"If you think that was bad, I should tell you about the Blackmarsh," said Anders.

"See, when you say things like that, Blondie, it just makes me glad I didn't know you sooner." Varric leaned back in his chair. "Who goes to a place named Blackmarsh on purpose? Now, if they called it Beermarsh…" He stopped. "No, still doesn't work."

"You've got a point. The marsh part does cancel out anything else." Anders gestured. "Flowermarsh? Kittenmarsh? Nope. No good." He straightened when Dak entered and gave the other mage a nod. "Ah, you've got company. I'll see you later."

"Dak. What can I do for you?" Varric turned to face his friend.

"What was Anders here for?" Dak asked, coming to sit across from him.

"Only place in Huttsgalor he can get a decent drink. Blondie comes by here, and I put him on my tab. He's got some stories about his days in Midgard that sound implausible even to me." Varric shrugged. "He's not bad for a mage. Crazy, but that's most everyone in this city."

"I'm not here on business. Just dropping by," said Dal.

"Drinking his business, Champion. You know that."

Dak laughed. "So what's the word in Lowtown, Varric?"

"Nothing you don't know already. The viscount's departure." The sheer number of nobles who seemed to think Hawke should take on the job. "A vacuum of power. Trouble's brewing." Varric sighed. "Get rid of one threat, and another appears. I'm starting to think this city is in love with crisis. Hope you're ready for it, my friend. I'm keeping Bianca close."

"The mages and templars are nearly at the breaking point, and the grand cleric refuses to do anything, even leaving the city," Dak admitted.

Varric nodded. "I know a tragedy when I see one, and like before, you and your sister be in the centre of it."

"The eye of the storm, huh," said Dak, taking a drink from his tankard.

"People say the safest place to be in, but we know better," said Varric.

Dak couldn't help but agree.

Leyla arrived at the mansion to find Aveline and Fenris having a heated conversation. "An elf matching your description on the ship you named. And alone, as far as I could tell." Aveline, at least, was sitting calmly.

Fenris, on the other hand, was pacing back and forth. "I need to know if it's a trap."

"I did as you asked, Fenris. Now it's up to you." She looked up and saw Leyla standing there. "You talk to him, Leyla." She rose and started to leave. "I've had my fill for today."

"Venhedis. Fasta vass," Fenris cursed, stopped pacing, and leaned on the table.

Leyla watched Aveline go, then turned back to Fenris. "Maybe I can help, Fenris."

He sighed. "It's my sister." He glanced up but didn't quite meet Leyla's eyes. "I didn't tell you, but I followed up on Hadriana's information. Everything she said was true. I had to keep it quiet, but I eventually contacted Varania and sent her coin enough to come meet me." He slumped somewhat. "And now she's here."

"She was in Qarinus after all?" Leylae smiled.

"My sister left Magister Ahriman's service, and I found her in Minrathous. That made things more difficult. But according to the men I paid, it's just as Hadriana said: she's not a slave." Fenris looked down at his hands. "She's a tailor, in fact. Getting a letter to her was difficult, and she didn't believe me at first…" A variety of expressions came over his face. "But she's finally come."

"You're worried that Danarius knows," Leyla guessed.

"The more it seems he doesn't know, the more certain I become he does!" said Fenris furiously. "Come with me, Leyla. I need you and Dak there when I meet her."

"Where is she?" Leyla asked.

"If we go to the Hanged Man during the day, she'll be there. For the next week, at least. It would mean a lot to me. That's all I ask."

They made their way to the Hanged Man and took every precaution. Dak and Leyla accompanied Fenris, while Isabela and Varric kept a lookout.

They spotted a red-haired elven woman at the table, who looked up as they approached. Her face remained expressionless. "It really is you."

Leyla noticed that Dak was looking around at the tavern, and she soon realised why. There were that many people as usual. She then caught a glimpse of Isabela, who slightly nodded before flicking her eyes towards the stairs.

"Varania? I…" Fenris' voice softened. "I remember you. We played in our master's courtyard while Mother worked. You called me…"

"Leto," Varania said. "That's your name."

"What's wrong?" Fenris asked. "Why are you so…?"

Dak grabbed his shoulder. "Fenris, we have to get out of here!"

However, before they could explain anything further, he descended the stairs. He was a man with a cruel, satisfied smile and wielded staff. "Ah, my little Fenris. Predictable as always."

Varania stood and moved away. "I'm sorry it came to this, Leto."

"You led him here," said Fenirs, whose voice was a combination of anger and hurt.

"Now, now, Fenris," Danarius smirked. His tone was patient, sounding almost like someone speaking to a child. "Don't blame your sister. She did what any good Imperial citizen should."

"I never wanted these filth markings, Danarius. But I won't let you kill me to get them," Fenris growled as his markings glowed.

Danarius laughed. "Oh, how little you know, my pet." The man's eyes turned towards Dak and Leyla, though his focus appeared to be focusing upon her more than her brother. "And these are your new masters, then? The Champion of Huttsgalor? Impressive."

Leyla narrowed his eyes. "Fenris doesn't belong to anyone."

"Do I detect a note of jealousy? It's not surprising. The lad is rather skilled, isn't he?"

Leyla was finding it extremely difficult to keep her temper, and judging from how Dak gripped his sword, he felt the same way.

"Shut your mouth, Danarius," Fenris snarled as he reached for his sword.

The Magister sighed as he signalled his forces to attack. "The word is 'master'."

Mercenaries started to come down the stairs. Their primary focus was apparently on her, Dak and Fenris, so they never saw Varric and Isabela coming. Isabela brought both of her daggers down into the shoulders of a mage starting to cast. Danarius put up a barrier around himself, then began summoning demons.

Dak quickly moved in and began cutting through the Demons while Leyla focused all her effort on Danarius. She knew it wouldn't be an easy fight, considering that he was a magister. Plus, she had a whole bag as she didn't want to destroy the place.

She fired several ice shards at him, forcing Danarius to go on the defensive. It was clear by the look on his face that he had not been expecting to face such a fearsome opponent. He tried to muster another spell, but Leyla was too fast at him and fired a stun spell in his stomach. Fenris quickly dashed towards him before he could return to his feet.

Fenris glowed as he picked up Danarius, his hand phased into the other man's head. "You are no longer my master." Danarius groaned, and there was a rather sickening squelching noise as Fenris dropped him. Slowly, the elf turned to where his sister was cowering in a corner.

"I had no choice, Leto." She held her hands in front of herself in a gesture that combined warding with surrendering.

Fenris was nearly snarling. "Stop calling me that."

"He was going to make me his apprentice. I would have been a magister."

"You sold out your own brother to become a magister?" Fenris started walking towards her.

She backed away. "You have no idea what we went through. What I've had to do since Mother died. This was my only chance."

"And now you've no chance at all."

"Please…" Varania begged. "Don't do this." Her eyes went to Dak and Lelya. "Please tell him to stop."

Leyla sighed. "Wait." There was a good chance that Fenris would regret taking her life one day. Especially if he had good memories of her return. "Don't kill her."

"Why not?" Fenris glared at her. "She was ready to see me killed. What is she to me other than just one more tool of the magisters?"

"This is your family, Fenris."

Their eyes met, and Fenris slowly began to relent.

Varric approached. "Elf…" He shook his head. "Fenris. I know how hard this is to believe, but this is the last thing you want to do."

Fenris looked from one to the other. He didn't turn to look at his sister. "Get out."

She started to flee and stopped a couple feet from the door. "You said you didn't ask for this, but that's not true. You wanted it. You competed for it. When you won you used the boon to have Mother and I freed."

"Why are you telling me this?" Fenris' voice was pained.

"Freedom was no boon. I look on you now, and I think you received the better end of the bargain." She went through the door.

Fenris looked around at the corpses piled on the floor. "I thought discovering my past would bring a sense of belonging, but I was wrong. Magic has tainted that, too. There is nothing for me to reclaim. I am alone."

"You have friends," said Leyla, trying to comfort his friend.

"Yes. A mage is my only friend," said Fenris bitterly.

"Hey now, you could do worse," said Varric.

Fenris held up his hands and stared at the markings. "You heard what Varania said. I wanted these. I fought for them. I feel unclean, like this magic is not only etched into my skin but has also stained me soul. Let's go." He took a deep breath. "I need to get out of here."

Leyla sighed as if Fenris hadn't suffered enough already.

Dak went to check on Merrill, who was still looking at the Eluvian and found Varric was there trying to convince her to go outside.

"Come on, Daisy. You should be stacking this rat trap. Does Dak even know you're here?" Varric asked.

Merrill didn't turn her head. "I don't have to ask permission to come to my own house, Varric."

"Just take a walk around the Lowtown market." Varric sighed. "Get some air, and I'll stop bothering you."

"I…" Merrill shook her head. "Know you mean well. But I have too much to do right now."

"I'll let you talk some sense into her, Dak." Varric stalked away, shooting Merrill worried looks.

"Varric is…" Merrill sighed. "Very sweet. Frequently infuriating and a terrible busybody, but sweet. I… probably should have probably told Bodahn where I was going. I hope I didn't worry you?"

Dak sighed. "Merrill, is there anything that doesn't make you nervous? Flowers and bunnies, maybe?"

"What about poison flowers? Or… or… dire bunnies?" Merrill asked nervously. She then turned and looked back at the Merrill.

"I'm sure something is wrong somewhere in Huttsgalor, but right now, it can wait." Dak gave her a worried look of his own.

"And I'm being a poor host, as usual. In the market the other day, out of the corner of my eye…" She sat down, hunching her shoulders a little. "I thought I saw Ragnar. I blinked, and he was gone. I don't know what it meant. Maybe nothing. Maybe I'm going mad. I miss them all. Even the Keeper."

He put a hand on her shoulder. "You miss Keeper Marethari? Are you feverish? Did you take a blow to the head?"

"I must have. I even miss her scolding me. I wish I could have seen…" She stood up and shook her head. "It doesn't matter. I'm here now. Maybe Varric was right. Shall we go out for a bit? I could use some sunshine."

They soon made their way outside and began to walk through Lowtown

"You still worry about Ragnar?" Dak asked.

"I know it's silly," she said with a smile. "He did, after battling the Fifth Blight, and now he's Warden-Commander of Midgard, but I still worry about him. He, Tamlen, and I had so much fun together, but one day, it all fell apart. Sometimes, I wonder what would've happened if things had been different."

"Well, we may not have met, for starters," said Dak.

Merrill nodded. "That's true."

They walked along the plaza in Hightown, where they met up with Anders, and then a dark-haired woman stopped them. DAK saw Anders' eyes widen in recognition. "Master Dak, I must speak with you. You're the only one that can help. The Wardens mounted an expedition to retrace your route through the Deep Roads to discover whatever it was you found years ago. It's a fool's errand, and my poor brother is with them—Nathaniel Tradesman."

"Nathaniel?" Anders beamed. "Well, put me in a dress and call me a templar. How is the old boy doing?"

She glared at him. "He's missing, serah. Haven't you been listening?"

"I'm not worried about Nathaniel." Anders gestured. "He's crawled out of worse places alive."

Dak raised an eyebrow. "I take it you and Nathaniel have some history."

"Certainly. We were in the Wardens together in Traders Bay. Hordes of darkspawn, psychotic broodmothers—usual Warden business." Anders tilted his head to one side thoughtfully. "I wonder if Nathaniel ever found a sense of humour?"

He turned back to the woman. "Why were Wardens interested in our expedition?"

"Maker, help me, I have no idea." She shook her head in frustration. "My brother never tells me these things."

"Wardens range into the Deep Roads all the time." He tried to reassure her.

"But he's been gone far too long. Something terrible has happened. It'd tell the Wardens, but by the time I reach Vigil's Keep…" She shook her head. "My poor brother."

"Do you know any other details?"

"I know almost nothing. Nathaniel never speaks about the Wardens. It was only happenstance that I heard your name mentioned. Please, go back to the Deep Roads. Find my brother. You must."

Before he could say anything, Anders assured the woman, whom he called Delilah, that they would do everything they could to find Nathaniel. Dak left Anders to speak to the woman while he rounded up a few others.

Naturally, he brought Leyla, but Aveline had to stay behind as it was not a good time for her to be away from Huttsgalor for any length of time. Sebastian, however, volunteered eagerly. Varric grudgingly agreed to accompany them as well. However, Dak suspected he wanted to know why the Wardens were down there and how they found the entrance. Merrill was also eager to join them, and taking her away from the mirror was really the best thing for her.

They ventured down into the Deep Roads using the same route as before, but strangely, they encountered very few darkspawn.

"Is it strange that we haven't encountered any darkspawn yet?" Dak asked.

"Normally, I would be relieved not to encounter them; their absence is a little disturbing," Leyla agreed.

"Perhaps the Wardens cleared out this area when they came down here," said Varric with a hopeful look.

Dak looked at Anders. "I don't suppose you know why they're down here?"

"Warden ventures into the Deep Roads constantly, but that's mostly to stop the spread of the darkspawn and to update our maps on the Deep Roads. I have no idea why they seem to be so interested in your expedition."

"Perhaps there was something down here you missed," Sebastian suggested. "Wardens do possess a treasure trove of secrets; I've heard not even the most senior Warden knows everything."

They eventually located Nathaniel, and it looked as if he had rescued himself. He was clearly a very skilled archer judging from all the dead darkspawn on the ground.

"Nathaniel Tradesman?" Dak asked.

Nathaniel nodded as he looked at Dak and Leyla. "You two are the Champions of Huttsgalor, aren't you? And…" He blinked. "Anders?"

Anders gave a friendly smile. "Making friends as always, I see."

A small smile appeared on Nathaniel's face. "There's no escaping you, it seems."

"I'm special that way." Anders gestured.

"That is one way to put it." Nathaniel began retrieving his arrows.

"Delilah says you followed my expedition's route. Why?"

"You went further into the Deep Roads than anyone believed possible. The First Warden himself ordered this investigation. I was offered a generous share of the salvage, plus extra coin up front to discourage any…" He shrugged. "Curiosity."

Dak looked around at all the dead darkspawn. "It looks like you met heavy resistance."

"After the Warden-Commander killed the Architect, we thought it would be decades before the Deep Roads would be infested again. We were told these tunnels would still be mostly clear. But it seems they were wrong." Nathaniel tossed a broken arrow aside and put the rest back into his quiver.

"They seem to know a great deal about darkspawn. Are these allies dwarves?"

"No, not dwarves. It was the Constable; he has a great range when it comes to tracking down darkspawn."

"Who is the Architect?" Hawke asked curiously.

"The Architect was the first of the speaking and thinking darkspawn. Very dangerous. He spread his 'gift' to other darkspawn—the disciples. Fortunately, their numbers are few, and Commander Ragnar has been working tirelessly to eliminate them."

Leyla frowned. "I don't remember drawing anyone a map to the thaig. Who told you about it?"

"An unfortunate dwarf named Bartrand," said Nathaniel. "We weren't sure his information was reliable, but contacting you, your brother or Varric was deemed risky."

"You trust my turncoat brother before talking to us was risky?" Varric asked, shaking his head. "That idiotic!"

"We feared you might return if you learned of a lost interest in the thaig."

Dak wondered why they were being so secretive, but this was a conversation out of the Deep Roads. "As much as I enjoy the company, is there anything keeping us in these darkspawn-infested tunnels?"

Nathaniel shook his head. "I cannot leave now. When we were attacked, I was separated from the rest of my expedition. Some of them may yet live. We must go deeper into the tunnels to rescue them."

"Who else could be alive?" Lelya asked.

"Some Wardens, including the Constable, survived the initial ambush. I think the dwarf we bought from Vigil's Keep survived…" Nathaniel sighed. "But who still lives? Only the Maker knows."

"Who is this Constable you keep mentioning?" Leyla asked.

"Constable Speedfist, a veteran of the Fifth Blight," said Nathaniel. "He was there with the Commander and His Majesty battling the Archdemon. After the Blight, he began researching more on the Blight itself, hoping to find a way to combat it all or eliminate it for good. Both his Majesty and Commander Ragnar have been supporting him, and the Commander convinced the First Warden to provide him with resources to that end."

Dak could tell that he was holding this Constable in high regard. "We have survivors to find. Let's go."

"Crawling through blight-infested tunnels, rescuing Wardens in peril," said Sebastian in a surprisingly cheerful voice. "This is what I signed on for."

"We should move. Stay alert for darkspawn," said Nathaniel as he led them down the corridor.

They found a dwarf carefully placing a barrel of something along the pathway. He turned towards them. "Master Howe, you live."

"Temmerin. Good man. Are there any other survivors?"

He nodded. "Up ahead." Temmerin gave a slight bow. "Well, met are strangers in the belly of the earth." He gestured at the barrels. "I hope Sir Fenley won't mind, but I set up the explosives here and there. Figured I'd blow up as many of the 'spawn as I could before I embraced the stone."

Dak blinked. "How did you manage to get Qunari explosives?"

Temmerin actually looked insulted. "These aren't Qunari explosives. They're dwarven-made. And don't you forget it."

Nathaniel gestured. "Temmerin's cousin Dworkin made the explosives back in Vigil's Keep."

"Aye, and that he did…" said Temmerin as he finished what he was doing. "Before the sodding Qunari forced him into hiding."

"What were you doing with these explosives?" Leyla asked, looking at the four barrels along the wall.

"We were prepared to do extensive excavations around the thaig you found," Nathaniel explained.

"A few well-placed 'booms' prove most efficacious at clearing rubble." Temmerin actually looked a bit gleeful at the thought.

"These explosives could kill a great many darkspawn."

Nathaniel looked at Temmerin. "Temmerin, the way behind us is clear. Send word to the Wardens in case we don't make it."

"Aye." The dwarf gestured. "I've set explosives all along the tunnels. Blow up as many of the sodding 'spawn as you can. Luck to you all."

They carried on further down, encountering a warden mage trying to protect several injured wardens alone. Dak had seen some powerful mages, his sister included, but this mage put them all to shame. Despite this, they deemed it appropriate to lend some assistance and quickly provide backup.

"Thanks for the assistance," said the mage as he began to heal his fellow wardens. "My name is Speedfist, I'm in charge of this expedition."

"Constable, I'm relieved to see you alive," said Nathaniel.

"Nathaniel, I see you managed to survive the initial ambush," said Speedfist as he stood up.

"Thanks to them," he said, gesturing to Dak and the others.

Speedfist looked at them curiously. "You two are the Champions of Huttsgalor."

Leyla nodded. "And your cousins."

"Really," said Speedfist, intrigued. "As happy as I am for a family reunion, perhaps this is not the best place for it."

"Why you down here at all?" Dak asked.

"A little investigation on the Blight," said Speedfist. His eyes then turned to Varric. "I heard what happened to your brother, and I found his condition rather interesting."

"You found my brother interesting?" Varric frowned.

"Lyrium is known to addle minds, but dwarfs are resistant to it. I believe that idle you found was not made of normal Lyrium."

"Well, it was red for starters," said Leyla.

"Another thing that caught my interest. I managed to convince the First Warden to commission this expedition in hopes of finding out more, but it seems everything has been picked clean."

"So you did all this just to find some weird-looking lyrium," Dak frowned.

"You saw what it did to Bartand; now imagine if it affected someone with proper authority," said Speedfist.

"That is a scary thought," Varric agreed. "But what makes you think it has anything to do with the Blight?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't tell you; I'm already endangering the Order's secrets by telling you this much. It might seem strange that the Order withholds quite a lot of information regarding the Blight, but that's mainly because we do not want untrained civilians to tackle it themselves. Much better to leave it to the experts."

Leyla looked at him suspiciously. "But that's not the only reason you're down here, is it?"

"Very perceptive," said Speedfist with a small smile. "We do have other reasons. You know the Calling, correct?"

"It's when a Grey Warden is overcome by the taint and descends into the Deep Roads?" said Dak.

"Well, the First Warden is showing early symptoms of it," said Speedfist regretfully. "He doesn't have long until he starts his journey into the Deep Roads, which means we're about to have a change of leadership. The Warden that is favoured to replace him as a man named Jowin Glastrum."

"I take it you don't like the man," Dak assumed.

"He's more a politician than he is a soldier, and he doesn't like Wardens taking initiative. He's been very critical about how things are running in Midgard. He also doesn't like the special task force that Commander Ragnar has acquired; he considers it a waste of time. He believes that the Blight will never change, despite the evidence to the contrary."

"Are things really so bad with the Grey Wardens?" Dak asked.

"The Order's strength is not what it once was; there was a massive gap between the Fourth and Fifth Blights, and the Fifth Blight only lasted a year. I surely do fear what will happen if another Blight begins."

"You mentioned changes to the Blight?" Leyla asked.

"There has been evident Blight can be manipulated," said Speedfist. "The awakened darkspawn are proof that darkspawn can be altered. You've also seen how Corypheus managed to manipulate those suffering with the taint?"

"Darkspawn dangerous enough as it is," said Anders. "Imagine if they're able to evolve."

"Not a happy prospect, which is why this task force is essential, and the First Warden agrees with us."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Leyla asked.

Speedfist eyes then immediately turned down the corridor. "Yes, you can prepare yourselves. We don't have time for this. The darkspawn approach."

Sure enough, an angry horde of darkspawn charged in, but the Wardens quickly reacted. It was almost as if they knew what they were going to do. Then, a large troll came charging in, and they quickly jumped out of the way, but Speedfist stood firm and unleashed a powerful lightning storm the likes of which Dak had never seen.

A bolt of lightning struck the troll, frying it to a crisp and collapsed to the ground.

Nathanial then approached them. "The route to the surface should be safe now. Because of you, I will see my sister and nephew again." He offered Dakan an amulet. "Please, take this with my blessing."

"I apologise I couldn't answer all your questions," said Speedfist. "You may have them yet, in the fullness of time." He then looked at Anders and pulled Dak to one side. "Champion, allow me to give you this bit of advice. You should watch Anders to prevent him from doing something foolish."

"What do you mean?" Dak asked.

"I've known Anders since we were mages back in the Circle Tower," he said. "He never liked the templars, but he never openly rebelled. You may have escaped the Circle a few times, but that was mostly childish pranks. But seeing him now, I fear he's a different man, and I fear that he may play a part in a chain of events that will bring devastation to us all."

Dak remained silent; he never fully trusted Anders, but he found it hard to believe that one man could cause so much chaos.

"So, they killed a magister who wished to reclaim his slave," said Cassandra. "I'm surprised the Knight-Commander did not know of this."

"Danarius would hardly let his presence known if he wanted to come in secret," said Varric. "Believe me, she wasn't happy to find out that an Esnal magister managed to sneak into the city without her knowing."

"I am interested in this chance encounter with the Grey Wardens," said Cassandra. "You say that they were looking for more of this red lyrium and believe that it had something to do with the Blight?"

"Hard to believe, I know, but I don't believe they lied. Though from what Speedfist told us, that might have been the last of the expeditions for quite a while."

"Then you continue with your story."