Thanks for reading and following, it means a lot! Please, review! Let's get back to business, shall we? Time for a bit of action there. Additional translations in the end notes.
"My dear Mahariel, is it the good time for that?" Managed Dorian between two spells. Sera cackled.
"Vintie is gonna pee his silky skirts!"
"This is a robe!" Mahariel snorted, aiming for yet another corpse.
"One more for me Sera. C'mon you are on a slow pace today!" Sera cackled even louder.
"That's what she said!"
The corpses were pouring from the foul waters, as they had been doing the whole day. Mahariel kept an eye on the path leading to the Keep. The targets were just as numerous as they had been five minutes ago. So yes, this was the time for an archery contest with Sera, seeing the situation was becoming boringly redundant. Iron Bull was twirling, axe slicing corpses in two and sending shards of bones all around.
"Boss, they keep coming, we should go on to the gates!"
"But I'm kicking Sera's ass!" Protested she. Though, it was merely for the jest. She could see they were not going anywhere with that.
"You can do that with the Avvars too."
She leapt backwards, impaling several corpses with a powerful arrow. She considered the remaining potions on her belt. Time to move on, indeed. The apostate of earlier had given them a hard-time, superficial wounds and sore muscles. Except if a crate of potions was waiting for them in the Keep, they could not spare more strength on the endless flow of corpses.
"To the gates!"
Both Sera and her disappeared into stealth, avoiding easily the corpses.
"Seriously? That is not very pleasant of you!"
"C'mon Vint, talk less, run more!"
"And refusing you the delight of my voice? Perish the thought, Oxman!"
Bull rolled his eyes and swung his axe as he ran onwards. Good point of their stealth, the women closed the gates behind them the second they were in the courtyard, preventing the corpses to give chase. Bull grunted.
"Okay, it was cute Boss, you are a decent archer but could you take back your staff? Or blades?"
"Funny thing…"
"Oh Maker, I hate when she begins with that!" Intervened Dorian, refreshing their barrier.
"I left the staff at the last camp. I thought I would not need it that much."
She aimed at the Avvar archer facing her, kneeling to send a stronger shot. Her eyes widened and she rolled lamely backward to avoid the great sword which tried to cut her in two. Damn that was close. She jumped on her feet. Well, she could see Bull's point. She certainly missed her spiritual blade right now. She leapt to avoid another offensive. She disappeared into stealth few secs and startled Dorian, reappearing next to him. She took the staff from his hands, letting the bow down.
"Just a moment."
The mage looked at her with wide eyes. She could not be serious. She fade-walked right through the huge warrior, destabilizing him. Dorian looked at the man now walking dangerously towards him. He sent a fireball that the Avvar dodged with his sword.
"Mahariel…"
The warrior felt on his knees almost instantly, spiritual blade impaling him. She grinned at Dorian, throwing the staff above the corpse as he finished his fall.
"Relax. Oh, that could be a new game: staff-passes!"
She started as Dorian's lightning almost brushed her spine to stop the man behind her.
"Would you mind focusing a bit?"
She turned around with a frown and placed a bunch of ice mines next to a line of archers. It drained more mana than it would have with a staff but they remained powerful. They exploded in domino, sending icicles into the Avvars who fell on the rear. A swarm of arrows finished them, letting the party alone in the courtyard.
She stretched her arms with a satisfied smirk. She was, as usual, wearing her Tevinter armor, war-paint included. No matter what changes she had conceded for the off-battlefield look, she was not crazy about changing the battlefield one. It was badass.
"Loot the corpses, I saw a lock begging for me to pick it when I dropped the portcullis."
She made her way up quickly, grabbing a lockpick in her pocket. She soon vanquished the lock and entered the room.
Oh, a tome from the Grey Wardens? Blackwall will be happy to have that. She went back down with the others. They finished the looting and went further into Hargrave Keep. They soon arrived in what looked like a Throne Room. With a veeeery big Avvar in it. Looking more like a qunari than a human actually. And this must be the one challenging me.
The axe of the Hand of Korth twirled fiercely as he rushed straight to her. Her face grew serious and she exchanged a look with her party. They spread in the room as soon as Dorian strengthened the barrier. Her nose wrinkled a bit as her eyes laid on the line of archers on the stairs. Fuck. She summoned a wall of ice in front of them to block their arrows.
"Dorian!"
"Got it!"
A chain lightning resounded loudly, spreading from one archer to another. Bull and Sera were keeping the Hand of Korth busy. Mahariel disappeared into stealth, reaching for the daggers on her belt. She ran around the wall of ice and stabbed two archers.
The third grabbed an arrow from his quiver and drilled it in her side. She groaned with pain and sent her fist in his face, putting him on the ground. A flashfire from Dorian panicked the last one while she finished the third on the ground. Her hand reached quickly her belly and she winced at the blood on her gauntlet. She drank a healing potion. She turned to check on Sera and Bull. Her eyes widened. The blond was crawling backwards clumsily to avoid the axe.
Bull shouted a war cry and charged the man once more. It took his attention away from the elf. Mahariel joined the spot where they were and grabbed Sera's elbow to put her back on her feet. The rogue nodded her thanks and they both resumed firing arrows at the man, Mahariel using her remaining mana to put Bull's axe on fire.
They sighed with relief when the Avvar fell lifeless on the ground. They looted the room, found a banner for Blackwall and released their men who were, luckily, alive. Well, that shall be all for that day. Better going back to the last camp. They crossed path again with Skywatcher who finally joined the Inquisition.
They made their way back to the Inquisition camp. Mahariel stopped by the scouts in charge to help them update the map of the area. She declared that she shall write and send the report of the rescue mission herself, so, they only have to concern themselves about the soldiers and see that they were alright.
Before going back to her party, Mahariel was intercepted by a scout with a letter from Cassandra. She was asking them to come to Crestwood as soon as possible. Mahariel frowned a bit at the quick description of the situation. She was going to tell the others that they were leaving right now but looked at their faces and thought better of it. They were exhausted. And so was she. First lights tomorrow then.
Dorian, Bull and Sera were discussing the situation at the Inquisition camp with Cassandra, Varric and Blackwall. Hawke and Mahariel had moved a bit, the Champion considering it would be easier to show her. Mahariel's jaw half dropped.
"Seriously?! Freaking Veil just had to be torn under the water?!" Hawke shrugged.
"Apparently. We managed to drain the lake. We should be able to access the caves and the rift from the old Crestwood."
"Just need the Anchor to close the thing and hopefully stop the corpses. Piece of cake."
The two mages turned back to gather the others, eager to be done with that and heading back to Skyhold. The women led the way to old Crestwood, discussing lightly with Varric. The Champion was slightly taller than Mahariel, with messy brown hair stopping at her shoulders and amber eyes. After a brief moment of angry suspicion considering the rumors making of the Inquisitor a Tevinter mage, they had quickly get along. She could not say more than someone else what she actually was – since Dalish was obviously not the all of it – but she did not act like the Tevinter mages she had crossed path with in the past. Besides, a white-hair elf from Tevinter, she could not help but think they were meant to get along.
They dealt with the rift under the water this very day and went back to Crestwood to share the news. Only to find the confession of the Mayor. Mahariel pinched her nose, considering the words of the man. She seriously did not know what to do with that. Her clan fled Ferelden at the beginning of the Blight. It was not that abstract to her, she had seen darkspawn, she had seen the corruption of the Blight. Hunters in her clan and, later in Tevinter, Felix. The mayor did what he had to, but it did not mean he had done what was right. She sighed. A problem which will have to wait. It had almost been a month since she left Skyhold. It was time to head back.
They left the next morning. Hawke let her know Stroud will meet them at Skyhold, the warden needing to be discreet.
Hawke, Mahariel and Bull grinned when the rest of them stopped in a Well…Shit stance. The dragon roared furiously. Not like they could ignore her, so close to the village. That was a promising start for the way home. The three who were definitely excited – or with a death wish according to the others – began to banter cheerfully as they rushed as one towards the beast.
"Why am I always hanging out with people who have this kind of obsession!" Protested Varric. Bull roared in response to the dragon.
"ATAASHI!"
Hawke and Mahariel exchanged a knowing look. The Champion nodded and stopped her quick path to draw a powerful barrier around them as Bull and Mahariel were already getting for the distraction, axe and spiritual blade at the ready. Blackwall and Cassandra passed Hawke few seconds later as Varric, Sera and Dorian stopped next to her.
"Would you be a dear and share the plan?" asked Dorian, beginning to send electricity bolt. Hawke chuckled.
"Easy. Fire at her, protect the others. Oh, and if she tries to talk, stop!" Varric shook his head, loading Bianca.
"She is not going to tell you how to become a dragon, Hawke!"
The dragon was in obvious distress with four enemies attacking her limbs and four others firing at her. But a pissed off dragon is not less dangerous. The massive beast raised on her back legs and shoved Mahariel and Blackwall away with her tail.
The armor of the Warden protected him but Mahariel took a hard fall. She felt a wave of regenerative magic. Hopefully, Hawke was a great healer. She groaned. Damn, she needed to talk with Commander Elaine, the woman mentioned she could perfect her arcane warrior techniques with some Knight-Enchanter abilities to enhance her barriers. She casted a glare at the beast who was tapping furiously on the ground to prevent the warriors to come back near her legs. She fade-walked to avoid stumbling on the trembling ground and drilled her blade into this freaking tail.
Not the right call. The dragon roared even louder and began to move her wings. The powerful wind reached even the spread rogues and mages, driving the all of them closer, most of them falling on the ground. Bull and Cassandra remained standing. The qunari swung his axe against the thick scales.
"TAARSIDATH-AN HALSAAM!" roared him in response once more. Mahariel winced.
"Seriously, Bull?!"
"Saying the one who wants to ride her!"
"As a MOUNT!"
Bull burst in a wicked guffaw, going on with his axe. Mahariel jumped on her feet and looked around for her fellow mages.
"Hawke, Dorian! Winter Grasp, left foreleg!"
They both nodded and the three of them casted the spell as one. Their magic combined was enough to trap the limb in ice. Cassandra and Blackwall charged towards it. Infuriated, the dragon tilted her head forwards, looking where Sera and Varric were firing arrows and bolts. None of them understood right away what she was going to do. Until she did. The wave of electricity escaped her mouth, digging fiercely into the ground. It did not take a word for the three mages to act as one again. They drew the barrier around the rogues. Varric and Sera looked startled, the electricity all around them but not touching them. The foreheads of the mages were sweating as they maintained the powerful defense. They could not keep that up long. Hawke shouted.
"Dammit you two, move!"
Varric and Sera turned and, understanding quickly the why of their survival, they disappeared into stealth to flee the dragon's wrath. Cassandra and Blackwall's efforts suddenly paid as their swords went through a tendon. The dragon stumbled, falling half on the ground. The Iron Bull rushed ASAP to the sudden access at her throat. He drove its axe with all his strength through the scales. The neck broke with a sickening crack and a whimper from the beast. The mages sighed with relief as they nothing but fall on the ground, their mana pool dangerously drained. Mahariel finally chuckled.
"I love dragons."
They were but few days away from Skyhold when Mahariel heard the well-known tune. She was on watch and double-checked the magic wards before going aloof from the camp to meet Oran. He was waiting patiently, sitting on a rock. Out of sight, but close enough. Her hood was away from her face, as she was certain enough he would be meeting her alone. He looked at her with a small smirk.
"Inquisitor."
She rolled her eyes, sitting next to him. She handed him berries she had been eating.
"Not you too."
"That's an unexpected turn of events."
He glanced at her with concern. As all her agents, he had been away when the attack on Haven happened. Hopefully so, as they had been tasked with moving the eluvian they had put closer to the town for the time she had been there. It had likely saved the precious artifact.
"Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. How are things going? I hardly got a single report." He reached for a pile of papers in his coat.
"I know. Your spymaster is quite…On her guards. It is harder to get into Skyhold than it was in Haven."
She raised a brow at him. She wasn't buying that. He had obviously had chances to get the reports to her, he simply chose not to.
"And before Skyhold?" Inquired she, suspicion audible enough in her voice. Oran looked at her and sighed. Of course, he could not lie to her.
"I lurked around the Inquisition camp during your…Recovery. It was easy enough to have news of the Herald. I wanted to come and see you."
"But you didn't want to give me the reports I'd have ask for." She finished.
"Precisely. Eludyssia and I could take care of things for a little while. You didn't need that. I'm still unsure you do." He added, truthfully. She frowned.
"I'm fine, Oran. Thank you for your concerns. Now, what do I have to know."
He sighed but did not fight her. He conformed, giving her the latest news. They did not learn a lot in Tevinter, if not few names of Magister they better watched closely. She opened a letter from Briala, giving her news about the situation in Orlais. That she sent her a report personally was more interesting than the report itself. News were carried well enough by their agents and without risking to endanger the all of them if discovered. A signed letter, even in cipher... Mahariel took notes that the city elf was likely worried about the peace talks to come, and did this to remind her who her friends were in the Winter Palace. It was, however, a problem for later, as they did not get invited there yet. Oran confirmed her that they had an eluvian ready to use close enough to Skyhold. Everything was in order for now.
The night before the party came back to Skyhold, Solas sought the Fade for Nyreos. His mind had been elsewhere for too long already, and he needed to know how things had been going. His agent nodded his greetings.
"My Lord. I heard what happened. I'm glad to know you are fine. You handled things well." Solas raised a brow.
"What are you referring to?"
"Your Inquisitor. Interesting enough, our agents discovered fascinating things these past months." Solas frowned at the suggestion.
"I'm not blackmailing Mahariel."
Nyreos looked at him, skeptical. Yet, he did not comment on the matter further.
"The information is yours anyway, my Lord. In any case, I have what you asked about this Calessia."
Solas seemed surprised the slightest. With all that had been going on in the meantime, he hardly remembered he had asked his agents to uncover this part of Mahariel's past. For all he was curious, he now felt uncomfortable about prying this way in the woman's past.
Nyreos did not wait for any invitation to sum up their discoveries. As it turned out, Calessia had become a magister's apprentice three years ago. Magister Aventus was but a minor voice in the Magisterium, and had lost his previous apprentice but few times before in a Ben-Hassrath ambush. Apparently, the elf saved him from Tal-Vashoths, demonstrating of remarkable skills as an Arcane Warrior. The techniques being utterly elvhen and not mastered often in Tevinter, it intrigued the mage enough for him to offer her the status of apprentice.
Solas listened to the story, having no doubt the Ben-Hassraths ambush as much as the Tal-Vashoths' ones had been orchestrated with care. She had been as careful as ever and no one in Tevinter was suspecting her to be an undercover agent from the Qun, but the knowledge he had already made him absolutely sure of that.
"Interesting enough, the dates match for something else. Merely a coincidence perhaps, but you could be interested." Added Nyreos. "Few months after she arrived there, attacks against slavers have been reported, as well as actions by the elven underground in the Imperium."
"Elven underground?" Repeated he questioningly. Nyreos shrugged.
"Reports are…Unclear, even for us. We cannot manage to say if these are the deeds of Briala's agents or of the Banal'ras. Or both, we did suspect they were linked after all, and considering the dates…"
"They could have allied once the eluvian network was discovered. It would make sense, yes."
He nodded, thoughtful. It could be a coincidence; the network would have offered Briala and the Banal'ras a way to extend their range. But he would not exclude the possibility of Mahariel/Calessia's presence having something to do with it.
Ataashi (qunlat) : dragon
Taarsidath an-halsaam (qunlat): I'll bring myself sexual pleasure later thinking about this with great respect