Here is the second chapter of this story. Hope everyone enjoys it.
Cheers,
As Agamorra dressed for her fifth day at the university, she couldn't help but feel scared. She had only just entered the academy and yet here she was practising the very thing her friend Saltina had warned her against, already blood magic had tainted her soul.
But does it really matter? Said a voice in Agamorra's head.
Morra shook off her silly fear; she would have to deal with some unsavoury things if she planned on becoming one of the most powerful and knowledgeable mages in her field. If that meant dirtying her hands, then so be it.
As Agamorra passed her desk to get to the hallway, she noticed the Fenris file was still sitting on her desk. Flashes of his resentful voice and hateful expressions filled her mind as she remembered the previous night. She had never had the chance to even ask Danarius why they were performing the experiment, maybe she should go question the participant?
It was still early enough to question the elf man and make it back to her first lecture, so Morra decided to grab a note pad and pen and make her way down to the participants' housing area. However once she left her room, she realized that she had no idea where it was, the campus was huge and easy to get turned around in.
Walking up to a tiny elf cleaning the floors Agamorra asked, "Excuse me do you know where I can find the location of the experimental participants living quarters?"
The elf who regarded her with the usual blank expression suddenly dropped her bucket of water across the floor, her hands shaking as she quickly bent to retrieve the object, "I am sorr..sorry serrah, but..but I cannot help you." The woman's' stuttering voice sounded sacred as she rigorously returned to her duties.
Not one to be ignored, Agamorra's hand shot out and grabbed the elf by the upper arm, squeezing hard, "Reaaally, you can't help me? Or you won't help me?!" her voice had dropped dangerously as she glared at the woman squeezing even harder.
The elf squeaked as she once again dropped the bucket, looking fearful into Morra's eyes, "messer, please you are hurting me."
The woman's pleas shocked Agamorra so much that she abruptly let go of the elf causing her to stumble. The sudden spike in her ire surprised Agamorra, usually she was even tempered and controlled, but when the woman refused to help her she had felt so...so angry…felt the need to hurt someone.
"I am, I am sorry I didn't mean-" but when Agamorr awent to reach for the elf again to extend some comfort, the maid shrunk back in on herself.
"The.. the living quarters are located in the most southern building, on the ground level serrah. Now please may I go back to duties?"
Agamorra absentmindedly nodded her head, already consumed with her own thoughts, why was the building there, it is the worst and oldest part of the campus? Morra messaged her temples, it wasn't even seven in the morning yet and a headache had developed.
As she made her way across the campus, Agamorra couldn't help but notice how the further south she went the less and less students she encountered. Instead more janitorial staff filled the hallways cleaning and carrying sterialized equipment, some of which looked like surgical knives.
Agamorra had finanly found the corridor she was looking for, a narrow staircase that spiralled down to the bottom most level of the campus. Neon white lettering displayed the words 'Housing Unit" above the stairs. It was dark and the natural light from the windows did not extend beyond the first three steps. Squinting Agamorra tried to find any light source in the staircase but saw only darkness, not a single switch along the wall.
A brilliant purple light erupted in her vision as Agamorra peered into the darkness of the staircase. Quickly covering her eyes, she yelled, "Holy Andraste's flaming arse" the light had come from absolutely nowhere and its contrast with the darkness hurt her eyes.
"What absolutely horrid words, a Tevinter lady should never say such things" Hadrianna's condescending voice echoed in the corridor.
Removing the hand shielding her eyes Agamorra said, "Well if you haven't noticed I am not from Tevinter." She couldn't help the defensive tone which entered her voice, in the short amount of time Agamorra had known Hadrianna she had developed a distain for the way she acted.
A shrill laugh came from the woman, "Oh, I have noticed, as has everyone else" Hadrianna sniffed the air as she continued up the steps until she stood next to Agamorra, "The unique small of...dog seems to follow you around."
A roar filled her ears as Agamorra's face reddened in anger. How dare this woman speak to her as such, how dare she laugh at her like she was nothing! Morra clenched her fists tightly, I should kill her, she thought.
Yes you should, whispered back her mind, just one push and she will fall down those stairs…her bones broken…her blood oozing.
Something must have flashed in Agamorra's eyes which caused Hadrianna's smirk to widen into a full blown smile, "you really should learn to control it you know."
"Control what" spat Agamorra
"Rage" Hadrianna eyes twinkled with some sort of hidden amusement, "It would be a shame if you lost yourself to it, Rage that is. What would poor Danarius do if his new pupil lost herself?" Hadrianna's tone was anything but concerned.
Taking a deep breath, Agamorra counted to ten to control her anger, her damned head ache was making her unreasonlably quick to anger and to her dismay, slightly homicidal. Ignoring Hadrianna, Morra went to walk past the woman to continue down the stairs.
An arm blocked her path, "Where do you think you are going?"
Gritting her teeth Agamorra said, "To see the man who we experimented on, I want to ask him some questions."
"That is unnecessary, you do not need any further information beyond what Danarious has given you"
Agamorra looked at Hadrianna, "I think I will decide what I do and do not do"
"Actually", Hadrianna again wore her triumphant smirk, "You don't" she pulled out a piece of paper from her lab coat pocket, "Danarius left a list of ingredients for you to gather at the market in town. I was supposed to deliver it to you this morning, but…you seem to have awakened far earlier than expected"
Agamorra looked at the note in her hands. The list was long, but not overly hard to obtain. Only the last three items she was unfamiliar with. "I will get this later"
"I would start now, Danarius wants it delivered to his office by noon today" Hadrianna turned and started to walk away, "so no more dilly dallying dog-lord."
Getting to the hightown market was more of a hassle than Agamorra was betting on. Even leaving the campus so early in the morning did nothing to prevent her from avoiding the crazy traffic; eventually she gave up and asked the taxi driver to just pull over as it would be faster to walk.
Of course it would be faster to walk, but Agamorra forgot what the stares would be like. Wearing the bright white uniform with the blood red rose stood in stark contrast to the red and brown hues which seemed to be the current fashion in hightown.
Some of the stares were simply curious as everyone knew of the prestige that came along with being a student at the Modern Evolution School. However many of the stares were resentful and Agamorra couldn't help but look up at the oppressive banners that adorned every street and high tower; the red rose of Tevinter being the same exact one on her outfit.
She noticed a herbal shop across the square and jogged over, "Hello is anyone here?" The dusty old shop was vacant at the front, but Agamorra could hear commotion on the other side of the beaded curtains.
"Hang on, don't be so impatient" came the terse reply of the building owner.
Agamorra tapped her long nails on the counter impatiently; she had other places to be and business to take care of. About three minutes later dwarf hobbled out of the back, "What can I get yah?" at the sight of her uniform the dwarf raised an eyebrow, "Don't be se'en much of you all white coats around these parts?"
Agamorra cocked her head I confusion, "What do you mean 'these parts', I am in hightown am I not?"
The shop keeper laughed and motioned for her to pass over the list of ingredients. Grabbing the list he said, "Nope, messer you be in lowntown." At her shocked expression the dwarf continued, "Didn't you see all the stares you was receiving?"
As the man rifled through his jars and bottles, Agamorra tried to figure out how she ended up in this part of town, I must have gotten turned around when I exited the taxi.
"Here." The dwarf dropped a heavy yellow plastic bag into her hands, "Might wanna lose the uniform next time you come down here friend, I like your business, but not the trouble you white coats bring."
Handing over the cash Agamorra frowned, "What do you mean trouble?"
The Dwarf went over to the small window by the counter and closed it, "you can be never to careful" he turned around and looked at her, crossing his arms, "You must be new here." It was a statement rather than a question.
She nodded motioning for him to continue.
Sighing the dwarf whispered, "Some of the people 'round here be thinking you all white coats have been makin' people disappear"
Sarcastically she said "Isn't that the Listeners job"
The man huffed, "Don't know and don't care where you came from girl, but the Listeners are on everyone's ass here, you best watch what yah be say'n." He uncrossed his arms and waved to the street outside, "I am not talking about those bird-brained people try'n to create a revolution or those newspaper people who don't know when to stop looking." He leaned over again and in a guarded tone said, "I be mean'in the poor people, the lady of the nights and the beggars alike. In darktown they be going missin often everytime some white cloaks come this way."
Agamorra was stunned, people actually thought the students were causing disappearances, "You can't be serious? We are all ethically trained and advanced magical students, why would they kidnap people?"
The dwarf put his hands up in surrender, "I be not here to pick a fight serrah, just take your things and go." As she made to move out of the building, the dwarf shouted one last thing, "And don't be forgetting what I said about not wearing the uniform next time."