momemordrid | Fanfic: Dragon Age Chronicles

Figured I've got enough written to start posting some of this. Sorry this first chapter is so long; the other ones should be shorter.

Dragon Age Chronicles - The Fifth Blight
Rated: PG-13 for language and mature situations (rating subject to change)
Summary: Follow the adventures of Nod Amell and his companions as they battle the Blight. m!Amell/Zevran
Contains spoilers and non-canon elements.

Chapter One

Nod Amell collapsed onto his bunk face first, all the air going out of him at impact.

“Hm? What?” his bunkmate asked sleepily, awoken by the bunk’s sudden movement.

“It’s nothing. Go back to sleep,” Nod told him, his voice muffled by his pillow.

The other apprentice made another sleepy sound and rolled over before going quiet again.

Nod finally turned his head to the side so he could breathe. Breathing was important, yes. Sweet Maker, he was exhausted, both mentally and physically. He couldn’t understand why he was physically tired. Only his spirit had entered the fade, not his body. His body had just sat there and waited for him to come back. He just sighed and let it go. He was too tired to worry about it. He wished the Harrowing didn’t happen in the middle of the night. Wasn’t it bad enough to go into the fade unprepared while a bunch of templars stood around waiting to kill you? Did you really have to lose sleep too? He supposed he should be relieved he’d passed, or happy he was finally going to be a proper mage, or something, but all he could feel was tired and vaguely annoyed.
Nod wasn’t aware of falling asleep, but he must have, because suddenly he was shaken awake. “No, go away,” he protested, clutching at his pillow.

“We let you sleep in already because of your Harrowing! You have to tell me what happened now!” Jowan insisted, shaking Nod’s shoulder again.

Nod grumpily opened one eye. “How does everyone always know when Harrowings happen, anyway? They’re supposed to be secret.”

Jowan looked worried, but he always looked worried. “Well? What was it like?”

“It was… harrowing.”

“Ha. Ha. I’m in stitches. I’m your best friend! You have to tell me!” Jowan said, looking even more worried.

Nod reluctantly pulled himself into a sitting position. “If I told you, then it really wouldn’t be a secret.”

“But—”

“Why are you worked up about this, anyway? Your Harrowing will happen soon enough.”

Jowan wrung his hands. “I don’t think it will! I’m starting to think I’ll never be a mage!”

“What are you talking about? Everyone goes through the Harrowing.”

“Not everyone,” Jowan said with a pained expression. “Some apprentices are made tranquil.”

“Tranquil? You mean like Owain? Also, you really should shave.”

“Yes! That’s—hey! My girlfriend happens to like stubble.”

Distraction successful! Nod grinned. “Someday you’ll have to introduce us properly. So, left or right?”

“What?”

“Which hand are you courting?”

Jowan blushed hilariously. “My girlfriend is a person, you dick. Are you really that surprised you haven’t met her yet?”

“I know all the apprentices here, so obviously I’ve met her—if she’s real. Which I’m beginning to doubt.”

“‘Beginning?’ You never believed me! You do this just to irritate me! And she’s not an apprentice,” Jowan added somewhat awkwardly.

“Oho! Now you’ve landed yourself a senior enchanter, even! What a catch!”

“Must you mock me constantly? It’s very aggravating,” Jowan said, obviously put out.

“I’ll stop when your reactions stop being funny,” Nod promised.

Jowan scowled. “So you think it’s funny they’re going to make me tranquil?”

“What? No! They’re not going to do that, Jowan. Stop being so anxious about everything. I’m sure they’ll get to you eventually,” Nod said, trying to calm his friend down.

“Get to me and make me tranquil,” Jowan groused, pouting now.

“That’s just for apprentices that are scared to take the Harrowing, or mages who are dangerous—”

“Exactly. There’ve been rumors about me.”

“About… what? Being dangerous? How? You’re the most inoffensive person I know.”

“I don’t know how, there just are. Anyway, the first enchanter wants you to see him in his office.” Jowan crossed his arms moodily

“He what? You couldn’t have told me this earlier?” Nod tried hurriedly to straighten his robes a bit.

“I just wanted to know about the Harrowing, and then you started insulting my girlfriend!”

“Look, I’ll ask First Enchanter Irving about it, alright? I’m sure they plan on getting to you soon. You’re almost twenty-five, after all.”

Jowan started to look mollified, but was worried again by the time Nod finished speaking. “Almost twenty-five. No one’s ever been an apprentice that long!”

“Exactly,” Nod said in his best soothing voice. “They’ll be dragging you off in the middle of the night any day now. Soon we’ll both be full mages and we’ll sit around and laugh about this.”

Jowan sighed. “I suppose.” Then he made shooing motions. “The first enchanter’s been waiting long enough, Nod, off with you.”

Nod laughed. “I’m going, I’m going. And Jowan, don’t worry so much. It’ll be all right.”

Jowan sighed hopelessly and wandered away.

Nod shook his head and smiled fondly as he made his way through the apprentices’ quarters. Jowan was kind of hopeless really. He wasn’t much good at anything, he worried about everything, and Nod frequently—unintentionally!—got him in trouble. Lately even the books seemed to have turned against Jowan. He had in the past few months gotten paper cut after paper cut all up and down his fingers. Nod didn’t envy him, but things were rarely as bad as he made out. As soon as Jowan went through his harrowing, he’d feel a lot better.

Down the hall, up the stairs to the mages’ quarters, down another hall—oh wait, there was Cullen. Nod decided it couldn’t hurt to talk for a minute. He was probably already late, what was another minute or two? He grinned. “Hello Cullen. I noticed you were at my Harrowing.”

The red haired templar looked at him in surprise, apparently having been lost in thought. “Oh, it’s you. I was glad you didn’t turn into an abomination.”

“That pleased me too,” Nod said with a laugh. “How’s… templar-ing going for you?”

“I don’t even know what an abomination looks like. I’ve never seen one,” Cullen pondered, scratching at his goatee. He didn’t seem to be fully aware of what Nod was saying.

“Well that’s comforting to know. You only held my life in your hands, that’s all.” Nod said with displeasure. It was not the sort of revelation he wanted to hear!

Cullen finally noticed him properly. “Ah! Sorry, I was thinking. You know, sometimes I wonder if we mightn’t be a little too hard on you mages. I’ve never seen one of you abuse your powers—well, I mean, yes, there are apprentice pranks, but nothing dangerous. And like I said, I’ve never seen an abomination once.”

Nod felt a little warmed towards this man. “You’re not bad, for a templar. Still wish they’d told you how to recognize an abomination before telling you to kill me if I turned into one.”

Cullen laughed awkwardly. “Well, abominations are supposedly unmistakable—but didn’t the first enchanter want to talk to you? You should probably get going.”

Nod pouted. How did everyone know things about his life? This—this wasn’t exactly a secret, but… Ah well, Cullen did have a point. Nod hurried down the hall. He stopped outside the first enchanter’s office to catch his breath. He could hear voices inside the office. The first enchanter was with someone. Should he wait, or…

After some internal debate, Nod peered around the door into the office. The two men inside, First Enchanter Irving and a dark-skinned man wearing armor, stopped their conversation and looked up. Nod grinned sheepishly. “Jowan said you wanted to see me, First Enchanter?”

Irving smiled and inclined his head. “Yes, Nod. I wish to officially welcome you to the rank of mage. You are an apprentice no longer.”

“Yes, hurrah and all that,” Nod said, his grin still somewhat awkward. What did people say at times like this?

“Your phylactery has been sent to Denerim.” Irving carefully handed Nod a folded mage’s robe. “I present you with a gift. Wear it proudly.”

“I will,” Nod promised. As he took the robe, he couldn’t help but glance curiously at the stranger. Who was he? He didn’t look like a templar, but mages didn’t usually wear armor and Nod couldn’t think of anyone else who would have business with the circle. Maybe he was a noble with some kind of magic trouble? He didn’t look like a noble either, actually.

“Ah, Nod, allow me to introduce you to our guest, Duncan. He’s a gray warden, on business for the king,” explained Irving, catching the looks Nod was giving the stranger.

Nod perked up. “A gray warden? You fight darkspawn? …Is there still much call for that?”

“All too often lately, I fear,” said Duncan gravely. “There is a new Blight upon us.”

“A new one?” This was the first Nod had heard of this. “That doesn’t sound good.”

“It isn’t,” Duncan agreed, not even cracking a smile.

“Nod, I would like you to show Duncan to the guest chambers, if you will,” Irving said.

“Yes, First Enchanter,” Nod said, turning to escort Duncan and then stopping abruptly. He turned back to Irving. “Oh, and what about my friend Jowan? Do you think he’ll be ready for his Harrowing soon? He’s getting rather worried, and I promised I’d speak to you about it.”

Irving smiled kindly, but looked serious. “What will happen will happen. These things can’t be rushed. Now off you go.” He sat behind his desk and began rearranging some paperwork.

Oh well. He’d tried. Nod motioned for Duncan to follow him and began making his way toward the guest quarters. “So is there really another Blight? With an archdemon and an army and everything?”

“Yes. I’m currently searching for recruits,” Duncan said.

“In the tower?” Nod asked, a little incredulous.

“Mages have often been gray wardens. We do not discriminate.”

“I can’t imagine the templars approve.”

Duncan smiled a little, finally. “We have templars in our ranks too. As I said, we do not discriminate.”

“Well, we’re here.” Nod thought about asking Duncan more about what things were like outside the tower, but he didn’t want to bother the man. Besides, it wasn’t like it was information he’d ever need to know. He doubted he’d be leaving the tower anytime soon.

Duncan thanked him, and Nod backtracked. He had seen something interesting in one of the rooms they had passed.
Aha! That drawer in the vanity had been slightly open. He cautiously slid the drawer further out to see if there was anything interesting inside.

He found a sovereign.

A whole sovereign! Just sitting there, in someone’s undergarments! Well, that was going in his pocket. He quietly shut the drawer again—not too far, he didn’t want to arouse suspicion—and left the room. And immediately walked into Cullen. Now, Cullen was probably the best of the templars for him to run into, but Nod really didn’t want to be associated with the missing sovereign at all.

“What were you doing in there? That’s not your room,” Cullen observed, already mildly suspicious.

“Oh! I was just getting something for Senior Enchanter (mumble). Hah ha! Well, mustn’t keep her waiting!” Nod said, apparently a little too brightly. When he tried to leave, Cullen stopped him by putting an armored hand on the mage’s shoulder.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, but you’re acting a little suspiciously. Now, what was the name of that enchanter again?”

“Ah—” Nod glanced about wildly, and caught a glimpse of Jowan coming down the hall. He was saved! “Jowan! How’s she taking it? Is she very upset?”

Jowan gave him a blank, worried look. “What?”

“The enchanter who sent me on that errand. Is she very upset that I’m late? I heard she has a terrible temper,” Nod fretted masterfully.

Jowan caught on quickly. He should, he’d done this often enough. “She’s—she’s ah, getting rather, ah, animated. She sent me after you.” He continued to look confused and nervous, but he was usually like that. Fortunately Cullen knew Jowan too and might not regard it as suspicious.

Cullen didn’t look completely convinced, but let go of Nod. “Make sure you escort him,” he advised Jowan, and continued on his rounds.

“Yes ser,” Jowan said, and did indeed escort Nod out of sight. Once they were far enough away from Cullen, he stopped and affixed his friend with a disapproving glare.

“Thanks, Jowan. You’re a life saver,” Nod said, carefully avoiding looking Jowan in the eyes.

“Nod, you’re a mage now! You can’t go around—” Jowan glanced around hurriedly and lowered his voice, “—stealing from the other mages! It’s wrong, and you’re going to get caught!”

“I never get caught,” Nod said dismissively.

“If the templars notice that the thefts stop in the apprentices’ quarters and start in the mages’ quarters at the same time you move from one place to the other, yes you will get caught!” Jowan whispered sternly. “And it’s very bad! Don’t you care?”

“Not when it’s over an entire sovereign,” Nod whispered back conspiratorially, showing Jowan the coin.

Jowan was aghast. “That makes it worse! And don’t show it to me; I don’t want to get involved in this! You are a very bad person.”

Nod shrugged casually and tucked the coin back into his purse, trying to ignore the weight of Jowan’s eyes on him. “I just look out for myself. Nothing wrong with that.”

“There’s plenty wrong with the way you go about it!” Jowan whispered.

Nod clapped him on the back, causing the taller but thinner man to stagger. “And we both know you’re not going to do a thing about it,” he said with a grin.

“Maker help me,” Jowan grumbled. “Look, Nod…”

“Is this more nagging? Because if it is, I’m just going to walk away.”

“No. It’s…” Jowan looked more awkward than usual. “I need to talk to you.”

“I’m here. Start talking.”

“No, not here, we might be overheard,” Jowan said, dropping his voice again. “Meet me in the back of the chantry. We can talk there.” Before Nod could respond, Jowan hurried off.

~

Sure enough, Nod found Jowan in the back of the tower’s chantry, standing next to a plump redheaded priest.

“You came,” Jowan said in obvious relief.

“Of course I came,” Nod said.

“We can talk here,” Jowan whispered, glancing around to make sure no one was too near. No one, that is, except the priest who was smiling contentedly at Nod.

“Uh, Jowan? There’s a priest right there,” Nod pointed out.

“Oh, I’m not a priest, I’m just an initiate,” she said, as if that made all the difference in the world.

Nod looked at them skeptically.

“Nod, this is Lily,” Jowan said with a nervous smile. “You know, the girl I’ve been telling you about? The one you keep insisting isn’t real?”

“An initiate? Wow, Jowan.” Nod was torn between congratulating them and… and… “Do you two know how much trouble you’re going to get in? Jowan, what were you thinking, man? You’re always henpecking me to be more responsible, and then this? I don’t know if I should be proud of you or profoundly worried.”

“I don’t henpeck,” Jowan denied grumpily.

“I know it’s against the rules,” said Lily, “But we love each other. Surely that’s just as important in the eyes of the Maker as anything else in our lives.” She clasped her hands and turned her eyes upward devoutly.

“Er, right… So is this what you wanted to tell me about? That you’re flouting the rules of man and the Maker?” Nod wasn’t terrifically comfortable with the Chantry at the best of times. He had no idea how to handle this… this.

Jowan blushed. “N-no, that’s not what we’re doing! And that wasn’t what I wanted to talk to you about, either. You, you remember what we were talking about earlier? When I woke you up?”
“You mean when you were getting hysterical?”

“I wasn’t having hysterics,” Jowan snapped.

“Look, I did talk to the first enchanter—” Nod began, but Jowan cut him off.

“He’s going to make me tranquil!” Jowan half-exclaimed in a strangled voice.

“Jowan, what did we just get finished saying about hysterics?” Nod said reprovingly.

“No, it’s true,” Lily cut in. She rubbed Jowan’s back to soothe him and he quieted down. “I saw the papers on his desk myself. The first enchanter had signed them. Signed them. We can’t let them do that to Jowan!”

“I’ll be stripped of all my emotions! My love of Lily, my exasperation with you…” Jowan choked out.

“Thanks,” Nod said in absent-minded sarcasm. “But if you don’t have any emotions, you won’t feel sad about it…”

“That’s the terrible thing! Not only will he not be able to feel, he’ll forget that he ever could! He’d be a shell of a person,” Lily said, continuing to rub Jowan’s back.

“That does sound pretty bad,” Nod admitted. He couldn’t find a bright spot to this turn of events. Being made tranquil seemed like just a step above killing someone. “I don’t understand, why would he do this? You’re not the best apprentice I’ve ever seen, but you’re certainly not the worst. You’re not afraid to go through the Harrowing.”

Jowan managed to get himself more under control. “I told you, th-there are… rumors about me. Rumors that… that I’m a blood mage.”

Nod was shocked. Those were very serious accusations. “But isn’t blood magic one of the, the showier types of forbidden magic? What with the blood sacrifices? Wouldn’t it be painfully obvious?”

“Blood sacrifices can be very small,” Lily explained. “A rumor is often all it takes to stop a maleficar—or to punish an innocent man.”

Nod couldn’t help glancing down at Jowan’s abused fingers. He wondered if any of the paper cuts had bled.

“The rumors aren’t true!” Jowan insisted, starting to get hysterical again.

“Of course they’re not,” Nod said quickly. No matter what, Jowan was his friend. “But what can we do about it?”

“You owe me,” Jowan said after forcibly calming himself.

“That’s… true,” Nod admitted, narrowing his eyes in suspicion, “But your approach is making me nervous as to where you’re going with this.”

“If we destroyed my phylactery Lily and I could get away, and the templars would never be able to find us,” Jowan said in a burst.

“That’s—but—we can do that?” This sounded ridiculous, like solving a drought by moving the ocean.

“With your help,” Lily said. “The apprentices’ phylacteries are stored down in the cellar, behind two locked doors. Jowan says we can burn out the locks with a rod of fire.”

“Ah yes, rods of fire,” Nod said dreamily, remembering. “We apprentices got a whole bunch of them once. Burned peepholes into the girls’—uh, you were saying?”

Lily looked indignant.

“Yes, well, after that incident, the tower’s been closer with its rods of fire,” Jowan interjected hurriedly before Lily could say anything. “Apprentices can’t get to them. But you’re a full mage now. You could approach Owain at the stockroom for us. Please, Nod. You owe me.”

“Of course I’ll help you! You’re my friend,” Nod assured him.

Jowan let out a long sigh and visibly relaxed.

“We’ll wait here,” said Lily. “Maker bless you.”

“Right then, one rod of fire coming up.” Nod left them while he went to the storeroom to hassle Owain.

~

Chapter One, part two