Lyrium Outlaws: Steampunk Reinvention

"Don’t be hard on her." Varric said.  Amber soften her stance somewhat although she was still furious. "Daisy didn’t know this would happen."

"Whatever it was that gave us passage here has been destroy." Cullen said ignoring Merrill's glare.

"I'm not  mad. Not much.  Merrill was only trying to help a friend, but we need to find a way back."  There was light straight ahead and that's were she was heading. The corridor was filled with such strange sounds.  Long drawn out whistles flooded the hall.  And there was this constant ticking wherever they went. There were unnamed thing moving up and down on their own with out purpose. The corridor led them into the largest room Amber ever saw. One of the walls was missing. It lead them ou

“Varric, have we discovered a hidden Thaig.”

“No, Hawke there are no secret Thaigs in Orzammar."

"So, Where are we?" Cullen asked.

"Don't worry. I'll get us out of this."  Amber's voice was cheery and full of determination.  "Merrill performed a spell.  Spells can be broken or undone."

"Blood magic."  Cullen began.

"Hush, not now."  Amber smiled at the man that she’d grew to love.

"How are you able to resist?" He said.

"I have you at my side to keep me in check."  She kissed him lightly on the lips. "And I trust what’s here."  She place her hand over his heart.  I do what’s needed to survive without compromise."

"I finally have you to myself and we're lost."

"What's that?"  Merrill ran ahead into the room.  "It looks like a very large fish smiling at us."

That shape is odd.  It can’t be a ship.  like it was sitting on a dozen legs. The legs actually we pipes that folded in ways that made her head ache.  More stuck out from the back of the ship.  What purpose would pipes have on a ship?  They would only cause the ship to take on waterand sink.  "It does kinda look like a fish." Amber agreed. There were two huge black orbs on either side.  "If that fish was brown, had many legs, and as huge as the boat we sailed to Kirkwall in."

A tapping sound grew louder.

"Maker protect us." Cullen said.

"Who would waste gold to make a large rat?"  Merrill wondered.

"That's not gold." Cullen charged forward to attack.  Luckly the metal thing seemed to be confused constantly trying to target everyone at once. They weren't getting anywhere attacking it with their weapons.

Amber  ran her hand over her pouch that contained a few supplies.  One lyrium potion was in there among, but if the were in an unknown realm where lyrium didn't exist. She dug into her arm as hard as she could never taking her focus off the thing.  She yelled at Cullen to get out of her way. His effort suceeded in removing a leg, but that hadn't slowed the metal rat down. She felt her power return as her blood began to flow.  And ripped the metal thing apart.

Several huge metal looking hooks with water pouring from it hung on the wall.  "It was only once." Amber mumbled. "It doesn't mean a thing.  It means nothing." Cullen was standing behind her. "Lyrium.  There's no lyrium here."

If we don’t  have access to lyrium, your magic."  Cullen said.

"It seems Meredith and Merrill have succeed after all in turning me into a Blood Mage afterall."

"Don’t."

"I’ve become everything you fear and hate."

Cullen kneeled down  before Amber.  She hated when his face become a cold mask.  It meant that he was thinking to much. Taking time to debate both sides to reach a conclusion.

“I admit.”  He began.  “ I still have feelings for you.  So that colors everthing I’m about to say.”    He sat down in front of her his armor making  a clank a when it touched the ground.  Amber couldn’t help but giggle.  As he sat down awkwardly in front of her.  "I know what it must took for you to do this."

“If I ever cause you to doubt.  If you see me  becoming one of those things promise me you’ll deal with it. With me. I don’t want to live as a tranquil or an abomination."

Cullen nodded silently. He then helped her up to her feet. "Damn, the browness of it all reminds me Ferelden."  He chuckled at his own joke, but his unease with the situation showed. They were somewhere with out any means of returning home.

“It does, doesn’t it."

He took her hand squeezing it tightly in his.

"Are you two married?"   An unknown voice shattered their moment.

Amber tried to  attempted to remove her hand from his.  Cullen stopped her by squeezing her hand tighter not letting go. His eyes held no answers to this madness.  She was thankful she didn’t see hate for what she was chose to do earlier.

"Stop running Amber, I’ve got you."  

She turned to see the voice came from a strange woman with several metal pieces and parts. She wore a white ruffled blouse that was buttoned all the way up her neck.  The skirt was too large to be of any use other that to look pretty. ”What would make you ask that?" He said.

"The Doctor is very impressed that a man of means such as yourself would take a foreign wife." She noticed a too tall man standing behind her.  She assumed it was a man.  He wore the strangest mask.  The eyes were solid black orbs.  Smaller versions  of what was on the side of the ship.  The mask had no mouth that Amber could see.  The nose was the strangest of them all.  It was so long it reached a foot past the face.  It was crooked at the end like a beak on a bird.

Cullen stood forward protecting Amber. Shielding her. “I am Knight-Captain Cullen.

“I don’t think he cares what your title is." Amber whispered.

"Is that authentic armor from the Crusade that you wear.  Were did you find such  a thing.  There is a collection here, but this is wonderful.  I know the Doctor will offer you a fair price for it if you are willing to part with it."

"You show up after the threat is gone.  Are you and this doctor in danger?" Amber asked.　　

"And you my lady or has the Captain given you another title.  The Doctor has determined that you are the brains and the bodyguard of the group. You've trained your pets to fight for you.  I was sure you were a bodyguard and nothing more  We observed you as you dispatched our bots. There were many side glances between you two."  The strange woman would not stop talking. "Is that an elf?  How did you breed her?  Thankfully they are quite useful in the battle. You never once checked to see if the pets were okay."

"Hawke if this nice lady calls me a pet one more time,  Bianca’s going to pierce her heart.  A little gift of love."

She held her hands up in surrender.  "It’s not my fault your masters weren’t that  concern with your well being. "

"We need answers. We can't kill her, yet." Amber said.

"Friends.  Good.  My name is Tori." She turned toward the man behind her.  "That's the Doctor. The Doctor is the one who released our mechanical animal on you as a security measure to protect his Airship.  This Airship can do something none of the other airships can.  Exactly what it does.  I can’t say, but trust me it’s brilliant.  Why are you here?" She could not be comfortable with her waist sinched that tight.  What do you want?  Are you spying on us?"

“Come Victoria,  make sure our guest are properly dressed for afternoon tea.  There will be much to discuss once I learn why they are here." The Doctor headed outside into the unknown world.

"There is an explaination for this all." Amber spoke to herself more than anyone around her.  "I’ll find it. Just wait and see."