It hadn't rain; it poured. Lyria had more work than she could handle but she would do all of it and be a *very* well-paid individual indeed. Before anything else though, she felt sympathy for the young woman in Hightown who was missing her templar-recruit brother. The woman wasn't paying, but Lyria couldn't help herself — she wanted to help. ![6.png](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tSKrSdVTV57gJJMqBbDhe8psFQ1SFNafTNzL5Z3sdGufkLbjuAbBsJPaDPEQD4ZYX4K.jpg) Nothing felt stranger to Lyria than actively waltzing into the Gallows to deliberately speak with templars, but these recruits obviously didn't sense anything about her. They had no idea she was a mage. They were too worried about their missing friends. Keran had gone missing, and Wilmod too! Two of the recruits were certain they were undertaking a new initiation rite from Knight-Commander Meredith. A rite that would kill the recruit if they weren't devout enough. The female recruit rubbished such nonsense. Wilmod had returned only a little while ago then left the city for some fresh air. Knight-Captain Cullen was going after him, right now. If Lyria wanted some answers, she should hurry after Cullen. He'd only just recently left and they could catch up to him. ![20230211213242_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23t7BQ3ysaa71nRGaKbvYL7uJDDiFuKujucJf7AGiySK6wWevv5ph93ptZAu4UcQAyxfV.jpg) Lyria caught up to him alright — she caught up to him just in time to see him threatening Wilmod, and then to see Wilmod transform into a group of demons! If Cullen was aware of her magic, he did not say anything as they fought side-by-side against the demons, though surely it was hard to miss flying fireballs and lightning strikes. ![20230211213359_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23xUnzR5q8ww5hNG6AmW5gjzrZEmawHYC1ot3Gk3cwdcBe6EM9yUmPkmFqJ3haWwJ6Xxt.jpg) Knight-Captain Cullen thanked Lyria for her assistance. He did not know what he expected to find when questioning Wilmod, but certainly had not expected him to transform into a demon. He raised a hand to his brow and sighed. Uldred's nightmares and demons at the Ferelden circle still haunted him. Lyria asked Cullen if he knew anything about Keran, the recruit disappearance she was actually investigating. Cullen knew nothing. Only that several recruits had gone missing and Wilmod, so far, had been the only one to return — and possessed! It was most dire. ![20230211213554_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23zbKCWPnEk8GQzoYbYtVVvxtK2w4qeAy387KpeHuNc8yGbLacGpRP6ZQKM8Uc53uaxnV.jpg) The only information he could give her was that these missing recruits had spent some time at the whore house in the city. The ladies there wouldn't answer his questions, but perhaps they would answer Lyria's since she wasn't so... officious. If she discovered any information, he would make sure she was well rewarded. That, of course, piqued her interest. Now her good deed was turning into a rewarding deed! ![20230211214922_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tvCSBk2N1njLCCLTGXJEH3nKh8Y48PC9meFGJCRneL3HTwBrte7Qip5878UZJ7inzpc.jpg) After a couple of hours' rest back at Gamlen's, Lyria was ready to face the upcoming night. She and Aveline needed to rescue a guardsman from a likely ambush, she needed to make contact with Samson the ex-templar and ask him about Feynriel, she needed to go to the whorehouse... oh, and she had promised to help Isabela if her duel ended up becoming a bit more than a duel. This night was going to be just as action packed as the night before, wasn't it? The moment she exited Gamlen's house, they heard a woman's voice speaking with a man. Promising him coin if he could perform a service for her... sure, he said, just in this dark alleyway... ![20230211215008_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tvCSLh4cprmr4Fs1wALxeh3o9mNtYAsJpFo7VojcWYHnEAXr7CTgp9nKQZLL7SoCFv8.jpg) Lyria raised her eyes to the sky then went into the dark alleyway to rescue the hapless woman. She looked like a chantry sister, and she was here in Lowtown trying to purchase a service? That was quite strange indeed. Since Lyria had come to her rescue, she offered Lyria the work if she would have it and told her to meet her by the foundries, soon. Then a templar came out from behind the corner and escorted the chantry sister. Perhaps she hadn't been so hapless or helpless after all... either way, they couldn't follow the woman now. They had a guardsman to save! ![20230211215116_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23vhqZujgjZNeofXUdCiy7Bd8LtJEHhDmF6gxMeGKc1SrFCjzzXbvCYV1S3tpWiJFDQbh.jpg) Lyria and Aveline followed a small commotion around a corner and came upon Guardsman Donnic surrounded by Coterie rogues! ![20230211215224_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23wMMuPbFdjEyjdvwt4yiYSN9MgJL5PGGA3ZzEiVsCJx3iJX1iDkKGy7b4FDA95WZPdfh.jpg) They fought them off and saved the Guardsman, then investigated the scene. Donnic had been told that this was meant to be a quiet route, and he had the satchel on him which contained office details and city accounts. Aveline was livid. This was obvious proof that the Captain was involved in something nasty and she was going to take him down!! Could they wait until morning? Lyria asked. No one would appreciate being barged in upon, Viscount or not, in the middle of the night and they had so much more work to do. ![20230211215317_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tm9ToLENqVPfsrkmhJ8pZAtAKz15iNdZmHwS5df9k29awBexKQtFwefTgepQMsaE872.jpg) At the bottom of Lowtown near the entrance to the Docks, a raggedly dressed man awaited. Samson the ex-templar. He had been expecting them. Apparently his days were now spent smuggling mage children out of the city — children who had only just come into their magic and were scared of the templars. For payment, of course. He couldn't help people who wouldn't pay. He needed that coin to buy all the lyrium for his addiction. Feynriel couldn't pay, so he recommended someone on the Docks that could help him... only, he had since heard that that man had taken the boy captive. Lyria was going to have to prepare a rescue mission. ![20230212074933_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23uQnCzn7jSRv6nV24NJfWjpZeai4gRE7LC7S4HnMKsW44625FZaW5MFwHYbrWBJpG2mp.jpg) Hurrying to the Docks, Lyria stumbled across one of the boys Athenril had spoken of... she was to bring back the boy or the goods. He was under attack by the Coterie and she quickly rescued him, then, Lyria told the boy to take the goods and make a new life for himself outside of the city. Working for Athenril was not suitable for such a young child. Athenril was not going to be happy, but Lyria didn't care. ![20230212075856_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tm7GAjN4PAXQriwpCv51hPVMcN8abdaxCqoZTS1zAZyY97Bb1f2NoyZmyT7t9YfC544.jpg) With the boy on his way with the goods out of the city, Lyria and her group found the dock where Feynriel was supposed to be being held captive. ![20230212075935_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23vsBdVt6R7UNxnZbPRSD5AikkdDdo3gAtc6EqLbBec6uEsytByu6s1uPiAtxojCSuAzd.jpg) They stormed in and took down all the guards within. In a back room they came across a lady mage, begging for help, surrounded by more of the guards. Before Lyria could intervene, a demon answered the mage's call for help and she transformed into an abomination, killing all the guards then attacked Lyria too. A letter on the corpse suggested that her father was a templar... poor girl. There was no sign of Feynriel though. Sifting through the dockmaster's items, they found something that suggested Feynriel was sold to a man named Danzig in Darktown. Lyria headed straight there. ![20230212080449_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23uQk46RhhXEyc4hM1WiyC4QTJkdWoxvQ4EooREAF6MrAn8x9fvdVa9fdg34npnCFw21a.jpg) As soon as they approached Danzig, he waved his arm in the air and called forth a bunch of armed men. They looked like Tevinters. Before Lyria could even talk to the man and ask about Feynriel, he demanded she and her group be cuffed and sold. That was just not on. ![20230212080633_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tbkLV5EmYpPsWfvHTRe5GZgGbaUforgbkoHrYcULZSLjTNKSF9fDU6p8xENwkJjrD1E.jpg) After killing the fools, Lyria rifled through Danzig's pockets and found where he was keeping Feynriel. On the Coast in a cave. She didn't have time to go there just now; she had a date with Isabela in Hightown. She would get the boy as soon as the duel was over. ![20230212085218_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23swkfdHXRaamt876jZkPFJ2jgUpBjjdY4R2MUGeUqc4sRUEoeSyNLasmrmhEXcXfMZJ9.jpg) When they arrived in Hightown, Isabela was already there and waiting. Her opponent hadn't shown up yet — no one had shown up! It was quiet, too quiet, and she didn't like it. ![20230212085238_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tbPQfYAji6sJi8B1rWnEa5BTuimeYGUFnTf1PST492NkUuC25VdxGJzwJi6s2MtL2LC.jpg) A well-armoured woman raced around the corner and skidded to a halt, followed by several other armoured people. She looked at Isabela and yelled to attack. Lyria and her group thwarted off this attack alongside Isabela, then discovered that these attackers had been sent by the man Isabela was supposed to be dueling. He was hiding the Chantry awaiting news of Isabela's demise. ![20230212085536_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tGZbKaqjcvd5DxnoJaFW3o6UbrxKeryTBPY8SB1coq9Hb6qtDnrAw8uKeYVJBxchCbe.jpg) Barging into the Chantry to confront Isabela's opponent, they discovered that Isabela was hunting for an ancient relic that was worth more than anything they had ever seen before, and that looking for this item was punishment because Isabela had the audacity to free 200 slaves from a ship. That made Lyria like her. She would stand by this new friend she had made. ![20230212085929_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tGXhTidy216xdCSvowsap8jxtVukxdKgLXW2aUciQargqroC9LHCEaeRyWuXLrqmcdG.jpg) They fought the man and his neverending supply of goons, then left their bodies on the Chantry floor for the sisters to deal with in the morning. Isabela thanked Lyria for her assistance, winked, and said that she could find her in a room at the Hanged Man if she desired. Lyria did not desire. ![20230212093023_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23tbRm3HrnFmakHBSeQsYrJkkYM21ZzcU16vrgVvbHHcTZRBxhqyzQHJecJCBDpUWyyU6.jpg) While that had been some activity for the night, they were not finished. They would rescue Feynriel before the night was through! They hastened out of the city and onto the coast and searched for the cave that the Tevinters had transported him to. They found it quickly... just as morning was welcomed into the world. This had been a truly busy night. ![20230212093311_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23swiDwCCFsa98LuiwLG44hrJgbPEmKcVAsNsTuLcJzj9u64xxn7LkAVdJcrswns4FPUY.jpg) They barged into the cave, fought slavers at every turn, then walked into a wide cavern where the leader of the slavers held a blade against a boy's throat — Feynriel's throat. He threatened to kill the boy if they stepped any closer. Lyria glared at the man, nudged Varric, and demanded that the dwarf tell these men just who they were. Varric spun a tale about how the boy they had was the Viscount's son, a lovechild from his favourite elven mistress, and that the man risked war across the Free Marches if he dared touch a hair on that boy's head. The man, rightly terrified, let the boy go, and even gave Lyria a coinpurse filled with what the boy had been worth. ![20230212093537_1.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/kaelci/23swdk8j2BTkWF9VRLiUWg7WyUH6PPgHxhucgtk3NBRd6MCCB3Gi4AKVp4Vp4ct4Kkqxt.jpg) The men ran off, and Feynriel approached... he was at first afraid they were templars, but then found out his mother had hired Lyria and that was just as bad. Lyria proved herself no threat though, showing him that she, too, was a mage. After chatting for a bit, they decided to allow Feynriel to find the Dalish and perhaps learn his magic with them. He was half-elf after all. With all that done and the boy safe and on his way to the Dalish encampment, Lyria wanted nothing more than a sleep. These night time adventures were really something else. As she fell asleep she vaguely remembered the woman from the Chantry she had rescued earlier... but she could wait til tomorrow. Lyria was bushed.

Until next time! 😊🐲⚔️

_{All screenshots in this post are courtesy of me, @kaelci and are from the game: Dragon Age 2.}

RE: Mikel Arteta - Pen Drawing