Ferdinand

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"Serrah, I don't think you understand the gravity of this kind of magic. You may be adept, experienced, you may think you know what to expect... but necromancy will leave a deep black mark on you no matter what your intentions are.", the raven cloaked man croaked. It was a voice of grief, and Rowani hadn't been expecting such a grave warning from a renowned black market magician.

"I... I'll keep that in mind. But I think it's worth the tainting. It can't be worse than what I already suffer.", she wet her lips, her hands still outstretched to the book that he was holding from her.

"Heh, yes. Grey Wardens tend to get the short end of the stick, don't they?" his hood covered his face, Rowani couldn't tell if he was even human. Maybe he was a decrepit demon disguised as a man. She couldn't tell, and she wasn't sure she'd like the answer.

People weren't supposed to be able to tell who she was. Leliana had told her that the veil was dark enough to hide the important things. Why would someone as war hardened as Rowani wear something so thin and impractical anyways? That was half of the disguise. But this... this mage had seen right through it without lifting a finger to cast a spell. Rowani sighed," Is it that easy to see through my costume?"

"Don't doubt yourself my lady. Your disguise is fine. But I am far more observant than the common folk." he thrusted the book into her open hands, "I believe I can trust that you will... understand the consequences of using this." Once Rowani had a grip of the large tome, he circled the desk he had been standing behind, closing the distance between him and Rowani. "If you ever. And I mean, ever, need assistance of any kind. Come to me, and I will give guidance." the strange man grasped Rowani's free hand, making her carry the book in one hand, and kissed her knuckles in a politely chaste manner.

It seemed to be much more than a simple kiss. It was a promise, a seal on a deal Rowani didn't know she had taken part in. She smiled acutely and gave a small curtsy, unsure of what she was supposed to respond with.

"Now out of my store, I have business to attend to, and you have a Blight to drive back into the Deeps."

It seemed that was the final word, as the necromancer turned and busied himself with different ingredients and tomes, shifting things about and organizing by use. She frowned at the sudden dismissal, but eagerly left the eerie shop. The other mage was right, she did have things to attend to.

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Ferdinand smiled under his hood as the Grey Warden left his shop. Rowani didn't know it, but she would find herself calling for the necromancer's aid much sooner than she would ever anticipate.

It wasn't something he should be smiling about, most would see it as morbid, but he knew the outcome of this chain of events. Everything would be better than alright. Rowani would discover immortality, and her dear companion would recover from a suffering he hadn't realized. Everything would be better than alright. And he had the dark arts and good intentions to thank.

His fingers stilled over the aromatic flowers he had been trimming in their bouquet. His third eye throbbed as he delved deeper into his instinctual visions.

Blood, fire... a deep rooted guilt. She will find a stone bed, and she will lay him down within, he will cry and thrash, and her heart will break a hundred times over.

Ferdinand clutched the flowers tighter and tighter as the visions and the chanting overtook his senses. He could smell the copper tang of thick lifeblood, the acrid smoke and panic as people ran past him, and others crawled from under firey rubble.

Everything became suddenly cold and dark, and all he could feel was a deep panic bubbling to his throat. His eyes wouldn't open, his hands and feet wouldn't move. He was laying on his back and he wanted so badly to hear her voice, to tell her he was okay, but all she did was silently sob somewhere far away from him.

The necromancer took a deep breath, trying his best to distance himself from the visions. He needed to get back to his shop. The emotions of the vessel of the visions were incredibly strong, disrupting his concentration.

With a grunt, Ferdinand lifted his left hand, pressing the back of it to his forehead with a hiss...

And the vision stopped.

With a deep sigh of relief, Ferdinand looked back around the room to recall what he had been doing. The flowers in his hand smelled stronger than they should. He looked down to see them crumpled and dripping into his desk. He frowned before moving to toss the ruined flowers into a compost pot. He'd have to move it to the actual composting bin later.

The necromancer smiled fondly once more. He'd make an ally out of Rowani, he would help her save herself from her own blight. He wasn't a stranger to the terrible symptoms of necromancy. His soulless beating heart, and his shimmering third eye being the tamest of the taint.

He no longer feared death, and many might claim he had become a shell, empty, and awaiting fulfillment. They didn't know what tumbled in his head all day, he was far more than a simple skeleton, waiting to be given orders. He had all the time in the world to finish plots and ponder his role in the next era of Ferelden's little insular universe.