Eve POV:
Frowning, my eyes narrow as my blues explore the horrid confines of the cave, my nose twitching at the stench of urine and rotting flesh, noting the numerous bodies lay to rest rotting away. I note the flies and maggots eating away at some decaying bodies, my eyes widening to find small thin children reaching out to eat them. Horrified, I reach out snatching the boy's arm, his shaking, glassy eyes tired reddish greens meeting my stoic blue. I softly set him down, noting him hunch over with the other children, clutching their stomachs making me sigh. Lightly, I reach out to give some of the children pieces of food, making their eyes enlarge in both shock and fear, my eyes extend and in pain at their frightened expression, never having seen so much food before, wary no doubt of it being a test, remembering my first chance at seeing fresh food. Not mouldy, not old, none of that, no it was rotting and still I felt intimated by it fearful of the consequences of my so called greed, in fear of getting beaten again for being so selfish, for being so hungry when lowly slaves like us didn't have the right to eat such fresh food.
"Mummy…I want my mummy…" Wailing, the young boy cries, his long messy blonde locks dangling down his petite features, tears of icy blue descending down his trembling features wailing, barely wearing anything as I frown at the sanitary standards of the child, seeing the bruises, the cuts, the infected scars making me seethe, disgusted at the waling child.
"You'll see her soon." I promise the blinking boy.
"I want my mummy." He whimpers shaking.
"She'll be here soon." I promise once more kneeling down, my gauntlets gentle touching his messy blonde curls as his beady red stained blues look up to meet my calm turquoise.
"Wh-Who are you? Wait are you that hero?" Shocked, the boy gasps.
"Hero?" I raise a brow.
"Yeah the silver wraith, I knew you existed!" Animatedly, he gushes, excitement and hope in his tone bringing a smug smile to my lips.
"You know me?" I raise a brow impressed and surprised.
"Everyone in Tevinter knows of the silver wraith you're like a hero, a legend, a myth, they say you vanished a whole army of Qunari and Tevinter mages, even saved an entire city of slaves…" Excitedly, he declares.
"Yeah that didn't…" I trial off seeing the glimmer of hope in his eyes making me trial off pained at the poor boy's hope as I simply nod, allowing the boy to live his delusional fantasy.
"That is me." I confirm making him release a giddy squeal. Quickly, I put my hand over his mouth silencing him. I place my finger to my lips, his eyes broadening as he follows my gesture, nodding seriously, adding to his cuteness.
"So what's your name?" I question.
"I'm Finn, I'm the leader." Bravely, the blonde boy approaches me.
"The leader?" I arch my brow.
"Yeah, I'm the oldest so I get the food and stuff like dad used to!" He smiles hands on hips.
"Dad?" I furrow my brow.
"That's what mum said before they disappeared." Sheepishly, the boy looks down at the floor.
"Disappeared?" I whisper.
"Well I don't really know my dad, but mum told me he was a super powerful mage…" Finn shrugs.
"I see." Awkwardly, I smile forcefully. Most likely a kid of one of the elven slaves and magisters though I'm surprised she kept the kid hidden well when they would sell them off or…that would occur, the magisters who caused the woman to be pregnant would be summoned by the master immediately or the master would be notified and…'deal' with the kid. To see one alive and thriving, I got to give the mother points, impressed on how well she hid one of the magisters kids.
"Is the blue wraith here too?" Hopeful, he questions leaning in.
"Afraid not, my brother's a bit busy," Forcefully, I smile as he whines.
"Aww oh well we don't need two when we have the real deal! A real hero!" He proclaims proudly hand on hips making me chuckle.
"When was the last you saw your mum?" I question noting his features soften saddened.
"Ages ago…I miss her." He confesses weakly sniffling.
"Don't worry you'll see her son." I assure him.
"You promise will my other friends too?" He gestures to the other kids hiding in the shadows, either too fearful or lacking too much energy to approach.
"I promise, for now, here, give this to the kid, share it out equally you're in charge remember. A leader must be fair," I recite passing him the loaf as he gently grasps hold of it, in awe. His eyes shine as his brief look of joy is quickly turned to sternness and seriousness as he nods dutifully.
"I promise I won't let you done." He vows making me chuckle softly.
"I know you won't Finn." Gently, I smile at the poor who turns his back to me, rushing over to the other kids, animatedly, telling the kids of the news, their eyes widening as they peer over to see me and a huge grin crosses their features.
"No way the silver wraith is here?"
"I thought she was a legend."
"I told you she was real."
"We're going to be free really free!"
"Yeah and those big bad magisters are going to get what's coming to them!" Determined, Finn declares.
Amazed, I watch Finn, give each kid a fair piece of bread, my heart breaking when he is left with the least amount, compared to the other kids but doesn't complain instead he continues chanting, boosting moral, breaking my heart at the beautiful but sad scene. Children like him shouldn't be in this mess, they should be out exploring, thriving, learning not…not this. My brow furrows as he glances around finding no kids but then. Slowly, I approach one shaking child, my ears hearing the arguing.
"Come on Charlie please eat…" Finn begs but the boy's back remains turned to him.
"Charlie?" Innocently, Finn and the other children prod the unresponsive child, making my eyes widen as I dart over to the scene horrified to find a child, infected wounds all over him, a dagger having no doubt impaled into him roughly forcefully painfully dragged all over his body as the boy shakes, clearly in both shock until falling limp.
"Charlie why is Charlie cold? What is…?"
Pained, I turned away grimacing at the sight of the dead child, having died from the shock of it as I turn to Finn.
"Is he?" Finn whimpers as the other kids release a storm of tears. Numbly, I nod, gently reaching out to close the poor child's eyes, trying to given him some sense of peace as I gravely stand seeing the children all huddled together crying cradling a sniffling Finn, mourning over the demise of the child.
"You need to be strong now. I promise I will get you lot out of here…" I assure them vowing it to them.
After that frightening fight I thought it best to dismiss Vivienne when we settle down to camp, in order to replace her with Cassandra.
"Is it true that the entire dwarven economy relies upon lyrium?" Solas questions as we continue on our way, the air lighten than before.
"Mostly. We've got the nug market cornered as well." Varric tells him.
"And the dwarves of Orzammar have never studied lyrium?" Solas wonders.
"If they have, they certainly haven't shared anything up here. Why?" Varric counters.
"It is the source of all magic, save that which mages bring themselves. Dwarves alone have the ability to mine it safely. I wondered if they had sought to learn more," Solas answers.
"The folks back in Orzammar don't care much about anything but tradition," Varric sighs.
"Do you ever miss life beneath the earth? The call of the Stone?" Solas asks Varric.
"Nah. Whatever the Stone - capital S - is, it was gone by the time my parents had me," Varric shrugs.
"But... do you miss it?" Solas questions genuinely curious.
"How could I miss what I never had? But say I did have that sense, that connection to the Stone. What would it cost me? Would I lose my friends up here? Would I stop telling stories? Like who I am. If I want to hear songs, I'll go to a tavern," Varric explains.
"You are wiser than most." Solas bows his in respect to Varric's wise words as we continue onwards.
"You really spend most of your time in the Fade?" Varric questions curious.
"As much as is possible. The Fade contains a wealth of knowledge for those who know where to look," Solas compliments.
"Sure, but I don't know how you dream, let alone wander around in there. I don't even know how you get Fennic in there." Varric smirks slyly.
"When you offer vast knowledge I think that would appeal to someone," Solas shrugs as I hear Varric scoff.
"Sure knowledge…" Varric chuckles, smirking shrewdly.
"Urgh…" Solas groans, rolling his eyes blushing.
"Hey I'm not judging you nor Fen heck I'm impressed for getting her in there to stay. Especially when the shit that comes out of the Fade generally seems pretty cranky," Varric smirks putting his arms up in surrender.
"So are humans, but we continue to interact with them... when we must." Solas grumbles, annoyance etched into his tone.
"You mean when Fennic drags you out by the ear." Varric adds in snidely smirking.
"Not always by the ear." Solas mutters earning another chuckle from Varric.
"By the end of Hard in Hightown, almost every character is revealed as a spy or a traitor." Solas begins trying to calm the tight tension in the air.
"Wait, you read my book?" Varric raises a brow surprised.
"It was in the Inquisition library besides Fennic recommended it to me. Everyone but Donnen turned out to be in disguise. Is that common?" Solas ponders.
"Are we still talking about books or are you asking if everyone I know is a secret agent?" Varric asks still in shock.
Are there many tricksters in dwarven literature?" Solas enquires.
A handful, but they're the exception. Mostly they're just honouring the ancestors. It's very dull stuff. Human literature? Now there's where you'll find the tricky, clever, really deceptive types," Varric gushes, a hint of genuine good envy in his tone praising the piece.
Curious," Solas comments.
Not really. Dwarves write how they want things to be. Humans write to figure out how things are. So Chuckles tell me who's your favourite character?" Varric leans in eager unaware of the curious Cassandra and myself, both secret fans of the book serious, my favourite is Maysie I relate to her a bit much, Cassandra seems like a Hendeallen fan so I'm curious who Solas likes.
"Honestly…I enjoy the Femme fatale character, the owner of the hanged man, Vixen. I found her wit and playing with the protagonist rather interesting. She knew who did it all along. She knew everything and yet was toying with the protagonist all because it was a little game and when you believe at first she is some stoic character you learn of her father and mothers abuse leaving her the broken character you learn to love in the story." Honestly, Solas confesses making me nod in agreement, Vixen is also my favourite she's so cool and strong plus I love her sass it's awesome.
"No shit! Hah!" Varric grins wildly.
"What's so funny?" Solas raises a brow.
"Isn't she meant to be based on Isabela with her mannerism?" Cassandra enquires a tone of excitement in her tone at the topic at hand.
"See that's the thing she isn't." Varric clarifies surprising us all how can someone like that not be Isabela!? Who else could it be? Unless it was a made up character, no she seemed to real, too cool, too awesome.
"What!?" Cassandra and I gasp in shock.
"Yeah shocker, tons of fans have thought it was based on Isabela due to her flirtatious nature." Varric confirms.
"But then who is it?" Cassandra leans in eager to know as I see the excitement in her eyes.
"I'll say this another Belladonna sweet thing is based off on Isabela but Vixen is based on someone else." Smugly, Varric smirks enjoying this.
"Who!?" Cassandra growls shocking us as she draws her blade, her fan girl mode going on and people say I get crazy with mine.
"I'll say this we're looking for her as we speak." Varric hints making our eyes widen in shock.
"No…" I begin blinking as I turn to glance at Solas surprised, hiding his reaction with his hand, looking away flustered.
"FENNIC IS BASED ON VIXEN!?" Cassandra shouts in shock.
"Yep, you're lucky Fen isn't here she'd be a blushing mess." Varric snickers.
"Does she know?" Solas grumbles, head down.
"Nah, never read it I always told her it was Isabela, you know Vixen is a fan favourite. I may even write a spin off about her." Varric confirms perking all three of us and our intrigue.
"Really?" Hopeful, Cassandra leans in.
"Yep, but we'll have to wait and see," Casually, Varric shrugs as Cassandra steps forward, pressing for details.
"Wait Varric-"
"Took you long enough." Sharply, Varania greets us as we arrive at the scene, my nose grimacing as we are greeted by the heavy stench of crimson and death lingering in the air.
Fen POV:
Calmly, I continue my way through the hellhole, my nose grimacing and my face contorting into repulsion at the stench of rotting flesh increasing as well as the heavier coat of iron intermixed with lyrium hanging in the air. My ears hear the buzz of flies and the disgusting sounds of maggots feasting upon the dead as I note a few scrap remains of elven, noting the embedded bloodied opening from the daggers no doubt being wide open, for the maggots to feed off on.
Disgusted, I wince back at the horrible stench and noting a few maggots huddled into them feasting already on the dad and some barely alive, making me briefly stop feeling a familiar acidic substance crawl up as I force it down, gulping it down, ignoring the stinging pain of acid. I raise my blade, ending the lives of those who already suffered, going in and out of deaths sweet embrace, no longer having the energy to fight nor having the possibility to battle.
"It's going to be alright sweetheart, it'll end soon," Blinking, I turn to the source of the voice, glancing at the source as I approach the scene, kneeling down getting out my kit. I unlock the door, opening it, hearing the faint creak of the door as I push open the door, finding a man and women holding one another shaking in the far corner, far from the other side where I note a mountain of dead bodies lying in their own faeces, rotting away making me stagger back revolted at the stench emitted from it as I turn to the shivering couple.
The man has tanned features and raven locks, loose flowing down his shoulders, he has brown eyes looking lovingly down at the woman in his eyes as I note his hunched over form protective as well as his shaking form and the fear in his eyes. I approach the scene.
Startled, he turns, teeth bearing like a feral beast.
"I mean no harm. I've come to help…"
"My wife she…they did something to her, the baby," Panicking, the man blurts out as he rushes over to me desperate.
"What's your name?" Calmly, I question him, grasping hold of his arms, silencing his fretting and hyperventilating.
"Aeson, my wife Hope she…she…"
"It'll be alright, let me see," Smoothly, I whisper approaching the whimpering mess, my eyes narrowed at her thin and hollow features from her thin cheeks to her heavy bags as I notice her skin glinting from the river of her ruby red matching her loose wild ruby red locks stained in a darker shade. Grimacing, I note the numerous hickies, cuts and bruises littered all over but what stands out is her wrist. Scowling, I glare down at the carvings on her inner wrist of blue, seeing the sore and inflamed stream of blood and lyrium intermixing.
"They…they wanted to see what a child with a lyrium infused mother would be…they…my child, I'm…." Tightly, Hope whispers laughing lowly under her breath.
"Where are you two from?" I enquire trying to relax the two.
"Why does that matter!?" Aeson scowls.
"Aeson please calm down," Pleadingly, she begs.
"But I…" Aeson turn away conflicted.
"I just want to help calm you two down." Softly, I assure them both.
"I…we came from an alienage, we got married there, it was love at first sight…" Dreamily, Aeson smiles down at his wife.
"Oh shush you, you hated me hated the idea." Hope scoffs smiling.
"Yeah but then I got to know you silly…and you got… you know my little silly queries," Cheekily, he smiles pecking her cheek.
"They aren't silly." Playfully, she pouts.
"He sketches." She adds smirking winking.
"Sketches?" I raise a brow.
"Yeah you should have seen the one he did of me, it was beautiful!" She gushes.
"Stop it wasn't greatest…" Aeson dismisses.
"You're kidding it was beautiful to think he saw me like that," Hope shakes her head bashful.
"I always do…" Aeson promises pressing his lips to her knuckles.
"Nah I get it." I smile.
"Do you have someone special?" Aeron questions making me release a nervous laugh, scratching the back of my neck.
"Guess you could say that," Sheepishly, I reply not sure what to say.
"Guess?" He raises a brow.
"I'm not spoiling things I'll say this he's…something." Awkwardly, I answer.
"I'm sure he is from that look in your eye…"Hope winks cheekily.
"So what is it going to be boy or girl?" I query curious.
"A boy." Aeson reveals.
"Any names?" I query curious.
"We were thinking of Elliot." Hope smiles.
"Huh?" I blurt out surprised by the name.
"What?" The two blinks.
"Nothing just that isn't you know elfy," I shrug.
"We wish to return to our alienage in Fereldan." Hope smiles softly, her shaking skeletal hand grasping hold of her husbands.
"Ah…good idea." I nod.
"You not a clan elf?" Aeson was until his parents left to live in Fereldan." Hope smiles.
"Hell no. So how long you've been hitched?" I question desperate to change topic.
"20 years…" She replies as my eyes bulge open and I release a cough of shock, twenty years the same person for twenty years!? See the same face for twenty years? Horrified, I blink at the thought.
"You okay?" She raises a brow puzzled.
"Y-Yeah just 20 years big number, biiig number…" Exasperated, I turn away.
"I'm guessing you're not a commitment girl," She chuckles as I laugh nervously.
"What gave it away?" I mutter.
"Once you found that special someone you'll want to spend eternity with them…" Warmly, she smiles.
"Yeah…" Aeron agrees.
"So can you help?" Hope questions hopeful as I nod.
"I…I have friends who can once I get you lot out of here I can help…for now, be careful. But this is how things are going to go, the prison doors. I am going to unlock each one and later on when you heard fighting. Don't go, not until I give the signal." Calmly, I explain to the two listening intently.
"What will the signal be?" Hope questions.
"I'll whistle, if the guards ask, feign ignorance, pretend you didn't know," I whisper as the two nods.
Sighing, I lower my head as they nod, looking relieved as I stand and leave the happy couple, feeling a pang of pain in my heart, special someone huh…wonder how he is? Eh he's fine probably hasn't realized I'm even gone…
Eve POV:
"What…what happened here!?" Horrified, I gawk at the numerous bodies laid spread out, simple slashes, clean cuts on them as they lay in a pool of crimson dead, my nose twitching as the brisk breeze flows through my hair and brings the waft of hot rotting flesh to my nostrils, making me grimace at the stench as well as the scent of blood. I note a few hungry eyes on the dead bodies, seeing a few have teeth marks embedded into them, some with limbs cut off, making me wince as I note Varania kneeling down, pinching a key from one of the men unfazed by the bloodied bodies beneath her further unnerving me as she wields her staff, using it mainly as a walking stick or to move the bodies.
"My sister happened Inquisitor see the damage and destruction she is capable of?" Simply, she responds glancing at me unimpressed, treating me like a child but not the way Fen does at least with her. I get a mother vibe this one is reminds me of a mean aunt looking down at me.
"If you're trying to point out your sister being a monster again she isn't!" I repeat to her only this time more forceful.
"I wasn't. I wasn't the one who doubted my sister's independence and strength you did however." She argues making me raise a brow at her coming to her sister's defence in her own way.
"We must get inside, the quicker we find Fennic the better." Cassandra breaks us up.
"I just hope she's alright." I sigh concerned.
"Fennic is strong she will be fine if anything we should worry for the Venatori." Varania mutters as shakily, I kneel down
"This is an improvement." Varric blurts out examining the bodies.
"What do you mean?" Dorian questions.
"When fen fist fought she'd kill them sadistically," Disgusted, Varric shrugs.
"What?" Dorian and I gawk.
"Yeah cut off their dick, their hands sometimes leave them to bleed out." Varric lists casually making Dorian and I share a look of unease and fear.
"You're kidding." I whisper shakily smiling.
"Wish I was, that's how much she hated mages, wanted them to suffer like she did so often left with them," Varric sighs.
"And yet she spared you…anything to say Varania?" Dorian points out giving her the stink eye which she shrugs off.
"We should continue exploring." Varania decides.
"For once we agree." Solas hisses out.
"I see where Fennic gets her confidence from," Smirking Dorian pointed out only to note the unimpressed look from Solas, being the first to enter with Varric then me trailing behind with Dorian, the group enter the cave. Blinking, I try to adjust to the darkness of the cave as we explore, until to my surprise noting a few torches of flames.
"Seems we're not the only ones here." Cassandra notes
"No really?" Dorian gasps as Solas rolls his eyes with Varania and we continue exploring…
Shivering, I wince from the icy cold chill in the air making my muscles tense and blood to turn ice cold, joining the frigid temperate, my nose twitches, grimacing and convulsing at the disgusting revolting stench of rotting flesh.
"What on earth that's evolution!?" Dorian grimaces as I note the heavy stench of blood in the air, noting a few dried and fresh pillars all over the place, making me wince only then to note the numerous bodies laid all over forgotten and ready to decay. Horrified, I hold in a scream at the maggots eating away at them, my ears hearing the faint hum of flies and maggots gnawing away at skin and scraps of flesh on the bone within the rotting flesh, digesting it. I turn away holding in the acidic vomit trying to crawl up only then to flatter when we hear the faint wheezing, making us turn to look down at a young man, his whole body shaking, convulsing, foam in his mouth as his arm had been cut off while his neck has familiar blue veins all over. Only these veins weren't like Fen's they were bloodied. Oh maker, I note the stream of cut skin where the lyrium flows through, torturing the poor soul still alive, oblivious to the maggots feasting on him as a few shrivel up and die from the close proximity of the lyrium.
"Oh maker!" Disgusted, Dorian winces turning away to vomit as Solas turns away, my eyes expanding at the glassiness in his guilty hues as Varania kneels down, bringing out a blade from her dress skirt and slitting the man's throat. I open my mouth to check on her only for her to briskly walk away unaffected, making me blink doing a double take at the brief view of a familiar white haired girl, seeing her in Varania, creeping me out. What has this girl gone through to simply shrug something off something so grotesque!? What did Tevinter do this girl? I know from what I heard Tevinter could be ruthless to elves but to make this happen I don't…they can't, I'm struggling to see them as human if Dorian wasn't here…
Frowning, I follow after Varania, my arms crossed as I glance at Dorian, his features pale and void of joy or any sort of positivity. I knew I shouldn't have brought him along but he insisted wanting to help Fen badly beat up some vints, it is sort of a part of his quest but still this...this was is too much for him, I notice a sliver of a tear cascade down his features pained at what his people did and still do
Sighing, I glance at the silent stoic Solas, silently seeing the pain, the guilt, and anger in his eyes from it, noting his grip tightening on his shaking staff as he tries to regain his composure. Why does he look so sad, so heartbroken, so pained, so guilty? Furrowing, my brow I ponder these questions. I mean yes it's sad but he's almost the same extreme of emotional pain as Dorian…Numbly, I follow after Varania the other guys following as we make our way to some open space, my eyes widening to find…
"D-Don't kill us!"