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Foul and Corrupt
Magic exists to serve man, and never to rule over him.
Foul and corrupt are they
Who have taken His gift
And turned it against His children.
They shall be named Maleficar, accursed ones.
They shall find no rest in this world
Or beyond.
Four Templars dead, a phylactery smashed, and a mage completely missing, Knight-Captain-Cullen knew this wasn't good. He was sure the Mage Underground was behind it in some way, but the words could barley form in his mind. All he could see were the four dead boys that lay before him. They were initiates with the charge of guarding the phylactery chambers. And now they were dead at the hands of a mage.
How could this happen? He thought sullenly as the bodies were being tended to. He knew of the mage that escaped. She had an odd name that he could not place. She was a sweet girl…
But there were reports of her being mentally unstable. Always crying, never spoke to anyone, and then there was the window incident. It wasn't unusual for a mage to take their own life, but her attempt was especially dramatic. She tried to jump from the window and was pulled back by a Templar at the last minute. She was yet to be Harrowed and if she were not a talented Healer they would have made her Tranquil.
He had heard about a certain incident with some Templars involving the girl. But that couldn't be true… He knew those men, served with those men, fought with those men. They would never harm an innocent girl.
Knight-Commander-Meredith would want to know about this… He thought. She never took kindly to escapes and he knew that she would not be happy today. She was getting progressively angrier about the rising of The Mage Underground and the actions of a certain apostate.
Cullen took one last look at the corpses before doing his duty. I must be vigilant for all of our sakes…
OOO
The girl looked upon the city with a sudden curiosity. It looked so large now that she was no longer in The Gallows. She had not been in Kirkwall since her childhood and she wondered what it would be like to live here, to be a normal woman with a normal life and to have a family. But that thought was fleeting, mages have no families. She thought. We are alone in our struggles. She had learned that from her time in The Gallows.
She met with a member of The Mage Underground in an unfamiliar place called Lowtown. He was a large man with a course beard and tattoos all over his face. He looked strong enough to kill her and she was prepared to attack.
"How old are you girl?" He asked, eyes raking over her small frame.
"Sixteen," she said. She did not speak often and only did when spoken to.
His eyes returned to her face. "Hmmm… You're the one then… Let's get to The Docks, you got a ship to catch."
The two made their way through the mighty crowds and the girl felt tears stream down her cheeks. It's so loud, bright, and scary! She suddenly longed for the library in The Gallows, with no noise but the turning of the page. But she was free… Isn't that what I always wanted? She thought. Why did she want to be back in The Gallows? Her prison…
When they reached her ship the girl turned to her guide and thanked him. She was taught her manners in The Circle and always addressed kindly.
The man scoffed. "I do it for the coin girl! Now get your ass on the ship!"
The girl quietly climbed aboard. She had no idea where she was going or what she was doing, but at least she was free…
But in her heart she never would be free. Of The Gallows, of the nightmares that haunt her, of the scars she received from beatings or lashes, of the men she had killed.
She was always a prisoner. No matter where she ran, she was foul and corrupt.
