How to Start Righting Wrongs
Varric's wounds had healed quickly—a testament to his ancient power, Ardyn's potent salve, and the focused power of her amethyst flame—but neither Ardyn nor Elsa allowed him to venture far from his caves. They stood guard over him with a fierce protectiveness that, frankly, he adored. The first time Ardyn was given full access to his private chambers, her mind had frozen.
It was like stepping from one world into a vastly different, alien one. His caves were the living connection of his lands to his birthplace—Sidus Serpens, the Star of the Serpent—and they were not made of dead rock as she understood it. The chamber was living, both solid and liquid in appearance. The entirety of his personal cave system—ceiling, walls, and floor—was a deep, venous silver that continually rippled as if submerged in water or responding to a hidden, organic current. The plants were completely different, too; they were silver-leafed, silent things that seemed to have breath and a heartbeat. It was the purest embodiment of Beast-Kin magic.
Varric sat up, the raw strength having returned to his frame, as Marcus entered with a respectful bow.
"My Lord, I have returned as quickly as I could."
"Good, Marcus. I need something done, and I need it handled with immediate, unquestioning fury." Varric's voice was low, laced with the metallic rasp of contained anger, a deep, resonant sound that vibrated in the silver walls.
"Go to the village of Lady Ardyn—Silver Vale. Find out all you can about her. I am going to go there personally, and tell them that in honor of her there will be no more sacrifices, and we will forever protect them in her name. I want you to tell me how that news is received, and I want you to bring back any whispers, any rumors, of her past. Dig into the deepest muck of that village and find the truth."
"Is there anything specific you look for, Lord?" Marcus asked, his jaw tightening as he registered the sheer depth of Varric's contained rage.
Varric frowned, the lines on his imposing face deepening, and looked at Marcus for a long, cold moment. His silver eyes narrowed, their liquid pools filled with protective darkness.
"Someone has hurt her, Marcus. Badly. Someone made her feel like a thing of dirt and ashes. Her beautiful body bears marks of their cruelty. I need to know every name, every face, every moment of pain they inflicted."
At the declaration, Marcus stiffened, his own serpentine scales momentarily flaring with instinctive, shared anger. The Clan had begun to see Ardyn not just as their Lord's mate, but as their Princess and Queen rolled into one—someone to follow and revere, but also someone precious and vulnerable that they wanted to nurture and care for.
"They will pay, Marcus. Every last one of them. For every scar, they will feel a thousand lifetimes of my fury."
Rage rolled off of Varric, an invisible wave that briefly caused the silvery walls to ripple faster. Marcus dropped to one knee instantly.
"Yes, My Lord. I swear on my blood and scales that I will uncover the full truth. Do you require the Black Guard for the journey?"
Varric's mouth twitched into a chilling, humorless smile. "Yes. The Black Guard. I intend to make an impact that will ensure this message of protection is never forgotten."
Marcus smiled knowingly, his Beast-Kin instincts recognizing the promise of sanctioned, devastating violence. "Yes, My Lord. I will prepare them."
Ardyn felt the dark, protective wave of Varric's rage all the way across the domain, but she had been in the middle of a new exercise in the Cave of Reflection and could only spare a moment of worry. She sat atop a tall, naturally formed pillar, water streaming down in wide sheets around her, forming a veil of mist. She focused her mind and thought about the ability her inner self had used against her—the dark, surprising use of her own burgeoning power.
Power welled up at her core, a potent, amethyst tide. It flowed through her being with tremendous, dizzying force, a sensation that threatened to overwhelm her. She pushed it through her core, trying to mold it into a physical shield, and it fizzled out instantly, falling apart at the edges of her conscious mind. She opened her eyes, let out a frustrated, involuntary burp of excess energy, and harmless purple smoke streamed from her pursed lips. The sheer effort left her body trembling.
She used the newly learned and instantly effective [Serpent Cave Step] to teleport to Varric's chamber, intent on chasing away his anger.
As soon as she appeared before him, his entire demeanor changed. The severe anger that had coiled around him instantly dissolved into liquid love. He smiled broadly, the fierce energy shifting to tender adoration, and strode to her, taking her into his arms. All of her frustration about her failed exercise flowed from her in a sudden, cathartic rush, and she melted into his embrace, inhaling the scent of polished stone and clean, dangerous power.
"Thank you for visiting me, my love. Your presence is the only tonic I need."
"I came because I sensed your anger," she said, her voice muffled against his black shoulder. "Are you truly okay?"
"I am now," he affirmed, kissing the crown of her head. He had to lie to her—the truth would only bring her more pain. "I have to go out and see to some urgent issues with grain supplies to the south. It's a tedious, administrative task, nothing dangerous. Stay here, focus on your incredible training, and wait for me. Let's eat dinner together tonight when I return."
She smiled, her worry instantly easing. The clan's bear Beast-Kin allies lived far to the south, he was only dealing with matters of logistics. She would not need to worry about him facing danger. She stood on her tip-toes and kissed him swiftly on the corner of his lips.
"Be careful, and don't use too much magic for something so simple."
"Of course not, love. Only enough to ensure my safety."
He drew her back into a final, deep, protective embrace, savoring the feeling of her small body against his, etching the feel of her into his soul. He walked her back to the edge of her caves, waited until she was safely inside, and only then teleported instantly to his waiting guard.
The Serpent Clan's Black Guard was made of the largest and most elite Beast-Kin. They were powerful, intimidating, and their armor bespoke of a terrifying dedication to their Lord. They wore bright silver magical warrior robes with black accents that periodically moved to form different runes of protection, strength, and healing. None of them ever spoke, and they moved absolutely silently. Varric nodded to them, the cold fury clearly reinstated on his face.
The Serpent Lord led the way, his heart filled with a terrible, possessive love – and need for revenge - toward the insignificant, forgotten human village of Silver Vale.
End of Arc 1 – Finding the magic of love.