Gaz: Looks like last of em.
Lux Lexor: Finally... my pxditries are just killing me...
Sho Minamimoto = √( Looks can be deceving. You never know when there's a hidden factor involved.)
Gaz: Yep. Trixie, you and math boy scout on ahead while I look for a power source. Idiot, you into that abandoned building over there and search for supplied.
Lux: Questixn: Why are yxu calling me an idixt?
The Great and Powerful Trixe: Because you are one.
Lux: Fair enxugh.
Gaz: Now get moving, there's a Street Fighter X Tekken tournament that I'm missing...
Lux: Yeah yeah. Stupid human, thinks she can calliante all the shxts... stupid building with stupid spent ammo. Stupid space alien.
Caliborn: HEY, WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY HOUSE?!
Lux: Caliborn? By the seven stars of the abyss, what are yxu dxing here?
Caliborn: HOW DO YOU KNOW MY NAME?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
Lux: Yxu're a recurring charactertrxid xn that English bxy's shxw.
Caliborn: OKAY GOOD POINT. SAY, HOW'D YOu LIKE TO BE MY MINION?
Lux: Um.... why?
Caliborn: YOU'RE A SUPERVILLAIN, ARN'T YOU? AND SINCE I'M THE GREATEST SuPERVIALLIAN EVER YOu MuST THEREFORE BOW BEFORE ME.
Lux: That's nxt hxw it wxrks.
Caliborn: WELL OKAY I'LL MENTOR YOU THEN. TEACH YOU THE ROPES OR WHATEVER.
Lux: Well, I suppxse my repitrxus cxuld use sxme revivination. Very well, yxu have a deal.
Caliborn: YOu TALK FUNNY.
Lux: Yes, thank yxu fxr pxinting that xut. Nxw, what kind of evil valdelhiest are yxu preparitating?
Caliborn: WE'LL RIGHT NOW I'M JuST MAKING FuN OF THIS FANFICTION CALLED "DRAGON AGE: THE CROWN OF THORNS".
Lux: Ah, Dragxn Age! I've heard xf that. It's a series xf fantasy videx games madeid by Bioware, the company that also made-
Caliborn: YEAH I DON'T CARE ABOUT THAT. I MEAN REALLY WHO THE HELL DOES? NOW LET'S GET READING THIS ALREADY!
Dragon Age: The Crown of Thorns
Chapter 1: Prince
Caliborn: MAKE THAT "THE CHAPTER FORMALLY KNOWN AS PRINCE".
"Thieves and assassins that put on the appearance of honor just to advance their own status. These are the so-called nobles, those entrusted with the fate of our people and those whose greed and pointless pride have always been a greater threat to our city than the Darkspawn that have hounded our steps for centuries.
Caliborn: YOU'RE WELCOME!
Theirs is the treachery that may destroy us even sooner than the mindless beasts that lurk in the shadows.
I am Aeducan, Shield of Orzammar, and though I may be cast out and reviled by my own, I shall protect my people even from their own folly."
The grand day had finally come. His armor donned, his shield ready and his blade sharpened, the Prince was ready to go out and receive his responsibilities as Orzammar's new commander.
Caliborn: ONE SENTENCE IN AND I'M ALREADY BORED.
Yet even dressed in his great grandfather's garb and aware of the favor that he had with the Assembly and, verily, his own father, there was still an aching feeling that gnawed at his heart.
Caliborn: SUDDENLY ONE OF THOSE THINGS FROM AT MOVIE WITH THE ALIENS LEPT OuT OF HIS CHEST, KILLING THE PRINCE INSTANTLY. THE END.
The feeling that a good dream is just about to turn into a nightmare and that even the smallest mistake might set off a chain of events that would ultimately culminate in his undoing.
Caliborn: HEY, ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME? I SAID THAT WAS THE END OF THE STORY!
"The day of greatest glory is always the best opportunity for the ultimate downfall," his late mother warned him once.
Caliborn: OH YEAH? WELL MY MOMMA'S SO FAT THAT WHEN SHE GOT ON A SCALE, BUZZ LIGHTYEAR POPPED OUT AND SAID "TO INFINITY, AND BEYOND"!
...
WAIT, DID I JUST INSULT MYSELF? OH FUCK I NEED A DO-OVER.
Truer words were never spoken.
"Greetings My Lord! You are dressed and ready! Excellent!" a voice was heard from the door. The Prince turned around and saw a familiar face that almost chased away all the concern, even for a brief moment. For there stood Gorim, the only dwarf he knew whose heart was in the right place.
Caliborn: THAT IS, IT WAS BLEEDING AND CLUCHED IN THE PALM OF MY HAND!
"Ah, Gorim, my friend! I did say that you don't need to call me that. Raonar is fine."
"Ah, Gorim, my friend! I did say that you don't need to call me that. Raonar is fine."
Caliborn: OKAY WHO THE FuCK IS THIS "RARONAR" GUY? MORE LIKE... LAME-NAR... DWARFERSON. JUST SKIP TO THE DRAGONS ALREADY!
"Well, you know what they say about old habits dying hard. Hopefully I'll die even harder (chuckle).
"Well, you know what they say about old habits dying hard. Hopefully I'll die even harder (chuckle).
Lux: Maybe I'll even Die Hard with a Vengence. Eh? Eh?
Caliborn: BOOOOOOOO.
Anyway, moving on to the business at hand.
Caliborn: OH GOD HERE COMES THE BORING PART.
You father will want you to make an appearance at your feast, but the day is young. As part of the celebrations, trading permits were auctioned off to members of the Merchant Guild who wish to sell wares in the Diamond Quarter.
Caliborn: YAWN.
Also, the Grand Provings have opened in order to allow young fighters to test their mettle in your honor.
Caliborn: WOW THAT SOUNDS WAY MORE INTERESTING. WHY ARN'T WE WATCHING THAT?
Perhaps we should go teach them what single combat is all about, and by we, I mean you (chuckle). I'll practice my cheering this time."
Caliborn: WAIT, HE'S ACTUALLY GOING TO DO WHAT I SAID? YES, I HAVE FINALLY ACHIVED ABSOLUTE POWER OVER METASPACE! A GOD AM I! A GOD AM I!
"Ah, I see you're still concerned about those six hours it took my father's smiths to remove your helmet last year.
Caliborn: IT'S MY HELMET! MINE. YEEES, MY PRECIOUSSSSS...
Haha! no need to blush, you'll do as you wish of course. And in the meantime, I assume the Lords and Deshyrs will bore my father with petitions and petty grievances. I can see them now, 'this lord had my cousin killed', 'this lord seduced my wife', 'this lord did the exact same thing I planned to do to him but he did it first',"
Caliborn: AND OF COuRSE IT'S JUST LIKE THIS AuTHOR TO SKIP OVER ALL THE SYMPATHETIC CHARACTERS. WHAT A DOuCHEBAG.
Raonar sighed deeply and looked as though a great deal of sadness combined with disappointment washed across his face for just a moment.
"Always the same, they all act as though they are the only honorable ones even though they are just a bunch of thieves and assassins dressed up in pretty garments.
"Always the same, they all act as though they are the only honorable ones even though they are just a bunch of thieves and assassins dressed up in pretty garments.
Caliborn: OH, SO THEY'RE ASSASSINS TOO? WOW THESE NOBLES SOuND LIKE THE COOLEST PEOPLE EVER!
Bah! At this rate we'll bring our own deaths upon us from the inside even before the Darkspawn have a chance to gnaw on our bones!
Caliborn: FINALLY, THINGS ARE STARTING TO GET INTERESTING.
But enough, it's not like I expected anything more. Let's just see what these merchants are about and then we'll check out the Provings if we have time."
Caliborn: NEVER MIND.
"As you will, My Lord!" Gorim replied, "the day is ours until the feast."
Raonar walked across the corridor somewhat lost in thought, when the door to his little brother's room suddenly opened and a young, red-haired lass walked out and called out Bhelen's name. Needless to say she was immediately startled when she saw the Prince and ran back into the room.
"Now who could that be?" Raonar asked himself as he followed her.
Caliborn: NEVER MIND.
"As you will, My Lord!" Gorim replied, "the day is ours until the feast."
Raonar walked across the corridor somewhat lost in thought, when the door to his little brother's room suddenly opened and a young, red-haired lass walked out and called out Bhelen's name. Needless to say she was immediately startled when she saw the Prince and ran back into the room.
"Now who could that be?" Raonar asked himself as he followed her.
Caliborn: IT'S PROBABLY JUST HIS WHORE.
The girl got all nervous as she saw lord Aeducan approach but maintained her composure.
"I am sorry, My Lord. I thought that was Prince Bhelen coming down the hall and..." her words broke mid sentence. "I... forgive me."
"Who are you?" Raonar asked quite interested. The lass was very beautiful, two graceful strands of red hair fell in front of her radiant face as the rest of her curls were gathered up in a single braid at the back of her head. Her clothes were not of the finest make but they were well taken care of. All signs pointed towards someone of respectable station, except for the brand on her face which immediately struck a cord: Noble Hunter,
The girl got all nervous as she saw lord Aeducan approach but maintained her composure.
"I am sorry, My Lord. I thought that was Prince Bhelen coming down the hall and..." her words broke mid sentence. "I... forgive me."
"Who are you?" Raonar asked quite interested. The lass was very beautiful, two graceful strands of red hair fell in front of her radiant face as the rest of her curls were gathered up in a single braid at the back of her head. Her clothes were not of the finest make but they were well taken care of. All signs pointed towards someone of respectable station, except for the brand on her face which immediately struck a cord: Noble Hunter,
Caliborn: DOES THAT MEAN SHE'S AN ASSASSIN THAT HUNTS ASSASSINS?
castless woman who seeks to bare a noble lord's son to increase her caste status.
Caliborn: ...I REALLY HOPE THAT'S A LOT COOLER THAN IT SOUNDS.
"It seems..." Gorim begun " that she's one of your brother Bhelen's newest... umm.. companions..."
"It seems..." Gorim begun " that she's one of your brother Bhelen's newest... umm.. companions..."
Caliborn: OH GREAT, WE'VE GOT A TIME LORD IN THIS STORY, DON'T WE?
He then replied to the girl." Prince Bhelen is attending the feast being held in Lord Aeducan's Honor."
"Of-of course. It was presumptuous of me to assume he'd return to... I am sorry. I will show myself out, with your leave My Lord."
"Not yet," Raonar suddenly said. "Just how long have you been seeing my brother? How many times have you met that you are already allowed to wait for him in his quarters? I do remember seeing you around the halls a few times..."
"Of-of course. It was presumptuous of me to assume he'd return to... I am sorry. I will show myself out, with your leave My Lord."
"Not yet," Raonar suddenly said. "Just how long have you been seeing my brother? How many times have you met that you are already allowed to wait for him in his quarters? I do remember seeing you around the halls a few times..."
Caliborn: SHE'S PROBABLY SLEEPING AROuND WITH EVERYONE.
"I... well..." She was obviously nervous and struggled with her words. "My name is Rica. I have only met your brother a few times but... Forgive me if I caused you any inconvenience."
"I... well..." She was obviously nervous and struggled with her words. "My name is Rica. I have only met your brother a few times but... Forgive me if I caused you any inconvenience."
Caliborn: "WE ARE SORRY FOR THE INCONVINCE". THAT WAS A HITCHHIKER'S GuIDE TO THE GALAXY REFERENCE. LAuGH DAMNNIT!
Raonar looked at her at length, it became quite obvious to him that there was more to the girl than she would say. She grew increasingly impatient and started fidgeting under his penetrating eyes. Their clear white 'glow' seemed to go straight through her. After a while, she could find no more words
Raonar looked at her at length, it became quite obvious to him that there was more to the girl than she would say. She grew increasingly impatient and started fidgeting under his penetrating eyes. Their clear white 'glow' seemed to go straight through her. After a while, she could find no more words
Lux Lexor: Sx we had tx make up new xnes, like "gkpefnmg" and "plblblblblblblbxapfx"
and could only keep her head bowed, though she still stared at him, at his silver-white hair and long, graceful beard gathered in multiple braids that almost made him look like an old sage if not for his very soft facial skin that betrayed his young age.
Caliborn: HA HA HE'S PROBABLY GOING BALD.
She remembered Bhelen saying he had just turned 22.
"I'm wondering..." he suddenly continued, almost startling Rica. "Do you know my brother at all? What do you think of him?"
Rica was obviously surprised by this question and, predictably, tripped on her own words as she tried to find an answer.
"I ... well, he's been very kind to me and, he knows how to treat.. I mean he..."
She was at once cut off by the Prince who suddenly drew near, placed his right hand on her cheek and slowly drew her face closer to his. She froze underneath his eyes when they got so close that there was nothing but them in her field of vision, but her gaze got a tint of anger mixed with a great deal of fear as he caressed her right shoulder with his left hand.
"I'm wondering..." he suddenly continued, almost startling Rica. "Do you know my brother at all? What do you think of him?"
Rica was obviously surprised by this question and, predictably, tripped on her own words as she tried to find an answer.
"I ... well, he's been very kind to me and, he knows how to treat.. I mean he..."
She was at once cut off by the Prince who suddenly drew near, placed his right hand on her cheek and slowly drew her face closer to his. She froze underneath his eyes when they got so close that there was nothing but them in her field of vision, but her gaze got a tint of anger mixed with a great deal of fear as he caressed her right shoulder with his left hand.
Caliborn: OH GOD, DWARF ROMANCE. LIKE, GAG ME WITH A SPOON.
Lux: ...nxbxdy's said that unirxnicly in decades.
Caliborn: WELL I GuESS I'M THE FIRST THEN, ARN'T I?
"Of course he would treat you well," he said in a shrewd whisper." A beautiful lass like you, with such fire in your eyes and a demeanor that says you would do anything to please him. That's what all men like to see in a woman: submission, especially from someone like you." Raonar slowly let his left hand slide lower across her back, all the way down to her waist, while her eyes got all the more filled with hopeless rage and horror, until she finally closed them in resignation. All this time, Gorim stood back, silent but obviously flushed.
Raonar stood still, his lips almost upon hers as she shut her eyes tight. What was going to happen next was obvious, she thought, when suddenly the Prince drew away and backed off a couple of steps, looking at her until she opened her eyes once more and stood there, unsure of what to expect. What followed was definitely not her first guess.
Raonar stood still, his lips almost upon hers as she shut her eyes tight. What was going to happen next was obvious, she thought, when suddenly the Prince drew away and backed off a couple of steps, looking at her until she opened her eyes once more and stood there, unsure of what to expect. What followed was definitely not her first guess.
Caliborn: MORTAL KOMBAT!
Raonar bowed deeply before her.
Caliborn: MORTAL... ETIKETTE?
"Please accept my humblest apologies," he said as he straightened up.
"Please accept my humblest apologies," he said as he straightened up.
Caliborn: NOPE, YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE, FATTY. I'M THROWING YOU TO THE LIONS!
"I... But... well..." Rica stuttered. "I was sure you were going to... I mean I know you're his elder and probably would have gotten away with... I mean..."
"You are a very strong woman,' Raonar blurted out.
Rica was stunned when she heard him say that. She looked at him and saw no sign of sarcasm in his facial expression, his warm smile held none of the scorn she was used to getting from the crime lord under whose thumb she lived. A minute ago she was cursing the Prince in her mind, hoping that the stone would see him dead for how freely he abused those he saw as his lessers, but now she did not know what to feel.
"I... But... well..." Rica stuttered. "I was sure you were going to... I mean I know you're his elder and probably would have gotten away with... I mean..."
"You are a very strong woman,' Raonar blurted out.
Rica was stunned when she heard him say that. She looked at him and saw no sign of sarcasm in his facial expression, his warm smile held none of the scorn she was used to getting from the crime lord under whose thumb she lived. A minute ago she was cursing the Prince in her mind, hoping that the stone would see him dead for how freely he abused those he saw as his lessers, but now she did not know what to feel.
"You hated me just now," he continued. "You were angry that I was going to take advantage of your position, and of mine, but in the end you closed your eyes not out of cowardice, but to restrain yourself from hitting my head with that rather rough cup you had grasped,"
Caliborn: SuRE LET'S GO WITH THAT.
he pointed to the ceramic vase on the table next to her. " When I drew close to you, your eyes clearly showed off the dignity you are willing to sacrifice in order to secure a better life, likely not just for yourself but also your family. You really were going to sacrifice yourself. You're more than just another noble hunter, aren't you?"
Rica was completely shaken up. In just a moment he had seen through her completely. He had risked being hated in order to perceive her heart, her life. She now realized that what the Prince had done was just an act, though she still could not fully understand his reasons. Suddenly she felt a bit lightheaded and as she grew dizzy, she felt her falling body being gently caught and held by a pair of soft, strong arms. By the time her senses returned, she sat on the bed, with Raonar next to her, holding her up, though his hold of her was in no way as invasive as before.
"F-forgive me, M-my Lord... I don't know what caused me to..."
"It's alright. It's my fault after all," Raonar replied as he carefully let go of her and walked away.
"Your family is very lucky to have you, even though I can see from the way you carry yourself that they aren't the only party involved in your being here," he said as he looked sternly at her. "Someone's trying to exploit your situation, aren't they? I imagine that the castless don't easily get a hold of the garments and education that noble hunters clearly have."
Unexpectedly, Rica felt a feeling of gratitude wash over her. This was the first person who ever praised her, besides her little brother. The Prince had known her for but a few minutes and already knew more about her than she would have ever told. But then, she grew fearful when he started questioning her about whose hand was in her being there. She kept trying to evade the questions, but Raonar always managed to pry information from her. Her life in Dust Town, how they were forced to live, how she became a noble hunter out of necessity. Eventually, only the details that her life hanged upon remained unsaid.
Caliborn: BOOOOORRRINNNNG.
"So you have a brother. Where is he now? Why doesn't he do something instead of letting you do this to yourself?" Raonar finally asked her up front.
"I.. well.. I mean... Please, My Lord, don't ask me anything else. And don't think ill of my brother, he's sacrificed more than I have trying to keep me safe and now he's... I mean... no, please My Lord, if you're truly not heartless, don't torture me with these questions anymore."
Caliborn: MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY. GET TO THE GOOD PARTS ALREADY!
Rica turned away quickly, but not before Raonar noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. He made a short gesture to Gorim, who then left the chamber in a hurry, after which the Prince approached the girl who had started sobbing softly, trying to hold back her tears. Then she suddenly felt a soft touch on her shoulder as Raonar slowly turned her around. The face she met was stern, but had an air of fatherly affection about it, definitely not what she had expected.
"You've only met me, but it's alright. You can tell me everything," the Prince said softly as the lass gave in and surrendered herself to his embrace. "What happened? I'm guessing that the fact that you tripped on your own words meant that you were trying to keep up an act. What was it you really wanted from Bhelen that you were waiting for him so impatiently?
Caliborn: WHO IS THE MILKMAN? WHAT IS THE PuRPOSE OF THE GOGGLES?
That look in your eyes right now speaks of fear, fear for someone other than yourself."
Caliborn: LIKE ME! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
"Oh my lord!" she said between sobs. "I did want to ask something of your brother, even though it's far too early and presumptuous of me to think my problems are of any note to someone like him. " Raonar said nothing, letting her take her time. "I'm scared my lord, my brother, he's..." She stopped suddenly, and Raonar realized that this was the point where she may reveal something critical that may end up worse for her in the long run. But he had heard enough and already had an idea of what she was getting to.
"You speak as though you rely on him greatly. He must be a very strong man to warrant your respect, especially if he's your younger sibling. But he lives in Dust Town, so I suppose he got by doing the only thing he could." Rica stopped sobbing and was instead completely surprised to see just how easily he Prince deduced her situation. " So, am I right to assume that he did something to anger his boss and is now in trouble of some kind?" he asked.
Rica seemed to calm down and drew away. "You truly are as the rumors say, your highness. But what you guessed is not completely on the mark. My brother, he's a very strong person. A strong fighter, quick-witted and agile, but he's also always had a knack for knowing what to do and when to do it. That caught the eye of the local crime lord."
"From what I've heard, the Carta is currently run by a man named Beraht," noted Gorim, who had meanwhile returned with a basin of water and a towel. "Shrewd fellow, made deals with surfacers and smuggles lyrium and other goods. He's made a lot of gold, bribed a lot of guards and preyed only on the dusters, which is why he got away with it long enough to buy off half the authorities in the commons,"
"Yes, sounds a lot like a certain other very subtle person I know, someone deemed too irrelevant until it's too late," Raonar responded with a sigh. "But this is not the point." he turned to Rica and wiped away her tears with the towel that Gorim had brought. "What happened to your brother, child?"
"I... I don't know your highness. That's why I'm so scared! He's missing, he's been missing since yesterday.
Claiborn: WHO CARES? I DON'T.
All I heard was that he got into some trouble on the proving grounds, something about impersonating some fighter. Next thing I knew was that he somehow got captured and now.. I don't know where he is!" Rica was obviously desperate, her hands clutching on the towel Raonar had given her.
"At the Provings? This should be interesting," Raonar thought to himself. "Are castless even allowed on the grounds? Wait, I suppose this Beraht did something to let him in, wanted to rig some fights to win some bets no doubt. So you don't know where he is?" Rica shook her head, then the Prince turned to Gorim. "Well, you did want to see the Provings anyway, didn't you Gorim?" he asked with a sly grin.
"I suppose I did say that, My Lord," Gorim answered with a smile of his own.
"You may stay here for now," Raonar told the lass. "Though I would suggest you not be too quick to reveal this story to too many people. Few will look past your castless brother's role as a criminal."
"So... then... I know it's too much to ask, especially for someone like me but... Is there anything you can do? I'll do anything you want, please, at least try to find my brother! You're the Prince, you can send someone, I don't know, just... I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to him because of me! He always said he would do something to make our life better, he hated working for that scum Beraht but he did it for me and mother anyway. I can only imagine the horrible things he had to do."
"I know that you like to see the world shaken up, My Lord, but if it's really as she says..." Gorim begun, "Isn't her brother a criminal? Is it truly wise to get involved in this business on your day of celebration?"
Caliborn: WELL IT WOuLD BE THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU'VE DONE SO FAR. WHICH ISN'T SAYING MUCH.
"Can we really pass judgement on others? Just how are the nobles in the assembly any different?"
Lux: What is a man but a filthy pile xf secretudes? But enxugh talk, have at yxu then!
the Prince blurted out. "It's almost disgusting to think that the higher castes have less honor than there is among the beggars and thieves. At least they look after their own. Can the Desyrs say the same?"
Caliborn: SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE I'M GOING TO ASSUME YOU MADE THEM UP. I MEAN AuTHOR MIGHT BE ASSuMING WE KNOW A BIT ABOuT THE SETTING ALREADY BEFORE WE START READING, BuT THAT'S STuPID. FANFIC AuTHORS SHOuLD ALWAYS EXPLAIN EVERYTHING THAT EVER GETS MENTIONED FOREVER SO I DON'T NEED TO LOOK IT UP MYSELF.
The Prince turned around and left the room, followed closely by Gorim, leaving a confused but hopeful Rica behind to wait and see what the ancestors had in store for her next.
Caliborn: DEATH, MAYBE? I DUNNO
Before long, the two had exited the palace and now looked down upon their proud city, once the seat of a major empire and, now, one of the only two known remaining dwarven cities. There Raonar stood and gazed upon his home. The Diamond Quarter, home to the Royal Palace, the Shaperate and the homes of the nobles, is situated at the very highest level of Orzammar and has a perfect view of the lower levels. Below are the commons and, in the very middle, above the lake of molten rock, stand the Proving Grounds, where matters of honor would be settled through strength of arm. Around it fell the lava flows, carefully guided by the city's impregnable construction to flow in such a way as to deliver warmth and light to the entire city.
Caliborn: NO, WAIT! I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOuT THE FIGHTING!
That view the Prince had witnessed many times over, but this time it looked as though the stone itself was more somber, as if there was a new air of finality about it. Unfortunately, Raonar didn't exactly have time to decide whether he was imagining it, because his attention was drawn to an argument between a Noble and a Scholar.
"My lord, please. My work is accredited by the Shaper," the scholar pleaded to a very disgruntled man that frowned at him with a mixture of scorn and anger. No doubt yet another lesser noble that felt his 'honor' had been violated in some way, Raonar reasoned.
"These books are lies, written by the enemies of House Vollney!" the other protested as the Prince and Gorim drew near. Raonar immediately recognized the angry man as Bruntin Vollney.
"Your highness, I beg you to help settle this matter!" the scholar pleaded to the approaching Prince. "Your father loved my book 'History of Aeducan: Paragon, King, Peacemaker'."
"Ah, I greatly enjoyed that book as well!"
Caliborn: PFFFT. BOOKS ARE FOR LOSERS.
Raonar replied slightly intrigued. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked the two.
"This worm has written a book that slanders my House!" Bruntin immediately said.
"Oh, is that so?" Raonar replied. "How exactly is it slander? What does it say?"
"It doesn't matter, it's all lies!" Bruntin lashed back, waving angrily in the process.
Caliborn: GREAT, THEN I DON'T NEED TO CARE ABOUT IT.
"I asked what it said, but if you're not going to tell me, the scholar will have to. What does it say scholar?"
The scholar proceeded to explain how the book he was writing dealt with the history of the Paragon Vollney and how the latter had not been unanimously supported by the Assembly. Apparently, one noble voted against the motion, a vote mired in intrigue and intimidation. Needless to say, Bruntin wanted this fact to never reach the ears of anyone and demanded that the shaper cease and desist. Raonar then remembered that a similar scene almost occurred at the naming of Aeducan as Paragon, though the one who objected ended up savagely hacked to death instead.
Caliborn: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
This actually enabled Aeducan, despite the odds, to get a unanimous vote.
"Not liking history doesn't make it any less true!" the scholar told Bruntin, who was obviously enraged at hearing him say that.
Lux: I guess "histxry is writinated by the winners" dxesnt apply here.
"The scholar is right," the new commander bluntly stated as he gave Bruntin a direct look.
"You're taking his side? Vollney was more than a man! Aren't we supposed to protect the reputations of the Paragons? What would you say if he wrote such a think about your Paragon Aeducan?" the noble asked in spite.
"Hmpf!" Raonar scoffed as his patience was being tested. "Aeducan was a great man, but he was still a man. He was melancholic and his fervor to protect his people bordered on obsession. Why would we even want to consider our Paragons as more than men? If they were really such untouchable figures, how then could we even look up to them and strive to be as useful for Orzammar as they were?"
Caliborn: I THINK THE OBVIOuS SOLuTION HERE IS TO CUT THE BOOK IN HALF. AND THEN SEND THE BOTH OF THEM TO PRISON FOREVER FOR DARING TO BOTHER THE PRINCE.
Bruntin was somewhat taken aback by this bold statement and was obviously stunned to see the Prince himself state such a seemingly outrageous thing about his own house.
"Fine! I shall respect your wishes... for now," the angry noble sneered as he walked away.
"Bah!" Gorim begun after the Vollney was out of sight. "That fool has no idea how weak his house is or how low he sits in it! To think he would have the nerve to threaten you! Shall I have him killed My Lord?"
Caliborn: YES. YEEESSSSS! DO IT! DOOO IIIT!
"You're saying that it would be prudent to eliminate a smaller threat before it becomes larger are you?" Raonar replied to him with a scolding look that made Gorim a bit uncomfortable. "I know you're a practical man, my friend, but don't be so quick to pass death sentences onto others.
Caliborn: OKAY NOW I REALLY HATE THIS GuY.
Those fools and their politics may think it wise and justified to have each other killed, but this is the exact same thinking that led to our downfall all those centuries ago. No doubt those Deshyrs even now keep blaming the Darkspawn for all their misfortune, but that's just their way of running away from their responsibility and the realization that the blame for our people's sad state, and their blood, is on their hands."
"I... yes My Lord, forgive me," Gorim apologized with a humble bow. Meanwhile the shaper had been observing the situation and, once the Prince finished speaking and turned to him, he thanked him for his help and went on his way.
"You have proven yourself a friend to truth and the glory of our people, My Lord," the scholar said as he left.
The Prince was left with a sour taste in his mouth after meeting that fool Vollney but, as he always did, he got over it quickly and went back to enjoying his day. Or he thought he would until he saw two familiar faces just down the road. For there stood his two brothers, Trian, his elder and Heir to the throne of Orzammar, and Bhelen, the youngest and seemingly less noteworthy.
Caliborn: IF HE'S SO UNIMPORTANT, WHY DON'T YOU KILL HIM SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO HEAR HIM FLAPPING HIS JAW ALL DAY?
Unsurprisingly, Trian immediately lashed out at Raonar for being irresponsible and showing disrespect to their father by wandering about on a day set aside for his own feast. Raonar had heard it all before, his older brother gloating and shouting at him, trying to 'help' his sibling 'get over his stubbornness'. After that, of course, came the obligatory reprimanding of the lower castes, in this case Gorim, which irked Raonar more than anything else.
"Lord Harrowmont told us we wouldn't be needed at the feast for hours at least," Gorim tried to explain.
"Silence!" Trian lashed out. "If I want the opinion of my sibling's second, I will ask for it!"
Raonar scoffed. "This is where you speak to lower houses and castes 'how they should be spoken to', I take it?" He snapped back at Trian but in a calm and lightly ironic tone.
Caliborn: YEAH, PRETTY MUCH.
"And I suppose you're not going to jump in either, eh Bhelen?"
"You're on your own, I've been dealing with him all afternoon," the youngest answered, but immediately followed up with a witty one-liner in order to avert Trian's gaze.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean, little brother?" the heir queried in annoyance.
"N-nothing Trian, I've been having a great time! That speech you gave to the legless boy about standing up and making something of himself was fantastic!" Bhelen answered in the most honest tone he could muster, though everyone present, except Trian himself, noticed the sarcastic tone of the remark.
"As heir to the throne, it is my duty to impart wisdom and judgement upon those who need it,"
Caliborn: AND BY WISDOM I MEAN TORTuRE, MADNESS AND DEATH.
Trian proudly affirmed, remarkably oblivious to the fact that he had just been ridiculed. Then he turned back to Raonar "Now you! Get to the feast!"
"Yes yes! I'll go when I'm ready. Honestly, the way you glare and pout, it's a wonder you haven't gotten a sore throat yet."
"Stubborn are you?" Trian sneered as he passed Raonar by and briefly stopped in his tracks. "When I'm King, I will help you get over that. Come Bhelen!"
Raonar was unimpressed with that warning. For a moment, instead of anger or disdain, he felt pity for his older sibling and how vulnerable he really was to all the intrigue and strife in the assembly. All his life, Trian had been protected by his title as Heir from the worst of the nobles' sinister plots, even as Raonar had to constantly keep an ear to the stone and thwart the various attempts on his life or his honor that various upstarts had set up over the years.
Caliborn: BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.
And they were always there, since his prestige, that even Trian could not match, made him a ripe target at all times. This, of course, came in addition to all the plots against Trian himself that the second son had prevented without demanding any sort of reward or recognition or, indeed, ever making known.
It did not matter, of course. They were all who they chose to be in the end, and Raonar knew that all he could choose was who he himself could be, nothing else. Everyone else will live, and die, according to their own willingness to see the truth from the lie.
Caliborn: FuCK THAT, I'M GONNA LIVE FOREVER.
Yet even knowing this, his heart ached at the knowledge that all men have the same unlimited potential for greatness, and that Trian was wasting his own trying to impose his authority in all the wrong ways.
"Well, that was exciting..." Gorim finally broke the silence. "Nothing like being talked down to by the next king."
"Ignore him. He will do what he wills, as will I," the Prince replied.
Raonar and his second proceeded to browsing the goods of the merchants that had gained permits to sell their wares in the diamond quarter. There were fine silks from the surface lands, fine armor and weapons that, though of high quality, couldn't exactly match the royal armor the second son himself was wearing, and many other items. Eventually, as the two made their way to the gates that separated the Diamond Quarter from the commons, passing by a pair of Noble Hunters on the way, they reached the stall of a weapon merchant who had the look of someone who wanted to say something but didn't know how. Raonar approached the stand and waited for the merchant to gather enough courage to speak.
Caliborn: MOSTLY BECAUSE I HAD TORN OUT HIS VOCAL CORDS.
"My Lord! You honor me by visiting my humble booth! I actually have a proposition, but I dared not approach."
"Yet you dare now?" Gorim cut him off.
"It's fine, I'll hear him out," Raonar calmly answered. The merchant immediately grew hopeful but, either because of enthusiasm or nervousness, he could barely even manage to tie two words together.
"Just so... Here's the thing... What I mean to say is... uuh..."
"It's alright," the Prince said with warm tone.
The merchant finally calmed down and explained how he had ordered a dagger made for the second child of King Endrin, as Raonar was more commonly known among the merchants and lower castes. Apparently, he had sent the dagger to the palace through a messenger but, because of some offence or another, he was thrown out by Prince Trian. Eventually, the merchant brought the dagger out, at which point both Raonar and Gorim conceded that it was a remarkable piece. A sharp, sturdy and shining blade made of pure silverite which had obvious lyrium enchantments woven into it. Raonar could sense a tingle as he passed his fingers across the blade and identified the enchantment as elemental. Ever since he was a child, he had been fascinated by the art of enchantment and read books on it, and the magic of the surface world, whenever he found the time. He mostly regretted that there wasn't much of this time to be found between training and learning the business of politics, but he was lucky that at least his mother, now dead for several years, always supported him.
"Hmmm... Not bad. No doubt it will send a jolt into the blood of anyone unlucky enough to taste it," the Prince remarked.
"You do me great honor Your Highness," the merchant continued. " I wish to give this to you as a gift for your first command, and hope that one day, when you rule, you will wear it."
"Trian is Heir,' intervened Gorim. "He will rule when King Endrin returns to the stone."
"If the Assembly wills it,' the merchant coyly responded. "Forgive me ser, but whispers say that the second son of Endrin will be chosen."
Raonar already knew of this, of course, and it made perfect sense as well. Trian was not exactly popular, and Bhelen was not exactly seen as worthy of note by the nobles, though Raonar knew otherwise. It was logical that he himself would be preferred. The Prince was, after all, the most popular person in the entire city by then and his prestige was only boosted by being named the youngest Commander in Orzammar's History. Only one thing was amiss in this entire painting, and that was that Raonar himself did not want the throne in the slightest. 'Fools and their politics' he always thought. If it were up to him, he would much rather stay as commander of the armies and protect his city without having to deal with the assembly's squabbles. On the other hand, Trian may not have enough backing in the assembly to actually be chosen as king after their father's death. The worst case scenario would be a succession crisis, and that was the last thing anyone wanted.
Caliborn: NOT ME!
"I'll take the dagger..." Raonar eventually decided, much to the merchant's bliss and gratitude.
As he finally walked away, Raonar noticed the one stall he had not visited and, at the same time, was most interested in. There, near the gates, was a dwarf selling magical wares from the Circle of Magi of the surface. The Prince did not try to restrain his delight in the least as he approached the man. Unfortunately, and against all odds, the merchant was even worse at controlling his emotions, promptly passing out from excitement as soon as the Prince got close. There was a moment of silence.
"Wow..." Gorim said in amazement. "He's fainted... You make quite the impression these days."
Raonar sighed. "This is silly. Now where are those things...?"
The Prince seemed to ignore the passed out vendor and started going through his wares without any sort of restraint, even as Gorim uncomfortably noticed the other nobles staring. What caught the second's attention, however, was that the man he had pledged to live and die for looked as though he was actually looking for something specific. Eventually, the warrior decided to ask if he could assist, even if only to end that slightly embarrassing scene more quickly. There was no need, as Raonar had just spotted what he wanted.
"Ah! Here they are!" he exclaimed as he took a pouch of strange dust, took a sniff and recoiled. He coughed. "Yes... (cough).. These are the ones."
Gorim watched with great interest as the Prince leaned over the merchant, who had been lying unconscious on the stone street during the entire time, and placed the pouch right under his nose. Immediately, the merchant stirred and was amazed and startled to wake up to the man of the hour leaning over him. Eventually, he managed to come to his senses and struggled back to his feet, apologizing for making a fool of himself in such a way.
Caliborn: SO THEN HE COMMITED HARA-KIRI FOR DARING TO DISGRACE A NOBLE.
Meanwhile, Gorim and all the other onlookers chuckled in approval as they realized that what Raonar had been looking for was a pouch of smelling salts meant to rouse the ridiculous man. In the end, the merchant offered something special to His Highness as an apology for wasting his time.
"You are familiar with the so-called magical poultices that the surfacer mages create, are you not my lord? I have here something even more special. It is a substance that, when placed upon the wound, solidifies and completely stops any sort of bleeding or other type of complication, whether festering or infections. Please, take it as a apology."
Raonar did not accept it until the merchant agreed to be paid for it, after which the Prince and Gorim left with their escort towards the proving grounds.
The escorts were a funny bunch. They were obviously honored to guard the Prince and were, thus, excessively careful to brusquely move everyone out of their way as they headed towards the Provings. Raonar noticed that the stone slabs that the street was made of were uncharacteristically lustrous compared to several days before, no doubt because they were polished the day prior to the celebration. The Prince couldn't help but feel it was silly of his father to cut off an entire section of the commons just to ensure that his son's boots didn't gather dust as he walked them, though he did appreciate the thought behind it all. Eventually, the concern that the Prince would be harassed on the way to the Provings was proven to be unfounded as the group entered the arena's antechamber.
The second son had been in those halls many times. It was there that, at his Father's urging, he honed his skills by participating in many tournaments, despite not being especially interested in glory. On the other hand, he had always found a certain thrill in battle and felt especially accomplished when he was able to defeat his opponents without even making them bleed.
Caliborn: NOW I HATE THIS GUY EVEN MORE.
Not exactly a useful ability when fighting Darkspawn, of course, but he still felt good about it. Now had come the point where he could enter his own Provings and gain even more honor, but he knew that this was not why he had come.
A fight of the first bout had just concluded when Raonar and Gorim reached the seat of the Proving Master.
"Ah My Lord!" the Proving Master enthusiastically greeted the honored guest. "Have you come to see these young warriors do battle in your honor?"
"Well, I was initially going to fight and become the champion of my own Provings, but I'm more interested in something that happened here a couple of days ago," the Prince said very matter-of-factly. "Something about a castless man impersonating a warrior and dishonoring our traditions perhaps? I understand you were incredibly outraged by it,"he added with an obvious tint of irony. The Proving Master's demeanor immediately became annoyed.
"Ah, so you've heard about that, Your Highness. It was a disaster, a disgrace to everything these Provings represent! It disgusts me to even think about it and I would be most grateful if you let me put it out of my mind. Either way, you'll probably have better luck with Ser Gorrel, the proving trainer. He seems to have a better taste for gossip than most."
Raonar promptly waved at Gorim before the latter had a chance to rebuff the Proving Master for being so disrespectful to his liege. After that, they made their way to their seats, where a brown-haired dwarf, dressed in strong, veridium-wrought heavy dwarven armor waited. There was the one that knew all about the castless bruiser incident and was, in fact, quite eager to gossip about it. Raonar found out that the culprit had impersonated a drunken Everd and won all the fights up until the final bout, when Everd stumbled, dead drunk, into the arena and busted him. After that, the bruiser refused to reveal himself, demanding the respect he was owed for defeating the warrior caste's strongest. Needless to say, he was eventually cornered by guards, at which point he proudly took off his helmet and stupefied everyone in the audience when his brand was in plain sight. After that, the Proving Master had him arrested, which, of course, didn't exactly go smoothly as the man knocked out several guards and gave the captain a black eye before he was finally overwhelmed and captured.
Caliborn: FINALLY, A LITTLE ACTION.
Raonar listened to the tale with great interest. The first thing that struck him was that, officially, castless aren't even allowed to carry weapons, yet this one had managed to wipe the floor with even the Warrior Caste's greatest, not to mention most of the entire guard patrol on duty at the time.
"Where is this man now?" the Prince eventually asked.
"There's the thing..." the trainer responded. "He's nowhere to be found. He never made it to the prison after he was apprehended and when he was finally cornered again, he was coming out of a shop in the commons, completely covered in blood. But the weirdest part is that there was only a confused merchant inside and no signs of battle. He was taken back to the prison, but somehow disappeared by this morning."
"Maybe he escaped," Gorim hypothesized. "If he was able to sneak on the grounds and bluff his way all the way into the arena then he probably knows his way around locks and cages."
"That, or he was smuggled out of the prison and caged somewhere else, maybe as punishment for ruining the plans of this Beraht fellow," Raonar guessed. "Gorim, I think I know what we'll be doing for the rest of the day," he then added with a grin and an eerie glint in his eyes.
Caliborn: I HOPE IT INVOLVES KILLING PEOPLE.
Gorim followed his lord and, along with the escort, left the Proving Grounds even though the fights had only just started. Their guards were already making their way back to the Diamond Quarter, but what they didn't know was that their two charges had other plans. Gorim noticed how his lord was looking in the direction of the lower levels of the city and how he let out a smug chuckle when he noticed a more crowded area.
"My Lord," Gorim whispered, "You know I'm right behind you, but is this truly wise?"
Raonar did not even bother to answer. As soon as their guards shifted their attention towards the many who were bustling, trying to get a clear view of the new commander, the Prince grabbed Gorim by the arm, snatched a pair o grey cloaks that hanged off a stall next to them and promptly slipped out of sight, getting lost in the crowds even before anyone noticed that anything had been stolen. Within less than a minute, their faces and fine garb were concealed beneath the simple cloaks and they looked no different from all the other merchants and customers that were swarming around them. The two quickly put distance between themselves and their escorts, who had, by now, become incredibly alarmed at having lost sight of the ones they were sworn to guard with their lives. Raonar knew he had made life rather complicated for them, but his goal was set.
The Prince had heard much talk of Dust Town, but he had never really set foot in that place. Thus, he was not completely prepared for the disrepair and desperation that the area emanated.
Lux: Dispair! Dust Txwn has left me in dispair!
All over, beggars with brands on their faces waited with hopeless eyes for someone to take pity and throw them a copper or two. Most of them didn't even have anything more than some rags on their backs and even the common grey cloaks that the Prince and Gorim were now clad in seemed like a rich man's attire. Gorim felt very uncomfortable, and unsafe, but he kept silent as he noticed the pain that washed over his lord. The cowl obscured most of his features, but enough of the Prince's face was still visible and Gorim remembered the many times Raonar had condemned the caste system and all the foolish traditions that led their people to this sorry state. The warrior could do nothing but stay silent and follow the Prince as he walked the narrow, darkened streets. Their revelry was soon interrupted, however, as they suddenly found themselves unexpectedly surrounded by thugs whose faces could not be seen because of the shadows.
Or, at least, Gorim thought it was unexpected. Raonar had noticed their stalkers ever since he had first entered Dust Town and had made a point of finding a place more out of sight, where he could deal with them without being discovered. This was also an opportunity to squeeze some information about the one he was looking for. Gorim, on the other hand, had nervously grabbed onto the hilt of his sword, not visible under his cloak, and waited to see what their hidden assailants were going to do.
"Go easy on them Gorim, and no killing," the second son whispered.
Eventually, one of the thieves spotted a glint of Raonar's silver-plated ceremonial armor and had just about lunged at the noble. He needn't have bothered. By the time he had a chance to move, Gorim had already taken out his steel shield and slammed it into the face of the nearest attacker. He then proceeded to knocking him out, along with another one who had tried to stab him from behind. By the time he was done with those two, Raonar had knocked unconscious, disarmed or immobilized the other four. One of them was begging to be spared already, which sat very well with the Prince, as this could only mean he was all the more willing to talk.
Caliborn: WORST. FIGHT. EVER.
"You should pick your targets more carefully," Raonar advised as he approached the frightened duster. He was wearing a suit of tattered but well-made leather armor and was obviously not just another beggar. "Since you were so effective at spotting us and following us as soon as we entered this part of the city, I assume you had been tipped off by some sort of observer from the commons, am I right?"
The duster grew even more fearful, almost terrified at how easily the stranger had perceived the truth. Raonar them started questioning him about who he was, who he was working for and any other information that could come in useful. Surprisingly, though scared witless, the mugger refused to give up the secrets of the Carta, until Gorim noted, in a very 'friendly' manner, that the legal punishment for a castless trying to steal from the noble caste is getting one's arms cut off, followed by public execution. Raonar did not enjoy seeing his friend terrorize the bandit so, but he knew it was necessary. Eventually, the duster was ready to be questioned. What followed was less than expected however.
"I need to know where I can find this Beraht fellow. And I'm also looking for a missing person," the second son declared.
"I uuh.. a missing duster?" the castless man asked in confusion. "I wouldn't know anything about that, honest! Maybe this isn't common where you're from, but in these parts, people die and disappear every sodding day. But Beraht... don't you know? He's..." The bandit suddenly stopped, no doubt startled that he was just about to reveal something important.
"He's what?" Raonar asked impatiently, but then a realization struck him. "Ah... I see... He's dead isn't he? Which means that the blood that the castless bruiser from the Provings was covered in was his," he said as he turned to Gorim.
"Provings?" the confused bandit asked. "Ooooh, so that's what this is about! That duster that screwed up bad and cost Beraht a ton of sovereings! If he's who you're looking for, you can put it out of your head. Jarvia's got him locked up tight in the Carta's hideout, and if he's not dead by now, he soon will be!"
"Oh, is that so? Well then, it shouldn't be a problem if you told me where he was."
After a bit more prodding, the mugger unwillingly surrendered the location of the Carta's current entrance, as well as the finger bone token needed to open the door. After that, he was quite surprised to find himself free to go on his way as Gorim and his Lord left the scene.
Gorim kept an eye out for more bandits but they seemed to have finished with the ignoble assailants for the time being. He then followed Raonar and both made their way through the filthy streets, littered with trash and marked by buildings fallen into disrepair. The warrior found it hard to believe that, at one point, this Dust Town looked the same as the Commons or, indeed, perhaps even the Diamond Quarter itself, before the upper levels were carved into the stone. As they walked on, Raonar slid some silvers to every beggar he passed by, even though most would have been satisfied with a couple of coppers. 'The Dwarves can do better than this' Raonar thought to himself and wondered just how the upper castes could even live with themselves knowing the wretched fate they had sentenced these poor souls to.
Caliborn: IN A SOLID GOLD ROOM FILLED WITH BOOZE AND WOMEN, MOST LIKELY.
These musings would have to wait, however, as the duo soon found the place they were looking for.
The fake wall slid to the side quite readily when the finger bone slot was inserted. At that moment, Gorim grabbed his Lord's arm and looked very worried.
"My Lord, I ask that you reconsider. This... This is foolhardy! I will follow you even to the deepest reaches of the deep roads but I couldn't forgive myself if you perished ahead of time because I was too afraid to speak. You heard that scared fool, this man we're looking for is probably already dead, or soon will be. Are you really going to risk your life by going in there, even knowing that all you may find is a cold, disfigured corpse? You are the Prince and Commander of the armies! If you fall here, what will Orzammar do? Will they even know what happened to you? Will they even find a trace? Will they even think to look for you here?"
Raonar gazed at his loyal friend and knew that his words came only out of concern. Gorim was a stout man who would never flinch in front of danger. The Prince knew also that what he said was completely true. Should he die there, no traces will ever be found and his father would likely be broken to lose his child, though Trian and a certain other someone may feel glad to some extent. But this was all irrelevant. The Prince had come to fulfill a task, and it was not just to please a pretty lady. He wanted to know, wanted to be sure: can there really be more honor and trust among the castless than there is among the scheming nobles? This search was going to end either with him gaining perfect clarity of purpose, or his death.
CALIBORN: PERFERABLY THE LATTER.
Besides, if this Jarvia wanted the one he was looking for dead, she would have just killed him instead of smuggling him out of the prison cells.
"In truth..." the Prince finally replied to his companion, "I would rather go on alone. I would much rather have you return to the Diamond Quarter, get some guards and come back for me. Of course, I know you'll never agree to let me go in there by myself. I do not ask that you try to understand my reasons. Truthfully, even if you did understand them, you may just reach the conclusion that I am an idealistic fool that hasn't yet learned a lesson in humility by suffering failure. And, of course, this may very well be true. But I am going to do this either way."
Gorim said nothing. Only once before had the Prince said something like this to him and, though it made him a bit upset at the time, he eventually gained understanding. It was when the Prince participated in Trian's first expedition into the Deep Roads. Raonar was just a month away from turning 20 at the time and suddenly, or so it seemed, decided to go on ahead of the main troops. Gorim, needless to say, went with him, to act as his loyal second as shield, as was his due. Later, he found that, though the Prince had been acting all humorous and coy, he had, in fact, gone ahead to prevent an ambush that had been planned by house Gavorn and was meant to get the 'undesirable heir' out of the picture. Raonar slipped a drug into their rations and was gone before they had a chance to notice. Trian and his own patrol passed by while the would-be ambushers were all passed out.
Lux: I'm taking notes here...
The only reward that Raonar got from all that was being publicly reprimanded by his elder in front of the soldiers for "going on ahead and acting like a child." And, even after all that, the people of Orzammar still gained a greater love for the second son than they have for the future ruler.
"As you will, My Lord. If you wish to proceed, than I wish for nothing more than to make sure you survive, even at the cost of my own life," Gorim declared, solemnly. He knew how ridiculous that really sounded but he did not mind in the slightest.
Predictably, they were faced with resistance as soon as they entered the tunnels. Fortunately, however, there were only a couple of guards stationed there and, thanks to them being bored out of their wits, they weren't exactly quick to notice the intruders, which made their loss of consciousness all the more sudden. Raonar was determined not to kill unless it was completely necessary, knowing that most of the men there turned to crime because they had no other options.
Caliborn: SIGH.
He would not shrink from what he had to do, however, and as the two moved on, they tried their best to stay out of sight. Regrettably, the rustle of their coats of plates didn't help them much in this regard and they were suddenly set on by five thugs, one of which had a bow. The two intruders immediately took cover, and while Gorim managed to shove a sword through the chest of his nearest assailant, Raonar found that it was obviously not very easy to engage two people at once while also having to keep an eye out for the possibility of an arrow piercing his skull.
Gorim killed off another of the thugs and ran along the side of some crates in order to stay out of the sight of the female archer.
Caliborn: OH GOOD, SOMEONE ACTuALLY GETS KILLED.
He then rammed his shield into one of the men his Lord was holding off. At that moment, with one bandit on the ground and the other distracted, the Prince suddenly threw his sword straight at the archer, which went through her chest quite readily. The following instant, Raonar smashed his own silverite shield into the face of the last opponent left standing. At the end of it all, the only one alive was the one Gorim had bashed, and Raonar took this opportunity to get some answers.
After a bit of intimidation, the rogue surrendered all he knew about the imprisoned duster.
"It definitely wasn't a pleasant ride to get this far," Gorim begun, "But I still think that we encountered too little resistance. This can't be all of the Carta thugs in Orzammar, can they?"
"The most are probably out in the commons, cutting purses and roughing up merchants for 'protection',", the Prince immediately deduced. "Despicable, but this gives us an advantage. Let's go get this guy and get out of here."
The two went on their way, but not before knocking the remaining rogue senseless. Soon enough, they stood before the door that led to the prison cells. Gorim leaned in to listen and slowly pried the door open without making a sound. Four men could be seen through the crack, as well as two prisoners, each in their own cell. One of them was heavily bruised and had both his wrists and feet shackled in irons, but his hazel eyes burned fiercely from behind the bars of the cell, like those of a cornered beast that is about to turn into something formidable, or so it seemed to the Prince.
"Don't think you'll escape this time," sneered one of them at the captive apparently worse for wear. "I don't know how you managed to escape yesterday or even how some scum like you managed to kill Beraht, but Jarvia ain't happy about that. She told us we would have to keep a really close eye on you until she got back, but she ain't said that we have to leave all your limbs on. So you be a good little boy and behave yourself." The thug started laughing after that, a sound like snarling combined with belches and Darkspawn screams.
"That guy is drunk," Raonar thought and did nothing to restrain his smirk as he busted open the door. "Guess what!" he shouted. "Jarvia's going to be a while. I don't suppose you'll just agree to hand those two over to us peacefully, would you?"
The Carta men were surprised, and a little startled, as the two stepped in, still clad in their cloaks, now stained with blood. "Sorry, the other guys are either taking a nap or being greeted by their ancestors right about now," Gorim added.
"Who the hell are you?" sneered the supposed jailor again. "How the hell did you get in here? No, nevermind that. We'll just kill you and find out when someone comes looking for your corpse!
Caliborn: I LIKE THIS GUY. HE'S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA.
Attack!"
The ensuing fight did not last very long, being in close quarters, but Raonar did notice that, while the so-called criminals didn't look like they had any formal battle training, they could hold their own as well as any soldier. Most likely they had gained a high endurance from the frequent brawls they engaged in. Eventually, only one of the four guards was left standing, at which point a fifth jumped out from the shadows, aiming straight for Raonar's throat. Fortunately, the Prince noticed him in time and escaped with a minor cut. Unfortunately for the duster, he got too close to the cell door of the aforementioned prisoner, who immediately somehow slipped his right hand out of the shackles and grabbed the assailant by the back of the neck. The next moment, Raonar saw said duster plummet to the floor. Some way or another, the prisoner had hit a sensitive point on his neck, causing him to lose consciousness.
Over the next minute or so, Raonar and Gorim watched as the prisoner dragged the body of the one he had incapacitated closer. After that, he took the key from his body and unlocked the irons he was fastened with, as well as his and the other dwarf's cell.
"Man," the other prisoner uttered as he finally got out of the cell. "I thought we were never getting outta there!"
Finally, the dwarf that seemed to have suffered the most bodily harm stepped into the dim light made by the candles on the wall. He looked strong and had long, dark red hair, gathered in a braided tail at the back. His face was covered in bruises but his thick stubble and moustache made most of them look less out of place than they would otherwise have seemed. The black brand on his right cheek extended upwards, over his eye, but the look in those eyes was not one of submission or even hesitation. This man obviously knew no fear and Raonar immediately understood why the girl in the palace spoke of him with such fondness.
"So, I noticed you didn't kill him," Raonar told the red-haired. "How come?"
The former prisoner smirked. "I'm just funny that way," he said.
"Right, it's nice you still have that sense of humor, even after they clobbered you for hours," the other prisoner said. "Anyway, I think it's high time you told us who you were and why you came here. I can't imagine you came to get us out, I doubt anyone even known we're still alive."
"This is..." Gorim begun, but was cut off by Raonar who waved at him to stop.
"Let's just say we were in the neighborhood and figured we'd pay the beloved Carta a visit. You know, it's the only polite thing to do," the Prince said with a grin.
The red-haired captive stared back at him with a smirk of his own. He could not see behind the simple, grey cloaks that the two were wearing, but judging from the metal noises made during the fight, he could guess that they were both wearing heavy armor underneath. He then noticed the uncharacteristically white hair of the one who had just spoken, and how carefully his moustache and beard had been arranged into several braids. Between that and the lack of brands on any of their faces, he easily realized they weren't from the neighborhood, or even Dust Town for that matter.
"Well, if it's going to be that way..." the prisoner said "I'll just call you... stranger. You can call me Faren, by the way, proud former underling of the crime boss of these parts, though I suspect you already knew that. And this here," he points at his friend "Is my buddy Leske."
"Proud former underling, you say. Interesting choice of words," the 'stranger' replied with a cunning smile.
"Heh!", Faren laughed. "So you did understand what I was saying. At least you're not as stupid as these louts. I can't tell you how glad I was to finally get rid of that bastard!"
"Here," Raonar suddenly said as he threw a red glass vial towards Faren, which the latter easily caught. "I noticed you broke your own right thumb in order to get your hand out of those chains. Drink that, it should mend the damage. Your bruises will probably fade away a little too."
"Ah, a healing poultice is it? From the merchants in the upper quarters. I heard about these, but never really managed to afford to buy one.
Caliborn: HEALING POTIONS ARE THE WORST; YOU CAN'T USE THEM AS WEAPONS BECAUSE THEY DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF KILLING PEOPLE. AND WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO FIGHTING THAN KILLING PEOPLE?
Lux: Staying alive?
Caliborn: THAT JUST MEANS I NEED TO KILL EVERYONE ELSE BEFORE THEY KILL ME.
Lux: Ah.
Not that people around here are usually left in a state where it would do them any good," Faren smugly noted, just before drinking it down, not bothering to consider it may have been just a poison or some drug. The effects were immediately felt and the man was visibly more comfortable now that his bones were not aching and his cuts not festering. Raonar passed him another one, 'just in case' he said, and they all made their way out of the tunnels, fortunately without any further incidents.
As they walked along the streets of Dust Town, Raonar easily noticed how the man he had just helped free was growing increasingly impatient, especially after Leske took his leave, saying he had seen enough dungeons to last for a lifetime. His pace got increasingly quick and no doubt the only thing that prevented him from simply storming off to whatever he was searching for was his curiosity. Who was this upper class individual and why had he come with just one assistant into the bowels of Orzammar's underworld? Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned towards Raonar.
"Look, you helped me get out of that dungheap of a cell and I'm grateful, but I've lived enough to know that nothing ever comes without a price. What was your interest in the Carta and why are you going the same way I am?"
"Come now," Raonar replied. "I know you already have your suspicions, but I'll do you the favor of coming clean, I suppose. The fact of the matter is that I wanted to see if there was really more worth to be found in the so-called castless thugs than in the nobles of the Assembly. As for why I'm tagging along, well, I want to see where you live of course!"
"That's ridiculous!" Faren blurted. "You're talking nonsense, and you should know that most people here don't really have any 'place to live.' the most 'fortunate' make a living inside derelict buildings, which are already few enough. The rest sleep on the street and hope not to die overnight, though that's how most of us return to our ancestors." The castless man sighed deeply, not knowing what to say next. After that, he looked in the distance, as if wondering about something.
"Look," he eventually continued, "just tell me what you want."
Raonar looked at him at length and his hazel eyes seemed to glow as the light from the lava flow behind them reflected in his iris. With his bruises gone, the man's countenance had actually taken on a slightly intimidating appearance. All that Faren lacked was a proper set of clothes or armor and a helmet to hide the brand. Had he those, he would have looked just as well, if not more proper, than any respected warrior of the city. Raonar stroked his beard a bit as he studied Faren's features, during which time the latter crossed hands and waited uncharacteristically patiently for his so-called rescuer to finish his scrutiny. Suddenly, Raonar threw back his cloak, revealing the high-quality silverite armor, with gold plating, underneath. Needless to say, this captured all of the attention of Faren, though what happened next was even more unexpected.
Raonar undid the fastenings on his coat of plates and let his armor fall to the ground, even as Gorim watched without saying a word. He had known the Prince long enough to be aware that he could never be persuaded not to do something. He also knew that the Prince always considered every possible outcome before taking such an action. Eventually, the Prince was clad only in his boots and his silk garments, patched with leather on the inside in order to prevent armor chafing.
"Gorim, give me your sword," the second son suddenly ordered. Gorim did not hesitate in doing so. The next moment, the sword flew straight towards Faren, whose quick hands easily grabbed it by the hilt in mid air. A look of confusion passed over his face, but was quickly chased away when Raonar drew out a fancy-looking but obviously masterfully-crafted lyrium-folded dagger.
"Hmm..." Raonar smirked as he threw it towards Faren, as he had done with Gorim's blade. "You're no fool but you still decided to break the thumb on your right hand earlier. This probably means you're ambidextrous, which means that fighting with two weapons must be your style. Now then..." the Prince drew his own sword and readied his shield, "Here, on these streets, we'll have a match. No armor, only strength of arms will define the victor."
Caliborn: YES! ANOTHER FIGHT!
Faren didn't have time to say how completely ridiculous and senseless the situation was because Raonar immediately charged him. With his armor off, he moved noticeably faster than what he showed during the earlier fights. He immediately lunged the shield at Faren's face, but when the latter dodged without much difficulty, he noticed that it was, in fact, a feint. The Prince continued with a thrust of his ceremonial blade and only just missed his opponent's neck. There was no time to gloat, however, as Faren got serious and counterattacked. The way he fought was not what Raonar expected. Faren side-stepped and, with great speed, got close enough to the Prince as to try and slip the dagger behind the shield itself. The goal was to either incapacitate Raonar's arm or cut off the belts that held the shield fastened to it. Fortunately, the second son managed to duck and spin his arm around in time to avoid the trick, though he was forced to evade and jump back in order to get away from the descending sword strike that immediately followed.
The battle looked serious on both sides, and Gorim had begun to ask himself whether he should have refused to hand his sword over to the castless criminal. On the other hand, as the two exchanged blows and skillfully evaded each other's feints, the 'glow' in Raonar's eyes became brighter. Gorim could only assume that his Lord was enjoying himself and remembered that he had only once seen that ecstatic expression on Raonar's face before. No, not ecstatic, it looked more as though the Prince was pouring all his skill and will into shattering any obstacles that stood in the way of his finding out just what his opponent's heart was saying. The only time when that gaze surfaced, as Gorim recalled it, was about a year back, when the Prince was playing a game of chess against Bhelen, his younger sibling. Raonar won, but later told Gorim that Bhelen actually let him win, though he tried to hide it. This, of course, meant that Raonar was also only playing with the goal of perceiving his brother's feelings. Gorim never did find out who would have won if both had been playing to win. Unfortunately, he didn't really have time to analyze his memory of the event because the two fighters decided to change the pace.
What happened next was more than a little surprising. Both Raonar and Faren started to slow down and stumble on their own blows, until they both collapsed to the ground, next to each other and started to laugh as loud as they could. And what laughter it was! Gorim could swear that he had never heard his Lord make that sound, that strong, unstoppable flow of sheer delight.
Caliborn: DAMN IT, WHY DO SO MANY OF THESE FIGHTS END WITHOUT ANYONE DYING?
Swords fell, the Prince's shield clattered to the floor and, now, the Prince and the Castless were lying on the ground, face up, next to each other, laughing as though they had just killed all the Darkspawn in Thedas and restored all the lost Thaigs of the old Empire. The born and bred warrior could only stand there, watching those two in sheer amazement and realizing that they had just laid their heart bare in front of each other. "There are men of words and men of deeds," Gorim remembered his Lord saying, long ago, "But I like to think I am a bit of both. I'll probably behave in a very uncharacteristic manner when I meet someone similar." It was a foolish idea, Gorim thought, as he firmly believed that his master was not just a bit, but the perfect merger of both those ideals. He chuckled to himself, realizing he had almost come to worship Raonar, the one now lying on dusty stone slabs in the least glorious posture the warrior had ever seen. And yet he regretted not the way he felt.
"Phew..." Faren finally managed to utter after his lungs settled down. "You fight like a tempest, my friend. I dare say that taking off your armor gave you an advantage instead of a handicap."
"No kidding," Raonar replied after his own breath stabilized. "I'm certain now that you definitely won the Provings without any tricks. On my search for you, I considered the possibility that you, or someone else, drugged the other fighters in order to rig the fights. I'm really happy to see this isn't the case."
Faren and Raonar didn't get back up until they had had their fill of amusement, but the former immediately got back to his original questions.
"Now that you admitted you were searching for me, I want to know why. What could a respectable noble like yourself want with a castless criminal like me?" His tone was understandably ironic, especially when he pronounced the words 'respectable noble', and the Prince picked right up on that. He didn't feel in any way offended, of course, since nobles were hardly respectable even by his standards. If anything, he gained the deepest respect for this man whom the Memories supposedly deem unworthy of recording. The Prince had found what he had been searching for, the confirmation that his city, Orzammar itself, was completely screwed up. He couldn't decide between being happy or outraged about finding this answer at last.
"What, you're saying you don't have anyone who would be worried about you? I just happened to... run into someone who does and then used my own methods to track you down" the second son frankly stated.
"Fine, evade the question!" Faren glared back, "but Just tell me who in the world are you anyway? And who told you of me? If I had to guess it would be my sister, since no one else not imprisoned at the time would have known I was gone. Don't tell me you're the patron she was talking about!"
Raonar tried to no avail to contain his laughter. "Hahaha, yes, I suppose it would be horrible for your sister if she was anywhere near me. Very subtle of you indeed!"
"Ad, sod it!" Faren immediately got back up and started to straighten himself, to dust off his torn suit of duster leather as well as he could. "She's probably back at the house by now. And mother. Oh, I wonder what that old, useless woman has been doing! She probably doesn't even know I'm missing. No doubt she's laying under the table with yet another bottle of moss-wine in her hand."
Raonar looked quietly as Faren talked to himself, until the latter remembered he was not alone. "I am not your sister's patron," the Prince said. "But if it's as you say, she's probably waiting for you, so we should get going."
"No," Faren said up front. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me who you really are. What kind of armor is that?" he asked as Raonar picked up his breastplate and, aided by Gorim, started to strap it back on. "it's fancier than any armor I've ever seen that isn't completely impractical and hard to move in. And you fight better than any of those grunts that supposedly earned glory in the deep roads."
The Prince did not immediately answer. Did he have the right? If he were to tell him who he was, that he was the Prince of Orzammar, the supposedly most popular person in the entire city, it probably wouldn't have made any difference to the so-called castless criminal. But if he did reveal his identity, if he had somehow drawn this man into his world, chances were that his hard life, the dangers of dwarven politics and the ever looming poisoned chalice would transfer over to this duster. If so, Raonar would be completely responsible for ruining his, his sister's and his mother's lives, even though he went to the trouble of rescuing him from the dungeons. 'No', he thought, "Dust Town alone is enough for them to worry about. My problems will not reach them."
Caliborn: STOP TALKING ALREADY.
"Now now, you already guessed I'm a noble, so let's leave it at that for now. You should already know that, at times, the less you know, the better," the Prince said with complete honesty. "Come! Gorim and I will accompany you to your home, then we will take our leave."
"Hmpf!" Faren scoffed, but said nothing more.
After Raonar put his armor firmly back on, he put on his now blood-splattered grey cloak and got ready to leave, when Faren approached and handed Gorim's sword and the enchanted dagger back.
"Don't forget these, my lord," Faren said, somewhat annoyed for not having had all his questions answered. "Just so you know, I can find out who you are on my own just as well," he then added smugly. Raonar smiled and gave Gorim back his sword, but refused to take the masterwork dagger back.
"If you're so determined, I've no doubt you'll readily learn all you wish. That's why you should keep this dagger close at hand. If you really can't help yourself and get involved in the matters of the upper castes, this blade will at least help save your life when you see just how better it would have been to leave matters as they are now. Keep your wits about you."
Faren definitely did not expect to be told something like this. Normally, he would have taken it as bluster and would have dismissed the line as a cocky comment. But he had just fought this person and knew that he was as straightforward as he was out of place among the derelict walls of the slums. And yet the way he deflected all of his questions and practically convinced him to let the matter rest revealed a very cunning mind underneath that humorous attitude. What's more, the stranger's companion, obviously a manservant of some sort, was obviously completely devoted. The more he analyzed the situation, the clearer it became that his life, whether he wanted or not, had just become much more interesting. That, and the bright white hair and beard that the upper classman had were definitely uncommon. It would be easy to find out just who this mystery man was, Faren concluded, and said nothing more.
The trio departed and, since Faren was in kind of a hurry, they quickly walked down the streets of dust town until they arrived at the small slum house that sat on the fringe, just next to the cliff besides the large lava pool that boiled underneath the city. Raonar had intended to leave as soon as the house was in sight, but Faren threatened to stalk him all the way back to the diamond quarter if he didn't at least come inside. Raonar realized, of course, that what the duster hoped was for Rica to be there. If she was, Faren would immediately find out if there is a connection between the stranger and his sister depending on her reaction. Fortunately, only a few hours had gone by since the Prince and Gorim has slipped out of the sight of their escorts, which meant that Rica was probably still at the palace. They agreed to go in.
It was as Raonar had assumed, the girl was absent. Needless to say, this didn't calm down Faren much, but at least his mother was there, exactly as the duster had expected, passed out under the table.
"Sorry," Faren said somewhat uncomfortable. "I guess inviting you in to this spectacular view wasn't exactly the best idea in the world after all. I always keep telling her that the moss-wine will eventually rot her brains, but she never listens." The Prince could clearly see the sadness that Faren was trying to hide as he forced a humorous tone into those words.
"it's fine," Raonar answered with a strange look, as though he was recalling a distant memory. "People don't usually drink themselves witless unless they are desperate or suffer from a severe lack of self-confidence. I'm sure she loves you, but you should know that you can't really do anything about it in her stead. People choose who they are by themselves, even if they would like to believe they have no such choices." He paused and then chuckled. "Though I suppose saying that to a duster that is considered less than an animal by his own people isn't exactly very appropriate or accurate, now is it?" The Prince sighed deeply. "Anyway, Gorim and I will be going now. Don't worry. I'm sure your sister will come home soon! If she's a red-haired with two strands of hair floating along her cheeks, then she's probably the one I caught a glimpse of earlier in the Diamond Quarter."
It was a half-truth, of course. The prince had caught more than just a glimpse, but those words played their part. Faren's fears that Rica may have been abused by Beraht's or Jarvia's thugs were dispelled. He could now be at ease, knowing that nothing irreversible happened during his imprisonment.
...
Do write a review if you will.
Caliborn: OKAY, DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY REVIEW? THIS STORY SUCKS! IT'S JUST A BUNCH OF BORING PEOPLE TALKING AND THE FIGHT SCENES ARE LAME BECAuSE NOBODY IMPORTANT DIES IN THEM. I WANNA SEE CORPSES PILED uP BY THE TRUCKLOAD, NOT ICKY DWARVEN DATING SIM THE RPG OR WHATEVER. ALSO THERE WEREN'T ANY DRAGONS, WHICH MEANS IT SUCKED. DON'T YOU AGREE, LUX?
Lux: Actually, nx.
Caliborn: WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?
Lux: It was faithful tx the setting, an intersting stxry, and had a prxtagxnist whx bxth likable and badass. And while I admit he skirts the Mary Sue line, his victxry was far fxrm effxrtless, and given his backrxund there's prxbably going to be plenty of cxmplexitxries as the stxry prxgresses. Xverall it's a great start and I'm lxxking fxward to seeing the rest.
Caliborn: OKAY, THAT'S IT. I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID ABOuT SuPERVILLAIN TRAINING.
Lux: Well that's okay with that because you're a complete idiombicil. In fact if anything yxu've taught me tx be less cartxxnish, or else I'll end up as stupid as yxu are. In maybe I'll even get into white collar crime.
Caliborn: FINE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T CARE. JuST GO OFF AND DO WHATEVER. WHO NEEDS YOU ANYWAY?
Lux: Xkie dxkie, then. Bye.
Caliborn: YEAH, YOu JUST KEEP WALKING AWAY! WHO NEEDS YOu!? WHO NEEDS ANY OF YOu?! I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD JUST FINE BY MYSELF! YOu HEAR ME!? I'LL DO IT ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!
Rica was completely shaken up. In just a moment he had seen through her completely. He had risked being hated in order to perceive her heart, her life. She now realized that what the Prince had done was just an act, though she still could not fully understand his reasons. Suddenly she felt a bit lightheaded and as she grew dizzy, she felt her falling body being gently caught and held by a pair of soft, strong arms. By the time her senses returned, she sat on the bed, with Raonar next to her, holding her up, though his hold of her was in no way as invasive as before.
"F-forgive me, M-my Lord... I don't know what caused me to..."
"It's alright. It's my fault after all," Raonar replied as he carefully let go of her and walked away.
"Your family is very lucky to have you, even though I can see from the way you carry yourself that they aren't the only party involved in your being here," he said as he looked sternly at her. "Someone's trying to exploit your situation, aren't they? I imagine that the castless don't easily get a hold of the garments and education that noble hunters clearly have."
Unexpectedly, Rica felt a feeling of gratitude wash over her. This was the first person who ever praised her, besides her little brother. The Prince had known her for but a few minutes and already knew more about her than she would have ever told. But then, she grew fearful when he started questioning her about whose hand was in her being there. She kept trying to evade the questions, but Raonar always managed to pry information from her. Her life in Dust Town, how they were forced to live, how she became a noble hunter out of necessity. Eventually, only the details that her life hanged upon remained unsaid.
Caliborn: BOOOOORRRINNNNG.
"So you have a brother. Where is he now? Why doesn't he do something instead of letting you do this to yourself?" Raonar finally asked her up front.
"I.. well.. I mean... Please, My Lord, don't ask me anything else. And don't think ill of my brother, he's sacrificed more than I have trying to keep me safe and now he's... I mean... no, please My Lord, if you're truly not heartless, don't torture me with these questions anymore."
Caliborn: MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY. GET TO THE GOOD PARTS ALREADY!
Rica turned away quickly, but not before Raonar noticed the tears welling up in her eyes. He made a short gesture to Gorim, who then left the chamber in a hurry, after which the Prince approached the girl who had started sobbing softly, trying to hold back her tears. Then she suddenly felt a soft touch on her shoulder as Raonar slowly turned her around. The face she met was stern, but had an air of fatherly affection about it, definitely not what she had expected.
"You've only met me, but it's alright. You can tell me everything," the Prince said softly as the lass gave in and surrendered herself to his embrace. "What happened? I'm guessing that the fact that you tripped on your own words meant that you were trying to keep up an act. What was it you really wanted from Bhelen that you were waiting for him so impatiently?
Caliborn: WHO IS THE MILKMAN? WHAT IS THE PuRPOSE OF THE GOGGLES?
That look in your eyes right now speaks of fear, fear for someone other than yourself."
Caliborn: LIKE ME! MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!
"Oh my lord!" she said between sobs. "I did want to ask something of your brother, even though it's far too early and presumptuous of me to think my problems are of any note to someone like him. " Raonar said nothing, letting her take her time. "I'm scared my lord, my brother, he's..." She stopped suddenly, and Raonar realized that this was the point where she may reveal something critical that may end up worse for her in the long run. But he had heard enough and already had an idea of what she was getting to.
"You speak as though you rely on him greatly. He must be a very strong man to warrant your respect, especially if he's your younger sibling. But he lives in Dust Town, so I suppose he got by doing the only thing he could." Rica stopped sobbing and was instead completely surprised to see just how easily he Prince deduced her situation. " So, am I right to assume that he did something to anger his boss and is now in trouble of some kind?" he asked.
Rica seemed to calm down and drew away. "You truly are as the rumors say, your highness. But what you guessed is not completely on the mark. My brother, he's a very strong person. A strong fighter, quick-witted and agile, but he's also always had a knack for knowing what to do and when to do it. That caught the eye of the local crime lord."
"From what I've heard, the Carta is currently run by a man named Beraht," noted Gorim, who had meanwhile returned with a basin of water and a towel. "Shrewd fellow, made deals with surfacers and smuggles lyrium and other goods. He's made a lot of gold, bribed a lot of guards and preyed only on the dusters, which is why he got away with it long enough to buy off half the authorities in the commons,"
"Yes, sounds a lot like a certain other very subtle person I know, someone deemed too irrelevant until it's too late," Raonar responded with a sigh. "But this is not the point." he turned to Rica and wiped away her tears with the towel that Gorim had brought. "What happened to your brother, child?"
"I... I don't know your highness. That's why I'm so scared! He's missing, he's been missing since yesterday.
Claiborn: WHO CARES? I DON'T.
All I heard was that he got into some trouble on the proving grounds, something about impersonating some fighter. Next thing I knew was that he somehow got captured and now.. I don't know where he is!" Rica was obviously desperate, her hands clutching on the towel Raonar had given her.
"At the Provings? This should be interesting," Raonar thought to himself. "Are castless even allowed on the grounds? Wait, I suppose this Beraht did something to let him in, wanted to rig some fights to win some bets no doubt. So you don't know where he is?" Rica shook her head, then the Prince turned to Gorim. "Well, you did want to see the Provings anyway, didn't you Gorim?" he asked with a sly grin.
"I suppose I did say that, My Lord," Gorim answered with a smile of his own.
"You may stay here for now," Raonar told the lass. "Though I would suggest you not be too quick to reveal this story to too many people. Few will look past your castless brother's role as a criminal."
"So... then... I know it's too much to ask, especially for someone like me but... Is there anything you can do? I'll do anything you want, please, at least try to find my brother! You're the Prince, you can send someone, I don't know, just... I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to him because of me! He always said he would do something to make our life better, he hated working for that scum Beraht but he did it for me and mother anyway. I can only imagine the horrible things he had to do."
"I know that you like to see the world shaken up, My Lord, but if it's really as she says..." Gorim begun, "Isn't her brother a criminal? Is it truly wise to get involved in this business on your day of celebration?"
Caliborn: WELL IT WOuLD BE THE MOST INTERESTING THING YOU'VE DONE SO FAR. WHICH ISN'T SAYING MUCH.
"Can we really pass judgement on others? Just how are the nobles in the assembly any different?"
Lux: What is a man but a filthy pile xf secretudes? But enxugh talk, have at yxu then!
the Prince blurted out. "It's almost disgusting to think that the higher castes have less honor than there is among the beggars and thieves. At least they look after their own. Can the Desyrs say the same?"
Caliborn: SINCE I DON'T KNOW WHAT THOSE ARE I'M GOING TO ASSUME YOU MADE THEM UP. I MEAN AuTHOR MIGHT BE ASSuMING WE KNOW A BIT ABOuT THE SETTING ALREADY BEFORE WE START READING, BuT THAT'S STuPID. FANFIC AuTHORS SHOuLD ALWAYS EXPLAIN EVERYTHING THAT EVER GETS MENTIONED FOREVER SO I DON'T NEED TO LOOK IT UP MYSELF.
The Prince turned around and left the room, followed closely by Gorim, leaving a confused but hopeful Rica behind to wait and see what the ancestors had in store for her next.
Caliborn: DEATH, MAYBE? I DUNNO
Before long, the two had exited the palace and now looked down upon their proud city, once the seat of a major empire and, now, one of the only two known remaining dwarven cities. There Raonar stood and gazed upon his home. The Diamond Quarter, home to the Royal Palace, the Shaperate and the homes of the nobles, is situated at the very highest level of Orzammar and has a perfect view of the lower levels. Below are the commons and, in the very middle, above the lake of molten rock, stand the Proving Grounds, where matters of honor would be settled through strength of arm. Around it fell the lava flows, carefully guided by the city's impregnable construction to flow in such a way as to deliver warmth and light to the entire city.
Caliborn: NO, WAIT! I WANT TO HEAR MORE ABOuT THE FIGHTING!
That view the Prince had witnessed many times over, but this time it looked as though the stone itself was more somber, as if there was a new air of finality about it. Unfortunately, Raonar didn't exactly have time to decide whether he was imagining it, because his attention was drawn to an argument between a Noble and a Scholar.
"My lord, please. My work is accredited by the Shaper," the scholar pleaded to a very disgruntled man that frowned at him with a mixture of scorn and anger. No doubt yet another lesser noble that felt his 'honor' had been violated in some way, Raonar reasoned.
"These books are lies, written by the enemies of House Vollney!" the other protested as the Prince and Gorim drew near. Raonar immediately recognized the angry man as Bruntin Vollney.
"Your highness, I beg you to help settle this matter!" the scholar pleaded to the approaching Prince. "Your father loved my book 'History of Aeducan: Paragon, King, Peacemaker'."
"Ah, I greatly enjoyed that book as well!"
Caliborn: PFFFT. BOOKS ARE FOR LOSERS.
Raonar replied slightly intrigued. "What seems to be the problem?" he asked the two.
"This worm has written a book that slanders my House!" Bruntin immediately said.
"Oh, is that so?" Raonar replied. "How exactly is it slander? What does it say?"
"It doesn't matter, it's all lies!" Bruntin lashed back, waving angrily in the process.
Caliborn: GREAT, THEN I DON'T NEED TO CARE ABOUT IT.
"I asked what it said, but if you're not going to tell me, the scholar will have to. What does it say scholar?"
The scholar proceeded to explain how the book he was writing dealt with the history of the Paragon Vollney and how the latter had not been unanimously supported by the Assembly. Apparently, one noble voted against the motion, a vote mired in intrigue and intimidation. Needless to say, Bruntin wanted this fact to never reach the ears of anyone and demanded that the shaper cease and desist. Raonar then remembered that a similar scene almost occurred at the naming of Aeducan as Paragon, though the one who objected ended up savagely hacked to death instead.
Caliborn: AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!
This actually enabled Aeducan, despite the odds, to get a unanimous vote.
"Not liking history doesn't make it any less true!" the scholar told Bruntin, who was obviously enraged at hearing him say that.
Lux: I guess "histxry is writinated by the winners" dxesnt apply here.
"The scholar is right," the new commander bluntly stated as he gave Bruntin a direct look.
"You're taking his side? Vollney was more than a man! Aren't we supposed to protect the reputations of the Paragons? What would you say if he wrote such a think about your Paragon Aeducan?" the noble asked in spite.
"Hmpf!" Raonar scoffed as his patience was being tested. "Aeducan was a great man, but he was still a man. He was melancholic and his fervor to protect his people bordered on obsession. Why would we even want to consider our Paragons as more than men? If they were really such untouchable figures, how then could we even look up to them and strive to be as useful for Orzammar as they were?"
Caliborn: I THINK THE OBVIOuS SOLuTION HERE IS TO CUT THE BOOK IN HALF. AND THEN SEND THE BOTH OF THEM TO PRISON FOREVER FOR DARING TO BOTHER THE PRINCE.
Bruntin was somewhat taken aback by this bold statement and was obviously stunned to see the Prince himself state such a seemingly outrageous thing about his own house.
"Fine! I shall respect your wishes... for now," the angry noble sneered as he walked away.
"Bah!" Gorim begun after the Vollney was out of sight. "That fool has no idea how weak his house is or how low he sits in it! To think he would have the nerve to threaten you! Shall I have him killed My Lord?"
Caliborn: YES. YEEESSSSS! DO IT! DOOO IIIT!
"You're saying that it would be prudent to eliminate a smaller threat before it becomes larger are you?" Raonar replied to him with a scolding look that made Gorim a bit uncomfortable. "I know you're a practical man, my friend, but don't be so quick to pass death sentences onto others.
Caliborn: OKAY NOW I REALLY HATE THIS GuY.
Those fools and their politics may think it wise and justified to have each other killed, but this is the exact same thinking that led to our downfall all those centuries ago. No doubt those Deshyrs even now keep blaming the Darkspawn for all their misfortune, but that's just their way of running away from their responsibility and the realization that the blame for our people's sad state, and their blood, is on their hands."
"I... yes My Lord, forgive me," Gorim apologized with a humble bow. Meanwhile the shaper had been observing the situation and, once the Prince finished speaking and turned to him, he thanked him for his help and went on his way.
"You have proven yourself a friend to truth and the glory of our people, My Lord," the scholar said as he left.
The Prince was left with a sour taste in his mouth after meeting that fool Vollney but, as he always did, he got over it quickly and went back to enjoying his day. Or he thought he would until he saw two familiar faces just down the road. For there stood his two brothers, Trian, his elder and Heir to the throne of Orzammar, and Bhelen, the youngest and seemingly less noteworthy.
Caliborn: IF HE'S SO UNIMPORTANT, WHY DON'T YOU KILL HIM SO THAT YOU WON'T HAVE TO HEAR HIM FLAPPING HIS JAW ALL DAY?
Unsurprisingly, Trian immediately lashed out at Raonar for being irresponsible and showing disrespect to their father by wandering about on a day set aside for his own feast. Raonar had heard it all before, his older brother gloating and shouting at him, trying to 'help' his sibling 'get over his stubbornness'. After that, of course, came the obligatory reprimanding of the lower castes, in this case Gorim, which irked Raonar more than anything else.
"Lord Harrowmont told us we wouldn't be needed at the feast for hours at least," Gorim tried to explain.
"Silence!" Trian lashed out. "If I want the opinion of my sibling's second, I will ask for it!"
Raonar scoffed. "This is where you speak to lower houses and castes 'how they should be spoken to', I take it?" He snapped back at Trian but in a calm and lightly ironic tone.
Caliborn: YEAH, PRETTY MUCH.
"And I suppose you're not going to jump in either, eh Bhelen?"
"You're on your own, I've been dealing with him all afternoon," the youngest answered, but immediately followed up with a witty one-liner in order to avert Trian's gaze.
"What exactly is that supposed to mean, little brother?" the heir queried in annoyance.
"N-nothing Trian, I've been having a great time! That speech you gave to the legless boy about standing up and making something of himself was fantastic!" Bhelen answered in the most honest tone he could muster, though everyone present, except Trian himself, noticed the sarcastic tone of the remark.
"As heir to the throne, it is my duty to impart wisdom and judgement upon those who need it,"
Caliborn: AND BY WISDOM I MEAN TORTuRE, MADNESS AND DEATH.
Trian proudly affirmed, remarkably oblivious to the fact that he had just been ridiculed. Then he turned back to Raonar "Now you! Get to the feast!"
"Yes yes! I'll go when I'm ready. Honestly, the way you glare and pout, it's a wonder you haven't gotten a sore throat yet."
"Stubborn are you?" Trian sneered as he passed Raonar by and briefly stopped in his tracks. "When I'm King, I will help you get over that. Come Bhelen!"
Raonar was unimpressed with that warning. For a moment, instead of anger or disdain, he felt pity for his older sibling and how vulnerable he really was to all the intrigue and strife in the assembly. All his life, Trian had been protected by his title as Heir from the worst of the nobles' sinister plots, even as Raonar had to constantly keep an ear to the stone and thwart the various attempts on his life or his honor that various upstarts had set up over the years.
Caliborn: BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.
And they were always there, since his prestige, that even Trian could not match, made him a ripe target at all times. This, of course, came in addition to all the plots against Trian himself that the second son had prevented without demanding any sort of reward or recognition or, indeed, ever making known.
It did not matter, of course. They were all who they chose to be in the end, and Raonar knew that all he could choose was who he himself could be, nothing else. Everyone else will live, and die, according to their own willingness to see the truth from the lie.
Caliborn: FuCK THAT, I'M GONNA LIVE FOREVER.
Yet even knowing this, his heart ached at the knowledge that all men have the same unlimited potential for greatness, and that Trian was wasting his own trying to impose his authority in all the wrong ways.
"Well, that was exciting..." Gorim finally broke the silence. "Nothing like being talked down to by the next king."
"Ignore him. He will do what he wills, as will I," the Prince replied.
Raonar and his second proceeded to browsing the goods of the merchants that had gained permits to sell their wares in the diamond quarter. There were fine silks from the surface lands, fine armor and weapons that, though of high quality, couldn't exactly match the royal armor the second son himself was wearing, and many other items. Eventually, as the two made their way to the gates that separated the Diamond Quarter from the commons, passing by a pair of Noble Hunters on the way, they reached the stall of a weapon merchant who had the look of someone who wanted to say something but didn't know how. Raonar approached the stand and waited for the merchant to gather enough courage to speak.
Caliborn: MOSTLY BECAUSE I HAD TORN OUT HIS VOCAL CORDS.
"My Lord! You honor me by visiting my humble booth! I actually have a proposition, but I dared not approach."
"Yet you dare now?" Gorim cut him off.
"It's fine, I'll hear him out," Raonar calmly answered. The merchant immediately grew hopeful but, either because of enthusiasm or nervousness, he could barely even manage to tie two words together.
"Just so... Here's the thing... What I mean to say is... uuh..."
"It's alright," the Prince said with warm tone.
The merchant finally calmed down and explained how he had ordered a dagger made for the second child of King Endrin, as Raonar was more commonly known among the merchants and lower castes. Apparently, he had sent the dagger to the palace through a messenger but, because of some offence or another, he was thrown out by Prince Trian. Eventually, the merchant brought the dagger out, at which point both Raonar and Gorim conceded that it was a remarkable piece. A sharp, sturdy and shining blade made of pure silverite which had obvious lyrium enchantments woven into it. Raonar could sense a tingle as he passed his fingers across the blade and identified the enchantment as elemental. Ever since he was a child, he had been fascinated by the art of enchantment and read books on it, and the magic of the surface world, whenever he found the time. He mostly regretted that there wasn't much of this time to be found between training and learning the business of politics, but he was lucky that at least his mother, now dead for several years, always supported him.
"Hmmm... Not bad. No doubt it will send a jolt into the blood of anyone unlucky enough to taste it," the Prince remarked.
"You do me great honor Your Highness," the merchant continued. " I wish to give this to you as a gift for your first command, and hope that one day, when you rule, you will wear it."
"Trian is Heir,' intervened Gorim. "He will rule when King Endrin returns to the stone."
"If the Assembly wills it,' the merchant coyly responded. "Forgive me ser, but whispers say that the second son of Endrin will be chosen."
Raonar already knew of this, of course, and it made perfect sense as well. Trian was not exactly popular, and Bhelen was not exactly seen as worthy of note by the nobles, though Raonar knew otherwise. It was logical that he himself would be preferred. The Prince was, after all, the most popular person in the entire city by then and his prestige was only boosted by being named the youngest Commander in Orzammar's History. Only one thing was amiss in this entire painting, and that was that Raonar himself did not want the throne in the slightest. 'Fools and their politics' he always thought. If it were up to him, he would much rather stay as commander of the armies and protect his city without having to deal with the assembly's squabbles. On the other hand, Trian may not have enough backing in the assembly to actually be chosen as king after their father's death. The worst case scenario would be a succession crisis, and that was the last thing anyone wanted.
Caliborn: NOT ME!
"I'll take the dagger..." Raonar eventually decided, much to the merchant's bliss and gratitude.
As he finally walked away, Raonar noticed the one stall he had not visited and, at the same time, was most interested in. There, near the gates, was a dwarf selling magical wares from the Circle of Magi of the surface. The Prince did not try to restrain his delight in the least as he approached the man. Unfortunately, and against all odds, the merchant was even worse at controlling his emotions, promptly passing out from excitement as soon as the Prince got close. There was a moment of silence.
"Wow..." Gorim said in amazement. "He's fainted... You make quite the impression these days."
Raonar sighed. "This is silly. Now where are those things...?"
The Prince seemed to ignore the passed out vendor and started going through his wares without any sort of restraint, even as Gorim uncomfortably noticed the other nobles staring. What caught the second's attention, however, was that the man he had pledged to live and die for looked as though he was actually looking for something specific. Eventually, the warrior decided to ask if he could assist, even if only to end that slightly embarrassing scene more quickly. There was no need, as Raonar had just spotted what he wanted.
"Ah! Here they are!" he exclaimed as he took a pouch of strange dust, took a sniff and recoiled. He coughed. "Yes... (cough).. These are the ones."
Gorim watched with great interest as the Prince leaned over the merchant, who had been lying unconscious on the stone street during the entire time, and placed the pouch right under his nose. Immediately, the merchant stirred and was amazed and startled to wake up to the man of the hour leaning over him. Eventually, he managed to come to his senses and struggled back to his feet, apologizing for making a fool of himself in such a way.
Caliborn: SO THEN HE COMMITED HARA-KIRI FOR DARING TO DISGRACE A NOBLE.
Meanwhile, Gorim and all the other onlookers chuckled in approval as they realized that what Raonar had been looking for was a pouch of smelling salts meant to rouse the ridiculous man. In the end, the merchant offered something special to His Highness as an apology for wasting his time.
"You are familiar with the so-called magical poultices that the surfacer mages create, are you not my lord? I have here something even more special. It is a substance that, when placed upon the wound, solidifies and completely stops any sort of bleeding or other type of complication, whether festering or infections. Please, take it as a apology."
Raonar did not accept it until the merchant agreed to be paid for it, after which the Prince and Gorim left with their escort towards the proving grounds.
The escorts were a funny bunch. They were obviously honored to guard the Prince and were, thus, excessively careful to brusquely move everyone out of their way as they headed towards the Provings. Raonar noticed that the stone slabs that the street was made of were uncharacteristically lustrous compared to several days before, no doubt because they were polished the day prior to the celebration. The Prince couldn't help but feel it was silly of his father to cut off an entire section of the commons just to ensure that his son's boots didn't gather dust as he walked them, though he did appreciate the thought behind it all. Eventually, the concern that the Prince would be harassed on the way to the Provings was proven to be unfounded as the group entered the arena's antechamber.
The second son had been in those halls many times. It was there that, at his Father's urging, he honed his skills by participating in many tournaments, despite not being especially interested in glory. On the other hand, he had always found a certain thrill in battle and felt especially accomplished when he was able to defeat his opponents without even making them bleed.
Caliborn: NOW I HATE THIS GUY EVEN MORE.
Not exactly a useful ability when fighting Darkspawn, of course, but he still felt good about it. Now had come the point where he could enter his own Provings and gain even more honor, but he knew that this was not why he had come.
A fight of the first bout had just concluded when Raonar and Gorim reached the seat of the Proving Master.
"Ah My Lord!" the Proving Master enthusiastically greeted the honored guest. "Have you come to see these young warriors do battle in your honor?"
"Well, I was initially going to fight and become the champion of my own Provings, but I'm more interested in something that happened here a couple of days ago," the Prince said very matter-of-factly. "Something about a castless man impersonating a warrior and dishonoring our traditions perhaps? I understand you were incredibly outraged by it,"he added with an obvious tint of irony. The Proving Master's demeanor immediately became annoyed.
"Ah, so you've heard about that, Your Highness. It was a disaster, a disgrace to everything these Provings represent! It disgusts me to even think about it and I would be most grateful if you let me put it out of my mind. Either way, you'll probably have better luck with Ser Gorrel, the proving trainer. He seems to have a better taste for gossip than most."
Raonar promptly waved at Gorim before the latter had a chance to rebuff the Proving Master for being so disrespectful to his liege. After that, they made their way to their seats, where a brown-haired dwarf, dressed in strong, veridium-wrought heavy dwarven armor waited. There was the one that knew all about the castless bruiser incident and was, in fact, quite eager to gossip about it. Raonar found out that the culprit had impersonated a drunken Everd and won all the fights up until the final bout, when Everd stumbled, dead drunk, into the arena and busted him. After that, the bruiser refused to reveal himself, demanding the respect he was owed for defeating the warrior caste's strongest. Needless to say, he was eventually cornered by guards, at which point he proudly took off his helmet and stupefied everyone in the audience when his brand was in plain sight. After that, the Proving Master had him arrested, which, of course, didn't exactly go smoothly as the man knocked out several guards and gave the captain a black eye before he was finally overwhelmed and captured.
Caliborn: FINALLY, A LITTLE ACTION.
Raonar listened to the tale with great interest. The first thing that struck him was that, officially, castless aren't even allowed to carry weapons, yet this one had managed to wipe the floor with even the Warrior Caste's greatest, not to mention most of the entire guard patrol on duty at the time.
"Where is this man now?" the Prince eventually asked.
"There's the thing..." the trainer responded. "He's nowhere to be found. He never made it to the prison after he was apprehended and when he was finally cornered again, he was coming out of a shop in the commons, completely covered in blood. But the weirdest part is that there was only a confused merchant inside and no signs of battle. He was taken back to the prison, but somehow disappeared by this morning."
"Maybe he escaped," Gorim hypothesized. "If he was able to sneak on the grounds and bluff his way all the way into the arena then he probably knows his way around locks and cages."
"That, or he was smuggled out of the prison and caged somewhere else, maybe as punishment for ruining the plans of this Beraht fellow," Raonar guessed. "Gorim, I think I know what we'll be doing for the rest of the day," he then added with a grin and an eerie glint in his eyes.
Caliborn: I HOPE IT INVOLVES KILLING PEOPLE.
Gorim followed his lord and, along with the escort, left the Proving Grounds even though the fights had only just started. Their guards were already making their way back to the Diamond Quarter, but what they didn't know was that their two charges had other plans. Gorim noticed how his lord was looking in the direction of the lower levels of the city and how he let out a smug chuckle when he noticed a more crowded area.
"My Lord," Gorim whispered, "You know I'm right behind you, but is this truly wise?"
Raonar did not even bother to answer. As soon as their guards shifted their attention towards the many who were bustling, trying to get a clear view of the new commander, the Prince grabbed Gorim by the arm, snatched a pair o grey cloaks that hanged off a stall next to them and promptly slipped out of sight, getting lost in the crowds even before anyone noticed that anything had been stolen. Within less than a minute, their faces and fine garb were concealed beneath the simple cloaks and they looked no different from all the other merchants and customers that were swarming around them. The two quickly put distance between themselves and their escorts, who had, by now, become incredibly alarmed at having lost sight of the ones they were sworn to guard with their lives. Raonar knew he had made life rather complicated for them, but his goal was set.
The Prince had heard much talk of Dust Town, but he had never really set foot in that place. Thus, he was not completely prepared for the disrepair and desperation that the area emanated.
Lux: Dispair! Dust Txwn has left me in dispair!
All over, beggars with brands on their faces waited with hopeless eyes for someone to take pity and throw them a copper or two. Most of them didn't even have anything more than some rags on their backs and even the common grey cloaks that the Prince and Gorim were now clad in seemed like a rich man's attire. Gorim felt very uncomfortable, and unsafe, but he kept silent as he noticed the pain that washed over his lord. The cowl obscured most of his features, but enough of the Prince's face was still visible and Gorim remembered the many times Raonar had condemned the caste system and all the foolish traditions that led their people to this sorry state. The warrior could do nothing but stay silent and follow the Prince as he walked the narrow, darkened streets. Their revelry was soon interrupted, however, as they suddenly found themselves unexpectedly surrounded by thugs whose faces could not be seen because of the shadows.
Or, at least, Gorim thought it was unexpected. Raonar had noticed their stalkers ever since he had first entered Dust Town and had made a point of finding a place more out of sight, where he could deal with them without being discovered. This was also an opportunity to squeeze some information about the one he was looking for. Gorim, on the other hand, had nervously grabbed onto the hilt of his sword, not visible under his cloak, and waited to see what their hidden assailants were going to do.
"Go easy on them Gorim, and no killing," the second son whispered.
Eventually, one of the thieves spotted a glint of Raonar's silver-plated ceremonial armor and had just about lunged at the noble. He needn't have bothered. By the time he had a chance to move, Gorim had already taken out his steel shield and slammed it into the face of the nearest attacker. He then proceeded to knocking him out, along with another one who had tried to stab him from behind. By the time he was done with those two, Raonar had knocked unconscious, disarmed or immobilized the other four. One of them was begging to be spared already, which sat very well with the Prince, as this could only mean he was all the more willing to talk.
Caliborn: WORST. FIGHT. EVER.
"You should pick your targets more carefully," Raonar advised as he approached the frightened duster. He was wearing a suit of tattered but well-made leather armor and was obviously not just another beggar. "Since you were so effective at spotting us and following us as soon as we entered this part of the city, I assume you had been tipped off by some sort of observer from the commons, am I right?"
The duster grew even more fearful, almost terrified at how easily the stranger had perceived the truth. Raonar them started questioning him about who he was, who he was working for and any other information that could come in useful. Surprisingly, though scared witless, the mugger refused to give up the secrets of the Carta, until Gorim noted, in a very 'friendly' manner, that the legal punishment for a castless trying to steal from the noble caste is getting one's arms cut off, followed by public execution. Raonar did not enjoy seeing his friend terrorize the bandit so, but he knew it was necessary. Eventually, the duster was ready to be questioned. What followed was less than expected however.
"I need to know where I can find this Beraht fellow. And I'm also looking for a missing person," the second son declared.
"I uuh.. a missing duster?" the castless man asked in confusion. "I wouldn't know anything about that, honest! Maybe this isn't common where you're from, but in these parts, people die and disappear every sodding day. But Beraht... don't you know? He's..." The bandit suddenly stopped, no doubt startled that he was just about to reveal something important.
"He's what?" Raonar asked impatiently, but then a realization struck him. "Ah... I see... He's dead isn't he? Which means that the blood that the castless bruiser from the Provings was covered in was his," he said as he turned to Gorim.
"Provings?" the confused bandit asked. "Ooooh, so that's what this is about! That duster that screwed up bad and cost Beraht a ton of sovereings! If he's who you're looking for, you can put it out of your head. Jarvia's got him locked up tight in the Carta's hideout, and if he's not dead by now, he soon will be!"
"Oh, is that so? Well then, it shouldn't be a problem if you told me where he was."
After a bit more prodding, the mugger unwillingly surrendered the location of the Carta's current entrance, as well as the finger bone token needed to open the door. After that, he was quite surprised to find himself free to go on his way as Gorim and his Lord left the scene.
Gorim kept an eye out for more bandits but they seemed to have finished with the ignoble assailants for the time being. He then followed Raonar and both made their way through the filthy streets, littered with trash and marked by buildings fallen into disrepair. The warrior found it hard to believe that, at one point, this Dust Town looked the same as the Commons or, indeed, perhaps even the Diamond Quarter itself, before the upper levels were carved into the stone. As they walked on, Raonar slid some silvers to every beggar he passed by, even though most would have been satisfied with a couple of coppers. 'The Dwarves can do better than this' Raonar thought to himself and wondered just how the upper castes could even live with themselves knowing the wretched fate they had sentenced these poor souls to.
Caliborn: IN A SOLID GOLD ROOM FILLED WITH BOOZE AND WOMEN, MOST LIKELY.
These musings would have to wait, however, as the duo soon found the place they were looking for.
The fake wall slid to the side quite readily when the finger bone slot was inserted. At that moment, Gorim grabbed his Lord's arm and looked very worried.
"My Lord, I ask that you reconsider. This... This is foolhardy! I will follow you even to the deepest reaches of the deep roads but I couldn't forgive myself if you perished ahead of time because I was too afraid to speak. You heard that scared fool, this man we're looking for is probably already dead, or soon will be. Are you really going to risk your life by going in there, even knowing that all you may find is a cold, disfigured corpse? You are the Prince and Commander of the armies! If you fall here, what will Orzammar do? Will they even know what happened to you? Will they even find a trace? Will they even think to look for you here?"
Raonar gazed at his loyal friend and knew that his words came only out of concern. Gorim was a stout man who would never flinch in front of danger. The Prince knew also that what he said was completely true. Should he die there, no traces will ever be found and his father would likely be broken to lose his child, though Trian and a certain other someone may feel glad to some extent. But this was all irrelevant. The Prince had come to fulfill a task, and it was not just to please a pretty lady. He wanted to know, wanted to be sure: can there really be more honor and trust among the castless than there is among the scheming nobles? This search was going to end either with him gaining perfect clarity of purpose, or his death.
CALIBORN: PERFERABLY THE LATTER.
Besides, if this Jarvia wanted the one he was looking for dead, she would have just killed him instead of smuggling him out of the prison cells.
"In truth..." the Prince finally replied to his companion, "I would rather go on alone. I would much rather have you return to the Diamond Quarter, get some guards and come back for me. Of course, I know you'll never agree to let me go in there by myself. I do not ask that you try to understand my reasons. Truthfully, even if you did understand them, you may just reach the conclusion that I am an idealistic fool that hasn't yet learned a lesson in humility by suffering failure. And, of course, this may very well be true. But I am going to do this either way."
Gorim said nothing. Only once before had the Prince said something like this to him and, though it made him a bit upset at the time, he eventually gained understanding. It was when the Prince participated in Trian's first expedition into the Deep Roads. Raonar was just a month away from turning 20 at the time and suddenly, or so it seemed, decided to go on ahead of the main troops. Gorim, needless to say, went with him, to act as his loyal second as shield, as was his due. Later, he found that, though the Prince had been acting all humorous and coy, he had, in fact, gone ahead to prevent an ambush that had been planned by house Gavorn and was meant to get the 'undesirable heir' out of the picture. Raonar slipped a drug into their rations and was gone before they had a chance to notice. Trian and his own patrol passed by while the would-be ambushers were all passed out.
Lux: I'm taking notes here...
The only reward that Raonar got from all that was being publicly reprimanded by his elder in front of the soldiers for "going on ahead and acting like a child." And, even after all that, the people of Orzammar still gained a greater love for the second son than they have for the future ruler.
"As you will, My Lord. If you wish to proceed, than I wish for nothing more than to make sure you survive, even at the cost of my own life," Gorim declared, solemnly. He knew how ridiculous that really sounded but he did not mind in the slightest.
Predictably, they were faced with resistance as soon as they entered the tunnels. Fortunately, however, there were only a couple of guards stationed there and, thanks to them being bored out of their wits, they weren't exactly quick to notice the intruders, which made their loss of consciousness all the more sudden. Raonar was determined not to kill unless it was completely necessary, knowing that most of the men there turned to crime because they had no other options.
Caliborn: SIGH.
He would not shrink from what he had to do, however, and as the two moved on, they tried their best to stay out of sight. Regrettably, the rustle of their coats of plates didn't help them much in this regard and they were suddenly set on by five thugs, one of which had a bow. The two intruders immediately took cover, and while Gorim managed to shove a sword through the chest of his nearest assailant, Raonar found that it was obviously not very easy to engage two people at once while also having to keep an eye out for the possibility of an arrow piercing his skull.
Gorim killed off another of the thugs and ran along the side of some crates in order to stay out of the sight of the female archer.
Caliborn: OH GOOD, SOMEONE ACTuALLY GETS KILLED.
He then rammed his shield into one of the men his Lord was holding off. At that moment, with one bandit on the ground and the other distracted, the Prince suddenly threw his sword straight at the archer, which went through her chest quite readily. The following instant, Raonar smashed his own silverite shield into the face of the last opponent left standing. At the end of it all, the only one alive was the one Gorim had bashed, and Raonar took this opportunity to get some answers.
After a bit of intimidation, the rogue surrendered all he knew about the imprisoned duster.
"It definitely wasn't a pleasant ride to get this far," Gorim begun, "But I still think that we encountered too little resistance. This can't be all of the Carta thugs in Orzammar, can they?"
"The most are probably out in the commons, cutting purses and roughing up merchants for 'protection',", the Prince immediately deduced. "Despicable, but this gives us an advantage. Let's go get this guy and get out of here."
The two went on their way, but not before knocking the remaining rogue senseless. Soon enough, they stood before the door that led to the prison cells. Gorim leaned in to listen and slowly pried the door open without making a sound. Four men could be seen through the crack, as well as two prisoners, each in their own cell. One of them was heavily bruised and had both his wrists and feet shackled in irons, but his hazel eyes burned fiercely from behind the bars of the cell, like those of a cornered beast that is about to turn into something formidable, or so it seemed to the Prince.
"Don't think you'll escape this time," sneered one of them at the captive apparently worse for wear. "I don't know how you managed to escape yesterday or even how some scum like you managed to kill Beraht, but Jarvia ain't happy about that. She told us we would have to keep a really close eye on you until she got back, but she ain't said that we have to leave all your limbs on. So you be a good little boy and behave yourself." The thug started laughing after that, a sound like snarling combined with belches and Darkspawn screams.
"That guy is drunk," Raonar thought and did nothing to restrain his smirk as he busted open the door. "Guess what!" he shouted. "Jarvia's going to be a while. I don't suppose you'll just agree to hand those two over to us peacefully, would you?"
The Carta men were surprised, and a little startled, as the two stepped in, still clad in their cloaks, now stained with blood. "Sorry, the other guys are either taking a nap or being greeted by their ancestors right about now," Gorim added.
"Who the hell are you?" sneered the supposed jailor again. "How the hell did you get in here? No, nevermind that. We'll just kill you and find out when someone comes looking for your corpse!
Caliborn: I LIKE THIS GUY. HE'S GOT THE RIGHT IDEA.
Attack!"
The ensuing fight did not last very long, being in close quarters, but Raonar did notice that, while the so-called criminals didn't look like they had any formal battle training, they could hold their own as well as any soldier. Most likely they had gained a high endurance from the frequent brawls they engaged in. Eventually, only one of the four guards was left standing, at which point a fifth jumped out from the shadows, aiming straight for Raonar's throat. Fortunately, the Prince noticed him in time and escaped with a minor cut. Unfortunately for the duster, he got too close to the cell door of the aforementioned prisoner, who immediately somehow slipped his right hand out of the shackles and grabbed the assailant by the back of the neck. The next moment, Raonar saw said duster plummet to the floor. Some way or another, the prisoner had hit a sensitive point on his neck, causing him to lose consciousness.
Over the next minute or so, Raonar and Gorim watched as the prisoner dragged the body of the one he had incapacitated closer. After that, he took the key from his body and unlocked the irons he was fastened with, as well as his and the other dwarf's cell.
"Man," the other prisoner uttered as he finally got out of the cell. "I thought we were never getting outta there!"
Finally, the dwarf that seemed to have suffered the most bodily harm stepped into the dim light made by the candles on the wall. He looked strong and had long, dark red hair, gathered in a braided tail at the back. His face was covered in bruises but his thick stubble and moustache made most of them look less out of place than they would otherwise have seemed. The black brand on his right cheek extended upwards, over his eye, but the look in those eyes was not one of submission or even hesitation. This man obviously knew no fear and Raonar immediately understood why the girl in the palace spoke of him with such fondness.
"So, I noticed you didn't kill him," Raonar told the red-haired. "How come?"
The former prisoner smirked. "I'm just funny that way," he said.
"Right, it's nice you still have that sense of humor, even after they clobbered you for hours," the other prisoner said. "Anyway, I think it's high time you told us who you were and why you came here. I can't imagine you came to get us out, I doubt anyone even known we're still alive."
"This is..." Gorim begun, but was cut off by Raonar who waved at him to stop.
"Let's just say we were in the neighborhood and figured we'd pay the beloved Carta a visit. You know, it's the only polite thing to do," the Prince said with a grin.
The red-haired captive stared back at him with a smirk of his own. He could not see behind the simple, grey cloaks that the two were wearing, but judging from the metal noises made during the fight, he could guess that they were both wearing heavy armor underneath. He then noticed the uncharacteristically white hair of the one who had just spoken, and how carefully his moustache and beard had been arranged into several braids. Between that and the lack of brands on any of their faces, he easily realized they weren't from the neighborhood, or even Dust Town for that matter.
"Well, if it's going to be that way..." the prisoner said "I'll just call you... stranger. You can call me Faren, by the way, proud former underling of the crime boss of these parts, though I suspect you already knew that. And this here," he points at his friend "Is my buddy Leske."
"Proud former underling, you say. Interesting choice of words," the 'stranger' replied with a cunning smile.
"Heh!", Faren laughed. "So you did understand what I was saying. At least you're not as stupid as these louts. I can't tell you how glad I was to finally get rid of that bastard!"
"Here," Raonar suddenly said as he threw a red glass vial towards Faren, which the latter easily caught. "I noticed you broke your own right thumb in order to get your hand out of those chains. Drink that, it should mend the damage. Your bruises will probably fade away a little too."
"Ah, a healing poultice is it? From the merchants in the upper quarters. I heard about these, but never really managed to afford to buy one.
Caliborn: HEALING POTIONS ARE THE WORST; YOU CAN'T USE THEM AS WEAPONS BECAUSE THEY DO THE EXACT OPPOSITE OF KILLING PEOPLE. AND WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO FIGHTING THAN KILLING PEOPLE?
Lux: Staying alive?
Caliborn: THAT JUST MEANS I NEED TO KILL EVERYONE ELSE BEFORE THEY KILL ME.
Lux: Ah.
Not that people around here are usually left in a state where it would do them any good," Faren smugly noted, just before drinking it down, not bothering to consider it may have been just a poison or some drug. The effects were immediately felt and the man was visibly more comfortable now that his bones were not aching and his cuts not festering. Raonar passed him another one, 'just in case' he said, and they all made their way out of the tunnels, fortunately without any further incidents.
As they walked along the streets of Dust Town, Raonar easily noticed how the man he had just helped free was growing increasingly impatient, especially after Leske took his leave, saying he had seen enough dungeons to last for a lifetime. His pace got increasingly quick and no doubt the only thing that prevented him from simply storming off to whatever he was searching for was his curiosity. Who was this upper class individual and why had he come with just one assistant into the bowels of Orzammar's underworld? Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks and turned towards Raonar.
"Look, you helped me get out of that dungheap of a cell and I'm grateful, but I've lived enough to know that nothing ever comes without a price. What was your interest in the Carta and why are you going the same way I am?"
"Come now," Raonar replied. "I know you already have your suspicions, but I'll do you the favor of coming clean, I suppose. The fact of the matter is that I wanted to see if there was really more worth to be found in the so-called castless thugs than in the nobles of the Assembly. As for why I'm tagging along, well, I want to see where you live of course!"
"That's ridiculous!" Faren blurted. "You're talking nonsense, and you should know that most people here don't really have any 'place to live.' the most 'fortunate' make a living inside derelict buildings, which are already few enough. The rest sleep on the street and hope not to die overnight, though that's how most of us return to our ancestors." The castless man sighed deeply, not knowing what to say next. After that, he looked in the distance, as if wondering about something.
"Look," he eventually continued, "just tell me what you want."
Raonar looked at him at length and his hazel eyes seemed to glow as the light from the lava flow behind them reflected in his iris. With his bruises gone, the man's countenance had actually taken on a slightly intimidating appearance. All that Faren lacked was a proper set of clothes or armor and a helmet to hide the brand. Had he those, he would have looked just as well, if not more proper, than any respected warrior of the city. Raonar stroked his beard a bit as he studied Faren's features, during which time the latter crossed hands and waited uncharacteristically patiently for his so-called rescuer to finish his scrutiny. Suddenly, Raonar threw back his cloak, revealing the high-quality silverite armor, with gold plating, underneath. Needless to say, this captured all of the attention of Faren, though what happened next was even more unexpected.
Raonar undid the fastenings on his coat of plates and let his armor fall to the ground, even as Gorim watched without saying a word. He had known the Prince long enough to be aware that he could never be persuaded not to do something. He also knew that the Prince always considered every possible outcome before taking such an action. Eventually, the Prince was clad only in his boots and his silk garments, patched with leather on the inside in order to prevent armor chafing.
"Gorim, give me your sword," the second son suddenly ordered. Gorim did not hesitate in doing so. The next moment, the sword flew straight towards Faren, whose quick hands easily grabbed it by the hilt in mid air. A look of confusion passed over his face, but was quickly chased away when Raonar drew out a fancy-looking but obviously masterfully-crafted lyrium-folded dagger.
"Hmm..." Raonar smirked as he threw it towards Faren, as he had done with Gorim's blade. "You're no fool but you still decided to break the thumb on your right hand earlier. This probably means you're ambidextrous, which means that fighting with two weapons must be your style. Now then..." the Prince drew his own sword and readied his shield, "Here, on these streets, we'll have a match. No armor, only strength of arms will define the victor."
Caliborn: YES! ANOTHER FIGHT!
Faren didn't have time to say how completely ridiculous and senseless the situation was because Raonar immediately charged him. With his armor off, he moved noticeably faster than what he showed during the earlier fights. He immediately lunged the shield at Faren's face, but when the latter dodged without much difficulty, he noticed that it was, in fact, a feint. The Prince continued with a thrust of his ceremonial blade and only just missed his opponent's neck. There was no time to gloat, however, as Faren got serious and counterattacked. The way he fought was not what Raonar expected. Faren side-stepped and, with great speed, got close enough to the Prince as to try and slip the dagger behind the shield itself. The goal was to either incapacitate Raonar's arm or cut off the belts that held the shield fastened to it. Fortunately, the second son managed to duck and spin his arm around in time to avoid the trick, though he was forced to evade and jump back in order to get away from the descending sword strike that immediately followed.
The battle looked serious on both sides, and Gorim had begun to ask himself whether he should have refused to hand his sword over to the castless criminal. On the other hand, as the two exchanged blows and skillfully evaded each other's feints, the 'glow' in Raonar's eyes became brighter. Gorim could only assume that his Lord was enjoying himself and remembered that he had only once seen that ecstatic expression on Raonar's face before. No, not ecstatic, it looked more as though the Prince was pouring all his skill and will into shattering any obstacles that stood in the way of his finding out just what his opponent's heart was saying. The only time when that gaze surfaced, as Gorim recalled it, was about a year back, when the Prince was playing a game of chess against Bhelen, his younger sibling. Raonar won, but later told Gorim that Bhelen actually let him win, though he tried to hide it. This, of course, meant that Raonar was also only playing with the goal of perceiving his brother's feelings. Gorim never did find out who would have won if both had been playing to win. Unfortunately, he didn't really have time to analyze his memory of the event because the two fighters decided to change the pace.
What happened next was more than a little surprising. Both Raonar and Faren started to slow down and stumble on their own blows, until they both collapsed to the ground, next to each other and started to laugh as loud as they could. And what laughter it was! Gorim could swear that he had never heard his Lord make that sound, that strong, unstoppable flow of sheer delight.
Caliborn: DAMN IT, WHY DO SO MANY OF THESE FIGHTS END WITHOUT ANYONE DYING?
Swords fell, the Prince's shield clattered to the floor and, now, the Prince and the Castless were lying on the ground, face up, next to each other, laughing as though they had just killed all the Darkspawn in Thedas and restored all the lost Thaigs of the old Empire. The born and bred warrior could only stand there, watching those two in sheer amazement and realizing that they had just laid their heart bare in front of each other. "There are men of words and men of deeds," Gorim remembered his Lord saying, long ago, "But I like to think I am a bit of both. I'll probably behave in a very uncharacteristic manner when I meet someone similar." It was a foolish idea, Gorim thought, as he firmly believed that his master was not just a bit, but the perfect merger of both those ideals. He chuckled to himself, realizing he had almost come to worship Raonar, the one now lying on dusty stone slabs in the least glorious posture the warrior had ever seen. And yet he regretted not the way he felt.
"Phew..." Faren finally managed to utter after his lungs settled down. "You fight like a tempest, my friend. I dare say that taking off your armor gave you an advantage instead of a handicap."
"No kidding," Raonar replied after his own breath stabilized. "I'm certain now that you definitely won the Provings without any tricks. On my search for you, I considered the possibility that you, or someone else, drugged the other fighters in order to rig the fights. I'm really happy to see this isn't the case."
Faren and Raonar didn't get back up until they had had their fill of amusement, but the former immediately got back to his original questions.
"Now that you admitted you were searching for me, I want to know why. What could a respectable noble like yourself want with a castless criminal like me?" His tone was understandably ironic, especially when he pronounced the words 'respectable noble', and the Prince picked right up on that. He didn't feel in any way offended, of course, since nobles were hardly respectable even by his standards. If anything, he gained the deepest respect for this man whom the Memories supposedly deem unworthy of recording. The Prince had found what he had been searching for, the confirmation that his city, Orzammar itself, was completely screwed up. He couldn't decide between being happy or outraged about finding this answer at last.
"What, you're saying you don't have anyone who would be worried about you? I just happened to... run into someone who does and then used my own methods to track you down" the second son frankly stated.
"Fine, evade the question!" Faren glared back, "but Just tell me who in the world are you anyway? And who told you of me? If I had to guess it would be my sister, since no one else not imprisoned at the time would have known I was gone. Don't tell me you're the patron she was talking about!"
Raonar tried to no avail to contain his laughter. "Hahaha, yes, I suppose it would be horrible for your sister if she was anywhere near me. Very subtle of you indeed!"
"Ad, sod it!" Faren immediately got back up and started to straighten himself, to dust off his torn suit of duster leather as well as he could. "She's probably back at the house by now. And mother. Oh, I wonder what that old, useless woman has been doing! She probably doesn't even know I'm missing. No doubt she's laying under the table with yet another bottle of moss-wine in her hand."
Raonar looked quietly as Faren talked to himself, until the latter remembered he was not alone. "I am not your sister's patron," the Prince said. "But if it's as you say, she's probably waiting for you, so we should get going."
"No," Faren said up front. "We're not going anywhere until you tell me who you really are. What kind of armor is that?" he asked as Raonar picked up his breastplate and, aided by Gorim, started to strap it back on. "it's fancier than any armor I've ever seen that isn't completely impractical and hard to move in. And you fight better than any of those grunts that supposedly earned glory in the deep roads."
The Prince did not immediately answer. Did he have the right? If he were to tell him who he was, that he was the Prince of Orzammar, the supposedly most popular person in the entire city, it probably wouldn't have made any difference to the so-called castless criminal. But if he did reveal his identity, if he had somehow drawn this man into his world, chances were that his hard life, the dangers of dwarven politics and the ever looming poisoned chalice would transfer over to this duster. If so, Raonar would be completely responsible for ruining his, his sister's and his mother's lives, even though he went to the trouble of rescuing him from the dungeons. 'No', he thought, "Dust Town alone is enough for them to worry about. My problems will not reach them."
Caliborn: STOP TALKING ALREADY.
"Now now, you already guessed I'm a noble, so let's leave it at that for now. You should already know that, at times, the less you know, the better," the Prince said with complete honesty. "Come! Gorim and I will accompany you to your home, then we will take our leave."
"Hmpf!" Faren scoffed, but said nothing more.
After Raonar put his armor firmly back on, he put on his now blood-splattered grey cloak and got ready to leave, when Faren approached and handed Gorim's sword and the enchanted dagger back.
"Don't forget these, my lord," Faren said, somewhat annoyed for not having had all his questions answered. "Just so you know, I can find out who you are on my own just as well," he then added smugly. Raonar smiled and gave Gorim back his sword, but refused to take the masterwork dagger back.
"If you're so determined, I've no doubt you'll readily learn all you wish. That's why you should keep this dagger close at hand. If you really can't help yourself and get involved in the matters of the upper castes, this blade will at least help save your life when you see just how better it would have been to leave matters as they are now. Keep your wits about you."
Faren definitely did not expect to be told something like this. Normally, he would have taken it as bluster and would have dismissed the line as a cocky comment. But he had just fought this person and knew that he was as straightforward as he was out of place among the derelict walls of the slums. And yet the way he deflected all of his questions and practically convinced him to let the matter rest revealed a very cunning mind underneath that humorous attitude. What's more, the stranger's companion, obviously a manservant of some sort, was obviously completely devoted. The more he analyzed the situation, the clearer it became that his life, whether he wanted or not, had just become much more interesting. That, and the bright white hair and beard that the upper classman had were definitely uncommon. It would be easy to find out just who this mystery man was, Faren concluded, and said nothing more.
The trio departed and, since Faren was in kind of a hurry, they quickly walked down the streets of dust town until they arrived at the small slum house that sat on the fringe, just next to the cliff besides the large lava pool that boiled underneath the city. Raonar had intended to leave as soon as the house was in sight, but Faren threatened to stalk him all the way back to the diamond quarter if he didn't at least come inside. Raonar realized, of course, that what the duster hoped was for Rica to be there. If she was, Faren would immediately find out if there is a connection between the stranger and his sister depending on her reaction. Fortunately, only a few hours had gone by since the Prince and Gorim has slipped out of the sight of their escorts, which meant that Rica was probably still at the palace. They agreed to go in.
It was as Raonar had assumed, the girl was absent. Needless to say, this didn't calm down Faren much, but at least his mother was there, exactly as the duster had expected, passed out under the table.
"Sorry," Faren said somewhat uncomfortable. "I guess inviting you in to this spectacular view wasn't exactly the best idea in the world after all. I always keep telling her that the moss-wine will eventually rot her brains, but she never listens." The Prince could clearly see the sadness that Faren was trying to hide as he forced a humorous tone into those words.
"it's fine," Raonar answered with a strange look, as though he was recalling a distant memory. "People don't usually drink themselves witless unless they are desperate or suffer from a severe lack of self-confidence. I'm sure she loves you, but you should know that you can't really do anything about it in her stead. People choose who they are by themselves, even if they would like to believe they have no such choices." He paused and then chuckled. "Though I suppose saying that to a duster that is considered less than an animal by his own people isn't exactly very appropriate or accurate, now is it?" The Prince sighed deeply. "Anyway, Gorim and I will be going now. Don't worry. I'm sure your sister will come home soon! If she's a red-haired with two strands of hair floating along her cheeks, then she's probably the one I caught a glimpse of earlier in the Diamond Quarter."
It was a half-truth, of course. The prince had caught more than just a glimpse, but those words played their part. Faren's fears that Rica may have been abused by Beraht's or Jarvia's thugs were dispelled. He could now be at ease, knowing that nothing irreversible happened during his imprisonment.
...
Do write a review if you will.
Caliborn: OKAY, DO YOU WANT TO HEAR MY REVIEW? THIS STORY SUCKS! IT'S JUST A BUNCH OF BORING PEOPLE TALKING AND THE FIGHT SCENES ARE LAME BECAuSE NOBODY IMPORTANT DIES IN THEM. I WANNA SEE CORPSES PILED uP BY THE TRUCKLOAD, NOT ICKY DWARVEN DATING SIM THE RPG OR WHATEVER. ALSO THERE WEREN'T ANY DRAGONS, WHICH MEANS IT SUCKED. DON'T YOU AGREE, LUX?
Lux: Actually, nx.
Caliborn: WHAAAAAT?!?!?!?!?!?
Lux: It was faithful tx the setting, an intersting stxry, and had a prxtagxnist whx bxth likable and badass. And while I admit he skirts the Mary Sue line, his victxry was far fxrm effxrtless, and given his backrxund there's prxbably going to be plenty of cxmplexitxries as the stxry prxgresses. Xverall it's a great start and I'm lxxking fxward to seeing the rest.
Caliborn: OKAY, THAT'S IT. I TAKE BACK WHAT I SAID ABOuT SuPERVILLAIN TRAINING.
Lux: Well that's okay with that because you're a complete idiombicil. In fact if anything yxu've taught me tx be less cartxxnish, or else I'll end up as stupid as yxu are. In maybe I'll even get into white collar crime.
Caliborn: FINE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T CARE. JuST GO OFF AND DO WHATEVER. WHO NEEDS YOU ANYWAY?
Lux: Xkie dxkie, then. Bye.
Caliborn: YEAH, YOu JUST KEEP WALKING AWAY! WHO NEEDS YOu!? WHO NEEDS ANY OF YOu?! I CAN TAKE OVER THE WORLD JUST FINE BY MYSELF! YOu HEAR ME!? I'LL DO IT ALL BY MYSELF!!!!!!!!!!!
Detective
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