Shepard had never really been one for stealth, but this wasn't really stealth was it? She glanced down at her custom made armor with a grimace as she quickly made her way through the lobby of the Circle. Around her mages and template buzzed about, the thrill from the spar forgotten as they returned to the task of cleaning their tower. And what a task it was. Pushing past pale faced apprentices squinting at an unknown stain she stalked into the office of the First Enchanter. The old man blinked at her blearily at her abrupt entrance.
"Sir" she greeted him, stopping to stand at parade rest before his desk. "If I could have a moment of your time before I leave."
He hesitated for a moment, assessing, before nodding and gesturing for her to close the door. With quick strides she threw the latch closed in the face of a surprised templar, the helmed figure jerking back, startled. "Two minutes." she told him.
Once sealed inside she turned back to watch the older man's worried face.
"Commander, as you know, the templars…"
She cut him off, a smile straining around the edges of her lips. "I understand, First Enchanter, believe me." Taking a deep breath she paced around the room, stopping before his desk and its assortment of wrecked papers. "All I ask is that you listen to me. Any help you can give, even indirectly would be invaluable. Even if it can't be acted on until later."
Watery eyes regarded her fearfully. "If the templars are informed…"
"They won't be." She told him firmly.
He sighed, gesturing with an open hand for her to sit. "Tell me your story then and I'll see what help I can offer."
Relieved she quickly took a seat, drawing the ceramic cuff of her gauntlet off. "Honestly, to explain fully would take more time than we have but to give you the short version, my communications device is broken." Shepard unhooked her chest piece next, flipping it over and pulling aside the protective coating on the under circuitry gently. Irving leaned forward in interest as she exposed the destroyed module for her comm. "This," she pointed to the broken wiring and severed nano processors. "is what connects my communicator to its output device. Think of it like a signal fire. I can light my signal, but no one can see it. I need this," she tapped the chest piece gently, "repaired."
"I've never seen the like…" He paused, finger outstretched to hover above the damaged components. His eyes lifted to hers briefly in consternation. "You just need them reconnected? To what purpose?"
She hesitated. "To call my friends." Shepard cleared her throat and leaned back. "To your first point, yes. Though it's a little more complicated than that. These wires send information, conduct electricity." She blew out a breath and shifted the chest piece closer to him. "It's hard to see with the naked eye but there are micro connections spread throughout this. I don't have the tools needed to repair it at the level of precision needed."
Irving let out a hum at that and sat back in his chair with a creak. "Truly Commander, such repairs are beyond the realm of the Circles talents. We can craft enchantments and runes but this?" He ran his thumb lightly along the edge of her armor. "This is beyond our ken."
Shepard felt her chest tighten at his words, her eyes falling back to the melted components. "I… see."
The man across from her rapped his knuckles lightly on the desk. "Beyond the abilities of the Circle but not the dwarves."
Her head jerked up in surprise, her eyebrow raising in question.
"Yes child." He nodded, standing to move amongst the wrecked books littering the floor. "The dwarves of Orzammar are far more renowned for their precision and craft than we. Only they could wield lyrium as you would need." He bent to pluck a book from amongst the mess, dropping it before her curious eyes.
She flipped it open to a wash of incomprehensible symbols, what she now recognized as the written language of Thedas. The pages she scanned were full of intricate drawings showing dwarves with hammers and chisels. "Lyrium?"
He nodded. "To store and conduct information? Only lyrium can do such. The Shaperate and the Shapers keep records of all of Orzammars recorded history, given to the stone by shaping lyrium." He tapped the image she had open. "They are who you'll want to speak to for your… communications device."
Mentally she frowned at the idea of infusing her armor with raw element zero, thoughts churning over the implications. Her musings were interrupted as outside the thick office door shouting could be heard. Taking her queue she stood and reached out her hand. "Thank you First Enchanter. I appreciate it."
He grasped it firmly in return, a twinkle lighting his eye. "Of course, it is the least I could do for you."
They separated as the door flew open, the fidgety templar they had rescued from the top of the tower standing there, terrified energy vibrating along his stiff frame. "First Enchanter! What is the meaning of this?" Behind him the templar she had shut the door on stood, shifting nervously from foot to foot.
Reaching down Shepard deftly re-sealed her chest armor, clamping it into place with a pneumatic hiss and the gauntlet quickly slotted into position. Both men in the door flinched at the sound. "My apologies gentlemen, I just wanted to say goodbye." She affected a blaise smile and moved forward, deftly slipping past the two templars. "Enchanter! Till next time." She nodded to the templars and quickly made her way down the corridor and back towards the entrance.
"Commander!"
Shepard could physically feel a headache building behind her eyes. Breathing deeply she slowed, allowing the blond templar to pull abreast of her. "Cullen, right?"
He ignored her, instead seizing her arm and tugging her to a halt. "What were you discussing with the First Enchanter?"
She blinked and then tilted her head down deliberately to regard his hand on her arm. He immediately jerked his hand back, a flush bleeding colour across his pale skin.
"F-forgive me, but I must know."
She sighed and shook her head. "It really was just a goodbye."
"With your armor off?" He scoffed. His eyes narrowed, seemingly taking in the strange details and material with new clarity.
She opened her mouth to respond but was cut off by Shale suddenly booming behind them. "At last! The Warden has been looking all over for it and sent me to find it." The stone golem shoved past Cullen, who's eyes somehow widened even further.
"Y-you!" he stuttered, hand reaching for his sword shakily. "You were in the village! I swear it, I-"
The golem rotated its head slowly to regard the templar. "The village?" Shale suddenly animated with a mock gasp. "Were you one of those awful little villagers? Always climbing all over me, always leaving bird seed at my feet!" The golems' voice increased in volume as it built its tirade. "Gross fleshy creatures with their insipid little lives! And me! Forced to just stand there and watch! The gall of you to look at me now!" Shale took a lumbering step forward, causing the templar to flinch back. "Best that it runs now before I decide to crush its annoying head."
Not needing to be told twice the man spun around and sprinted away.
Shepard watched his retreating back with faint amusement. "Thanks Shale. I owe you one."
Scoffing the golem turned and nudged Shepard forward. "It would be no trouble to end any of those stupid villagers."
As the two of them made their way back to the main entrance Shepard regarded it out of the corner of her eye. "You were made by the dwarves, right?"
"Oh, is it asking me obvious questions now? How annoying."
She ignored the retort and regarded the craftsmanship of the mouthy AI. "Moreso that you're quite impressive." Perhaps the dwarves aren't such a lost cause if they can build things like Shale. "Are there more of you?"
Shale approximated a frown. "Like me? No, as far as I know I am the only golem with free will. If you mean those lifeless stone statues that protect Orzammar I assume so, though whether they can do anything or not I cannot say."
"Oh? They don't make more of you anymore? Seems like you would be an ideal fighting force."
The golem let out a grating laugh. "The dwarves of today no more know how to craft something like me than the elves do of their supposed immortality."
Shepard mentally flinched at that, a drop of disappointment curling down her spine.
"This is because it wishes for help with repairs, yes?"
She jerked her head up, regarding the golem in surprise.
"Does it think me as thick as the stone on my body?" Shale scoffed and thumped ahead. "There is no other reason for it to be so interested in my construction. I have no reason to tell the Warden of its plan so long as it stays out of my way."
Shepard hesitated, trailing behind it. "I can do that."
A huff and then "Good."
