hard, were you? I'm always here."

Finn nervously laughed, "Good one. So, I…eh…want to go into the repository."

Hadley didn't skip a beat as he answered, "No."

"No? why not? I'm not some drooling apprentice."

Ariane looked away, "It's because of me, isn't it?"

Hadley sighed, "No. The sentinels have been behaving erratically, so the repository is locked for everyone's safety."

Finn felt like an ass for his accusation, though obviously more concerned with his own safety, "Oh. Well then…er…sorry for bothering you."

Theron grabbed Finn before he could leave, "What happened to them?"

Hadley shrugged, "Unfortunately, we are still not sure yet. The repository isn't crucial to the daily functioning of the Circle, so we've left it until we can spare more men."

Theron looked around to his companions, "We'll help with this."

Hadley had been informed of the Warden's pension for helping others, despite the dangers, "Very well, it's your necks. But before you go, what's so important down there?"

Finn excitingly answered, "The statue. It knows things about Tevinter, and I need to speak to it."

Hadley pulled out the keys and moved to unlock the repository, "All right. Be careful, and keep the mess to a minimum."

While Hadley was opening the doors, Ariane poked Finn, "You know that talking to inanimate objects is a sign of insanity?"

Finn smugly retorted, "Not when it talks back."

"You think this statue talks…to you?"

As soon as the doors opened, Finn started walking, "It's complicated. It wasn't always a statue. You'll see." Theron looked to Shadow and Deesh who both weren't all too sure about Finn either. But as much as they doubted the mage himself, this statue was the more interesting piece given Theron's recent experience with those Avvar brothers in the Wending Wood.

Theron tried reassuring them, "Let's see the statue before we judge Finn's mental state."

Mephala finally created the perfect vessel for their synthetic champion. It was finally time to see if little Vile was able to maintain his sense of self after all this time. Of course, Hircine also added a few of his own features to the vessel, unique in their own rights. Though reaching out to these artificial beings was not always easy given the mindscape Vile resided within. That's another perk of this vessel the two Princes created; both would have a more direct link to him that he cannot close out.

Vile had managed to hide himself when X and that Mother Elf program swept through cyber space to purge the Sigma Virus and 'cure' Mavericks. Luckily the Sigma Virus wasn't what 'corrupted' Vile or his desire to destroy X. But Vile managed to resist this purge o Mavericks only to watch as a human used the same 'cure' to create even more Mavericks. He did enjoy watching X and Zero suffer from the foolishness of humans and X's stupid desire to work with them.

Now he just had to wait and see if those dumb voices will return and keep their promise. "So, it seems you are at least obedient, little one."

"I did as you asked. Now give me the power to destroy my enemies."

"Very well…" So far, the gruffer one has yet to say anything, but it was only a matter of time. "We present to you this new vessel." In a blinding flash a physical object was somehow present in cyberspace. The very idea should be impossible, but whatever powers these things possess it was not something Vile wanted to question too deeply.

The thing was a small device shaped like Vile's helmet in a square form, albeit a hodgepodge of them. The ones that stand out immediately are the bolder yellow pattern around the visor from his mark V body, the constant glowing eye from mark II, but with his original purple for the rest with the 'V' mark instead of the Sigma emblem on the 'forehead'.

"A Biometal? Really? You want to stuff me into that and have some human use my powers? I was expecting a new kind of body to crush X and Zero with. Not putting me in the same prison those losers put themselves in." He turned away from the device, "If that's all you're offering me, then I might have been better of accepting that weird Reploid's crazy plan instead."

"But this is no mere Biometal, little man." That strange alluring feeling surrounding him once more, "The others of its kind can only work for certain individuals. We took liberties with its bonding capabilities. Allowing it to empower your hosts, or if need be, on your part, complete control over them. I will warn that the willpower of the individual plays a factor in how easily they can be overridden."

"And their desire for the hunt or power." 'He' finally showed up as boisterous as ever. "You have no need to empower the weak or timid. Your purpose is to hunt."

"Obviously!" Vile took a glace back at the Biometal, thinking how limiting this was. "Anything else this thing can do that isn't being a target?"

"Clearly you underestimate us." In a snape of some fingers, dozens more Biometals started to materialize. "No matter if the device is destroyed, you will always have a replacement at the ready. But you must stay vigilant, for the destruction of your Biometal means you lose access to that world. And among its many uses you get to configure your host with armaments based on your past configurations, with some liberties."

Now 'she' had him curious. "What kind of liberties?"

"Such as bladed weapons for those more proficient with the sword over your ballista." 'He' made some sense, and it might even surprise Zero who preferred using his Z-Saber. "And what good is a hunter without some bait to lure his prey." In an instant a series of Model Ws started to appear in their more compacted form. "Like your vessel, these have been altered to be compatible with those seeking power or the hunt. And just as your vessels are limited to one per world, so too are these. So long as the vessels are not destroyed in a world you can find other hosts." Vile was slightly insulted that they are implying he'll need more than one try. Though thinking things through, not being able to control the bodies may lead to something out of his control that could leads to his defeat.

"And as a small bonus you can merge with the welder of these or have your host merge with one to increase your power at least tenfold. Doing so also makes the host easier for you to take control over or influence."

Vile was having a hard time seeing any downsides to this deal and that concerned him. "So, I'm assuming while I do my 'hunting' you'll want me to do something for you two."

"Not at all. So long as you persist on your hunt, you will do my will."

"Any secrets you can learn will suffice for me. Even if they seem insignificant to you."

That all seems too easy. "What do you really gain from that?"

"That's for us to know and for you to not care about. Are we satisfied now?"

Vile has already gone far beyond what he'd normally question, though this was giving him the chance to finally destroy those two worthless Reploids and prove his superiority. "Fine, if this will allow me to destroy them, I'll do it."

Vile hesitated for a moment, only due to how unusual it was to interact with something physical that had been placed in cyberspace. When the hesitation faded Vile reached out fully and grabbed the first Biometal as he transferred himself into it. He started to test his mobility and speed, finding that the eye could also be turned off to be less conspicuous to onlookers.

"It feels a little too slow for my taste."

"Given how you are going from a humanoid form to such a small device it is bound to take some time for adjustments. As a bonus you are also capable of short-term invisibility for quick escapes from those you deem unfit to continue using your powers. And in case you were concerned about eavesdroppers there is no need. Just like the other Biometals, only the wielders and the other Biometals can hear you. That is of course unless you manage to take over your host."

"Good, that's all I care about. So where am I going?"

"Patience, hunter. We need some time to lure your prey to the first portal. It'll be up to you how to proceed once you reach the new world." So basically, being dropped without so much as a clue on who or what he could rely on.

"So, you want me to prove my worth of these new powers, huh? Fine by me."

Theron and the group quickly found why the sentinels had gone out of control. For one reason or another, rips in the Veil had appeared throughout the repository. And these tears were causing Finn's stony friend nothing but distress. Until they close all of these tears, she would be unable to assist them.

After closing the next tear, they found, Shadow watched the sentinels moving back into position. She started poking the inactive armor, "Think Shaxx or Zavala would ever think about using these things? Maybe a supplemental force for the Red Jacks."

Deesh kicked one of the suits of armor, "I'd advise against it. If your world cannot maintain the magic for the sentinels to function, they will simply remain as ornamentation. Not to mention how sensitive these appear to be to tampering from magical interference."

To which Finn was quick to argue, "These are rather extreme circumstances mind you. Tears in the Veil could mean many different things."

"Such as someone trying to stop us from our investigation…" Theron did not want to put any credence to what Deesh just said, though seeing this unusual number of hostile obstacles at such key points in their investigation can't be consider a coincidence anymore.

"We just need to remain vigilant. We can't stop after coming this far, can we?"

Ariane agreed, "Of course. We need to find Morrigan." She turned to Deesh and Finn, "Any idea how many more of these tears that need sealing?"

Finn looked around, "Looks like we almost finished. We just need to clear out the last hallway and we should be in the clear."

Deesh sneered at the mage as she moved toward the door that was unbound from the tear. "Laas…Yah Nir!" Her head tilted up slightly as she narrowed her sights, "Two more of those mage specters and one final armor sentinel. They appear to be in a side room. I'd advise against fighting in such confined quarters."

Finn wanted to get closer to examine the magic, though he knew not to get too close if it didn't want to be hurt. "Still won't tell me how you can 'see' the sentinels before they activate?" Deesh continued to ignore him, even after revealing herself to make things easier when they leave the Tower.

As with some of the encounters before, Shadow went ahead first, finding the exact location of the enemy and flushing them out for the others to join in. Shadow kicked open the first door finding an empty study with bars next to the desk.

"I think you mages might want to talk to the templars about interior design."

Deesh tested the iron bar's strength from the hallway, "Why else are templars viewed as jailers for mages and elves are so opposed of trusting them? It's not just because they're humans." Ariane seemed to appreciate Deesh actually understanding the Dalish view on their magic practices.

Shadow continued to the next door and kicked it open. Shadow immediately leaned back as a fireball grazed the front of her helmet and she fired into the room. She managed to recover and moved away from the entryway.

As always, these sentinels follow very rudimentary strategies. The armored sentinel rushed out first with its massive sword trying to cleave Shadow. Theron and Deesh shot at the sentinel's joints, getting its attention away from Shadow. Two magician sentinels soon joined as they started casting their spells.

Strider, Finn, and Ariane countered them as Finn fired off his spell first and Strider jumped to mangle the second with Ariane helping with her swords. Shadow stepped back waiting for the tear to reveal itself once most of the sentinels had been disabled.

As before, once the two mage sentinels were disabled the tear appeared and started to spread its magic out in an effort to disable the others. Shadow's weaponry seemed to have far more effective damage against these tears, sealing them without much fuss. When the tear disappeared the sentinel Deesh and Theron were occupying stopped before returning to the room.

Shadow watched the suit of armor walk right past her, "Think the statue has calmed down now?"

Finn affirmed, "That should have been the last tear."

They swiftly returned to the storage room with the statue. The statue itself had calmed down significantly as it greeted its new guests, "I am the spirit of Eleni Zinovia, once consort and—"

Finn cut her off, speeding through her introduction, "Advisor to Archon Valerius, blah, blah, fall of the house. Yes, yes, we've been through that."

"Finn…greetings." She seemed fairly familiar with Finn, at least enough to not care for his rudeness.

Theron looked her over, "Are you alright? You seemed distressed, earlier."

Finn turned to Theron with a rather unsure gaze, "Are you asking the statue it it's alright? It's a statue!"

Ariane was quick to retort, "So you'll talk to it, but it's strange to ask about its well-being?"

"It's made of stone! Short of a hammer and chisel, nothing will hurt it."

Deesh snorted, "Typical human thinking. If it's not a human body, then it doesn't matter so long as it serves its purpose."

Shadow shrugged, "Come on. The shuttled prince here probably never had to think so critically before about anyone else until today."

"Well…" Finn clearly wasn't ready to retort such a deep-rooted discussion of the human psyche.

"Stone eyes are no longer clouded, the darkness recedes, for now."

"It's hard to get answers out of it—requires passing all the grandiose mumbo-jumbo. We know where a broken Eluvian lies. Can it still be used to find the others?" Finn insultingly slowing his words to try and get his question through.

"Scry. The broken glass, dagger-sharp, we'll be your key."

Theron was quick to ask their new mage associate, "Finn, do you know how scrying works?"

"In theory. I haven't done much of it."

Eleni soon gave her prolific riddle of words, "The Lights of Arlathan will illuminate the scryer's path. The archons possessed them, but they were misused, befouled, and lost, like so much the Imperium touched. Some were saved, carried by fugitives from the elven city. Their sorrow awoke the Stone, and her children sheltered them. They found a sanctuary in the deep hall of Cad'halash, now known as Cadash. There the Light of Arlathan lie, shielded from unworthy eyes."

Theron and Deesh looked to one another with concern, "Cadash thaig? Impossible, it's not that old."

"Perhaps its history as Cad'halash was hidden with purpose."

Finn smiled, "So you know of it. Convenient."

Shadow scoffed, "Convenient? More like suspicious."

Eleni soon cut in, "Goodbye, Finn. We will not speak again."

"What? What's that supposed to mean?" With Eleni falling silent again, the others started walking away, leaving Finn behind in a panic, "Why do you think it said we wouldn't talk again? I…I'm not going to die, am I?"