Chapter Forty-Two

Tranquil Nights

We entered the clinic just in time to see Ka'yu and Anders working on a little boy. As a child of Gonk and a restoration Druid, Ka'yu would leave no child to suffer needlessly.

Anders stumbles when it was done before glancing at us, "I wondered when you'd be by – Lirene had someone waiting to 'warn' me. When she mentioned you were asking around… I almost laughed. To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Worship?"

I made a motion and Ka'yu slapped the back of his head. He laughed, "Right then – I'm Anders, a healer in Taras' pack."

Hawke snorted, "I'm Hawke – this is Carver, Bethany and Varric… we also have the shackles."

Anders smirked, "She calls them that, but they're more stylish than the ones the circles use. What brings you to my… humble abode?"

The place looked like a real hospital – electric lights, bathrooms, comfortable beds, linoleum floors, a food station that anyone could take things from if needed… that station had boxes of non-perishables; because if someone needed food, they likely needed quite a bit so I set up boxes with a decent selection. Each person could take a whole box, or pick through the loose items. Anders had informed me that in the first week, every patient had taken a box – and even some people who weren't patients. I had simply upped the number of boxes that were here.

Hawke was looking around with awe, "We uh… we need those Deep Roads maps you got – Tara told us about them…"

Varric was writing things down on the note pad with the pen I gave him – he liked it a lot better than the Quill he used. Anders looked at me, "Favor for a favor?"

I shrugged, "You will regret going, but it needs to be done. Hawke will certainly go with you. I won't – I'll be in bed. I have a date tomorrow since it's Friday."

Anders snorted, "I'll keep out of the main house then. Cullen would recognize me at once – we're both from the same circle, after all."

"You are also a Grey Warden with papers that put you under my command – you're safe from Cullen."

"… He'd still try to give me a hard time. So, I have something I need help with, Hawke. I have a friend – Karl – who will be meeting me at the Chantry tonight at Midnight; I intend to sneak him out. He's the reason I was so willing to follow Tara here to Kirkwall."

"Well, Tara already agreed for me, and I've told her that I'll follow her lead so… sure."

I nodded, "Ka'yu… I want you to go with them. Protect them if it comes to that."

She nodded her head, "I be thinking the same thing, Tara."

My bracelet chimed, "We have Renli and your priestess – you ready?"

I opened a portal and three people came through – Inas, a Nightborne and a Night-elf female.

The night-elf female was 6'0 with light purple skin, white hair, blue eyes and pale purple markings. She smiled at me, "I am Elaria Lunashot – a priestess of Elune."

The male Nightborne was 6'1 with a darker purple skin, fine silvery hair, blue eyes and shimmery silver markings. He carried a box that I knew was Arc-wine. Taliwe was set to get monthly shipments of Sunwell water too, so I was unsurprised. "I hear you asked for me by name, Lady Stormlight?"

"If your name is Renli Lushan, then yes – you came highly recommended by Taliwe Redfall here. I was looking specifically for a Nightborne monk male – she said your name at once."

He glanced at Taliwe in amusement, "This has nothing to do with our… affair?"

She laughed, "You're not that good in bed, Ren."

I chuckled, "What you do – or who you do it with – in any off time is up to you. Fraternizing is not discouraged at all. We're only living creatures, after all. What are your specs?"

Elaria spoke first, "Holy Priest. I focus on protection and healing."

Renli grinned, "Windwalker. I use martial arts. Actually, I showed so much promise that Chi-Ji actually took me a student personally."

"Let me guess – you also make a mean cup of tea?" I asked amused.

"Oh, the meanest – it'll call you all sorts of names and insult your mother."

I laughed, "You monks are all the same… I take mine sweet and cold."

He snorted, "That's not tea – that's an abomination. But I will make you something… decent, I guess."

"Oooh – the stuff with sliced oranges, limes, and lemons?"

"… It's the most I can do without setting myself on fire. What is wrong with people these days? Sweet tea – bah!"

Hawke was sniggering as I smirked, "I may prefer sweet tea, but I'll still drink the 'proper' stuff if you add honey and lemon."

"At least you're not totally unreasonable."

Inas snorted, "The fact that you and Elaria are here makes that clear. She only allowed this much to allow you all to have 'proper time off'. You only work every other day now… where are we, by the way?"

"This is Anders' non-profit clinic. He treats the poor people, we offer them non-perishable foods, though I'm thinking of having a day each week where we offer meats and such, I hear Dibink installed showers in the bathroom so people can get clean. No one pays anything here – they're all homeless and… it's my pet charity." I said.

Inas nodded, "I… okay. If you need extra healers or anything, let me know."

"Ka'yu helps out here in her off time."

"I think I will too – it's a worthy cause." Elaria smiled.

"There – three healers, two of which will be alternating and one 'full-time'. If Anders needs a break, we can contact you or one of the other many healers I know."

"… Healers… you mean me, Anduin, Mom or Dad, Prophet Valen, Thrall, Ji Firepaw, Kiro or Queen Talanji?"

I flushed, "When you put it like that…"

"Who are all those people?" Varric asked. I coughed, "Leaders of Azeroth. Anduin the Human King, Tyrande and Malfurion the Night-Elf leaders, Prophet Valen the leader of the Draenei, Thrall the Orc legend, Ji Firepaw the Horde Pandaren Leader, Kiro the Vulpera leader, and Queen Talanji of the Trolls…"

Varric started laughing. Hawke said, "You would casually call on world leaders for… healing the poor?"

I nodded, embarrassed, "The care of the least of us is the responsibility of the best of us. Even I spend time here healing people."

Inas nodded, "Remember that one time you shamed King Varian into opening that soup kitchen in the aftermath of the Cataclysm?"

I groaned, "Yes – Anduins father was… busy leading the hunt for Deathwing, but I forced him to make time to take care of the people who just lost their homes and everything they had. To be fair, it solidified his position in the hearts of the people!"

"And prompted the Warchief to do the same – can't afford to let your enemy look like the better man. It was through your scolding of a grown man that people didn't go hungry when their homes were lost."

Anders looked highly amused, "… Did you not do something similar to King Alistair?"

"… Maybe… I mean… with the Azeroth Alliance, there was no need for Ferelden Citizens to go hungry and cold just because that was where the Blight happened! And the poor population of Ferelden was already the highest in Thedas. With the new Alliance, Ferelden will skyrocket to become the richest and most benevolent nation in Thedas; also the most well-armed and well-trained."

Inas smirked, "You forgot the most well-connected. You could be queen."

"If you listen to the Bastard King, then I will be Queen. I just… I always wanted love, right? You know that. I could never get more than one person to care for me – or at least want me – at a time. The idea of… multiple partners seemed like a pipe-dream to me. I don't feel… worth that. And I don't think Cullen will go for it anyway."

"What are you gonna do?" Bethany asked.

"I don't know. I have a year with Cullen before Alistair tries his hand at getting Cullen to agree to 'share'. I suppose if I still love them both as much as I do now… I'll have to lay out conditions."

"Like what?"

"You have no idea how much my heart hurts thinking about having one and not the other. When I was with Alistair, I longed for Cullen too – and the reverse holds just as true now. If I still feel that way next year… I may say that it's all or nothing. I either get them both or… I let them move on without me. It's not fair to them if I can't pick and they can't share… I'd always be longing for someone else. And at least if I say it's all or nothing, Alistair may finally move the fuck on and give up on me."

I heard Elaria gasp, "You… you hope that Cullen will say no."

I shrugged, "These men… deserve better. And it's not that I hope so much as I'm sure he will. Unlike Alistair – who grew up without a family and nothing to compare to – Cullen had a mother and a father; he grew up with that one to one family. It's all he knows since the Chantry purposely doesn't advertise that multiple marriages are allowed. I… Elune has whispered the future to me – a path I didn't want to look for. I feel like shit that I can't just choose and be done with it, but… I need to push them to move on if I want to prevent that."

"Prevent what?" Renli asked.

"Them being alone. Alistair is in love with me; I didn't think that was truly possible, but he is. He won't… he'll stay true to me if he finds out that the promise I made him will hold even if I don't end up with them. Cullen… well there was only one other possibility and she's meant for someone else."

Inas gripped my shoulders, "What damn promise did you make that could…?"

Anders said it for me, "She won't be with anyone else other than Alistair or Cullen unless both give permission. If she says all or nothing she means nothing for her. We all tried to talk her out of making the promise like that when we were in Amaranthine, but she was… determined."

Inas paled, "You… but what about Duncan?"

"I'll still be there for him – he's my son, I'd never abandon him – but… I'm done looking for something I've found twice over. I've already fucked up and tried to sabotage what I had by taking a lover. Alistair was understanding about it – even going so far as to comfort me when I was the one to fuck up."

Anders snorted, "What man would get mad about a woman sleeping with another woman? Honestly, even that stick in the mud Nathaniel found it hot, Tara."

I shrugged, "Still. Anyway, I'm going to get Ren and Elaria settled – they have the next shift which starts in… 45 minutes."

"Shifts go from 6 to 6." Taliwe nodded.

Hawke sighed, "It'll take us a full hour to get back to Hightown, though."

Anders, Ka'yu, Taliwe and Ivan all laughed with me. I said, "Okay, one – I can just port us to my place if that were really a problem. Two – this clinic is linked directly to my place through that door."

Hawke flushed, "Well… that would have been nice to know."

"I like taking the scenic route. I'll talk to you later Inas."

"Oh – your sons asked if you're bringing Alistair and Duncan or Cullen to the Wedding. They need to know who needs the extra invite."

I flushed, "I… I can bring all three, I guess. As… as a friend, my suitor and my son. Um… was there anything else?"

He smirked, "Not at all – you know, I haven't seen you blush so much since… we were kids and…"

I shook my head, "Shame and embarrassment are different. Bye, Inas."

He nodded with a look of shame himself before leaving. I closed the portal.

Elaria sighed, "We all tend to forget your past, Lady Stormlight. I apologize."

"Call me Tara – I prefer a casual setting."

After 'changing' guards – bringing my two new guards and Taliwe with us – we headed to Lowtown at a casual pace. My guards had already gone through and cleared the gangs after I casually mentioned them. Since this was seen as doing it at 'my request' the friends of Red Jenny did get involved. I was given a note and some gold which I passed off to Hawke saying "They were supposed to be your jobs – my people just got over-excited."

Hawke wouldn't let me fund the expedition, so we were still going to be doing the missions – a good thing since many needed to be done.

While we had waited for the right time, I'd called Alistair and asked if he wanted to go to my sons' wedding – he had readily agreed and said he'd have a gift prepared at once. That meant one dawn and one to go.

We approached the dwarf in Lowtown who jumped when he saw us. Mostly, he kept staring at the giant elves with purple skin colors. Poor man didn't know what to think.

Hawke said, "Anso, right?"

"Sweet mother of partha – you can't sneak up on a person like that!"

I coughed, "Anso dear – we were quite loud in our approach. It's not entirely our fault that you were absorbed in… whatever you were doing."

The dwarf looked at Hawke, "Are you the one… Meeran told me about?"

Hawke gave an amused look, "Did you think we were going to attack you?"

"I hoped not – but you do keep exalted company so…"

I chuckled, "I'm as evil as anyone else, Anso."

Taliwe snorted, "And I'm the Queen Regent of Quel'Thalas."

My other two guards mockingly bowed to her, but Hawke said, "We're here to help – a jobs' a job."

Anso nodded, "Then you have my apologies for being… easily spooked. I haven't been on the surface long and I keep thinking I might fall up into that sky at any moment."

I stopped my guards from speaking as Varric said, "Bartrand used to be like that too. He got jumpy every time he stepped outside."

I chuckled, "I imagine so – I will tell you one thing, Anso; it's not possible to fall up unless you anger an Azerothian magic user. Priests use levitates but that won't lift you more than a foot of the ground – Elaria, demonstrate?"

She cast it on me and this caused Hawke, Varric and Bethany to gape. Carver cursed and knelt to run a hand under my feet. Anso looked sick. I smiled, "Falling up is not possible, dear Anso – you may rest assured that your feet will stay firmly on the ground."

He nodded hastily. And I canceled the Levitate.

"Back on topic… I need some help. Some product of mine has been… misplaced. The men who were supposed to deliver it decided not to. If you retrieve my property…"

Everyone looked at me so I smiled sweetly, "Of course we'll look into this, Anso – I hate slavers. Surely you heard of my little… escapade in Hightown?"

His eyes widened, "I didn't think it was true – the visions I mean. So you know the real job?"

"Let me make myself perfectly clear, Anso – I am a former slave; I am a lot like Fenris in this matter and I will do all I can to help him eliminate Denarius. If you see him before we get down there… ah, Fenris – a pleasure."

I smiled at the elf that approached us. He was 5'7 with mocha colored skin and swirling white markings in his skin. His white hair was a stark contrast to his green eyes and black eyebrows.

"How did you know?" he said smoothly.

Taliwe cursed, "You weren't kidding about his voice, Tara – he sounds exactly like your father."

I chuckled, "I do not joke about handsome men and deep voices, Taliwe. As for you, Fenris – allow me to formally introduce myself…" I was cut off by the monk – Renli.

"Now Presenting Duchess Atarah Stormlight, chosen of the Maker of this world, savior of Azeroth and possibly… future queen of Ferelden. Did I miss anything?"

"Hero of the fifth Blight, Hero of Vigils' Keep, Chosen of Elune, Chosen of Cenarius, Daughter of Regent Lord Lor'themar, Daughter of Illidan Stormrage, Daughter of Lady Silverlight, Former betrothed of King Anduin, Goddess of…" I stopped Elaria, "Okay, I think we get it, sweetie."

Fenris lifted an eyebrow, "You were the one who proved to the world that the Maker has not abandoned them?"

I flushed, "I… well… look, can we stop talking about me and go kill slavers? I would… greatly enjoy that."

He looked me over, "You are… not what I was expecting."

"How do you mean?" Hawke asked, throwing an arm over my shoulders.

"When I heard the tale of an Elven Goddess descending on Mankind to save them, I thought she would be…"

"Prettier? Or did you think I would look more like the Dalish? And who came up with Elven Goddess, anyway?"

He smirked at me, "It was one of your titles was it not? But I heard it from Elves around the city."

I groaned, "Great – I've become a role model; that's never a good sign. Look, I'm just some elf who was chosen by a goddess – and unfortunately, by the maker too."

"Indeed – yet here you are, ready to kill slavers."

Taliwe saw my face and explained, "Tara spent 200 years as a slave… a body slave. Since then, she hears about slavers and she… they never live over the ordeal."

Fenris smiled – a genuine smile, "I am much the same. Let us be off then."

"We can kill the people – the crate is empty."

He nodded, "I should have expected as much."

"Aren't you glad to have me here?"

"Not especially – I hear you have magic."

I nodded, "Immune to demons, can't do blood magic if it would save my damn life – not that I would want to since my life isn't worth that much – and mostly, I just heal."

He looked suspicious, "How are you immune to demons and blood magic?"

"My birth father – he invented a class of elf called Illidari, and they are demon hunters. The way they go about it is… vial – they harness the fel magics and demonic life forces. Much the way grey wardens take on the taint of the Darkspawn to defeat them. It makes me sick to think of, but… I am immune to demons because my father was already an 'abomination' when I was conceived. I am… the daughter of a demon."

He drew his sword even as Hawke gaped at me. Fenris snarled, "You are a demon?"

"She is a goddess and… he father was not a demon, despite her claims… damn it. Inas, we have a problem – the Illidari Princess is being obstinate; we need one of hers." Renli said into a bracelet on his wrist.

A portal was opened not long after that and Inas walked out with… Kayn Sunfury. He wore pants, gauntlets, boots… but no shirt. He stood at 6'7 with long purple-black hair, glowing green markings against his pale purple skin, long curved brown horns, and two war-glaives attatched to his back. His glowing green eyes could still be seen through the thick black blindfold he wore. He knelt before me, "Princess."

I scoffed, "Kayn, how many times have I told you not to kneel to me?"

"I think we've reached 600 now?" he had a graceful smirk on his lips as he stood. I hugged him.

Hawke coughed, but it was Varric who said, "Scales, have some manners."

I flushed, "Right… Kayn – this is Hawke, Varric, Bethany, Carver, and…" as I continued the introductions, I could feel him committing the people to his memory.

I looked at Fenris, "This is Kayn Sunfury – second in command of the Illidari – or demon hunters."

Kayn looked Fenris over, "He feels like us."

"It's the Lyrium – don't get confused. Lyrium is Titan Blood and has been etched into his body. Fenris was an experiment."

Kayn nodded, "Good to know."

Fenris glared at Kayn, "She says she is the daughter of a demon."

Kayn scoffed, "You… Illidan isn't a demon – he is an Elf. Brother to the legendary Druid, Malfurion Stormrage – leader of the Night-Elves. We take on the fel and chaotic magics and wield the powers of demons we have slain. Our demonic features are what mark us as Illidari. My horns, for example, are one such feature. We blind ourselves in ritual in exchange for spectral sight that enables us to better sense our… prey. We sacrifice everything to be able to defeat the demonic hordes."

I nodded, "The way one becomes a demon hunter isn't kind at all – The training begins with the person slaying a demon, eating its heart, and drinking its blood. The spirit of the ingested demon bonds with them and from this bond the demon hunter receives visions of the Burning Legion destroying countless worlds across the universe. That causes them to… tear out their own eyes. After which many end up in a coma. It's the Fel energies that now course through their very blood that causes them to mutate – gaining scales, horns or even claws. After the demon hunter awakens and their spectral sight begins to take effect, they are given tattoos which keep their inner demon from overwhelming them, but it is still always there, talking to them and trying to get them to turn to the Legion."

Kayn, seeing I was offering up so much information willingly, continued, "Arcane energy counters fel energy, thus we mark our bodies with arcane runes to keep the fel forces in check. That and our willpower is all that keeps us from turning demonic ourselves. I am more than 10,000 years old – most of that time spent imprisoned in fel crystal. This alone would have and did cause many of my brethren to fall to their blood. The sacrifices we've made… they are not light, and as such, we all struggle to some degree with it."

"Kayn is my right hand and main leader of the Illidari since I am… here."

Kayn sighed, "I would like to…"

"No."

Hawke snorted, "That was fast – you didn't even hear him out."

"He wants to put an Illidari into my rotation of guards. I'm sorry Kayn, but demonic presence would not be a good thing here. We are on the precipice of something and I can't babysit my men."

Kayn coughed, "And if I offer myself?"

"That may have worked at one time, but I am happily obsessed with two others now – both of whom get rather jealous of me."

Kayns' eyes widened, "Well… you do get around."

Hawke snorted, "There was a missed part to introductions, yes? Let me correct that, Hi – I'm Garrett Hawke, former Lover of Atarah. Her current flames are King Alistair of Ferelden and a Knight-Captain at the Gallows."

I flushed. Kayn decided to play along – it wasn't every day that someone willingly interacted with the Illidari, "I am Kayn Sunfury – former husband of Atarah."

The whole damn crew froze. "I thought you'd only been married once," Inas whispered.

Kayn coughed, "It wasn't a public event – Illidan married us before the whole imprisonment. After I was released, I broke things off. We divorced just as quietly as we got married."

"You… you don't know what happened to her, do you? Elunes' Grace, I thought she was upset about Illidan!" Inas attacked.

I cried out and yanked him off Kayn, "Inas stop!"

Kayn coughed out blood, "What am I missing?"

"While you were… imprisoned… I was held captive for two hundred years… as a slave… to the forsaken."

He froze, "I had only heard that you'd taken others… I thought you had moved on."

I snorted, "Should have talked to me. I was told you were dead, Kayn – the Wardens made sure to tell me in great detail how you fought to your last breath. They knew. I didn't look because I didn't want to see that."

He looked horrified. I looked to Fenris, "Can we please go kill those slavers now?"

He nodded, "Why do you call yourself a demon first?"

"I didn't – I said I am the daughter of a demon. Illidan was the first Demon Hunter, the first to harness demonic energies – and then I was born. I was never meant to exist. I have the blood of a demon in my veins."

He nodded, "I will be keeping an eye on you, but yes; we can go kill the slavers."

"Fair enough. Kayn…"

He cut me off, "I wasn't there last time, I will be helping kill these slavers. I sacrificed everything, and so have you – I just didn't know it."

Inas growled, "Kayn… if you hurt her…"

Kayn shot him a glare, "I would sooner die, Archdruid. Even if she were not my princess, I do love her – I will protect her to my last breath."

I groaned, "No one will be dying for me, but me. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"

Varric smirked, "I think I'm gonna like being part of your pack, scales."

I shot him a look, "Stories are everywhere, but if you include my marriage to Kayn in your books, I will never tell you the ending to the one about N'Zoth and my death – do I make myself perfectly clear, Varric? We still have another 6000 years of information before we hit that point – it won't be hard to hold out."

Varric pouted, "You take away all my fun!"

"Kayn – Tell Varric about the time when Illidan didn't know I was his daughter but still married us. I don't mind him knowing I just don't want him sharing it."

Fenris kept glancing at me as he led the way to the ambush. I sighed and said, "I have the blood of Demons, Dragons and Gods within my body, Fenris – I am an elf from two factions. I grew up a pariah because of it. People thought I was a servant of the Old Gods – the gods of the Void. I will never push you, nor will I allow any magic to be used on you without your express consent… but I so you know, Kayn can help you with the pain of your markings."

Kayns' head snapped up, "His markings are like Illidari ones?"

"Lyrium here is similar to Arcane Runes in Azeroth – and his markings are a prime example of this. They hurt if he is near any magic, and if magic is used on him they are excruciating. They grant him unique abilities, as I told a few people. Go ahead Fenris – show us."

He gave me a glance, "Show you how?"

"Hold my heart in your hands – it won't be the first time I've felt something like it."

His hand seized into my chest before anyone could react. Kayn cursed and held his hands up, "Release her, Fenris…"

"Stay out of this, Kayn – he needs this. Here and now, Fenris – I swear to you… we will kill Denarius. If I have to hold him down and let you beat him into the ground, I will do it. You see, I have a problem with slavers – as I've said."

He slowly released my heart and stepped back, "When?"

"Well, not tonight. Tonight we kill those he left behind to test you. In a few years, we kill that bitch Hadriana. And a few years passed that Danny will come to us."

He looked thoughtful, "You say we will kill both Hadriana and Denarius?"

I nodded firmly, "I will help you kill them if it's the last thing I do."

Kayn cursed again, "I'm staying."

I snorted and Hawke laughed, "Not advisable, but a good way to have people trying to kill us daily."

Kayn frowned, "Why?"

"Demons are different here – and if people found out that you harvest and use the essence of demons, they would shoot first and ask later. Fenris would normally be at the top of the killer list, too."

When Fenris gave a grunt of agreement, he ground his teeth but relented. We killed the slavers and cleared the mansion before Kayn would agree to leave.d agree to leave.