Bloody Apples

Chapter One

Anders's slumber left him gradually, and he found himself to by lying in a rather comfortable bed, under a thick comforter that left him feeling warm and safe. He smiled to himself.

Hawke's bed .

He reached his hand out to feel for his sleeping companion to come up empty. Anders frowned. He'd never slept longer than Hawke a day in his life. He finally cracked one eye open. The room he was in was still dark. He could barely make out the bedpost on the other side of the bed as he peered through his hair. He slowly sat up. His joints popped and cracked from the motion and his left leg protested movement. Clear signs of a recent fight. Anders rubbed his eyes as he tried to recall just when this fight had happened. The last he could remember was a minor slaver group they had encountered while they trekked to Sundermount to beg some ancient knife from the Keeper that Merril was going to do Maker knew what with. That was at least a week ago by Anders's recollection.

He allowed some magical energy to slow down his leg and through his arms. The soothing warmth relaxed the irritation in his muscles and he finally looked around the room. He paused any motion.

This is not Hawke's room!

Anders sprung up and spun around the dark room he was in. Whoever's room this was, it was twice as large as Hawke's and ten times as dark. The smell of damp wood and ask met his nose as he searched the place for his staff. He held a light in his palm as he surveyed the area. The carpet beneath his feet was worn. The fireplace on the opposite wall of the bed was grand and well used. There were signs of a recent fire within. Likely from the night prior. A polished nightstand sat at each side of the bed and a large, ornate chest sat at the foot. Anders knelt down and observed the chest. It was definitely Tevene. The red cushions atop of it indicated that it also served as a bench. Sitting beside the large door sat an empty armor stand. A grand armoire stood in the corner on the opposite side. There appeared to be few personal belongings within the area. It almost felt like a luxurious inn that had seen better days.

Spotting no staff, Anders decided to exit the room. He found himself at the top of a wide staircase that led to down to an expansive room that led to multiple hallways as well as the entrance. Anders was clearly in some kind of mansion; one that looked strangely familiar, yet Anders held no memory of entering it the night before. Swallowing his panic, he descended the stairs and glanced at the front door. To its left, was a weapon stand that held a handsome, golden staff. Intricate runes glowed around the handle of the jagged blade attached. The rest of the staff was crusted with tiny jewels and intricate designs of imitated tree bark. Anders looked around for his own, but saw there wasn't anything else in the area.

"Does anyone live here? Did I manage to get drunk and pass out in some abandoned mansion without Justice noticing?" Anders grumbled and snapped up the staff. Unfamiliar as it was, it felt perfectly natural in his hand. The weight of it felt familiar to his fingers and back when he strapped it into place. Anders would just have to ask Varric to help him find the owner to return it. That is, after he found out what exactly was going on here.

Anders stepped out of the door and found himself in a nook in Hightown. Birds were beginning to chirp as dawn was beginning to break. Anders blinked against the increased light and looked around. He knew this area. On the opposite side of the platform was Bartrand's mansion, and that DuPuis monster lived just to Anders's left. That meant the mansion he had just stepped out of was-

"Maker no!" Anders spun around as if he would somehow be proven wrong by spotting the building from the outside. It was undeniable. The place looked every bit as haunted as Varric worked hard to lead everyone in Hightown to believe it was.