Inhibited, Exhilarated

Chapter 2

"Ferelden's Wellsprings Co. to leave Tevinter in the dark in historic lyrium shortage measurement. The Imperium studies legal action," reads the headline of The Denerim Times. Adorning the upper half of the paper's cover sits a picture of its controversial CEO, Mr. Solas Harel. Ellana recognizes the suit he's wearing. It seems photographers caught him entering his firm car the evening before when he was leaving home. He's wearing a grimace of disapproval on his rosebud mouth and sunglasses covering his gray-purple eyes, despite the time of night it was taken. The day before he stayed late and literally ordered Ellana to go home.

She opens the paper and goes to the main article.

"Undisclosed sources close to the Ferelden lyrium trading company inform of the Imperium's threat to breach contract, which would have prompted Wellsprings' Management to take the harsh measurement effective today."

Apparently The Denerim Times is better informed than her. And who are these undisclosed sources? She ignores the endless calls on hold and the dozens of emails asking for an exclusive interview with Mr. Harel and instead goes downstairs. The executives can barely keep up with the erratic way the stock market is reacting to this action. She looks over the large space and wonders whether anyone among them is a mole, selling what transpires within the management office walls to the highest bidder.

This isn't the first time Mr. Harel has made it onto the headlines of media outlets. Last year Wellsprings' stock actions plummeted when he had declared the partnership with Orlais' Montfort Pharmaceutics "a necessary evil." The Orlesian lab was one of the biggest manufacturers and distributors of the Fade inhibitor drug. One of his first measurements as the new CEO shortly after being hired four years ago was to secure political support from Orzammar and Ferelden to introduce a new tax to all Theodosian nations that depend on lyrium as their main source of power. His reasoning being: "These are wealthy countries making use of the Deep Roads' lifeforce to power their cities. We are privileged to have Orzammar's trust. They are owed a fair price for their lyrium as do we for mining, refining, and distributing it at the highest standards to secure the well-being of our workers. That costs money." From Tevinter to Orlais, to Nevarra, Antiva and the Free Marches, the new tax earned him the title of "the Dread Wolf" across different media. He simply laughed and said he'd wear it as a badge of pride.

This time, however, he left Ellana alone at HQ to deal with the mess. The phone wouldn't stop ringing and her inbox was reaching kilometric lengths of unread emails. While Mr. Harel is spending a field day in the research facility at the Storm Coast, she has to write a standard rejection for petitions of interviews, declaring that Wellsprings' Management has nothing further to comment on the measurement. As soon as she sends it to the many media outlets that have reached out throughout the day, their replies overflow her inbox once again demanding explanations. It is useless. A similar thing happens to the many phone lines collapsing with all the incoming calls. Ellana records a standard statement and redirects all calls to be answered with it. Sometime after midday, the main hall porter calls to ask what to do with the growing crowd of journalists camped outside the building's entrance. Ellana rubs her forehead in frustration and tells him not to let anyone in.

However, keeping the media at bay isn't her only assignment for the day. Before leaving for the Storm Coast that morning, Mr. Harel asked her to compile the last fiscal year in a report and send it to him asap for his presentation draft. At some point in the afternoon she had to send away a very frustrated assistant to Ferelden's Minister of Energy and Telecommunications who thought it fitting to pay a visit to HQ to personally talk with her boss about his "outrageously irresponsible" measurement. He didn't leave before making sure she'd convey to Mr. Harel the Minister's sentiment. Basically, he threatened to cut her boss' career short if Solas didn't go first thing in the morning to the Minister's office to explain himself. Ellana reaches out to her boss as soon as she can via email to let him know of the assistant's visit and message. She isn't surprised to get no answer, for she is certain by this point of the day the reactions to his measurement must have already reached him one way or another.