Imprints in Stone [AU]

[Varric]

"Settled two, two and a half centuries ago around the gold mine next to the river." Hence Golden Shores, despite being entirely landlocked. "Human merchant family bought the rights to it off the lumberjacks that found it, town just kind of gathered to support the miners. Family that owned it got into some trouble last decade over succession issues, money problems followed, then a dwarf. Why?"

[Marian Hawke]

She shakes her head. "Whoever briefed you left out something important. Nearly a hundred years back, there was some money trouble, and some widows from Nyra moved in and brought an infusion of funds. Little did the townsfolk know, they were witches, and had made pacts with demons. They began teaching some of the younger girls here and there, and soon there was an epidemic of witchcraft throughout the town. When it was discovered why the cows were producing curdled milk, they chased the widows away, but in under a decade there were imps roaming the streets at night, preying on dogs and anyone caught out after dark. The Brights preached against it, the Guard made some arrests, but the only way it was stopped for good was rooting out every last one of the maleficarum and burning them at the stake in a series of bonfires. There's a holiday and everything: that's what Bonfire Night is about." 

[Varric]

"What the fuck?" Varric demands. "That's not- that's not even-"

[Marian Hawke]

"What do you mean, that's not even?" she snaps. "It's what happened. Man wasn't meant to wield the forces of the arcane -- maybe some people can handle it, I don't know, but the kind of power and ease it offers leads one into practicing more and more magic, until eventually the prospect of making a pact with a demon seems enticing. One begins to fancy oneself the master of these forces, rather than a mere conduit for them, and then anything seems possible." 

[Varric]

"There are over sixty thousand arcane magic users in Nyra. Do you know how many sceleratis attacks there are each year?" Ignoring fiendish summons anyway. "About five on average. That's like... point zero zero zero eight percent of all casters that use a sceleratis to attack someone. Less than one percent of all casters ever so much as use a temporary spell to summon a sceleratis, much less invoke and bargain with them. I sure as fuck never have. Every bit of magic I know, I've earned by careful study and painstaking research. I'm no conduit nor am I a master. I'm a damn scientist, an engineer."

[Marian Hawke]

"Even if you're right, it doesn't matter. You so much as act strange around here and the rumors start up. You can't just openly use magic here. If you' re lucky they'll run you out of town!"

[Varric]

"...I understand your concern," Varric says gently. "But it does matter. What I am isn't evil. It isn't wrong. And I'm not going to be ashamed of it." He takes a deep breath. "I'll keep in mind your concerns about people's reactions. And I'll... start looking at working on safeguards. Contingencies. Ways forward."

[Marian Hawke]

I know what a contingency is! She shakes her head. "Then I need to offer my resignation." 

[Varric]

"Declined," Varric replies automatically. "Wait, why?"

[Marian Hawke]

"I can't have my family associated with that. This place might be your idea of hell, but it's our home, and I won't jeopardize that." She pours a mug of tea, but only one, putting the other one back in the cabinet; she walks over and hands it to him, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. It was nice working with you. But I can't."

[Varric]

"...Marian, you realize you and Bethany have magic, don't you?" he asks quickly. "Bloodline magic, not learned. It'll out eventually, one way or another."

[Marian Hawke]

Marian stills, her hands only a few inches from the mug she's just released. Finally, she swallows and hangs her head. "I understand. A deal, then: you keep quiet about Bethany and I'll forgo my payment--" Except, we already have a wager around my pay, based on my taking this test next month. "-- or, Mother's share of payment, I'll pick up a second job to pay that if need be."

[Varric]

"What about me makes you think I'm such absolute scum?" Varric asks, sounding really hurt. "Every damn time something happens, you assume I'm some kind of blackmailing pedophile."

[Marian Hawke]

"You're too smart not to know what you have," she mutters, hunching her shoulders. "Why wouldn't you use that to your advantage?"

[Varric]

"Ethics," Varric bites off.