Lyria and her group had <a href="https://peakd.com/hive-140217/@kaelci/dragon-age-2-story-playthrough-part-thirteen">saved Feynriel from the fade</a> and had thwarted the release of a noxious gas from encompassing the entire city. The elf involved in this dire plot was working for the so-called "faithful" and Lyria felt the need to inform the Arishok that there was a faction in the city desperate to see their removal, and they would happily use fraudulent means.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
The Arishok did not care. He had been stuck in this city for far too many years and was no closer to leaving. It did not concern him that there were people in the city attempting to have them forcibly removed. They would fail.
What concerned him was that several years ago, something of his had been stolen and he and his men would not leave until it had been found. At this rate, never. And if they were stuck in this city, perhaps they could make the city more liveable... by making the people bow to the Qun.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
That wasn't what the Arishok actually said but it was what he implied. Lyria was rightfully concerned. She needed to tell the Viscount about this as fast as she could.
Unfortunately the Viscount wasn't in his office and would not just appear, even for someone of her growing renown, so she had to dwell on this qunari business by herself for the time being, until the next day.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Anders took the opportunity to ask for her assistance. More and more mages were being turned tranquil every week, and he believed he knew the culprit. A templar by the name of Ser Alrik. The Knight-Commander might be paranoid about the mages, but she, at least, believed she was doing what she did for good... this particular templar was a sadist. He believed in making all mages tranquil with his "Tranquil Solution." He was even experimenting on mages, pushing them to their limits to see just how long it took for them to turn to demons to protect themselves.
It was awful, and Anders wanted it stopped. Tonight.
Of course Lyria would help! Sometimes she swore that he forgot that she was a mage too.
So that night they would help the templar Emeric find evidence against a reclusive nobleman/possible murderer and sneak into the Gallows to find this mage tormenter. They'd be done before morning then she could talk about the qunari with the Viscount.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Down in a far corner of Darktown was a tunnel that Lyrium smugglers had built. It led to the Gallows so the smugglers could easily trade with the templars...
It was here they would go to sneak into the Gallows and find this Alrik, and any evidence of his "Tranquil Solution."
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Of course there were lyrium smugglers in the tunnels right as they were traversing them, why wouldn't there be? They fought their way through the smugglers and the mercenaries that worked with them until, in the distance, they heard a girl crying.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
They burst through into another section of the tunnels where a mage was being surrounded by templars. She cried and pleaded with them. She just wanted to see her mother; her mother didn't even know where she was!
The templar didn't care. As for as he was concerned, this mage had rebelled and was going to be made tranquil.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Justice thought this was the perfect moment to take over Anders. He flew into a glowing rage and yelled at the templars that they would never touch a mage again.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
A fight ensued amongst themselves and the templars while the mage cowered and cried and tried to keep out of the way of the lightning bolts and fireballs.
For all of their magic-negating abilities, the templars were nothing compared to them and soon they all lay dead on the dirt floors of this tunnel.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Justice was beyond rage-fuelled. He wanted to kill all of the templars for what they had done and continued to do! And when he approached the mage girl, she recoiled with fright and called him a demon.
Justice, being a spirit, was even more enraged to have been called a demon and threatened to take her down too. Until Lyria convinced him no. They were trying to save this girl! She pleaded with Anders to get a grip on himself and gain some control.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Anders fell to his knees and took control back from Justice, as the mage girl ran away crying. What had he done? He needed to get out of here and away from all of this.
He ran back through the tunnels and disappeared.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Lyria rifled through the dead Ser Alrik's pockets and found a letter he had written to the Divine. Apparently she had declined his "tranquil solution" several times and he was still trying to convince the woman that the mages of the Free Marches needed to be controlled.
The Divine obviously considered his plan a terrible idea and it would never come to fruition. That was one good thing, at least.
They left the tunnels and walked straight into the mage they had just saved. She thanked them and then asked just what that "thing" was. Was it a demon? No, Lyria said. Just a deeply troubled man. Then she convinced the mage to flee Kirkwall and find safety elsewhere.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
After that, Lyria raced to Anders' clinic to see if he was there.
He was, and he was going through his belongings: trashing things, keeping other things... he was going to flee!
Lyria quickly gave him Ser Alrik's papers. The tranquil solution did indeed exist, but the Divine had rejected it. Even the Knight-Commander had rejected it! With that knowledge, Anders calmed down a bit. Perhaps he could talk with the Grand Cleric here in Kirkwall... perhaps she would be more reasonable than he had first imagined.
He stopped throwing his things around... took a deep breath, and put some milk in a bowl for the neighbourhood cats. He missed having a cat around, he said. He kept hoping one would come along, but the other Darktown residents were probably eating them.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Anders then thanked Lyria. She had done so much for mages... even her, simply rising up and becoming a noble in this city had done much for their brethren. Only a few people knew she was a mage, but it was enough.
Despite what she had just witnessed, she couldn't help herself; she knew how she felt and told him that she didn't care about the politics of the situation, she just didn't want to see him captured by the templars.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
He bemoaned her constant flirting and said that he couldn't take much more. If she continued to tease him, he wouldn't be able to resist for much longer. Maybe she didn't want him to resist, she said.
He lowered his eyes and warned her. If they had a life together, it would not be simple nor would it be normal. It'd be nothing but trying to hide and being hunted by the templars. She saw what he had almost done to that girl as Justice took over; that was who he was.
He then suggested that he would come to her home later that night, and if the door was closed to him, he would know that she had finally found some common sense.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
She had absolutely no common sense apparently, but their tryst could wait until they did their last duty for the night — investigating the reclusive nobleman who Emeric believed was a murderer.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Entering the estate did not bode well for this reclusive nobleman. They were immediately set upon by demons and shades.
Aveline was no longer sure about her city guard's initial sweep of this house. They certainly had not met this unfriendly reception otherwise things would've definitely been different.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
They burst into a room at the back of the estate where the man was with an older woman on the floor. He spun around as they entered then his face changed as he saw who they were — he had been expecting someone else.
Apparently this man was not the murderer. But his sister had been murdered and he believed that this woman was going to be next. The killer sent women a bouquet of white lillies before taking them, and this woman had recently received such a bouquet. He had brought her here, hoping the murderer would come after her to claim her... and so he could kill the murderer. Only Lyria and her group had shown up instead.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
Lyria believed his story and allowed him to leave. He said that he would be in Darktown, searching for more evidence if she wished to find him.
With that all sorted for the night, Lyria returned home... and hoped that Anders would actually show up.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
He did. Though apparently he almost didn't. Justice didn't approve of this; Justice considered this all a distraction from more important issues. But he had won the argument and here he was.
He once again warned Lyria that together, this life would not be easy. But Lyria didn't care. Life wasn't meant to be easy and why not enjoy this uneasy life with someone she cared about.
<CENTER>
</CENTER>
The next morning, Anders once more tried to show Lyria the weight of this decision, but Lyria would have none of it. She loved him, and would tell everyone that she cared for this man, this apostate, and would stand by his side no matter what came.
She invited him to live at the estate with her, and there would no longer be any fear of templars roaming Darktown, hunting for him. He was under her protection now. Come what may.
*(Come what may, indeed.)*
<CENTER><h3>Until next time! 🐲⚔️</h3></CENTER>
<hr>
<CENTER><sub>All screenshots in this post are courtesy of me, @kaelci and are from the game: <em> Dragon Age 2</em>.</sub></CENTER>
hiveblocks