Wait here, Miss.
Ha, good one...
Softly chuckling at the memory of the servant that had tried not to give her a dirty look for daring to enter the Hawke estate dressed as she was, Isabela sauntered down the corridor she wasn't supposed to be in. Surprisingly, she found no urge to nab any of the items she caught sight of as she walked down hallway after hallway, it was too easy, not to mention that it felt wrong to do so against a man willing to pay her. Maker, Merrill and Garrett are rubbing off on me, I better stop hanging out with them or I'll become a good person. Shaking her head in dark humour, Isabela grinned. Yeah, like that'll happen.
She could hear something in the distance, coming from Garrett's study, Isabela had only been there once, so she knew there was nothing of interest there...but there were always people of interest...and Garrett had surely invited her for a reason. Surely he won't complain if I come early...though, I may not announce myself at first, have to make sure I don't disturb him, after all, yep...look at me, all polite...
Smirking, Isabela sauntered over to the closed door and knelt to look through its keyhole. Sadly, someone had inserted the key, but a twist of her head allowed Isabela to hear the voices at the other side clearly enough. Ohhh...this ought to be good.
"No, Anders, and I'm surprised you're asking, you should know me better than that by now."
"But why not? You're no friend of Meredith and your own sister-"
"Don't bring my sister into this." Garrett snapped, clearly his patience was waning. Ohhh...he sounds so manly when he does that... "I'm not turning you in and I'm hiring apostates into my expeditions, but that does not in any shape or form mean I have a desire to promote rebellion!"
"But you said Meredith is being unfair and that the circle is a poorly designed institution!" Anders snapped back, heat in his voice. Only time you can make him passionate, talk magic...what a dull man.
"And that means I wish to decapitate the Knight-Commander and burn down the circle tower and all the templars?" Garrett sighed, and Isabela could practically sense him rubbing his temples. "Why is it that everyone I meets want to go in for one extreme or the other? Fenris would have every mage tranquil, you want complete freedom-"
"And what's wrong with that!?"
"Because every child with magic ability should have some training forced upon them so they do not become a danger to themselves and others, heck, I wouldn't oppose some schooling for every child, simply to curb crime, but that's another issue." Garrett grunted. "But that's not the point, the point is that you're being exceedingly impatient, you want a revolution-"
"What mage wouldn't!?"
"And revolutions are foolish things-"
"Andraste herself-"
"Stop interrupting." Garrett growled, the sound of floorboards creaking revealing that the man was pacing. "Andraste started a revolution against the Tevinter Imperium, yes, and do you know what was so amazing about it? Not that she had divine favour, or that she worked with elves or had successes on the battlefield...no, the amazing thing is that it was successful." The man came to a stop. "I could get you a dozen books from my library and point to dozens upon dozens of revolutions against the Imperium, and then dozen of more against other countries and institutions...and each one is mostly just a footnote since they fail. More often than not, revolutions fail...and do you think the templars would be lenient would your own revolution fail?"
Anders' silence was deafening.
"Now, I'm already taking steps to curtail the Templar's power here in Kirkwall, it might not be directly relating to mages, but by doing so, I'm making them less capable of simply stomping all over us, I'm making them come to the negotiation table." Garrett grunted, a creak revealing that he was sitting down. "I do this slowly, diplomatically, because we don't want it to come to blows with an army nearly ten times the size of the city guard and noble retinues combined. And even if it wasn't so, what do you hope to accomplish with a bloodbath in the city? Change? The entirety of Thedas already view mages with suspicion thanks to the Chantry, you want the mages to confirm these suspicions? You'd only make the persecution of mages worse."
"You say you're doing this as if it's a favour to me, but anyone with half a brain can see it also benefits the nobles, ergo, you." Anders growled back.
"And what's wrong with that? Must my actions benefit only a single group? You know me as a friend of mages in general, a reasonable man, have I ever made you doubt this?" Garrett sighed. "My actions may only benefit the nobility at the time, but do you honestly think my memory of my sister so short? You don't think I'll take the debate of how the circle works once the balance of power with the templars is more even?" He raised his voice, no doubt stopping whatever protest was on Anders' lips. "And yes, a debate, not accusations, nor threats or fighting in the streets...a debate. There is a middle-ground between complete freedom and captivity for mages, a point where mages can be educated without a sword hanging over their neck. My sister found that middle-ground, others might enjoy a different kind, but there should be alternatives to the Chantry's model."
"What you speak of-"
"Is a reform, not a revolution, not something bloody and prone to fail, something realistic. Something slowly evolving into a thing that all are comfortable and happy with." Garrett snapped. "My city won't turn into a battleground. Much better to, as Varric says, make everyone happy with a good deal."
"Your city?"
"It's a figure of speech. I-"
"You speak of change, of debate, of...words." Anders voice rose, passion in it. "What words will comfort the raped mage in isolation? Or the dozens of families learning their child has been made tranquil every day? What words will make up for mages killed for speaking up against their captors or for doing some slight wrong? What words will mend the wounds caused through history of families torn apart and lives destroyed!? How will words make that better!?"
For a moment, Garrett was silent, and Isabela shivered as she sensed the man looking at Anders with those calm eyes of his. When he spoke, it was softly but firmly. "And how will blood make it better? Will it undo the rapes and those made tranquil? Will it bring back the dead and mend broken families?"
Anders was as silent as the grave.
Garrett's tone softened. "Anders, this is Justice speaking for you, it's too extreme to be logical, and you are a smart man, you know what a revolution would do, who would end up on the losing side."
"I...I..." Anders hesitated, his voice shaking slightly. "It's just...hard...you don't see it all, you don't hear the stories those who come to me tell..."
"Then I'll come by, and you can have them tell me." Garrett replied, calm as a rock. "It won't sway my opinion though, not of how we must go about this."
"We?" Anders cleared his throat, sounding surprised.
"You're not alone, Anders. Now if-"
The angry clearing of a throat made it impossible for Isabela to hear what Garrett was about to say...not that she was trying anymore as she spun around on her knees, looking up at whoever had caught her snooping with her heart jumping into her throat.
The whole gang was there, seemingly formed in a wedge facing Isabela.
At the back on each side, Varric and Fenris stood, both with their arms crossed over their chests. Fenris' eyebrows were arched in clear amusement, and while Varric's were arched as well, it was more ambiguous, as if the dwarf was torn between amusement and disapproval.
A step ahead of them, Merrill and Aveline stood, the former wringing her hands close to her chest and face red with embarrassment on Isabela's behalf, the later with a face dark with fury.
The one really drawing Isabela's notice was the one at the front of the wedge though.
Maric's dark eyes seemed to have a fire burning deep within them, eyes now fixed on Isabela's throat. And the growl emanating from deep within the Mabari's chest was so low Isabela could barely hear it, yet sent a frightened shiver down her spine. You're very big from this angle, and when angry...err...nice doggy...
As if sensing her fear, the dog's growl turned louder, lips curling back to reveal dozens of slavering fangs...
Shit.
Isabela sensed the dog being about to leap...yet as she recoiled, nothing happened, Aveline putting a hand on Maric's head, stopping the hound with a silent command. Though judging by the look of the dog, it was merely agreeing to pause, not yet ready to stop. Aveline's voice was as much a growl as the dog's though. "Isabela, does Hawke condone you spying on him now?"
"Errr..." Blinking, Isabela glanced over the Merrill, then Varric...and felt something grip a hold of her heart as the memory of her last conversation with Garrett came back with stark clarity.
"Shape up, if you keep doing things like this, I'll feel inclined to not only protect myself by cutting all ties, but make sure the likes of Merrill and Varric distance themselves from you too."
Oh no.
"Well? Speak up." Aveline snapped, the others remaining silent, not even Merrill speaking up in Isabela's defense, the elf busy staring at her feet and blushing herself to death. "Perhaps we should just ask him...?"
"Please don't." Isabela swallowed, surprised with the squeak that was her voice.
Aveline blinked, looking stunned as she removed her hand from Maric's head, the dog sitting down on its haunches, head cocked to the side, eyes fixed on Isabela. "I...what did you say?"
"I...I'm sorry, I shouldn't have done this but..." Isabela bit her bottom lip, moving closer to Aveline on her knees as she shot Merrill a worried glance. I...really don't want to lose her friendship...Maker, what's wrong with me? "...please don't tell Garrett? I'm in enough trouble with him as it is and...it won't happen again, but...please...I should have thought ahead...I...I'm sorry." Maker, I am bad at apologies...and begging...
For a moment, Aveline just stared at her. Then she looked down to Maric, who huffed and looked back, lips once more covering his fangs, the tension in his muscles gone. "Huh...fine...but this isn't a favour to you, I just want to spare Garrett the headache...plus you look pathetic, it would be like kicking a puppy."
"Oh thank you!" Isabela inched closer, chest shuddering in relief as she smiled up at Aveline. "You're a good girl, you know that, right!?"
The Captain's cheeks flushed so slightly it was barely noticeable, more openly, she rolled her eyes dramatically and offered a hand. "Just get off your knees, you're not in the alley behind the Hanged Man."
Taking the hand, Isabela chuckled in relief and amusement and pulled herself onto her feet. "Wow, that was specific...Aveline, you voyeur, didn't think you had it in you." At the back, Fenris softly chuckled, making Isabela shoot the handsome elf a wink, to her pleasant surprise, the elf winked back. Wow, so he's not always frosty...good to know...
"Oh shut up, whore." Aveline pulled her hand away with an exasperated sigh, refusing to look at Isabela. Oh dear, she probably walked by me and some guy while on patrol and now she's all embarrassed about it...how cute! Yet...she did just save my hide. With an immense effort, Isabela forced herself not to tease the Captain about any such encounter. "Now, can we just move on, or does anyone disagree with my decision?" She looked around, but no one said anything. Merrill was grinning, Varric looked amused and even Maric seemed mollified by Isabela's show of submission. Could probably smell me meaning it...dog's clever. "Good."
With that, Aveline moved past Isabela and gave the door a firm knock.
Moments later, Anders opened the door, letting the group in.
Garrett was standing behind his desk, hands on his desk as he leant forward. First, his gaze darted to Merrill, offering her a smile. Huh...? Kitten, we need to gossip... Then to Varric, another smile. Well who doesn't like him!? Then Aveline, a nod and polite smile. Oh yeah, Donnic, and she's still oblivious, silly man-woman. Finally, his gaze moved to Isabela...and she felt herself holding her breath as he offered a polite nod. Well...something at least, and none have ratted me out yet. The man did the same to Anders and Fenris, then moved his hand down to scratch Maric behind the ear as the dog happily trotted up to the man's side, looking as dangerous as a puppy now, in sharp contrast to just a few moments earlier.
"Ladies, gentlemen..." Isabela and Varric both chuckled at the choice of words, the pair exchanging an amused look at the description of the band of rogues the man was speaking to. "...I have a job for us, like in the old days."
There was an unanimous raising of eyebrows at that.
Garrett's smile was grim. "We're going book-shopping."
The group exchanged curious looks, but it was Varric who finally commented. "That line was just...just awful, Hawke..." The dwarf kept shaking his head with a dramatic sigh. "...awful..."
Isabela found a chuckle escape her even as Merrill giggled, Aveline joining in with a laugh...and then even Fenris and Anders cracked a smile as Garrett rolled his eyes, something tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Yes, well...you do it next time then."
8
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8
They had reached the third cave, the final one.
Garrett, on guard, lead the group down a narrow corridor, eyes checking left and right as he descended further into the darkness.
So far, they had not had too much trouble, but the first cave had held a small group of dragonlings and the second some giant spiders Garrett had been glad to see dead. Clearly, the tomes of blood magic attracted creatures of dangerous qualities, perhaps as a safety precaution, perhaps due to its nature. So what will we face this time? Bears? Wolves? Skeletons?
Destroying the tomes, once getting a hold of them had been easy though, they succumbed to fire like any other book. Of course, Merrill had objected to destroying tomes with all that knowledge, quite lividly the second time, but Garrett felt he could handle it...even though her protests had nearly made his blood rise the second time. Why doesn't she just accept my arguments, damn it...?
Ahead, there was a distant whispering sound that could have been the trickle of water as much as a voice, telling Garrett the group was on the right track. If only I could have brought Bastile and the men. It was frustrating, but Garrett didn't dare bring his soldiers, he could have left Anders and Merrill back home and brought a good contingent of sixty or so soldiers, without any mages in his group, things would have worked...if it hadn't been for the fact that he was destroying books on blood magic...the risk was just too great.
It was ridiculous to Garrett, but he thought he had it right.
It was known among many mercenaries that Garrett hired apostates for his expeditions to the Deep Roads, but all such paperwork was via middlemen, meaning Garrett could easily deny any knowledge of the apostates being mages. More importantly in the eyes of the mercenaries, these apostates were using their magic in the Deep Roads, where the rules of the surface didn't apply...some nobles might use apostate healers in secret, but using any aggressive magic when back in normal society...it was criminal, nay, sacrilege.
It didn't make much sense to Garrett, but it was the impression he'd gotten from talking to the men. They might respect him, even like him...Garrett wasn't sure, but to reveal himself as someone who deals with blood magic, even in destroying it, would create talks he didn't dare to start. Not with the Chantry's fear-mongering of the danger of blood magic going on in the city...it was a horrible practice, yes, but destroying it should logically not be seen as a corrupting deed.
Yet that's where they stood.
At least the group is capable.
Behind him, the others were silent. Aveline, Anders, Maric, Fenris and Varric were tactical enough to know the importance of surprise. Isabela was busy quietly purring and mentally counting the small fortune Garrett had agreed as payment for the group's help. As for Merrill...she was too busy quietly stewing over the destruction of 'knowledge' to make any sounds. She's so bloody stubborn...
Ahead, the narrow path was opening up into a larger chamber, the whispering sound getting louder. Here we go...better be ready. Quietly, Garrett lowered the visor to his helmet and unsheathed his longsword, the knowledge he was encased in silverite steadying his already calm nerves further as he smoothly moved out into the cavern, letting the others spread out as he took stock of the sight before him.
The cave was wide but largely featureless, the ground a mixture of gravel and smaller rocks, the walls rough with ridges. There were cracks in the ceiling, allowing for light to simmer through, wrecking Garrett's night vision, but strong enough to illuminate the room well enough anyway. In the right corner, a pile of bones akin to what an animal would leave in its den lay, but there was no sight of any bear or wolf.
Only a demon.
"You." Garrett found himself hissing the word at the back of the creature at the opposite chamber.
"Yes, me." Dhavine turned, her smile grim...and her body making Garrett cock his head to the side in a frown.
The desire demon was as he remembered her from the fade. Terrifyingly desirable, as beautiful as she was hate-able, voice oozing of sex and danger...yet this time, incorporeal. Like a ghost, she wasn't fully solid, so that if he strained his vision, he could see the stone behind her as well as the book resting on a boulder that she'd been reading. She's not here, not fully. Garrett levied his sword at her. "Prepare to return to the fade, again, demon."
Dhavine's face split into a snarl, anger flashing in her eyes. "No, you have stopped me enough times as it is, you monster! I'm hurting none, I managed to form this frail bond to this book and now I'm simply reading! You unreasonable beast!" Her eyes narrowed, a low hiss escaping her. "There will be a reckoning for you..."
Fenris chuckled at that, the elf suddenly on Garrett right, greatsword raised high. "That's funny, coming from a demon."
On Garrett's left, a grim and ready Aveline stepped forth. "Best not to humour her though."
"I'm inclined to agree." Garrett growled back, the three advancing as one at the demon.
"Wait!" Merrill cried out, making all three sigh in annoyance even as Anders at the back muttered a curse. "Surely this is just a big...look, Dhavine, I know you want to become fully corporeal in the real world, but that will never happen..." Huh, did she just take our side? "Just...just leave, I don't...I don't want you to get hurt."
For a moment, Dhavine's features softened. "Oh Merrill...I'm sorry, but you know what my nature is like..." The softness turned into a vicious growl. "...and forgive me for what I must do to your friend!" Her right hand shot out, the air rippling with energy as blue sparks danced on her fingertips, then shot out right at the advancing trio.
Fenris leapt to the right, Aveline to the left.
Garrett simply braced his feet and raised his shield, eyes narrowing as he unleashed his surprise.
He hadn't hired on Samson as an advisor for his first expedition without seeing the benefit of keeping the man around afterwards, a ward kept in the quieter area of the Hawke estate with enough Lyrium to keep him going and enough room to live well...and with much free time in which to teach.
Garrett hadn't learnt more than the basics, but between his armour and shield covered with runes of protection against magic and his own mind, he was confident.
He felt the energy of the fade course around him, a chaos of power and emotions intertwined, a storm...he felt it draw to the demon, a focal of such energies...and he felt her shoot out the energy like a surge of that storm.
There is nothing.
Garrett was calm. Garrett was the rock. Garrett was numb. The stillness in the heart of a hurricane. The antithesis of the storm rushing at him.
The bolt of electricity didn't even strike Garrett's shield, instead it struck the air in front of him, energy sparkling over and to his sides, meeting an invisible field, like water meeting glass.
In the cave, everyone stared in silence, even Dhavine's jaw dropping in surprise.
Garrett, however, silently advanced.
"No!" Dhavine's eyes widened, then narrowed, green energy filling her hands as she spread them wide.
With a rattle and a sigh, multiple skeletons rose on the right, two wolves, another a bear, three of them humans. On the left, from the ground, what looked like the remains of a pair of long dead dragonlings, rose from out of the sand. "Stop them!" Dhavine's cry was answered by a loud hiss from the skeletons of beast and human alike, all throwing themselves forward.
"Take them on!" Garrett grimly shouted, his eyes fixed on Dhavine as he kept advancing, shield raised, knowing the demon wouldn't simply give up.
On the left, a dragonling had gotten its bony jaws around Aveline's wrist before she'd gotten up from her dodging Dhavine's blast. But the guards-woman, while having her weapon pinned, had somehow managed to roll her body atop the skeleton's back and was now driving her shield into its neck, her face red with exertion as she slowly began driving a wedge between its vertebrates to sever its skull.
The second dragonling had slammed into a still shocked Merrill, knocking her over and raking her with brittle claws that broke against her armour...only for it to be kicked off by a cursing Isabela before the pirate straddled the skeleton and began to hack away at it with abandon.
Garrett, momentarily shaken by the dragonling's attack on Merrill, breathed a sigh of relief at the pirate's attack and maintained his concentration.
On the right, Fenris had split one wolf in two along its length as he met its ferocious charge with a step to the side and a swing of his blade. The second was leaping to help Dhavine, only for Maric to crash into it, making it a duel between the living Mabari and the dead wolf as they clawed and bit at one another while rolling from side to side
The human skeletons were moving past Fenris and the elf now focused on the large bear coming at him, but they never reached their goal. A swing of Anders' staff and a wave of frost struck and trapped the whole group. Then Merrill, still on her back, jabbed her staff in the direction of the four blocks of ice, a bolt of lightning shooting out and dancing between the four, shattering them each in sequence.
Garrett focused on Dhavine before all else though as the demon with a desperate growl shot out with both hands, the burst of lightning, energy and emotions intertwined again striking a wall of nothingness.
The bolt was stronger this time, penetrating the fortress of calm Garrett's mind projected...and then what energy was left dissipated with a hiss against his rune-covered shield as Dhavine cried out in frustration.
Garrett didn't reply, didn't taunt, he merely advanced.
Calm.
Nothing.
Calm.
He hadn't reached her, yet Dhavine still recoiled, hissing as if burnt as the presence of the nothingness Garrett projected reached her, disrupting the focus of fade energy that she was. "You fool! Think I will be so easily-"
Whatever Dhavine tried to do, it was interrupted as a crossbow bolt whizzed past Garrett's ear and struck the demon in the middle of her chest. Gasping, she recoiled, trying to find space to manoeuvre as Garrett continued forward. She looked up, feet lifting off the ground as she tried to fly...and then another bolt struck, this time into her shoulder, making her drop back onto the ground with a cry of agony that made Varric's shout nearly impossible to hear. "Finish her, Hawke!"
Calm.
Mechanically, his concentration on hurting the demon in the fade, Garrett hacked at the demon.
Dhavine twisted...and cried out, her right breast falling to the ground before evaporating, her entire being visibly beginning to evaporate as she turned to the book, clawed hands reaching out for it. "Damn, I will have my..."
Then Garrett attacked again, sword thrusting into the demon's back until the tip pushed out through to the other side. "Your revenge, yes, you said so last time." Garrett, relaxing his focus, he had not yet learnt to maintain it while doing anything but the simplest things, twisted the blade within the evaporating demon. "I was not impressed then, I'm not impressed now." He wrenched the blade back. "And stay in the fade, if you know what's good for you."
A hiss...and Dhavine was gone.
Turning, shoulders slumping as he felt sweat run down his forehead, Garrett took stock of the situation. Whew, need to do some work with Samson, I can't be stuck having to concentrate so much to defend myself from magic, if I'm going to be useful otherwise. It was pleasant to see all being okay though.
Varric was brushing some invisible speck of dust off his coat, looking bored. Fenris was poking at the skull of the now decapitated bear with an arched eyebrow, seemingly amused by the fight he'd just had. Anders on the other hand was looking at the tome of blood magic just next to Garrett, face screwed up in disgust, his fingers visibly itching to cast the fire spell Garrett would ask him for. Aveline was cursing. Like with an ant, the dragonling's head was still biting into her wrist, despite being now utterly inanimate and lacking the rest of its body...and the guards-woman was growling every insult she knew as she struggled to pry its jaws open. Heh...
Merrill was being helped back on her feet by Isabela, the pirate looking worse off than the woman she'd saved, judging by the scratch marks and dust covering her body. A good save though. Garrett shot the pirate an appreciative nod, making the woman blink in surprise, then look away all of a sudden. Anyone else, and one would think her embarrassed...probably dust or something. Garrett turned his gaze to Merrill, relieved to find the elf dusting herself off, the marks on her armour showing scratches but no rips. Damn woman, nearly made me lose my focus.
Turning, Garrett sighed in relief at the sight of the book. And with this, the last evidence that could be used to link me to a pro-magic action will be gone. "Anders, get over here and-"
Merrill's shout was angry, sullen, and sharper than the previous two times. "No!"
Oh for...
Turning, Garrett sighed in irritation as he found the elf advancing on him, a pout on her lips and eyes flashing with anger as the rest of the group rolled their eyes and groaned at the prospect of yet another argument between the two.
So bloody stubborn!
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Thanks to Abydos Jackson for her amazingness