Shaking I stagger back when finding children smiling brightly at us, looking so weak, so frail, so hollow as their shaking hands feebly cling to the bars of their cell. Bruises, cuts and all sorts littered all over their thin skeletal like form, breaking my heart when seeing a few bones poke out from the thin veil of their skin, showing off their rib cages and such as they beam at us. Despite the heavy stench of urine, faeces and rotting flesh with hints of copper, they smile brightly at us through the disgusting decay and darkness of this cave.
"I'm sorry?" Solas voice breaks the cheerful silence and tension as we blink owlishly at the group of children smiling brightly at us.
"We don't want to die…"
"Relax guys we're not going to die. You can go home now!" The blonde boy smirks as the other kids warily watch on.
"How come?" Solas questions gently.
"How come? The silver wraith is here!" The blonde boy cheers.
"Silver wraith? So Fen's here," Varric gathers.
"Silver wraith?" I question.
"It's what the magisters call her, a title of sorts," Varric replies.
"I see." Cassandra exclaims.
"Yeah the silver wraith is going to save the day so you guys can leave!" Loyally, the blonde boy waves us off.
"We can't leave you," Dorian argues as I nod my head in agreement.
"You won't the silver wraith has a plan!" The blonde boy responds.
"But aren't you hungry?" I question concerned for their thin frail forms and hollow cheeks.
"No the silver wraith gave us her food but that couple over there might," The blonde boy tells us.
"Couple!?" Cassandra frowns.
"Yeah, we heard the guards mention them…" The blonde boy says.
"Maker…are you kids alright?" I question concerned.
"We're fine…" The blonde assures.
"Not all of us! Many dies well there was the recent one who dropped, Charlie…"
"Dio!" The blonde hisses.
"Come on Finn we can't ignore them!" Hissing the boy known as Dio argues.
"Charlie?" Dorian frowns.
"Yeah…he...he didn't make it," Stunned, we reach out to grasp hold of the iron door surprisingly it gives away. Fen opened it no doubt as we enter feeling myself take in a shaky breathe at the young bundle of a young boy curled up, dead, noting the pulsating bright blue lyrium now nothing more than a ooze leaking out from him and his wounds.
"Lyrium poisoning." I gather bitterly.
"And infection from the wounds." Solas adds.
"But the lyrium…" Dorian argues.
"Although it burns and may be able to cauterize the wound the burns were so severe it caused infection especially with this environment." Disgusted, Solas stands, turning away as I grimace at the heavy stench, continuing to linger as we turn to the kids waiting patiently, to think so many people rely on Fen, I guess I know how she feels now in a way.
"What should we do with the children?" Cassandra questions unsure.
"Oh don't worry. The doors unlocked the silver wraith is going to give us her signal and then we rush out of here." Brightly, the blonde boy known as Finn smiles.
"I see but…" I begin.
"We need to find that pregnant woman first she needs help," Varania argues as reluctantly, we all nod.
"They aren't here anymore," Finn points out.
"What do you mean?" I question.
"They've been sent off, some guards took them, gave the man a right beating…" Finn exclaims.
"Right…any idea where they went off to?" Calmly, the boy with the blonde locks points to a door on the far right, a big door as we nod and approach the door, Varania bringing out her key and quickly opening it, only to stagger back from the heavy clatter of chains unravelling as the moat of sorts slams down the door to reveal…
"A smiths?" Varric furrow his brow puzzled as we all enter, our eyes widening at the sharp screaming echoing in the room, my nose twitching and grimacing at the disgusting stench of rotting flesh, heavier in this room than before along with the stench of blood. I hear the heavy sound of crackling air breaking, making us turn to see a man, reeling his hand back, whip in hand armoured, standing above the whimpering, shaking, trembling mess, his back bared, my eyes growing at the slashes of bloodied and open wounds, noting a few infected with puss pouring out as well as a few maggots and dirt in the back, maker..
"Stop this at once!" I command as the armoured man draws a blade ready to impale in the man's back only for Cassandra to charge ahead, performing her shield bash making the Venatori fall to the ground, disarmed as Cassandra raises her blade, swiftly ending the male's life.
"Are you alright?" Hurriedly, we rush over to his side as Solas kneels down.
"He'll need stiches." Solas informs me as we nod while Dorian scowls at the dead Venatori.
"What happened?" I question lost.
"They…they were preparing me." Weakly, he wheezes out.
"Preparing you? For what?" Dorian demands.
"For that." Varania sighs pointing to the stone table with chains all over the table.
"They make you lean over it for the lyrium to be poured over." Varania points to the cauldron above the table.
"What!?" I gawk.
"Haven't you seen the other bodies." Shocked, the group finally note the numerous dead bodies burnt, scarred, infected, maggots and flies feasting on them until curling up and dying from the touch of the lyrium…
"Oh Maker!" Disgusted, Dorian staggers back, covering his mouth as he hunches over, releasing small gag noises as we turn letting Dorian have his private moment to vomit.
"Some die from heart attacks, other the pain and some lyrium poisons them." The male heaves as Dorian helps him stand looking so broken, so horrified, so disgusted by his people.
"Why!?" I scream disturbed.
"For power." Varania answers bitterly, approaching the main platform where the lyrium bowl looms over them as Varania picks up the reports of the experiment, her eyes narrowing at the numerous failures and such…curious, I take a few my eyes flaring at the slurs used and how they refer to the elves as its but then…
"We must have experiment silver, it still lives, it will be needed in order to see what master Denarius did to them both, different ritual, different rituals to see what we could do to survive the Qun…"
"All this because of the QUN!?" Enraged, Doian seethes.
"War can lead the most power fullest to their most desperate…" Solemnly, Solas sighs saddened.
"This is horrible, I cant. This is murder, cold blooded…" Disgusted, Dorian turns away.
"This is evolution!" Stunned, we turn to the source of the voice, our eyes full at the armoured man before us. Varania's eyes widen at the sight of the female, a look of familiarity in her eyes as she draws her staff, all of us following.
"You...you're in charge of this!?" I demand.
"In a sense master Pavus, I am simply the man of the law and I shall continue these exploits for the good of our empire!" He dictates. He…from the notes scattered all over, I believe he is the man called Richard.
"And what of those innocent?" Roaring, Dorian demands his tone echoing.
"Please those knife ear scums know nothing of the un, their sacrifices will be for the greater good and survival of my people, of the superiority of our people," Richard scoffs.
"You…what would you have done with Fennic!?" Solas demands venom evident in his tone.
"Use her, experimented on her see where we have been going wrong, it had worked twice why not try an whole armada!?" Richard argues.
"You'll be killing innocent people for power!" Dorian seethes.
"For the survival of our home master Pavus." Richard reasons.
"So what you think killing some children and other poor innocent people is okay! No it's not, it isn't the answer there are other options." Pleadingly, Dorian begs.
"And this one shall be the only option now die!"
"Be careful of the lyrium." I warn the guys, concerned due to having mainly mages, worrying of the lyrium exposure as we strike. Determined, we rush forward into battle, our eyes widening as his blade releases a wave of pure blue light which we dodge but turn to see the destructive properties of the blade as the elf injured huddles into the corner, terrified. We hear the knight release a roar, stomping his foot on the ground as other Venatori join his side as he kneels down preparing another powerful blow as we all tend to his Venatori backup, once that's done, the aura surrounding him fades as he prepares another strike only for us to narrowly miss once more, taking cover.
Exhausted, he pants from such a powerful attack, we use it to our advantage and attack repeating the same routine over and over until, wounded he releases a feral cry and flees into the shadow hiding as we withdraw our weapons, all of us nodding as we continue on our way, looking for Fen…hold on Fen.
Frowning, my eyes narrow at the cargo hold of the slave farm, finding numerous crates of lyrium no doubt thanks to the carta or something. I frown, my ears hearing the faint hum of the lyrium noting my glowing marks. I reveal myself, sneaking past the Venatori beating some elf's while others deal with darkspawn as I dive behind the several sizes of the crates to cover me until…
"Where is she sir Richard Frederick you swore she'd be here!?" Impatiently, Veronica stomps on the ground annoyed.
"I promise you my lady she will be here." Sir Frederick promises, my eyes narrowing at the same man from outside, only no noting his strange sword, a stone black blade with veins of blue it reminds me of something….
"She better be, I hadn't become Denarius apprentice for nothing it was for her. Imagine how many of them we can replicate, then those daft Qunari will learn there place and not mess with the Tevinter imperium!" Proudly she declares as my eyes sharpen in disgust at her words.
"Sir…we have an issue." One of the guards appear.
"What!?" Frederick barks.
"Some group they are messing up the lyrium transport and have snuck in." The guard reports as I raise a brow, a group? I wonder who…
"What!?" He roars angered.
"S-Sir I… " Nervously, the guard staggers back fearful.
"We kept this place hidden fine I will deal with these fools personally…if you'll excuse me my lady…" Scowling, I watch Sir Frederic leave, leaving me with Veronica. My eyes narrow at her short raven straight hair and purple robes the features highly resembling the girl I drowned, who I believed to be Veronica. So I'm curious how this will be answered, probably something like magic and that's it.
"Miss me princess?" Smugly, I smirk as Veronica turns to me shocked and fuming as I drop down from the crate, I once climbed up off and jumped off, landing before her, I stand, hand on hips smirking coyly at the fuming female.
"You killed my twins sister!" Angrily, she roars raising her staff as I scowl.
"You killed innocent children, you killed Crow!" I argue.
"Ah yes the one I sent to that Orlesian ball, droll party I hear, that fool was dying. Best I made use of scrapped remains," She dismisses making my blood boil.
He was a person!" I shout at her, horrified at her coldness.
"Hmph he was a means to an end." She dismisses further aggravating me.
"So was your sister." Slyly, I smirk at her sharp cold glare.
"My sister was your superior, she deserved better!" Roaring, Veronica screams.
"So did Crow, he at least deserved a tomb or grave!" I spit back.
"A knife ear please…" Disgusted, she sneers as I glower.
"Is that why you're taking innocent kids? They aren't important enough." I demand to know where her conscious is.
"They are below me, beneath me and my master." Confidently, she dictates as I snarl.
"I don't have time for this." Tired, I turn my back to the lost cause, not like I wanted to save her in the beginning.
"Excuse me!?" She snarls.
"I have much more important things to do…" Simply, I scoff turning my back to her.
"Enough! If you think I'm letting my sister's killer go then you go can think again." Angrily, she slams her staff on the ground, my eyes narrowing at the soldiers arriving as a white aura surrounds them and a barrier protecting her. I sigh at the redundant strategy used time and time against the mid boss mages, urgh…the blood mage at the alienage was harder than this pipsqueak.
Bored, I roll my eyes my ears hearing the roaring and multiple footsteps of the incoming guards trying to swipe at me, only to easily be out manoeuvred by me due to my agility and speed. Simply, I flip back, successfully landing and sitting on top of a crate of lyrium, smirking coyly at the shaking irritated Veronica.
"I got to find and free the other slavers, tell them the plan or else it will cause more confusion and more complications to the plan, besides letting veronica waste her lyrium here will make it easier to take care of her later on.
"Fennic!" Blinking, I raise a brow at the voice of Eve as Veronica and I turn to her the guards included, the guards turn while I'm facing the shocked group.
"Who what? Inquisitor!" Horrified, Veronica gasps,
"Ooh lookie, seems you got a playdate. I understand perhaps we can reschedule another time," Cheekily, I smirk at the frustrated abomination, screeching as she spits out a ball of flames, only for me to cartwheel out of the way and dive under the crates, hiding behind them. I make my way down the lower levels, freeing more slavers to come while letting Eve and co play with the nuisances.
"Sorry sweetie maybe catch up another time!" Playfully I call out winking cheekily.
"Fennic!"