Isabella changed into her casual clothes the next morning before standing in front of the eluvian with Lucanis and Davrin with her. The eluvian had been changed to transport them directly to Treviso, and she was now nervous to go through the mirror. Viago was going to be upset, and she wasn't sure she was ready for kind of energy. However, Lucanis and Damas with the help of Neve had completely decimated her day-to-day armor, and she needed it replaced. She also brought the armor with her in case it could be mended.
With a deep breath, she stepped through the eluvian and into the Cantori Diamond. Isabella had given a brief description of what to expect to Davrin, since she guessed she wouldn't be able to show him around immediately. It was likely that Viago and her would get right into the arguing, leaving the rest of them to wander until they were done.
As she turned the corner, she could see both Viago and Teia there talking amongst each other. It seemed a little friendlier than the last time she saw them, so Isabella hoped Viago would be a touch softer in his anger. If she had even a sliver more of her movement back, she would've snuck onto the roof and delayed his anger. However, the bandages alone restricted any acrobatic movement she had.
Viago caught her eye first and seemed relieved to see her until he saw the bandaged arm she was waving with. Not to mention the bruises and scrapes around her neck and face to accompany them. His glower chilled the room as Isabella flinched, but she continued over to him. Lucanis exchanged a concerned look with Davrin, both men wondering if they should've waited outside instead.
"What the fuck is this?" Viago demanded, staring right at Lucanis as he gestured towards Isabella's arms. She sighed, reaching out to calm her Talon, but he shook his head. "No, I want to know what happened from him. He storms in here not a week ago, begging for you to come back, and then this happens?"
"We ran into a blood mage in Minrathous, and the witch took over Isabella's body before we had a chance to stop it," Lucanis informed as Viago's ire lessened slightly at the use of her name. "We have people searching for the Venatori witch as we speak."
"Why are you chasing blood mages in Minrathous?" Viago demanded before Isabella shook her head, stepping closer to Viago.
"We weren't, Neve had a missing person's case that was linked to the Venatori working for the gods. We were hoping that if we saved the person, we might have a better idea about the gods' location. However, we found the blood mage instead," Isabella explained. Viago sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose between his fingers as Teia exhaled.
"I'm glad you're alright," the Seventh Talon replied before smiling. "And who is this you brought with you?"
"Ah, this is Davrin, our Grey Warden monster hunter," Isabella introduced with a smile. Davrin bowed his head politely before Isabella gestured towards the Crows. "And this is the Fifth Talon Viago de Riva and Seventh Talon Andarateia Cantori. She runs the Cantori Diamond."
"A pleasure, Davrin. It's nice to be able to meet whomi hermanitais working with," Teia replied with a smile. Isabella thinned her lips as Teia teased her. "And just Teia, please."
"I've heard a lot about you. Uh, Isabella regards you both highly," Davrin mentioned, glancing over at his leader. She grimaced, realizing that she forgot to tell him her real name.
"I ought to lock you in the de Riva estate," Viago sighed, completely ignoring Teia and Davrin. Isabella rolled her eyes. "You didn't suffer injuries like this when you were in training or doing contracts. Did you get injured like this when you were hunting for Solas with Varric?"
"Well, no, not while hunting for Solas," Isabella admitted as Viago folded his arms, staring her down. "I hit my head when the ritual failed and pulled Solas into the Fade. It knocked me out for a few seconds."
"And you're just telling me know because?" Viago demanded as Isabella raised her arms in defeat before letting them fall again.
"Because you would react like this, and at the time, we were trying to get Lucanis out of the Ossuary. You wouldn't have let me go down there if you knew I had injured my head a few days prior," she reminded as he scoffed.
"Of course not! Did your teammates know about this?"
"Harding was the one who pulled me back through the eluvian while Neve fended off the remaining demons," Isabella informed, abruptly stopping, not wanting to admit that she had passed out for a few days after that. Viago also didn't need to know that Solas had used blood magic to infiltrate her mind periodically.
"What other injuries have you been hiding from me?" Viago asked sternly as she frowned at him. Isabella absolutely refused to tell him about destroying the embalming table.
"Nothing, I'm fine. I'm fine right now, just a few scratches and bruises. I just needed to replace my armor, or get it fixed at least," Isabella informed, forcefully changing the subject. Viago glared at her as she met his gaze. Teia sighed, turning to Isabella's two companions.
"Is this normal?" Davrin wondered quietly, afraid that Viago would hear him.
"Very," Teia and Lucanis answered at the same time. Teia threaded her arm through Davrin's, guiding him away from the drama.
"Let me show you around the casino while they finish catching up," Teia suggested.
"That's them catching up?" Davrin asked dubiously before they turned the corner. Lucanis turned back to the de Rivas, wondering if he should just follow Teia and Davrin.
"I think this is beyond mending,sorella. It'll look like a patchwork mess," Viago informed, handing back her armor. Isabella sighed, slumping her shoulders. "You're going to need new leathers. Do you have any spares?"
"These are my spares," Isabella informed, rubbing her face. "My main ones got lost in the shuffle before the ritual fiasco."
"You'll have to go see Lorenzo down in the Market then," Viago replied, shaking his head. "I can't believe that you encountered another blood mage witch, and it wasn't Zara."
"No, it was someone named Aelia. Neve knew her from somewhere, but she hasn't been back so I can ask questions."
"Neve isn't involved with Aelia, right?"
"Of course not, Vi. I think Aelia was the subject of a case Neve worked on a few years ago. Neve does a lot of high-profile cases, and I wouldn't be surprised if she tracked down Aelia before," Isabella reassured as he sighed.
"Just be careful, especially in the Market. Without your Crow leathers, I doubt the Antaam will recognize you but stay close to Lucanis and the Warden."
"Davrin."
"Davrin," Viago corrected with a nod. "I can't believe I talked you into going back to fight the gods. What was I thinking?"
"That I need to finish what I started?" Isabella guessed.
"Something like that," he complained before he gingerly reached for her arm. She let him examine the bandages as well as her face before exhaling. "Are you sure you're alright? Dellamorte isn't using you for bait or anything?"
"Lucanis could never," Isabella reassured as Lucanis rolled his eyes, turning away. "And I'm fine. I'm angry at the situation and the blood mage, but I'll be fine."
"As you should be," Viago answered before turning to Lucanis. "Speaking of blood mages, I think we're getting close to narrowing in on Zara."
"What?" Lucanis whispered, facing the Talon as Viago nodded.
"She's in Treviso as far as we can tell, but I'm waiting on a few Crow reports to know exactly where she is. Once we know for sure where, then I'll call for you," he informed as Lucanis inhaled sharply.
"That's great news. Any reports on if there are any Crow traitors?" Isabella asked as Viago turned to her. "We theorized that Zara might have some in her pocket keeping her safe."
"I'll keep a closer eye on things and see, but none so far," Viago admitted with a grimace. Crow traitors weren't uncommon, but those traitors rarely worked for Venatori. "You better go get your armor. Are you able to use the ziplines?"
"Um, well," Isabella replied, actually not sure before Lucanis stepped forward.
"She'll be fine," he informed as she stared at him. Viago shook his head before waving his hand.
"I'll go find Teia and your Warden, and I'll have him to meet you at the Market," Viago informed before walking away.
Lucanis walked towards the ziplines as Isabella followed, raising her arms as best she could. Even without the bandages, her wounds wouldn't let her reach the bar let alone grip it. She frowned, walking next to Lucanis.
"I'm not going to be able to zipline down," she informed as Lucanis stopped next to the one closest to the markets. Isabella stared at him before holding out her bandaged arms. "I can meet you down there, but I'm going to have to find the stairs."
"Or I can help you across," Lucanis replied as she frowned.
"Unless you can figure out how to tie my hands safely to the bar, I don't think this is going to work," she countered before he shrugged.
"I was thinking we would go together. Hop on my back, and I'll carry us across," he explained, gesturing his idea. Isabella crossed her arms as she looked over the distance they had to cross. It would take quite a bit longer to navigate her own way down and out of the casino.
"And you promise you won't drop me in the canal?" she whispered, slowly turning back to him.
"I promise to not drop you in the canal," Lucanis reassured as she inhaled deeply. Isabella stared across the way again before shaking her head.
"Fine, I suppose just for today," she whispered, lowering her arms. Lucanis nodded with a slight smirk, turning his back to her. She clenched her jaw before wrapping her arms around his neck and her legs around his torso. Isabella tucked her chin on his shoulder as he adjusted, watching to make sure that he was going where he had said.
"Ready?" he asked as she nodded carefully.
Lucanis jumped and grabbed onto the zipline bar, sending them down the line. Isabella tensed, tightening her grip while making sure not to cut off his breathing. Her wounds stung at her tension, but she refused to move a muscle until they reached the next roof. Lucanis stepped onto the solid platform before turning, keeping her away from the edge before she relaxed.
Isabella stepped onto the roof gingerly, and then she released her arms from his neck, letting him turn to face her. She expected him to be smug and proud, but he only held a gentle smile with a light concern in his eyes. He held out his hand as she gave him hers.
"How was that?" he asked as she exhaled slowly through her nose.
"It was okay," she answered quietly. While Isabella told Lucanis that she did trust him, she couldn't remember the last time she showed such physical trust in anyone before. She trusted him to watch her back in battle, but Lucanis could've easily killed and disposed of her over the zipline. He had her life in his hands, and he gave it back to her moments later with a kind check-in.
"We should head to the Market before Davrin arrives and gets lost," Lucanis suggested as Isabella chuckled.
"It'll give him a chance to see Treviso," she teased with a smirk.
Once they were fully on the ground, Lucanis led her through the streets, keeping a weathered eye on the Antaam patrols as they walked by. Without her usual armor, the patrols gave her no mind. Lucanis, however, was watched closely.
The Market was busy as ever as they walked into the Market Square, full of bustling patrons and talented buskers. Isabella wandered into the crowd with Lucanis close behind, heading straight for the armorer and blacksmith. Lucanis almost stopped to remind her to look for the Warden before he saw Davrin chatting with said armorer in front of them.
Lorenzo had been one of the few people that the de Rivas trusted to outfit them with armor. Viago had told Isabella that Lorenzo was the only one who ever got the stitching right on his gloves, so he insisted that she go to him as well. Isabella didn't mind, glad that she didn't have to find her own armorer.
"Isa!" Lorenzo called out when he spied her climbing the steps to his stall. Isabella waved with a grin, seeing that Davrin was admiring Lorenzo's blades. "Long time no see, señorita. What brings you to this side of Treviso so plain?"
"My armor got shredded in my last fight, Lorenzo," Isabella lamented dramatically, leaning against the table. "It held up so well, but there were so many Venatori and crime lords. Viago says it's beyond repair."
"Miércoles, what does Viago have you doing that has you running into so much danger?" Lorenzo replied, shaking his head before he reached to grab what he had on hand.
"It wasn't a contract. I was helping a friend, and it got out of hand," Isabella sighed as Lorenzo shook his head. He filtered through the folded leathers before pulling one out.
"I have one that will work for now, but it won't fit you exactly. If you need something better, it's going to take a few days," the shopkeeper exhaled, handing her the leather armor to examine. She went through it, checking through the sizing and quality. They were headed to Lavendel next, so she needed to make sure it would hold up against the wetlands. Lorenzo side eyed Lucanis, unsure what to make of him. "Anything I can help you with, señor?"
"Nothing for me today, thank you," Lucanis reassured with a slight bow. Lorenzo raised an eyebrow before Davrin held up a sword he planned to purchase. As Lorenzo went to help Davrin, Lucanis turned to Isabella. "Will these work?"
"Yes, I think they'll do nicely. At least as far as Lavendel and the wetlands go. I'll have Lorenzo make me some while we're in Lavendel, and I'll pick them up when they're ready," she answered, folding them neatly.
"So, are they to your liking?" Lorenzo wondered as Davrin wandered out of the way, checking out his new sword. Lucanis glanced over at the Warden, making sure he didn't get lost.
"Yes, I think these will do for now, but I would love to commission two more tailored sets from you," Isabella informed. Lorenzo grinned before bowing his head.
"Of course. I'm always proud to armor a de Riva. I'll wrap them for you," Lorenzo informed, grabbing some parchment and twine from beneath the table. Isabella smiled, waiting patiently. "Should I send the bill to House de Riva?"
"Ye-"
"Send it to House Dellamorte, if you would," Lucanis interrupted. Isabella nearly snapped her neck as she turned to stare at him in bewilderment. Lorenzo slowly looked up at him in the middle of tying the package.
"House Dellamorte?" Lorenzo clarified, finishing the knot. "The Demon of Vyrantium? I heard you were dead."
"I get that a lot," Lucanis smirked. Isabella glanced at Lorenzo, who sighed and shook his head.
"Who should I address it to? I doubt 'Demon' will suffice," Lorenzo reminded, handing Isabella her wrapped armor before grabbing his quill.
"Lucanis is fine," he answered as Lorenzo nodded, jotting it down.
"Well, it's been a pleasure doing business with you, Señor Dellamorte, Isa," Lorenzo replied, giving a smile to Isabella. "If you need anything else, let me know, and I'll let Viago know when your tailored armor is finished."
"Thank you, Lorenzo, I appreciate it," Isabella replied before walking away, waving as she went. Lucanis bowed politely, following her lead to catch up with Davrin.
Once they had the Warden in tow, Isabella walked towards the Diamond as she started rubbing her temples, tucking her armor under her arm. She could feel a headache starting to form behind her eyes as she tried to focus on traveling to Lavendel. Davrin glanced at Isabella before gesturing towards her at Lucanis.
"I'll go on ahead, I want to thank Teia for the heads up about the swordsmith," Davrin mentioned before jogging ahead. Isabella gave him a curious look before she realized that they were nearly outside the casino.
"Are you okay? Are your wounds bothering you?" Lucanis asked, concern lacing his voice. Isabella faced him before shaking her head.
"No, they're fine. I'm fine," she sighed. He hummed, clearly not believing her. Isabella stared at him as they stopped in the street, standing off to the side by the canal. She rolled her eyes before staring at the water. "You didn't have to buy the armor."
"Yes, I did. I helped ruin the only set you had. It only makes sense that I replace it," he reminded as she crossed her arms. "Besides, it sounds like this new armor he's making will be even better than what you had before."
"You didn't destroy my armor. If I blame anyone, I blame Aelia the Venatori witch. She was the one who puppeted me like a Antivan pincushion," Isabella reminded with a sigh, looking up to the sky.
"It was still my blade that cut those holes in your armor, even if you won't tell Viago that."
"If I told Viago that, your body would be floating in the canals as we speak. We're lucky that Viago didn't ask clarifying questions."
"Still, the least I can do is get you new armor. Illario can send the funds when the bill arrives, if he even sees it. I'm sure he's delegated the bills to one of the staff," Lucanis shrugged.
"Armor isn't cheap. I was planning to work a few contracts to pay it off," she informed before Lucanis raised his eyebrows.
"Don't worry about it, Isa," he reassured with a smile. "Like I said, I doubt anyone will notice the bill. And now you don't need to worry about doing contracts on top of what you already deal with."
"I thought we agreed to do some jobs to pay for things like armor and weapons," she reminded as he sighed.
"That was before you got injured and I was the reason that you needed new armor in the first place. Once you have your tailored armor and you don't need to be bandaged up, then we can start working on those jobs to help upgrade our assets," Lucanis bargained. Isabella frowned, eyeing him suspiciously.
"I'll agree to it if you stop blaming yourself that I got hurt," Isabella informed as Lucanis clenched his jaw. "You are not the reason I got hurt."
"Arguably-"
"Did you know that Aelia had the power to take over my body after controlling Damas for that long? Did you know how to counter the blood magic she used?" she demanded. Lucanis said nothing as he stared at her, his gaze unreadable. "Then you are as much at fault as I am. Aelia is the one who hurt me. Not to mention, you were the one who made sure she didn't run off with my body. You kept me safe, even if it got a little violent. I won't ever blame you for that."
"I think you're giving me too much credit," Lucanis chuckled mirthlessly.
"You're wrong, but we should get moving. Davrin's probably halfway to Lavendel at this point," Isabella mentioned before walking towards the Diamond. Lucanis exhaled, his shoulders falling slightly, glad that she didn't blame him at least.