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momemordridChapter One, part one
~
Nod came back an hour later looking harried. “I had no idea it was so hard to get things out of the storeroom.”
“Did you get the rod?” Jowan asked eagerly.
“Yes, but it was an ordeal. I only got it at all because I found the one senior enchanter who thought a little excitement would be fun.”
“Told you they were being close with the rods,” Jowan muttered.
“Maybe zapping the knight-commander with one had been a bad idea,” Nod admitted.
“Alright, if you give us the rod, Jowan and I will take it from here. We don’t want you any more involved than you have to be,” Lily said.
Nod waved her off. “In for a copper, in for a sovereign. Anyway, I’m more the expert here at this type of thing than Jowan. I want to make sure you do this right the first time.”
“Oh but we couldn’t possibly! We’re leaving, but you have to live here! We’ll get you in trouble!” Lily insisted.
“He’s pretty good at avoiding trouble,” Jowan said, a look of gratitude in his eyes.
After all the things he had talked his friend into, Nod felt it was only fair to accompany Jowan this time. “So, what’s your plan?” Nod asked. He clearly had no intention of going anywhere.
Lily looked to Jowan, probably for help in dissuading Nod, but Jowan had accepted that they were all in this together. “The repository’s in the cellar. The first door needs a password and a blast of magic. Lily has the password, and you or I can supply the magic. The next door we use the rod on. Then I just need to find my phylactery and Lily and I can leave.”
“When were you planning on doing this?” Nod asked.
“Tonight, if possible.”
Nod shook his head. “If any of the templars catch us sneaking around at night, we’d have a hard time explaining ourselves. During the day we can move freely. We should go now.”
“Now?” Jowan and Lily squeaked.
“You want to get this over with, don’t you? No use in waiting.”
The lovers looked at each other for a few minutes, and then Jowan finally turned to Nod. “Fine, now. If you’re sure.”
“Positive. You can get away with so much if only you can do it without looking suspicious. Off we go then?”
The lovers exchanged looks again—Lily didn’t seem too sure about this—and then nodded.
They made their way unchallenged to the cellar, and got through the first door without trouble. At the second door, the rod… didn’t work. Nod frowned and tried again. The rod didn’t do anything.
“What’s wrong?” Lily seemed frightened.
Jowan examined the door. “I was afraid of something like this. This door has anti-magic wards on it. We won’t be able to get through.”
“What will we do?” Lily cried, throwing her arms around Jowan.
Nod looked around. “There’s another door over there. Where does it go?”
“I don’t know. Lily?” Jowan asked her.
Lily was trembling. “I, I think it leads into some storerooms. Not where we want to go.”
“Maybe there’s another way into the repository. It can’t hurt to try,” Nod said with optimism, going over to it.
“We haven’t got anything to lose,” Jowan admitted, somewhat more morosely.
Nod tried the rod on the other door and this time a thin bolt of flame shot out, frying the lock. The three of them cautiously went through the door and down the hallway beyond. The first room they came to had leaning against the wall a gnarled black staff with a wicked sharpened metal crescent tied to one end. Nod felt immediately drawn to it. He walked over and picked it up. It felt good in his hands.
“Nod, what are you doing?” Jowan asked nervously.
“I’m just looking.”
“No, you’re not,” Jowan said, stern this time. “Put it down.”
“It doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“You’re not thinking of taking it, are you?” Lily asked in horror.
“Why not?” Nod asked defensively.
“Because everyone will know you’ve been down here, idiot,” Jowan said. “Will you ever think?”
Just then they became aware of clanking, swiftly moving footsteps. The three of them whirled around to see three armored figures running towards them with swords upraised. The two mages instinctively threw spells at the figures, Nod using his new find to boost his spellpower. Lily bashed one upside the head with a club Nod hadn’t known she carried. The figures went down fairly quickly. Something that looked like blood began seeping out their armor.
“Why do they have guards in a storeroom?” Lily asked no one in particular, a bit in shock. “Why did they attack us without warning? What’s down here?”
“Maker’s breath, I think we killed them!” Jowan exclaimed in horror. He knelt by one and pulled the helmet off. There was nothing inside. “But—how?”
“Magical suits of armor. Huh.” Nod had not been expecting that. “I’ve read about such things, but I always thought they were rare. …Why do they bleed, anyway? It’s a really creepy touch.”
Jowan sighed. “I’m just glad we didn’t kill anyone. I just want out of the tower; I don’t want to murder anyone.”
“They attacked us. It wouldn’t have been murder,” Lily pointed out. “The Maker only punishes those who bring harm without provocation.”
“Still,” Jowan said, leaning back from the empty armor.
“I wonder if there are more of these things.” Nod listened for a moment, and then came to a decision. “Right! I’m keeping the staff.”
“Nod!” Jowan reproved.
“Just until we leave,” Nod assured him. He sighed though. It was a very nice staff. It didn’t deserve to languish down here by itself—but Jowan was right, he couldn’t afford to be seen with it. It wasn’t something he could hide easily. It was as tall as he was, and quite distinctive.
They crept along more carefully after that incident, with spells and weapons at the ready. It was a good thing too, as there were a lot more animated suits of armor wandering the storerooms.
“I’m beginning—” Nod paused to hurl an ice bolt “—to think those books I read about these—” he swung at one with the sharpened crescent on the end of his wonderful staff “—in were full of bullshit!”
Lily took the helmet off one of the suits with a particularly good swing. “Watch your language!” she insisted as she tried to catch her breath.
“No, no, they are rare, it’s just that all of them are in here,” Jowan said after they’d downed the last suit. He wiped his brow. “Fights really take it out of you, don’t they?”
“I’m running low on mana,” Nod complained.
Lily cautiously peered around the corner into the next room, club upraised. “I think that was the last of them. We seem to have reached the last room down here.”
“That’s wonderful news! I could kiss you,” Nod said brightly.
“Hey!” Jowan objected.
Lily turned a shade of red that clashed with her hair color.
Nod grinned at them. Apparently Chantry girls could be fun to mess with too. He paused on entering the next room. “Wow. Jowan, come look at this.”
“What?” Jowan asked grumpily, following him. He paused when he entered the room too. “Wow.”
“I don’t see what’s so amazing, it’s just a bunch of dusty stuff,” Lily said, putting her club away.
“This is Tevinter stuff!” Jowan said, awestruck. “This is all incredibly old.”
Nod rifled through a small box and found an intriguing amulet. It went in his pocket when no one was looking. It was soon followed by a couple of rings.
“I don’t like this. The Tevinter are a depraved, wicked people. I don’t know why the tower would be keeping this stuff. It could be dangerous,” Lily fretted, rubbing her arms.
“Maybe they’re keeping it here because it’s dangerous,” Nod theorized, looking up briefly from his scavenger hunt, “To protect people.”
“Jowan, we should leave it alone,” Lily said, watching Jowan investigate a dog statue.
“Or maybe it’s not dangerous, and it’s kept locked up because it’s valuable,” Nod continued.
“Nod! Come over here!” Jowan exclaimed excitedly.
“What?” Nod was loath to leave the shiny trinkets he was investigating.
“This is one of those Tevinter amplifiers!”
Nod looked up at that. “The ones we read about?”
“I don’t like this,” Lily said, looking around the room fearfully. “We should leave this stuff alone, mages.”
“And this wall—yes, I think it is. Nod, help me move this bookcase!” Jowan continued. Nod hadn’t seen this much animation in the man for quite some time.
“Wha? Move a bookcase? What are you going on about?” Nod wasn’t here to rearrange furniture!
“If we move the bookcase, you can use the rod and the amplifier to blow out the wall! I’m almost positive that it’ll open into the repository,” Jowan said.
“Hey, that’s great,” Nod said, pleased. He wandered over to help Jowan shift the bookcase.
“The sooner we can get out of here, the better,” Lily said. She bit her lip. “But are you sure we need to use the thingy? I don’t like you messing with this Tevinter stuff.”
“Don’t—don’t worry, Lily,” Jowan said as they pushed the bookcase to one side. “Amplifiers are very safe.”
“They hardly ever explode, killing hundreds,” Nod explained cheerfully.
“Nod!” Jowan scolded. “Stop making things up to frighten Lily.”
“Jowan’s right, that was terrible of me,” Nod said, hanging his head. “They actually explode quite often.”
“Nod!” Jowan scolded again.
Lily was trembling and looked like she might cry.
“I kid, I kid,” Nod said, relenting. “Jowan’s right, they’re very safe. Most reliable things the Tevinters ever made. We’re only going to use it this once anyway.”
“We’re so close,” Jowan murmured as Nod adjusted the rod atop the amplifier.
“A-at least stand away from it, Jowan,” Lily said, sniffling a little.
The rod let out a blaze of flame that arced into the wall and shattered it with a dull boom. Nod and Jowan were left speechless for several minutes. Lily ran to Jowan and buried her head in his chest.
“That was amazing,” Nod finally said. “I think I’m in love.”
“Come on,” Jowan said, rubbing Lily’s back soothingly, “Let’s find my phylactery and get out of here.”
“I’m surprised there aren’t more phylacteries here,” Nod said, stepping through the hole and looking around the repository.
“Well, they only store the apprentices’ here,” Jowan said, feverishly scanning the rows of phylacteries. “And here’s mine.” He held up a glass tube, filled with blood. “Such a little thing…” And with that, he flung the phylactery to the floor, where it shattered.
“Let’s go,” Lily urged.
“We can probably open the warded door from this side,” Nod said, “And save ourselves a lot of time.” He reluctantly leaned the beautiful, wonderful staff against the wall.
The door did open from that side, and they hurried up the corridor back towards the tower vestibule. When they reached it, they were surprised to be confronted by First Enchanter Irving, Knight-Commander Greagoir, and three templars standing at the ready. Had they heard the noise of the wall breaking? How had they gathered so quickly?
“This stops here,” said Greagoir. “You’re coming with us.”
“But—” Nod began, wracking his brain for a reasonable excuse for why the three of them had been in the cellar.
“Not a word out of you, mage,” Greagoir ordered, glaring at him.
“Only just made a mage,” Irving said regretfully. “Nod, why didn’t you come to me with this?”
Nod stared at him. Gone to him? Whatever for? To betray his best friend? Was that seriously what Irving expected of him?
“And you, Initiate,” Greagoir continued as his men approached Lily. “Conspiring with a blood mage. She seems shocked, but fully in control of her own mind… Not a thrall of the blood mage then. You were right, Irving, the initiate has betrayed us. She will be sentenced to Aeonar.”
“The mages’ prison?” Lily gasped. “Not there!”
“No! I won’t let you touch her!” Jowan shouted, stepping between the templars and his lover. He pulled out a dagger Nod didn’t know he had, and plunged it into his hand. Before Nod could say anything, let alone ‘what the fuck?!’, Jowan had somehow flung his blood at the opposing group and knocked them all to the floor with it.
Nod could only stare. He had never seen blood magic before. It was so powerful! Beyond anything he could do, and he was supposedly a far better mage than Jowan.
Jowan turned to Lily. “Now’s our chance! We have to go, now!”
Lily stared at him in horror and drew back. “Get away from me!”
Jowan paused, and just looked at her, hurt. “Lily…”
“I don’t know who you are, Maleficar. Stay away from me, accursed one!”
Wordlessly, Jowan turned to Nod. Jowan had never looked so confused and betrayed, standing there in his blood-splattered apprentice’s robes.
Nod motioned with his eyes. “Go!”
Jowan took one last look at Lily, who flinched away. Then he ran.
Irving and the templars were beginning to come to.
Nod considered running too, but his phylactery was safe in Denerim. The templars would find him in an instant. Jowan at least had a chance. Oh well. Nothing to do but face the music, then. He hooked his thumbs into his belt and fidgeted, waiting for the templars to wake up so that the worst could happen.
Lily stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead.
“Bitch,” Nod muttered. Where was her sense of loyalty? What had happened to her love? How in Thedas had she been able to resist Jowan’s puppy dog eyes? That always worked! It worked on Nod, and Nod had no shame. Surely a Chantry girl—oh, wait. Of course. The Chantry had bred all possible redeeming characteristics from her so she’d be obedient to them and nothing else. He supposed he should be amazed that she’d had the strength of will to have a fling at all. He couldn’t feel anything but disgust for her, however.
“He got away!” Greagoir bellowed, getting up. “He got away and destroyed his phylactery, thanks to you! A blood mage, free!”
“Of course I believed him; he was my best friend!”
“And if he had told you that he was a blood mage?” Greagoir asked coldly.
Nod stared back, expression equally cold. After a pause, he tried again, but there wasn’t much sincerity. “Of course, I would never have helped him. Naturally.”
“Nod Amell, why would you do what you did?” Irving asked, expression full of disappointment. “You were so full of promise.”
“I stand by my decision,” Nod said unsympathetically, irritation flickering across his tattooed face.
“Ugh,” Greagoir said in disgust. “Blood mages receive automatic death sentences, but what are we to do with this one?”
Before the knight-commander could come up with any suggestions, Duncan stepped forward. Nod hadn’t realized the man was anywhere nearby. How did he walk so silently in all that armor? Although, now that he thought about it, they had been rather loud just now.
“Knight-commander, if I may,” Duncan said. “I’m not just here to recruit for the king’s army, but for the gray wardens as well. First Enchanter Irving spoke highly of this mage, and I would like to recruit him.”
“What? No! We’ve lost too many mages to the army already. And now you not only want this one to remain unpunished, but to be rewarded by becoming a gray warden as well?! I won’t stand for it!” Greagoir said.
Spend the rest of his life fighting darkspawn? While Nod certainly preferred that over any punishment Greagoir could dream up, it certainly didn’t sound like a reward to him. Was getting out of the circle really a reward under those conditions?
“Duncan,” Irving said gravely, “This mage has assisted a maleficar, and shown a complete lack of remorse.”
“He is a danger! To all of us!” Greagoir insisted.
“It is a rare person who risks all for a friend in need,” Duncan said, immediately earning Nod’s approval. Finally someone understood! Duncan continued, “I stand by my decision. I will recruit this mage.”
“WHAT. No, I refuse to let this go unpunished!” Greagoir shouted.
“Greagoir, mages are needed. This mage is needed. There are worse things in this world than blood mages, you know this,” Duncan said. “I take this mage under my wing and I will take full responsibility for his actions.”
“Augh! A blood mage free and his accomplice goes unpunished! Are all our rules for nothing? Have we lost all control over our mages?” Greagoir exclaimed in frustration, throwing up his hands.
Nod bridled at them being called ‘their’ mages. We don’t belong to you, templar!
“Enough,” Irving said. “It is done.”
~
to be continued
~
Nod came back an hour later looking harried. “I had no idea it was so hard to get things out of the storeroom.”
“Did you get the rod?” Jowan asked eagerly.
“Yes, but it was an ordeal. I only got it at all because I found the one senior enchanter who thought a little excitement would be fun.”
“Told you they were being close with the rods,” Jowan muttered.
“Maybe zapping the knight-commander with one had been a bad idea,” Nod admitted.
“Alright, if you give us the rod, Jowan and I will take it from here. We don’t want you any more involved than you have to be,” Lily said.
Nod waved her off. “In for a copper, in for a sovereign. Anyway, I’m more the expert here at this type of thing than Jowan. I want to make sure you do this right the first time.”
“Oh but we couldn’t possibly! We’re leaving, but you have to live here! We’ll get you in trouble!” Lily insisted.
“He’s pretty good at avoiding trouble,” Jowan said, a look of gratitude in his eyes.
After all the things he had talked his friend into, Nod felt it was only fair to accompany Jowan this time. “So, what’s your plan?” Nod asked. He clearly had no intention of going anywhere.
Lily looked to Jowan, probably for help in dissuading Nod, but Jowan had accepted that they were all in this together. “The repository’s in the cellar. The first door needs a password and a blast of magic. Lily has the password, and you or I can supply the magic. The next door we use the rod on. Then I just need to find my phylactery and Lily and I can leave.”
“When were you planning on doing this?” Nod asked.
“Tonight, if possible.”
Nod shook his head. “If any of the templars catch us sneaking around at night, we’d have a hard time explaining ourselves. During the day we can move freely. We should go now.”
“Now?” Jowan and Lily squeaked.
“You want to get this over with, don’t you? No use in waiting.”
The lovers looked at each other for a few minutes, and then Jowan finally turned to Nod. “Fine, now. If you’re sure.”
“Positive. You can get away with so much if only you can do it without looking suspicious. Off we go then?”
The lovers exchanged looks again—Lily didn’t seem too sure about this—and then nodded.
They made their way unchallenged to the cellar, and got through the first door without trouble. At the second door, the rod… didn’t work. Nod frowned and tried again. The rod didn’t do anything.
“What’s wrong?” Lily seemed frightened.
Jowan examined the door. “I was afraid of something like this. This door has anti-magic wards on it. We won’t be able to get through.”
“What will we do?” Lily cried, throwing her arms around Jowan.
Nod looked around. “There’s another door over there. Where does it go?”
“I don’t know. Lily?” Jowan asked her.
Lily was trembling. “I, I think it leads into some storerooms. Not where we want to go.”
“Maybe there’s another way into the repository. It can’t hurt to try,” Nod said with optimism, going over to it.
“We haven’t got anything to lose,” Jowan admitted, somewhat more morosely.
Nod tried the rod on the other door and this time a thin bolt of flame shot out, frying the lock. The three of them cautiously went through the door and down the hallway beyond. The first room they came to had leaning against the wall a gnarled black staff with a wicked sharpened metal crescent tied to one end. Nod felt immediately drawn to it. He walked over and picked it up. It felt good in his hands.
“Nod, what are you doing?” Jowan asked nervously.
“I’m just looking.”
“No, you’re not,” Jowan said, stern this time. “Put it down.”
“It doesn’t belong to anyone.”
“You’re not thinking of taking it, are you?” Lily asked in horror.
“Why not?” Nod asked defensively.
“Because everyone will know you’ve been down here, idiot,” Jowan said. “Will you ever think?”
Just then they became aware of clanking, swiftly moving footsteps. The three of them whirled around to see three armored figures running towards them with swords upraised. The two mages instinctively threw spells at the figures, Nod using his new find to boost his spellpower. Lily bashed one upside the head with a club Nod hadn’t known she carried. The figures went down fairly quickly. Something that looked like blood began seeping out their armor.
“Why do they have guards in a storeroom?” Lily asked no one in particular, a bit in shock. “Why did they attack us without warning? What’s down here?”
“Maker’s breath, I think we killed them!” Jowan exclaimed in horror. He knelt by one and pulled the helmet off. There was nothing inside. “But—how?”
“Magical suits of armor. Huh.” Nod had not been expecting that. “I’ve read about such things, but I always thought they were rare. …Why do they bleed, anyway? It’s a really creepy touch.”
Jowan sighed. “I’m just glad we didn’t kill anyone. I just want out of the tower; I don’t want to murder anyone.”
“They attacked us. It wouldn’t have been murder,” Lily pointed out. “The Maker only punishes those who bring harm without provocation.”
“Still,” Jowan said, leaning back from the empty armor.
“I wonder if there are more of these things.” Nod listened for a moment, and then came to a decision. “Right! I’m keeping the staff.”
“Nod!” Jowan reproved.
“Just until we leave,” Nod assured him. He sighed though. It was a very nice staff. It didn’t deserve to languish down here by itself—but Jowan was right, he couldn’t afford to be seen with it. It wasn’t something he could hide easily. It was as tall as he was, and quite distinctive.
They crept along more carefully after that incident, with spells and weapons at the ready. It was a good thing too, as there were a lot more animated suits of armor wandering the storerooms.
“I’m beginning—” Nod paused to hurl an ice bolt “—to think those books I read about these—” he swung at one with the sharpened crescent on the end of his wonderful staff “—in were full of bullshit!”
Lily took the helmet off one of the suits with a particularly good swing. “Watch your language!” she insisted as she tried to catch her breath.
“No, no, they are rare, it’s just that all of them are in here,” Jowan said after they’d downed the last suit. He wiped his brow. “Fights really take it out of you, don’t they?”
“I’m running low on mana,” Nod complained.
Lily cautiously peered around the corner into the next room, club upraised. “I think that was the last of them. We seem to have reached the last room down here.”
“That’s wonderful news! I could kiss you,” Nod said brightly.
“Hey!” Jowan objected.
Lily turned a shade of red that clashed with her hair color.
Nod grinned at them. Apparently Chantry girls could be fun to mess with too. He paused on entering the next room. “Wow. Jowan, come look at this.”
“What?” Jowan asked grumpily, following him. He paused when he entered the room too. “Wow.”
“I don’t see what’s so amazing, it’s just a bunch of dusty stuff,” Lily said, putting her club away.
“This is Tevinter stuff!” Jowan said, awestruck. “This is all incredibly old.”
Nod rifled through a small box and found an intriguing amulet. It went in his pocket when no one was looking. It was soon followed by a couple of rings.
“I don’t like this. The Tevinter are a depraved, wicked people. I don’t know why the tower would be keeping this stuff. It could be dangerous,” Lily fretted, rubbing her arms.
“Maybe they’re keeping it here because it’s dangerous,” Nod theorized, looking up briefly from his scavenger hunt, “To protect people.”
“Jowan, we should leave it alone,” Lily said, watching Jowan investigate a dog statue.
“Or maybe it’s not dangerous, and it’s kept locked up because it’s valuable,” Nod continued.
“Nod! Come over here!” Jowan exclaimed excitedly.
“What?” Nod was loath to leave the shiny trinkets he was investigating.
“This is one of those Tevinter amplifiers!”
Nod looked up at that. “The ones we read about?”
“I don’t like this,” Lily said, looking around the room fearfully. “We should leave this stuff alone, mages.”
“And this wall—yes, I think it is. Nod, help me move this bookcase!” Jowan continued. Nod hadn’t seen this much animation in the man for quite some time.
“Wha? Move a bookcase? What are you going on about?” Nod wasn’t here to rearrange furniture!
“If we move the bookcase, you can use the rod and the amplifier to blow out the wall! I’m almost positive that it’ll open into the repository,” Jowan said.
“Hey, that’s great,” Nod said, pleased. He wandered over to help Jowan shift the bookcase.
“The sooner we can get out of here, the better,” Lily said. She bit her lip. “But are you sure we need to use the thingy? I don’t like you messing with this Tevinter stuff.”
“Don’t—don’t worry, Lily,” Jowan said as they pushed the bookcase to one side. “Amplifiers are very safe.”
“They hardly ever explode, killing hundreds,” Nod explained cheerfully.
“Nod!” Jowan scolded. “Stop making things up to frighten Lily.”
“Jowan’s right, that was terrible of me,” Nod said, hanging his head. “They actually explode quite often.”
“Nod!” Jowan scolded again.
Lily was trembling and looked like she might cry.
“I kid, I kid,” Nod said, relenting. “Jowan’s right, they’re very safe. Most reliable things the Tevinters ever made. We’re only going to use it this once anyway.”
“We’re so close,” Jowan murmured as Nod adjusted the rod atop the amplifier.
“A-at least stand away from it, Jowan,” Lily said, sniffling a little.
The rod let out a blaze of flame that arced into the wall and shattered it with a dull boom. Nod and Jowan were left speechless for several minutes. Lily ran to Jowan and buried her head in his chest.
“That was amazing,” Nod finally said. “I think I’m in love.”
“Come on,” Jowan said, rubbing Lily’s back soothingly, “Let’s find my phylactery and get out of here.”
“I’m surprised there aren’t more phylacteries here,” Nod said, stepping through the hole and looking around the repository.
“Well, they only store the apprentices’ here,” Jowan said, feverishly scanning the rows of phylacteries. “And here’s mine.” He held up a glass tube, filled with blood. “Such a little thing…” And with that, he flung the phylactery to the floor, where it shattered.
“Let’s go,” Lily urged.
“We can probably open the warded door from this side,” Nod said, “And save ourselves a lot of time.” He reluctantly leaned the beautiful, wonderful staff against the wall.
The door did open from that side, and they hurried up the corridor back towards the tower vestibule. When they reached it, they were surprised to be confronted by First Enchanter Irving, Knight-Commander Greagoir, and three templars standing at the ready. Had they heard the noise of the wall breaking? How had they gathered so quickly?
“This stops here,” said Greagoir. “You’re coming with us.”
“But—” Nod began, wracking his brain for a reasonable excuse for why the three of them had been in the cellar.
“Not a word out of you, mage,” Greagoir ordered, glaring at him.
“Only just made a mage,” Irving said regretfully. “Nod, why didn’t you come to me with this?”
Nod stared at him. Gone to him? Whatever for? To betray his best friend? Was that seriously what Irving expected of him?
“And you, Initiate,” Greagoir continued as his men approached Lily. “Conspiring with a blood mage. She seems shocked, but fully in control of her own mind… Not a thrall of the blood mage then. You were right, Irving, the initiate has betrayed us. She will be sentenced to Aeonar.”
“The mages’ prison?” Lily gasped. “Not there!”
“No! I won’t let you touch her!” Jowan shouted, stepping between the templars and his lover. He pulled out a dagger Nod didn’t know he had, and plunged it into his hand. Before Nod could say anything, let alone ‘what the fuck?!’, Jowan had somehow flung his blood at the opposing group and knocked them all to the floor with it.
Nod could only stare. He had never seen blood magic before. It was so powerful! Beyond anything he could do, and he was supposedly a far better mage than Jowan.
Jowan turned to Lily. “Now’s our chance! We have to go, now!”
Lily stared at him in horror and drew back. “Get away from me!”
Jowan paused, and just looked at her, hurt. “Lily…”
“I don’t know who you are, Maleficar. Stay away from me, accursed one!”
Wordlessly, Jowan turned to Nod. Jowan had never looked so confused and betrayed, standing there in his blood-splattered apprentice’s robes.
Nod motioned with his eyes. “Go!”
Jowan took one last look at Lily, who flinched away. Then he ran.
Irving and the templars were beginning to come to.
Nod considered running too, but his phylactery was safe in Denerim. The templars would find him in an instant. Jowan at least had a chance. Oh well. Nothing to do but face the music, then. He hooked his thumbs into his belt and fidgeted, waiting for the templars to wake up so that the worst could happen.
Lily stood perfectly still, staring straight ahead.
“Bitch,” Nod muttered. Where was her sense of loyalty? What had happened to her love? How in Thedas had she been able to resist Jowan’s puppy dog eyes? That always worked! It worked on Nod, and Nod had no shame. Surely a Chantry girl—oh, wait. Of course. The Chantry had bred all possible redeeming characteristics from her so she’d be obedient to them and nothing else. He supposed he should be amazed that she’d had the strength of will to have a fling at all. He couldn’t feel anything but disgust for her, however.
“He got away!” Greagoir bellowed, getting up. “He got away and destroyed his phylactery, thanks to you! A blood mage, free!”
“I will accept any punishment, even Aeonar,” Lily said, with a strange wistful smile.
As much as he loathed the idea of standing up for her, Nod had a feeling Jowan wouldn’t want her to be punished like that. “He told us he wasn’t a blood mage!” he said plaintively. “He lied to us!”
Greagoir turned on Nod angrily as the other templars escorted Lily away. “And you believed him?!”
“Of course I believed him; he was my best friend!”
“And if he had told you that he was a blood mage?” Greagoir asked coldly.
Nod stared back, expression equally cold. After a pause, he tried again, but there wasn’t much sincerity. “Of course, I would never have helped him. Naturally.”
“Nod Amell, why would you do what you did?” Irving asked, expression full of disappointment. “You were so full of promise.”
“I stand by my decision,” Nod said unsympathetically, irritation flickering across his tattooed face.
“Ugh,” Greagoir said in disgust. “Blood mages receive automatic death sentences, but what are we to do with this one?”
Before the knight-commander could come up with any suggestions, Duncan stepped forward. Nod hadn’t realized the man was anywhere nearby. How did he walk so silently in all that armor? Although, now that he thought about it, they had been rather loud just now.
“Knight-commander, if I may,” Duncan said. “I’m not just here to recruit for the king’s army, but for the gray wardens as well. First Enchanter Irving spoke highly of this mage, and I would like to recruit him.”
“What? No! We’ve lost too many mages to the army already. And now you not only want this one to remain unpunished, but to be rewarded by becoming a gray warden as well?! I won’t stand for it!” Greagoir said.
Spend the rest of his life fighting darkspawn? While Nod certainly preferred that over any punishment Greagoir could dream up, it certainly didn’t sound like a reward to him. Was getting out of the circle really a reward under those conditions?
“Duncan,” Irving said gravely, “This mage has assisted a maleficar, and shown a complete lack of remorse.”
“He is a danger! To all of us!” Greagoir insisted.
“It is a rare person who risks all for a friend in need,” Duncan said, immediately earning Nod’s approval. Finally someone understood! Duncan continued, “I stand by my decision. I will recruit this mage.”
“WHAT. No, I refuse to let this go unpunished!” Greagoir shouted.
“Greagoir, mages are needed. This mage is needed. There are worse things in this world than blood mages, you know this,” Duncan said. “I take this mage under my wing and I will take full responsibility for his actions.”
“Augh! A blood mage free and his accomplice goes unpunished! Are all our rules for nothing? Have we lost all control over our mages?” Greagoir exclaimed in frustration, throwing up his hands.
Nod bridled at them being called ‘their’ mages. We don’t belong to you, templar!
“Enough,” Irving said. “It is done.”
~
to be continued
