faderift | The Blood of the Dalish

WHO: Cyril Ashara, Merrick Ashara, Pel, Samouel Haines Gareth, Taashath, Galadriel, Kallian Endris, Bruce Banner, Eirlys Ancarrow, Anders, James Norrington, Beleth Ashara, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Iskandar
WHAT: Summary of content
WHEN: Sometime near the start of Umbralis
WHERE: From Skyhold to along the Serpentine River.
NOTES: OOC post for this plot is here.

The Inquisition has been here before. They visited to ease the tensions between Clan Frandruil and the human village Kaladoun. As they left, peace had seemed to be reached. The Clan's Keeper, Shoshanna, has not kept up her part of the treaty. The Clan was meant to leave and give the village space, but it seems there's always a good reason to stay in place. The Clan's First, Janna, has put aside her pride to reach out to the Inquisition for help. As she has been regularly communicating with the Dalish liaison for the Inquisition, Cyril has agreed to put together a team and help the clan vacate.

While they are there they will break into two groups, one will help the Clan pack up and the other will go into the village and ease tensions there. Once the Clan is ready, all members of the Inquisition who came will reunite and help the Clan move to a new location and settle, to help them get back into the spirit of the nomadic lifestyle.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Cyril's eyes widen at the news that Iskandar is a king and stay wide as he speaks. The way he talks about leadership, it's easy to tell now that he's speaking the truth. Indeed, it's hard to imagine this man has anything other than a king.

"I would love to hear more," he says. He's utterly distracted by this line of thinking now, and seems to have momentarily forgotten his own worries.

Iskandar laughed softly and patted for him to come and sit close to him. It was only after he did that he began to speak again. "My name is Iskandar, the King of Conquerors. In my days I stretched my lands far and wide, conquering and expanding my wealth and lands. During my days as King my people lived in times of greatness. I sent riches to all my lands, saw to it that they always had exactly what they needed. Not once did I ever lose a battle.

"My greatest treasure always has been that of my people. Each person was my friend, each person was just as important as myself. I believe that true conquest is to win but not to destroy; to conquer but not humiliate. I was the inspiration for my people because I refused to compromise myself in the process. Even when I conquered the lands of Persia, I still refused to give up all that I was as I took on two cousins as my wives."

It was here that he paused for a time, letting that sink in a bit. Cyril was listening and that was important here.

"When I died I went down in history as Alexander the Great. Many have looked to my strategies and ways of ruling with great admiration. After I was summoned by a mage a couple thousand years later, I was able to read about my kingdom in history books."

Cyril comes over and settles near Iskandar and pulls up his legs to watch the man as he speaks. He still feels rather impressed by everything he says. That kind of ruler seems almost impossible to imagine. There was still war and struggle though, considering that part of what Iskandar is talking about is conquering other lands.

The last part, though, that has Cyril stunned for a moment. "I'm sorry," he says. "You're ... dead?" He really has no idea what that implication is. "You were brought back by a necromancer a thousand years after you died? How are you not a skeleton?" And what did it mean to Cyril that he had slept with a dead man?

"A couple thousand. I am a Spirit now." He laughed softly at the reaction. It was so innocent in a way. Iskandar could see some of himself in Cyril for moments like this and he greatly enjoyed that. Which was why it meant a lot to him to be able to talk to him about this now.

"Do you know what I have learned in all this time? That selling yourself for the good of the people does not actually make a people happy. It only destroys in the end. Your heart, those who love you, the very people who you wished to save or protect." Resting a hand on top of his head, he smiled warmly at him. "In the end this decision is your own but I will tell you now that I view sacrifice for the greater good to be childish act which only causes misery. We may not know each other well and I may not be native of this world but I will not withhold my opinion from you for I consider you a friend and more. You deserve honesty."

His hand lowered and he looked at the sky again. "I once knew a girl who gave up everything that made her happy to save her lands. In the end the lands were destroyed and she was left wanting to sacrifice herself again to save them. It is an endless pattern that I feel you to be better than."

Cyril listens and feels almost as if a weight is being slowly lifted off of him the more that Iskandar speaks. He doesn't even mind the hint of being called childish because the more Iskandar speaks, the more everything he says makes sense.

He sighs a bit after a long moment of quiet and thought. "Halam'shivanas," he says after a moment. "The sweet sacrifice of duty. We're taught that idea since we're young, but I can give up things in a more productive way, and I think that's what you're telling me to do."

"I am. There are ways of doing things without compromising yourself." Iskandar smiled a bit, pleased that Cyril was having some understanding for what he was saying. It helped, it really did. "Something I have admired about you is how true to yourself you are. I would hate to see you change that about yourself."

He looked over at him. "You will be a true leader of your people if you can be true to yourself in all that you do."

Cyril smiles at that, always one to enjoy compliments. This time it reaches his eyes too and makes him feel a lot more confident. "That means a lot coming from someone like you."

That brought a laugh and he went to rub Cyril's hair, unable to resist the urge after such a fine statement as that. "I am very pleased you feel that way. It tells me that your heart is open to the words of others. That shows great wisdom."

Cyril chuckles a bit and reaches up to fix his hair a bit once Iskandar pulls his hand a way - vanity always wins after all. "Either that or I'm easily distracted by what big handsome men tell me," he teases a bit.

Well if he wanted another laugh then he sure got one. This one was louder than the last and he even went to move over and give him a kiss to his hair. "Well I am always happy to be the big handsome man to tell you things. After all, I am very attracted to beautiful men such as yourself."

Cyril smiles at him and then the expression fades into something a bit more serious. "That's right," he says. "And I wouldn't want to deny that of myself." After a moment, where he sort of glances in the direction of Janna's Clan's camp.

"Thank you," he says when his gaze returns to Iskandar. "For everything. For telling me about yourself, for being willing to jump into my bed the moment after we met, for being my friend now."

"Cyril, I only jump into the beds of those I plan to have a bond with. It is my honor to be your friend and I am pleased that we will continue to be friends. With or without further adventures in your bed." He did wink at him but he was completely serious about this. The bond they shared was one he treasured, just as he did with all those who were his friends.

"Have you figured out what your decision is?"

Cyril found himself hoping that it was with more of those adventures, but that would have to wait until after he knew what he was doing.

"Not totally, but this helped." Then, after a moment, he repeats. "Thank you." Then he leans up a bit and kisses the side of Iskandar's face.

Tilting his head, he made it easier for him to reach. The kiss was a good sign and Cyril didn't seem to be so weighed down. Iskandar was very pleased with that as he pulled him in for a quick embrace.

"You're welcome. You can come to me to talk any time you wish. About anything."

"I'll keep that in mind," he reassures. He pats Iskandar's arm lightly. "I should probably go talk to the others. I'll let you know when I make up my mind."

"I look forward to your decision." He gave him one more embrace then let him go. There were still plenty to talk to and he wouldn't keep him from that.

The Blood of the Dalish

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