"Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you don't."
― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free
Justinian, 9:30 Dragon
Nennet's eyes fluttered open, her head swimming in pain. She could hear the faint whispers of prayer off to the side, one of the bridesmaids no doubt. Nennet assumed it was Nola.
The familiar grumble of Shianni's threats made Nennet sit up.
"Thank the Maker!" Shianni helped Nennet to her feet, "I-We were so worried about you…"
"Is everyone alright?" Nennet asked, holding her head, "No one's hurt?"
Though the group of women were clearly afraid, Nennet couldn't see any physical harm. This barely put her mind at ease. Valora looked at her.
"They locked us in...until that bastard is 'ready for us'." Her eyes widened as her voice became more shrill.
Nennet stood up to her full height, drawing in the gaze of all around her.
"I'm getting us out, I don't care what the shems say." She told them.
"But the door is locked! And we're unarmed." A bridesmaid said, Nennet remembered her name was Kiera.
Nennet surveyed the room, remembering what her mother taught her about finding advantages in her surroundings. It was true that both doors were locked tight, and Nennet made no illusion that she could bust them down. As she searched, she listened to the others talk.
"We'll just...do what they want. And go home," Kiera said, "It's best to just get over with it and then forget it ever happened."
"It'll be worse if we resist." Valora seconded.
"It'll be worse if we don't!" Shianni snapped.
"Enough!" Nennet snarled, "I'm not letting anything happen to any of you-"
The sound of footsteps alerted them to the oncoming guards, and their impending torture. Nennet felt an intense pressure in her head and stomach. She stood in front of the others, beckoning for Nola to get behind her.
"If any of you see the opportunity, take it, without hesitation." Nennet said.
The guards burst through the door, smug smiles crawling on their faces as they looked upon the elven women.
"We're here to escort you to Lord Vaughan's little party." The lead one said, gathering a collective snicker from the men behind him.
Nola began crying, "Please...please don't...keep away…"
Without another second to think, the lead guard took up his blade and slashed Nola in the throat. Nennet leapt forward, holding her hand tightly around the gaping wound, thick blood flowing between her fingers. At last she felt Nola's life slip away. She set Nola on the ground, pulling her sticky hand away from the body.
"No, no, no…" Nennet looked up at the guards, "You monsters." Her face twisted into disdain. She stood up, her whole body shaking with fury.
"You killed her!" Kiera shouted.
"That's what happens when whores don't show their respect." The guards said. He gave off orders to each guard, and they grabbed with greedy hands at the women, taking them away.
The lead guard looked at Nennet, "Bind this one. She's the scrapper." And he exited, Shianni in tow.
Nennet backed away slowly, eyeing the swords of the two remaining guards. They stepped forward.
"Back off, dogs." She spat.
"Don't worry, we'll be perfect gentlemen." One of them said.
A smile grew on the others face, "Be a good little wench, and we won't have to hurt you."
Nennet saw that one had a sword close to resembling the rapier she mother had given her. She changed her tone.
"Well in that case, I'll be good," She pouted, "I swear." She fluttered her eyes, "Maybe Lord Vaughan will be forgiving if you're just a little late."
"That's more like it…" The smiling guard said.
"Um…"
The two guards turned, just as Nennet was about to grab one of their weapons. She looked to where the voice was and saw Soris, standing timidly in the doorway.
"Hello." He said.
The guards laughed, stepping towards him.
"A little elfling with a sword. What're you going to do?"
"This." Soris told them, sliding the sword he had in his hand towards Nennet.
In a flash Nennet had grabbed it, testing its weight. She looked up at the humans with a sinister grin.
"Sod…" One of them said.
In one swing Nennet slashed a gaping wound across the face of the guard closest to her. He fell to the ground with a thud, sending the other into a rage.
Soris shot an arrow into his back, making him stumble as he tried to reach Nennet.. Nennet parried the weak blows, showing the blade of her sword straight into his mouth. She pulled it out with ease, the blood from her kill spitting onto her dress.
There was a moment of shocking silence before Soris ran to embrace Nennet.
"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" He asked, then looked down at Nola, "Oh Maker…"
"I can't believe you're here." Nennet said.
"That Grey Warden we spoke to, Duncan...he gave me his crossbow, and Nelaros has his sword…" Soris began to explain.
"Really? Nelaros did that?" Nennet asked.
"Well, when the others turned away he went crazy...and then...Nicolai…"
"What about him what happened?" Nennet asked quickly.
"His eyes changed, and he's...Nennet you need to see...I saw him rip one of the guards in half. With his mind…"
"Maker…" Nennet sighed, "But first, we need to find the others and get them out."
"The two of them are guarding the end of the hall, let's go." Soris motioned for Nennet to follow, "We'll figure this out with them."
They went out the unlocked door and into the kitchens. Nennet's nose curled at the smell of shemlen sweat and burned meat. She nearly jumped when the cook had spotted them, shouting profanities.
"Is that blood?" He demanded, "I'm calling the guards!"
There was a thud behind him, and the cook slumped to the ground. Nennet thought him to be dead. His elven assistant stood behind him, breathing heavily with the rush of adrenaline.
"Have you seen a group of elven maidens?" Nennet asked, ignoring the body at her feet.
The elf nodded, "The guards dragged them to Lord Vaughan's quarters. You'll need to hurry."
"Thank you, leave before the guards see you with us." Nennet said to him.
"A good idea." The elf said before running off.
Nennet looked around the kitchen, gathering up the remains of rat poison to put on her blade. She and Soris then exited into the dining hall, where a few off duty palace guards had looked up from their meals. One of them glared at Nennet.
"You! Where did you get that weapon, elf?" He demanded.
Nennet swung her blade, "This?" She asked, "Right from your mother's tight cunt."
The guard scrambled to his feet, racing towards Nennet and drawing his own weapon. Soris sent an arrow straight into his eye, and the man fell just before Nennet's feet. The two other guards that had been dining went straight for Nennet. She blocked one of their swords, catching the other with her arm. The bleeding gash invigorated her, and she moved with deadly precision as she dealt two more killing blows.
"You're hurt…" Soris went to her.
Nennet shrugged him off, "We need to keep moving."
They went out of the dining hall, coming face to face with a guard that was just about to open the door. Nennet hadn't even lifted her sword when Soris shot a bolt into the man's throat, choking back the call for help.
Nennet finished the kill and ran the man through, pushing the body uncaringly to the floor. She and Soris ran to the end of the hallway, carefully avoiding any rooms they heard guards behind. Soris pointed to the door that would take them to Nicolai and Nelaros.
When Nennet opened the door, she saw Nicolai holding his shoulder, an arrow pierced deep into his skin. Nelaros had looked up at Nennet, smiling as a blade from a guard's sword went through his spine and up into his chest. He fell to the ground without a sound.
Nennet watched in horror, and before she could take her rage out on the men, Nicolai had recovered. He pulled the arrow out, stabbing it into the ear of the closest guard who wasn't looking.
He took out his dagger, slicing into the skin of his already bleeding arm. He extended his arm, locking a guard in place, raising him into the air and slowly crushed the life out of him. Once dead, Nicolai dropped the man to the floor, nothing but broken bones and torn skin.
"No! Nicolai!" Nennet screamed.
The rest of the guards turned just as they were hit with a blast of energy so powerful it caused the stones in the wall to crumble and fall. Nennet felt an intense heat on her face, followed by a white blindness. The acrid scent of blood filled the room. And when the whiteness went away all she saw were the dismembered bodies of the guards lying on the floor.
Nennet had watched Nicolai's fully realized destruction and was both frightened and exhilarated. Finally seeing the justice done upon those who killed her mother. But a fleeting thought asked her what Nicolai might do if he wasn't stopped.
She pushed the thought away for the moment.
Her shoes were soaked with their blood, and her feet squished as she ran for Nicolai.
"What did you do?" She asked, near to tears.
Nicolai didn't answer, instead going to the dead body of Nelaros, lifting up his head so he could properly shut Nelaros' eyelids. He took the wedding ring, standing and giving it to Nennet.
"He might not have been the one you wanted, but he cared." Nicolai said hoarsely.
Nennet took the ring, looking upon the simple band with tears in her eyes.
"He died for me." She kept back her sobs, "I never wanted this."
"I'm sorry…" Soris set his hand on her shoulder.
"Where are the others?" Nicolai asked, standing to his full height and cracking his neck.
"In his Fuckships room." Nennet spat venomously.
Without another word, Nicolai kicked down the door that was at the opposite end to the room, blood dripping down his left arm and right shoulder. The wooden door shattered on the ground, scaring the guard that had been at the very end of the hall.
When he saw Nicolai coming, he raised his sword, but quickly changed his mind when he saw the other two elves covered in blood. He opened the door he was guarding and ran for the closest room.
Nicolai ignored him, going through the now opened entry. His face was stoic when he looked at the two guards in the room who had been charged with watching the doors to the main hall.
They ran at him with their weapons, but one swipe of Nicolai's arm and they flew to the wall, bones cracking and breaking through skin. Nicolai clenched his fist and the two bodies crumpled like sheets of paper.
Out into the hall that led to the chambers, Nennet watched as an arrow pierced Nicolai's leg. He roared and raised his hands as if to crush the man's body. But Nennet took a dagger she had stolen and threw it into the man's chest. He fell to the ground dead before Nicolai could use his magic. He turned to Nennet, a red fire in his eyes. In that moment, Nennet was afraid.
As if sensing her terror, Nicolai's eyes changed back into a calm icy blue. He was breathing heavy, suddenly noticing how much the slashes in his arms were bleeding.
"Let's find the others." He told his cousins, walking in long strides to get to the end of the hall.
After a series of labyrinth-like hallways, fighting guards left and right, they had finally found the door they had been searching for.
There was a scream, and a rage came over Nicolai as he shattered the door with his body.
In the room there was Vaughan, staring up at Nicolai, face paling. Shianni was on the ground, under him. Two of Vaughan's friends had been watching as Vaughan had torn at Shianni's clothes and raped her.
Nicolai looked at Shianni, tears streaming down her face as she struggled to pull her clothes back to her.
Nennet pushed past Nicolai, a thunderous wrath in her eyes.
"You." She looked at Vaughan.
"What have we here?" Vaughan asked, standing in front of Shianni.
"Shall we run them through?" One of his friends asked.
"Be quiet, idiot!" Vaughan snapped, "You see the amount of blood on them. The big one especially."
"Stay your worthless tongue, I'll hear no more from you!" Nennet raised her sword.
Vaughan raised his hands, "Let's not be too hasty…"
"I'll not listen to your futile attempts at a truce!" Nennet cried, "I'll have your head on a pike!"
"Stupid knife-ear!" Vaughan scoffed, "I'll gut your ignorant carcasses-"
Vaughan was raised into the air, struggling with himself trying to get down. His two friends looked on in horror as Nicolai spoke, it was not his voice, but thousands.
"Pig son, a merciful fate of the sword is too kind for swine like you."
Nennet could hear Vaughan's bones cracking, blood pouring from his nose and mouth. Nicolai was close to killing him when one of Vaughan's cronies tackled him to the ground, sword in hand. Soris shot his crossbow at the other one, using his last bolt to strike right in the heart. Nicolai lost concentration of his spell, instead ripping his attacker in half.
Vaughan fell to the ground, gasping for air. Nennet didn't waste a moment before she was standing over him, her bloodied shoe on his throat. She began to sing to him.
"Here comes the bride," She crossed the tip of her blade over his throat, barely cutting into the skin, "Here comes the bride." She moved the blade to Vaughan's exposed genitals, "Here comes the bride…" She castrated him in one quick slice, laughing, "Silly me, I've already forgotten the rest." She shrugged, "Oh well."
Vaughan screamed, and Nennet finally silenced him by driving her sword into his mouth.
Nennet looked up when she had heard a gasp. Soris had gotten the rest of the women out of their prison, and they all looked at her with alarmed expressions. She pulled the sword away from the body, clearing her throat before she stepped away. She looked for her cousin, seeing that whatever magic that had possessed him before was long gone.
Nicolai had calmed himself, taking a moment to keep his thoughts straight and the voices in his mind at bay. He knelt down and picked up Shianni, she wrapped her arms around him.
"I want to go home." Shianni said to him.
"I know."
"You killed them."
"Like dogs, Shianni." Nennet answered, concern for her cousin crossing her face.
"Good."
Soris sighed, "We need to go, before more guards find us."
Nicolai nodded, looking at the others.
"Let's go home."
Nicolai led the others back to the Alienage. Shianni decided to walk once they had left the palace, but Nicolai could see the physical toll it had taken on her.
He was surprised to see Valendrian at the gates, along with the man he now knew as the Grey Warden Duncan.
"What happened?" Valendrian asked, looking on at the blood soaked clothes in horror, "Where is Nola?"
Valora began to cry, "They killed her. She resisted and they cut her down."
"Nelaros too…" Nennet said quietly.
Valendrian gave a grave sigh, "Valora, Kiera, take Shianni home. She needs rest." He waited for them to leave before turning to Nicolai, "Tell me what happened."
"The arl's son is dead." Nicolai told him.
"And I gutted him like the pig he was." Nennet added, her nose curling in disgust.
"Then the garrison could already be on their way." Duncan said, "There is little time."
Nicolai looked to his cousins, "Go home. Burn the clothes. I will talk to the guards."
"No amount of your soothing words of peace and bullshit are gonna help us, Nico." Nennet stated.
"She's right." Duncan added.
One of the elves watching the gates alerted them to the arrival of the city guards. Valendrian spoke steadily.
"No need for panic. I will speak."
The leader of the guards bristled his moustache, glaring at the group before him.
"I seek Valendrian. Elder of the Alienage." He said gruffly.
"I am he, ser." Valendrian stepped forward, "I assume you are here in regards to the happenings of this evening?"
"Play no games with me, elf. I seek justice." The guard captain said, "The arl's son lies dead and the palace is overflowing with blood. I seek names." He demanded.
Nennet stepped forward, "It was me, ser. I tore off his raping little fuck stick and threw it to the dogs."
"One woman did this?" The guard captain asked in disbelief, "I think not." He looked at Nicolai, "Now you, I heard from my men you not only stormed the palace, but performed forbidden and illegal black magic. I can't decide if I should take you to the Templars or to just kill you where you stand!"
"Just one moment, Captain…" Valendrian spoke up.
"I won't hear your pleas," The guard captain said, "I am obligated to take this woman into custody as well. You will wait in the dungeons until the arl returns."
Duncan cleared his throat, "Excuse me, captain. A moment of your time?"
The guard sighed, "What is it, Warden? The situation is well under control…"
"Well, be that as it may, I invoke the Right of Conscription upon these two elves. I remove them into my custody." Duncan said.
Nicolai remained unmoved, but Nennet grinned and looked at the guards, knowing she couldn't be touched.
"Son of a tied down-" The guard captains face went red, his moustache twitching, "Very well, I will not challenge you. But I ask one thing. Get them out of my city. Today."
"As you wish." Duncan said, bowing.
"Move out!" The guard captain shouted to his men, turning and marching back towards the city.
Duncan turned to Nicolai and Nennet.
"You two are with me now. I ask that you say your goodbyes. See me by the city gates when you are ready. I have two others to collect. We must leave immediately." He said.
"Understood." Nicolai said, his voice expressionless.
"Absolutely." Nennet agreed.
"There are dangers outside these walls that demand our attention. I came seeking more Grey Wardens, and I have found them. And now we must go. See me as soon as you are finished." Duncan turned away.
Nicolai looked at Valendrian as Nennet went towards home to collect her things.
"I'm sorry, hahren. I wish I could have stayed, to help rebuild-" He started.
"Being a Grey Warden is a noble cause indeed. And you will be able to do all the good you can with them as much as you would do here." Valendrian assured him, "You are a good man, Nicolai. Never forget that." The elder took up Nicolai's arms, "And do not let your magics take you over. It's a slippery road you travel, between control and recklessness."
"Yes, hahren." Nicolai bowed.
"Now collect your things and be on your way."
Nicolai walked back home with Soris for the last time.
"Thank you, Nico…" Soris said.
"For?"
"For not saying I was involved."
Nicolai sighed, "You're the only one that had a real shot at being happy. I wasn't going to let that be ruined."
Soris twiddled his thumbs, "You always do what's right. Nicolai, you've always been a hero to me. Today just confirmed it. I promise I will love and cherish Valora. She's a wonderful woman, and I'm lucky to have her. I'm going to lead by your example."
"Good." Nicolai gave a polite smile.
They went into their home. Cyrion was beside himself for losing his daughter and someone he took in as his own son.
Nennet had been sitting with Shianni, exchanging cheek kisses and loving embraces. Nicolai was sensitive enough to Shianni to know just to give her a dry kiss on the forehead and a warm smile.
Nennet had very little to call her own, and Nicolai even less. But he took up his silver daggers, and she her rapier. They secured their weapons tightly to their traveling clothes, said goodbye to their family, and left together.
By the time they reached the outer city it was sunset. By the gates Duncan had been standing with two elven women, one with gingery hair held in a loose braid. And a shorter one with chopped brown hair and clean bandages on her ears.
"We need to cover as much ground as we can before the sun fully sets." Duncan said.
"Good, I nearly got lost a dozen times." The redheaded woman said, her broken nose twitching, she looked at Nennet first, "I'm Eshne. Eshne Surana. The grumpy one is my sister Nani. She can't hear very well, just pretend you're speaking to a 100 year old woman really." She tried to lighten the mood as they made their way on the King's Road.
Nennet took Eshne's hand, wary of her good nature, "Nennet." She said, "That's my cousin, Nicolai." She took note of the wooden staff Eshne had in her hand, a bright and clear crystal shining at the top.
"Good to meet you." Eshne then looked at Nicolai, a strange expression crossing her face, "Oh…" Her face paled. She turned away and sped up to walk with her sister.
"Did I do something?" Nicolai asked.
Nennet frowned, "They're from the tower."
"I can see that. They look like they've never seen dirt before."
As he said so, Eshne had been pulling up clumps of the dirt road to examine them, showing the rocks to Nani.
"Just...be wary." Nennet concluded, pulling her traveling cloak closer to her body.
Once the half moon was at it's highest, Duncan decided they should set up camp. Nennet could feel that Nani had been warily looking at Nicolai the whole time. Duncan had gone off to scout when they had all been sitting around the fire. Nennet finally had enough of Nani's obvious disdain.
"Got a problem, mage?" She snapped.
Eshne's head whipped up, she noticed that Nani was the target. She nudged her sister, who hadn't heard.
"What?" Nani asked loudly.
Nennet thought it curious that Eshne had made strange motions with her hands, all while reciting what Nennet had just asked.
Nani shot a glare up at her, "You've got a lot of nerve, blondie."
"Blondie?" Nennet scolwed.
"Nenny, c'mon…" Nicolai begged.
"Bringing a blood mage," Nani snarled, "Like a sick joke."
"Oh I don't think they know, Nani." Eshne tried to say, "He could be a very nice blood mage."
"Esh, cut it out, you don't need to justify this." Nani scoffed, "Blood mages bring ill omen."
"Since when?" Eshne asked, sighing at the same time.
"You leave him out of this, mage," Nennet spat, "Our business is our own."
"You make it my business when you bring a blood mage to camp. Part of the same scum who took my hearing and ruined our lives!" She pointed to Eshne, who was trying to sit Nani back down.
"We've talked about this. We're not saying ruined. Changed, yes. But these good people don't know that. And it's our job to get along as best as we can." She looked at Nennet, "Maybe in the same tent." She winked.
"I charge." Nennet said, sitting back down next to Nicolai.
"Just as well." Eshne shrugged, calming Nani down enough to return to her meager supper, "We'll just play nice until we get to Ostagar."
"Fine." Nani grumbled.
"Now," Eshne clapped her hands, "Who wants to play a game of name that plant genus! Fungi don't count we did that on the way to Denerim." Then she grumbled under her breath, "And I still say it was amanita muscaria…" When she saw the expressions of her party members she changed tune, "Or we could say the weirdest place we've given oral."
There was a collective groan, and not too long after everyone decided to go to sleep.
Each of them slowly drifted off, their minds going into the Fade to dream. Only Nicolai stayed awake, taking in the splendor of the stars, hoping that the coming days would bring nothing but good things.