When the door slams open half an hour later, Lucanis is mostly expecting to see a furious Taash. It wouldn’t be the first time, and is unlikely to be the last, that they threaten – or try, or succeed in – killing someone for the sibling they chose. Instead, Professor Emmrich Volkarin storms through, ever-polite face darkened into something thunderous and deadly. Manfred skitters in anxiously behind him, carrying a skull Lucanis recognises with something between dread and amusement.
“Emmrich.” His greeting stalls Teia and Viago in reaching for their daggers. “I see you brought Mara’s… mother.”
“I AM FAR TOO YOUNG TO BE THAT BRAT’S MOTHER!” Hezenkoss’ skull refutes, eyes blazing green. “WISP! HAND ME TO THE TALL ONE!”
“Ah, no, let’s not do that, Manfred.” Emmrich extends a hand to ward his skeleton-son back from Viago, whose expression reads that he would quite happily have shattered both skulls if that attempt had continued. “Johanna, there’s no need to be so disagreeable. We’re here to talk, not to harm Ashaala’s lovers.”
“LOVERS!” Hezenkoss spits, “BAH! IF THEY LOVED HER, SHE WOULD HAVE NO REASON TO BE CRYING IN THAT FADE-TOUCHED DWARF’S ARMS! IF THEY LOVED HER, THEY’D HAVE FOUGHT TO KEEP HER SAFE!” Well, it’s good to know they’re with Varric, even if it hurts that they’d run.
“Safe, like you did?” Viago snaps, dagger-sharp. “Because from what I recall, it was your precious Mourn Watch that sent a child out alone into Thedas to be enslaved by the Sicarii!”
“AND I SPENT DECADES PREPARING TO TAKE THEM APART FOR IT!” Hezenkoss bellows, magic sparking and writhing around her skull-prison. Manfred hisses, scolding. “I DEVOTED MY LIFE–“
“To a twisted form of necromancy that you almost killed her with,” Teia interrupts, flatly. Emmrich inclines his head in acknowledgement. “You came to talk, talk. If I have to listen to that skull screeching all evening, I’ll learn how to kill spirits myself.”
“Quite right,” Emmrich agrees, perching delicately on the chair Teia gestured to. “I was simply hoping to share a story from Mara’s youth. I thought it may bring some light to this…unfortunate situation.”
“And she knows you’re here?” Lucanis broaches, dragging a reluctant Viago into the seat between him and Teia.
“They’re aware,” Emmrich assures, serenely. “Her only request was that I refrained from summoning her… less lively family.”
“PSH!” Hezenkoss dismisses. “WHY THEY WORRIED, I DON’T KNOW. YOU’RE NOT STRONG ENOUGH FOR THAT.”
“I think even you would find raising half the oldest reaches of the Necropolis quite challenging, Johanna,” Emmrich returns, tart but otherwise unflinching. “Nevertheless, it is in those lower levels that this story begins.”
