9:30 Drakonis 16th
We got to the gate! We also found the men that were there trying to send a message from 'King Loghain.' In the end, we all waited at the gate watching them fight with the representatives.
"Talen has gotten good in charging spells on the fly." I mentioned.
"They all have grown into a dependable group." Wynne smiled.
"They are dragging this battle too long. Must I stand back? I can crush their skulls into paste in a second." Shale crossed her arms.
"Truly they have not heard of tactics." Sten agreed.
"Tis a good show nonetheless." Morrigan looked at a golden bracelet from the ambush. Alfred barked next to her which got a glare from her.
"Are we not going to help them?" Jowan wondered.
"It's only three guys Jowan, well, only one and there's the sword to the gut." I ended my observation. I can see why the coliseum was popular back in roman times. There was something about seeing these sport bouts that seems to trigger something primal inside. I felt guilt but that was starting to wane. I wasn't sure if that was a good thing or bad thing. The guys came up and the dwarven guard talked to them about letting them in.
"Hey guys I'll be with you in a second. Sten, come with me." I mentioned. Sten raised his eyebrow but did so. The rest of the group went through the big doors. "You told me that you found that scraggly guy back in Lack Calenhad talking about a merchant selling him the place where you and your group were cut down by darkspawn right?"
"That is correct. You have found the man." Sten stated. I gave him a smirk. There were lines of merchants all around us. This circle was a lot larger than in game. Nearly all of them were, of course, dwarven merchants. Even Bodahn and Sandal were out here as they were casteless, technically.
Then I saw the one lone human merchant. I recognized him from the game. He was cataloging his stuff when Sten and I approached him.
"Welcome good Sers to-Maker's breath!" He stepped back after doing a double take. I coughed to hide my laughed.
"Is there something wrong?" I crossed my arms. I tried to look as cocky as possible.
"What? Oh, ahem, no there isn't. Just that your large friend gave me a fright." He cleared his throat. He tugged at his furs almost like he was pulling his collar in nervousness.
"Faryn right?" I snapped my fingers.
"Ah yes?" He wondered.
"My large friend here has a question for you." I tapped on Sten's arm.
"A-And that would be?" Faryn tried not to look up.
"Where is my sword?" Sten demanded. Faryn's face paled quickly before he started on a small string of prayers. Seeing him shake in his boots fed the petty beast inside of me. It was very entertaining.
"I-I-I don't have it! I swear by Andraste's knickers! I sold it to a dwarf in Redcliffe." He stuttered out.
"You sold my sword." Sten glared down at him.
"H-Here! You can even have the gold I got from him, please just don't hurt me!" Faryn took out his pouch with his shaky hands and nearly threw it at me.
"Well that would depend on whether your lying or not. So make sure you got your story straight or me, and specifically him, will be back. Ciao." I threw the pouch before catching it. I saw a smirk play on Sten's face before it was replaced with his usual stoicism. "Well we got more information. He got your sword and sold it to a dwarf in Redcliffe. Once we get the dwarves as allies, we can pass by there before we visit the elves."
"If it's there. If it changed hands again then we would be on another chase." Sten grumbled.
"Have hope Sten and, if you can't, then I will hope in your place." I assured him.
"You make it sound as if those words ring true." Sten huffed.
"If there's one thing I'm good at, it's hoping." I giggled. We went through the gates and was met with the Hall of Heroes. I let out gasps of awe. The carvings of the paragons were beautiful. They were taller than Sten, crafted in perfect geometric shapes with rock and metal shaped to perfection. The tall corridor stood tall with lava running along the sides as well as lights coming from cracks in the wall. I have no idea how they light up and the explanation will most likely go over my head as I did not study earth science.
The warmth was comfortable, not hot to make me scorch but it was definitely more pleasant than the outside world. I was jumping to paragon to paragon, looking at the intricate designs. I squeed, oohed, and ahhed. Sten grabbed me by the scruff to get me out.
"Sten those statues are works of art! Just the mere thought on how they were able to make them so beautiful makes me want to appreciate them!" I moaned trying to go against his strength and failing.
"For once I will agree with you. The hands that made these are masterful but it is not why we are here. We are wasting time." Sten argued.
"Fine!" I moaned like a petulant child but I got out of his grasp. We entered the dwarven commons and were met with a guy dragging away a dwarf that looked to be freshly killed with our group in various expressions of 'what the hell?' "Did we miss something?" I asked, approaching them.
"Just dwarven politics missy." Derek laughed. I looked at Zevran and he shrugged his shoulders.
"Casteless. I'm surprised you're still alive after all this time. Do you want to be thrown in prison now or later?" The Captain looked at Derek.
"As fun as that would be, I am an official Grey Warden." Derek tipped his chin up with pride.
"You have got to be sodding kidding me." The captain glared.
"Nope! We even have papers!" Alistair nearly took out the old treaties before the captain put up his hands in a stop motion.
"No, no. I don't need them. I heard from the guards outside, you are all wardens with companions. Not that I was hoping it was wrong. Well, tread carefully everyone. We already have enough to deal with. Be careful of the two political parties around and try to avoid talking about the children of King Aeducan." The captain warned. "You are allowed to attend the assembly that has formed but watch your back. The city isn't exactly safe right now."
"Thanks for the warning, Captain." Derek nodded. "This way, up to the Diamond Quarter. That's where all the nobles scrunch their noses and look down at all of us." Derek laughed darkly.
"I have to admit, I did not think the dwarven capital would look so…grand." Zevran commented.
"Grand is one world for it. I would say it's a marvel of the world." Leliana breathed in amazement as we walked to the stairs to lead us to the assembly. There were many dwarves out and about. Most stopped in their tracks as they gawked and stared at us. Shale's heavy footsteps tended to announce our presence. I'm not sure what they were more amazed of, the Grey Wardens or the fact there was a fricking golem strutting her stuff.
"Why do the dwarves build everything so high?" Alistair wondered.
"We're sensitive about our heights Prince." Derek laughed. "Ok here we are, the legendary stairs!" Derek showed us a carved out staircase. Unlike the game where it was a straightaway to the next level, the stairs were much wider with various stops to residential districts. Many dwarves were walking up and down the steps, giving our group a wide berth.
Shale was oddly silent throughout all of this. I watched her as her gaze lingered on certain aspects of the city. She was a dwarf at one point, maybe she had lingering memories tugging at her right now.
"What a disheveled mess of a city full of tiny, fleshy beings." Shale scoffed. I stand corrected.
"I never dreamed that I would even be here." Jowan breathed out, looking over the city as we kept going over the stairs.
"Don't even think of escaping. Big city or not, we'll find you." Alistair threatened. Jowan shut his mouth and looked down. 'I'm gonna have to have a talk with him after this.' We eventually reached the top. You could easily see the transition of the Diamond district from the other lower districts. The stone was intricately carved and the color was different. The Diamond quarter was also polished, dwarves were cleaning when we arrived. The holes that led to the outside world illuminated the streets, giving it a soft blue glow. Even then, a few torches glowed but it wasn't fire but something else.
"What are these things?" I wondered, looking at the streetlights. The small cages that would usually keep fire ablaze were filled with blue stones.
"They're called glowstones. Infuse a small rock with lyrium and they give off a pale glow. The diamond quarter is the only one that uses it since they're a little tricky to make than regular fire." Derek explained.
"I've seen these used throughout Orlais. They hold out longer than a regular fire." Leliana explained.
"It might be useful to us in traveling through the dark." Eren hummed before we are stopped by a young looking male dwarf.
"Welcome to the city of Orzammar, Grey Wardens." He bowed. "My name is Leto and I have been instructed by the city to guide your companions to the Grey Wardens quarters situated in the city. After which, I shall lead the Grey Wardens to the Assembly."
"Lead the way my friend." Derek nodded.
"So since the king has died, who's going to be the next one? It's going to be between the two groups we saw fighting right?" Talen wondered.
"We'll see first. I'm sure we're going have to delve in dwarven politics." Derek grumbled. Leto showed us to a grand manor with the Grey Warden griffon insignia out on the front. We went inside and it was sparkling. The glowstone illuminated the opening that led to a grand dining hall. Dwarves were still busy cleaning everything but the entire building shined.
"Your companions may choose their rooms. Grey Wardens, if you can follow me to the Assembly?" Leto waited by the door. Eren, Derek, Alistair, and Talen went along with them. In the end, it was the rest of us that stayed.
"I have to say, this is much better than the bed bug ridden inn I spent in Denerim." Zevran whistled.
"Tis better than anything." Morrigan huffed before she went on her way through the hallways. Shale lumbered around, the dwarves around scurrying to get out of her way. I get the feeling she got a weird sense of satisfaction from it.
"So all we have to do is choose which rooms are ours?" Wynne wondered.
"Seems like it." I shrugged.
"Well so long as any of you would like to-"
"Nope." I interrupted Zevran.
"I am fine." Leliana glared.
"I will strike you were you stand if you insinuate anything more." Wynne shook her head. Zevran looked at Jowan.
"Um, I think I'll wait for Talen." Jowan sheepishly sidestepped around him. In the end, Alfred sat next to Zevran and looked up at him, panting.
"I am literally left with the dog. Pinches." Zevran huffed. Leliana, Wynne, and I were laughing. Sten had broken off from us, feeling the stone, and staring at the chiseled works of art. We went down long hallways, oohing and aahing at everything. There were various rooms with kept up bedding, a training room, a weapons bunker, they even had spare clothing in a closet!
"This place has everything." I breathed out, choosing a modest sized room. Leliana and Wynne took the other bedrooms next to me.
"I must admit, this is very lavish compared to Redcliffe." Wynne breathed out. We went to our respective rooms and I put down my pack. There was a desk that I could use so I put my journals there. I put away my spare clothes as well and got to work to cleaning and tending to my armor. I also needed a bath or a shower. That's the thing about living here which I agree with Dorian, Fereldans need to learn to bathe. It took weeks to get used to the smells around here.
I hummed as I used my brush to take off all the gunk surrounding my armor. So many pieces here and there but it was all handy because we followed Grey Warden schematics. It was designed to be put on in a hurry. All I needed was a good helmet and I would be set. After brushing off the stayed on gunk, I took the small jar of polish and began to make my armor shine when I heard a small knock on the door.
"Excuse me, my lady, but the Grey Wardens request your presence." I heard Leto say. I got up and opened it as he bowed low.
"You know I'm just kinda the bodyguard at this point, I don't need you to be so formal all the time." I explained.
"Please my lady, it would be disrespectful to you and your group. I do not want to overstep my boundaries." Leto kept his head low. I crossed my arms and sighed a little.
"Then how about baby steps? My name is Nia. I'm not a noble, I don't hold a title, I'm just a measly person who hangs around the Grey Wardens." I explained. Leto raised his eyes and they were a soft honey color.
"Then…Nia." Leto nodded.
"Yeah. So where did these guys want to meet up?" I wondered. Leto showed me to the big dining hall. There were several tables but only one round table. The GWs settled there with most of the group sitting down. Shale and Sten were standing next to each other. I swear that Sten could easily be a golem with the way he stood so still. Morrigan wasn't around. Wynne and Leliana came in soon after and we all gathered around. Jowan was still looking around nervously while Zevran leaned on his hand in boredom.
"We have good news and bad news." Derek started.
"Start with the bad news." Eren said.
"Bad news is that the Assembly is locked because there is no king. No king means no support from the dwarves." Derek grumbled.
"We came all this way for a resounding no?" Wynne stated.
"Well then there's the good news! So long as we vouch for one of the men, we can get a King on the seat." Alistair grinned.
"Then we need to choose." Talen crossed his arms and leaned in his seat.
"Though I'm sure Derek has already made his choice." Eren chuckled.
"Derek?" Leliana wondered. Derek hooted.
"I'm going to be an Uncle! The best news is I saw my sister Rica! She's been with Bhelen all this time and is carrying his child! I say we go for Bhelen for king. I can't ruin this for my sister. She finally got a man that deserves her." Derek nodded.
"That's awesome! Congrats Derek!" I stood from my seat. Derek rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"But how do we go about on doing this? Should we assassinate his rival?" Zevran suggested.
"No, no assassinating." Alistair shot him down and Zevran pouted.
"Unfortunately that's actually a good case but Harrowmont is heavily guarded in his home. We only saw them during the Assembly. We'd have to go through his Second to get to him but to do that, we'd have to promise to put him in as King. It's too risky and we might lose some supporters for Bhelen. I'd say we work with Bhelen and get him on the seat as fast as we can. Once that happens, Harrowmont loses his ground anyway." Derek explained.
"So basically politics." I shrugged.
"Yep, for now get used to the place. This is going to take some time. While we're here, the dwarves can tend to our needs, food, clothes, etc. Since the Assembly ended, we'll be looking for the Second to Bhelen and see what he wants first. Go ahead and explore. Be careful if you're going into Dustown, the place is as bad as it gets." Derek explained, getting up. The GWs went out again to find the Second and we were left with the place.
"Do you think this place has a bath?" I wondered as Alfred came over to me and put his head on my lap. I scratched behind his ears and his foot twitched with glee.
"If you are speaking about the hot springs, we have them here." Leto said coming into the room. Leliana, Wynne, and I looked at each other.
Zevran cleared his throat. "May I-"
"NO!"
Alfred barked and we all went out of the room. Leto showed us to the furthest room. He explained that a natural running underground river was heated by the lava which made for baths. Those in the diamond quarter often had them, an influence from Tevinter he explained. There were even payable baths out in the commons. Casteless were banned from using them though and that made my stomach clench.
The casteless. I wanted to do something for them but I wasn't sure what. Orzammar house about 100 thousand dwarves and about a quarter of that population was in Dust Town. Change doesn't come easy but Bhelen is a voice for them. It's the reason why he fell for Rica in the first place. She is casteless but Bhelen truly loved her. Truthfully I hated both Bhelen and Harrowmont but the lesser of the two evils was Bhelen. He was a radical in ideas but this could be used for good. If I can do something for the casteless, Derek might help. I just need to figure out what
Leto opened the doors to the bath. There were two rooms, one for woman and another for men. There was a space for clothes as well. I took off my long sleeved shirt, pants, and took my boots off. A few female dwarves came in and set down towels for us and offered fresh clothes from the closet.
"If you can find anything that's long sleeved with some pants, that would be great, thank you." I asked. The girls seemed to be confused at my kindness but did so. Leliana, Wynne, and I settled into the bath. It was warmer than what I was used to but I was extremely grateful we weren't using icy cold water to wash with anymore.
"Oh this must be what the Maker's bosom feels like." Leliana moaned in happiness and Wynne laughed. She passed around her soap and we got down to taking off the grime from the last week.
"I hate feeling dirty. That's the one thing I try my best to ignore when we travel." I mentioned, washing my hair and dipping into the water.
"I feel the same. The mage tower has its benefits of cleanliness. I once knew a mage that had enchanted his robes to remain clean. It was astounding seeing it repel dirt and other things." Wynne mentioned.
"I didn't know you could do that." Leliana oohed.
"It's not something that should be used apparently. We have the job of letting our apprentices know that not everything can be solved with magic. We try to get them to rely on their own strength instead of just turning to magic for every solution. If something gets dirty, you can wash it. Minor cuts and wounds can be treated with bandages and the like, not just with magic. If we fall and put all our faith in magic, we'd be no better than Tevinter." Wynne shook her head.
"Still magic can be really useful. I'd be so lazy if I had magic." I laughed.
"And I'd be there to rap on your knuckles." Wynne wagged her finger.
"Not the knuckles!" I feigned hurt and we all had a good laugh. We got out of the baths and back to where the clothes should be. In our different boxes, we had a change of clothes. Wynne didn't take hers. She decided to just clean her mage robes. I took mine though. It was an airy tunic of sorts and the pants fit well if they were a bit short. It didn't matter since my boots where high. It was of a mix of green and the fabric was made of cotton. I would feel bad if it was made of silk.
"Should we really be living like this?" I wondered out loud.
"What do you mean?" Leliana said, putting on her own tunic. I scrunched up the fabric in my hands.
"We're being treated like near royalty while there's a group of people living in squalor beneath our feet." I bit my lip before feeling a hand on my shoulder. Wynne gave me a reassuring smile.
"Perhaps the Grey Wardens cannot solve everything but this is something that you may help with. Do you have any ideas as to help them?" Wynne asked. I shook my head.
"No, not yet at least. It's gonna leave a bad taste in my mouth if I don't do something though." I said.
"Then we'll find something yet. For now, we should take this opportunity to rest. We've had our fair share of experiences and it would be nice to rest our feet." Wynne said.
"A journey of a thousand miles starts with one step. Well, I'll figure out something." I nodded.
We got out of the baths and I went outside to explore. It didn't sit well for me just sitting around waiting for the guys to show up. I noticed that Jowan was also outside. He wasn't as grimy as before so I could only assume that he showered. He still looked gaunt though and his mage robes were loose on him.
"Why are you outside?" I asked which made him jump.
"Oh, it's only you Nia." Jowan chuckled, fidgeting with his robes.
"You're a really jumpy guy Jowan. I mean yeah you've done bad things but we're not going to bite." I reassured him.
"Oh I know but…you are a bit scary." Jowan cleared his throat. Considering I've been chasing him around and fighting with him so he can get a better grasp of his magic, I can see why.
"Fair enough. Wanna come with me to see the city?" I asked. Jowan looked at me like I grew a second head. "I'm not pressuring you or threatening you, merely asking you Jowan. You're a part of the group now. Sure there are some of us that don't like you and Alistair might want to kill you but, tough, you know? I mean, Alistair still hasn't accepted Zevran and definitely thinks Morrigan coming with us is a curse rather than a blessing. Stop thinking about what others are thinking about Jowan and come with me." I smiled. Jowan looked at me before looking down and smiling.
"Thank you. I thought that…well everyone besides Talen might just leave me to die, in a figurative and literal sense." Jowan said.
"Nah. You haven't done anything to me so don't worry, I don't hate you. From what I see, a part of your decisions were made because of the circumstances and the poisonous environments you lived in. Now that you're out of that place, you can start fixing your mistakes. Also, I don't think blood magic is all that bad." I said, signaling him to follow me.
"You don't? That's a very rare view point." Jowan said, coming along next to me.
"I can probably count on one hand how many people think that way. People are evil Jowan, not magic. So long as you keep it in control, you're alright in my book. Also keep your mind clear when dealing with your magic. I get that blood magic attracts demons but as long as you keep an open mind, you'll be dealing with more spirits than anything." I explained as we started going down the stairs.
"How do you know all of that?" Jowan asked.
"Oh yeah forgot to tell you. Well, since now you are a part of the group, I can. I had a spirit friend called Halo. Long story short, he helped me get into the fade, he eventually saved my life, and now I guess I'm carrying a piece of him inside me? I don't know the details." I shrugged.
"I…wow." Jowan muttered.
"Yep. Let's go to the marketplace yeah?" I laughed. So off we went to the center of the marketplace. There were plenty of stalls as well as shop districts around. The stalls had the most expensive stuff according to the dwarves, stuff from the outside world. Silks, jewels, even common place items outside were expensive down here. Paper and ink? Inflated as hell. I could understand why though. None of this stuff they can make down here so they have to import everything.
Unless you can sustain your people with your own resources, staying isolationists will only worsen the state of things. Which sucks because the dwarves are extremely prideful. They hold onto the past tightly of when they were a sprawling kingdom of connected paths, thaigs covering from here all the way to the edge of Orlais, the very thought of their downfall just that, a thought. Now they cling to their old notion of their strength without realizing that they are slowly sinking.
They don't put requests for aid, no one on the surface even realizes that they battle darkspawn on a constant daily basis, and so they are slowly dying out. After all my playthroughs, I knew that there wasn't much you can do for the dwarves unless they got the Grey Warden as a Paragon and Bhelen was on the throne. I was grateful that Derek was from the commoner origin since this means he would make sure that Bhelen was king to save his sister. If I could somehow do something for these guys, then I'd be so happy. But how was the real question.
"You're glaring at the journal your holding." Jowan said as I broke out of my concentration. The dwarf merchant was fidgeting from my gaze. I said a quick apology before clearing my throat.
"Sorry, I was thinking about things." I window shopped. Many merchants were yelling about Grey Warden discounts but I wasn't interested in anything. After all, we had to travel a lot. Dragging around unneeded weight is only going to slow me down. The only thing I was interested in was a cat carved from obsidian.
"Thinking about what?" Jowan asked.
"Thingy things, mostly on how to help the dwarves." I sighed. Jowan looked around at all the hustle and bustle.
"It seems they are well off aren't they?" Jowan looked at me and I gave him a flat stare.
"No I shouldn't blame you for your closed mind, the mage tower is the same way." I shook my head.
"Eh?" Jowan gave me a confused look.
"Jowan, sit with me so I can tell you the story of woe." I led him to a secluded place. I leaned against the wall and Jowan was looking almost scared. "I'm not going to bite your head off so calm down. Look Jowan, I'm a naturally helpful person. I like helping people though usually I just listen and sometimes that's really all a person needs. When it comes to big things though, I'm in over my head." The Couslands especially drained me. "I can only save a few and not the many but I want to change that. You think the dwarves are doing good but that's not true. From what I studied, the dwarves are living on the edge. They only way they can really survive is depending on the outside world while, at the same time, they reject it. They close themselves off, hoping to die with their pride, not knowing that it's the same thing that's killing them. I want to help. I want to bring something to the casteless. I want the dwarves as a whole to realize that they can do so much more than just conforming to the status quo. I don't know how though so I'm feeling guilty and frustrated." I let out a sharp exhale. "I'm at a loss."
"I see…there's not much I can do to help is there?" Jowan gave me a sheepish smile.
"You can help me with ideas. Something that would help these guys. I know Bhelen would be a good king even if some parts of him are…well let's just say I'm not his biggest fan." I frowned.
"I'm not sure what I can come up with. All my ideas ended up with me on the run or captured." Jowan shrugged.
"Good point." I laughed.
"But why do you want to do this? No one else has tried." Jowan wondered.
"Because…I love this world." I said breathlessly. "It's cruel, dirty, downright heartless at times…and yet it draws me in."
I have always loved dragon age. From the moment I picked up that PS3 controller, I was hooked. I read everything, I looked into everything, binged on it, broke my records, got all the trophies. Obsessed was an understatement. It was a tough life, thinking about all the shit the world of Thedas had to go through. Blights after blights, Exalted Marches, wars and more wars, the history of Thedas was bleak and there wasn't a lot of hope. That was the thing the drew me in though because I am a hopeful person. I look for the good in everything.
My husband always told me that the love I had for the world in general never left me. I believed in humanity, I had faith. Even after all this time I still do. I want to believe, I want to have faith, I want to hope. That won't stop and I don't want it to stop. I saved Eren and Oren but lost everything else. Rael hates my guts and I screwed up my chance to go home. Those are my failures but I have to learn about those and see what I can do with my own hands.
Am I taking this as a chance to make up for my mistakes? Probably. Am I doing this to let go my own feelings of guilt? Yep. Yeah, I can admit when I'm helping, I am also a bit selfish in my decision. I do it to ease my guilt but I also do it because I really do want to help.
One step at a time. That's all I can do.
Beta'd by Syutaku
I'm getting back into the swing of things. I'm itching to get out a few more ideas in Orzammar this time. Some good ones, some emotional ones, hopefully I can make a few more readers cry lol.
Also I've been collaborating with Fanatic24. Our story is called Then, There, and When. The premise of the story: It takes place in the further future when Solas completes his task of tearing down the barrier of the fade...only for it not to completely destroy the world. Chaos has ensued for decades, war is constant, and Tevinter is now gaining with their new, powered up magic. He will eventually meet the new Inquisition of that time, and send them back, hoping that they can stop his past self from making a mistake. Check it out! :D
Chimera Spyke: Lol no you're not wrong, It is a new power. From my first fanfic, I didn't actually have an idea as to what her powers were going to be. It was one of the plot holes that I had to bury, which it has! It is a magic syphon and yes, Halo is hungry. Her power will only get stronger from here on out :3
HellaRose: I'm glad you're liking the changes! I've put more thought into this rewrite. Honestly, I feel like I was copying another fanfic from the first time around because it influenced me so much. This time, it's all my own which is more work but it makes me happier :)
Please Review!