The path to the Thread Market ended up being swarmed with Venatori when they arrived. It seemed that Elek's guest had people looking for him, but they found Isabella's crew instead. She was barely able to dodge the blow as they materialized in front of her. Lucanis surged forward, plunging his rapier through the attacker's ribs and piercing the heart. Isabella drew her daggers, defending herself against another Venatori as Neve conjured her magic.
"We're on the right path," Neve exhaled when the last Venatori shattered into frozen pieces. Isabella nodded, catching her breath.
"One step closer," she agreed, sheathing her blades. Lucanis kept his rapier out before turning his head, whispering something to Spite. Isabella waited a moment before moving forward. If the Venatori had taken over the Thread Market, then they were going to have more trouble.
Unfortunately, the Venatori did exactly that, and Isabella drew her bow as she took aim, letting the other two rush forward. The cultists shouted and taunted before choking on blood, ice, and arrows. Isabella watched for any others sneaking around as Lucanis flushed the place out and Neve freed the captives that were in the area.
The kidnapped people fled through where they came while Isabella jogged to catch up with Lucanis. He was searching for more survivors and cultists, but the place was mostly empty other than the people Neve had found. Isabella was grateful that they were able to save those souls, but it was strange that there wasn't more evidence of what was going on.
Shouting echoed behind her as she turned, seeing a building leading to a docking area. She glanced at Neve, who nodded. It didn't sound like anyone particularly friendly, so Isabella drew her bow as they walked over to the building for a better look.
Through the door, they could see a few more cultists and a bound man in the center of the dock. Isabella held her position as Lucanis stood behind her. Neve examined the area, doing her best to keep out of sight as well.
"That's Makal Damas," Neve confirmed after she concealed herself in the building.
"An odd place for him to be," Lucanis observed. Isabella frowned.
"The Venatori are using him as bait," she realized as Neve nodded.
"But why? Did they think that the Threads would come down here themselves?" Neve whispered. Isabella clenched her jaw, unsure. Something was missing from the picture. However, their target was down there with a handful of cultists. It could be an easy smash and grab operation, but the missing element could prove to be a danger.
"How do you want to do this?" Isabella wondered as Neve sighed.
"Keep your weapons drawn, but let's approach this calmly. If he's the bait, then maybe they want to talk," the detective suggested. Isabella shrugged, but she nodded. The more information they could get, the better off they would be.
Neve stepped out of the building with both Isabella and Lucanis flanking her like bodyguards, keeping their weapons at the ready. The Venatori watched them warily as they approached, but they didn't make a move on them. Instead, it seemed like they were waiting for a signal. Neve glanced around, searching for clues to help her understand the situation.
"Makal Damas," Neve commented, holding her chin high as she addressed the Venatori standing next to him. "I could take him off your hands, you know. It would be simple."
"He's not mine to give away. He serves only our best," the Venatori sneered, backing away. Isabella raised her bow slightly as Damas stood from the chair. Her assumption that he had been bound was wrong as no ropes or chains held him. However, the strange red glow in his eyes sounded the alarm in her mind.
"Neve Gallus," Damas greeted. His voice sounded inhuman as if it were voiced by two people at the same time. Neve froze for a split second as Isabella frowned. Lucanis scrunched his nose in disgust.
"You know who I am," Neve mentioned, hardly impressed. Damas laughed.
"Damas doesn't, but I do," Damas answered as his body behaved strangely. It was rigid in certain places as it tried to move normally. It was almost like he was a marionette puppet. "I've missed you, you know. You stopped me once, but my purpose will always be present."
"Aelia," Neve sneered.
"Well done, Neve. Ever the clever detective," Damas chuckled as he produced two sickles. Isabella and Lucanis aimed their weapons as the Venatori did the same. "Rid Minrathous of this criminal, won't you? I doubt anyone in Docktown would care. Kill him. I won't be stopped."
Isabella barely had a second to fire an arrow before Damas dashed at an inhuman speed at her, slashing at her with his blades. She jumped back as the Venatori swarmed Neve and Lucanis, leaving Isabella and Damas to fight alone. She didn't know why Damas had singled her out. She drew her daggers, parrying his strikes the best she could while slicing at him when she could.
His red eyes bore into her, and something primal inside her felt fear. This man was human, but something had been done to him that she wasn't familiar with. Isabella did her best to create distance between them, but he closed the gap every time.
"What have you done? Speaking through him like that? The blood magic needed for that magnitude of puppetry…" Neve called out, catching Damas's attention. Isabella listened to the two voices laughing together seamlessly, and she shuddered.
"Impressive, isn't it? Of course, it pales to the power Tevinter once held," Damas sneered, throwing a glance towards Neve before attacking Isabella again. The Crow slipped past him, running towards the open area away from the wall and edge. She refused to be cornered so easily. "You truly are too clever for your own good, Neve. You dealt with Bataris, and now you've found Damas so quickly. I won't let you get in my way again."
Damas rushed at Isabella once more as she did her best to parry and dodge, but he was able to nick her arm, drawing blood. She cursed under her breath before she slashed at him, drawing blood of his as well. Damas laughed, clearly enjoying the sport of the fight.
"Rook, get out of there!" Neve warned as she continued to fight off the Venatori.
"The risen god showed me the path to our legacy. To our salvation. I will be this city's future," Damas promised, doubling his efforts on Isabella. She narrowed her eyes, dodging and parrying each strike. It seemed that whatever magic was controlling him kept him from growing tired, which meant that she needed to conserve her energy. Once the other two were done with the Venatori, then they could help subdue Damas.
Eventually, Isabella was able to hold off the Thread's boss as he spouted fascist nonsense, clearly trying to get under Neve's skin. Isabella couldn't tell if it was working as she focused on not getting hit. Damas's smile was growing wider and more crazed as they continued until Lucanis slammed into him, knocking him off balance. Damas cursed as he turned to the second Crow fighting him. Isabella saw Neve finish off the last remaining cultists before turning her magic on Damas.
Isabella retreated as Neve came forward, letting the Crow catch her breath. Lucanis dueled with the boss as Isabella drew her bow. It was clear that something was possessing Damas, and she wondered if it was a situation similar to Lucanis and Spite. The voice was somewhat similar to how Spite spoke to her when Lucanis fell asleep, but Neve knew the second voice underlying Damas's. Aelia had to be a person, not a spirit.
With careful precision, she shot an arrow at one of Damas's sickles, causing it to fly out of his hand. The momentary distraction was enough for Lucanis to close in and fully disarm and wound Damas into submission. Once the boss was on his knees, Isabella walked towards him.
"Aelia," Neve clicked her tongue, placing her hands on her hips. Isabella stood next to Neve as Lucanis kept a readied stance behind them. "Let me guess. Some Threads go missing, and no one searches. You can use them for dirty work or distractions, and no one bats an eye. No one even thinks to look to you. And yet, you set the trap here. For what?"
"For Minrathous. For our ancient Tevinter empire restored, and our destiny renewed," Damas answered as Isabella grimaced. She made a mental note to ask Neve about Aelia later as Damas coughed.
"And damn the lives it takes, right? It's the same game with you," Neve complained, curling her lip up in disgust.
"The game never ended," Damas taunted. Isabella rolled her eyes before turning to Neve.
"I think we should continue this conversation face-to-face," the Crow informed. Damas laughed, glaring up at Isabella.
"So, you wish to be a sacrifice? So be it," Damas hissed as he suddenly stood, thrusting his fist towards the Crow. Isabella raised her bow as Neve stepped forward, but both were too slow.
Isabella felt like her soul had been severed from her body as she lost control over her limbs. She could still see and sense everything, but she was no longer in control. She watched as the red light in Damas's eyes flow down his arm towards her body and into her. Isabella railed against herself, trying to scream, curse, flail, kick, anything. Nothing happened. Panic gripped her as she couldn't even hyperventilate. She was a passenger in her own mind and body as she heard her own voice laced with the secondary one that had laced Damas's. Aelia's voice.
The back of Lucanis's eyes stung as he watched as Isabella went rigid and Neve was flown back in a thrust of magic. Lucanis raised his rapier to attack Damas just as the man collapsed, the red glow completely gone from him. The blood magic was missing from him, but it hadn't left in the area. His blood ran cold as he turned to Isabella.
Isabella turned to him as well with a kind, sweet smile with wild eyes. Her eyes now had the same red glow that Damas's had not two seconds before. Lucanis jumped back, unsure how to proceed. The blood magic had transferred from the Threads boss to Isabella. She held up her arm, revealing a bleeding wound as the Venatori witch controlling her drew power from it. Lucanis snarled as Neve stared in shock before standing.
"Does it flatter your ego, Neve? To leave the city as it is? To prove your cynicism right?" Isabella whispered with the second voice. She drew her arm to her mouth before licking the trails of blood off her own skin. Lucanis frowned in disgust as Isabella looked rather pleased with herself. "I am our hope, and I will change these streets for the better. Starting with Docktown."
"Leave Rook out of this!" Neve shouted angrily as Isabella laughed shrilly. Lucanis felt a chill run down his spine at the unnatural laughter.
"Now why would I do that? She asked for it, and what a pretty sacrifice she makes. Fulfilling her purpose," Isabella cooed as she drew her daggers. Damas scrambled away from Isabella towards Neve and Lucanis as they also prepared for battle.
"Is she supposed to be with you?" Damas asked, reaching for a spear discarded by a dead Venatori. Lucanis grumbled irritably as Neve shrugged.
"Yes, she's supposed to be, but it seems Aelia has a hold on her now," Neve informed, staring at the crime boss.
"You're Neve Gallus," Damas commented. "That means Elek must have sent for you."
"Yes, but let's focus on trying to get Aelia out of our friend Rook, alright?" Neve reminded as Lucanis faced off with Isabella. Damas nodded, following Neve's lead.
Isabella stared at him with a smirk, and Lucanis just froze as Spite was silent. Both knew that something was wrong with Isabella and knowing that a Venatori witch had taken over her body filled them both with such an anger that neither could think straight. However, getting to the witch also meant hurting Isabella and that held them back.
"I didn't expect such devotion or care for an elven Crow. I wonder if you would let me walk away with her," Isabella muttered with a grin. Lucanis bared his teeth in frustration before they leaped forward. Whatever damage they did to Isabella, they would help her recover. It was better that she was wounded and free than uninjured and captive.
Neve did her best to use her ice magic nonlethally as Damas followed Lucanis's lead. Isabella's voice laughed as she dodged and slashed, letting herself get hit more than the Crow would have. Lucanis cursed the Venatori witch in Antivan over and over again, making Isabella laugh harder, letting both Damas and Lucanis land hits that left bleeding wounds. Still, Lucanis was sure that none of the wounds were deep enough to kill her.
Soon, Isabella's reflexes were slowing as her body couldn't keep up. She chuckled still with two voices echoing each other as she fell to her knees. Lucanis backed off as Damas took a step back, unsure what to expect. Neve held her magic up, ready to repel anymore blood magic should Aelia try something else.
"I think I've worn out my welcome," Isabella whispered as a small drip of blood fell from her lips, streaking down her chin and neck. "Goodbye, Neve."
Isabella was thrown back into her body as she collapsed. She felt someone catch her as she hissed in pain, her eyes screwed shut. All of her senses were back, as much as she wished some were still numb. The cuts and bruises littering her body stung, but she brought her arms around herself to make sure she was still there. That she could still move.
She blinked her eyes open after she caught her breath, and she stared up at not Lucanis. It seemed that the Threads Boss Makal Damas had broken her fall once Aelia relinquished her body. Damas brushed the hair out of her face as she tried to sit up, but she winced and gave up on that idea. She rested her head on his knee as she laid down fully, wondering if they needed to call a healer. Maybe they could send for Emmrich. Isabella glanced to the side as best she could to see Lucanis staring at her with an unreadable face as Neve was searching the area for any more signs of Aelia.
"I don't want to go through that again," Isabella whispered, causing Damas to laugh.
"You and I are in agreement on that," he replied, smiling down at her. She grimaced, choosing to close her eyes. The pain of the thousands of cuts and bruises where her armor had failed to protect her started to set in.
"Remind me never to get into a fight with either of you. You two really didn't go easy on me," she continued, knitting her brows together. She rested her hands on her stomach, hearing the boss chuckle.
"I guarantee you pack a punch as well. I would not want to be your enemy," Damas reassured. Isabella opened her eyes to see Lucanis kneeling next to her, examining her wounds.
"How's the damage?" she asked as the Crow assassin glared at her.
"You'll live, but you're most likely going to scar," Lucanis answered firmly. Isabella frowned, grabbing his hand. "Viago is going to be furious."
"A lover?" Damas teased as she rolled her eyes.
"An older brother," she remarked before sighing. "I would love to get through a week where I don't worry him or infuriate him."
"Knowing Viago, I don't think that's possible," Lucanis reminded before shaking his head. "We'll need to get you back to the lighthouse to get you bandaged up properly."
"As long as we can do it in my room where my painkillers are, I'm all for it," Isabella replied, trying to sit up before flinching. It seems that someone had hit her abs rather hard. "I might need a helping hand up."
"Nonsense, there's no need for you to walk," Damas replied as Isabella glanced at Lucanis. The crime boss stood, careful of her head, before picking her up swiftly. "I can also discuss things with Gallus while we return."
"I'm sure she can walk," Lucanis tried as Isabella nodded.
"You both saved my life, and then I repaid you by beating you with a spear. At least let me help you get you where you need to," Damas insisted. Isabella sighed before she agreed, grimacing at Lucanis, who found he couldn't argue either. It was a long way back to the eluvian, and it would not be a quick trip without help.
"I see you have Rook," Neve commented, a little confused by the circumstances before she turned to Damas. "Walk and talk?"
"I would love to discuss how to get payback from those cultist snakes," Damas suggested, hissing the last part.
"I would like to get a chance as well. Using damned blood magic," Isabella added before Neve sighed.
"Of course, first thing's first, you did me a favor saving me back there," Damas mentioned as Neve raised her brow. "I heard you stopped a red lyrium deal, but the Venatori responsible, Bataris, got away."
"You have dirt on him?" Neve guessed as Damas chuckled.
"Enough for your Templar friend to put him away for good, should it land in her lap," Damas explained. Isabella exchanged a look with Neve before the detective turned back to the crime boss. "Consider it my thanks."
"Bataris put people at risk for his own gain. If you can take him down, I say we should do it," Isabella informed darkly as Lucanis smirked.
"Just make sure it doesn't blow back on Rana. I don't want her to lose her job over this," Neve warned as Damas grinned.
"Of course, I promise she will be as clean as a whistle," he reassured. "I'm glad to see that the Threads aren't the only ones who protect our streets."
"Speaking of which, any signs of Aelia?" Isabella asked as Neve frowned.
"Some lingering essences, but nothing strong enough to show a lead. She wasn't here in person or close by," Neve answered, shaking her head. "It seems that she's working with the gods as well."
"As if we didn't have enough problems," Isabella groaned. "We knew that the Venatori were involved anyway. It's not surprising that she wanted a piece of the power."
"It is concerning if she wants the old Empire of Tevinter reborn. While the Venatori are crazed cultists, Aelia is smarter and cleverer. She's a bigger threat," Neve informed as Damas nodded.
"The Threads will keep an eye out as well. Since she's been kidnapping our people, we need to put a stop to it," the crime boss informed. "If we see anything out of the ordinary, I'll have Elek reach out to you."
"Much appreciated," Neve replied as they made their way out of the now abandoned Thread Market towards the bar Elek waited in.