It was just after midnight when Isabella and Lucanis made it back to the Diamond. She had planned to send Lucanis through the eluvian to wait for her in case Viago had any other tricks up his sleeve, but the governor's arrival put a damper on her plans. She hadn't expected a politician to arrive at the Diamon. Carefully, they both walked behind the governor as they complained to Teia and Viago.
"This should have been left to the proper officials," the governor reiterated as Teia stood firm with Viago backing her up.
"Someone had to act!" she argued.
"They most certainly did not," the governor countered, crossing their arms before noticing Isabella had arrived.
"Ah, good timing," Viago remarked as she stepped towards the Talons. "Did you finish the contract?"
"I see your circus monkey has returned," the governor taunted, turning their nose up at Isabella. She grimaced, confused on what their issue was.
"The qamekmaker is dead," Isabella answered, handing the note to Viago. He read over it as they continued.
"And now you've made an enemy of The Butcher. Quite the accomplishment," they sneered as Isabella side eyed them.
"It's not just The Butcher. He hired the qamekmaker, but it sounds like there are in league with the gods that Solas's ritual unleashed. The gods are corrupting the Antaam somehow, making them into blighted monsters. And they had a human traitor among them as well, but we haven't uncovered who that is yet," Isabella reported, standing at attention.
"So you've made the problem worse?" they mocked as Isabella frowned. "This is what you get when you let circus freaks run amok in the streets. This should've been left to the proper city officials."
"Circus- Excuse me, but one of our Crows died for this contract. The Antaam, The Butcher's soldiers, killed him in cold blood. And that qamekmaker was going to unleash a poison on the city-" Isabella argued, her anger spiking as she rounded on the governor.
"That's enough," Teia interrupted, stepping towards the Crow. Isabella took a step back and stood straight, facing the Talon again. "Thank you for finishing the contract. Unfortunately, the only reward we have is to ask you for more of your help."
"I'm a Crow. We always finish the job," Isabella reminded with a slight smile.
"All you Crows do is cause problems for the city," the governor griped before Teia waved them away. "You all act without oversight, which why we're awash in Antaam as it is."
"Go back to filing your trade receipts, Ivenci. We'll take it from here," Teia informed before she crossed her arms. "We'll make sure Treviso is free again."
"After you leave it drowning in blood," Ivenci scoffed before leaving. Isabella watched them depart and then turned toward Teia and Viago. Lucanis stepped forward, glad that he didn't have to deal with the governor.
"Are they always like that?" Isabella asked as Teia sighed, letting her shoulders droop for a moment.
"Always, but they don't come by often," Teia reassured.
"You said that you have more work?" Isabella exhaled, letting the exhaustion of the last few days hit her. Viago winced almost imperceptibly at her tone.
"We will, but not right now. It'll take time to find this traitor you uncovered," Teia answered.
"We'll also have a few of our Crows start tracking the gods' movements. If they can work this quickly, then we need to have eyes on them," Viago informed, handing the poisoner's note to Teia to look over. "If we learn anything you'll be the first to know. Have you made any other headway into tracking the gods?"
"Neve is working on getting us into contact with the Shadow Dragons. She said she should have a meeting set up within the next few days," Isabella answered, relaxing slightly. "I also have my scout reaching out the Grey Wardens for assistance as well. I'm assuming you've heard about D'Meta's Crossing by now."
"The blighted village in Arlathan? Just rumors," Teia sighed, shaking her head at the note.
"It was worse than whatever you heard. Hundreds under the control of blood magic as live blight surged through the whole town. There were also these gaping caverns that just led to a crimson abyss," Isabella explained, trying to keep her voice from shaking. "The longer these gods are out here, the worse it's going to be."
"Then you need to take them out," Viago reminded, crossing his arms.
"After I talk to the Shadow Dragons, I'll see what we can do about building out the team more. It wouldn't hurt to get a few more people onboard," Isabella offered before yawning. "For now, we're going to head back to the lighthouse. I'll come back in a week or two to visit, and I'll visit properly this time."
"I'll hold you to it," Viago warned before Teia grimaced, turning to Lucanis. Isabella nearly forgot he had been standing behind her.
"We need to talk about Caterina's funeral," the Talon reminded as the room went silent.
"Right," Isabella whispered after a moment.
"I can take care of the event if you'd like, Luca. I tried reaching out to Illario, but he won't speak with me," Teia mentioned as Lucanis sighed.
"He's never been very helpful," he added as Teia smirked. "If you don't mind, that would be very kind of you, Teia. If you need any help, let me know."
"I'll let you know when to show up," Teia answered, reaching out to squeeze his hand comfortingly. Lucanis nodded and gave a trying smile.
"I'll reach out to Illario and let him know," Lucanis replied, rolling his eyes dramatically with a halfhearted grin. "Maybe he'll listen to me."
"Get her to write it," Teia suggested, gesturing towards Isabella. "Illario will come running."
"That's a terrible idea," Isabella argued, earning a chuckle from Teia.
"But it would work," the Talon countered as the Crow frowned. "I don't know how you did it, but you've got Illario wrapped around your finger."
"I think he just enjoys embarrassing me, Teia. Even then, I barely saw him after my initiation. I'm surprised he came to see me after my banishment," Isabella reminded as Teia shrugged. Lucanis watched them both, listening carefully.
"How did you become so like Viago in such a short time?" Teia laughed as Isabella groaned at the same time as Viago. Teia smiled, shaking her head, and turned back to Lucanis. "I'll take care of everything here, Luca, you just take care of yourself."
"And get some sleep," Viago remarked, glaring at Lucanis.
"If we don't head back now, I'm going to sleep here," Isabella teased, trying to distract from Viago's murderous stare.
"Be safe, and we'll see you two soon," Teia replied, waving them off.
Lucanis never thought he would be relieved to return to the lighthouse after an excursion to Treviso, but Viago certainly had managed it. When tempers had cooled, he would need to ask some questions about what was going on with him. While he could understand the protective older brother cliché, it felt like there was something underlying it that felt more personal. It felt more directed at Lucanis than just the idea that Rook was potentially seeing another Crow. He just wasn't sure why Viago would be so upset with him, especially after Viago was the one to ignorehisadvances.
Rook walked next to him as they wandered past the growing spirit presence near the eluvians. It was nice that they were returning to where they felt the most comfortable, even if a few of them seemed to be setting up shops. The next time they were in the area, he would check them out, but he could tell that Rook was barely awake as it was.
Good to be. Back in the Fade.
Didn't think you had a preference.
More protected here. Rook relaxes more.
Right, of course.
Want to talk. With her.
Not right now, Spite. She's barely clinging on to consciousness.
Is she hurt?
No, just tired. She needs to sleep.
Same as last night?
No. Well, yes, she sleeps every night, probably, but no, not like last night.
She slept well. Could do again. Could ask again.
No, just let her be for now.
Spite continued to plead and complain as Lucanis tuned him out. He didn't want to admit that waking up with Rook in his arms felt good because she was his colleague and the client of his current contract. Not to mention the protégé of a poisoner that spurned him. Plus, while he had nothing against the de Riva, he also had no strong feelings towards her either. She was a good Crow and enjoyable to talk to, but he had no attachments to her.
They waited by the dock as Rook swayed a little, making sure to keep away from the edge. Lucanis watched her from the corner of his eye, surprised that she was this unstable from staying awake this long. Crows generally had incredible balance, as they needed to less they fall from the rooftops, and she surely she had been awake for longer spans of time given Viago's regard for her.
When the Caretaker arrived with the boat, Rook stepped in and nearly topped out of the boat and into the endless Fade. Lucanis grabbed the back of her leathers, pulling her into the safety of the vessel before the spirit ferried them back towards the lighthouse eluvian. Rook sat next to him, grabbing his shoulder as she blinked, keeping her focus forward.
"Rook?" Lucanis whispered, turning towards her. She shook her head slightly before turning to him with a friendly smile.
"Yeah?" she replied, her eyes blinking almost out of sync.
"What's wrong? You seem out of it?" he replied as she tilted her head in confusion.
"I'm just really tired. I think a little of the qamek got into my system or something, but I'll be okay. It's not enough to do anything. I just feel a little dizzy and sleepy," she reassured, patting his arm.
"You should head to bed then when we get back," Lucanis instructed as she nodded.
"If you think so," she yawned. "I'm inclined to agree. I'm not super excited to sleep on that couch, though. I forgot how comfortable my bed at home was."
"Can't you just magic yourself a bed with the lighthouse? You mentioned it had limitless space," he reminded as she smiled.
"Maybe I should ask for a different room, too. I don't mind the one I'm in, but the fish tank is so bright all the time. Plus, it feels kind of unnerving at times," Rook complained with a grimace. "You should also think about getting your own room. Living in the pantry is weird."
"It's safer than anywhere else in the lighthouse."
"Unless you design your room. Have you seen the others' rooms? Neve's is like a fancy office, Bellara has a workshop, and Harding practically sleeps in a greenhouse. The possibilities are endless."
"And yet you sleep in a fish tank."
"And you in the pantry."
"Something tells me, though, that you are going to sleep just fine wherever you decide to lay your head," Lucanis reminded with a chuckle.
"You're not wrong there," Rook sighed. "Do you think you can fend off the other two while I get some sleep?"
"I'm hoping they're both asleep when we get there," Lucanis sighed as she smiled.
They had gotten lucky, and no one was there to greet them when they made it inside the lighthouse. Lucanis made sure the Isabella made it up the stairs alright before he left to hide inside the pantry. She still didn't understand, but he also had a point about her living near a bright fish tank. She wished she knew how to dim the damned thing.
The next morning was met with aches and pains all over her body as she sat up from the green chaise. She had slept through the night, which she was thankful for. Carefully, Isabella stretched out her muscles as she checked for bruises and scrapes. There wasn't much out of the ordinary, so she decided it was time to brave the confrontation. Bellara and Harding were sure to have questions, especially since they had spoken to Lucanis and Viago in her stead.
Isabella made her way out of the lighthouse and through the courtyard towards the dining hall, hoping to find something akin to breakfast. She would even kill for a cup of coffee. As she opened the doors to the hall, it was like a dam burst. Bellara gasped as Harding started asking a thousand questions as Isabella blinked. Lucanis was standing near the coffee maker, looking as dazed as she was.
"One at a time please," Isabella grimaced as Harding guided her to the dining table.
"Where were you? We went to look for you when you didn't come back, and Viago said he sent you on a contract. I was worried that it was going to take you another year to get back," Harding complained as Isabella nodded.
"It was a last-minute thing that came up, and I promise it was important. The Antaam leader that is occupying Treviso hired a poisoner to control the minds of the civilians. He had taken out the Crow who held the contract, so Viago asked me to finish the job," Isabella explained quickly, calming both Harding and Bellara as they listened. "It just took a few extra days to plan and get it together. Now the poisoner is dead, and we know that the gods were involved with that as well."
"What?" Bellara whispered in disbelief.
"They are mutating the Antaam with the blight and turning them into monsters," Isabella continued as Harding folded her arms.
"We offered to help, but Viago turned us away. He said that you didn't need help, but if the gods are blighting the Antaam, I would think you would need all the help you could get," the scout said irritatedly.
"I understand where you're coming from. We didn't know that they were blighted until we got there late last night. When you came by, I was staking out the garrison, figuring out their patrol patterns. I needed to focus to make sure I didn't miss a crucial opportunity," Isabella added, reaching out to Harding with a gloved hand. Harding sighed as Isabella rested her hand on her forearm. "It wasn't against you or Bellara. It was just to make sure that my safety wasn't jeopardized."
"Why didn't you tell us that you were going on a contract?" Bellara asked as Isabella glanced at Lucanis, who was very interested in what was in his mug.
"I asked Lucanis to relay that I was going to be delayed, but he insisted on staying instead. Since it was at the start of the contract, and because he technically outranks me, I couldn't say no," Isabella answered, catching his attention.
"I don't outrank you. You hired me for this job," Lucanis reminded as Isabella leaned on the table.
"Outside of this job, though, you are the Demon of Vyrantium. The man who brough the Venatori cult to its knees. Also next in line for First Talon. It wouldn't do well for me to boss you around while we're in front of Viago and Teia, Fifth and Seventh Talons," Isabella reminded before turning to Bellara again. "I intended to send a note the next morning, but you and Harding beat me to the punch."
"We had to make sure that you were okay," Harding reminded as Isabella smiled at her.
"Not a lot of people have the courage to talk back to Viago," the Crow mentioned as Harding shrugged.
"He was very professional when Lace was digging into him," Bellara informed with a grin. "He was very formal and intimidating, though. You said he's like your brother?"
"And head of House de Riva as well," Isabella confirmed with a nod.
"I would love to get to know him better, maybe when we're not there to yell at him," Bellara mentioned with a grimace. Isabella smiled wide and bobbed her head.
"Absolutely. He did say he owed you a bottle of wine, Bellara, for fixing the eluvian," Isabella informed as Bellara stuttered.
"What? Why me? I didn't, we just needed, well-"
"It's a thank you for bringing me back to Treviso so quickly. And I promise to make sure it's agoodbottle," Isabella reassured, only Lucanis really catching her meaning. "Anyway, any word on Neve? I noticed she hasn't been back yet."
"She was working on a few leads around Minrathous, but she said that the Shadow Dragons are ready to meet you in two days. She sent in a message last night before you two go in," Harding answered, handing Isabella the note.
"Perfect timing, then. And anything from the Wardens? With the blighted Antaam, I'm more convinced than ever that we need their help," the Crow added as she read over the paper.
"Nothing as of yet, but I know that the First Warden is in Northern Thedas. I'll keep asking around and see if we can find out where he'll be," the scout offered as Isabella nodded.
"That's good news that he's close. A face-to-face meeting would be preferable than writing to him since the gods don't waste any time," she replied with a nod. "Anything else exciting happen while I was gone?"
"Just working on the archive. I'm hoping it'll be up and running soon," Bellara sighed.
"Bellara has also been helping master my stone magic," Harding added as Isabella beamed. "It still needs practice before I can really go out and use it, but I'm getting the hang of it. I'm hoping that maybe the next time we need to go into a city, I won't be afraid I'm going to take down a building."
"Always a good thing not to have to worry about," the Crow teased with a nod.
"Oh, Rook, Strife and Irelin also asked for some help in Arlathan. Is it alright if I take care of that for the next few days?" Bellara asked as Isabella shrugged.
"Just don't get lost, alright? Harding, you feeling up to going with her?" Isabella asked as the scout nodded. "Try to reach out if you aren't able to get back in a few days. We'll come find you if we need to."
"Are you sure, Rook?" Lucanis asked, approaching her with a cup of coffee for her.
"Of course. I'll take you with me to meet Neve in Minrathous so you can make your glorious comeback," Isabella teased, graciously accepting the mug.
"Comeback?" he asked, confused.
"The Venatori are on the rise in Minrathous. Harding and I dealt with a few of them before we found Solas. Besides, killing Venatori is your specialty," the Crow explained before bringing the coffee to her lips. "Oh, you bought the Antivan roast you were talking about."
"Andoral's breath," Lucanis confirmed with a smirk.
"We'll leave you to it then," Harding informed, practically dragging Bellara out of the dining hall. Isabella frowned as she watched them make a hasty exit.
"I'm surprised they didn't want to try it," Isabella mentioned as the door closed.
"Maybe they will another time," Lucanis suggested before he sat down next to her. She hummed, turning towards the table. "Is there a reason why you forced Harding to go with Bellara?"
"Bellara had been missing for three days looking for the archive when we found her. With Harding with her, Bellara can't get lost in another veil bubble," Isabella explained, placing her mug down on the table. "Why? Do you think I have some ulterior motives?"
"No. Just seemed strange," he answered, looking away.
"I'm sure," she chuckled, shaking her head. "Any plans for the day?"
"No, you?"
"I'm going to talk to the Caretaker about the possibility of getting an actual room instead of the meditation room. It's nice and all, but it makes it hard to sleep," Isabella lamented before she turned to Lucanis. "You should take that room."
"Why would I want to hang out near a fish tank?"
"I just told you that it keeps me awake at night, and you areadamantabout not sleeping. So, until you get your head out of your ass about that, you should move into the meditation room."
"I do not have my head in my ass."
"Right, and Andraste's my mother," Isabella retorted, taking another sip of coffee. "I'm just saying that I'm going to be pissed if your lack of sleep ends up leading to my death."
"It won't," Lucanis growled, and Isabella wondered how much of that answer was Spite as well. She hummed and sighed.
"Just make sure it doesn't."