"Welcome to Treviso," Isabella smiled as she widened her arms. Neve and Bellara had accompanied her to the Jewel of Antiva as Harding was still unsure about her magic in a populated city. The Crow plastered a careful smile to cover her nervousness while she walked the streets in the city she hadn't seen in almost a year. "One of the finest cities in Antiva."
"I can see why you were eager to get back home," Bellara commented, awed by the large buildings and intricate canals.
"I arranged for a friend of mine to meet us near here. I'm surprised the eluvian took us to an old storage house," Isabella mentioned before shaking her head. "I'll see if we can have it moved closer to the Diamond."
"The Diamond?" Neve repeated curiously. Isabella glanced back and winked.
"You'll see soon enough. Come on, we don't want to keep her waiting," the Crow insisted, nearly jogging through the streets.
"I'm sure she won't leave us if we're a moment late," Neve mentioned, hoping to calm Isabella a little. The Crow sighed and nodded.
"I don't like how many Antaam are here. Their presence has increased since last time I was here," she replied as Bellara frowned. "I'm betting the gods had a hand in it."
"I wouldn't be surprised," Bellara sighed, keeping her voice down as a patrol came their way. A small part of Isabella was glad that she had left her Crow leathers behind. At least the Antaam wouldn't harass her or her companions.
Isabella nearly couldn't contain the relief and joy she felt when she saw the back of Teia on the bridge ahead. However, she kept her pace even as they approached before Teia turned around with a bright smile. Isabella returned the smile before gesturing to the others.
"Meet Andarateia of House Cantori, one of my closest friends," Isabella introduced as Teia chuckled. Neve gave a small dip of her head, noticing the clear worry under Isabella's elation. Bellara missed all of it as she waved excitedly.
"Please, hermanita, it's Teia among friends," the Talon insisted before bringing Isabella in for a hug. Isabella froze for a moment before melting into the quick gesture. "Although, my sources are saying that you are going by Rook these days."
"Needed a codename while I was working the contract, and only my clients have been using it," Isabella reassured, waving her hand by her head. Teia shook her head and rolled her eyes.
"I saw the letter to Viago. What did he say?" Teia asked as Isabella shrugged.
"We can discuss it later, I promise. For now, we do have something more pressing. This meeting wasn't just about my visit home," she reminded. Teia frowned but nodded curtly.
"Of course," the Talon replied, leading the way. "I should warn you, though. It will be more than just Viago and I for the debrief."
"Oh? Who else would be interested in this?" Isabella wondered, her voice both aloof and suspicious. Teia exhaled, giving her a warning look.
"The First Talon will be there. And Illario as well," Teia explained. Isabella stopped in the street as Teia turned around. "I promise, Viago and I didn't plan this to kill you."
"Why is the First Talon interested in what my report entails?" Isabella demanded, her eyes narrowing. "What does she know?"
"I am not sure. She says that some information lined up with your report, and she needs to know more," Teia answered plainly, confused on the sudden hostility. Neve whispered a brief explanation of Crow hierarchy to Bellara as Isabella bristled.
"Fine," Isabella growled, shaking her head. "What is Illario doing there anyway? He rarely shows up for any meeting."
"He heard that you were back in town, so he's coming to pay a visit since your visit sounded short," Teia explained. Isabella nodded, rubbing her temples.
It wasn't that Isabella disliked Illario. He just came across as arrogant and headstrong. He was difficult to work with, even if he was the reason why she was able to complete the contract that let her become a Crow. He saw himself as a self-appointed mentor, and he constantly butted heads with Viago over her training.
"Let's just get there," Isabella groaned before Teia chuckled.
"How did you become more like Viago in your time away?" the Talon teased as Isabella rolled her eyes.
"Please don't say that," Isabella pleaded, her shoulders drooping. Teia laughed before she started to climb up the trellis on the wall.
"We're climbing now?" Neve asked, genuine curiosity in her voice. Isabella nodded as she grinned.
"The best shortcuts here are by climbing walls and the ziplines," the Crow explained, nodding towards the roofs.
"Ziplines?" Bellara replied skeptically.
"I promise, it's perfectly safe. Now come on, we're being left behind," Isabella urged before climbing after Teia.
Isabella scurried up the wall with glee, finally feeling at home. She could hear the other two silently complaining behind her, but she tuned them out. She reached the top as Teia waited with a smile. The Talon had a feeling that the other two would be a moment, so they waited for them to catch up.
"Viago is glad you're home," Teia mentioned as Isabella laughed.
"I'm sure his blood pressure spiked the moment I entered the city," the Crow mocked, crossing her arms.
"He worries when you're gone, and he complains more too. I think the de Riva Crows will be happy that you're back as well," Teia added. Isabella raised a brow towards her as the Talon shrugged. "There were a few contracts that could have been done more cleanly. I think he shouted at them for nearly an hour about the image of House de Riva."
"Viago has always been high-strung about our image," Isabella reminded.
"Less so when you're the example," Teia countered. "He's glad you're well. He had heard reports about Minrathous and thought the worse. We all thought you hadn't made it until you sent a letter. I wouldn't be surprised if Viago gives you several Antivan contracts just to keep you in the city for longer."
"We'll see," Isabella sighed, shaking her head.
Eventually, the four of them made it up to the roof and across the zipline to the Cantori Diamond Casino. Teia guided them to the attic as Isabella chewed the inner part of her cheek. Even though the letters from Viago hadn't sounded out of the ordinary for him, meeting him again in front of the First Talon and her grandson worried her. It would make the request she would make easier, though. It would need to go through the First Talon anyways, she just wished she could run the idea through Viago and Teia first before surprising them.
Teia led the three of them through the busy area toward an alcove where Viago waited with the mentioned company. Isabella straightened her spine and walked with purpose. She would not show anything but propriety and assertiveness in front of the Talons. Neve and Bellara noticed the demeanor change and did their best to mimic, hoping to make a good first impression.
"First Talon, may I present Isabella de Riva and company," Teia introduced as Isabella gave a customary bow.
"It is an honor to stand before the First Talon," Isabella greeted before straightening. Her eyes darted to Illario before focusing on Caterina solely. Viago stiffened beside the First Talon as Teia stood next to him.
"I heard that you were arriving with news about your completed contract, Crow de Riva. I requested to be here to listen to your debrief in hopes of learning what you have seen during your time in Minrathous," Caterina informed, glancing towards Neve. The mage stood her ground before the First Talon hummed.
"Of course, Talon," Isabella agreed with a nod.
"You mentioned you also wanted to make a request," Viago added. Isabella's lip twitched before she turned to him.
"Yes, but I believe that my request will make more sense if I explain the conditions and complications of the contract that I completed," Isabella answered. She waited a moment, pausing for a possible interjection before continuing. "When we stopped Solas's ritual, the Veil had temporarily torn open. It had sucked the mage in, but it also allowed two beings to slip out. The ritual ended and the Veil healed, completing my contract. However, the two beings that escaped the Veil have been wreaking havoc in Arlathan, and I have reason to believe that they plan to spread their influence."
"What are these two beings?" Viago asked, his tone tight and wound. Isabella turned to him, seeing the simmering irritation in his eyes.
"Ancient, blighted mages who had been imprisoned in the fade for millennia. My sources say that these beings are known as the gods Elgar'nan and Ghilan'nain," she answered. No matter how many times she repeated the same information, it still sounded ridiculous. A silence fell over the room as her story sunk in.
"Blighted?" Illario repeated as she nodded.
"We came across a blighted village in Arlathan, and Ghilan'nain was the one named responsible. If nothing is done to put these mages down, then this can only get worse," Isabella explained before taking a deep breath. Viago clenched his jaw, starting to piece together why she had said visit in her letter.
"Which leads to your request then," Teia surmised.
"Exactly. I need a mage killing assassin, and one of our best," Isabella answered before the tone of the room shifted.
"The Demon of Vyrantium," Caterina finished darkly. "Lucanis."
"That is who I had in mind," Isabella agreed before Illario scoffed. Isabella frowned, unsure why they had such a reaction to her request. She had expected either a simple yes or no.
"Lucanis has been dead for over a year," Viago mentioned, hanging his head. Isabella stood stock still as she waited, realizing that she had touched a nerve among her colleagues. She swallowed, unsure how to move forward as the silence engulfed them.
"What I am about to say doesn't leave this room," Caterina began, startling all of them. Illario stepped away from the First Talon, staring down at her. "Whatever the corpse was they brought back was not my grandson. They used blood magic to make it look like him, but that was not him."
"You knew my cousin was alive, and you didn't think to tell me?" Illario hissed angrily. Isabella frowned, listening carefully as the Dellamortes spoke.
"We knew his ship was attacked, so you kept this to yourself," Viago whispered. Isabella caught on to what he meant. It was most likely an inside job if Caterina hadn't told anyone about it until now.
"I've had my eyes on the Venatori ever since, and I knew they were hunting your Dread Wolf. When you threw his ritual into disarray, the Venatori made mistakes, and I found where they are keeping Lucanis," the First Talon informed, narrowing in on Isabella. She stood straighter as the leader of the Crows stared her down. "It's in a place called the Ossuary. If you free Lucanis, you will have your god killer."
"Of course, First Talon. I will go to the Ossuary and free him. You have my word," Isabella answered, holding her fist over her heart as she bowed. Bellara and Neve exchanged a worried look, but they said nothing as Isabella watched her Talons.
"I understand you have been away for a while, Isabella. I will let you have a few minutes with your Talon before Illario shows you to the docks. I will arrange a mage to show you where the entrance is," Caterina explained before she stood. She took a step towards Isabella before the Crow bowed her head.
"Understood, First Talon," Isabella informed.
"I look forward to your return," the First Talon replied before leaving the Diamond. Illario followed his grandmother towards the door as Isabella turned to Viago.
A silence fell over them, and Isabella couldn't help but remember the last time they had spoken. There were many silences during that conversation as well. With a deep breath, she walked towards him, gesturing towards Neve and Bellara.
"Viago, these are my associates, Neve Gallus and Bellara Lutare. They are helping me track down the blighted mages," Isabella informed as Viago bowed his head.
"It is a pleasure to meet you both, even given the circumstances," Viago replied.
"Please, let me show you around the Diamond," Teia offered, guiding the non-Crows away. They both looked back at Isabella, who waved, gesturing that they were in good hands. And she would be fine.
Viago crossed his arms and stared out the window as the women left, leaving only Isabella alone with him in the alcove. She held her arms behind her back, waiting for him to start. Before the Solas contract, she would start the conversation with a joke or a jab. Now, she was too tired to annoy him properly. So, she let him make the first move.
"I didn't expect you to only visit when you returned," Viago informed, turning his gaze back to her. Isabella frowned, turning to the floor.
"I would come home if I could," she answered as he shook his head.
"This isn't your responsibility."
"Who else will do this if not me? Only a handful of us truly know what is at stake, and it's going to get worse. I was there when the gods escaped, when the ritual went out of control."
"That was not your fault," Viago reminded as Isabella took a deep breath. "Those gods are not your responsibility. You can come home."
"Once we get Lucanis, I will come visit more often until the job is done. Then I will come home, I promise. I just need to see this through," she insisted as he shook his head.
"You better come home, Isa. That estate is too large to live by myself," Viago mentioned, earning a laugh from her.
"I promise I'll come home, Vi. I'm surprised you've spent any time there at all, really."
"True, I spend most of my time at the Diamond these days."
"Teia keeping you company still?"
"We've split," Viago informed as Isabella hummed.
"I didn't know that Illario had a cousin," she remarked, changing the subject as she crossed her arms. Viago frowned before sighing.
"I'm not terribly surprised. While Lucanis and Illario grew up together, Lucanis was the favorite grandchild. Illario might have kept it from you for that reason. I know that Lucanis was away for a lot of contracts in Tevinter while Illario was training you," Viago informed. Isabella rolled her eyes.
"So, I was on the one thing in his life that Lucanis didn't know about?" Isabella scoffed, rubbing her forehead. She couldn't say she was surprised, but she found it irksome all the same. "What can you tell me about Lucanis anyway? What should I expect?"
"He's a dedicated assassin, and one of our best. The rumors about him are true. If anyone can kill your god mages, he can."
"And personality wise? Is he like Illario?"
"When I knew him, he was quiet but confident. I remember he would boss Illario around a lot, but he didn't extend that to the rest of us. He threw himself into his work," Viago explained before sighing. "Made a threat or two a few years ago."
"He threatened people?"
"Yes, but he never followed up on those threats. I think he was testing the waters, or maybe that was just his way of teasing. He always was rather quiet."
"Doesn't sound like Illario at all."
"Maybe that's why Illario is the way that he is," Viago shrugged. "Be careful when you meet Lucanis. He has been gone longer than you have, and he has been imprisoned for the duration. He will be unpredictable and dangerous."
"Good point," Isabella hummed, glancing down at her generic clothes. "Do you have any spare leathers on hand? It might go over better with him if I am wearing something more Crow-like. We might even avoid a fight."
"That would be ideal," Viago agreed, gesturing towards the hallway behind her. "Teia keeps a few changes of clothes in the back in case she can't get away from the Diamond. I'm sure she wouldn't mind if you borrowed a few for a day or two."
Isabella grabbed the change of clothes Viago mentioned and walked into the adjacent closet. It wasn't ideal, but it would work for what was available to her. Once she had switched her leathers, she emerged, feeling more comfortable in the Crow colors. Viago stood close by, clearly guarding the area to make sure no one accidentally went to get anything from the closet while she was in there.
"So, when are you going to try and court her again?" Isabella wondered as she approached him. Viago glanced at her, sighing.
"Not for a while. She's still upset about the letters we've exchanged."
"What about them?"
"She remembers the significance of Rook de Riva," Viago answered.
"Ah, well," she replied, forgetting the reason she had originally used the codename.
"I shouldn't have said anything about your ability on being a Crow that night, Isa. While I still don't agree with how it was handled, that shouldn't have left my mouth," he apologized as Isabella shrugged.
"I don't regret what I did that night either, even if it led to this. But I shouldn't have brought up that name either," Isabella admitted before she laughed under her breath. "You have to admit, it gives a nice nickname. Once this is all over, I'll have some anonymity as everyone looks for Rook."
"Do your teammates know your real name?"
"They do, but I have them call me Rook. I don't want all of Thedas knowing my real name. I'm a Crow, not a hero."
"And a damned good Crow," Viago informed, folding his arms. "Even if you are an idiot."
"And you're an asshole," she retorted with a smile. "Teia said you missed me."
"Teia says a lot of things."
"Did you really shout at a few de Riva Crows for an hour?"
"It wasn't an hour, but they were clumsy about several contracts that took twice as long as they should have."
"You should have trained more Crows."
"I probably should have trained you better," Viago countered before groaning. Isabella muttered a short chuckle.
"Mi regala bellissima," Illario called out as Isabella inhaled sharply. Another nickname, and one that she did not coin herself. She turned to her former colleague with a polite smile, knowing that there wasn't much she could do to get out of seeing him.
"It's good to see you, Illario," Isabella greeted as he reached for her hand to kiss it gently. Viago cleared his throat loudly before Illario released her hand. "Belated condolences, I didn't know you lost your cousin last year."
"I appreciate that, Bella, but it seems that my cousin is alive and well," Illario reminded as she nodded.
"Of course," she replied with a forced smile. "I will bring him home, Illario. You have my word."
"I only wish I could go down to the Ossuary with you," Illario exhaled, shaking his head.
"I will let you two get moving, and I'll find Teia. Your friends will meet you at the docks," Viago instructed, glaring at Illario. Isabella watched Viago leave before turning back to Illario.
"Your Talon is a prickly one," he mentioned.
"He's particular," she countered with a shrug. "He means well."
"Come, I will show you to the boat Caterina prepared," he instructed before turning.
Isabella followed him out of the Diamond and toward the zipline. She could see the tension in his gait as they walked in tandem. Crows weren't known for talking idly, but Illario was more than just a fellow Crow, as much as she found him overbearing at times.
"You really didn't know that Lucanis was still alive?" Isabella whispered, glancing up at him. Illario quickly turned his attention to her before shaking his head.
"No, Caterina kept it to herself all this time," Illario answered before glowering. "I don't know if she thought I would do something reckless to save him, or if she just didn't trust me with the information."
"I wouldn't take it personally. She needs to be secretive to be First Talon," she reminded as Illario sighed.
"You are not wrong," he admitted before he jumped onto the zipline.