Oliver
After an hour trying to distance themselves away from the warehouse they stood in the middle of an intersection in the middle of the street.
The Shadow Dragon stood on one side opposite the three of them, her hood silouted against the backdrop of a blackened window behind her.
"So," the Shadow Dragon's voice came out from under her hood like a cool breeze, "we meet at last. The Silver Rook. Or just as you were once known as Rook."
Something in her word choice set Oliver's teeth on edge, but he tried to stay relaxed as he watched the woman in front of him.
The hood shifted again as if the woman underneath it was smiling, "Or, as you are known as, Oliver Mercar. Scion of House Mercar and leader of your family in the Tevinter Magisterium."
Next to him he felt Aleia hiss after a second and Daggone reach for his weapon, he held out his arms to block the two of them for doing anything stupid. Well, stupider.
"It seems you have us at a disadvantage." He kept his voice as level as he could.
The woman chuckled, before reaching back and pulling her head down. Her eyes shone with mirth and the points of her ears were now exposed for the world to see.
"I am Ressa, of the Shadow Dragons. And I come to you with an offer."
Daggone took a step forward, "and just how do you know who we are? It might behoove us to know."
Ressa's mouth twitched, "we know a great deal about you and your operation Daggone of Vyrantium. You should be thankful that the Venatori and Tevinter authorities aren't as observant. They can't imagine a situation where a son of Tevinter, a magister, would turn against them in such a fashion. Even as the Lucerni work their magic, they would never believe someone like you would turn against them, Oliver."
Oliver took the information in stride, "And just what is your offer?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Ressa sounded innocent. "I want you to join us Oliver. Work with us to bring down the slavers within the Magisterium. Break the stranglehold of the Venatori. Bring their corruption to light and purge their influence from our country."
"No." Oliver breathed.
"A joint operation then?" Ressa looked between the three of them. "A single test, an introduction. The Venatori are planning something and we need help bringing them down, especially after the casualties I have just taken."
"Why would we join with a criminal sect?" Aleia cut in.
"Aren't you working with criminals now, Templar? And how many of your order have been revealed to be working with the Venatori?"
Aleia growled.
"What is this test?" Oliver said on the edges of Aleia's fit.
"The Summoning. We at the Shadow Dragons are quite sure Magister Borontius is a part of it. We believe he is the one organizing it."
"Magister...Borontius." Oliver rolled the words around in his mouth in an effort to buy himself time as his heart fluttered. "Do you have proof?"
"We have been investigating him for months and what we believe is a cell of Venatori here in Minrathous led by him. The proof we need to find is in his estate just across the bay."
"So...you aren't sure?" Oliver pressed.
"We know of his connection to House Mercar, but yes, we are as sure as we can be given the circumstances. We know there is a connection between him and the Venatori. We know he is a leader within the Venatori, but we don't know what his plans are."
Oliver considered it for a moment, something about it felt right.
"Oliver, you can't be considering this." Aleia cut in on his thoughts.
Oliver cocked his head to the side, "I am. But I need time Ressa of the Shadow Dragons."
"Then take it Oliver Mercar, but do not tarry too long. Either we'll act or the Summoning will act for us."
With the first light of dawn peaking up over the Nocen sea they managed to return to their warehouse. He laid his bow and swords down on the work bench and stretched, placing his hands on his lower back and jutting it out.
Daggone yawned.
It had been a long night, fortunately the Magisterium is not in session today.
"Opinions?" He asked the room.
"On?" Aleia's tone sounded oddly belligerent.
"I think you know on what," His voice sounded more tired then angry.
"I don't think there is much of an option, they are a criminal cartel, their objectives aren't allied with ours Oliver. You can't trust them." Aleia looked around for support.
Oliver stopped, his hand tapping against his arm as he considered his next words, something logical, something that let her know he was exploring every alternative.
"You're right, I'm not sure we can trust them. But right now they might have the same goal as us. Stopping the Venatori. Removing their influence from our city. And they say they have a lead on whatever this Venatori cabal we've been tracking is up to. On Magister Borontius."
"Which assumes we can trust them," Aleia repeated like she was talking to a slow guard.
"Alright Aleia, I get-!" He cut himself off as he realized his voice was rising, her grabbed at the support of his table and held on for a minute. "I was just with Magister Borontius a few days ago. He told me things which indicate he might know who I am...or was being suspicious."
"So that's what that was-"
"Come on that sounds like a pure hunch, you don't even have your own proof." Aleia scoffed.
"Yes, I know that's a hunch..." he turned to look her dead in the eye, showing her that he was trying to level with her, "but right now that is all we have. All we can have. Our biggest problem with this mission is how we have gathered information. Neither of us are mages. We can't just cast a spell to listen in on them. We have to rely on the information we are fortunate enough to overhear.
"And we've done a good job with that so far. But if Magister Borontius is really the threat behind the Reckoning we have to look into it."
Aleia looked mulish again.
He held up a hand, "I agree, the Shadow Dragons may be trapping us. They may provide us with false information...but you trust me right?"
After a minute she begrudgingly nodded.
"Good then you have to trust I will be on top of this. That I will be looking out for treason from either party. And right now the only way to do that is to go on this mission. If its Borontius then we will find something pointing to his guilt. If its the Shadow Dragons, then whatever they provide will look fabricated and we'll know that they aren't being truthful with us."
Aleia glowered for a minute, then cast a side eye at their Elven compatriot. "You're being awfully quiet."
Daggone glanced between the two and stiffened. "I agree...with Oliver. Whatever their other intentions are they seem to want to do what is best. They have been setting slaves free, we've all read the news, heard the rumors. And they are the only ones who want to take on the Venatori."
"They are just another gang like the Venatori. And while I don't believe that people should be slaves, Elves or humans, there is a right way and a wrong way to do it Daggone."
"And I sympathize. I love this country. I love what it means. If you remember I'm not even from here, I immigrated because I saw what the Qunari did to my home, so I volunteered to fight in the Tevinter military to oppose them. But since coming here I have seen the truth to that some of the propaganda about this country is true. Doesn't mean I won't fight for it...we each fight for it in our way. But how long has the Magisterium been promising us change only to then let some external factor keep the Imperium in chains? How many officials have been bought by the Venatori, if not actually sympathetic?"
"We don't know..."
"Yes, we don't know, but that is why we need to find out. If the Shadow Dragons are actually out for making Tevinter better and genuinely want to expose the Venatori then they can be a needed ally. If not then they will just be one more group for us to bring down."
He cracked a smile. "At least we won't be bored in either case."
"Alright," she didn't sound happy but she looked out at the floor, "I can't say I agree fully but I will support your lead on this."
While they were talking Oliver paid half attention, his mind, as tired as it was, refused to stop working...and maybe specifically because he was so tired.
"Thank you Aleia," he murmured.
"Oliver, what is it?" Daggone asked.
He sighed, a long suffering sound, "I don't know, just something that is occurring to me about this whole thing."
"What?" Aleia asked after he didn't clarify for a minute.
He shook himself, "I have to go home."
"You think you can just sneak in this early in the morning?" Daggone asked. "Isn't that a bit risky."
"I have to talk to my mother about something. Something just occurred to me." His feet took him to the door leading him almost as if by auto pilot, the argument had taken enough energy out of him that may be all he had left.
Of course if I'm right I'm heading into another fight.