Chapter 1
Duty
"No I don't want to go!" Muiryl yelled loudly at her father "I do not want to serve the Chantry!"
"Enough!" Bann Trevelyan yelled loudly silencing his daughter. "I have lost my son to the Ostwick circle where he will spend the rest of this life instead of out here as a noble. Our family duty is to serve the Chantry it has been for generations. Especially now with the circles failing they need more now than ever. You will follow traditions young lady; you will sacrifice for the greater good."
"You wish I was the mage locked up in the Circle don't you," Muriyl said as she eyes started to water "You wish I wouldn't be here so you'd have Maxwell. Don't you father? So you would have your son do great things, while I always embarrass you, isn't that right father."
"Yes," Bann said "It would have been so much easier."
"I hate you," she said as she held back tears "I HATE YOU!" she then ran off down the corridor.
"You should be easier on her," Lucille said as the wrinkles etched her face "Why not let her decide her own way?"
"It is our duty to serve," Bann said "It is long overdue as it is; she is well past the age I should have sent her to the Chantry. I have given her too much freedom."
Muriyl had run out of their home and to the stables, where she effortless scaled the barn and ran across to the back roof that looked out to the woods. The view calmed the storm she had inside. Muriyl had been cultured all her life to serve in the Chantry, to become a sister. Her brother would have been a Templar, if he had not been a mage. She remembered the day well, when her brother was taken.
"Hey Muriyl look!" a 10 year old Maxwell said as he picked up a clear rock, "Look you will love it, it shines like the ones in your room."
"Let me see! I want to see!" a 5year old Muriyl said as she came running over. "Please let me see Max, I want to see the pretty stone."
"Here Ri," Maxwell said as he dropped it into her cupped hands "Look, doesn't it sparkle."
"Oh it's so pretty," Muriyl said and then held it up to the sun and saw colors go through it.
"I'm going to show you something Ri but you have to promise not to tell anyone," Maxwell said and Muriyl nodded excitedly as she lowered the stone and gave it back to him. Maxwell then placed it in his hand and then suddenly fire was in his hand.
"Wow!" Muriyl said as she watched the stone be engulfed in flames the flames soon died and she reached for the stone but Maxwell stopped her.
"Don't touch it Ri it's hot," Maxwell said.
"But you can touch it," she said with a pout.
"I'm special," Maxwell said and then handed her a cool stone.
What they didn't know was that their neighbor saw them. He told their father and then the Chantry who contacted the Templars from the Ostwick circle. It was dinner time when their father walked in with two Templars.
"Daddy who are those men?" Muriyl said as she held her teddy while she sat at the dining table next to her brother.
"We are here to take him to the circle," one Templar said.
"Who?" Muriyl said.
"Maxwell you best be going," Bann said.
"No, he can't go!" Muriyl cried out and dropped her teddy and grabbed on to Maxwell as he got out of his seat "I didn't tell anyone! You can't take him!"
"But father!" Maxwell yelled as the Templars walked up to him "I don't want to go."
"It is your duty," Bann said "Whether to serve as a Templar or a Mage, it is your duty as a member of this family to serve the Chantry. You understand don't you?" Maxwell looked at his father and then down to his sister who was crying and grasping on to him.
"No he can't go!" Muriyl cried and held tightly to her brother "Please don't leave Maxwell!" she then sniffled in his shirt "I don't want you to go."
"Ri," Maxwell said and unhooked her arms from him and bent down to her height "I have to, I wish they wouldn't have found out so soon," he then pulled out another stone from his pocket it was a lightly blue that had white and silver specs in it "I found this a little while ago, you will take care of it for me won't you while I'm gone."
"I don't want you to go, I will be all alone." Muriyl said as she wiped tears from her eyes "I want you to stay with me."
"You can come visit me anytime you want," Maxwell said as a maid came over and picked up Muriyl after Maxwell gave her a hug one last time.
"Time to go," one of the Templars said.
"No!" Muriyl cried out as the Templars walked Maxwell out of the dining room and she struggled against the maid who held her tightly so she wouldn't get away "No! Come back! Maxwell! Maxwell!"
She had never seen him again. Her father wouldn't allow her to visit him. Muriyl kept the stone her brother gave her underneath her shirt on a necklace that her father never saw. Maxwell and Muriyl kept in touch with letter but she hadn't seen him since he was taken. It had been years since then, over 22 years if Muriyl remembered correctly since she had seen him.
"My Lady Trevelyan," a maid called from below "Will you please come down?"
"Will you allow me this one freedom?" Muriyl said quietly "Am I allowed at least that."
"Yes My Lady," she said "But I would like to speak to you if you would allow it."
Muriyl looked over the edge and saw it was Helena, an elder maid that had been looking after her since she was just a child. Muriyl had no mother; she had died at child birth. Muriyl felt it was one reason her father, held such reverence for her. Muriyl nodded and walked over to the edge of the building and back flipped off landing gracefully on her feet.
"You are going to give this old women a heart attack My Lady," Helena said with a soft smile as Muriyl walked over and she held out her arms to the young women who embraced them warmly. "I heard you father wishes to send you to the Conclave to serve."
"He wishes to be rid of me," Muriyl said into the older women's shoulder. "He wishes I was a mage, so I would be taken away." Muriyl hated knowing her father wouldn't accept her for who she is.
"I don't," Helena said "But, if you go perhaps your brother will be there? Last I heard from you letters he had become a powerful mage. Surly he would have survived the rebellion within the circle." She then reached and brushed some of Muriyl red hair behind her ear "You look so much like her."
"Who?" Muriyl said looking at Helena as she played with her long red hair.
"Your mother," Helena said with a smile "My Lady, I do not wish you to go, but the chance you could see your brother, would be a chance to not give up."
"I never thought of it that way," Muriyl said as she left Helena embrace.
"I know you are able to take care of yourself, you have become a fine archer Muriyl," Helena said "I know you can keep yourself safe."
"Thank you, Helena," Muriyl said warmly "I do not know what I would be able to do without you."
"I know my dear," Helena said "I have you all packed for the Conclave, I will also inform your father."
"So certain I would leave?" Muriyl said with a laugh.
"Certain you would get a chance to see your brother," Helena said as she handed over Muriyl's bag "My Lady there is one last thing before you leave."
"Yes?" Muriyl said as she turned back to Helena.
"Don't doubt yourself, your father's love may be jaded, but there are many here who love you. Don't stop being yourself, no matter what you may face. May the Maker watch your steps and may Andraste guide you." Helena said.
"Maker watch over you," Muriyl said and gave Helena one last hug before she mounted a horse and headed to make it in time for the Conclave.
Muriyl had traveled night and day to reach The Temple of Sacred Ashes. She was surprise to see many Mages and Templars already there waiting for their leaders. Muriyl had looked around the Mages to see if she would recognize anyone, then she shook her head.
"How could you recognize him you twit," Muriyl scolded herself silently "You haven't seen him in years."
"Muriyl?" a man's voice said and she turned around and her gold eyes landed on an older man. "Maker's breath is that really you."
"Maxwell?" Muriyl whispered and took in her brother's short black hair and gold eyes. "Maxwell?"
"Ri, it's me, I would recognize that red hair anywhere," Maxwell said and ran and hugged his sister tightly "You're so tall now."
"So are you," Muriyl said happily and looked up, her brother was much taller than her and she wasn't short, around 5'9", her brother was over 6 foot.
"It has been too long since I've seen you," Maxwell said with a sad smile "I wish you could have visited,"
"Father didn't allow it," Muriyl said with a frown.
"I'm sorry," Maxwell said "It must have been hard."
"It was," Muriyl said "Before I came here, father wanted me to devote my life to the Chantry."
"I remember you mentioning it in a letter," Maxwell said then a thought hit him "Wait are you a Sister?"
"Maker no," Muriyl said shaking her head "I came hoping to see you, I heard about the Ostwick Circle and I hoped you still lived, I couldn't think you died. I had doubts."
"You know dear sister I don't die that easily," Maxwell said with a devilish smile "The negotiations have already started; I am just waiting to see if I can get in and put my word in."
"You want the Circles back?" Muriyl said surprised.
"They aren't so bad, besides Blood Mages, and abominations, I have already seen my fair share. Some at the Circle got drunk with power, and I saw firsthand what it does. If we can restore the Circles, make them better, and not isolate mages, I don't think this would happen again," Maxwell said "I want everyone to live in peace, haven't we had enough lives taken with the Blight in Fereldan?"
"When did you get so wise?" Muriyl said and teased her older brother.
"Since I am the First…..well was the First Enchanter at Ostwick," Maxwell said proudly.
"Oh congratulations Max!" Muriyl said happily and hugged her brother again "That was the good news you were waiting to tell me before…all this happened."
"Yes," Maxwell said and they heard a loud bang. "What was that?"
"Nothing good probably," Muriyl said and headed in the direction of the noise "It came from over here!"
"Ri wait!" Maxwell said and ran off after his sister.
"What?" Muriyl mumbled as she groaned and sat up and realized she was in a chained to a pillar and was sitting on some steps. "What happened?" suddenly the door opened and Muriyl looked and saw her brother in the middle surrounded by guards who had swords trained on him. "Maxwell?"
"Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now," A woman with short black hair said. "The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead," she then stopped in front of Maxwell "Expect for you and her."
"Everyone is dead?" Muriyl said quietly and the other women looked at her.
"You think I'm responsible for this?" Maxwell said as he looked forward.
"Explain this," the women said and then grabbed Maxwell's left hand and Muriyl saw a green mark glowing on his hand.
"I can't," Maxwell said.
"What do you mean you can't!" the women yelled.
"I don't know what it is, or how it got there," Maxwell said and she grabbed him roughly around the collar of his shirt.
"You're lying!" she yelled
"Stop it!" Muriyl cried out and the women's attention went to her.
"Maybe you can explain this!" she then started to storm over to Muriyl who did not like the intent in her eyes.
"We need him Cassandra, and it would do no good to hurt her," the other women said as she held Cassandra back.
"I can't believe it. All those people….dead?" Maxwell then looked over at Muriyl and relief was in his eyes at his sister.
"Do you remember what happened? How this began?" the red head said standing over Maxwell "Either of you?"
"No," Muriyl said and hung her head. She couldn't remember anything, nothing at all expect blackness.
"I remember running. Things were chasing us, Muriyl fell I grabbed her and then….a women?" Maxwell said slightly confused.
"A women?" she replied.
"She reached out to me, but then…" Maxwell said and got frustrated he couldn't remember.
"Go to the Forward Camp, Leliana. I will take them to the Rift," Cassandra said as Leliana nodded and left and Cassandra unchained Muriyl but left her hands tied and then went over to Maxwell and undid the huge binding on his hands but left them tied as well.
"What did happen?" Maxwell said.
"It will be easier to show you," Cassandra said as they both followed her out.
Muriyl was behind Maxwell and ran into him when he stopped as he got adjusted to the light. Muriyl looked up and saw the sky ripped opened.
"Andraste flaming…" Muriyl whispered "What the hell is that."
"We call it 'The Breach.' It's a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour," Cassandra said looking at it before turning back to them "It's not the only such Rift. Just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave."
"An explosion caused that," Muriyl said and looked at it and a shiver went down her spine. "This is most defiantly not good."
"Take her below," Cassandra said and two guards came and grabbed on to Muriyl "I will take him to the rift."
"Maxwell?" Muriyl said with concern and confusion.
"I just found my sister I do not want to lose her again," Maxwell said to Cassandra.
"I cannot watch both of you," Cassandra said "She will remain as we venture on."
"I will prove we're innocent Ri, I promise, I will come back," Maxwell said and Muriyl could only just nod as the guards took her way back down to the dungeon.
Muriyl sat in the cell with only the torches as light, with the sun in the middle that peaked through as much as it could. The guards had left her once they realized she was no mage. But they kept her hands tied as she sat in the corner of her dark cell.
"Maker, preserve my brother, please don't let me loose him again," Muriyl said sadly and started to hum quietly to herself and started to sing softly "Shadows fall and hope has fled. Steel your heart the dawn will come. The night is long and the path is dark…."
"Sad, so sad.." a voice said and Muriyl stopped signing.
"Who's there?" Muriyl said into the darkness and stood up with the help of the wall before walking towards the cell bars. "Hello?"
"You're hurting, hurting sad, lost brother. Full of sorrow." It said again. "I can make it stop."
"Hello," Muriyl called out again "Can anyone hear me?" she then heard nothing but turned and found a man crouching in the corner where she once was and she let out a scream which went unheard by everyone above.
"Didn't mean to scare, only to help," he said as he stood and started to fidget with his hands "Your voice, it helped with the hurt, calmed. Calmed the hurt."
"Who are you?" Muriyl asked as she eyed him and saw he was dressed in long pants and had a rather large hat on his head.
"Wanted to help, heard you. So I came. Cole. I am Cole," he said "You're not hurting so much. Lonely, sad, unwanted. I can help, am I helping being here?"
"Cole, I'm Muriyl," She said feeling calm for some reason around him "Yes your helping, I'm not so lonely talking to you."
"I like helping people. To stop the hurting," Cole said "I can make you forget. To stop the hurt."
"No it's alright," Muriyl said "How did you get in here?" and suddenly he vanished and appeared on the other side of the bars.
"I came because you called, the hurting." Cole said "It is better now."
"Cole?" Muriyl said quietly and Cole reappeared in her cell.
"You've quieted them," Cole said "Calm, I like it. It stopped. I will stay. Then I will leave."
"You don't have to leave," Muriyl said.
"I must to stop the pain, I like helping," Cole said. "Did I help?"
"Yes Cole," Muriyl said with a small smile towards Cole. She didn't know why but something inside knew that he wouldn't hurt her. He looked so much like a lonely person himself, who just wanted to help people. "You helped."