Wrath of Heaven

The pain in Nicholas Trevelyan's left hand was intense enough to ensure him that he was still alive. It throbbed and burned, the pain spreading out through his veins into the rest of his body like a poison. A sudden blast of heat and agony raked through him and he let out a strained, weakened cry. He was aware of every muscle, every bone, every inch of his skin as it all burned and itched. Slowly Nicholas opened his eyes and turned his head to give a quick glance at the soldiers on all sides of him. They had their swords drawn, pointing them in his direction but he could not have fought against them even if his wrists weren't in shackles. The floor was cold and hard against his knees and he wanted nothing more than to press his burning hand to the stone, seeking any relief.

"Blessed are the peacekeepers, the champions of the just," he prayed to himself, his tongue swollen and stiff with dehydration, his lips cracked and bleeding. The weight of his predicament was finally pressing into him. Andraste guide him to the side of the Maker.

The door in front of him burst open and a bright light filled the dim room causing Nicholas to flinch back and attempt to shield his eyes. Two figures stormed into the room, the first one roughly grabbing his shackles and examined his hand as it let out another burst of heat and green light. Nicholas tried to bite back his groan of pain, but failed. He managed to look up at his captor and met eyes with one of the hardest looking women he had ever met. Had Andraste forsaken him? Her eyes were cold and dark, her cheekbones high and prominent. She had several facial scars that left her looking even more intimidating than she might have had otherwise… He had stared into the maws of wolves and felt braver.

The woman leaned close to his ear and said sharply in an accent he firmly placed as Nevarran, "Tell me why we shouldn't kill you now. The conclave is destroyed… Everyone who attended is dead. Except for you." Her eyes narrowed and Nicholas quickly shifted his gaze over to the other who had walked in. She looked hard, but in a different way. By her dress he could tell she was some sort of spymaster or assassin where the other was a soldier of some sort. Nicholas felt a panic rising in his chest as his fight or flight instincts crept upon him. His eyes flitted back to the warrior woman and he clenched his jaw. He would not give her the satisfaction of seeing him weak but he felt naked without his armor or bow.

"Do you really think I did this?" he growled out, his voice raspy and harsh from underuse and a dry throat.

"If you did not, then explain this." As the warrior replied his hand let up again and this time Nicholas let out a growl as she roughly released his shackles.

"I can't, and at this point even if I could, I wouldn't." Nicholas was feeling the panic claw at the inside of his chest. It was making him agitated, desperate. He wanted either to be released or killed.

"What do you mean you can't?" The warrior's voice was marked with a tinge of hopelessness as she and the assassin circled around him.

Two ravens waiting to feast upon my flesh. Maker, end this now and let me rest.

"I don't know what it is or how it got there," Nicholas answered aloud. "If I had any idea do you think I'd be in this much pain?"

The woman was suddenly in his face, snapping as the words, "You're lying!" came from her lips. Instinctively Nicholas made a reach for his dagger but his arm moved only slightly. He did not need to attempt to defend himself, however, as the assassin came to his aid. She put a hand on her aggressive companion and pushed her back.

"We need him, Cassandra," she said, her voice softer than the warrior's. Nicholas frowned, wondering if this was some of sort of 'good guard, bad guard' routine.

"Whatever you think I did, I'm innocent," he said firmly, trying to glare at the two women with equal intensity. He was sure he looked pathetic, though, wrists bound together, unable to move.

The assassin stepped closer to him and said in softer tones, "Do you remember what happened? How this began?"

Nicholas tried to think back, tried to focus past the throbbing in his mind. "I… remember running. I was being chased by—"He could remember clearly what was chasing him, but he knew that was irrelevant. "—things. And then, there was a… woman…" Was that right? His mind was foggy, confused. What would a woman be doing there, of all places?

The spymaster seemed to share his surprise, parroting his final two words as if hoping to jog his memory but it was swiftly fleeing from his grasp.

"Aye… She reached out to me, but then…" Before he could finish his thought the warrior, Cassandra, interrupted him. She stepped between him and the spymaster, walking her back towards the door.

"Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take him to the Rift." The words startled Nicholas. The thought of being out in the open air excited him, but he was so weak… And Maker only knew what would happen to him once they got there.

The one named Leliana nodded and walked out while Cassandra stepped up to him and reached down to grab his shackles. She removed them and pulled him roughly to his feet.

"What… What did happen?" Nicholas asked as he struggled to get his feet planted firmly underneath him. His feet felt numb and now that he was upright his entire being hurt more than ever. Would he even make it to where ever this Rift was? He tried to picture this Cassandra carrying him there, and he would have laughed if he wasn't so afraid that it might actually come true.

Cassandra looked him in the eyes for a long moment before saying, "It will be easier to show you." She tied his wrists together with rope and led him out of the room. Nicholas blinked quickly in an attempt to adjust his eyes to brighter light and he stumbled a few times before his legs remembered how to walk. She led him through the dungeon, up some steps—which he fell upon, but only once—and down a short hallway that led to two heavy wooden doors. These were swung open as he and Cassandra neared them, day light flooding the entry way.

At first all he could see was snow settled among stone paths and on top of wooden roofs. As he stepped further out, however, his eyes moved upward and he stopped in awe at the view before him. The clouds were a tempest over the land as far as his eyes could see. They swirled in a vast circle, the middle of which glowed a bright green. From the middle flowed a green light, looking like a tornado made of green water as similarly colored lightening flitted through the clouds.

"Maker's breath…" he gasped, unable to believe or comprehend the sight before him.

"We call it the 'Breach,'" Cassandra's voice pulled his eyes down to look at her. She was in front of him, her back facing him as she gazed up at the hole in the sky. "It's a massive Rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It's not the only such Rift," she turned, facing him, her eyes connect his with again. Her brown eyes showed a determination… Nicholas was sure his own only betrayed his fear. "It is just the largest. All were caused by the explosion at the Conclave."

Nicholas could have guessed that much, at least, but now was not the time for snarky comments. Still, he was surprised. "An explosion can do that? It can open Rifts like this?"

"This one did," she replied, "Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world."

As she spoke a burst of energy released from the Breach, pulsing out green light. Nicholas let out a yell of pain and collapsed to his knees as whatever was wrong with left hand reacted to the burst. The green light glowing from his hand matched the same shade of energy from the Breach. Oh, good, and here I worried these would be two separate issues. He gritted his teeth and willed his wit to overcome his pain and fear.

Cassandra dropped down to one knee in front of him, her voice becoming a bit more panicked than before. "Each time the Breach expands, your mark spreads… And it is killing you."

"I could have told you that," Nicholas bit back, his voice tight with pain and fury at nothing and no one in particular.

Cassandra ignored him and continued, "It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn't much time.

"If I can help, I will," Nicholas grunted, balling his left hand up into a fist and then relaxing it. He took a deep breath and then said softly, slowly, "'Let mine be the last sacrifice.'"

Cassandra raised an eyebrow at his piety, but said nothing of it. She moved to his side and helped him stand, letting him lean against her as he stumbled yet again. She led him through the village of Haven. Nicholas had remembered seeing it on maps, but had never been there. Now as he walked through the snowy landscape he felt the angry, accusing glares of guards and civilians piling upon him. He furrowed his brows, but kept his head and his eyes downward.

"They have decided your guilt. They need it," Cassandra said quietly to him as they walked through the gauntlet of glares. She kept a firm hand on his shoulder, leading him past the faces. Nicholas took a chancing glance up but quickly regretted it. He could not remember the last time he saw such malice on anyone's face… "The people of Haven mourn our Most Holy, Divine Justinia, head of the Chantry. The Conclave was hers. It was a chance for peace between Mages and Templars."

"Why the history lesson?" Nicholas grunted. "I know all of this. Do you think I was born in the Fade?" He was rewarded for his cheek by a sharp shove forward which almost sent him sprawling to the ground. Only the strong hand of Cassandra kept him upright, but he had half a mind to drag them both into the dirt.

"She brought their leaders together," the warrior continued, as if he had said nothing and she had not retaliated. "Now, they are dead." They approached a wooden gate which was swung open by guards to allow them to pass. "We lash out, like the sky. But we must think beyond ourselves, as she did, until the Breach is sealed." They came to a stop on the stone rampart and while Nicholas took a moment to look at the scenery around him, Cassandra pulled out a dagger. She eyed him for a moment, almost as if contemplating where best to shove her blade, before beginning to cut the robes binding his wrists.

"There will be a trial. I can promise no more. Come… it is not far."

"Where are you taking me?" Nicholas shook his hands to get blood flowing back into his fingertips before gently rubbing his wrists. His eyes wandered to look at the palm in his left hand, but whatever the Mark was, the sight made him sick and he forced himself to look away.

"Your Mark must be tested on something smaller than the Breach." She spoke so matter-of-factly, as if her words actually made sense to a sane human being.

"You want me to go use this… whatever it is in my hand on… Rifts? Fade Rifts? Am I understanding this correctly?" Nicholas frowned and showed no sign of moving, which clearly annoyed Cassandra. She did not answer him and instead began to walk forward. "Surely you don't expect me to do anything in my weakened state? I mean, I was in that dank dungeon for how long and not a single drink of water? No way to treat a Trevelyan if you ask me."

"I wasn't asking," she turned to him, angry. Digging into a pouch at her hip she procured a vial with a bright red liquid in it. "I heard stories about you, you know. You were supposed to be brave and fierce." She tossed him the potion and he grabbed it out of the air, pulling out the cork with his teeth, before downing it in a quick gulp. The potion made his entire body tingle for a moment, and then he felt as if he had never even been at the Conclave. The effect would not last forever, of course, but it would certainly get him through the next few hours.

"I'm also supposed to be fed, watered, and allowed to run outside and play a few hours each day." Nicholas was not about to let her slight on him go without his own witty remark. "Now come on, chatty, let's get going." He began to walk across the ramparts to the far gate. As he passed Cassandra he heard her let out a noise of disgust from the back of her throat, and he could not help but smile. He was starting to like the 'bad guard'… even if he had the feeling that she wanted nothing more than to throw him back into the Fade where he came from.

The stone underneath Nicholas's feet were slick with snow. Soldiers on both sides of him, fresh from the front lines, were tending to their wounds and praying to Andraste. He whispered a silent prayer to the Maker as he passed them, most of them either ignoring him or giving Cassandra a curious glance. The gate at the far end of the rampart opened at the warrior's behest revealing a dirt path that began to twist around the nearby hills, through tall pines still green amongst the snow.

Nicholas and Cassandra maneuvered past manned defenses, stepped aside as retreating soldiers ran towards the rampart, and skirted past a raging fire on the roadside. The further they walked the more fires they saw and Nicholas mouth set into a grim line, his brows furrowing. He wished he was armed... Clearly there was going to be some fighting. As they continued along the path both the Breach and his Mark let out a burst of light. The sudden surge of pain brought the Trevelyan to his knees. The healing potion had made him forget the pain he had been in moments before. That was a mistake he would not make again. From behind him Cassandra rushed up and helped him stand, her grip gentler than it had been before—though that was not saying much.

"The pulses are coming faster now." She looked into his eyes for a moment before patting his arm and leading the way forward. "The larger the Breach grows, the more Rifts appear, the more demons we face.

"Well… shit." Nicholas had no choice but to follow her. "And here I am without armor or a weapon. Maybe these demons will have a weakness for sarcasm."

"Or silence."

"Now that doesn't seem likely at all." Nicholas smirked to himself as he followed Cassandra, but it didn't last. Try as he might, now was not a time for jokes. "So… how did I survive the blast?"

"They said you… stepped out of a Rift, then fell unconscious. They say a woman was in the Rift behind you. No one knows who she was. Everything farther in the valley was laid waste, including the Temple of Sacred Ashes. I suppose you'll see soon enough."

"Well at least I didn't imagine the part about the woman." They had begun to cross a sturdy stone bridge, Nicholas turning his head to take in the sight of the frozen river that, when thawed, would flow beneath them. Suddenly a flash of green light blinded him and the felt the bridge give out from under his feet as flying debris came down from the Breach and splintered the bridge like a twig. Nicholas collapsed with the rocks upon the unforgiving frozen surface below, Cassandra rolling down beside him. He propped himself up on his side, looking up in time to see more debris falling from the Break towards them, this time in the form of a demon.

Cassandra leapt to her feet at the sight of vaguely human monster, its face shrouded by a dark hood. Nicholas got up as well, but unlike the warrior he did not have a sword or shield. "Stay behind me!" she yelled, rushing towards the foul beast. Nicholas wanted to call her back but knew she would not suffer a retreat. He took a couple steps backward, carefully avoiding rubble, when he noticed black goop bubbling up from the ice. A quick glance over the shoulder showed him that he would not be empty handed for long. Andraste had not forgotten him after all.

Nicholas dove backward and slid the quiver of arrows across his back and readied the bow as the black substance gave birth to another demon. He fired an arrow straight into the beast's misshapen chest and it flinched backward. Seeming to determine that the prey in front of it was too feisty it turned to help its brother fight Cassandra. Nicholas knew that he could turn and run now, find a cozy cave, and stay there until the Mark in his hand killed him… or he could stay and fight Maker knows how many demons at the side of a woman who would probably sacrifice him upon an altar if it meant not having to listen to him talk again.

With a groan he moved forward and began to pepper the demon that had turned away from him in the back with arrows. It let out a roar and looked over its shoulder at him, contemplating fighting him instead, when he lodged an arrow into its face. It collapsed with another roar onto the ice and Nicholas looked behind it in time to see Cassandra finish off her demon with a final slice of her sword.

"It's over," he sighed, walking up to her as he took a quick look around to make sure no more demons were going to raid down from the sky or bubble up from the ground.

"Drop your weapon! Now." Cassandra's bloodied sword was shoved into his face and Nicholas took a reactionary step backward. His eyes widened as he looked at Cassandra and she glared at him, her lip curled up into a sneer.

"Alright, alright, have it your way." His voice was soft, cautious, as he slowly began to lower the bow onto the ice. As loathe as he was to part with it already, he did not wish to see his blood mingle with the demons'.

Cassandra let out a forced sigh and began to sheath her sword. "Wait." There was a pause and Nicholas did not move, watching her closely. "I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless." She walked towards a path that lead up from the river and Nicholas began to follow her before she turned and added, "I should remember you agreed to come willingly."

"Aye… well… good." Nicholas cleared his throat and followed her up the path. "So, Cassandra, where are all your soldiers?"

"At the forward camp, or fighting. We are on our own, for now." As she spoke they came upon the body of a dead soldier, and Nicholas frowned. Things obviously weren't going well for the defenders. They climbed a small hill and spied, on the frozen river, two more demons like the ones faced earlier. This time, however, the two humans had the advantage. They killed the demons quickly and continued on where they spied even more demons, this time however one looked like a floating green shadow. It was smaller than the other but swifter as it glided across the ridge above its companion who was on the ice below.

"Be careful," Cassandra cautioned as they paused to assess the situation. "That one attacks from a distance."

"Cassandra, you keep the larger bastard occupied. I'll go up and take care of the ranged demon." Nicholas knew that if they both attacked the larger demon then the other one could pick them off safely from a distance. Besides, he knew a few tricks to get up to it undetected.

"Who are you to give orders, now?" Cassandra raised an eyebrow, obviously displeased.

"Just trust me. You have the armor and the strength to tackle the big one, and I have the speed to take care of the wraith." There was a moment of silence between them before the warrior scowled but nodded. She charged forward on the frozen riverbed to attack the lesser shade while Nicholas shrouded himself in the shadows and moved up to flank on the wraith that was now focusing on Cassandra. He moved up behind it, readied an arrow and let forth a barrage of arrows that quickly overwhelmed the demon. It screeched and dissolved into nothingness. Nicholas gathered up what arrows remained and moved to the edge of ridge where he helped Cassandra finish off her lesser shade. As the second demon died she looked up at him and nodded approvingly.

They continued on, following the river, fighting what demons rained down from the Breach. None were strong enough to stop them and soon Cassandra said, "We're getting close to a lesser Rift! You can hear the fighting." Sure enough the yells of men and screams of demons were closer than they had been before.

"Who's fighting?" Nicholas asked, wondering if they were finally coming upon Cassandra's soldiers.

"You'll see soon. We must help them."

They reached a ruined rampart and Nicholas jumped down to a stone path below where two soldiers, an elf mage, and a dwarven archer were fighting several demons next to a green tear that was floating in the air. The sight of the Rift made Nicholas pause. Surely such a thing had to be impossible… There was a hole ripped into the air, a one-way door between the Fade and the real word. Maker's breath… And I'm going to have to seal that?

The two newcomers helped fight the demons. As the last one fell dead the elf grabbed Nicholas's left arm and pulled him towards the Rift.

"Quickly! Before more come through!" The elf took Nicholas's hand and pointed the palm towards the Rift. Suddenly the human felt a surge of power enter his hand and flow down through his arm as a beam of green light connected his Mark to the Rift. Nicholas drew the power out of the Rift for a couple seconds before the elf yanked his arm backwards and the Rift closed with a small blast.

"What did you do?" Nicholas asked, balling his left hand into a fist before relaxing it. His fingers tingled, but it did not hurt… that was a start.

"I did nothing. The credit is yours." The bald elf looked shrewd, calculating, and powerful. Nicholas had never had much dealings with mages that weren't family, but for now he figured he could trust this one.

"So this thing is useful after all."

"Whatever magic opened the Breach in the sky also placed that Mark upon your hand. I theorized that Mark might be able to close the Rifts that have opened in the Breach's wake—and it seems I was correct." The elf smiled at the end, looking pleased with himself. Nicholas was just glad the elf didn't get it wrong and make things worse.

Cassandra stepped forward as she said, "Meaning it could also close the Breach itself."

The elf gave a shrug. "Possibly. It seems you hold the key to our salvation."

Nicholas let out a short burst of laughter. "Don't tell my brothers that. They always said I have a big head, no need to give them ammunition for it."

For the first time the dwarf, who had been standing off the side, spoke up. "Good to know! Here I thought we'd be ass-deep in demons forever." He had dirty blonde hair tied up at the back of his head and both his shirt and coat were too small to button up the whole way, revealing a large and very hairy chest. The dwarf also had a crossbow at this back, a weapon that greatly interested Nicholas. Crossbows could be powerful, yes, but they were difficult to make properly and in the hands of an inexperienced user were often useless. Yet the dwarf had been a formidable ally in the fight. Whoever made that crossbow was a serious smith.

"Varric Tethras," he continued, stepping towards the others. "Rouge, storyteller, and occasionally unwelcome tagalong." As he got to the part he gave Cassandra a wink, eliciting a dark scowl from the warrior. Clearly these two have history, Nicholas shifted uncomfortably. But at least I'm not the only one who can make her react like that.

"It's good to meet you, Varric. From one rouge to another, let me say that that is a nice crossbow you have there. I've never seen one like it before." Nicholas smiled, but it faltered a bit when Varric began to laugh.

"Don't make it weird, kid. But, yeah, Bianca will be great company in the valley." Before Nicholas could ask about the name Varric chose for his weapon, Cassandra cut in.

"Absolutely not! Your help is appreciated, Varric, but—"

"Have you been in the valley lately, Seeker? Your soldiers aren't in control anymore. You need me." Cassandra made a noise of disgust and turned from the dwarf, defeated. Yeah… these two have history all right.

"My name is Solas, if there are to be introductions." Nicholas was just glad there was an interruption from the awkwardness. "I am pleased you still live."

"That makes two of us, I suppose," Nicholas smiled.

"He means, 'I kept that Mark from killing you while you slept.'" Varric's interpretation surprised Nicholas. He had no idea that he had 'slept' at all. How long had he been out?

"Then I owe you my thanks," the human rouge nodded at Solas, appreciative.

"Thank me if we manage to close the Breach without killing you in the process." Solas then turned to look at Cassandra who had stepped away from them, probably to keep from turning all of Varric into a holster for Bianca. "Cassandra, you should know: the magic involved here is unlike any I have seen. Your prisoner—"

"I have a name too," Nicholas butt in, frowning. Solas ignored him, however, and continued on.

"—is no mage. Indeed, I find it difficult to imagine any mage having such power."

"Understood," Cassandra sighed. "We must get to the forward camp quickly."

Nicholas crossed his arms, a bit annoyed that he was not introduced to the others, as Varric walked past him and said, "Well… Bianca's excited!"

His frown dissolved and he let out a chuckle before following the worst equipped, most rag-tag party he had ever been a part of. They came upon another group of demons, this one supplemented by a more powerful greater shade. It gave them a bit more trouble than the others, but it too was finally brought to heel by the combined ranged effort of Varric and Nicholas. They continued along the path, Varric making a bit of small talk as they walked.

"So… are you innocent?" he asked as Nicholas gave him a confused look.

"To be honest I don't remember what happened, but would you expect me to damn myself in front of my jailor?"

The dwarf laughed. "No, I suppose not, but you should have at least spun a story."

"That's what you would have done," cut in Cassandra, displeasure in her voice.

"It's more believable, and less prone to result in premature execution."

"The Maker himself could not tell a story good enough to save me from the gallows," Nicholas sighed. Cassandra promised a trial, but he had a feeling his fate would be decided long before he was presented to his judge and jury. He glanced over at the warrior who was giving him a long, hard look. She did not seem angry or annoyed, but… confused and worried. They kept walking up the trail as Cassandra worried aloud about Leliana's safety.

"She's resourceful, Seeker," Varric reassured her, but Nicholas was not sure it did much good.

Solas had moved ahead to scout the trail and soon called back, "Another Rift!"

Nicholas jogged the rest of the way up their last hill to see that the elf was, indeed, correct. His Mark tingled as if electrified and began to glow as demons spawned from the opening in the Veil. There were soldiers stationed outside the gate to the forward camp who called to them for help, but the request was not needed. As soon as the demons appeared Nicholas and his party would pick a target and quickly end it until he was able to get close enough to seal the Rift.

The threat neutralized, Cassandra gave the order for the soldiers to open the gate. She led the three men across the rampart towards a man in Chantry robes leaning over a map spread across a crude wooden table. Leliana was standing behind him, looking less than pleased. Relief washed over her face as they approached and she stepped forward.

"You made it. Chancellor Roderick, this is—"

"I know who he is," the Chancellor snapped at her. Nicholas frowned, crossed his arms, and stood straight and tall. Whoever this Chancellor thought he was, he was sure rude. "As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry I hereby order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution."

"So much for my trial," he growled, glaring at Chancellor Roderick. "Of course, the Chantry would be loath to lose the support of the Trevelyans, I am sure." He and the Chancellor locked eyes and exchanged dark looks, but Cassandra broke it with her own annoyance.

"'Order me'? You are a glorified clerk. A bureaucrat!" Nicholas nodded, smirking. You go, Seeker.

"And you are a thug, but a thug who supposedly served the Chantry!"

"We serve the Most Holy, Chancellor, as you well know," Leliana corrected, but Roderick was not ready to step down.

"Justinia is dead! We must elect a replacement, and obey her orders on the matter!"

"Isn't closing the Breach the more pressing issue?" Nicholas said, speaking firmly to get everyone's attention.

"You brought this on us in the first place!" The Chancellor turned back upon him, pointing his finger at the increasingly infuriated Trevelyan. Cassandra stepped closer to the table as he said more calmly, "Call a retreat, Seeker. Our position here is hopeless."

"We can stop this before it is too late." Her voice, too, was calmer but it reminded Nicholas of the stillness of a viper before it would strike.

"How?" Roderick shook his head. "You won't survive long enough to reach the Temple, even with all your soldiers."

"We must get to the Temple. It is the quickest route."

"Yes, but not the safest," Leliana interjected. "Our forces can charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains." Nicholas looked up at the Frostbacks above them and frowned. It would be cold and treacherous up there. There may be fewer demons, but it would certainly slow them down. Cassandra seemed to think in a similar vein.

"We lost contact with an entire squad on that path. It is too risky."

"Listen to me," Roderick spoke again. "Abandon this plan now before more lives are lost!" As he spoke the Breach belched out more energy and light. The Mark reacted to it, but the pain was lesser… The power from the Rifts seemed to have made it at least a bit more tolerable. Still, it served as a reminder that while the Breach was still volatile the Mark was consuming him. Nicholas could feel everyone's eyes on him as his hand glowed and emitted small bursts of energy.

"How do you think we should proceed?" Cassandra's words surprised Nicholas.

"Now you're asking for my advice?" He scratched the back of his as he looked up at the Frostbacks and then over at the Breach. "I say we charge. I won't survive long enough for your trial, if I am even to get one." He glared over at Roderick. "Whatever happens, happens now."

"Leliana," Cassandra ordered, jumping to action. "Bring everyone left in the valley. Everyone." She than began to lead them to the next gate. As they passed Roderick he let out one last biting remark:

"On your head be the consequences, Seeker." Nicholas saw her back tense, but she said nothing. He, on the other hand, was tired of the old codger.

"Just add it to your list of grievances against me. I made the decision." Nicholas then turned his back on the Chancellor and caught up to walk beside Cassandra. She gave him a look of appreciation but he only scowled as he kept his eyes forward. That damned Breach wasn't going to kill Nicholas. Now he had to come back and it shove in that Chancellor's mug.

They began the walk from the forward camp to the Temple, soon meeting with a group of advancing soldiers. They fell into line with the party. Nicholas took a quick glance around him and realized with a start that he was at the head… everyone was following him. The blind leading the fucking blind. They continued forward, Nicholas walking faster, his heart thumping so loud in his chest he thought it almost echoed off the mountains. He realized that the forward camp that he saw was actually the tail end of the camp where the 'important' leaders were. Even closer to the Temple was a camp of soldiers going into and coming out of the worst of the fighting. As he led the group into the heart of this camp he was met by a tall, rugged looking Templar.

"Lady Cassandra? Thank the Maker, you made it," he said, immediately looking to her as he stepped up to them.

"The prisoner pulled more than his own weight along the way," she replied, looking over to Nicholas.

"Again, I have a name. Nicholas. Nicholas Trevelyan."

Varric laughed behind him and said quietly, "You're too important for a name anymore, prisoner."

"Well… I hope they're right about you," Cullen said as he eyed up Nicholas. "We lost a lot of people getting you here."

"I can't promise anything, but I'll try my best," Nicholas sighed. Great, more blood on his hands.

"That's all we can ask." Cullen's voice was soft, almost like he was saying a prayer. He turned back to Cassandra and returned to his soldierly manner. "The way to the Temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there."

"Then we best move quickly," Cassandra said, looking to the three men she had been dragging along with her. "Give us time, Commander."

"Maker watch over you—for all our sakes." Cullen looked directly at Nicholas as he said his parting words before turning and barking order to his soldiers. Nicholas's hand was tingling in anticipation.

Cassandra led the way towards the middle of the Temple. The surrounding area had been cleared out from the explosion and they had to jump down from stone to what Nicholas could only describe as glass. The truth, though, was more disturbing. He did not want to think how many bodies made up the 'ground' beneath his feet and each step made a crunching noise that tightened his gut. Sporadically there were charred, burned bodies fused to the ground. Those that still had what could be loosely referred to as faces had looks of fear and horror. This was the stuff of nightmares. Still, he forced himself to look at each and every one of them. They were all his fault, all a part of his body count. Some were even family, though any discerned features they may have had were gone.

Hanging above the charred remains of the Temple and its inhabitants was a massive Rift, easily three times larger than the ones he had closed earlier. Directly above that, high in the sky, swirled the Breach.

"That is where you walked out of the Fade and our soldiers found you," Cassandra said quietly to Nicholas who could only stare at the Rift with a sense of horrible fascination. They walked closer to the Rift in silence, passing more corpses and raging fires. They did not wait long for Leliana.

"You're here! Thank the Maker," she said, jogging up to meet them.

"Leliana, have your men take position around the Temple." Cassandra sounded most natural when she gave orders. Nicholas had to focus on her every move, her every word, or he feared he would vomit. He survived all this? Leliana nodded and moved to give the command to her men while Cassandra walked to stand beside Nicholas, Solas, and Varric on the other side of him.

"This is your chance to end this. Are you ready?"

"How am I supposed to get up to the Breach to close that?" he asked, looked high in the sky. He doubted a dragon could fly him up high enough.

"No," Solas shook his head. "This Rift below was the first, and it is the key. Seal it, and perhaps we seal the Breach." Oh well, that sounds easy enough.

"Then let's find a way down, and be careful," Cassandra's voice sounded sure, but Nicholas caught her eye and saw a nervousness there that mirrored his own.

Nicholas looked around and saw what appeared to be path that wound down from where they were to the ground level just beneath the Rift. As a ranger he would have preferred to stay on the higher ground but he had to get closer to the Rift. He led the way on the path, but something in the Rift was reacting to their presence.

"Now is the hour of our victory." Said a male voice that was both everywhere and nowhere. It sounded familiar and foreign at the same time, and it sent Nicholas's heart racing. "Bring forth the sacrifice."

"What are we hearing?" Cassandra's voice shook, betraying her fear for the first time. At least she could speak—Nicholas did not trust himself to.

"At a guess: the person who created the Breach." Solas sounded calm… too calm. Was he resigned to the fact that he might die here, or was he just not afraid?

Nicholas kept walking, and as he did he saw strange, glowing, red rocks jutting up in large stalagmites.

"You know this stuff is red lyrium, Seeker." Varric's voice was quiet, cautioning, as if this red lyrium could come alive like an angry bear and eat them. Actually… That would be the least surprising event of today.

Cassandra's voice went back to her hard, curt tone as she said, "I see it, Varric."

"But what's it doing here?"

Solas had a possible answer, more than Nicholas did anyway. "Magic could have drawn on lyrium beneath the Temple, corrupted it…"

"Pah. It's evil. Whatever you do, don't touch it." Varric did not have to tell Nicholas twice to not go closer to the stuff. He wasn't sure if it was the lyrium or the Rift, but one of them made his head ache.

"Keep the sacrifice still." The all-and-nothing voice spoke again, and Nicholas tightened his grip on his bow.

"Someone help me!" This time it was a woman, crying for help. He furrowed his brow as he jumped down from a small ledge at the end of the path and stepped towards the Rift. His Mark began to glow and sizzle with energy but he felt no pain. He wanted to help whoever was calling, but… was it even real?

Nicholas's eye widened and he paused, staring at the Rift as his own voice came next. "What's going on here?"

Cassandra looked to him, her eyes wide as well. "That was your voice! Most Holy called out to you, but…" Before she could finish his Mark reacted with the Rift again, more explosively this time. A part of the Rift opened and a shadowy scene unfolded before them.

Nicholas watched as he—a shadow version of himself—ran up to Divine Justinia who was being held by some kind of magic force.

"Run while you can! Warn them!" Her voice, those words... They sounded correct but still his memory would not catch up.

"We have an intruder." The antagonist in the situation was completely shrouded in shadow, but he did not sound at all familiar. While Nicholas had heard Most Holy speak before the Conclave he had never in his life heard the voice of this man. "Kill him. Now!"

The vision vanished in a flash of bright light and they all staggered back. Cassandra was the first to recover, and she seemed furious as she closed the gap between herself and Nicholas.

"You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine, is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing?" She put her face in front of his, but Nicholas turned away as he shook his head.

"I don't remember!" he said for what felt like the millionth time. That much was true. Even after watching what had supposedly unfolded his mind could not piece together anything.

"Echoes of what happened here," Solas said, stepping between them. "The Fade bleeds into this place. The Rift is not sealed, but it is closed… albeit temporarily. I believe that with the Mark, the Rift can be opened, and then sealed properly and safely. However, opening the Rift will likely attract attention from the other side."

"That means demons," Cassandra called, not only to three right next to her but to all the soldiers that had circled the Temple. "Stand ready!" Leliana's archers readied their bows while Cullen's men that were fit to fight drew their swords and took a defensive stance.

Nicholas took a deep breath and flexed his left hand a few times before looking over to Cassandra. She gave him a nod and he returned it. It was time. He pointed the Mark at the Rift and willed power from within him to go into the Rift. It obeyed and the Rift greedily consumed the energy until it opened with a burst of light and heat that sent Nicholas sprawling back upon the ground. He stood quickly, notching an arrow. Out of the Rift came a demon, the largest Nicholas had ever seen. It easily stood ten feet tall, if not more, and was just as wide. It looked almost scaly, and had four horns twisting out of its head.

"Now!" Cassandra gave the order to attack and a volley of arrows rained down of the beast from all sides as those on the ground charged it with their swords. It let out an infuriated roar before cloaking itself in energy from the Rift.

"It has shielded itself!" Solas called out as he attempted to chip away at the demon's armor. Nicholas pointed his Mark at the Rift again, attempting to draw the energy out of it. The Rift was still too strong to collapse at the release of its energy, but he had managed to disrupt its flow of power enough to disarm the demon and stagger it. Solas gave him an approving nod before Varric yelled at him to attack and Nicholas did just that, firing every arrow in his quiver at the beast.

It may have been staggered, but it did not stay that way for long. Soldiers unfortunate enough to be too close to it found themselves picked up and either thrown or torn into pieces, spraying blood over other combatants.

"Kill this bastard!" Nicholas heard himself yell, throwing down his bow as he fired his law arrow. Quickly his eyes scanned the battlefield for any other weapon he could grab when he spied a short sword. Grabbing it he flanked around the demon while it was busy attacking other soldiers and found a spot in its leg where its natural armor had a few holes. Nicholas stabbed the sword into the fleshy part of the demon's leg as hard as he could, causing it to roar in pain and collapse upon the ground. Cassandra, sensing her moment, rushed to it and sheathed her sword into one of its several eyes. It let out another roar, clawing at its face, before collapsing in a heap upon the ground.

"Quickly, Trevelyan! Seal the Rift!" Solas's voice commanded Nicholas and he turned, forcing his Mark to react to the Rift for a third time. This time drawing out the energy was easier, but the Rift was incredibly large. Nicholas clenched his teeth together and willed the energy to keep flowing into him. The Rift finally collapsed with a bang, sending a ball of energy up towards the Breach above it. Nicholas watched the energy travel upward until it entered the Breach. Everything turned bright and hot, and then dark and cold.