An Antivan Crow has been found murdered, and Viago needs Emmrich's corpse-whispering skills to find the killer. Who the corpse points to surprises everyone and leads to more troubling questions.

An extract from the first chapter below, and you can read the whole thing on Archive of Our Own:

“Signore de Riva?” Emmrich said politely, inclining his head in a little bow as he greeted Viago. “I gather this is why you requested my services?” He gestured to Viago’s rosewood desk that dominated the corner of the Cantori Diamond he had claimed as his makeshift field office.

Laid out upon the desk was a body, a young man still dressed in the blue leathers of the Antivan Crows.

“We need to know who the killer is”, Viago said through gritted teeth. “This wasn’t Antaam. This Crow was poisoned. I hear you can talk to the dead”.

Alana examined the body. The small tattoo on his wrist marked him as a member of House de Riva, theirs and Viago’s own house, but he was no-one they recognised.

“Who is – was he?”

“Enzo”, Viago replied. “He was a few years younger than you, became a full Crow after you left for the Solas contract. He was one of ours”.

Alana turned to Emmrich, tilting their head to look up at the tall mage. “Normally, I prefer the dead to, y’know, stay dead. But in this case, we need to know what Enzo knows”.

Emmrich straightened his back, and ran one hand through his perfectly-pomaded greying hair. “I would be honoured to assist the famed Crows of Antiva in this matter. May I have some space, if you please?”

He bent over the corpse to examine it. Sure enough, it bore signs of poison. The eyes and lips were swollen, and the veins under the skin visible as blackened tracks. Emmrich began to move his hands delicately, his many gold bangles faintly clinking together, as he reached out to the Fade and began to pull at strands of magic. A faint green light appeared around his fingers, reaching out to the body as tendrils of glowing energy. Emmrich’s arms moved more fluidly, like an orchestral conductor, as he directed the flow of magic.

“Let flame rekindle your sight”, he intoned. “Let breath and light rise again”.

Enzo’s corpse stirred, twitching first its fingers and then the whole body, convulsing with the waves of power that tethered it to the realm of the spirits. It let out one long, wheezing breath and stared at Emmrich with unblinking eyes.

“Who killed you?” Emmrich asked firmly.

“This one does not know”, the corpse spoke in a hoarse whisper.

“Can you describe your assailant?” Emmrich tried again. “Do you recall any distinguishing details?”

“A Crow”, the corpse said, turning its head from side to side as if looking around the room. It lifted one hand in a jerky motion, extending a single rigid finger in the direction of Alana.

“This one”.

The body shuddered and the green glow of magic faded. Emmrich shook his head and sighed. “The connection is lost. I’m afraid I can do no more”.

Viago glared at Alana, one hand instinctively moving towards his dagger.

“What did it mean – this one?”

#DragonAgeVeilguard #Fanfiction #EmmrichVolkarin #AlanaDeRiva #AntivanCrows